Dark Matter

by moguera

First published 1st of November, 2015

Matters come to a head. Dawn Lightwing and his friends must deal with plots that will shake Equestria and the world to their very cores.

In the wake of Terra Heart's attack on Ponyville, Princess Celestia leads the Royal Guard against the Cult Solar in an effort to eliminate them once and for all. But, while the cat's away, the mice will play. The Noble Court puts their own plan into action, threatening to throw Canterlot and Equestria into chaos. And behind it all, the mysterious Morning Star continues with his plans, which could spell the end of the world.

An Interesting Diversion

Chapter 1: An Interesting Diversion:

Three days after the battle in Ponyville:

"It seems you've been a busy stallion," observed Elderflower, Baron of Dream Valley as he sipped leisurely from the cup of tea in front of him. As members of the unicorn nobility went, he wasn't a particularly impressive specimen. His appearance was fairly average overall, not burdened by the overbearing plumpness that afflicted more than a few of his peers from a life of indolence and rich foods, nor the statuesque physique sported by the more vain members of the Noble Court. Being neither an article of ridicule nor admiration had allowed him to go through many a social function almost completely unnoticed. Save for the immaculate suit jacket he was currently wearing, Elderflower could have easily passed for a sharp-eyed librarian or archivist. His dark-lavender coat was offset by a darker-purple mane, which served to frame a pair of brown eyes that observed his conversation partner with interest. A few ponies had noted that Elderflower, at least superficially, resembled a certain mare who made her home in Ponyville. Said mare, as was often the case, was the overall topic of discussion for these two ponies.

"Well, with that fracas in Ponyville, it's hard not to be busy," observed the other pony. Unlike Elderflower, who used his magic to levitate the teacup to his lips, the other pony was forced to curl a fetlock awkwardly around the delicate cup set in front of him in order to drink from it. A fellow unicorn, this stallion sported a darkly-tanned coat that contrasted harshly with the off-white color of his mane. He looked across the table at the Baron with glittering crimson eyes that almost seemed to glow with a faint luminance, though such a quality was almost certainly a trick of the light. The stallion's most unsettling feature, however, was his horn. Nearly all unicorn horns were coated with velvet that matched the color of their fur. However, in this stallion's case, the horn was the same off-white color as his mane, looking uncomfortably like a shard of bone growing straight out of his skull. Instead of velvet, the horn seemed to be sheathed in some strange, transparent substance that caught the light and glittered like crystal or glass.

Often, Elderflower had wanted to ask Wight Shade about his horn, genuinely curious as to what the substance that coated his horn was. Perhaps it was something similar to a scab or rash, twisted by Wight's otherwise absent magic into something that resembled neither. Or perhaps it was an artificial coating, something to cover the alicorn of the horn itself and protect it from damage in the absence of a unicorn's natural velvet. However, such questions were not appropriate for a baron like him to ask. Even though this was a private conversation, it was strictly business-oriented and Elderflower knew it wasn't a good business practice to be asking a stallion about their deformity, even when said deformity was practically right in his face.

"Yes, I heard that was quite the unpleasant incident," commented Elderflower, refusing to indulge his curiosity and instead confining their conversation to the topic at hoof, "I could see all the smoke and dust from here, practically all the city could. Details are a bit scarce though. A great many ponies are quite concerned about what happened."

"I'm sure they are," said Wight with a coy smile, this time not bothering to lift the cup to his lips and instead lowering his head to sip from the rim. Such an act was rude in the extreme, of course. But Wight, as always, didn't seem to care in the slightest. Elderflower had to keep his lips from curling back in disgust at the uncouth display. It wouldn't do to alienate Wight right now, not when the stallion was his most important informant from inside the Royal Palace. Wight Shade's position as Majordomo to Princess Luna gave him access to all kinds of sensitive information and obtaining his services had been a major coup for Elderflower.

"And..." prompted Elderflower, trying to move the conversation along.

"It's nothing serious," replied Wight with an amused smile at the Baron's impatience, "It was an altercation involving that colt, Dawn Lightwing. A member from that Cult Solar bunch went in and tried to kill him."

"And that somehow led to an incident that yanked Princess Celestia out of the middle of the Day Court and down to Ponyville for at least two days?" asked Elderflower raising an eye.

"Both Dawn Lightwing and his opponent were formidable ponies," said Wight, "You should at least know about Dawn's prowess to a certain extent, given the events on Diamond Mountain."

"But for it to cause such a large disturbance..." Elderflower trailed off and shook his head. "It's immaterial in any case. What's important is that the incident has apparently caused quite the disruption at the Palace."

"That it has," said Wight, "Which was why I came to you now, as there are several interesting things occurring at this moment."

"And they are...?"

"Firstly, as a consequence of the battle, Ponyville is in dire straits. Many of its inhabitants lost their homes and businesses as it ran its course. Even with relief efforts from the crown, there's only so much that can be done."

"I see," said Edlerflower, refilling the cups of both himself and his guest, "In other words, the townsponies will need additional relief from other sources." He smiled slyly. "I'm sure that a function could be arranged to serve as a fundraiser. As the leaders of our nation, we, the nobility, should take the lead in providing aid to the suffering commoners."

"An excellent idea," said Wight, "However, I'm afraid you're already being beaten to the punch on that account. The Marquess Fancy Pants and Duke Prince Blueblood are already in the process of planning exactly such a function as we speak."

"It's just as well," said Elderflower, "If it were anypony aside from those two, Twilight Sparkle would probably be much too suspicious of their motives. That said, I can see several ways to turn this to my advantage."

"I am sure you can," said Wight, matching Elderflower's smile, "After all, several of the ponies invited to the party have said that they will attend, only on the condition that Ponyville send a distinguished representative to the party itself. It's no secret exactly who they are angling for."

"Of course," replied Elderflower with a chuckle, "It's so nice when my peers do the hard work for me."

"There's another gem of information you should hear," said Wight, "And I think this one will provide you with a much more clear-cut plan of action."

"Oh...And what is that?"

"Princess Celestia is preparing a major mobilization of the Royal Guard," said Wight, "Remember what I said about the Cult being responsible for the incident? They have apparently been a serious thorn in Celestia's side for months now, particularly because their dogma is built around revering her while, at the same time, reviling her beloved sister. Princess Celestia is using this incident to justify taking large-scale action against the group and she is using the Royal Guard to carry said action out."

"Hmm...What of it?" Elderflower pushed his empty cup aside and set his elbows on the table so that he could rest his chin on his hooves.

Wight chuckled softly. "In order to take such an action, she will need to mobilize the entirety of the Royal Guard. You understand what that means, right? When she takes action, the streets of Canterlot, the Royal Palace, the entire city will be all but empty of the Guard. Only a few token members and Princess Luna's personal Guard will be here."

"In other words...the Palace will be practically unguarded," said Elderflower, his eyes widened.

"I know that it was originally your fallback plan, but you may want to consider making it your primary plan," said Wight, "An opportunity like this does not come along very often."

Elderflower couldn't stop himself from smiling. "I think that's an excellent plan. I have another idea as well. Coincidentally, this will be the perfect chance to carry both of them out."

"I see," said Wight, "I look forward to hearing about your exploits, Lord Baron. Good hunting."

Several days later:

Dawn Lightwing snapped his wing out sharply to the side, letting out a quick, puffing exhalation of breath as he did so. A second later, he retracted the wing and, in the same motion, executed a quick crossover step that carried him in the opposite direction before snapping out the wing on that side. From there, he went into another sequence of motions, thrusting his wings out in front of him or sweeping them around his body in tight arcs. He worked through the motions methodically, paying attention to his every movement. At one point, they had become so ingrained into his body that he could go through them without thinking in the slightest about what actions he was taking.

However, now it was different. Dawn had never gone through his forms quite like this. A little over a week ago, a stallion from the Order of Celestial Light, a group that Dawn and those close to him referred to as the Cult Solar, had come to Ponyville and attempted to kill him. Their battle had forced Dawn to push himself harder than he ever had in his entire life. As a consequence, he had completely drained his magic, almost past the point of no return. The result was that his own magic, the magic of a pegasus, which enabled flight and allowed Dawn to practice the martial art known as the Gale King, was now depleted and inaccessible. Until it recovered, Dawn couldn't fly. Nor could he stir even the tiniest bursts of air from his wings, which had once been able to generate powerful tornadoes almost completely at will.

Thus, even as he went through the familiar motions of the First Form, those motions felt strangely foreign to him, as though he was a novice, walking his way through the form for the first time. It was an awkward and unpleasant experience, but one that Dawn also regarded as fresh and different. As his mastery over the art of the Gale King had improved, he had directed his attention outwards, towards the winds he controlled and what he could do with them. However, with those abilities and senses locked away, Dawn was now able to turn his attention inward, towards his own body. What he discovered was surprising. He was amazed how forced and awkward some of his motions felt. Going through the forms like this had led him to realize that he hadn't been doing enough to truly perfect his technique. It seems that, no matter how far I progress, I inevitably end up back at the beginning, he thought wryly.

Dawn was an interesting pony to regard. His coat was a jet-black color, which contrasted sharply with the flowing silver of his mane and tail. For a colt his age, his body was surprisingly well-built, though not bulky in the manner of bodybuilders. Rather, it was a compact, flexible musculature that didn't inhibit his movement. However, Dawn's most interesting features were his eyes. Turquoise in color, the irises were dominated by a pair of slit-shaped pupils that gave the impression of a cat or a dragon. Being watched with those eyes could be an unsettling experience for those who did not know the colt behind them.

It was these eyes, the Eyes of Nightmare, as they were called, that were the ultimate catalyst behind Dawn's current condition and the situation he had been through only a few days ago. The stallion that had tried to kill him belonged to a cult that considered his eyes to be a sign of demonic possession. Because of that belief, Dawn had been ostracized and persecuted for much of his life. That had only changed recently, after he had come to Ponyville. The ponies here, one pony in particular, had taken him in and given him a home. They had stood in defiance of the Cult Solar and its attempts to kill him, something Dawn couldn't thank them enough for.

Near the end of his practice, his leg clipped an uneven section of the ground, well-hidden beneath the evenly trimmed grass, that made him stumble. It took several steps to keep from toppling over to the ground. Once he'd stabilized himself, Dawn glanced down at the section of the ground he'd tripped over and sighed. He wouldn't have tripped if his magic was still available. Through the wind, he could feel the contours of the earth below him as the air flowed between the blades of grass, mapping out the shape of the terrain beneath it. But, with that sense gone, Dawn felt strangely divorced from the world around him. Getting caught by things like this was becoming a commonplace occurrence.

Marking the position of the sun, Dawn sighed in disappointment. His training time was up. It was time for breakfast, which he had to eat early if he wanted to make it to school on time. He didn't have time to go through the form that had just been interrupted again. Despite his mother offering to fly him out, Dawn didn't wish to be a burden to her. She had her own work to take care of and he didn't wish to add to her load, however temporary the situation might be.

A bubbling sense of frustration welled up inside the colt, prompting him to grimace. Taking a second, Dawn took a deep breath and let it out slowly, allowing the sense of anger and frustration to flow through him and settle down. In the past, he might have stamped down those feelings mercilessly and bottled them up until they exploded out at the most inconvenient time imaginable. Now however, Dawn simply relaxed and accepted what he was feeling before allowing the feeling to pass. In a way, this was probably one of the most important skills he'd acquired since he'd come to Ponyville.

Feeling calmer, Dawn turned to face his home, a small cottage on the outskirts of town. It was a quaint place, with a front path that meandered down before crossing over a burbling brook that ran through the property. A spacious yard of green grass afforded him plenty of room to practice, even if said yard was not quite as even as it appeared to be. All around the property were a variety of burrows, holes, small houses, and hutches. All of them housed some form of animal or another. The trees strewn about the place dangled birdhouses like fruit. A short distance away from the cottage and its yard lay an imposing wall of trees, the border of the mysterious Everfree Forest, a place regarded by the inhabitants of Ponyville with wariness and suspicion. Dawn knew its dangers more than most. After all, he'd spent a year within its confines.

Dawn made his way up to the cottage's front door and pushed it open. As he stepped inside, his nose twitched as he picked up the warm, savory scent of potato pancakes, spiked with the smell of green onions and chives. His stomach let out an eager rumble, prompting Dawn to smile. He'd certainly missed his father's pancakes while recovering from the fight.

Entering the kitchen, Dawn found his parents hard at work. A canary-yellow pegasus mare with a flowing pink mane was setting out dishes on the table, her graceful figure gliding from one task to the next with practiced efficiency. Behind her, at the counter, a tan earth pony stallion hummed cheerfully as he tended the potato pancakes sizzling away on the griddle over the stove.

When the mare spotted Dawn, her teal eyes widened and the corners of her mouth turned up in a radiant smile that lit up the entire room. "Good morning Dawn."

"Good morning Mom," said Dawn in response, unable to keep a smile from his own face. His "mother," the mare he'd spent the last few months living with, had been the one to bring him out of his self-enforced exile in the Everfree Forest and give him a home. Ultimately, she had ended up adopting him, something that Dawn couldn't thank her enough for. In many ways, Fluttershy had saved his life on the night she'd finally convinced him to start living with her.

"Morning kid," said the stallion, pausing to give Dawn a quick smile over his shoulder before turning back to his work, "You're right on time. Order up!" Caramel's spatula was a blur as he rapidly flipped the pancakes into the air before catching them deftly on a platter. Biting down on the edge of the platter with his teeth, Caramel brought it to the table and slid it into the center while Fluttershy set out crocks of butter and sour cream.

The group settled down to eat their breakfast. Like Fluttershy, Dawn only picked out two of the pancakes at a time, supplementing them with a small dollop of sour cream, which he spread in a thin layer on the top pancake before carefully cutting and eating them, his movements precise and dainty, but also slow and deliberate, as he stared down at his plate with an almost comical look of concentration. Both Caramel and Fluttershy had to stifle giggles at the sight, since, however funny it might have looked, there was a serious reason for Dawn's focus.

Like her son, Fluttershy was a dainty eater, spreading a little butter on top of her own pancakes before cutting off small bites, one at a time. She ate at a brisk pace, barely bothering to look down at her plate as she worked, instead watching her son as he carefully made his way through his own breakfast.

Caramel, on the other hoof, piled up no fewer than four of the savory cakes on his plate, adding a generous helping of sour cream to one side of the plate. He speared an entire pancake with his fork and dunked it in the sour cream before lifting it up to his mouth to take a substantial bite. After that, it was simply a matter of dunk, bite, chew, swallow, and repeat until the pancake was gone from his fork and it was time to move onto the next one.

The kitchen was silent, save for the clatter of forks and knives on plates and the chittering of Fluttershy's many animal friends in the background, many of whom were working their way through their own breakfasts. The peaceful breakfast scene seemed to be one that could be found anywhere, with nearly any healthy family in Equestria.

Dawn finished his first two pancakes and began to reach out for seconds. However, as he did so, his hoof clipped the crock holding the sour cream, causing it to wobble before it fell over with a clunk, spilling some of its contents over the table. Dawn's eyes, which had been slow in looking up from the plate, immediately snapped to the source of the noise and widened as he saw his accident.

Both Fluttershy and Caramel froze and watched Dawn carefully, their smiles nowhere to be seen now as they watched the colt warily. They could see the muscles in Dawn's outstretched foreleg clench, dragging his hoof across the surface of the table. His eyes narrowed as he all but glared at the crock, as though blaming it for being in the way of his hoof.

Without a word, Fluttershy stretched out her wing and gently brushed the tips of her feathers over Dawn's back, seemingly snapping the colt back into reality. Dawn's eyes closed and he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. His muscles unclenched and he pulled his leg back off the table. "I'll get a rag," he said, pushing himself away from the table and heading over to the sink.

Caramel reached over and set the crock upright again so that Dawn could easily wipe the spilled sour cream off the table. After cleaning up the spill, Dawn sat back down and, this time making sure to carefully watch what he was doing, reached over and fetched himself a second helping of pancakes from the platter.

Breakfast proceeded without any further disruptions. After breakfast, Dawn made his way to the door and put on his saddlebags in preparation for the walk to school. Fluttershy came up behind him, pausing a short distance away and clearing her throat. Dawn jumped sharply and whirled about, before realizing that it was his mother and relaxing again. With a warm smile, Fluttershy hoofed over the lunch she'd prepared for Dawn and watched as the colt set it inside his saddlebag.

"Have a good day at school," she said, leaning in to nuzzle Dawn before planting a gentle kiss on his forehead. "It'll be okay," she whispered into his ear before pulling away.

"Thanks," said Dawn, smiling slightly before opening the door. Fluttershy stepped out behind him and watched as Dawn trotted down the path and headed off in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres and the site of the temporary school until Ponyville's actual schoolhouse could be rebuilt.

Her ears twitched at the sound of heavy hoofsteps as Caramel came up to stand next to her, both of them watching as Dawn's form receded into the distance. "His fuse is getting shorter," Caramel pointed out.

Fluttershy nodded. She didn't like the feeling, as though she and her coltfriend were always tiphoofing about Dawn, like he was some sort of volatile substance that might explode at the slightest jostling. It brought to mind too many memories of those first months after she had adopted Dawn and the simmering anger that seemed to lay just barely beneath the colt's calm, stoic exterior. Dawn's anger could be frightening, if not downright terrifying at times. While Dawn had managed to address and resolve his personal issues, through some rather questionable methods, the memory was still fresh in Fluttershy's mind. She had never been the subject of Dawn's ire during those times, but simply understanding how close Dawn had been to doing things that were potentially unforgivable was frightening enough.

The accident this morning hadn't been the first one in recent days. Ever since his fight with Terra Heart, Dawn had become unusually clumsy. The other night, he hadn't been watching where he was going and had bumped into the living room table, upsetting a glass of water Fluttershy had set on it. Before that, he'd and fallen against a birdhouse, knocking it over and greatly upsetting the family of robins that resided within. Fluttershy had to spend a few minutes patching him up from the pecking he'd received from the irate birds.

At first, such a situation could easily be explained by his recovery. Dawn's first few days out of bed had been filled with wobbly, uncertain steps, and his stamina had been low. But much of that had recovered in the past few days. Yet Dawn's strange bout of awkwardness remained.

"He'll be all right," said Caramel softly, "Once he gets his magic back, I don't think we'll have anything to worry about."

Fluttershy nodded. But, while they waited for Dawn to fully recover, it was upsetting to see him so distraught about such simple mistakes. She and Caramel might not have thought anything about cleaning the little messes that sometimes resulted (or the bigger ones for that matter), but Dawn was clearly taking it very hard that he was becoming such a burden to his parents. In a way, it was ironic. Adapting to having Dawn in her life had been surprisingly easy for Fluttershy, particularly because Dawn was so mature and self-sufficient. But now, this was one of those times he most closely resembled his actual age, messes, mood swings, and all. She just wished that the situation wasn’t so traumatic for the colt in question.

"Mail for you."

"Thank you, Ditzy," said Rarity, graciously taking the letters from the gray pegasus hovering a few inches above her front porch, "Do you have time to join us for tea or do you still have more work to do?"

Ditzy beamed at the alabaster unicorn, her amber-colored eyes rolling about on separate tracks in the process. "Sorry, but I still have to finish my rounds."

"I see," said Rarity, "Give my best to your husband then. Is he doing all right?"

Ditzy's expression sobered. "He's...coping," she said, "Dinky and I are doing all that we can, but he's taking it hard, even if he doesn't show it as much as Applejack does."

Rarity reached out and brushed a strand of Ditzy's blonde mane away from her face. "I'm sure he'll get through this if he has you to help him. You have a gift for making ponies feel better, dear."

"Thanks," said Ditzy, briefly raising her hoof to cup Rarity's.

"Let me know if any of you need anything," said Rarity, "You're all practically family to us and we'll do whatever we can to help...but you know how Applejack can be."

"Yeah," said Ditzy, her lips twitching upwards again, "Thank you, Rarity. I'll see you later." She flapped her wings and pulled back from the door before shooting upwards out of sight.

"Mailmare?" inquired a stallion as he came up behind Rarity.

"That's right," said Rarity, turning to smile at the stallion.

"Everything all right?" he asked.

Rarity sighed. "Ditzy seems to be doing well, but I believe she is still upset about Granny Smith's death as well."

The stallion nodded, stepping back to make room from Rarity as they headed back into the house. They went into the living room, which had been temporarily repurposed as Rarity's design studio while she waited for repairs to be completed on the Carousel Boutique. The house they were currently in belonged to Rarity's parents, who were abroad on one of their many trips, which was just as well, as the house was not just being used by Rarity; but by her younger sister, Sweetie Belle; her assistant and apprentice, Coco Pommel; and the stallion currently beside her, her long-term guest and acting accountant, Flaxseed.

Glancing aside at the stallion now, Rarity smiled in approval. Flaxseed certainly looked much better than he had when she had first seen him. In fact, he was an excellent specimen of a stallion, as far as she was concerned. Sporting a gold-colored coat that practically gleamed in sunlight, as well as a black mane shot through with streaks of stately gray, he was fairly easy on the eyes. And speaking of eyes, his were the color of shelled almonds. All in all, he was a stallion Rarity didn't mind being seen with in the slightest...If only he wasn't so skittish.

Therein lay the problem. Flaxseed's pony-shy personality was significantly different from that of her friend, Fluttershy's. Flaxseed's personality was the consequence of a life on the run, moving from place to place, never getting too attached to any one pony, lest they betray his trust, and always looking over his shoulder. His pleasant eyes were the source of the problem. They looked normal now, but when he was agitated, angered, or afraid, those eyes underwent a startling transformation, going from brown to a deep, blood-red, with slit-shaped pupils. In other words, like Dawn Lightwing, Flaxseed also sported the Eyes of Nightmare, an affliction that made him the target of the mysterious and antagonistic Cult Solar. Rarity considered it quite lucky that Terra Heart had been so focused on Dawn when he had first arrived. Had the imposing earth pony warrior known about Flaxseed, she didn't like to think about their chances of escaping him.

Still, she thought, he's getting better.

"Anything important in the mail?" asked Flaxseed, drawing Rarity's attention back to the bundle of letters she held clenched in her magic.

"Oh! Let me see..." She began to flip through the envelopes, seeing where they had come from. "Hmm...Mortgage payments for the house, better forward those to Mom and Dad...something from the Academy of Arts and Sciences; that's for Sweetie Belle...Ah! Here's the report on the relief payments. I hope that's good news...And from Canterlot...Oooh...Oh!"

The remaining envelopes fluttered out of Rarity's magical grip. Flaxseed managed to scoop them up in his own magic before they hit the floor. The single envelope remaining in Rarity's grip tore itself open so that she could get at the missive within, unfolding it and scanning it eagerly.

"Something important?" asked Flaxseed.

"It's from Fancy Pants," replied Rarity without glancing away from the letter, "This is...Oh my! I need to get this to Twilight right away!"

"What's up?" asked Flaxseed.

Rarity was already making her way to the door, her curling, dark-purple mane bouncing with each prancing step she took. "Fancy Pants is setting up a fundraiser at his estate in Canterlot," she sang as she opened the door, "He's trying to raise more money to assist with relief and reconstruction efforts. Apparently, having somepony actually from Ponyville there will help encourage the other Nobles to give to a charitable cause."

"And you're taking that note to Twilight Sparkle because...?" asked Flaxseed.

"Because Fancy Pants is requesting her presence specifically," said Rarity, vanishing out the door and shutting it behind her.

Inside the house, Flaxseed stood there silently for a moment, the rest of Rarity's mail still hovering in his magic as he stared at the door. "...Oooookay..."

"I think I'm done," said Dawn, setting his sandwich down on the table and pushing it away from him.

"Come on," cajoled Scootaloo, who was sitting next to him, "You need to eat more than that. You're not gonna get better if you starve yourself."

"I just...I don't really feel all that hungry right now," said Dawn.

"Yer just upset that the other half ended up on the ground," pointed out Apple Bloom tersely, giving Dawn a flat look from across the table.

"Hey!" snapped Scootaloo, whipping around to glare at the yellow earth pony filly.

"It's the truth," replied Bloom in a strangely haughty tone as she looked pointedly away.

Scootaloo frowned, wanting to say more, but not really finding the words. Besides, Bloom was right. Still, it was unlike Apple Bloom to be so callous in her words. She was fully aware that Dawn was upset about his condition, but apparently had no thought of being tactful about it. Granted, the Apples were well known for their bluntness at the best of times, but this was taking it to an almost willfully provocative level.

She's been like that ever since her grandma died, thought Scootaloo. It certainly wasn't hard to make the connection between the Apple Family matriarch's passing and Bloom's new attitude problems. Considering that the trigger for Granny Smith's death had apparently been her exertion in helping keep the lands around Sweet Apple Acres stable with the magic of herself and the rest of Ponyville's earth ponies during the battle with Terra Heart, Scootaloo found herself wondering if Bloom blamed Dawn indirectly for Granny Smith's death.

For his part, Dawn was staring silently at what remained of his sandwich. Scootaloo wasn't certain whether he'd heard Bloom's words or not. As it was, she could still see the frustration in Dawn's eyes. He'd fumbled the sandwich when taking it out of his lunch bag, resulting in one half dropping to the ground. She wanted to sigh. He shouldn't be taking it this hard.

"That's enough," snapped Sweetie Belle, sitting halfway between Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. Her puffy, purple and pink mane bobbed as she looked rapidly back and forth between her two bickering friends. The angry expression adorning her face softened as she looked at Apple Bloom. "I know you're still upset about your grandma, but please don't take it out on others."

"Ah..." Bloom froze, mid speech before sighing and sagging. "Ah know...."

Sweetie smiled and extended one hoof to gently rub up and down Bloom's back. The white unicorn filly then turned her attention to Scootaloo, her expression getting more serious in the process.

Uh oh, thought Scootaloo as she leaned away from Sweetie's gaze. The next second, Sweetie was stalking away from the table, her magic dragging Scootaloo along with her. After pulling her a fair distance away, Sweetie stopped and stared at her friend.

Scootaloo's bright-orange coat did little to hide her athletic build as she faced her friend, the breeze playing across the fields ruffling her already messy fuchsia mane. Scootaloo looked over at her unicorn friend, watching with confusion as Sweetie's pale-green eyes ran over her from head to tail.

"Uh...what's this about?" asked Scootaloo, immediately flinching as Sweetie took the opportunity to step in close.

"Come on Scootaloo," whispered Sweetie in a harsh, almost conspiratorial tone, giving Scootaloo a sly, knowing smile, "Your coltfriend's right there, having trouble feeding himself. This is your chance!"

"My chance for what?" asked Scootaloo, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"You know," said Sweetie waving her hooves in excitement, "Your chance to get closer!"

"Closer?"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Sweetie, freezing before looking around to check that there weren't any eavesdroppers nearby, "It happens all the time in romance stories. You know...the hero is badly injured and is having trouble feeding himself, so his compassionate fillyfriend steps in to nurse him back to health and feed him herself. Don't tell me you can't see it!"

Scootaloo's light-purple eyes rolled upwards as she thought about the scenario Sweetie was clearly talking about, her imagination trying to create the scene inside her head.

"Say 'ah,'" she said, holding a spoon of soup pinched between the feathers of her wings and bringing it towards Dawn's mouth.

"Aaaah," said Dawn slowly, opening his mouth wide and letting Scootaloo slip the spoon inside before closing his jaws over the utensil and swallowing its payload. Releasing it again, his blue-green eyes met Scootaloo's own. The two of them smile happily as identical blushes spread across their cheeks and the air around them filled with rainbows and sparkles. Scootaloo giggled coyly as she moved to provide another spoonful of soup to her hungry coltfriend.

"That's it!" prodded Sweetie, bouncing in place, "You can see it, right?"

"I can see it," said Scootaloo dubiously, "It just looks...so...wrong..."

"Oh come on!" snapped Sweetie, throwing her hooves out, "This is your golden opportunity to really get close with Dawn. You should be forcing him to accept your help even if you have to tie him down and hmph!"

Sweetie's voice was cut off abruptly as a pair of slate-gray arms wrapped around her, covering her mouth and reducing her words to muffled, indignant, yet still squeaky, grunts. Behind her, a pegasus colt fluttered to the ground, grinning apologetically over Sweetie's shoulder as he pulled her closer to himself in order to keep her from struggling out of his grip.

"Sorry about that," said Rumble with a giggle, "I think she's been getting into her sister's romance novel collection. Some of those books are pretty silly."

"Yeah," agreed Scootaloo, before freezing and staring at Rumble, "But how do you know about what's in those books?"

Now it was Rumble's turn to blush as he looked pointedly away from Scootaloo. "Well...Cloud Chaser likes those books too. She leaves them lying around and..."

"Say no more," said Scootaloo, planting a hoof against her face, "Sweetie, I know you mean well, but that's not gonna work for Dawn. He's frustrated because ponies have to care for him. Simply forcing him to do that against his will would make him feel even more like a burden."

"You should at least talk to him," suggested Rumble, who continued to restrain Sweetie even as she tried to reply to Scootaloo, "If nothing else, maybe giving him a chance to vent his frustrations will help him feel better about it."

Scootaloo nodded. Rumble had a pretty good point. "Thanks," she said, before turning and heading back toward the table.

Finally, Rumble let Sweetie go. She immediately rounded on him, giving him a glare. "Ugh! Did you have to be so rough about it?"

Rumble shrugged. "You were getting carried away. Besides, I don't think your sister would want to find out you've been digging through her secret book stash again."

Sweetie went bright red and dropped to her haunches, looking at the ground. With a soft laugh, Rumble wrapped a wing around her and tried his best to console her.

The remainder of classes passed relatively uneventfully. Scootaloo kept one careful eye on Dawn throughout her lessons, watching as the colt worked through his assignments sullenly. She saw him fumble with his pencil more than once, dropping it to the ground in the process. She was grateful they were currently in a tent, with a grass floor. Had they still been in the actual schoolhouse, the clatter of Dawn's pencil falling to the floor during a silent work period would have drawn the attention of every other foal in the classroom, a response that would not have been kind to the ebony colt's nerves.

Dawn wasn't the only one struggling. Apple Bloom was clearly having trouble concentrating as Cheerilee went through one lesson after another, sometimes staring blankly at her desk without moving to take a single note or write a single answer. To her credit, Cheerilee seemed to notice, but apparently said nothing, clearly discerning the reason behind Bloom's issues. While she didn't want Bloom to feel like she was being pitied, Cheerilee also didn't want to put any extra pressure on her during this difficult time in her life.

As classes ended, the foals filed out, heading for their homes, or the shelters where they were staying. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were amongst the last foals out of the oversized tent that doubled as Ponyville's temporary schoolhouse, a melancholy atmosphere drifting over the group.

"Come on Dinky," said Bloom, looking at the newest and youngest addition to her family, "Let's get home. We've got chores to catch up on."

"Oh!" Sweetie jumped in excitement, "Wait a second, Bloom! I need your help with something!"

"If it's another cutie mark idea fer Rumble, ferget it," said Bloom, almost glaring at her friend, "Ah ain't in the mood fer that now." Rumble actually looked a little relieved at Bloom's words, which was understandable, considering the "ideas" the three girls had tried coming up with for his cutie mark.

"No! That's not it," said Sweetie, "I need you to do something for me."

"What are ya talkin' 'bout?" demanded Bloom, "Even if Ah had time to help ya, Ah need to take Dinky home."

"That's fine," said Sweetie, beaming, "Rumble and I will walk Dinky home. I just wanted to ask..." She opened her saddlebag and slid a book out of it. "...if you could take this back to the library for me."

Sweetie floated the book over to Bloom, who took it in her hooves and stared at it, her expression softening.

"Go ahead," said Sweetie, smiling warmly at Bloom, "Maybe you'll find something nice for yourself while you're there."

Bloom stared silently at the book for a moment before tucking it into her saddlebag. "Maybe Ah will," she said, before turning to Dinky, "Are ya okay with Sweetie Belle and Rumble walkin' ya home?"

"I sure am," said Dinky brightly, "I'll let Papa and Aunty Applejack know where you are."

Giving a small smile of her own, Bloom reached over and gently ran a hoof through Dinky's mane. "Thanks," she said softly.

Bloom hoisted her saddlebags and headed into town, making for the library. Sweetie and Rumble came up on either side of Dinky and began to lead her back toward the Apple Family farmhouse.

"Say," said Rumble as they walked, looking around, "Where are Dawn and Scootaloo?"

"Probably off doing their own thing," said Sweetie, "Don't worry about it."

"Where are you taking us?" asked Dawn, doing his hardest to keep up as Scootaloo dragged him between the trees. It didn't help that one of his forelegs was clamped tightly between her own and that Scootaloo was flying just barely off the ground. Dawn had to dance on his remaining three hooves to keep from falling over as he was towed along in her wake.

"You'll see!" exclaimed Scootaloo in giddy tone as she continued to tug her coltfriend along.

Their path led through the fields and orchards of Sweet Apple Acres, winding between trees. Several times, Dawn nearly tripped over hidden bumps or extended roots. But Scootaloo's insistent tugging kept him going along, even as he bent all his reflexes towards avoiding twisting an ankle. The last thing he needed right now was another trip to the hospital.

"Here it is!" exclaimed the filly as they emerged from the trees and headed towards a hill that hosted a single apple tree. The tree stood strangely alone on the hilltop, compared to the rows upon rows of its brethren lined up on either side. Dawn wondered if it held some sort of special significance to the Apple Family. Scootaloo pulled him all the way up to the tree's base.

"What is this place?" asked Dawn, looking around now that Scootaloo had finally let him go.

"This is my favorite spot here," explained Scootaloo, settling down next to the tree, "Rainbow Dash loves to practice over the orchards, so I'd always sneak onto the farm and watch her from this hill."

"Sneak...?"

Scootaloo blushed and looked away, grinning sheepishly. "Well...I don't think the Apples would've minded, but this was before I was a Crusader and before Rainbow and I decided to become sisters and all..."

Dawn blinked and stared at Scootaloo for a moment before turning to survey the area around them. The orchards seemed to stretch on forever, loads upon loads of trees, some of them already putting out blossoms in preparation for the first crop of apples for the year. It was a beautiful view, especially in the light of the afternoon sun. In the near distance, Dawn could see the Apple Family’s barn and the farmhouse next to it. He tried to imagine what it was like back then, sitting on this hill and watching as Rainbow Dash soared through the clear, blue sky above. It was certainly a calming feeling. But, at the same time…

“Why did you bring me here?” he asked, turning to Scootaloo, “What is the point of all this?”

Scootaloo's smile faded and she looked seriously at Dawn. "It's just..." she stared down, "I'm worried about you."

"Worried?" Dawn leaned back away from her, "What do you mean?"

"These past few days, I've seen it," said Scootaloo, "You're getting frustrated, angry, upset...I've noticed...Everypony's noticed." She looked up at him again. "You're starting to scare ponies, Dawn, especially me and Fluttershy."

A jabbing pain struck Dawn in the chest as those words reached his ears. I'm scaring her... He remembered the last time he'd frightened Scootaloo, on the evening of her First Flight party. Her delusional, controlling father had tried to take her away from her home. Dawn had beaten him back and, in a fit of anger, had been prepared to remove the stallion's wings. Had a certain mercenary not intervened, Dawn would have deliberately mutilated and maimed Scootaloo's father. He remembered the way she'd looked at him after that, how she'd stayed away from him, leaving him feeling isolated...alone...

And he was doing it again. "How?" he asked.

"You're getting angry so easily these days," said Scootaloo, reaching out her foreleg and hooking it around Dawn's own, pulling it towards her, "We can all see it. You get frustrated whenever you have an accident, no matter how small it is. You have to actually stop yourself and calm down before you lash out at something or somepony."

"Is that what you're afraid of..." asked Dawn hollowly, "...that I'll lash out at somepony."

"I'm not," said Scootaloo, pulling Dawn a little closer to her, "I know that you're better than that now. You won't make that same mistake again. But...I'm afraid about what you're going to do to yourself. Even if you aren't bottling up your anger anymore, you're still letting every little thing get to you so that you have to force yourself to relax."

"I..." Dawn wasn't sure what to say. What Scootaloo was saying was indeed the truth. He'd been getting frustrated and angry much more easily these days. Ever since his fight with Terra Heart, he'd come to realize how dependent he'd grown to be on his wind-sense. He was so used to knowing where everything was around him that he didn't even need to look at an item he was reaching for or at an obstacle he needed to navigate around. His hooves moved before he thought about tracking them with his eyes. He had difficulty telling how far or close an object was right away. It was as though he was strangely divorced from the world around him...

...And it was agonizing. Every time he tripped on something he'd normally would've skipped past without a second thought or knocked over something he could usually pick up with no difficulty, Dawn was reminded of just how helpless he was, how empty he felt without his magic. Even after his fight with Red River and Storm Front, when he'd been battered and most of his feathers had been burned away, Dawn hadn't felt so completely detached from everything

Dawn suddenly felt Scootaloo's arms wrap around his shoulders and pull him towards her, knocking the colt out of his thoughts as she pressed her forehead up against his. "Dawn, we're here for you," she said, looking him straight in the eyes, "I'm here for you. I know it's pointless to tell you not to get upset about your accidents and I know that you'll keep having them, probably until you get your magic back. But...it's okay to depend on us too."

"I...don't want to be a burden..."

Dawn turned his head away, but Scootaloo's hoof went to his cheek and immediately pushed his head back so that he was still facing her. "It's okay," she said, "It's okay to let us take care of you. You fought so hard back there. You need to rest. That's why you have us, so we can take care of you during times like this, just like I hope you'll take care of me if I ever end up like that. We're here for each other. That's what matters." She pulled him in a little tighter. "You're a burden I want to carry."

Slowly, Dawn's lips stretched upwards in a smile and he leaned into Scootaloo's embrace. "Thank you," he said, extending his wings to wrap around her even as he raised his own arms to hug her back.

Scootaloo grinned before pulling Dawn into a long kiss, holding onto him tightly as he kissed her back. The kiss seemed to stretch on forever until the two of them finally pulled apart. When they did, tears were leaking from Scootaloo's eyes.

"Geez," she said, swiping at them with her foreleg, "You have got to be the most high-maintenance coltfriend ever."

Unable to stop smiling, Dawn used the feathers of one of his wings to gently brush the tears away from Scootaloo's eyes. "But still yours."

"Yeah," she said, relief flooding into her voice, "Still mine."

They leaned in to kiss each other once again.

Author's Notes:

IIIIIIIIIII'm baaaaack! Sorry it took so long to get this out. There were was so much going into this story that I almost wanted to break it into two. As I've said in my blog posts, it's over thirty chapters long. I almost ended up delaying it further as my pre-readers abruptly went MIA, but I didn't want to stiff you all after promising a Halloween release (assuming this gets through the moderators while it's still Halloween, the cue is probably pretty crowded).

Not a whole lot to say about this chapter, as it's mostly about covering some more of the aftermath from the previous story. That said, I am again attempting to flex my writer's muscles in an attempt to engage in some of the facets of storytelling that we fanfic writers often overlook, namely introducing the characters. The biggest weakness we fanfic writers have as a whole is our tendency to gloss over descriptions for characters that we are already familiar with from the show, like the Mane Six and other familiar ponies. But, considering it from a writing perspective, it's important to build descriptions of them into the story as well, along with settings and locations we're already familiar with. This might bog down the story unnecessarily for some, but I think it's important.

Next chapter: WAFFs abound.

Happiness and Tears

Chapter 2: Happiness and Tears

Apple Bloom sobbed, trying her hardest to keep from making too much noise without much success. Ultimately, to muffle herself, she pressed her face against the smooth, purple scales of the dragon who held her in his arms.

Spike did his absolute best to comfort the yellow filly, holding her tightly and trailing one set of claws through her flowing red mane, trying to avoid jostling her trademark bow. His mind went back to when she had first come in the library. Fortunately, there hadn't been anypony else in at the moment. Even Twilight Sparkle was out, helping her coltfriend, Arkenstone, plan the reconstruction of his teahouse. The moment their eyes had met, Bloom had dropped her saddlebags and rushed straight at him, nearly knocking him over in the process. Spike found himself glad for the bulk he'd gained over the course of the past few months. He wished his newly-formed wings were large enough to wrap around her, but instead settled for coiling his tail across Bloom's back and gently rocking her back and forth.

He desperately wanted to know why she was so upset, but right now, Bloom clearly wasn't in a speaking mood. The only thing Spike could do at the moment was hold her and hope that she calmed down enough to talk to him.

As the minutes wore on, the sobs began to fade and Bloom's trembling began to subside. Finally, she was quiet as she relaxed in the young dragon's embrace. Spike pulled back just far enough that he could get a good look at her tearstained face. "You wanna talk about it?"

Bloom sniffled hard, looking as though she might break out into fresh sobs. However, she clenched her eyes shut and used one forehoof to rub at her eyes. Seeming more in control of herself now, she opened her mouth to speak, but was immediately cut off.

"Hold on!" said Spike quickly, before leading Bloom to a nearby pile of cushions. With a sharp tug of his hands, he pulled her back up against himself and relaxed letting the two of them fall into the pile. Holding her close, Spike leaned in to plant a tiny kiss on her muzzle. "There," he said, "That's better."

Bloom snorted quietly and giggled, before tucking her head under Spike's chin and resting up against him. "Thanks," she said.

"Now, what's bothering you?"

"Ah..." Bloom sighed. "Ah'm just so...Ah'm so angry sometimes. Ah scare mahself. Dawn was havin' a real hard time today and Ah just went and snapped at 'im."

"Is it because of Granny Smith?" asked Spike, gently scratching Bloom's back with his claws, something that ponies really seemed to appreciate.

"Yeah," said Bloom, clearly not happy to admit the fact, "Ah know it ain't right. It ain't Dawn's fault that she died. Yeah, that damn cultist came because 'o him, but that don't make it his fault. He didn't do anythin' wrong, nothin' to deserve somepony tryin' to kill 'im like that. But...whenever Ah think 'bout how Ah won't see Granny again, Ah just get so mad..."

"I understand," said Spike, "It's hard, isn't it...losing a pony you love...?"

Bloom nodded up against him. "Yeah, it is. Have ya ever lost somepony like that?"

"No," Spike admitted, "I've been lucky not to lose anypony I really care about yet. Twilight's still here, so are her parents, so is Princess Celestia, and everypony else I'm really close to..." He kissed Bloom's forehead. "...including you."

"Ah'm glad," said Bloom with a sigh.

"So...is it really Dawn that's bothering you, or is it something else about all of...this?" asked Spike.

Bloom was silent for several minutes. For a little bit, Spike was worried that she was going to ignore the question altogether. Then, to his relief, she answered.

"Ah think...Ah think, maybe...Ah think Granny's the one Ah'm really angry at."

"Granny Smith...?" mused Spike, "...Why?"

Bloom sniffed and ducked her head down. "'Cause she lied to me."

"She did?"

"That's right!" exclaimed Bloom, whipping her head back up, angry tears spilling out of her eyes, "She lied right to mah face, tellin' me everythin' was gonna be all right! She said that and then she went and..." Bloom let out a choked sob and buried her face in Spike's chest once again. "Right up to the end, even when Mac told me what the doctor said, even when the end was gettin' closer and everypony could see it, Ah still believed that she'd get better. Ah thought she was gonna come out of it and everythin' was gonna go back to the way it used to be...all 'cause Granny said everythin' was gonna be fine."

Spike tightened his hold on his fillyfriend as she started crying again, holding her as sobs rocked her body. With one hand, he resumed stroking her mane, doing his best to offer what comfort he could.

"Why?" asked Bloom, her voice practically a whisper, "Why did Granny say that? Why'd she lie to me?"

"Because," said Spike with a small smile, "I don't think she was actually lying."

"Huh!" Spikes words knocked the filly for a complete loop and she whipped her head back up to stare at him in astonishment. "How can ya say that?"

"Bloom...do you know how old Granny Smith was?"

Bloom's light-orange eyes blinked in surprise at the question. She resumed staring at Spike before she blinked again. "She was...she was uh..." Bloom frowned. It was a question she'd never asked, never even considered. Granny Smith had been there when she was born, helped to raise her since before she would have been old enough to even remember what her parents were like. Even Big Macintosh and Applejack never seemed to consider the question. But, for as long as Bloom could remember, Granny Smith had simply been there. Even amongst gatherings of all of their relatives from across Equestria, Granny Smith was something like a permanent fixture, an unchanging constant, for everypony going back to the oldest of Bloom's great uncles and aunts that she could ever remember meeting. For lack of a better term, Granny Smith had always been. The question of how long had never factored into it.

"Let me put it another way," said Spike, "Do you know how long Ponyville's been around?"

"Miss Cheerilee said that it's been 'round fer..." Bloom wrinkled her face as she tried to remember the lecture in question, but the exact date eluded her. "...fer a long time. Hundreds 'o years...?"

"That's right," said Spike, nodding, "Now...do you remember the story Granny Smith told for Family Appreciation Day at your school?"

Bloom nodded. That had been one of the best days of her life, the day she'd managed to turn back all of Diamond Tiara's embarrassing insults and provocations. Granny Smith had told the story of how she and her family had set set up a farm, before stumbling on the Zap Apples, which led to her striking a bargain with Diamond Tiara's own ancestor, which led to...

Her jaw went slack. "No way! Why didn't Ah see it before?"

"That's right," said Spike, "I don't think Granny Smith is really your grandmother, but your great-great-great-great...however many greats it is...grandmother. I don't know how, but she's been around for hundreds of years. She's seen entire generations of the Apple Family come and go."

Bloom's jaw still refused to go back up. Her mind was struggling to wrestle with the incredibly improbable fact. How had she never noticed? How had almost nopony else noticed? Or...if they had, why did nopony say anything? Did Applejack and Big Macintosh realize it? If they did, then why hadn't they told her? What did it all mean?

"Why does that make it all right that she's gone now?" asked Bloom finally.

"I think...I think that Granny Smith was ready to go," said Spike, "She's been around for Celestia only knows how long (and I mean that literally). She's watched entire generations: your parents, your grandparents, your great-grandparents, and so on...come and go. You lost her but...Granny Smith has lost so many other ponies over the years. But she stayed strong. She kept watching over you and everypony else in the Apple Family right up until the very end. She spent the last of her life making sure that you and your home were safe."

Bloom swallowed and nodded, her own mind struggling with the facts. Granny Smith had always seemed like a loving, wise, yet slightly kooky grandmother, whom she could always bring her problems and difficulties to. Smith was somepony who would listen to the filly's worries, comfort her, and then provide some sage advice that would make things better. The idea that Smith had dealt with almost the same kind of loss that Bloom was struggling with now, and had endured that loss over and over again, made Bloom's heart shudder. She suddenly felt very small.

"That's why I think she told you it was all right," said Spike, "She meant that it was all right for you to let her go, to move on. I think she believed you didn't need her to look after you anymore."

"Ya really think so?" asked Bloom, once again looking up at her drakefriend.

Spike planted a light kiss on Bloom's lips. "I'm pretty sure."

Bloom couldn't keep a light giggle from escaping her. "When did mah dragon get so wise?"

A blush spread across Spike's cheeks and he bashfully scratched at the spines behind his head. "Uh...I guess it's just natural talent."

That got a genuine laugh out of the filly. "Ah'm sure it is," she said, leaning against Spike once more and closing her eyes.

"Feeling better?" asked Spike.

"A little," said Bloom, still sniffling a tiny bit, "But Ah'd feel a lot better if ya'd just shut up and hold me."

Spike smiled warmly and wrapped both arms around Bloom once again. "I think I can do that."

They lay there quietly until Bloom drifted off to sleep in Spike's arms.

The dragon and the filly were not nearly as alone as they first thought. The front door of the library had been opened a crack, just wide enough for the two unicorns to observe the pair as Spike comforted Bloom. Had they been noticed, they would have been recognized instantly.

"Oh my," whispered Rarity, bringing a hoof to her lips as she watched Spike and Apple Bloom from the door, "I had no idea the poor dear was so distraught."

"She's not the only one having trouble," said Twilight Sparkle, looking in from her place next to Rarity, observing the situation with wide, violet eyes, "Applejack and Big Macintosh are struggling too. It's bad enough that Granny Smith's gone, but they have to keep on taking care of the farm while they're at it. I'm worried..."

"Applejack actually seems to be doing well, given the situation," said Rarity, "I think she got enough sense of closure from the funeral that she was able to move on. She's been a veritable pillar of strength for both dear Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh."

"Yeah," said Twilight. She remembered everypony leaving Applejack and Red River alone at Granny Smith's grave. When they had come back, Applejack looked more at ease than she had in days. Granted, there were still times that she looked about ready to break into tears, but she seemed to overcome those moments quickly and go back to work. Her enthusiasm had dulled a little, but she pressed onward all the same.

Big Macintosh was much more difficult to read. The stallion's stoic continence was a pokerface that could put the most skilled Las Pegasus card shark to shame. He worked through the days, never seeming to give any sign of the pain such a loss must have inspired in him. However, in a few conversations with his wife, Ditzy Doo, Twilight had heard that, in private, Macintosh was still very distraught over Granny Smith's death. However, as long as Ditzy was with him, it seemed that Macintosh would endure as well.

That left the youngest of the Apple siblings. Bloom, at her tender age, was still somewhat inexperienced in dealing with death. She had been too young to remember the deaths of her parents. Since then, the closest she had come had been the incident when an assassin named Willow had come to town, aiming to kill Dawn, but had ended up killing herself to avoid capture and interrogation. Even then, Bloom had been shut inside the schoolhouse and had learned about Willow's death secondhoof, well after the fact. As a consequence, she was probably the one having the most difficulty coping out of all three of siblings.

"I think I'll go to the farm," said Twilight, "I can let Applejack know where Apple Bloom is and I'll help with the chores too. Bloom needs Spike's support right now."

Rarity nodded. "I'll offer what help I can as well. Sweetie Belle's been telling me just how bad her temper has been at school. Giving her some time to sort things out would be best."

Twilight shut the door and turned to face Rarity with a toss of her dark-purple mane, whipping its hot-pink streak through the air behind her head. "But there's something else you wanted to talk to me about, right?"

"Of course," said Rarity, "I'd nearly forgotten." After all, said topic had driven her to seek the company of her lavender friend in the first place. Twilight had been at the remains of her coltfriend's teahouse, helping Arkenstone with the plans to rebuild the place after it had been wrecked in the process of his battle with Terra Heart. Twilight had suggested that they adjourn to the library, which had led to them stumbling across the rather private moment (though, fortunately, not too private) between Spike and Bloom.

A swirl of blue magic lifted up the flap of Rarity's saddlebag and she extracted the letter she'd received earlier that day. She sent it drifting over to Twilight, the blue magic being supplanted by a purple one as Twilight's power took hold and she brought the letter up in front of her face for perusal.

A smile spread across Twilight's face as she worked her way through the letter. "That's very generous of Fancy Pants to put this together." However, her smile faded as she neared the end. "He wants me to come to Canterlot for this." Twilight lowered her letter and gave Rarity a dubious look. "This sounds kind of suspicious to me."

Rarity sighed. "Please Twilight, it's Fancy Pants after all. He is one of the most trustworthy stallions in all of Equestria. If he is asking for your attendance, then it is because there is a genuine need for it. More importantly, you know that we don't have to worry about him trying anything untoward."

"I suppose you're right," said Twilight with a resigned sigh.

Rarity had a point, after all. Holding the official title of Marquess of Manehattan Island, the dapper stallion was one of the few members of the Noble Court whom Twilight and her friends could genuinely count on. Unconcerned with the trappings of his rank, Fancy had sold all his official holdings in Manehattan and gone into business, becoming one of the richest and most successful ponies in the nation. Because of this, he was uninterested in the largely pointless power struggles that plagued the Noble Court, many of which hinged upon Twilight as several members saw her as a powerful piece in their plans due to her very strong ties with Princess Celestia. He'd proven to be a staunch and valuable ally to Twilight and her friends, at one point even coming to Ponyville personally to advise Rarity not to conduct any business with the Canterlot nobility in order to protect her.

"I suspect that certain other members of the Noble Court may have had a hoof in Fancy making this request," said Rarity, "After all, it's only natural to have an actual member of the Ponyville community, one who endured this disaster and is personally affected by it, to make a direct appeal in order to secure more funds for the relief efforts. I am sure that many of them made a variety of qualifying statements in order to make sure you were the best, if not the only choice."

"Lovely," growled Twilight.

"But," continued Rarity, "We both know that Fancy would not have asked you to come if he wasn't confident in his ability to ensure your safety. You will be his guest after all, so you will be staying at his estate. I am certain he has measures in place for the actual function as well." Her smile widened mischievously. "I also noticed he made provisions for you to bring a plus-one, as it were. I am sure you know who you'd want accompanying you."

Twilight's demeanor relaxed slightly as she nodded. "Yes. I know who to bring with me."

"Then, between him and Fancy Pants, I am sure that none of those cads will be able to so much as twitch their noses in your direction," said Rarity with a titter, "If they can be bothered to lower their noses in the first place."

Twilight couldn't help but giggle at her friend's words. "I certainly hope so."

"Excellent," said Rarity with a sharp nod, "Then I shall endeavor to make sure you are suitably attired. I understand that, the last time you attended one of these functions, you had to make due with one of your mother's hoof-me-downs. While I am sure that it was perfectly serviceable, I am sure that you were mocked for it nonetheless."

Twilight nodded in agreement.

"This time," declared Rarity, raising a hoof toward the sky, "You shall put all those prissy ponies to shame. I shall craft a dress to showcase your splendor to all of Canterlot!"

"Um...no need for anything too fancy," said Twilight, "I know you're still waiting for the Boutique to be repaired."

"Oh pish tosh, Twilight dear," said Rarity dismissively, "A minor setback such as that is no hinderance to my muse. I can easily take care of your needs at my parents' house."

"If you say so..." said Twilight a bit uncertainly. Despite Rarity's assurances, she couldn't quite shake the ominous feeling that hung over her.

"I'm back," said Rumble as he shut the cloud house door behind him.

"Hey there bro," greeted a gray pegasus with a white mohawk, peeking out of the living room, "You're a little late today."

"Sweetie and I took Dinky home," said Rumble, "Apple Bloom needed to visit the library."

"Oh," said Thunderlane, "Well that was nice of you. How's everything going?"

"All right," said Rumble with a sigh, "Bloom's still upset about Granny Smith's death and Dawn's been looking like he's about to explode."

"That good, huh?" said Thunderlane, wrinkling his nose.

"Yeah," said Rumble, "Are the girls back?"

"Cloud Chaser is making a grocery run," said Thunderlane, "Flitter's upstairs with Storm Front. You can go see them if you want."

"Okay," said Rumble, already making his way to the staircase.

The cloud house wasn't theirs. It technically belonged to Scootaloo, though it was being held in trust by Scootaloo's mother, Melon Cream, until the filly came of age. In the meantime, Scootaloo had offered to let Rumble and his family use it, seeing as their house had been a casualty of Terra Heart's attack on Ponyville. Rumble had to admit, the idea of living in a cloud house had taken some getting used to. Even though he, Thunderlane, Cloud Chaser, and Flitter were all pegasi, they were much more used to living on the ground. Thunderlane and Rumble had actually been born and raised in ground houses. Making sure you knew which surfaces were safe to put objects on was something that took a little getting used to. Rumble's textbooks were looking a little more battered now, after a couple of falls through the floor resulting from him not looking where he was putting them.

The stairs took him up to a hallway, which ran the length of the house's upper floor. There were a couple of guest rooms up here, along with the master bedroom, which had once belonged to Rainbow Dash. Rumble went straight to door of Rainbow's old bedroom and looked through.

"Hi Flitter," he said.

A purplish-gray pegasus looked up from the book that she'd been reading. "Oh! Welcome back, Rumble," she said with a bright smile, her flowing, pale-green mane dancing through the air as she turned to face him, "Did you have a good day at school?"

"Yeah," said Rumble, coming in and looking past Flitter at the stallion laying on the bed.

Storm Front looked only marginally comfortable in his current position. He was lying on his back, one wing splayed out at a slightly awkward angle, thanks to the cast and bandages around it. One foreleg was immobilized in a similar manner and his barrel was wrapped in bandages as well. His body had once been covered in taut, compact musculature, something that Rumble both admired and envied. Now however, he was looking thinner and leaner, the consequence of the multiple healing spells he'd been subjected to over the past several days. Even with substantial meals and nutritional supplements, his body was still weakening from simple atrophy. Still, his expression was calm and relaxed as he turned to look at Rumble with his faded-green eyes.

"How are you feeling?" asked Rumble as he approached the bed.

"About as well as usual," said Storm, giving his student a small smile, "The doctor tells me that I probably won't fly as well as I used to, but being able to fly at all is something worth celebrating."

"What about your arm?" asked Rumble, looking at Storm's right foreleg, the one in the cast.

Storm looked down at the limb in question. "I'll be able to walk on it, at least."

"So you won't..." Rumble blinked, feeling tears come to his eyes.

"So it would seem," said Storm, "It appears that my days as a martial artist are over."

Rumble gasped, "But you..."

"Don't worry, I'll still be able to teach you," said Storm with a small smile, "I've been working on some things to help with that. If you go to the library, Twilight Sparkle should have a training manual I've been working on for you."

"B-but..." Rumble couldn't stop the tears from coming out of his eyes. "But what about you?"

Storm smiled. "I'm all right with it. I can accept what happened."

"But it's not fair," said Rumble...

"I don't think fair had anything to do with it," said Storm, "Things are what they are. You simply have to accept what can't be changed."

Rumble sniffed and turned to run out into the hall. Storm blinked at Rumble's departure. "Did I say that wrong?"

"I think so," said Flitter with a sigh, giving her coltfriend a sober look, "Are you really sure you're all right with this?”

Storm laid back and stared up at the ceiling. "I'm not like Red. He truly pursued the Art for its own sake and sought to refine his skills above all else. He always looked for jobs that gave him the opportunity to build his experience. That was how he ended up with me. After what happened in Guoxia, I ended up being the one following him. But I never shared his passion. To me, it was more of a means to an end."

Flitter reached up to rest a hoof against his foreleg. "But that doesn't mean you didn't care about it," she said, "I can tell it hurts you."

"Admittedly, I was very proud of what I had done," said Storm, "I took a weapon that had been discarded by unicorns and built a style of my own around it. It saved my life and I ultimately came to love what I had created. But it still isn't the same thing." He turned and smiled at Flitter. "That's why I'm glad that I can still at least teach Rumble. He truly loves it and I think that it will help him find the kind of pony he wants to be."

"What about you?" asked Flitter, "Will this help you find the kind of pony you want to be?"

Storm chuckled. "I think so," he said, "It's just as well, given that I was planning on giving up working as a mercenary. I probably won't be able to work directly with the weather anymore, but Raindrops is already offering me an administrative position. She said, and I quote, 'I'd much rather have you in the office than in the air.' I think she likes the idea of having somepony around to take care of all the paperwork for her."

"But...what about your wing?" asked Flitter, looking at the limb in question.

"Not to worry," said Storm, extending his uninjured wing, "This is my writing wing, so I'm fine."

Flitter blew a breath through pursed lips as she fought to keep from giggling. "Oh you," she said. She leaned in and gently kissed Storm on the cheek. "But you owe it to Rumble to give him a better explanation when he comes back."

"All right," said Storm.

Fluttershy jerked her head up at the sound of the door gently closing. She knew that Caramel was slated to be in a little later. Like many of the ponies who had lost their businesses during the battle Caramel was working to put his skills to use for the sake of the ponies who'd been displaced by the disaster. For Caramel and his employer/business partner, Bon Bon, that meant working at the kitchen and mess tent that had been erected to provide meals for all the ponies who'd lost their homes.

While Ponyville itself had suffered severe damage, the outlying farms had been more or less untouched and were able to provide a steady supply of food, which the farmers were happy to donate, free of charge. Filthy Rich had stepped in as well, using his business to bring in additional supplies, all paid for out of his own pocket. Between Rich and the farmers, the inhabitants of Ponyville would at least be well-fed while they waited for their homes and businesses to be rebuilt.

Caramel was supposed to be working the dinner shift tonight, so he wasn't going to be back until later. However, Fluttershy thought it was still a little early for Dawn to be home. Perking her ears, she listened for the sound of hooffalls, the lightness of which told her it was indeed her colt as Dawn came trotting into the kitchen, where Fluttershy was assembling the feed for her animals' evening meals.

"I'm home," said Dawn quietly, a bit more quietly than usual.

Pausing in her task, Fluttershy turned to face the colt, smiling warmly even though she was still a bit worried, his near-outburst that morning at the front of her mind. "Welcome back," she said, "You're early."

Dawn nodded, shuffling uneasily. Fluttershy could see that something was bothering him, especially from the way he was avoiding meeting her eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"Not really..." said Dawn, still shifting nervously, "But...I have something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

Dawn finally brought his eyes to her. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" asked Fluttershy, her eyes widening.

"I know I've been making you nervous lately," he said, looking away again, "My temper's been...short and I've been forcing you to deal with it. I'm so sorry."

"Dawn," said Fluttershy, pressing her hoof against his chin and using it to guide his eyes back to hers, "Look at me."

Dawn did so, and continued doing so when Fluttershy lowered her hoof away. "Dawn, I love you. I know that this has been very hard for you. I'll admit that I've been worried. But I'm not scared, not of you."

"You're scared for me, right?" asked Dawn.

Fluttershy nodded. "How did you know that?"

"Scootaloo said the same thing."

Fluttershy giggled. "Well, I'm your mother and she's your fillyfriend. Given how well we know you, we'd never be scared of you, not anymore." She reached out and drew him into a hug against her. "Even with how angry you've been getting, you're doing so well."

"I'm just so frustrated," said Dawn, a slight whimper in his voice, "I feel so useless."

"I know," said Fluttershy, stroking her son's mane as she felt his tears dampening her coat, "But we'll be here for you, at your best and your worst. This is your home. You need to rest. Let us take care of you."

"Okay," said Dawn.

"Is that all you're frustrated about?" asked Fluttershy, still holding him and gently rocking in place.

"Not really," said Dawn, "I feel...stifled, like how you might feel when you have a bad cold and your nose and ears get plugged. I don't really feel...all there...that's why it's so hard."

"It'll get better," said Fluttershy, "The doctor said your magic is coming back. You just need to give it time."

"I know..." said Dawn.

"It's still hard, isn't it?" asked Fluttershy. She began to giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just...Rainbow Dash was the same way," she said.

"Huh?"

Tittering, Fluttershy led Dawn to the table and sat him down with a cup of chilled barley water. "There was a time when Rainbow hurt her wing and couldn't fly. She was stuck in the hospital and couldn't go anywhere..."

Dawn listened as Fluttershy related the story of how a confined Rainbow had eventually discovered Daring Do and the concept of reading for entertainment. He found himself chuckling as he listened to his mother relate Rainbow's desperate attempts to hide her new hobby from her friends and even sneak back into the hospital to steal the book. His mother had told him many stories about the exploits of herself and her friends over the months. Dawn always loved listening to them. Hearing that somepony else had also had to struggle with the frustration of being disabled by an injury helped mollify him somewhat.

By the time Fluttershy had finished her story, Caramel had returned from his shift and the family settled down for their evening meal. Though Dawn was careful, he still ended up having a couple of accidents. However, even when he was starting to feel frustrated, he simply had to look at the two ponies across from him and the feeling quickly evaporated. I suppose it isn't all bad, he thought to himself with a small smile.

"Thanks fer yer help, Twi," said Applejack as she brought the large pot of soup to the table, "Ah'm sorry ya ended up pickin' up Bloom's slack like this, but Ah'm guessin' she needed it, huh."

"Yeah," said Twilight, "She was pretty upset. But Spike was doing a good job of helping her get through it. I didn't want to interrupt them. Besides..." She seated herself at the table. "It's worth it to get the chance to eat some Apple Family cooking, right?"

The orange mare barked out a sharp laugh, the motion bouncing the worn stetson that rested atop her head. "That's the truth," she said, "There ain't nothin' that can beat our down home cookin'."

"I don't know..." said Twilight with a wry smile, "Arkenstone and Spike are pretty good in the kitchen. I don't think you can beat them."

Applejack gave her friend a mock-glare. "Are ya sure ya wanna be sayin' that when yer sittin' down at mah table, gettin' ready to eat mah food?" In spite of her words, she was smiling as well.

"Of course," said Twilight, "You want to prove me wrong, don't you? You're the mare who brought the Royal Warrant back to Sweet Apple Acres after all."

A low chuckle came from the other side of the table. "I'm afraid she's got you there."

Applejack turned her faux-wrath on the azure stallion, whose wheelchair was currently parked at the table. "Hush you." She couldn't keep the facade up long and quickly broke down into light chortles.

Red River smiled back at her and leaned just far enough from his chair to plant a quick peck on her lips.

Applejack's mirth faded, replaced with a look of concern. "Careful there, hon. Ah don't want ya fallin' out 'o that. And Ah certainly don't want to go to the doc and explain how ya went and broke somethin' else."

"All right," said Red, still smiling.

"How are your injuries, by the way?" asked Twilight, now directing her attention to the mercenary across the table.

"Recovering," said Red, "It shouldn't be too long before I can leave this wheelchair behind. Then I can start working on a new spear." He paused and rolled his eyes upward in thought. "That last one certainly lasted a while. I hope I can remember how to do it properly. It may be a little tricky to get waxwood here."

"I'll talk to Arky and see if he can help," said Twilight.

"Well...I might try something else," said Red with a shrug, "It's fun coming up with new designs occasionally. At one point, I was actually considering making the shaft out of lignum vitae."

"Um...okay..." said Twilight, trying to think how such a dense, heavy wood would be a good idea for a weapon as light, precise, and flexible as Red's spear. However, she decided not to think too hard about it.

The door to the outside opened, accompanied by the sound of small hooves scampering across the floor as Dinky came rushing in. "I'm back, Aunty AJ."

Behind the little unicorn came the familiar light-gray figure of Ditzy Doo. "Slow down," she said, "You don't want to trip up anypony."

"Okay," said the filly over her shoulder. She was already scrambling up into her seat so that she could reach the table. Twilight couldn't help but smile at the filly's energetic spirit.

"Hi Twilight," said Ditzy, as she seated herself, "Thanks for helping out with the chores."

"It was the least I could do," said Twilight.

The door opened a second time, now accompanied by the much heavier footfalls as the large, red form of Big Macintosh came ambling in. As usual, Twilight couldn't make heads or tails of his placid expression. But she imagined that his hoofsteps were slightly heavier than she remembered.

"Welcome back, Big Macintosh," said Twilight, "Did you have a good day?"

"Eeyup," said the stallion flatly, sitting down next to Ditzy, who gave her husband a worried look.

"Any problems with the deliveries?" asked Applejack from the kitchen counter.

"Nope."

Twilight could see that Applejack was suppressing the urge to sigh heavily. Twilight could see why. Big Mac was already known as a stallion of few words. However, the loss of Granny Smith seemed to have cut what little verbosity he possessed in half. One word answers seemed to be all anypony could pry out of him anymore, even those closest to him.

Still, Twilight was relieved to see the corners of his mouth turn up in a small smile as Ditzy leaned over and started rubbing her cheek against his shoulder, giving off small, catlike purring noises in the process. Leaning down, he gently pecked her cheek and exchanged a nuzzle with her. I guess that, so long as he has Ditzy and Dinky, he'll be all right, thought Twilight.

Dinner was a relatively quiet affair. Twilight and Applejack chatted over recent events. Besides continuing to run the library, Twilight was assisting Mayor Mare in coordinating reconstruction efforts and keeping track of the relief supplies for the displaced population. Progress was being made. The financial and physical aid being supplied by the Equestrian Government was fairly substantial and most ponies would be able to get back on their hooves once everything was over. The fact that an influential pony like Fancy Pants was also working to bring in additional money for the effort helped even further.

"Still, Ah'm sorry ya have to go back to Canterlot," said Applejack, "Ah know Fancy Pants is gonna be lookin' out fer ya, but Ah can't help but feel like them nobles'll just wanna gawk at ya like yer some kinda freak on display."

"More like proposition me with 'extra-special' offers concerning additional aid," said Twilight flatly, "But they won't dare try to interfere with me while I'm with Fancy Pants. Arky will be there too, so everything should be fine."

"The thing that bothers me is what's goin' on with the Cult," said Applejack, "After everythin' they did, the Princess can't be plannin' to let 'em off the hook."

"Celestia's working on it," said Twilight, "The problem is, she's worried about the degree to which the Cult Solar's members have integrated into the local Guards in the areas where they've settled. She's trying to focus on getting as much done as she can with the Royal Guard alone, but that means she'll have to limit how many places she can hit at once."

"Why doesn't she just let the rest of Equestria know what happened?" asked Ditzy, "I'm sure that if she just made a statement about the Cult's actions, average ponies would start turning against it."

"That's what she did a thousand years ago," said Twilight with a nod, "But things are a little different this time. It was apparent when the article about Dawn came out and we saw how little of a stir it caused. Sure, we had a few ponies come to town trying to kill him, but it was way less than what we were expecting. Whoever is running the Cult Solar appears to have a substantial degree of control over the flow of information to the group's members."

"How so?" asked Ditzy, canting her head.

"Well," said Twilight, "The article about Dawn contained a direct quote from Celestia, denouncing the Cult. But, in order for that denouncement to stick, ponies have to believe that it really came from Celestia. I'm willing to bet that the ponies running the show have convinced their followers that anything printed in the newspapers, or any other source for that matter, which disagrees with the Cult's principles to be slander produced at the behest of Princess Luna. Unfortunately, they've got most of their members so thoroughly wrapped up in the Cult's narrative that only a direct statement from Princess Celestia in pony could possibly hope to break through it.

"And, of course, the problem with that is that Princess Celestia can't be everywhere. She still needs to run Equestria, so it's not like she can go on an extended tour of Equestria's outlying towns to talk all the cultists down."

"Ah guess Ah can understand that," said Applejack, looking forlornly down at the table, "After all, that's what it took fer me."

Beside her, Red leaned over and gently nuzzled her cheek.

"I think everything is going to be all right," said Twilight, "Princess Celestia has some sort of plan. She's apparently going to need Spike's help to carry it out, so he'll be serving as something of a communication hub to keep her forces coordinated once they head out."

"Ah sure hope that the little's guy's okay with that," said Applejack, "Ah remember what the poor fella went through that one time with Discord, when the Princess sent all them letters through him at once."

"I think he'll be all right," said Twilight, "He's grown a bit since then and he wants to help with this."

"Do we know when the Princess is gonna start?"

"She couldn't give me a definite time," said Twilight, with a shake of her head, "But I'm sure that it's going to be any day now. She'll want to strike while the iron is hot."

As Twilight and Applejack chatted more, Red became pensive, thinking back upon the conversations he and Storm Front had had with Arkenstone about the Cult's, or at least its leader's, true objective. He wondered if that unknown objective had been achieved yet. I hope there is still time.

In at least one sense, Princess Celestia had already taken action against the Cult Solar. Barely a day after the battle in Ponyville, the press had learned of what had taken place and word had gone out. In order to protect certain ponies, some of the information about the incident had been omitted. However, what the stories did say was that a high-ranking member of the Cult Solar had carried out an attack against Dawn Lightwing, dealing severe damage to Ponyville in the process.

However, even more important than that was what accompanied the reports of the disaster. Princess Celestia had made an official declaration with her authority as a Princess, declaring the Cult Solar to be an extremist organization and a threat to Equestria. Two things stood out about this. Official declarations by the Princess were rare enough on their own, which made this one significant in its own right. More importantly, this declaration had been made solely by Princess Celestia, something that had not happened since Princess Luna had returned from the moon. Since Luna's return, the Princesses had always made joint declarations as a demonstration to Equestria that Celestia regarded Luna as her equal and co-sovereign.

As a consequence, disturbed murmurings slowly began to make their way through the Order of Celestial Light's membership as ponies fretted and worried about this new development. Many of the higher-ranked members were quick to make the same arguments they always had, that the declaration wasn't real, that it was a falsehood printed by the papers to undermine their faith and sow discord between them. However, even those most wholly devoted to the Order's cause were slowly growing more concerned, as other worrying signs from Canterlot made themselves known.

Meanwhile, in Ponyville, as the latest train of supplies and relief workers pulled in to the station, two ponies who were not part of the workforce slipped out to hide amongst the wrecked buildings of the town. Dodging townsponies and construction workers, the pair slipped from shadow to shadow, slowly making their way ever closer to a particular house, where a certain fashion designer had taken up residence.

They settled in silently and waited.

Author's Notes:

Apologies for the late release. Sunday in the retail business is a pain in the neck, particularly when your store is as understaffed as we our currently. I wasn't able to get this out until now.

As for Spike and Apple Bloom's little moment at the beginning of the chapter, I can't say whether it was truly realistic or not. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna catch a bit of flack for Apple Bloom missing the whole "Granny Smith is hundreds of years old" fact. That said, as someone who's overlooked plenty of obvious facts himself, I'm still willing to sell the idea. Granny Smith was so completely ingrained into the Apple Family that her presence was essentially beyond question or contemplation. It simply never really occurred to Bloom to put two and two together before. The same goes for Applejack. Big Macintosh probably figured it out, but being Big Macintosh, simply decided to keep his mouth shut about it.

And now...for the hard part. I have to apologize for doing this immediately after starting the release of this story. But I'm going to have to put the release of the next few chapters on hold. I managed to get back in touch with my volunteer pre-reader, MysteryAlabaster, who went silent last week (midterms, it turned out). Because of that, he didn't manage to finish editing Chapter 1 by the time I released it (which some of you no doubt noticed). However, due to a glaring misunderstanding on my part regarding how the password permit feature for fimfiction works, I inadvertently ended up denying him access to the remainder of my unreleased chapters so that he can actually continue proofreading. Because of this, it is my regret to have to put the release of further chapters on hold until I can get them to him for editing (probably by creating a Google Doc for it). Once again, I sincerely apologize for this and I understand if this frustrates a lot of you. This is completely my fault and I'll do my best to work through it so that I can get the release back on track as soon as possible. That said...

Next chapter: Coco Pommel has visitors.

Extraction

Chapter 3: Extraction

Coco Pommel moved slowly and carefully, doing her best to gently nudge the ponyquin out of the way. According to Rarity, Twilight Sparkle's fitting would be starting shortly. For that, Rarity needed room...which was a bit of a problem, considering their current situation. The house that belonged to Rarity's parents wasn't exactly cramped. In fact, it was quite roomy, with enough space to house Rarity, her younger sister, her tenant/accountant, and her apprentice. However, it was roomy in a 'family living-space' sense, rather than as a workplace.

The living room, while spacious, had been occupied by the various pieces of furniture that tended to be found in such rooms. The couches and easy chairs had been moved to the edges of the room to open up a larger workspace. But, with the addition of a table for their sewing machine (none of the tables already in the room were suitable for the task), along with a couple of ponyquins to hold completed work, all of the fabrics and other assorted materials Rarity needed (without any of the shelving that would have made it easier to save on space), and the easel for Rarity's sketchpad, the room was now quite cramped. Navigating from one end to the other was a tricky process as one had to avoid knocking over ponyquins or tripping over a stray fabric roll.

And now Rarity was insisting that they somehow open up more space to make room for a dress fitting. As she looked around the room, the young, off-white mare sighed heavily. Maybe if I change the angle on this ponyquin, I can slip it between the couch and the end table. She reached up with a hoof to brush back her two-toned cyan mane and used her head and shoulders to carefully nudge the ponyquin towards its intended destination. To her relief, the ponyquin slipped into place and now rested just barely out of the way. Surveying her work, Coco noted that she'd managed to open up a space in the center of the living room that was large enough for two ponies to stand shoulder to shoulder, which would hopefully give Rarity enough room to work around Twilight as the dress was fitted. There wasn't much more Coco thought she could do without blocking exits or access to the sewing machine. I hope that's good enough for Rarity.

Coco's thoughts were disturbed by a rough knocking on the door. Startled by the sound, Coco let out a squeak and jumped. She was the only pony in the house at the moment. Flaxseed was apparently off helping with something at the Mayor's behest. Sweetie Belle was at school, and Rarity was out to bring Twilight back. Who could that be?

Trotting to the door, Coco unlocked it and eased it open. As she did so, her eyes caught sight of a pony's emerald-green coat, covered in numerous scars. With a terrified, albeit quiet, shriek, she jumped back, already moving to slam the door shut. However, the pony on the other side of the door moved with frightening speed, jabbing a hoof between the door and the jam, stopping it from closing. Before Coco could back away, he slammed the door open from the other side, smacking Coco with enough force to knock her onto her back as the heavyset stallion on the other side strode in as though he owned the house.

"What's this now?" said Greenblight with a sickening sneer, his one good eye narrowing as he looked at her. "Ms. Pommel, I know you weren't trying to force me out. After all, that would be considered a betrayal of our mutual employer...and you know the penalty for that."

"Y-yes," squeaked Coco, her eyes tearing up from pain and fear.

"Good," said the stallion with a boisterous laugh. "Our esteemed employer has told me that the time has come to take action. He wants you to make use of the gift that I delivered the last time we spoke."

Coco felt cold. Her breath hitched and she began to tremble. Oh no! Please! Not that!

Greenblight's smile widened. "My compatriots and I shall be waiting for your signal, Ms. Pommel. We are arranging the situation to suit your needs. I trust that you shall know what to do."

"Y-yes," whimpered Coco, ducking her head in a futile attempt to hide her tears. It's over...It's all over...

"Excellent," said Greenblight. "Until later then." With a cheerful wave, he turned around and marched back out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

For a moment, Coco simply rolled onto her side and curled up in a ball on the floor, sniffling and whimpering. It took a few minutes to pull herself together. Part of her was desperately hoping that Rarity would come in the door with Twilight any moment now and catch her in this position. At least then, the charade would be over and Coco would have no choice but to come clean. However, even as she thought about it, Coco recalled Greenblight's malicious grin, along with the razor-sharp blade of the scythe he'd once threatened her with. She also remembered the dirty-white mare with the dead eyes that had accompanied him. She's probably here too, she thought.

Those memories and thoughts galvanized Coco into action. Rolling back onto her hooves, she took a moment to brush back her mane again before reaching to adjust her hair-clip and the sailor tie around her neck. She then took a quick trip to the bathroom to wash her face and hopefully erase the evidence of her crying. Then, she made her way to the room Rarity had given to her. In the dresser drawer was the item Greenblight had given her the last time they had spoken.

It was a tiny vial of crystal-clear liquid, so transparent that the vial almost looked completely void of any contents at all. She held it delicately in her hoof, considering it for a moment. All it would take was one slight accident...and the vial, as well as the despicable contents within, would be no more. She could claim that the plan was a failure and there would be no choice but to abandon it.

Even as she considered it, Coco knew it was a hopeless idea. Greenblight had made it clear that the vial and the liquid within were worth as much as her life. If she broke it, her head would roll. Chewing the inside of her lip, Coco stared at the vial for several long minutes before grimacing and slipping it inside the hairs of her tail. I'm sorry...Ms. Rarity...Ms. Twilight.

Her "gift" from Baron Elderflower safely stowed, Coco made her way back down to continue preparations for the fitting.

Let's see...the expenses to rebuild the tavern should come from the Business Relief Fund. According to the budget, that should account for a little over 70% of the costs...So by those counts, Ms. Berry Punch would owe...

The beads of the abacus clacked rhythmically as Flaxseed went over his sums. As good as it felt to be doing such important work, Flaxseed still couldn't help but feel dissatisfied with the results he was getting. It felt wrong that the owners had to pay any amount of money out of their own bit purses for damages by what could only be labeled as a natural disaster in pony form. He could already see the scowl on the magenta mare's face as she got the notice of what she "owed" to pay for the reconstruction of her business. Worse still, Flaxseed internally cringed at the possibility that she would hold him responsible for the shortfall, whether as an accountant or one of the ponies with the condition that had drawn Terra Heart's wrath down on the town in the first place.

But the numbers didn't lie. For all his skill, Flaxseed couldn't magic money out of thin air. All his work was really good for was illuminating the reality of the situation and helping to find ways to deal with that reality. I hope that this Fancy Pants stallion can pull through for us. If a fundraiser works well enough, maybe we might be able to eliminate everypony's expenses. That was a long shot though.

Scratching his head, Flaxseed decided to move on to the next business needing reconstruction. His magic gripped the pen and raised it over the paper when...

A faint whistling noise, starting out distant but suddenly becoming much closer in less than a second, reached Flaxseed's ears. The side of the tent that had been set up for the Mayor and her staff, emitted a hushed sizzling noise. However, Flaxseed barely noticed it because a pencil-thin beam of jet-black energy had suddenly struck his pen, breaking it in two.

"What the-?"

Flaxseed's exclamation was interrupted by two more whistling sounds, accompanied by fresh sizzling noises. One struck his abacus, the abacus he'd received as a gift from Rarity on Hearth's Warming, shattering it into pieces. Another struck the leg of the table, causing it to tip over and fall to the side. The whistling noises began to increase in frequency and several ebony beams burned through the tent wall, striking at random. With a cry of terror, Flaxseed threw himself down, using the fallen table as a shield.

They're here! They came for me! His eyes turned a vivid, bright-red color, the pupils elongating and narrowing into vertical slits. Screaming for all he was worth, Flaxseed curled into a ball behind the table as the black beams continued to whistle around him.

Then the noises and the beams stopped...just as Mayor Mare came barreling in from an adjoining room in the tent. "What in Celestia's name is going on here?" she yelled.

It was perhaps the worst thing she could have done in the situation. Flaxseed's draconic gaze fixed on her immediately. Mayor Mare barely had the time to register the panic in his gaze before his magic seized the entire table and swung it at her. Only by jumping back was she able to avoid being crushed by the broad, heavy slab of wood.

"Get away from me!" screamed Flaxseed, brandishing the table between him and the Mayor.

Mayor Mare backpedaled, automatically defaulting to an authoritative tone. "Drop that desk this instant! You could kill somepony with that." Sadly, her tone only served to agitate Flaxseed more as he threw the table at her. Mayor Mare dropped down to her stomach, actually feeling the table brush against her mane as it sailed over her head, past several horrified members of her staff, and out through the other wall of the tent. Not getting up from the ground, the Mayor set her sights on one of her aides. "Get Ms. Rarity here immediately! She's the only one who can calm him down!"

"Right away, Ma'am," said the stallion before darting out through the exit.

Mayor Mare turned her attention back to Flaxseed, who was now pulling the drawers out of several file cabinets. "Please hurry," she said the faintest hint of a whimper in her voice.

As she and her staff struggled to contain the situation, the commotion drew the attention of the ponies outside the tent, prompting them to converge on it, muttering in confusion, which only served to frighten and panic Flaxseed further. All the while, none of them noticed a single unicorn mare who stood on a hilltop over a kilometer away. As the crowd continued to gather, she turned and slipped off the hill and out of sight.

"Really Twilight...are you sure you wouldn't like me to make you a new dress?" Rarity used her magic to open the door as she looked over her shoulder at her friend.

"No, it's fine," said Twilight with a smile. "Besides, I really love this dress, especially all the effort you went through to make it for me." In a shimmering veil of Twilight's own violet magic hung the dress in question, a dark-purple number that seemed relatively plain at first glance. However, upon closer examination, the pleats across the skirt seemed to differ in shades. Upon even closer examination, it became apparent that the difference in shades was actually caused by the fabric itself, smooth on one pleat, ruffled on the next. It had been Rarity's special creation for Twilight, whose coltfriend was completely blind. In an effort to make Twilight appealing to a stallion who could not see, she had chosen to decorate in textures, rather than colors, as well as working certain scents into the garment itself. The dress had been wildly successful, something Rarity was immensely proud of...

...She only wished Twilight would allow her to make another one.

"I'm very proud of this dress," Twilight said with a happy smile. "I could never be happy wearing it just once. Besides, I think this dress really shows the breadth of your creativity when it comes to fashion design."

"I suppose," said Rarity, still a bit troubled. However, her personal muse practically demanded a dress specific to the occasion. Still...she is right. It's a shame to let such a fine creation languish after wearing it in public only once. At least this will save me some time.

"Then, without further ado, let's get right to work," said Rarity as she led her friend into the living room. Rarity was delighted to see that Coco already had everything set up. It was unfortunate that there wasn't a podium to put Twilight up on, but one had to work with the tools at one's disposal.

"All right, I'll have you step in the center here and we'll put your dress on," said Rarity, already using her magic to slip the garment over Twilight's head. Coco joined in, using her hooves to gently tug the garment into place, adjusting how it sat on Twilight's body.

Once they were finished, Rarity and Coco stepped back to survey their work. "Hmm..." mused Rarity, "You seem to have lost some weight since the last time I fitted this. Have you been eating all right?"

Twilight nodded. "Probably better than all right. Both Spike and Arkenstone do a lot of healthy cooking." She sighed. "It might be stress."

"Ah yes, that can indeed burn calories," said Rarity. After all, Twilight had plenty of things to be stressed over lately. In rushing from one task to the next, she had probably ended up skipping a few meals. "Still, it's a rather minor change. It shouldn't take long to make the adjustments at all."

Rarity used her magic to reach for a pincushion resting on a nearby table. Lifting it up, she levitated it over so that she could begin pinning up sections of Twilight's dress where it needed to be taken in. She had just withdrawn the first pin and was about to get to work when a harsh, frantic pounding emitted from the door.

"Ugh! Do ponies know nothing of manners?" exclaimed Rarity, setting her pincushion back down and heading to the door.

Because both Rarity and Twilight were focused on the knocking, they failed to notice Coco pale and sway on her hooves with a sharp gasp, taking an involuntary step backwards. She looked at the door with terrified expectation as Rarity wrenched it open with her magic.

"What in the world is wrong with you?" demanded Rarity as she glared at the stallion standing in front of her. She recognized him as one of Mayor Mare's aides.

"It's Flaxseed!" exclaimed the stallion, drawing a sharp gasp from Rarity. "Something happened and he's out of control."

Rarity shuddered at the thought. Flaxseed's panic attacks tended towards the wildly violent. She could only hope that he hadn't injured somepony or himself. "I'll be there right away," she said.

"I'll come too," said Twilight, already raising a hoof.

"Ah!" exclaimed Rarity, quickly turning on Twilight. "This is something I should do alone. It's easiest to approach Flaxseed when there aren't too many ponies crowding around. Don't worry about me." She smiled at Coco. "Coco darling, please be a dear and finish Twilight's fitting. We'll make the actual adjustments when I get back."

"Y-yes...of-of course," stammered Coco, her entire body shaking with nerves.

"Please Ms. Rarity, we need to hurry," urged the stallion.

"Let us be off then," said Rarity, trotting out the door and quickly closing it behind her, leaving Twilight and Coco alone in the living room.

Twilight sighed and watched through the window as Rarity and the stallion galloped off. "I hope she's going to be all right," said Twilight.

Coco nodded and moved to retrieve a pincushion resting on the table that also held the sewing machine. Using her teeth and hooves, she began to, very carefully, slide the pins into place. It was delicate work, especially since she didn't have a unicorn's telekinesis to work with. Even so, she managed to work with surprising precision and efficiency.

"So..." said Twilight, "how's you're apprenticeship going?"

"It'sh going well," said Coco through her teeth as she moved to position another pin.

"I'm glad to hear that," said Twilight. "Whenever Rarity talks about work lately, she can't stop going on about what an amazing job you're doing. I'm sure that, once you finish, you'll be a fantastic design-OW!" Twilight's words terminated in a yelp of pain as a needle pricked her shoulder.

Coco reared back, gasping. The action caused the needle, which had been held between her teeth, to fall to the floor. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," said Twilight, grinning sheepishly and blushing. "I actually barely even felt it. I was more surprised than anything else. I suppose it's my fault for distracting you like that when you can't really afford it."

"O-okay..." said Coco, hesitantly reaching for another needle. She went to work once again, trying hard to avoid any further mishaps.

"I hope Rarity can help Flaxseed," whispered Twilight. "I wonder what happened-" Her voice tapered off as she yawned. Twilight suddenly felt very tired. Her eyelids were starting to grow heavy, drooping down as darkness creeped in from the edges of her vision.

That's odd. I slept pretty well last night and I didn't stay up too late. I haven't even done all that much today. She yawned again, barely resisting the urge to raise a hoof up to stifle it. Yawning was impolite, but moving while Coco was trying to fit her dress would have been even more so. It shouldn't be too much longer. Then I can get this dress off and go...take...a...nap...

Twilight's gaze slowly drifted down to the abandoned needle on the floor. Her mind sluggishly tried to put two and two together as she thought laboriously about the sequence of events. It...can't...be...she...wouldn't...Why?

Twilight didn't notice that Coco had stopped trying to fit her and had instead stepped back to watch, a look of resignation on her face as Twilight slowly slumped to the floor, her eyes falling closed and not opening again. The only signs of life were the faint sounds of breath from Twilight's muzzle. Otherwise, she was completely unconscious.

Coco breathed out slowly, tears once again running down her cheeks as she observed the product of her treachery, her mind going back to that night, when Greenblight and her companion had dragged her into an alley in order to force her to execute their plan.

Coco stared down at the tiny vial in her hoof. It looked so small, so insignificant, that it was hard to believe that these two ponies were willing to kill her if anything happened to it.

"Iocaine extract," said Greenblight, "odorless, tasteless, and otherwise undetectable. This is a potent sedative. It's said that a few ounces is enough to put a full-grown dragon to sleep for almost a week. It can be delivered orally or via direct injection. Even a tiny drop is enough to knock out a full-grown pony in just a few minutes. The truly nice thing about it is that, in spite of its potency, it's impossible to overdose on iocaine extract. You don't have to worry about giving Twilight Sparkle too much or too little as even the smallest amount is effective."

"H-how am I s-supposed t-to use it...?" stammered Coco.

Greenblight chuckled. "The Lord Baron has received word that Marquess Fancy Pants is preparing a gala fundraiser to obtain additional financial assistance for Ponyville's reconstruction. Furthermore, the nobles have been pulling for Twilight Sparkle to attend this gala to better present Ponyville's need to the donors.

"Naturally, if Twilight Sparkle is to attend such an event, she will need a dress, whether it's one she already owns or a new one. Of course, she will be going to your employer for this dress. During that time, you are to find an opportunity to administer the extract to Twilight Sparkle. We will take care of the rest from there."

"What if I can't find a chance?" asked Coco, barely able to hold on to the vial as she was shivering so badly.

"I'm sure that you will," said Greenblight with a savage grin. "It's in your best interests to make sure that you do. However, Inkwell and I shall endeavor to help in creating some of those opportunities. We have a great deal of intelligence on Twilight Sparkle, her friends and associates, as well as the associates of those friends. We have some ideas. I'm sure, when you see your moment, you will take it. If you don't..." He hefted his scythe.

"I...understand," said Coco, looking again at the vial she held in her hoof.

"I'm sorry," whispered Coco, staring down at the prone form of Twilight Sparkle.

A shadow moved across the window and the door opened, much more slowly and silently this time. Coco looked up to see Greenblight standing there. This time, there was no grin on his face, only a stoic look of pure professionalism. "It's done then," he said, taking in the state of things with a single glance.

Trotting over, he reached down with his mouth and unceremoniously yanked Twilight's dress off with a loud ripping of fabric. Coco gasped as one of Rarity's most magnificent works was ruined in an instant. However, she was ignored as Greenblight focused on getting Twilight settled onto his back.

"Now then," he said, turning his eye on Coco, "Come..."

"Come...? But..." Coco trailed off as Greenblight glared at her.

"You think that we would be so foolish as to leave you behind with everything that you know?" growled Greenblight. "Even if you don't decide to sell us out, anypony who looks at the situation will know within seconds that you had something to do with it. Your time here is up, one way...or another..."

Coco swallowed hard and nodded. "All right," she said.

"Let's go," said Greenblight, "We have a chariot to catch."

It's really all over for me, thought Coco, her entire body sagging in despair. Nonetheless, she did as she was bid and followed the scarred pegasus out the door. They darted across the street to a path that led between two more houses. As they did so, Coco cast a forlorn glance over her shoulder at the house she was leaving behind. Thank you for everything, Ms. Rarity. I'm so sorry.

"Shh...there there dear," whispered Rarity in her most soothing tone as she held the quivering stallion and gently stroked her hoof through his mane. "It's all right. You'll be fine. You're safe now."

Flaxseed said nothing. He simply continued to whimper and shiver in Rarity's arms. As she spoke, Rarity looked around the room and took in the scene of destruction. The table was gone, having been thrown out through the other side of the tent. A nearby filing cabinet lay on the ground, with its drawers scattered throughout the neighboring room. The ground itself was covered by the cabinet's contents, which had been thrown all over creation, while the cabinet itself was dented to the point of nearly being folded in two.

Rarity thanked her lucky stars that Flaxseed hadn't actually managed to hurt anypony. Mayor Mare had already been informed about his condition and had been wise enough to keep everypony back to avoid provoking the stallion, as well as avoid making him feel cornered enough that he had to bolt.

What on earth could have caused this? wondered Rarity. Mayor Mare's description of events hadn't been all that helpful. She'd heard a couple of things break in Flaxseed's room and then heard him start screaming. When she came to investigate, the stallion suddenly went on the warpath.

As her eyes took in the state of the room, Rarity suddenly noticed several unusual points of light in the wall. Her eyes narrowed and she leaned over just close enough to get a better look, still holding Flaxseed in her arms as she scrutinized the wall of the tent.

Several tiny holes had been burned through the fabric. The entire wall was peppered with them. "Ms. Mayor," she said, doing her best to keep from shouting, "Can you get Mr. Arkenstone for me?"

"Of...course," said Mayor Mare, her voice betraying her confusion.

Oh...right...She doesn't know, thought Rarity. She'd briefly forgotten that Arkenstone's status as one of the seven Knights of the Celestial Order was one of the best kept secrets in Equestria. Still, the fact that Arkenstone was a formidable fighter was practically common knowledge to Ponyvillians after his fight with Terra Heart had leveled much of the town.

It took several minutes for Arkenstone to arrive. Rarity spent the time focusing as much as she could on keeping Flaxseed calm and relaxed. She was so engrossed in the activity that she barely even noticed when the flap leading to the rest of the tent was slowly pushed aside and the Knight stepped through.

Arkenstone was rather unremarkable at first glance. His beige coat was offset by a mane of darker brown. However, his physique was quite enviable, especially by a stallion's standards, his skin barely doing anything to hide the layers of sculpted muscle beneath it. He didn't have Big Macintosh's statuesque bulk, being a fair bit smaller than Applejack's older brother. However, his muscles moved fluidly and he practically glided into the room on silent hooves. As he came in, he sniffed sharply before turning his muzzle towards Rarity and her charge. His eyes were almost perpetually closed. Even when they were open, the only color behind them was white. Arkenstone was completely blind, though he moved with a degree of certainty that made it seem like he wasn't.

Lifting his head, Arkenstone sniffed again. "I smell traces of violent magic."

Rarity's eyes widened. "Oh?" She knew better than to doubt Arkenstone's acute sense of smell. At times, she wondered if a bloodhound would be able to detect a scent better than this stallion.

Still sniffing, Arkenstone made his way to the side of the tent, leaning over and sniffing gently at the holes that had been burned into the fabric. After a moment, he lifted a hoof and gently ran it straight down in a line on the fabric. The cloth split as though it had been cleanly sliced with some kind of blade, allowing Arkenstone to push open the improvised tent flaps and step outside.

After a moment, he came back in. "Odd," he said, "I don't smell the pony who used this magic in the immediate vicinity."

"If it were a unicorn, then couldn't she have used magic to attack from a greater distance?" asked Rarity.

"Perhaps," said Arkenstone, "But the range normally wouldn't be all that far, easily within twenty meters or so." He frowned and his ears swiveled towards Flaxseed, who appeared to have finally calmed down. "I'm sorry to do this, but could you tell me what happened, as best you can remember?"

Flaxseed nodded and he began to describe the incident. When he finished, Arkenstone was frowning and tapping his lips with the tip of his hoof as he sat by Rarity and Flaxseed. "Strange," he muttered.

"What is it?" asked Rarity.

"If this was an attack by a pony aiming to hurt or kill Flaxseed, it's a rather half-flanked one," said Arkenstone. "From the way Flaxseed described it, the shots were spaced too far apart to suggest a serious attack. Also, from the way the attacks hit the tent, it almost seems as though the attacker was actually trying to avoid hitting Flaxseed. The shots all avoided the center of the room and were instead targeted around the sides."

"But why do that?" asked Rarity.

"Why indeed," mused Arkenstone. "The fact that I couldn't detect any traces of the attacker in the immediate vicinity is troubling too...unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless there was another reason there was so much time between individual shots," mused Arkenstone, going to the opening he'd cut into the side of the tent. "I wonder..."

He began to set off, heading out in a straight line from the tent, following the path that he assumed the attacks had followed. With uncertain glances at each other, Rarity and Flaxseed hesitantly followed him.

"Good grief...this...is getting...ridiculous," panted Arkenstone as he climbed the slope of another hill, Rarity and Flaxseed still following in his wake. Nearly half an hour later and they still hadn't found any signs of the attacking pony. They'd wandered almost a full kilometer away from the tent housing Mayor Mare and her staff, but still had yet to find anything.

"Are you sure we need to keep going?" asked Rarity, concerned as she watched Arkenstone's stiff movements and the stallion's hard breathing. Although he had emerged the winner of his fight with Terra Heart, Arkenstone hadn't emerged from the battle with the Mountain Root master unscathed. From what Rarity remembered, Arkenstone had suffered numerous fractures and cracks across his entire skeletal structure, including one that had nearly split open his skull. Worse, according to the doctors, his body had been infused with hostile earth pony magic, which had weakened and slowed the healing spells cast on him. Rarity wondered if Arkenstone was in any shape to be trekking about like this. Twilight certainly wouldn't be happy if her coltfriend hurt himself at Rarity's behest.

Arkenstone said nothing, merely making his way to the top of the hill and turning his head about, sampling the air. For a moment, Rarity and Flaxseed watched him, fully expecting Arkenstone to find nothing and move on. Then Arkenstone's eyes shot open, revealing the blank, white orbs that hid behind them. A sharp intake of breath signaled his surprise.

"I don't believe it. Our mystery pony was here."

"What?" gasped Rarity, whirling around and squinting. She could still make out the shape of the staff tent in the distance. But from here, she couldn't make out the position of Flaxseed's room in it. "How is that possible?"

"Somepony has very good eyesight," mused Arkenstone. "I can smell the same magic that was in the tent here. She fired the spells from here. The time lag between individual casts was actually because she needed to focus the spell to use it to strike over such a long distance without charging it with too much power."

"That's truly remarkable," said Rarity, shivering. Beside her, she could see Flaxseed casting his eyes about nervously, clearly expecting the unknown pony to start firing on them from another location, now that they were out in the open.

"She retreated from this hill and..." Lowering his nose to the ground, Arkenstone sniffed deeply and began to make his way down the opposite side of the hill.

"How far are we going to follow this?" asked Rarity.

"As far as I need to," said Arkenstone, one ear turning towards Rarity. "You two don't need to come with me. I can understand if you want to go home and get some rest after everything that's happened."

"Well..." Rarity turned to look at Flaxseed, who, in turn, was looking at her. Flaxseed was especially tired after exerting his magic so heavily. But, at the same time, he felt incredibly safe at the side of Arkenstone, even if Arkenstone's path might bring them muzzle to muzzle with the attacker. After a moment, they nodded to each other. "We'll stay with you, dear," said Rarity, stepping closer to Flaxseed and letting him press up against her side.

Arkenstone nodded and continued following the scent. It wasn't too difficult for him. The mare responsible had left a clear trail. Even without her scent, Arkenstone could feel the softened grass beneath his hooves, where it had already been compressed by somepony's steps. The only thing keeping him from breaking out in a gallop at the moment was his condition, his legs feeling stiff and sore, especially after he'd worked them so hard for a pony in his condition.

The sun was starting to dip down towards the horizon as the mare's trail led them back down through Ponyville, winding between several buildings and along alleyways before leading them back outside of the town limits towards the local quarry. In the past, Rarity had done her gem hunting out there and, in the recent present, Scootaloo and Dawn had used it for their training sessions.

Arkenstone was feeling frustrated. Normally, he would have been able to detect the presence of a pony like this the moment she'd arrived in town. Whoever this mare was, she wasn't skilled enough to hide traces of her presence, especially not from a pony with Arkenstone's acute senses. However, the combination of healing magic and Terra Heart's hostile magic in Arkenstone's system, combined with the pain from his slowly mending injuries, had left his awareness dimmed. To make matters worse, Arkenstone realized that he'd dropped his guard. After the battle with Terra, he hadn't thought about anypony else following in the cultist's wake and had allowed himself to relax.

That was a glaring oversight from Arkenstone's perspective. Right now, he was the only pony in any condition to maintain an alert state. Both Red River and Storm Front were much more badly injured than him and focusing their energies on recovering enough to simply function. Likewise, Dawn Lightwing's magic had been completely drained and was out of commission until he finished his recovery. Aside from them, the only others who might have been vigilant enough to notice an intrusion like this were the two griffon mercenaries charged with protecting Fluttershy. However, they remained near their charge and wouldn’t have been in a position to notice anything over on this side of town. Neither Scootaloo nor Rumble had trained enough to maintain the state of awareness perfected by seasoned martial artists. I've been lax, thought Arkenstone bitterly.

Still, he continued to follow the trail as it made straight for the quarry. There, in the open space amongst the walls and rock ridges, the trail came to an end. Moving about, Arkenstone immediately picked up traces of other ponies. His hooves also felt shallow grooves in softer portions of the ground. “There was a carriage here of some sort.”

“If it was a carriage, then it must have been pulled by pegasi,” noted Rarity, looking around. After all, the area between the quarry and town couldn’t exactly be called level terrain. Even the paths and roads leading out to the quarry were broken and overgrown. Rarity usually had a hard enough time simply getting her little wagon out there for her gem-gathering excursions. A full-sized carriage, large enough for passengers, wouldn’t have a prayer of making it out with its wheels intact.

“I smell some other ponies as well,” said Arkenstone, his muzzle wrinkling in a grimace. “They don’t smell like pleasant individuals.” That was an understatement. He could pick up traces of a pegasus stallion, whose scent was mixed with dried blood and other, less-pleasant, substances. The stallion’s scent was almost overpowering, obscuring the scents of the other ponies that had been with him to the extent that, aside from the unicorn mare that had attacked Flaxseed, it was almost impossible to discern any details or even the number of accomplices present. Then Arkenstone picked up faint traces of yet another pony…which he had only noticed because it was a pony he was very familiar with. “Twilight…”

“What?” gasped Rarity, looking around. “Are you saying that you’re smelling Twilight Sparkle here, in the presence of these…ruffians.”

Arkenstone pursed his lips and nodded. He lowered his nose almost to the ground and inhaled deeply. “I can definitely smell Twilight here…along with somepony I’m less familiar with…Who was it…?”

Rarity felt her knees growing weak. “Wait! Twilight was here? But I left her back at the house with…”

Arkenstone’s eyebrows went up. “Oh! I remember now. I do smell traces of your assistant’s scent here.”

The confirmation sent the bottom plummeting out of Rarity’s stomach. “Oh no!” Without another word, she turned and galloped in the direction of the town, rushing toward her parents’ house as fast as her hooves would carry her. Arkenstone and Flaxseed did their best to keep up, but Rarity outpaced them easily, given their respective conditions.

She was sweating and gasping when she reached the house, but Rarity hardly noticed her state. She slammed open the door and burst through, looking about frantically. “Coco! Twilight!”

“Eek!” A surprised shriek sent Rarity rushing into the living room, where she found Sweetie Belle standing over the torn remains of Twilight’s dress. “It’s not my fault!” exclaimed Sweetie, waving her arms frantically. “I found it like this!”

Rarity, however, ignored the dress. “Sweetie! Where are Twilight and Coco? Have you seen them?”

“Umm…no,” said Sweetie. “I just got home and I found everything like…this.” She gestured to the room with her hooves.

“Oh no,” whispered Rarity.

A heavy clopping of hooves signaled the arrival of Flaxseed and Arkenstone behind her. Arkenstone immediately went into the house, sniffing around thoroughly. He could still detect that stallion’s scent. It seemed he had been there more than once. He also smelled something else…the cloying scent of fear. Somepony had been scared…terrified in fact. That scent had actually seemed to have seeped into the house itself. “I don’t like this at all,” he said softly, making his way into the living room.

He could smell Twilight in the center of the room, Coco Pommel as well. However, he also picked up faint traces of something else…something he didn’t like at all. Once again lowering his head, Arkenstone traced the scent to a single pin, lying abandoned on the floor.

“What’s the matter?” asked Rarity.

“It’s familiar,” said Arkenstone before turning his head towards Rarity, “Where is your assistant’s room?”

“Up on the second floor,” said Rarity, quickly leading the stallion in the direction of the room in question.

The second she opened the door, Arkenstone stepped back, coughing and gagging. The smell of sweat and the pheromones released by a pony in the grip of terror came billowing out of the room, as evident to Arkenstone’s nose as the stench of month-old garbage.

“Whatever is the matter?” asked Rarity, clearly not picking up on the smell.

“Your assistant…was afraid of something…” said Arkenstone, finally regaining his composure and stepping into the room, taking a couple more whiffs to confirm his suspicion, “…deathly afraid.”

“Whatever of?” asked Rarity, thinking back to all her memories of Coco. There had definitely been times when Coco had seemed strangely on edge. She’d been especially troubled after that time that young mercenary stallion, Perlin Bluestreak, had forced her to give up a sample of Rarity’s new fabric to him. She gasped as the thought occurred to her. “Was Perlin the one here?”

Arkenstone shook his head. “No. I don’t recognize this scent. This stallion also smells much worse than Perlin ever did.”

Rarity swallowed. “What are you looking for here?”

Instead of answering, Arkenstone followed his nose to a dresser. Resting atop it was a vial of some kind of transparent fluid. Using his teeth to carefully remove the stopper, Arkenstone sniffed the contents and frowned. “Iocaine extract…I’d bet my life on it.”

“I-Iocaine?” asked Rarity.

“A powerful sedative,” said Arkenstone. “Also very rare and expensive.”

“What is Coco doing with something like that?” asked Rarity, horror coloring her tone as she thought about her sweet assistant with such a potent drug.

“I’m beginning to get an idea of the shape of events,” said Arkenstone. “But they don’t seem good at all.”

“Y-y-you d-d-don’t think Twilight Sparkle and Coco have b-been f-f-f-foalnapped, do you?” asked a quivering Sweetie Belle as she came up behind the adults.

“It seems that might be the case,” said Arkenstone darkly.

“Oh no!” gasped Rarity. Something else occurred to her. Arkenstone had recognized the liquid in the vial, which had apparently been on the pin in the living room downstairs, the same kind of pin that she and Coco regularly used to help fit dresses. “You don’t think that Coco…”

“I’m afraid so,” said Arkenstone with a resigned sigh. “She seems to have been an accomplice in this. However, if her fear was anything to go by, she was clearly an unwilling one.”

“Oh!” cried Rarity, “My dear, sweet, innocent Coco! What could they have possibly done to force her to do this?”

“What about me?” asked Flaxseed, looking around in confusion. “If that mare was with the stallion who came here, then what was she doing attacking me?”

“If I had to guess,” said Arkenstone, “She was trying to deliberately set off one of your panic attacks in order to draw Rarity away so that they could subdue and secure Twilight.”

Flaxseed’s ears folded back and he seemed to shrink in on himself. “Y-you mean I…”

“Flaxseed?” said Rarity, looking at him in confusion.

“Th-this is…my fault.” Flaxseed’s voice was barely a whisper as he sank down to the floor and covered his head with his hooves.

“Oh…of course not!” gasped Rarity, rushing to his side. “If anything, it’s the fault of those beastly ponies. They must have been planning this for some time. Please don’t blame this on yourself.”

As Rarity tried her best to console her friend, Sweetie looked up at Arkenstone, who seemed to have frozen in place. “What do we do?” she asked.

“We need to find Twilight,” said Arkenstone, a low rumble building in his chest, “And I will find her, no matter what it takes.”

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the wait. With much ado, Chapter 3 is officially up and running. Thanks for your patience folks.

So after reading through my editor's work on the chapter and going back and reviewing some manuals on narrative grammar, I've subsequently realized that there's a misconception I've had about using quotations and dialogue that I've apparently labored under for years, which means I'm gonna have to fix the same mistake in every chapter...over and over again...joy. Oh well. I guess pre-readers are for pointing those things out. Live and learn.

Next chapter: Coco and Perlin have a serious conversation.

On the Trail

Chapter 4: On the Trail

Dawn stretched his wings, rolling them in their sockets until the joints popped. He stretched out his legs and back as well, carefully cataloging every feeling and sensation that went through his body.

“Ready to start?” asked Scootaloo as she watched her coltfriend limber up a little.

Dawn looked at her and nodded. The two of them assumed their beginning stance and prepared to go into the First Form. However, as Dawn took his first step, he paused, his ears twitching as he heard a familiar voice in the distance.

Scootaloo heard it to, freezing in place. A second later, she looked up. “It’s Rumble.”

“Dawn! Dawn!” yelled Rumble, diving down out of the sky towards them. Dawn barely caught a glance of the panicked look on Rumble’s face before the other colt’s hooves impacted the ground. But in his frantic rush, Rumble overbalanced and went into a tumble that sent him rolling right up to Dawn’s hooves.

“What are you doing here?” asked Scootaloo, staring down at Rumble as he fought to pull himself together.

“Twilight!…Bad ponies!…Gone!”

“Stop!” said Dawn, his voice rapping out sharply. Scootaloo recognized it as Dawn’s “instructor tone,” particularly the tone he used when she was on the verge of doing something wrong that could get herself badly hurt.

Rumble’s jaw snapped shut with an audible click of teeth.

“Now,” said Dawn, still using that same tone. “Take a deep breath.”

Rumble did as he was told, inhaling deeply before slowly letting it out. The jitters running through his body began to subside.

“All right. Tell me what you saw,” said Dawn.

Rumble looked at Dawn and Scootaloo. “I was out in the quarry, practicing when…”

Rumble sighed, looking at his “weapon.” It was nothing more than a thin cord with a large knot tied at the very end. The knotted cord was a practice version of the weapon that Storm Front used, the meteor hammer, though Storm Front’s had a heavy metal weight on the end. Rumble had been practicing with the weapon for months. For a while, his primary efforts had been focused on learning to wield it without smacking himself in the process, which had left him with a number of bruises. Now, he was generally going through the forms Storm had taught him with the weapon.

But, for some reason, Rumble didn’t feel quite into it today. He couldn’t really work up the enthusiasm to really put in some effort. He’d thought that coming out to the quarry would help him calm down and focus. But he was just as distracted as ever. What really stayed in the forefront of Rumble’s mind was the fact that he would be learning this on his own from now on. Certainly, Storm Front would be around to give some pointers and there were scrolls the stallion had made as well. But Rumble felt something was missing when he thought about how he’d never be able to see Storm Front wield that graceful weapon again, that they wouldn’t be able to practice together.

With a sigh, Rumble began pulling in the cord, winding up the weapon so that the cord was wrapped around his right foreleg. As he did so, he suddenly heard the rush of wings and something large and heavy moving through the air. Looking up, Rumble could see a large carriage, pulled by a quartet of heavyset pegasi heading straight for the center of the quarry.

Rumble dived behind a large boulder and peeked out as the pegasi pulled the carriage in for a landing. They didn’t look like friendly ponies, looking about with scowls as the carriage came to a stop. The pegasi were decked out in heavy-looking plate armor, dark gray in color, with a crimson hammer painted over where their cutie marks would be. On the roof of the carriage, Rumble saw a pair of similarly-dressed unicorns, who seemed unbothered by standing on a moving vehicle while it was being pulled through the sky without so much as a rail or tether to keep them from a long drop to the ground.

Rumble didn’t like the look of these ponies one bit. There was something about them that seemed…mean. He stayed where he was, hoping with all his heart that none of them noticed him.

Then, four more ponies trotted into the quarry from one of the paths leading to town. Well…three of them were trotting. The unmoving form of Twilight Sparkle was draped across the back of an ugly, scarred pegasus who looked meaner and nastier than the six ponies with the carriage put together. He was accompanied by a white mare whose coat was covered in splotches of various shades of brown, making her look filthy. The final pony Rumble recognized as Rarity’s assistant, Coco Pommel. Coco moved timidly, cringing with every step, as though she expected the scarred stallion or the dirty mare to turn and attack her at any second. The mare surveyed the area around them with dead-looking, black-colored eyes. As her gaze moved in Rumble’s direction, he shrank back behind the rock.

“Get them loaded up,” the scarred pegasus said to the other ponies. One of the unicorns used her magic to lift Twilight off of his back and move her into the carriage. One of the pegasi pullers moved up to Coco and used his bulk to herd her through the door as well. The door to the carriage slammed shut and the puller used a key to lock it before hitching himself back up to the harness and flaring his wings.

“All ready,” said the filthy-looking mare, inspecting the scene and sweeping her eyes over the landscape once more. Rumble was a little too slow in pulling back when her eyes turned in his direction. But, to his surprise, she apparently didn’t notice him and continued her sweep before making a labored climb to the top of the carriage.

“Let’s get out of here then,” said the scarred pegasus, spreading his own wings.

The pullers took off, hauling the carriage behind them. Rumble stayed hidden behind his rock, shifting to keep it between him and that mare’s dead eyes, as he was sure that she was still surveying the area even as the carriage was being pulled away. Only when the sound was receding into the distance did Rumble dare step out and take to the air himself, his eyes barely able to make out the dot of the carriage as it was pulled towards a mountain and the all-too-familiar city that protruded out from its side.

As Rumble concluded his story, silence descended on the three foals. The door to the cottage opened and Fluttershy leaned out. "Is everything all right out here?" she asked, looking the group over before her eyes settled on Rumble.

Rumble opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off before he could utter a single syllable as Dawn placed his hoof in front of said mouth. Leaning down, Dawn whispered into Rumble's ear. "Go find Arkenstone and tell him what you saw. Go!"

Nodding frantically, Rumble took off, streaking back toward town.

"What's going on?" asked Fluttershy, tilting her head as she regarded the troublingly serious looks on the faces of her son and his fillyfriend.

"We have a problem," said Dawn quietly as he moved to explain the situation to Fluttershy.

"I'll go let the others know," said Scootaloo, taking to the air herself. Dawn lifted a hoof, looking as though he wanted to stop her.

Looking at another house that had recently been built nearby, Dawn narrowed his eyes. "You'd best come as well. I think we'll be needing your input on this matter."

The response didn't come from the house, but from the shadows around Fluttershy's cottage as a pair of griffons stepped out into plain view. One of them was an exceptionally large, ebony specimen, clad in heavy, black armor. His companion was a smaller, lighter, brindled griffoness with a pair of gauntlets over her forepaws.

"I heard the colt's story," said Skan. "But I'm not sure how much help we'll actually be. We can't abandon our post, after all."

"I guess," said Dawn. "However, you might be able to provide some insight into the situation that we can use to discuss what to do from here."

Fluttershy watched the exchange, her confusion still evident as she looked back and forth between Dawn and her bodyguards. "What in Equestria is going on?"

The carriage rattled to a stop on the driveway, which drew an elegant curve in front of a stately manor. Normally, such a driveway was reserved for the carriages of distinguished guests, used to differentiate their status from the masses as they were not required to walk to the manor on their own hooves. On this day, however, the driveway was playing host to a much less savory sort of vehicle.

Around the house, immaculate beds of flowers rose up, filled with plants in carefully coordinated colors, all arranged in neat rows and formations. Everything was perfectly arranged and lovingly cared for. All was in its place, as it should be.

Greenblight, came in for a landing next to the carriage. Before he even looked at the manor, he looked up at his second-in-command, still observing from her perch atop the carriage. The mare made two full sweeps of the area before turning her attention back down to her leader. "All clear."

Greenblight nodded and looked to one of his pullers, who quickly tossed the scarred stallion the key to the carriage. Unlocking the door, Greenblight peered into the darkened confines. The carriage was no noble's vehicle, not having been designed with creature comforts in mind. Instead, it had been built as an armored transport for dangerous prisoners. The benches were minimally padded and the windows were small, with heavy steel bars over them to stop any attempts at breaking out.

"Out," he said sharply.

Shaky and sore from the rough flight, Coco Pommel trembled as she stepped down from the carriage, taking her surroundings in nervously. She'd never actually been to Baron Elderflower's estate before. It was beautiful, but it had the feeling of a nightmarish prison. Coco feared it even more than the abode of Viscount Eventide, where she'd been forced to work as a maid until Elderflower had arranged for Eventide's disposal.

Greenblight's menacing presence loomed behind her. "Walk," he instructed.

With a whimper, Coco obeyed, heading up the stairs towards the large double doors that swung wide at her approach. Behind her, Greenblight looked over his shoulder at Inkwell. "Get Twilight Sparkle to the quarters the Baron designated and restrain her properly. She should be out for another day, but we don't want to take any chances."

Inkwell nodded and turned to do as she was bid. Coco watched the dirty-looking mare levitate Twilight out of the carriage in a cloud of jet-black magic before she was forced to keep walking once more.

Greenblight remained behind her. Whenever they approached a juncture in the mansion's network of corridors, Greenblight would tell her which way to turn. After a few minutes of walking, she found herself standing outside a certain door. It looked like a door to any other room in the mansion to her. Nonetheless, she dreaded what she would find behind this one.

Greenblight reached past her and knocked sharply on the door. "We've arrived, My Lord."

Coco saw the knob shimmer in a glow of brown magic before it turned and the door opened. The room appeared to be a parlor of some sort. The wall opposite the door was covered in curving glass panes that allowed for a spectacular view of the side of the mountain and the valley beyond. She could even see Ponyville in the distance. The room was tastefully decorated with vases and sculptures on pedestals. As she stepped into the room, Coco looked to either side, seeing paintings lining the wall adjacent to the door.

In the center of the room was a single table, large enough around to seat four to six ponies. However, only one pony sat there right now. Even though she had met him face to face only once and had only seen him at a distance once more afterwards, Coco recognized Baron Elderflower all too easily. The stallion was seated on a plush cushion. Spread out on the table in front of him were several dishes, decorated with small delicacies. It seemed that the Baron was enjoying a light dinner as he waited for his employees.

"Welcome back," said Elderflower, not bothering to turn away from his repast. Even as Coco watched, a fork, shrouded in magic, rose up to daintily spear another morsel and deliver it to Elderflower's mouth. He chewed silently for a moment before speaking again. "I trust that everything went well."

"Flawlessly," said Greenblight with a vicious smirk. "I promised you my best services and you got them."

"Indeed," said Elderflower, now raising a napkin to dab at his lips, "You are certainly worth your pay, Master Greenblight."

"If that's all you require from me, I will be taking my fee and departing," said Greenblight.

"But I do require more of you," said Elderflower, finally turning around to face Greenblight and Coco directly. "You have my greatest thanks for securing Twilight Sparkle and I am glad to hear that she has been delivered unharmed." His gaze switched to Coco for a second before jumping back to Greenblight. "You even saw fit to recover an important asset for me, even though her usefulness is more limited now.

"I have another task for you to complete. Thanks to my sources, I have confirmed that the time is ripe to move on to the second phase of my plan. For that, I require the assistance of you and your ponies in your more...typical capacity."

Greenblight's grin widened. "Excellent," he said, "I would've been disappointed if you'd only hired us for a basic abduction. This sounds much more fun."

"I assure you that it will certainly be interesting," said Elderflower, "I'll explain the situation to you in a minute. Please let me speak to the young lady for a moment."

"Of course," said Greenblight, taking a step back.

Coco shivered as Elderflower's gaze fell upon her. "Welcome back, Ms. Pommel. I hope that you enjoyed your time working under Ms. Rarity. I am so sorry that your apprenticeship had to end under such unpleasant circumstances."

No you're not, thought Coco viciously. She sniffled and shook, but did her best to keep from breaking into tears. She'd cried enough today and for the past few months. She would be damned if the Baron got any more satisfaction from seeing her suffering.

Elderflower didn't seem to notice or care in either way. "In the normal course of things, you are a liability. You have seen, heard, and done a great deal and, of course, your loyalty to me is rather tenuous, which is perfectly understandable, given the circumstances of your employment. Were you given the opportunity, I am sure that you would betray me without a second thought."

Coco winced. Elderflower had struck the nail on the head. If she truly thought she could survive the attempt, Coco would run to the authorities at the first opportunity to rat out the disgusting stallion in front of her. Unfortunately, the Baron knew that as well and it was all too clear that he intended to make sure that it never happened.

Elderflower smiled slyly at her. "Obviously, I cannot allow that to happen. Naturally, I am sure that Master Greenblight would be all too happy to dispose of you at my behest…not in here of course, this carpet is the finest Neigyptian cotton after all. I have a few places set aside on my estate for times like this, so laying your remains to rest wouldn't be all that difficult."

Coco did her best to remain standing. But her limbs felt as though they might give way at any second.

"Fortunately for you," continued Elderflower, "That would only be my course of action had your usefulness completely ended. Fortunately, I do have another use for you, which means that you need not worry about me terminating your employment just yet."

At that moment, Coco heard hooves echoing on the hardwood floorboards of the hall outside. "You called for me, My Lord," said the voice of a young stallion as he stepped into the room.

Coco looked back at the source of the voice, her heartbeat rising when she confirmed who it belonged to. A young stallion walked through the door. His coat was a light, cream color, dotted with flecks of gray, while his mane and tail were a silvery-blue color. His body was covered by a black cloak that billowed slightly behind him as he walked. Beneath the cloak, Coco could hear the faint rattle of metal. The colt saw her as he walked in and froze, his bright-yellow, hawk-like eyes widening.

"Coco? What are you doing here?"

"Ah! Excellent," exclaimed the Baron, clapping his hooves together, "Your timing couldn't be more perfect, Perlin."

Perlin Bluestreak froze, suddenly remembering that he was supposed to be talking to his employer, he turned to look back at Elderflower. "What is going on here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Elderflower with a smirk, "The young lady has served her purpose in Ponyville, so Master Greenblight was thoughtful enough to recover her along with Twilight Sparkle. Naturally, after how wonderfully Ms. Pommel has served me, I couldn't bring myself to abandon her to her fate, so I have brought her into my protective custody."

"Is that so?" asked Perlin, his eyes narrowing. He glanced sidelong at Coco before returning his attention to Elderflower.

Despite herself, Coco felt some feeling return to her legs. Before Greenblight and Inkwell had shown up, Perlin had been the pony Baron Elderflower had entrusted with overseeing her, both in Canterlot and Ponyville. In Canterlot, he had frequently visited her when she was working under a local seamstress, often settling in to watch her work, an action that had disturbed Coco in the extreme.

Coco was deathly afraid of the young stallion. She knew that beneath his cloak lurked wings, the feathers of which had been crafted from pure mithril, each one razor-sharp. The first time Coco had seen Perlin, he had been in the process of slaughtering two-score of armed ponies with almost careless ease and a great deal of enjoyment. The memory had been burned into her brain and had filled her with a trembling fear whenever she laid eyes on him afterwards.

But under these circumstances, Coco actually found herself welcoming Perlin's presence. For all that he frightened and intimidated her, Perlin had never been anything but kind and polite to her, even going so far as to specifically avoid actions which would frighten her further. After being exposed to the callous threats of Greenblight and the lifeless gaze of Inkwell, Coco actually welcomed having Perlin near her.

Perlin and Elderflower stared at each other for a long moment, neither saying anything. Finally, Perlin sighed. "May I make a request of you, My Lord?"

"You may," said Elderflower with a dismissive wave of his hoof.

"Just this once, I would like to forego the witty banter and hidden insinuations and speak in plain, unvarnished Equish; laymare terms, if you will. Please tell me, directly if you please, what it is you are trying to do here."

Elderflower's lips peeled back in a tiny, victorious grin. "Very well. That's a simple enough request to grant." From behind him, a teacup floated up off its saucer and drifted around to meet his lips. Elderflower to a long, slurping sip, before setting the teacup back down. He levitated his napkin once more and dabbed his lips again. "Ms. Pommel's presence is here to ensure your good behavior. I can understand that you may find this an insult as a professional. However, I have recently had doubts regarding your willingness to follow through on my orders.

"Though your skills are exceptional, you lack a certain...something. Something that Master Greenblight here has, namely a certain degree of obedience, regardless of what has been asked of you. Sadly, docking your pay and terminating your employment are threats that have little bearing against you, since you lack this degree of professionalism. Because of that, I am forced to look to more drastic methods. Don’t think I failed to notice all the visits you paid to Ms. Pommel when she was working here in Canterlot or that time you went to Ponyville without orders."

Coco let out a tiny gasp. She'd always thought that Perlin had been there on Elderflower's orders, as something of a reminder of whose power she was supposed to be under. Perhaps his staying to watch her work had been of his own volition, but it was a shock to find out that he hadn't been coming to her on orders at all.

"Your point?" asked Perlin.

Elderflower smiled. "Simple. Ms. Pommel is now in my custody. She is my...guest of sorts. I think I shall find her something useful to do with her time, but she is primarily here for your sake. Because your skills are quite useful to me, I have made the decision not to have her quietly disposed of. However, should I have reason to doubt your willingness to give your all to the job I hired you for, I am afraid that I will have no reason to leave Ms. Pommel alive. Do we have an understanding?"

"We do," said Perlin in a level voice, his expression flat and unreadable.

"Wonderful," Elderflower said genially. "In that case, I have decided to give Ms. Pommel a room in the maids' quarters. There are plenty of vacant ones, so pick whichever suits you and help her get settled. I want you to report to me promptly at six tomorrow morning."

"As you wish," said Perlin.

"Good. You and Ms. Pommel may leave now. I wish to speak to Master Greenblight a little longer."

"Of course," said Perlin, bowing his head to the Baron before backing away. Meeting Coco's eyes, he nodded at her, bidding her to follow him. Coco did as he instructing, giving her own bow to the Baron before backing away and following Perlin out the door.

As it closed behind them, Greenblight stepped forward once again. "You don't need that colt. Let me dispose of the girl and I'll deal with him as well."

"As unprofessional as he may be, he is still quite a formidable asset," said Elderflower, turning back to his table. "When he first arrived in Canterlot, he even went so far as the incapacitate Captain Shining Armor and no fewer than fifteen members of the Royal Guard.

“Still, as I will have to dispose of Ms. Pommel at the end of all of this, if you are willing to deal with Perlin once I have no more use for him, I will be happy to pay you a considerable bonus for taking care of him as well.”

Greenblight chuckled dryly. “It’s a deal then. So what’s the target for your Phase Two?”

Turning back to his meal, Elderflower smirked down at the food before him. “The Royal Palace…”

Finding Arkenstone had been no easy task for Rumble. He hadn't been at the library or the teahouse. Rumble tried to think of where else the stallion might be. As he thought, Rumble settled for flying over the town, trying to see if he could get lucky and spot Arkenstone from the air.

After a few minutes, Rumble did indeed get lucky as he saw Arkenstone stepping out of the house that belonged to Rarity's parents, where Rarity herself had been staying for the past several days. Come to think of it, since Ms. Coco was with those ponies too, I probably should've checked this place first. But there wasn't time to reconsider his course of action and Rumble instead swooped down towards Arkenstone, seeing Rarity coming out of the house behind him with a distraught-looking Sweetie Belle.

"Rumble!" cried Sweetie, looking up at him. As soon as Rumble landed, he was tackled in a fierce hug as Sweetie cried into his shoulder. "It's terrible!" she wailed. "Twilight and Coco have been foalnapped!"

"I know," said Rumble, "I saw them."

"You did?" gasped Rarity in shock as Sweetie finally let her coltfriend go.

"Yeah. I was out at the quarry when I saw them. I think they took Twilight and Coco to Canterlot."

Arkenstone let out a sound like a deflating balloon. "Why am I not surprised?"

Rumble quickly related the details of what he had seen whilst his audience listened attentively.

"What do we do?" asked Rarity, looking at Arkenstone after Rumble had finished his story.

"We need to figure out who had Twilight foalnapped," said Arkenstone, "And I need to go to Canterlot." A low rumble built in his chest, one that seemed to seep into the ground beneath their hooves and make it hum in turn. "I will find Twilight. I will find her if I have to raze the entire city."

The others all found themselves shivering at the raw fury in Arkenstone's voice. Rarity was the first to recover her composure. "I-in any case, we need to get the others together. We should also have Spike send a letter to Princess Celestia, letting her know about the situation."

"We should," said Arkenstone, "Though I worry. Celestia has already left Canterlot for Appleloosa. Given her current agenda, this could cause serious complications."

"There's no helping it," said Rarity, "The Princess would hate it if we left her out of the loop on a situation like this."

"What about Princess Luna?" asked Rumble. "She's still in Canterlot, isn't she?"

The two adults looked at him...or rather, Rarity looked at him while Arkenstone turned his nose in Rumble's direction. "That's a good point," said Rarity, "Luna might be in a better position to help us."

Arkenstone nodded his agreement. "Let's move quickly. Whoever is behind this, I don't want to leave Twilight in their hooves any longer than equinely possible."

"Here. This one should do." Perlin pushed open the door to one of the vacant rooms in the maids' quarters of the manor.

"Th-thank you," said Coco, stepping into the room and looking around. It was typical of servants' quarters, very much like the room she'd had when she'd been working for Viscount Eventide. There was a bed on one side, a desk with a small lamp on the other, a single small closet by the desk, and a small window on the wall across from the door. The room was clean, but bare. Stepping into the room, Coco took in her surroundings with a small sigh. It took her a moment to realize that Perlin had not moved.

"I..." Coco turned around at the sound of Perlin's voice, facing the young stallion and looking straight at him. Her fear of him was still there, but muted by a combination of recent events and the depressed, repentant look on his face.

Perlin couldn't bring himself to even look her in the eye. Then, before Coco could react, he moved forward and carefully wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a gentle hug. "I'm sorry..." he said, "...for everything..."

Her first instinct was to freeze in place. She was too frightened of Perlin's lethal abilities to even think about trying to struggle out of his grip. She realized that he could have done this at any time in their association. He could have touched her, done whatever he'd wanted and she would have been far too afraid of the consequences to try and get away from him. But he never had. He'd never tried to initiate any kind of physical contact before, save once, and he had stopped himself back then. Now that she realized it, Coco knew she could pull away and Perlin would not do anything to her.

That was also when she realized that she didn't want to pull away. After the day's events, her experiences of the past weeks, Perlin's embrace was a source of true warmth and comfort in this cold and unfeeling place. His arms were warm. Instead of going rigid or struggling away, Coco raised her own forelegs and returned the gesture, slipping them up to wrap them around Perlin's withers in turn. Her ears caught the faint sounds of rustling cloth and a light, grating noise of metal rubbing against metal. From her position, resting her chin on Perlin's shoulder, Coco could see his wings shifting beneath his cloak. He was pulling them back, trying to keep them as far away from her hooves as he possibly could.

He really does care about me, she realized. She counted herself lucky. For all that Perlin terrified her, he was her one true friend in this place, except for, possibly, Twilight Sparkle. But I doubt she'd consider me a friend after what I did to her, thought Coco bitterly. Still...with Perlin there, she didn't feel as desolately alone in this manor as she once did.

Finally, they parted and stepped back. To her surprise, Coco found herself blushing. She noticed Perlin blushing too.

"I guess I should go," said Perlin, stepping back.

"Wait!" said Coco, raising a hoof. "Y-you can stay...if you want."

Perlin flinched and looked at her, his eyes wide with surprise. "You really want me to stay?"

Coco nodded. She climbed onto the room's bed and settled down. The mattress was at least comfortingly soft. For a servant, she'd figured that the Baron was more likely to invest in cheap boxsprings. That gave enough room for Perlin to come the rest of the way into the room. He glanced back at the door and, with a nod of agreement from Coco, shut it behind him.

"So..." Perlin looked at her, at a bit of a loss on how to proceed. He wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to do in this situation. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do. In the past, all he'd wanted was to spend time with Coco. His mind had conjured up images of cheerful conversations, seeing her smile when she saw him, rather than cringing away. But this...this was further along than his imagination had ever bothered to come.

"May I...may I see them...?" asked Coco softly. "...Your wings?"

Hesitantly, Perlin nodded, feeling a bit insecure about spreading those lethal weapons in an enclosed space like this. He turned his body so that he was standing parallel to the bed and slowly, carefully, unfolded one wing out from beneath his cloak, extending it just far enough that Coco could see it, but not so far that it was in any danger of touching her.

Coco felt a shiver run down her spine as the lethal appendage stretched out toward her. However, she forced the feeling down and made herself really look at those wings for the first time since she'd met Perlin Bluestreak. Her eyes took in the details of his mithril feathers, looking over every primary, secondary, and covert. She was no expert on knives, swords, or other kinds of blades. The closest she'd been to such things was probably the set of shears she used to cut fabrics. However, even with her inexperienced eye, she could appreciate the spectacular craftmareship of those feathers. They were works of art. As chilling and strange as they were, Perlin's wings were beautiful to look at. Each feather was lovingly crafted, looking almost completely lifelike in their arrangement and motion. The silvery metal caught the light, giving it blueish highlights that reflected off its finely-polished surfaces.

Slowly...very slowly...Coco reached out with her hoof and gently touched the outermost primary, slowly feeling its texture against her frog. It even feels almost real, she thought, her fear being replaced by a craftsmare's appreciation of something so detailed and complex. As she felt the feather, she was careful to keep her hoof away from its edges. To that end, Perlin held his wing perfectly still as she touched it, not daring to so much as twitch, lest he harm her even slightly. In the past, Perlin had never given a thought about carving up ponies like roast meat for a griffon table. But now, he felt as though he couldn't forgive himself if he gave Coco so much as a paper-cut.

His cheeks flushed as he realized that Coco was looking at him, really looking at him, for the first time since they'd met. She was seeing him, not as some obscure menace or creepy stalker, but seeing him as a pony. That made him indescribably happy. I wonder...is this what Dawn was telling me about? he mused. He remembered when he and Dawn were waiting for the train that would take them to Diamond Mountain. He remembered watching Dawn hold Scootaloo and kiss her. He remembered seeing the looks of contentment they had when they were in each other's arms. Could I ever have that feeling too?

Coco's hoof pulled away from his wing and Perlin sensed that she was done looking. He pulled the wing back against his side, letting the cloak fall over it once more.

Seating himself on the floor, Perlin turned to face Coco, looking at her expression and trying to guess what she was thinking. Whatever she was thinking about, Coco was apparently thinking hard.

Finally, she looked up at him, her eyes meeting his once again. "Can you tell me?" she asked. "Can you tell me about you...about where your wings came from?"

"A-are you sure?" asked Perlin. In the past, he'd felt no hesitation towards telling other ponies about his history. He'd once happily recounted the entire thing for Rainbow Dash. However, Coco was different. He'd realized that she'd probably find his story disturbing and frightening. Her reactions to what little of it he'd let slip in their past conversations had affirmed that belief. "It's not the kind of story you'd probably like."

Coco gave him a small smile. "Even so...I think I want to know it."

Perlin swallowed nervously. "If you're sure..."

So he told her about himself, about his father, about the doctor, about killing his father, about the life he'd led...everything. And she listened. Coco didn't say a word. At times, she would gasp in shock, or turn pale when he related a more gruesome occurrence. But otherwise, she kept silent and she kept her thoughts to herself as Perlin finished. The tale was every bit as disturbing and frightening as she'd expected. But, for the first time, she truly understood just who Perlin Bluestreak was.

He's a child...a foal... Even though he was a young stallion, only a couple of years younger than her, in his mind and heart, he was still every bit the foal he'd been when his father had been forging the colt into a living weapon. Suddenly, a great deal made sense about Perlin, his blithe, casual approach to fighting and killing, his pride in his deadly wings, even the awkward and creepy way he'd approached her.

Even if his rational mind told Perlin differently, his heart knew better. His wings weren't just weapons to Perlin. They were toys. Like any well-loved toy, Perlin relished the chance to play with them, to use them, to learn everything about what he could do with them. Perlin's approach to mercenary work wasn't that of a hardened professional, as Greenblight's was. To Perlin, it was playtime, a game, something to be done for his enjoyment, because it was the only kind of "play" he'd ever known since his infancy.

Even though he was a fighter and a killer, Perlin's heart was still possessed of that daunting, terrifying innocence of a foal who thought he could do no wrong. Foals could be frighteningly cruel and callous, depending on how they had been raised, sometimes not knowing how much pain they could cause. Perlin's sense of right and wrong had been stifled and warped in its infancy and his infancy, as his father had fought to stamp down everything that made Perlin a pony and force him into becoming nothing more than a living weapon.

When Perlin had killed his father, he hadn’t been fighting to free himself from a mad stallion’s tyranny and abuse or end said stallion’s crazed ambitions. It had been so that Perlin could play with his new toys, his new wings, however he wanted, whenever he wanted. He didn’t see his mercenary work as a job. It was a game to him, something he had done because the foal that he really was didn’t want playtime to end.

The realization should have terrified Coco. But it didn’t. It didn’t because she was now able to look past the foal that Perlin was to the stallion that he could become, if he learned to set aside childish things. More importantly, she could see that Perlin was now slowly moving along that path to adulthood. In fact, she realized that she was the catalyst for that very change. Perlin’s feelings for her were actually leading him to grow up.

It was a lot easier to understand his behavior now, why he’d always popped up to watch her like a creepy stalker without her permission, his awkward approach to actually dealing with her, everything that Coco had mostly overlooked in her dealings with him because she was too busy being afraid of him. Perlin’s behavior had been nothing more than a consequence of a foal’s first crush, the behavior of a pony who didn’t know how to approach or deal with another pony whom he liked. Coco might have even found it awkwardly cute, if it wasn’t so wrong for a pony Perlin’s age to be acting that way, especially considering his background and what he had done in the past.

But again, that was changing. Perlin’s feelings were growing, maturing from that childish infatuation into something more. More importantly, he was beginning to move past his childish attitudes and behaviors. He had started looking at things beyond his own amusement and gratification, beyond what he wanted, and he was finally beginning to understand the consequences his actions had for others.

To her own surprise, Coco had seen the stallion that Perlin was becoming…and found that she wouldn’t mind getting to know him better. Her fear of him was fading, replaced by a warm sense of trust, the knowledge that, whatever violence Perlin was capable of, he would never direct it at her. The things he had done hadn’t changed. That his crimes had been born of his own immaturity did not make them any less heinous. But Coco truly believed she could look past all of that if Perlin was able to become a better pony in the future.

“Thank you,” she said softly, reaching out with her hoof to gently caress Perlin’s cheek. “I feel much better now.”

Perlin blinked at her, nonplussed by her reaction. “I figured hearing my story would cause the opposite,” he said.

Coco sighed. “It was disturbing…But…I think you can become something better than what your father made you to be, if you’re really willing.”

“I thought I did,” said Perlin.

Coco shook her head. “You didn’t. At one point, you decided you liked what you were and that you didn’t want to go any farther than that. That’s why you killed him. Since then, you haven’t moved past that point at all. You’ve been the same pony you were the day you killed your father.”

Through her hoof, Coco felt a tremble go through Perlin’s body. Her words were troubling him. “But…” she said, “…I think you’re getting better. If you hadn’t learned to care about somepony else, the Baron wouldn’t have gotten anywhere with you by threatening me.”

“But then,” said Perlin, pulling away from her touch, “If I hadn’t started caring about you, you wouldn’t be here now. He wouldn’t be threatening you to keep me in line.”

Coco’s smile widened. “And I would be dead,” she said, “The Baron would have no reason to keep me alive and I would be too much of a liability otherwise. So…I’m alive now because you started caring about me…and I’m grateful. Thank you.”

“You’re…welcome,” said Perlin.

The quiet moment was interrupted by a gurgle from Coco’s stomach as the apprentice fashion designer realized she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. After Greenblight’s first visit, she’d been far too tense to even think about eating lunch. And then everything else had happened.

Perlin noticed the noise and looked at her inquisitively. Coco blushed at his gaze. “Um…” she said, “I don’t suppose there’s any way for me to get dinner, is there?”

Perlin chuckled and gave her a reassuring smile. “I think so. The Baron said that you’re a guest after all. He merely asked me to take you to your quarters. But he said nothing about keeping you there. I don’t think he’ll have a problem if I escort you down to the kitchen for an evening meal.”

“Then let’s go,” said Coco, feeling her heart lift for the first time that day.

Perlin stepped back, opening the door and giving Coco room to hop down off the bed. The two of them went out into the hall and Perlin began leading the way toward the kitchens.

“Well well,” commented a mocking voice from behind them, a cruel, gruff voice that Coco had heard far too much of that day, “Going on a little date, you two?”

They froze in place. Perlin didn’t twitch, not even to look behind them. Coco turned her head just enough to glance back and confirm her fears that Greenblight was standing a short distance behind them, his characteristic sneer still in place. Her first instinct was to press up against Perlin’s side. But she stopped herself before she could, reminding herself that she would be pressing up against Perlin’s wings and the razor-sharp feathers attached to them. If he had to extend them, it would end badly for her.

“I am escorting Ms. Pommel to the kitchens to get her some dinner,” said Perlin in a level tone, “Surely there isn’t a problem with that, Mr. Greenblight.”

Greenblight’s sneer widened and he snorted. “You’re getting pretty uppity so soon after the Lord Baron put you in your place. I’d like to give you a reminder of my own. Keep in mind that, if you want to remain in the Lord Baron’s employ, you won’t be able to stay around the little lady all the time.” His eye fixated on Coco with a malicious stare that chilled her to the bone. “I’d hate for something to happen to her when you aren’t watching.”

“Thank you for your advice,” said Perlin, his voice still calm, “I will take it into consideration. I have no intention of failing the Baron or disappointing him.”

Greenblight chuckled, his mirth making Coco’s stomach churn. “Well, I can’t fault your taste in mares,” he said, “I wouldn’t mind a taste of that flank myself.”

Now Coco had to fight the urge to vomit as she felt the full weight of Greenblight’s gaze. She began to tremble and she was certain that she would faint on the spot.

Then the feeling vanished, replaced by the sense of something passing between her and her antagonizer. Looking back again, Coco saw that Perlin had unfolded a wing and now held it so that it curved over her back, hovering inches away from her coat. Such a gesture would have been intimidating in the past. But now it gave her a sense of security.

Greenblight, on the other hoof, got a different sense entirely. Now he was the one feeling a deathly chill that came from Perlin’s wing as it interposed itself between him and Coco Pommel. The young stallion radiated a fierce, focused killing intent aimed directly at Greenblight. “Your associate told me, back at the time we first met, to watch my tongue.” Slowly, Perlin finally turned his head to look back over his shoulder, the gesture actually magnifying the deadly feeling as one of his eyes met Greenblight’s own. “I would pass on that advice to you, here and now.” There was none of Perlin’s usual unconcerned amusement in that one visible eye. The look in it was deadly serious.

Trying to recover the composure and swing the conversation back his way, Greenblight forced out a laugh and said, “Allow me to repeat your response to that. What happens if I don’t?”

The single hawk-like eye Perlin was watching him with narrowed. “Try it…and find out.”

In spite of himself, Greenblight swallowed nervously. Perlin suddenly seemed an entirely different pony from how he had been before. The bravado that Greenblight had been feeling earlier was rapidly draining away. “I simply wanted to check and make sure you understand where you stand.”

“Perfectly,” replied Perlin.

“Then we’re finished here.” Greenblight took a step back before turning around and walking away, trying his hardest to keep it from looking like he was beating a hasty retreat.

When the stallion was out of sight, Perlin let out a relieved breath and retracted the wing, looking over at Coco. “Are you all right? Do you still feel like eating?”

Coco gave him a shaky smile. “I’m fine,” she said, “And…” She leaned in, her lips brushing ever so lightly against Perlin’s cheek, “…thank you for protecting me.”

“Y-you’re welcome,” stammered Perlin, blushing furiously. He raised a hoof to touch the spot Coco had kissed.

Coco couldn’t stop herself from giggling. “And I’m still hungry. Let’s go.”

“All right,” said Perlin, smiling to himself. He resumed guiding Coco to the kitchen, feeling better than he had in days.

Author's Notes:

So after much ado, I finally come out with the next chapter. Sorry about the wait. Thanksgiving week was like hell, as I had to work shifts for two different jobs, sometimes both on the same day. I ended up working Thanksgiving evening. I was honestly shocked by how busy it was. For one thing, I didn't think that people were already shopping so hard on Thanksgiving night and, for another, since it was practically a blizzard outside, I was amazed by how many people apparently thought that was perfect weather for ice cream. From there, things have just been ridiculously busy, particularly at my retail job. I've been ending up with some seven-day work weeks again, which really sapped my will to do just about anything. In any case, thank you all for your boundless patience and I'm sorry that this is turning into such a lengthy ordeal.

---

As for this chapter, this was one of the most interesting parts of the story to write. I'm sure a lot of you clued in to the fact that I was shipping Coco with Perlin pretty much from the moment that they met. Of course, the problem with that was that Perlin is just...well...creepy, especially from Coco's standpoint. He's been stalking her, he's an agent of the stallion who's been secretly controlling her life, and he's an unrepentant killer.

Those are not exactly good foundations for building a relationship on. Unless I wanted to go the Twilight (the book) route and have Coco inexplicably find those attributes suddenly attractive, I was faced with two options, in my mind at least. The first was deciding that the relationship simply couldn't work and Perlin would ultimately be forced to accept that nothing he could do would ever overcome that monstrously horrible first-impression and subsequent stalker behaviors and ultimately move on (but still become a better pony for realizing that). The second option was to delve deep into my understanding of Perlin as a character and work out just what somepony in Coco could possibly see in him. Ultimately, I took option two. I went over how I had characterized Perlin and I learned some things about him that I hadn't realized before. I've mentioned this in earlier stories, but there are occasions when the characters you create become an almost organic part of the narrative, developing attributes of their own that you didn't even realize until you look at them later and their role within the story changes as a consequence of that. It made for some really interesting writing.

Next chapter: Greenblight takes a tour.

The Raid

Chapter 5: The Raid

Spike's flames consumed the letter, turning it into a cloud of glittering smoke that went streaming out of the library. "Okay...that's it for the Princesses," he said. "I should write Shining too."

Arkenstone nodded. Even without the stallion's prompting, Spike was already bent over another scroll, writing away.

The group had assembled in the library. Arkenstone and the remaining four Element Bearers were there. Fluttershy had brought both Scootaloo and Dawn with her. Rumble and Sweetie were there as well, while Applejack had opted to leave Apple Bloom back at the farm. The hour was late, though. In spite of their anxiety, or perhaps because of it, the foals had started to fall asleep and Rarity had taken them upstairs to tuck them into Twilight's bed. Even Dawn hadn't been able to stay awake, mostly because he was still recovering.

"But how are we gonna figure out where in Canterlot they took her?" asked Applejack, frowning as she looked across the library table at the stallion, "That place is crawlin' with ponies who've been lookin' to do somethin' with 'er. It could'a been any one 'o them varmints."

"That's quite true," agreed Rarity, "But perhaps we can narrow it down. Whomever was behind this must have been one of the ponies pressing Fancy Pants to have Twilight come to his fundraiser. They must have realized that, if she was coming, then Twilight would come to me to fit her for a dress."

"And they already had somepony in place the whole time," said Arkenstone.

Rarity felt her stomach start to churn as she was reminded of who had clearly helped those ponies abduct Twilight. Her heart couldn't reconcile with the idea of such a sweet mare like Coco being part of this whole affair. "Do you really think she was working for somepony the whole time?"

"I think," said Arkenstone, "that whoever was behind this had some sort of leverage over Coco Pommel that would allow that pony to force her to act under the proper circumstances. Her room in your house was saturated with the scent of fear. I believe she might have been living under a state of near constant anxiety. That said, I don't believe she was a willing participant."

"But why take her with them?" asked Applejack.

"Because she's a loose end," said Arkenstone grimly, "If they had left her behind, she would be able to point us in the direction of whoever was controlling her actions. So they needed to cover their tracks."

"No!" exclaimed Pinkie, "If they did that..." Everypony turned to stare at the bright-pink mare as her normally puffy, curly mane began to deflate like a balloon. Her bright-blue eyes were lined with tears and she looked terrified. "If they did that, then poor Coco..."

Arkenstone swallowed. "Yes. They most likely have no intention of leaving her alive."

Rarity's hoof went to her mouth. "No!" she whispered.

"We've got to hurry!" exclaimed Pinkie.

Beside Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy reached over and settled a gentle hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "We'll do what we can," Fluttershy promised, giving her friend a faint smile.

Applejack snorted and thumped her hoof against the table. "This doom and gloom horseapples ain't gonna help us find Twilight or Coco. We need to get goin' now!"

The others nodded, turning their gaze to Arkenstone, who had lowered his muzzle nearly all the way to the table. "I think we need to tread carefully," he said.

"Whatever do you mean, darling?" asked Rarity.

"I was all for it before. But I've had time to cool my head now. Unfortunately, however quickly we act, it may already be too late for Coco."

Rarity shuddered and sagged down, barely noticing when Applejack wrapped her up in a hug and glared across the table at Arkenstone.

"However, if Coco Pommel is still alive, then it would be because they have some other use for her, so we might have a generous window. Either she is dead already or they will not kill her for a while yet. Considering the situation...I think that the latter is more likely."

"Wha-what makes you say that?" asked Rarity, lifting her face from Applejack's shoulder.

"Because, despite the fact that she was nowhere near as close to Coco as you were, I believe Twilight considers Coco to be a friend," said Arkenstone, finally lifting his head back up, "And it would be an extremely unwise move to directly harm a friend of hers, especially since the pony responsible for this would ultimately desire Twilight's cooperation in one form or another.

"Whoever arranged this whole affair is not stupid. He or she had the foresight to arrange to have a means of control over a pony placed very close to us, possibly as nothing more than a contingency. That means the responsible party is not so foolish as to underestimate Twilight's connection with the friend of a friend. She would be much less likely to cooperate if Coco was harmed in any fashion."

"Well...that's reassuring," said Rarity, blowing her nose into a hoofkerchief. "But that still leaves us right back where we started. How in Equestria do we find the ones responsible for this travesty?"

"Well...maybe Shining knows something," said Spike, jumping back into the conversation now that he'd finished his third letter, "I think he had some friends keeping their eyes on the nobles who might be trouble."

"Hopefully," said Arkenstone, "In the meantime, I think we need to be patient and wait. If we go charging off willy-nilly, we could end up causing more problems than we solve. Merely from the evidence left behind from their passing, and from what Rumble told me, the ponies who carried out the abduction are probably mercenaries belonging to larger force. When we try to rescue Twilight, we will probably have to contend with them as well."

"So we just set and cool our hooves then?" asked Applejack.

"For now," said Arkenstone, "Besides, I wouldn't put it past Twily to save herself." He smirked. "She and I have been working to prepare for an occasion like this after all. She has some assets that I'm willing to bet our opponent hasn't accounted for. Let's be patient and wait to hear back from Shining and the Princesses for now."

He turned to regard the two others that hung back on the edges of the room. "Your input?"

Skan shifted his ebony bulk and took a second to hum in thought before answering. "There is something that strikes me as unusual about this whole affair."

"What is that?" asked Arkenstone.

Zhan answered. "This abduction seems to be an attack of opportunity, more than anything else. It's incredibly unlikely that a single pony could have arranged this turn of events. First, the town is wrecked by some crazed cultist pony. Then one of the few decent nobles in Canterlot decides to set up a fundraiser to help the town out, which leads to Twilight Sparkle being invited at the urging of many other nobles."

"Our culprit already had Rarity's apprentice under his or her hoof," continued Skan, "That pony probably had several different potential uses for the poor mare. However, as soon as the culprit learned that Twilight would be coming to attend Fancy Pants' fundraiser in Canterlot, that pony realized this was the perfect opportunity to use Coco to secure Twilight Sparkle."

"I see," said Arkenstone, "That raises several issues. This would be considered an unwise move. As reckless as he was, even Steel Flint went to great lengths to manufacture an appropriate pretense to try and force Twilight under his control. Whatever move this pony makes next, whatever purpose she tries to use Twilight for, that would be undermined by the fact that everypony would already know that Twilight had been abducted against her will."

"Perhaps that means that whoever has taken Twilight has ambitions beyond mere political maneuvers," said Rarity, "But what could possibly be her aim?"

"I don't know," said Arkenstone, "But finding out may be critical to figuring out their next move."

"Your Majesty! What's the matter?" Upon hearing Celestia's gasp, one of the pegasus Guards flying escort for her chariot dropped back to ask her. Their flight was taking them out to Appleloosa, where they intended to strike at the temple around midday, coordinating their action with the Guards that would be arriving by train.

"Twilight has been foalnapped," said Celestia, reading the letter a second time, "and she has apparently been taken to Canterlot."

"Should we turn back?"

Celestia was silent for a moment. It was clear that her first instinct was to return to Canterlot and find her precious student, who was almost like a daughter to her. However, after taking a deep breath, Celestia hardened her gaze and faced forward, refusing to so much as glance back where they had come from. "No. Twilight is far stronger than our enemies give her credit for. I will place my trust in her and let the fools who did this learn to regret their actions."

"As you wish," said the Guard, looking a bit troubled. Nonetheless, he resumed his position and they proceeded onward.

The doors to the audience chamber swung open sharply. "Your Highness!" called Wight Shade as he stepped into the chamber, "Shining Armor is here to see you."

Princess Luna's audience chamber was distinctly different in design from the rest of the Royal Palace. Instead of white marble, the floors and walls were dark-gray granite. Dimly burning torches hung from sconces and the floor was littered with cushions and pillows. On a raised dais at the front of the room, upon a particularly large cushion, lounged Princess Luna, normally deep asleep and monitoring the dreams of her subjects.

However, she was awake now, reading over a letter that had been delivered by dragonfire. "Let him in."

Wight nodded and stepped to the side to allow the Captain of the Royal Guard to enter the room. Shining wasn't in uniform at the moment, the alabaster coat showing dark shadows underneath his eyes and the tangled state of his blue mane showing that he'd only recently gotten out of bed.

Luna took one look at the distraught stallion and hefted the letter in her magical grip. "I take it that you received word as well."

Slowly, Shining nodded. "I'll take the Guard and begin combing the city for her."

Luna's eyes narrowed. "What Guard, Shining? Princess Celestia took nearly all of the Royal Guard with her. All that remains are a few token members, barely enough to watch the Palace, and the members of my personal Guard, who are busy filling in where they can. If we take anymore, there will be nopony left to guard the Palace. Besides, you may be playing into the hooves of whoever arranged this if you do that."

Shining growled in frustration, but it was clear that he understood Luna's arguments. The skeleton Guard left behind were busy guarding the palace vaults and other important areas, where numerous treasures, some priceless, others dangerous, many both, rested. Those vaults could not afford to be left unattended.

Luna was thinking hard. "The SES is gone as well..." Her ears perked upright and her muzzle shot up as she looked at Shining. "Maybe there is somepony who can help us in this situation."

"Who?" asked Shining.

"A pony with a skill-set perfectly suited to this sort of situation," said Luna, "One who is skilled and experienced in covert operations, who happens to be here in the Palace, right now."

Shining's eyes betrayed his confusion, but only for a moment as realization quickly dawned. "Her? Are you sure that we can trust her?"

Luna nodded. "I have been watching her closely ever since she was assigned to my service. I believe that she truly regrets her actions and has learned her lesson. Helping us with this situation would furnish her with the chance to commute her sentence and earn a reprieve."

"Is that really all right?" asked Shining, more than a little leery of allowing a mare who'd committed such a serious crime to get off any more lightly than she already had.

Luna nodded. "I have no intention of holding a grudge against a mare who has learned her lesson. If she is willing to help in this situation, than she will have earned her freedom, as far as I am concerned."

"If you think that is for the best, then I will call her and get to work right away," said Shining.

Luna smiled. "Good luck to you both."

Shining hesitated as he turned to leave. "Could you locate Twilight through her dreams?"

Luna sighed. "Yes and no. I can locate her on the dreamscape, particularly if her dreams are troubled. However, even if I learn the location of her physical body and whose custody she is in, my geis will not allow me to bring that information back into the waking world with me. Finding her will be up to you, I'm afraid."

Shining nodded.

"Do not worry overly much for your sister's wellbeing," said Luna, "Whoever performed this act would not be so foolish as to do anything to harm her. Besides, Twilight Sparkle is far more resourceful than those imbecilic nobles give her credit for."

Shining nodded in agreement. "I'm gonna try and find her before she breaks herself out."

"Good luck," said Luna, settling back down onto her cushions as the doors to her audience chamber closed behind Shining Armor.

The night passed and the sun rose the next morning over Canterlot. Even though everything seemed normal, there was something different about the atmosphere of Equestria's capital, as though the city was holding its collective breath. The air hummed with tension that very few ponies seemed to notice at first. The streets were emptier than usual, not because ponies had decided to stay indoors, but because there was a noticeable absence of Guards on patrol.

The lack of Guards gradually led to a level of heightened awareness as ponies realized they needed to keep their wits about them. The Guards on patrol were the primary deterrents to crime in the city. Fortunately, Canterlot had the lowest rate of crimes, attempted or otherwise, for a city its size in the country. However, with the Guards gone, certain enterprising ponies had noticed opportunity, whilst more wary ponies had sensed danger. That balance of awareness kept everything quiet and safe for the time being. However, that quiet was bound not to last.

The main gate to the Royal Palace was one of the few places where Guards were still stationed. The two ponies standing on either side of the massive gate did their utmost to stifle yawns and maintain the appearance of being stoically alert for any signs of threat as they surveyed the road leading up to the Palace. It had been a long, uneventful shift for them. Unfortunately, said shift had been stretched by the absence of enough ponies to rotate in and out. This particular pair had been on duty since midnight and they were not able to change with their replacements until midday.

As a concession to the circumstances, they had been brought food by the Palace staff and had eaten it at their stations, which was normally unheard of for members of the Guard. They held full canteens of water, from which they periodically relieved their parched throats. However, that could only go so far. Their eyelids were drooping and their bodies were growing heavy. At the moment, they cared less about maintaining their watchful stances and more about finally returning to their beds.

A maid from the Palace staff trotted through the massive hallway that formed the Palace's main entryway behind them, her hooves clicking against the marble floor as she hoisted a mop, pail, and other cleaning supplies in the aura of her magic, carrying them to some small section of the palace where the floors needed to be cleaned. Normally, such an event would not have been worth noticing. However, one of the Guards, bored after a long, uneventful shift, turned his head to look at her.

It was the last thing he ever did.

His ear picked up a faint whistling noise as his head turned to the side. Said whistling noise was coming from outside the Palace. However, before the Guard could turn to register it, a beam of jet-black magic, about half an inch across, pierced his helmet, passing straight through the skull beneath it, before exiting out the other side. A jet of blood followed the bolt out through the exit room, splattering across the marble, the marring it horribly with a dark-read smear.

The event had been so quick and so quiet, that his companion right on the other side of the door didn't even realize that anything had happened until the dead Guard slumped to the ground with a clank of armor. Just as the other Guard turned his head to regard his dead companion, before he could even comprehend what had happened, a second whistling noise signaled his demise as another splash of red decorated the entryway.

The maid, whose attention had been drawn by the sound of the Guards' collapse, turned to survey the scene, her eyes widening. She let out a shrill scream and scrambled down the hallway, the sound of her hooves receding into the distance as she sought help from the pitifully undermared Royal Guard.

At the entryway, the bodies of the two Guards lay in silence for about two minutes. Then, there was a clank of armor as nearly a dozen armed and armored pegasi swooped down from the sky. Behind them, eight more pegasi pulled a pair of armored carriages in for a landing on the causeway just outside of the Palace gates. On top of the carriages stood a number of similarly armored unicorns, roughly a dozen, all told. The carriages had barely slid to a stop before their doors sprang open and more armored ponies, earth ponies and unicorns both, poured out of them to form up along with the pegasi, the carriage pullers unhitching themselves to join their comrades.

An emerald-green, battle-scarred pegasus swooped down to land at the front of the group. Greenblight turned and gave his subordinates a commanding glare. He said nothing, but merely jerked his head in the direction of the entryway before hefting the long, slightly curving shaft of his heavy scythe and taking the lead, flying low over the floor as the group pounded down the entryway. As they moved, Greenblight snorted in irritation as he passed the hall the maid had bolted down earlier. We missed one, but Inkwell didn't have a good angle this far into the hall. Things just got a little bit harder. I hope the colt does his part.

Following the instructions given by their employer, Greenblight led his Banehammers down hallways, up staircases, moving with absolute certainty through the Palace's labyrinthine confines toward their quarry.

Shining groaned and rubbed his temples. Since receiving Spike's letter about Twilight's foalnapping, he'd been up all night. He felt tired. But, at the same time, he was far too upset to try and go back to sleep. Cadance wasn't any better. She was pacing back and forth behind her husband as he sat at his desk, going over everything he could find to try and figure out just who had taken his sister away.

The doors opened and a dark-gray pegasus mare came in, her hooves making no sound, even on the polished marble as she walked up to the desk. Shining had seen her frequently in recent months, almost always dressed in a maid's uniform. However, she wore no such uniform right now. The collar around her neck signified her true status.

"Shade Steel," said Shining, "If it weren't for the fact that we desperately need your skills, I wouldn't even consider doing this. But right now, we don't have much choice."

"What's wrong?" asked Shade Steel. She had formerly been a member of the Royal Guard, in fact belonging to the formidable unit known as the SES. A fighter skilled in close combat and covert operations, she had served with distinction until the return of Princess Luna. Since her youngest days, Shade had been indoctrinated in the lore of the Order of Celestial Light, otherwise known as the Cult Solar. Resigning from her position, Shade had served the Cult's interests until she learned of a certain colt staying in Ponyville. Her attempt on Dawn Lightwing's life had ended in her defeat and capture. As punishment, she was forced to wear the collar around her neck, restraining her magic, and was forced to serve as a member of Princess Luna's staff.

Shade had found a great many reasons to regret her actions. Even now, she fully understood the look of intense dislike on Shining Armor's face as he regarded her. However, at the same time, she could also see the fear and desperation that lurked behind that expression.

"My sister has been foalnapped," said Shining simply, "She was taken from Ponyville and was apparently brought somewhere in Canterlot. We are certain that a member of the Noble Court is behind this. Right now, with most of the Royal Guard out on Princess Celestia's operation, we simply don't have the ponies to conduct a citywide search. On top of that, without evidence, we can't search any of the nobles' estates...not openly, at least."

"So that's where I come in?" observed Shade with a nod, "You want me to try and find some evidence of where Twilight was taken."

Shining nodded his agreement. "If you can do it without being caught, Princess Luna has said that your sentence will be commuted."

Shade pursed her lips. The news was shocking. She supposed that her freedom was a fine carrot to dangle, but she would have done what she could to help regardless. I need to make up for my foolishness. Instead of fixating on that fact, her mind instead turned to the task that had been asked of her. "It's still far too much for me alone," she said, "There are hundreds of nobles in Canterlot. It would take forever to go through their estates one by one. Is there any information that we can use to narrow down the list of suspects?"

Shining sighed and slid a packet of papers across the desk to her. At the same time, there was a flare of rose-colored magic from his horn. The clasp of the collar around Shade's neck parted with a snap and fell away. Shade barely even noticed, save to reach up a hoof to gently rub the area under where the collar had been as she was already looking over the information Shining had given her.

It was the information that had been sent to Shining by Arkenstone via Spike's dragonfire. Within it was a description of the circumstances surrounding the abduction, including a recording of Rumble's witness testimony and even a rough illustration of the insignia that had been worn by the ponies the colt had seen.

Shade's eyes widened as she looked at the image of the crimson hammer. "The Banehammers!"

"You know them?"" asked Shining.

"They were in the SES files for groups marked as potential enemies," said Shade, "They're a pretty brutal group, a miniature private army basically. They weren't considered an immediate threat because their primary operations were outside of Equestria. They've taken part in Saddle Arabian feuds and even inter-aerie conflicts in the griffon territories. I've even heard that the more unfriendly aeries gave them a title that's considered the highest mark of respect they can give non-griffon creatures."

"What's that?" asked Shining.

"Tough Meat." Shade frowned as she flipped through the information Shining had given her. "This is bad. They have a lot of experience. Their leaders are ponies who don't mess around. If they're involved..."

"It probably means whoever's behind this has bigger plans than just Twilight," said Shining with a growl, "There's no way they'd have ponies like that around for just a simple abduction."

Shade nodded. "Still...the Banehammers don't exactly have a reputation for subtlety. I'm amazed they executed the actual foalnapping with so little noise. A more straightforward smash and grab approach would be more their style for something like that."

"Maybe they're a bit more canny than you think," suggested Shining, not quite avoiding inflecting the remark like an insult. He saw Shade wince in front of him, only to catch a wing to back of his head from his wife. He gave a glaring Cadance an apologetic glance over his shoulder.

Shade looked at the pink alicorn princess, who gave Shade a small smile from where she stood. The sight of that smile warmed Shade's heart and she resolved to do her best.

The door to the office slammed open to admit a panting stallion that Shining had seen not too long ago. "We're under attack!" gasped Wight Shade, looking past Shade Steel with wide eyes at Shining.

"What?" exclaimed Shining, shooting to his hooves, "What's happening?"

"There was a commotion in the entryway," said Wight, "A maid saw the whole thing. Somepony attacked the two guards on duty. Now armed ponies have been sighted moving through the Palace!"

"Where were they last seen?" demanded Shining, stepping out from behind his desk.

"They were on the second level and making their way up," said Wight.

"Up..." Shining froze. Wait a minute! Nearly all the important vaults are on the lower and basement levels. Certainly, there were any number of valuable art objects lining the hallways of nearly every level of the castle, but this was far too much for a simple burglary. The only thing that could truly be of value to an attacking force in the upper levels of the Palace would be...

"The Elements!" shouted Cadance, reaching the same conclusion as Shining, "They're trying to steal the Elements!"

Jumping out from behind his desk, Shining rushed to the door. He turned to Wight Shade, "Call up every Guard in the Palace. I don't care where they're stationed, tell them to form up outside the Elements' vault."

"But it's too late," protested Wight, "They're going to get there before the Guards can."

"I know," said Shining, striding past the floundering majordomo, "But it's going to take them time to break into the vault. If we can move quickly enough, we can get into position to intercept them on the way out. Make sure you call up everypony, even Luna's Guard."

"All right," said Wight, bounding out into the hall.

"What about you?" asked Cadance.

"I'm going too," said Shining, "Even if it takes time for the Guards to assemble, I can bottle those jerks up with one of my shields."

"Be careful," said Cadance, coming up to rub her cheek against his, "I don't want you to get hurt like last time."

"It's okay," said Shining with a small smile to his wife, "It's not like Perlin Bluestreak is involved this time."

Stepping out into the hallway, Shining made to set off at a gallop towards the the vault. However, he'd barely gotten two bounds down the hallway before a shadow passing by a window caught his attention. The windows on the opposite side of the hall from his office looked out over Canterlot's many homes and estates. From there, Shining could see a blur of black and silver descending towards him. His ears twitched at the sound of glass breaking and he threw his body down, skidding across the smooth marble of the floor as he heard several metallic pings along the wall directly behind where he'd been standing.

Looking back, Shining caught sight of several blade-like objects made of silver metal embedded in the wall. He barely had enough time to take in some additional details before they were pulled back, right out through the openings they'd cut through the window. Feathers...Uh oh!

With a crash of breaking glass, a window further down the hallway exploded inward. Shining's eyes were almost blinded by the gleam of sunlight off of the mithril feathers of Perlin Bluestreak as the colt spun about, landing daintily on his hooves, his wings spread out from under the black cloak he wore, and settled himself in Shining's path.

"Ugh...I spoke too soon," said Shining with a groan.

"My apologies, Captain Armor," said Perlin politely, an uncharacteristically serious look on his face, "But I have been asked to detain you here for the time being."

Oh bother...

Greenblight and his ponies emerged out into the late-morning sunshine, galloping across a broad walkway lined by battlements on either side. Ahead of them lay a separate annex of the Palace. The two large, wooden doors that led into this part of the Palace stood closed. This was the Cathedral of Harmony, where the Elements were held.

"Force 'em open!" roared Greenblight.

Six of his unicorns strode to the front of their formation and let their horns, the varying colors of their magic mingling together to form a swirling orb of energy in front of them, which they then launched straight at the doors. The sturdy wooden constructs shattered into splinters upon contact with the powerful blast.

"Everypony in!" ordered Greenblight, shifting his scythe so that he could wave the rest of his force forward with his free hoof, "Get set up! This might take a while, so make sure we're well entrenched."

His ponies leapt to obey his orders. Inside, they ripped up every piece of furniture they could find, stacking them together to form a barricade in the doorway. Two of his unicorns rushed straight for the vault at the back of the large, open room. As he touched down behind them to monitor their progress, Greenblight's eye took in his surroundings. He didn't like the look of the large, stained glass windows. They were works of art, most of them depicting events famed in song and story. Here was an image of the two Princesses circling one another. There was an image of Discord tormenting the innocent. Another window showed six very familiar-looking mares facing a dark alicorn. Next to it was the same sextet of mares sealing Discord.

Greenblight didn't care about their beauty. To him, art was only worth as much as it could be sold for. However, he did care that the windows would give easy entry to any pegasi who might try to come in behind their lines. We need to get this done quickly.

"Make sure those windows are covered," he barked to his ponies.

As the earth ponies and pegasi continued to work on the barricade, the remaining unicorns carefully moved to the sides of the hall, covering the windows across from their positions.

Letting out a sigh, Greenblight turned back to watch the two unicorns working the vault itself. The tips of their horns glowed white hot as their magic burned into the metal the vault was composed of. However, they seemed to be making no progress. That idiot informant didn't bother to tell us how to open the damn thing, he thought irritably.

"It's no good," said one of the unicorns, pulling back from the door, panting, "It'd take us a week to get through this."

"What about the lock?" asked Greenblight.

One of the unicorns frowned and pushed his horn into the small opening that sat square in the center of the vault door. There was no response and he pulled his horn back out, heaving a sigh of relief. "Well, it's not booby-trapped at least. But it's probably keyed to the Princesses."

"There has to be some way," muttered Greenblight, glaring at the vault. He hadn't come this far to be stymied by a stupid door. If they took too long, the remaining Guards in the Palace would assemble and they'd be forced to fight their way out, which would be a royal pain in the rump if the enemy was properly assembled.

"Do you require some assistance?"

Greenblight jumped and whirled about, lifting his scythe and whipping it through an arc in the direction of the voice. However, the voice's owner merely stepped inside the arc of the swing and raised a foreleg to catch the shaft of the weapon, neatly knocking it back. Greenblight's eye widened as he recognized the stallion standing in front of him. "You! You're the informant?"

"Of course I am," said Wight Shade with a polite smile, "I do more than just arrange employment contracts, you know."

"How did you get in here?" demanded Greenblight, trying to find the entrance for himself. After all, if Wight could enter without anypony noticing him, then such an entryway was a possible point of insertion for the Guards as well.

"Trade secret," replied Wight blithely, "However, you needn't worry about my means of entry threatening your entrenchment." He held out a hoof. Clutched in his fetlock was a cast of a horn, a particularly long and elegant-looking horn. "This is a skeleton key of sorts. You can use this to open the vault."

Greenblight glared at the odd stallion for a moment, not sure if he should trust Wight. However, they were short on time, so the scarred mercenary took the proffered cast and tossed it over his shoulder to one of the unicorns behind him. The unicorn set down the cast over his own horn and inserted it into the lock. A second later, there was a click and the vault door swung open.

Turning to see what was inside, Greenblight spotted a large chest that his ponies were already working to pull out. "Load it up and let's get out of here," he said, "As for you-" He turned back to see that Wight had seemingly vanished into thin air, much like his namesakes. A chill went down the mercenary's spine and he was tempted to write the whole thing off as a vivid hallucination. However, the results spoke for themselves and Greenblight knew he hadn't been imagining it.

Behind him, the two unicorns that had opened the vault door were joined by a quartet of of earth ponies, who slid two long poles through the rings on either side of the chest so that they ran across its front and back before resting the poles on their shoulders and the chest sat suspended between them.

"Contact!" shouted one of the ponies guarding the entryway. Greenblight flew up to the barricade and looked over. Ahead of them, on the other end of the walkway, he could see the shapes of ponies moving through the door they had come through. The Guards were assembling. It looks like we're going to have to fight our way out after all.

"Orders, sir?" asked the earth pony next to him.

"Get ready to breach the barricade and move out," said Greenblight, "We're heading back the way we came."

"And the enemy?"

"I'll break 'em," said Greenblight, hefting his scythe once again, "You know the drill!"

His subordinates nodded and began to form up, the earth ponies and unicorns taking up stations around the chest, while the pegasi assembled ahead of them, preparing to take to the air the moment they were out the door.

"Ready when you are, sir!" shouted the lead earth pony.

"Okay. Let me put my game face on," said Greenblight, a savage smile decorating his face. He began to inhale and exhale rapidly, looking to any ordinary pony as though he were hyperventilating. His breathing grew more and more rapid with each passing second. The pupil of his single visible eye began to contract, shrinking into a tiny dot as red veins began to crawl across the white. With the force of Greenblight's breathing, snot and spittle began to fly from his nose and mouth, gradually getting whiter and foamier with each exhalation.

Even though he was their leader, alongside whom they'd fought for years, the armored ponies behind Greenblight took uneasy steps back as their leader continued to go through with his strange ritual, none of them daring to utter a sound.

Perlin surged forward, slashing one wing in front of him. Shining had already conjured up a barrier. However, just as it had the first time the two of them had tangled, Perlin's feathers cleaved almost effortlessly through it.

"I told you once before," said Perlin.

"Right," grunted Shining, "Technique." Let's see how your technique handles this! As Perlin surged forward to press his attack, Shining conjured another barrier. Reversing his wing's motion, Perlin brought the same wing back along the path it had traced earlier. Once again, his feathers pierced through the barrier with almost no resistance. However, rather than rupturing and vanishing, the shimmering field of rose-colored energy seemed to cling to Perlin's feathers like some kind of gooey substance. Even as Perlin tugged his wing back towards him, the shield stretched and was pulled along with it like a mass of bubblegum.

Looks like mixing my shield with a flytrap spell was a good choice, thought Shining with a grim smile as he lowered his horn, pointing it straight at Perlin. The spell had changed the shield's consistency, altering it so that it didn't simply rupture like a popped bubble the moment it was penetrated. Instead, it clung to whatever touched it and stretched to entangle its victim. Ironically, the shield was actually weaker like this. If Perlin had simply bulled forward, he could have been within striking distance before the shield's sticky qualities would have been able to stop him.

Perlin pulled his wing back, pivoting his body to bring his other wing around. The action simply continued to stretch the magic clinging to the first wing and actually drew it across Perlin's body so that it could begin sticking to his chest, entangling him further.

I've got him now, thought Shining as he fired up an attack spell. However, that spell was quickly canceled with a yelp as Perlin launched five metal feathers from his free wing, hurtling them like darts straight for Shining's body.

The feathers punched through the shield with ease, stretching it and taking it with them, even as Perlin continued to pull back the part attached to his opposite wing even further. Shining managed to shift so that he went between the wired feathers that Perlin had launched. However, he realized the trap too late. He's trying to entangle me with my own spell!

The wires attached to Perlin's feathers were trailing even more of the sticky magic. With a twitch of his wing, Perlin halted the feathers' forward momentum and instead swung them in towards each other so that the wires, and the magic adhered to them, converged on Shining as well.

Shoot! thought Shining. With but a thought, he canceled his original spell, causing the sticky sheathe of magic to vanish, freeing Perlin and his feathers. Perlin quickly retracted the feathers by their wires, drawing them back so that they would slash at Shining's body as they passed. However, Shining had anticipated the attack and vanished in a burst of magic before the feathers could reach him, reappearing a few meters back.

Even as he retracted his feathers, Perlin once again pivoted his body, swinging the opposite wing around and launching the five feathers on that wing, sending them lancing straight at Shining. Shining grimaced and called up, not one, but three shields, one behind the other, each one with a slightly different angle and curvature. One of Perlin's feathers glanced off the first shield, but the other four pierced through it with no visible resistance. The second shield managed to block another feather. Of the remaining three, one bounced off the third shield, while the second lodged halfway through it. The fifth and final feather penetrated the third shield, but had been knocked off-course enough that it missed Shining by a few inches.

Just as I thought, he's gotten better, thought Shining grimly as his shields collapsed. The first time they had fought, Perlin hadn't been able to cut through his shields at a distance. But the young stallion had clearly improved his skills if his wired feathers were now able to pierce even three of Shining's shields with some degree of success.

"I'm impressed," said Perlin, "I thought that would have caught you off-guard."

"I'm not stupid," replied Shining, "Some of my best friends are martial artists. I know better than to think you won't improve over time. You're not the only one who's been working hard."

"Oh?" Perlin raised an eyebrow, enjoying himself in spite of the situation. I'm glad my mission is merely to stall him. This is actually quite fun.

Shining, on the other hoof, wasn't enjoying himself near as much. I can't afford to let myself get stalled here. He's playing for time. I need to take the offensive. It wasn't a good position for a battle mage like him to be in. Between battle mages and martial artists, battle mages were at a severe disadvantage when it came to initiative. A spell had to be envisioned, constructed, and projected. While, like any good battle mage, Shining had worked to streamline his mental process to reduce the casting lag, that simply couldn't compete with a martial artist at this range. Perlin had undoubtedly trained himself to react without thinking. In a situation like this, Perlin would always react first. That, combined with the fact that he had the technique to cut through magic, gave him the definitive advantage in this confrontation.

Gritting his teeth, Shining decided that now was the time to use his trump card. After all, if I don't use it now, then what did I bother creating this spell for?

Shining's horn flared once again, calling a solid, flat wall into being in front of him. Perlin canted his head at the sight of the shield, watching it curiously. This one seemed unusual. Instead of being a single plane of magic, the shield was instead composed of several hexagonal panels connected together. Just what is he up to? This shield doesn't seem any stronger than the previous ones.

Deciding not to take any chances, Perlin swung both his wings in front of his body, launching all ten of his wired feathers at Shining. Then, to Perlin's shock, the panels composing Shining's shield broke apart, each of them moving independently. Ten of them moved to intercept Perlin's feathers at off angles so that the feathers were deflected away from their target. The rest flew towards Perlin's body like a swarm.

Retracting his feathers as quickly as possible, Perlin swung his wings, cutting several of the flying hexagons apart. However, the remainder of them spread out and swarmed the young stallion from all sides. Perlin pulled his wings back to shield his sides as several of the hexagons smacked against them like hammers, making the mithril ring. Out of the corner of his eye, Perlin saw another hexagon flying edgewise at his leg. A thin, flat plane of magic was practically a razor, as sharp as, if not sharper than, Perlin's own feathers. Unfolding his wing on that side, he extended it down so that the incoming hexagon bounced off of it instead of cutting his leg off.

I see. This spell appears to represent both attack and defense. He can freely control the arrangement of those hexagons and either form a shield with them or strike with them, whether as blunt objects or blades. Very dangerous. Perlin grinned as he lashed out with his wings again, cutting down more of the hexagons. Even as he did, he failed to notice that a few of those hexagons had taken up stationary positions in the air around him, hanging at a variety of angles.

Perlin was so engrossed by the attacking shield pieces that he failed to notice the glow of Shining's horn intensifying, even though Shining Armor was right in front of him. Shining fired the most basic attack spell a unicorn had, a single telekinetic bolt. However, instead of aiming for Perlin, he instead aimed for one of the floating hexagons.

The flash of light signaling Shining's attack drew Perlin's eye and he saw it just in time to see the bolt whiz past the side of his head. He missed? Before Perlin could process what had happened, the bolt ricocheted off one of the shields hanging behind him. It rebounded off of another shield and several more in sequence, its passage being like a buzzing hornet to Perlin's senses. Before the young stallion could properly track the bolt's path, it slammed into and bounced off a shield directly above him before slamming right down into Perlin's spine, right between his wings.

The force of the blow drove Perlin straight down to the floor, knocking the breath out of his lungs and leaving him sprawled out on the smooth marble of the floor. Before he could get back up, the remaining hexagonal shield components reassembled above him, once again forming a single plane of magic before it came down. Perlin extended his wings up, but didn't have the right angle to cut into the shield as it rushed down. The mithril feathers instead glanced off and the shield proceeded down to pin Perlin against the floor, holding him in place.

"Got you now," growled Shining, bending his will to the task of holding Perlin in place. Now that Perlin was immobilized, he would have to be subdued and restrained. A simple stunning spell should do for the former, while a more advanced binding (which could be replaced with more permanent restraints at a later time) would do for the latter.

This isn't good, thought Perlin, his eyes roving frantically, looking for something he could use to turn his situation around.

As Shining leveled his horn at the young stallion and prepared to unleash the final blow, he froze. It wasn't anything Perlin had done. Rather, Shining froze in sheer terror as an unearthly sound, somewhere between a howl and a roar, echoed throughout the Palace. The noise was filled with rage and madness, the sound of a pony who had completely abandoned reason in favor of wanton aggression. It chilled Shining to the core. That's not a good sign.

Author's Notes:

I would like to apologize to everyone for taking so long to get this chapter up. Ultimately, I just don't think this whole pre-reading thing is working out, mainly because I wasn't prepared to commit to it. I made promises that I have been unable to keep and am now defaulting back to my original approach to avoid to keep you folks from waiting any longer.

On the other hand, while this has probably been one of my less stellar moments, it has its positives. Because I was waiting for chapters, I actually ended up taking a decent vacation from Pony in general, which had been leaving me feeling a little burned out. Combine that with the Christmas season, which was especially brutal this year, due in no small part to the fact that one of my jobs is at a freaking mall, and I just wasn't in the shape to do any real work on this for a while. On a separate note...I hate Christmas so much now. I can't even watch The Grinch movies anymore because I hate films with downer endings.

---

This chapter and the next chapter were interesting to write, mostly because I get the chance to showcase what a lot of the OCs I've created can do. I also wanted to show Shining as being decently competent. He's not the kind of pony to sit by idly after Perlin thrashed him so badly the last time they fought.

Next chapter: Celestia activates her kill-sat.

The Beast

Chapter 6: The Beast

"Form up!" snapped Flash Sentry, looking around at the few Guards he had with him. Like Shining Armor, Flash had stayed behind in Canterlot to help coordinate the Royal Guard's actions as they swooped down upon the Cult Solar strongholds that Princess Celestia's agent had uncovered. However, Flash found himself rather unhappy with his placement, given what was going on right now.

There weren't very many ponies left in the Palace. Mixed in with the shining gold of the Royal Guard were the grays and blues of Luna's personal Guard. Several of these ponies were underdressed, having been forced to leave some of their armor behind as they scrambled from their bunks, where they'd been resting off-shift. Even now, many of the ponies behind Flash were desperately trying to rub sleep from their eyes even as they formed up into lines behind their leader.

Licking his lips nervously, Flash focused his attention ahead at the barricade that had been erected in the doorway leading to the Cathedral. The enemy force had holed themselves up in there, clearly expecting that breaking into the vault would take some time, if it could be done at all. Flash's first thought had been to get his pegasi airborne and send them in through the windows. However, if their opponent was even mildly competent, the windows were probably already covered and sending ponies through them would only result in further casualties for the Guard. Flash had already lost two ponies today. He didn't want to lose any more if he could help it.

Now then...how to do this... he wondered, scratching at the orange fur visible between the plates of his armor. The enemy was pretty well-situated. Granted, there was nowhere they could go, but the last thing Flash wanted was to turn this into an extended standoff. They just didn't have the marepower for it. The whole situation was absurdly precarious. However, if they simply broke in against the undoubtedly staunch resistance from the enemy force, it was likely to result in even more casualties.

Presently, the Guards were assembled in the room leading out to the walkway across from the Cathedral. Though they had formed up, they would have to narrow their marching order to make it through the door before spreading back out on the other side. We can hold this position and we control the ways in and out of the Cathedral, thought Flash, Maybe if we hold here, then we can negotiate their surrender.

However, Flash's musings were interrupted by a sound that almost seemed to make the room drop ten degrees in temperature. An echoing, bestial howl issued forth from the annex. Shaken, Flash turned about to face the source of the noise, clutching his spear tightly, trying his hardest to keep the shaking in his legs from being visible to his ponies. What the hay was that?

Before anypony could actually give voice to that question, the answer became all too apparent. The barricade in the doorway literally exploded outward as a large, green pony barreled through it. It was a pegasus, his body covered in scars, with one patch over his eye. All of these details were secondary concerns, given the incoming stallion's current state. His mouth and nose were lined with white foam and his single eye was practically red as he surged forward, using his wings to propel him in a flying charge along the ground while his forelegs were curled about the shaft of a large scythe that he swung as though it were a twig.

"Hold together!" Flash yelled behind him, bracing to meet the stallion's charge. He could hear the shuffle of hooves, but it was subdued and hesitant. His ponies were trying to maintain their lines, but the sight of the incoming pegasus, wildly swinging a scythe like the mad specter of death itself was causing them to falter.

Before they could rally, the stallion hit. Flash lowered his spear and thrust it at the stallion as he came on. However, the wild pegasus shifted his approach slightly, less to dodge and more so that he could put more force into the swing as he lashed out with the scythe. As a consequence, the spear drew a line of red along the madpony's neck, barely missing a vital artery. The stallion didn't even seem to notice as he brought the scythe around. Flash barely had the opportunity to glance sideways before the shaft of the heavy weapon slammed into his helm, knocking Flash off his hooves and sending him skidding across the floor.

From his position, Flash could see the stallion slam into the Guard ranks behind where he had been standing, still swinging the scythe about wildly. Ponies scattered to try and avoid the crazed attack, but one toppled over as the blade of the scythe hooked around her leg and cut it out from under her, sending a spray of blood flying into the air. Earth ponies thrust with their spears, unicorns launched spells, and the pegasi tried to fly up above in the limited space they had to try and corral the monstrous stallion down. But their fear hampered their movements. Spells and blades both missed their marks and the stallion didn't even seem to notice the few strikes that actually did hit him. Instead, he continued to swing the scythe around like a pony possessed, tossing aside a pegasus withe a shaft before sinking the tip of the blade in between the plates of an earth pony. It actually took the scarred pegasus a few tugs to get the weapon back out, leaving another pony immobile on the floor.

The rest of the guards were starting to regain their courage. As terrifying as the specter of the mad pegasus was, his wild swinging had done relatively little harm, the four ponies down being his only victims so far. They were getting ready to close in and block off the stallion's movements, their focus now on restraining him and bringing him down...

...Which was why they were caught completely off-guard when a charging line of earth ponies surged up behind the green pegasus and slammed straight into the still disorganized ranks of the Guards. Swinging heavy hammers, the earth ponies battered their opponents, caving in armor and breaking bones. Behind the earth ponies came a rank of pegasi, also armed with the heavy mauls that they brought to bear on their winged Guard counterparts, quickly heading up as soon as they got through the door and beginning the attack just as the Guard pegasi were about to turn their attention to the earth ponies.

Flashes of brilliant light accompanied spells being thrown through the door by approaching unicorns, blasting past their comrades and blowing ponies off their hooves. The remaining Guards scattered, now fighting to simply preserve their own lives as they fought to drag wounded comrades away from the line of fire and cover them. Flash, in his addled state, noticed one of Luna's Guards taking up a protective stance over him.

The enemy ponies were now forming up around their leader, who had slumped down shortly after his comrades had arrived, gasping hard for breath. After a moment, he seemed to regain himself, with no signs of his previous madness, save for the flecks of foam left clinging to his lips. Turning, he waved a forehoof and the unicorns came through, escorting four earth ponies bearing a chest between them.

The Elements! thought Flash in horror. He didn't know how the enemy had broken into the vault, but they had succeeded and were now making their getaway with the prize. What was more, now that they had broken through his formation, there was almost nopony to stop them from getting back out.

Fortunately, the enemy was more interested in getting away with their spoils than finishing off the wounded. They followed their leader, taking off down the passage, the sound of their hooves fading into the distance.

"Lieutenant! Are you all right?" asked the Night Guard as she pulled him back up.

"I've been better," admitted Flash, shaking his head, "What are the casualties?"

"Ten down, three dead," reported one of the surviving Guards, "The survivors are in a pretty bad way."

"Get the Palace staff to help them," ordered Flash, "The rest of us are going after those bastards. If they get away with the Elements of Harmony, then we'll never be able to face Princess Celestia when she returns." Not to mention that they'll have escaped with a set of the most powerful magical artifacts in the world.

To their credit, the remaining Guards didn't balk at his orders and formed up behind him, save for one pegasus who flew off to get the Palace staff to help the wounded. Less than a minute later, they were rushing down the stairs and hallways after the thieves. I won't let you monsters get away with this! thought Flash, his mind going to the Guards that had lost their lives already and the ones who might still lose their lives before the day was out.

Seeing that Shining was distracted by the sound of Greenblight's berserker howl, Perlin smirked and swept his wings out behind him. Even with the shield pinning him down from above, he could still move his wings laterally, which allowed him to launch his wired feathers behind him, sinking them into the stone walls of the hallway. A twist through the wires anchored them into the walls and Perlin yanked his wings forward, the motion sending him sliding across the floor and out from under Shining's shield. It's a good thing the Palace staff keeps the floors so nicely polished, he thought as he got his hooves back under himself and kicked off into the air, moving in a backwards flip that allowed him to land further down the corridor.

"Damn!" snapped Shining as Perlin launched the wired feathers at him once more. Shining broke apart the hexagonal sections of his shield once again, using them to deflect the feathers before they could reach him.

Perlin came barreling down the corridor right behind his feathers, retracting the wires as he went. Shining assembled several of the remaining hexagons in a loose formation between him and Perlin, forcing Perlin to slash at them with his wings in an attempt to get through them. However, a few of the segments split off to come at Perlin's body at different angles, forcing the young stallion on the defensive as he whirled his wings around, trying to cut down or block the shields before they could reach him.

Shining fired another bolt from his horn, but Perlin intercepted the shot before Shining could use the shields to rebound it again, instead knocking the blast of telekinetic energy out through one of the hallway's windows. In the meantime, Perlin was also cutting down the shield segments as fast as he could manage.

With a grimace, Shining once again gathered the glowing hexagons in front of him before sending them rushing straight at Perlin en-mass. Each one was angled slightly differently to keep Perlin from slicing through them all at once. Even as he fended off their blows, Perlin was forced to dance back as he used his wings to cut down the remaining shield segments one at a time. With a final ringing sound, Perlin's feathers cleaved through the last of the shields, leaving him and Shining alone in the hallway once more.

Shining wasn't feeling too well. He felt tired and worn out, even though he'd hardly exerted his magic at all so far. The mental strain of controlling so many individual shields had worn him down and he was having trouble remaining focused. If he couldn't stay alert, his casting speed would drop and Perlin would be able to take him down in the interval between spells. Perlin, on the other hoof, was panting lightly, but looked as fresh as a daisy otherwise. He even seemed to be enjoying himself.

"This is going much better than our last altercation," the young stallion noted with an amused smirk.

"I'm glad you're having fun," groused Shining, trying to figure out what to do next. Perlin could cut through his shields like they weren't even there and even layering them had barely slowed the young stallion down. At this rate, Shining was fairly certain that he was going to earn himself another trip to the hospital with a severed horn. I do not want to go through that again.

Perlin, on the other hoof, was silently counting down the minutes since he'd heard Greenblight's howl, trying to figure out how much longer he had to stall Shining Armor for. If he could wear out or incapacitate the Guard Captain, so much the better. Unfortunately, he hadn't worked out a signal with the Banehammers that would let him know when it was safe to disengage. If he left too early, then Shining would be free to go intercept the Banehammers. While Perlin had little difficulty with Shining's shields, he sincerely doubted that Greenblight would have such an easy time breaking through them, particularly if Shining managed to catch the Banehammers inside the Palace where Inkwell couldn't provide ranged support.

The two of them stared at one another in silence, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Shining hid a grimace. The situation certainly favored Perlin. He was free to wait as long as he needed to while the window that Shining had to go and support his Guards was rapidly shrinking. However, Shining knew that one wrong move could be dangerous, if not fatal. If only I were as good at teleporting as Twilight is, he thought. He wouldn't be able to activate a teleport spell over any decent range without taking a moment to concentrate first. He definitely couldn't teleport a significant distance while he had other spells active at the same time, which precluded trying to stall Perlin with another series of shields.

Surprisingly enough, the stalemate was broken, not by Shining or Perlin, but by somepony else entirely. The silence in the hallway was broken by the faint click of hooves against the floor as the willowy, pink form of Princess Cadance gracefully stepped out of Shining's office, where she'd been hiding while the fight was raging on. She stepped up behind her husband, her eyes looking past him at Perlin, meeting his own.

Perlin shivered as he looked at those eyes. There was no anger or hatred in them, only clear, calm understanding that seemed to look right past his outside appearance and see into the depths of his soul. With that one look, Perlin had the impression that Cadance had gotten a better understanding of him than just about anypony he'd ever interacted with. His legs shook and he found himself unable to look away from her eyes. He was so completely drawn into her gaze that he even failed to notice Cadance light her horn. The teal aura from the horn swirled and resolved into a pink heart that drifted across the space between them, bursting with a pop as it came into contact with Perlin's forehead.

The noise knocked Perlin out of his reverie with a jolt and he reeled back, wrenching his gaze away from Cadance's eyes. His heart thudded alarmingly in his chest. It wasn't like him to be this flustered. He was completely vulnerable now. However, both Shining and Cadance were forgotten in that moment as the face of a different pony entirely drifted up before his mind's eye. I shouldn't be here.

With an echoing crash of shattered glass, Perlin launched himself out through a window, a different one than he'd come in through. He fell for a short distance before spreading his wings and soaring away.

In the hallway that Perlin had left behind, Shining blinked in confusion, trying to figure out what had just happened. "Huh? Cadance?" He was surprised to see his wife, having not even noticed her coming out of his office.

Cadance, for her part, stared silently at the space where Perlin had been standing.

"What did you do?" asked Shining.

"I helped him...I think," said Cadance with a small smile.

"What do you mean?"

"I could see it in him," she said, "the feelings he has for somepony else. I just used my magic to reach in and make him see that it was more important than fighting with you."

"I think you saved my rump there," said Shining, reaching up to wipe some sweat off his brow.

Cadance looked around. "I don't think it's over yet."

"Yeah," said Shining grimly, "there's still the matter of those intruders to see to."

"Go on then," said Cadance.

With a nod, Shining fired up his horn and vanished in a flash of rosy light.

The Banehammers and their leader burst out into the main entryway. Ahead of them were the doors. Beyond them were the two carriages, still parked and waiting. Inkwell now stood between them, watching impassively as the mercenaries charged down the broad hall.

Behind them, the remaining Guards came charging along in pursuit, Flash Sentry taking the lead. As they reached the entryway, he and the other pegasi spread their wings and took to the air, getting ready to swoop down at the Banehammers from above. It would take time for them to load all of their number and the chest containing the Elements into the carriages. In that time, Flash was confident that they'd be able to take the group down.

As they closed in, Flash's ears picked up a faint whistling noise and he looked up just in time to see a jet-black bolt of ebony energy flying straight at his face. With a yelp, Flash dodged to the side, barely missing the bolt as it streaked past him. Off to one side, he could hear a cry of pain as one of the Lunar Guards that had taken to the air with him was taken by another bolt straight in the stomach. She crumpled and dropped toward the floor like a rock.

Flash was about to turn to help her when the bolt he'd dodged suddenly doubled back on itself and slammed down right between his wings, completely stunning him and knocking him out of the air as well. All around him, more black bolts of magic whirled about, effortlessly evading the enemy mercenaries and easily finding their marks among the Guards. Even when they were dodged, they simply changed their course to come in at a different angle, catching more than a few ponies off guard. The entryway filled with grunts and shouts, followed by the clank of armor as ponies fell to the floor.

Flash hit the floor hard, feeling something snap in his leg as he landed. Unable to get up, he could only watch as the Banehammers reached their carriages and began climbing aboard. However, Inkwell had not moved her eyes away from the Guards, whose charge had been stymied by her previous attack. Her horn glowed black and smoke crawled out from the cracks running along its length as several more crackling orbs of black energy appeared in the air around her. It seemed that she wasn't even concerned with escaping, remaining wholly focused on obliterating her enemies. The barrage of bolts lanced forward. From his position, Flash could see one zipping straight at his face.

What a way to go, he thought glumly, I'm sorry, Hope...

The bolts burst as a shimmering wall of rose-colored magic interposed itself between them and their intended targets, the shield stretching to fill the entire entryway, blocking off all avenues of approach that Inkwell could use to attack.

"That's far enough," said Shining Armor, stepping out to the front to glare at the Banehammers.

The mercenaries were more interested in their withdrawal than trading barbs and continued to board the carriages. Inkwell continued to hurl bolts by the dozen at Shining's shield, blasting at it from every conceivable angle, as though she thought she could break through on her own.

Inkwell focused all of her attention on the Guard Captain, frustration boiling up inside her as her spells crashed uselessly against his shield. She barely even noticed when Greenblight called out her name. She did notice, however, when he barreled into her, knocking her over as a jet of dark-blue energy ripped through the air over their heads.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Ahead of them, on the road leading down into Canterlot, stood none other than Princess Luna. Her swirling, star-studded mane and tail billowed around her as she glared down at the mercenaries. Her eyes were a glowing turquoise, the pupils having elongated into vertical, draconic slits as the weight of her anger crashed down on the Banehammers.

"Crud," growled Greenblight, "I thought the Princesses were out."

"You have taken the lives of good ponies today," said Luna, "solely for the sake of satisfying your greed and lust for blood. But no more. You will disarm yourselves and I shall find out exactly who you are working for so that I may find that pony and slowly strip the skin from their bones."

We weren't told about this, thought Greenblight, his blood rising again. With a grunt, he struggled to force the rage down. This wasn't the time or place for him to go berserk. Luna would swat him like a fly. Beside him, he could already see Inkwell narrowing her eyes dangerously, smoke beginning to curl out of her horn once again. Don't do it, you fool!

Luna had noticed Inkwell's display of aggression and focused her baleful gaze on the dirty-white mare. Luna's own horn began to glow as she prepared a spell of her own.

We're sunk, thought Greenblight, sure that the flash of Luna's horn would be the last thing he ever saw.

A sound, like a large balloon bursting, filled the air and Luna was suddenly blown off her hooves and knocked over into a hedgerow off to the side of the causeway. Greenbliight blinked and looked over at his second-in-command, but she was just as startled as he was, if not more so.

It took him a second longer to remember what they needed to do. Whatever had happened, this was their chance. "Everypony get aboard!" he roared, "Let's get out of here!"

The pegasi pullers finished hitching themselves up to the harnesses as the rest of the earth ponies and unicorns clambered inside the carriages, a quartet of unicorns climbing up on the top of each one. Greenblight nodded to the pullers of the carriage holding the captured Elements, urging them into motion. The pegasi bent to their task and beat their wings as they ran, lifting the carriage up off the ground.

"Hold it!" shouted Shining Armor from down in the entryway. He dropped his shield, but was forced to bring it right back up as another ferocious barrage of bolts from Inkwell hammered in mercilessly. She climbed up on top of the second carriage, still firing away as the pegasi began pulling it up into the air as well.

Over in the hedges, Luna forced herself up, glaring up at the retreating carriages. "You won't es-!" She was interrupted by another burst of...something...that blew her even farther away.

Up above, the first of the carriages and the pegasi flying in formation around it shimmered in the air before vanishing from sight. A few seconds later, the second carriage vanished as well. The sky was empty once more, save for a few clouds dotting the area. Back at the Palace entryway, it almost looked like a normal day...save for the battered and broken Guardsponies and the still bodies of the fallen.

Shining glared up at the empty sky, his nostrils flaring angrily with each breath. Not only was his sister missing, but now the (presumably) same ponies that had taken her had stollen the most important artifacts in all of Equestria. From his perspective as the Captain of the Guard, this was a complete failure. Clenching his eyes shut, he lowered his head, his entire body shivering. Finally, Shining punched down with a hoof, nearly cracking it against the floor. "Dammit!"

The air seemed to shimmer around Greenblight and the carriage he was escorting. Though he could see out of the cloaking field, everything had a hazy, rippling look that made it hard to discern details. "What happened?" asked one of the pegasi flying next to him.

"We were bailed out," said Greenblight. His mind immediately went to Wight Shade, the only pony in the Palace he could think of that was on their side. Was it him?

"Either way, looks like we did it," said the other pegasus triumphantly.

"Shut up!" snapped Greenblight, glaring with his good eye at the other pegasus, who immediately quailed away in fear, "The job isn't over until we get back to the Baron's estate. Keep alert and do your part or I'll gut you like a fish."

"Y-yes sir..." stammered the cowed pegasus, quickly shying away and dropping back into formation.

Greenblight snorted and faced forward once again, keeping his eye roving about for any signs of trouble or ponies that might be following them. Cloaking spells weren't infallible after all. Still, there seemed to be no signs of pursuit.

However, as Greenblight and the other ponies turned their attention outward, they failed to notice that the carriage itself was carrying an extra passenger. Clinging tightly to its underside, hiding herself between the axles, a charcoal-gray pegasus smirked as she waited to find out where exactly the Banehammers were heading.

Princess Celestia looked out from her perch. The small town of Appleloosa spread out before her. From her position, she could make out the angled roof of the temple, which towered over every other building in the town, standing out all the more as it was angled awkwardly, choking off the road running in front of it slightly and making it seem crooked and unsightly from a distance. I am going to bring that place down and destroy whatever is beneath it, thought Celestia grimly. For too long she had stood back, afraid to act lest she take those final steps into outright tyranny, forcing her will completely over the ponies she ruled. But now, after so many had been hurt, after some had died as a consequence of the Cult Solar's actions, it was time to bring this to an end, once and for all. She would stamp out the Cult Solar with her own hooves, starting here.

The fact that Swift Stride had sent her information that the one behind the Cult Solar's recent actions was none other than her former student made matters even more urgent. Swift had no idea what the mysterious devices Morning Star had been building beneath the temples were for, but Celestia was afraid she knew exactly what Morning had been working on, which made it all the more urgent that she deal with the temples now.

She pursed her lips, wondering if she should have gone to the temple that Swift had recently escaped from, the one where Morning actually was. However, she could not afford to get into a battle with Morning Star at this juncture. According to Swift, Morning needed all the arrays to be functional in order to go ahead with his plan. If she could disable or destroy even one, then Morning's plan would be at an end. She could then hunt him down at her leisure afterwards. After all, Morning had assembled a workforce of hundreds working simultaneously across the country and it had still taken him a decade to build his devices. Even if he escaped for now, she would still have plenty of time to track him down later, especially since she had no intention of letting him live once she found him. I made a mistake, Morning Star. I wish you hadn't forced me to do this. But, when I find you, I will kill you. It is the only way to end this farce once and for all.

Celestia's attention was captured by a cloud of flame that drifted in front of her, which then congealed into a rolled up scroll. She caught it in her magic. She noticed that it had been sent from Shining and Luna via Spike, routing it through the dragon in Ponyville. Unrolling the scroll, Celestia read its contents and immediately felt the bottom drop out of her stomach.

"Your Majesty?" asked the Guard attending her.

"The Palace was attacked," said Celestia, barely able to even bring herself to say it out loud, "The Elements of Harmony have been stolen."

"What?" gasped the Guard, his wings flaring, "We need to return to Canterlot immediately! I'll start organizing-"

"Hold!" The sharp tone of Celestia's voice cut him off. A single look from her sent the Guard into silence as she turned her attention back to the letter, her mind running at lightning speed as she pondered the situation.

There was no way this could be a coincidence. The mysterious forces had attacked the Royal Palace just as she was about to unleash her wrath upon the Cult Solar's secret sanctuaries and uncover the devices Morning Star had spent the last decade working on creating. She didn't know how, but Morning Star must have arranged for this situation in an attempt to draw her and the Royal Guard back to Canterlot. It's a play for more time. Swift Stride had dealt a severe blow to Morning Star's plans, a severe delay at a critical time. If Morning had resorted to something as bold as an attack on the Royal Palace itself, then it must have been because he was desperate to finish his devices before she struck.

But what if I'm wrong? she wondered. It was clear that the theft of the Elements of Harmony and the foalnapping of Twilight Sparkle were linked. Had Morning really arranged for those events just for time, or because he wanted the things that could truly thwart his plans out of the way? After all, the Elements of Harmony were powerful tools for countering rifts in reality that Morning Star's plan threatened to unleash...at least, that was what Celestia assumed Morning's plan to be. It had been his desire since he had studied under her and he most likely hadn't given it up in the intervening years. Or...knowing her former student's generally pragmatic bent, it could be a play to fulfill both objectives at once. He both removed the only force that could close the rifts from Celestia's hold and delayed her action.

If that was the case, then going forward with the plan was the best course of action. Taking a deep breath, Celestia turned to the Guard standing next to her. "We're proceeding with the operation as planned. Order your ponies to move in now."

The Guard clearly looked unhappy with the orders, but saluted sharply nonetheless. He turned and began barking orders to his subordinates, who immediately moved into action. One way or another, I am bringing this to an end.

"We're surrounded!" cried out an earth pony as she dashed in from the surface entrance, "The Royal Guard is everywhere outside!"

"So it has come to that then," said Morning Star with a grim frown. He wasn't at all surprised. He'd known that the Royal Guard had been closing in the for the past few days. Even now, looking down at the unfinished state of the final component of the array, he knew he wouldn't be able to make it in time.

He couldn't help but pout at least a little. The one time I really make a gamble and am personally vested in its outcome, it fails to produce a good result. Evidently, the attack on the Royal Palace in Canterlot hadn't drawn Celestia back as he had hoped, though he'd always known that was an iffy possibility at best. Most likely, she was moving in on the other locations as well. He could protect this one on his own, but the other locations were vulnerable and, until the final piece of the array was completed, they were still susceptible to interference from the material plane. Celestia could dismantle any one of them and all his work for the past ten years would be undone...

The mare looked at Morning, fear evident on her face. She had no idea why the Royal Guard would be outside and closing in on their sanctuary. Even though she had tremendous faith in the Supreme Pontiff's abilities, the situation seemed hopeless. However, as she watched, Morning Star's body began to shake slightly until he threw back his head and laughed. It wasn't a mad laugh of a madpony, but more the quiet laugh that a pony lets out when they've heard a good joke and have finally grasped the punchline.

"My...I wasn't much for planning contingencies in my youth. I'm certainly glad I've learned from those experiences now." He sighed. "We have just a little bit more time. Continue working right up until the very end. Our success or failure depend on these last few minutes. This is the final test of our Order." He turned to regard the mare. "Do not concern yourself with what is going on outside. Join the others and dedicate everything to finishing our project."

"Yes Holy Father!" shouted the mare, at once jumping to obey his orders and rushing down the stairs to the worksite.

"Who knew?" said Morning wryly, "I found a use for those silly weapons after all."

"Forward!" ordered the Guard. Behind him, earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns marched sharply down the streets of Appleloosa with Celestia following behind them. It was practically a parade and, like most parades, attracted an audience of ponies who speculated in low voices as Celestia and her forces made their way to the temple. The grim looks on the Guards' faces, however, told the observing ponies that this parade was no ceremonial affair. The temple loomed in the distance.

They reached the temple and formed up in the street outside of it, making two rows so there was an aisle between them leading up too the door. Celestia strode up through that aisle and glared at the door. Lowering her horn, she called forth her magic, launching a bolt of blazing, golden light that slammed into the doors and shattered them, burning the remnants to cinders. The insides had changed since the time of Shining Armor's investigation. Rich tapestries had been hung on the walls, filling the large space inside with color. As Celestia strode through the door, a blustering green stallion strode out from behind one of the interior pillars.

"What in tarnation do you think yer doin' bustin' into a sacred..." His voice and bluster all melted away as he saw just who had blasted her way through the door.

Celestia's eyes narrowed as she glared at the stallion. "There is nothing sacred about this place, Blenheim of the Apple Family."

"Ya-ya-"

"Yes. I know who you are," said Celestia, "I know you, thanks to your niece and the now-deceased matriarch of your clan. You are a disgrace to your family name and an eyesore to me."

"What are ya talkin' about?" asked Blenheim, stunned by her words, "All this was fer you."

"It is not!" snapped Celestia, "I have had my fill of your cult's lies and the violence those lies perpetrate. I also know that they are merely a mask for a far greater treachery. You will open the way and show what lies beneath these stones or, so help me, I will blow the floor open and look for myself."

Trembling from the tip of his muzzle to his hooves, Blenheim immediately moved to the alter, sliding its top apart and rotating the two flat stones it was made of. After rotating them, he slid the stones back together and heaved against the alter, pushing it aside to reveal a concealed passageway directly underneath it.

Not giving the stallion another look, Celestia stepped down through the opening of the floor, following the staircase down. As she did, she stepped into an open, cavernous room. Dominating the center of the room was an almost indescribable device. It hung from the room's ceiling, which was the temple's floor, like a grotesque stalactite. It was composed of rods, gears, pistons, and blocks in a riot of shapes and sizes many of which did not look remotely like they belonged in this world. They met at angles that seemed impossible and actually hurt Celestia's eyes to look at for too long. The size and shape of the structure actually seemed to warp and shift as she watched it, even though none of the pieces were yet in motion. The sight of the thing made her sick to her stomach and she recognized Morning Star's work, even if the design was beyond her comprehension.

Shuddering with disgust, Celestia turned and strode back up to the stairs, where she could see her Guards shackling a quivering Blenheim. "Get clear of the building," she said, "I am going to make an example of this place."

The tone of her voice brooked no arguments and Celestia followed her Guards outside. Spreading her wings, she took to the air and came to hover above the building. Looking to the sun overhead, she began to call upon its power. The sky darkened as the light of the sun seemed to condense into a single point, high in the atmosphere.

"Now," said Celestia grimly, "It ends."

A pillar of pure radiance and fire descended upon the temple swallowing it up with a roar. Below her, she could see the shape of the building, thrown into stark relief by the intensity of her sun's light, before the entire thing seemed to crumble away into nothingness, consumed by the sunfire, which burned away even the ashes of the temple's foundations.

Finally, the light faded. In its place, the air rippled and danced from the waves of intense heat that ascended upwards. A perfect hole had been burned into the earth where the temple had once stood, smoke rising up from the crater. Even with the intensity of the heat that Celestia had directed downward, there wasn't a single burnt blade of grass adjacent to the hole. Breathing hard, Celestia began to descend. I haven't used a spell that powerful in decades, she thought. As she came in for a landing, she was reminded of why she usually refrained from using such a spell in the looks upon her Guards' faces and the faces of the rest of Appleloosa's ponies. She could understand their awe, even as she loathed it. From their perspective, she had summoned a pillar of light from the heavens and practically erased a large building from existence. It was a godlike act.

In the past, when she had been less reserved about performing such acts, it had been called "divine judgment." Was it any surprise then, that ponies who witnessed such a terrible display of power would turn to its source and regard it with awe, as something to be feared and appeased? Was it any surprise that, in spite of her protestations to the contrary, ponies had turned to her and seen her as a god and venerated her in worship?

Celestia hated that feeling. Not only did she not want to be seen as a god, for she wasn't one, she had seen what such beliefs could do to ponies. The Cult Solar was but one such manifestation of that particular symptom. She had seen the terrible things ponies would do in the name of their "god," from hunting down innocents from Dawn Lightwing to slandering her beloved sister and driving Luna past the brink of madness. Even this decisive act upon her part, even if it put the nails in the coffin of the Cult Solar, might simply usher in a worship of a different stripe that she would have to contend with further down the road.

Worst of all, it made ponies all too dependent on her. They turned to her to solve their problems instead of looking to themselves. Even when they didn't see her as a god, they still saw her as some ultimate authority, some perfect mother who would come down and make everything better if they simply depended on her hard enough. They refused to learn how to walk on their own and looked to her for everything, asking why she wasn't simply doing everything for them.

Still...her inactivity this time had cost those close to her dearly and Celestia realized that. She only hoped that this would balance the scales in some obscure way.

"Y-your Highness..." said the commander of the force, stepping forward tentatively. When Celestia looked at him, he stretched out a hoof, pointing to the gaping hole in the earth. "Look!"

Turning around, Celestia looked and her eyes widened at what she saw. The mysterious apparatus that had been hanging from the underside of the temple's floor was still there, now hovering in the air, the stone that it had been anchored to annihilated in the blast of her power. It survived! How! Then her ears picked up a faint buzzing noise, a low hum permeating the air.

More of the smoke and dust cleared and Celestia saw the source of the noise. Three dark-gray orbs hovered in the air around the device. Their surfaces were polished to such a degree that Celestia could see her face in their reflections, even at this distance. The orbs appeared to be vibrating in place and Celestia could barely make out a faint nimbus of energy that seemed to crackle between them.

Reaching out with her senses, Celestia explored the orbs and reeled back as though struck by a physical blow. To the pegasus in her, they were practically burning like suns. Each of those three orbs had been packed with enough lightning for several dozen large thunderstorms. "What in the world...?"

Deciding to test them further, Celestia pointed her horn at the device once again and fired a bolt of energy straight at it. As it approached, the orbs cracked and the bolt impacted against a blue-white shield and exploded in a flurry of sparks and electrical discharge. Devices that convert electrical power into pure magic and shape it into shield, thought Celestia, But where did this power come from?

Then it hit her. Last year, during the crisis in Cloudsdale, tribalist forces had been manufacturing weapons of mass destruction, cloud-based devices called artilleryheads. The powerful weapons had been designed to discharge intense bolts of lightning at targets below them, raining destruction down upon anything in their shadow. Spitfire and the Wonderbolts, with the help of a few notable ponies from Ponyville, had put a stop to the tribalist plot. However, they had only recovered half of the created artilleryheads. The other half had been moved out of Cloudsdale to a hidden location.

After Spitfire and her allies had broken the tribalists' grip and captured the ringleaders of the operation, one of her ponies had wrangled the location of the artilleryheads from the leader of the conspiracy. Unfortunately, said pony had been Fleetfoot, who'd later been revealed to be a member of the Cult Solar. In fact, it had been Fleetfoot who had been responsible for providing the information that led an assassin to Ponyville to attack Dawn. She had also passed on the information regarding the artilleryheads to the Cult. As a consequence, when Spitfire and the other Wonderbolts had arrived at the location the weapons were supposed to be housed at, they had vanished.

At the time, it had merely been speculation on Spitfire's part based on Fleetfoot's known association. However, under interrogation, Fleetfoot had confirmed those facts. The Cult Solar had taken charge of the twelve powerfully destructive artilleryheads and hidden them away somewhere else. The concern about what use the Cult might have for those weapons had occasionally kept Celestia awake at night. Only the knowledge that the Cult would have realized that there was little to nothing to gain from using the weapons, especially since they had probably figured that Celestia was aware that they had the artilleryheads, assuaged that fear.

However, it seemed that Morning Star had found a use for those weapons after all; not as weapons, but instead as shields. Celestia couldn't imagine any earthly material that could possibly hold the condensed destructive power of an active artilleryhead and concentrate it into such a small form. But, as was he was wont to do, Morning had created a tool for that task, a tool that also apparently converted that wealth of electrical power into magical energy in the form of a barrier. Combined with two other such orbs, it was a barrier even capable of resisting a direct strike from the sun.

But only one, thought Celestia, Not another, especially since I can sense their limits. She imagined that all of these devices must have been equipped with such protections. The regular unicorns of the Guard could probably hammer away at them for a week straight before finally draining the orbs' power. But Celestia would be able to end it on her end with a single strike. And all we need is to destroy one of them.

"Pull back," said Celestia, looking at the Guard commander.

The pegasus saluted sharply and began bellowing out orders. Celestia took to the sky once again. Her horn blazed and the sky began to dim once more, growing darker and darker with each passing second, until it resembled the night more than the day. "Morning Star...I will end this mad ambition of yours and then...I will end you as well," said Celestia. It was a duty she should have fulfilled from the start. She blamed her own sentimentality for this. Morning Star had been her student, much as Twilight had been, somepony Celestia had loved and doted upon like a son at times. When he had turned against her, that fondness for him had translated itself into mercy as she had spared his life, even as her vindictiveness at his betrayal had convinced her to turn to the punishment she considered the harshest she could give, conveniently forgetting that it wouldn't have caused Morning Star an inkling of regret. Instead, she had unintentionally helped him. However...I won't make that mistake again.

Once again, Celestia struck downwards with the sun's power. She struck with all her anger and determination. She struck with her desire to see Morning Star's aspirations shattered. She struck with every ounce of regret she felt for all the ponies who had suffered because of her mistake. The pillar of pure light and fire descended upon Appleloosa once more.

"This time...it's over," said Celestia as the device and the orbs protecting it were swallowed up by light.

Author's Notes:

As an additional apology for the delay, I've decided to give you folks a second chapter right away. I know this doesn't really make up for how long it took to start getting these up, but I hope it's a start.

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This chapter, among other things, addresses some of my frustrations with certain comments on this fic, frustrations I think that the writers of the actual show have to contend with when the same question is posed episode after episode. It's an issue that spawns a dozen accusation fics every time such a conflict comes up. If Princess Celestia is so powerful, why doesn't she just come down and solve everything herself.

Granted, a lot of the conflicts in this story stem from Celestia's inaction and even incompetence in certain respects. But, on the other hand, it's easy to see where her desire to hold back comes from, namely she at least desires to be a good ruler and a good leader, one who doesn't just solve every problem herself. After all, society doesn't move forward if ponies are forever hanging around and waiting for Mommy to come down and solve all their problems for them, so she holds back, she keeps herself in check and she tried to set things up so that ponies have the means to solve some of their problems for themselves and wean them off absolute dependence on her.

She doesn't just give Twilight the answers to all her questions and problems, but sets up the situation and provides her with the means to find those answers for herself. In Episode 1, she doesn't say "You're absolutely right, Twilight. We need the Elements of Harmony to stop Nightmare Moon. You need to get five friends and go activate them." She understood that Twilight doesn't really understand friendship and that her efforts to 'make friends' would probably backfire under those circumstances. Instead, she sets up a situation where such friendships can hopefully form organically and become real enough to work for the Elements.

Which isn't to say that Celestia's exercise of her self-restraint is always the best choice. She has errors in judgment, sometimes glaring ones. She can be subject to to fears and foibles as any other pony, which only end up being exacerbated by her ability to take the long view. In my interpretation, one of her greatest fears is exercising her authority too much and eventually working herself into a tyrant, maybe even making herself into the very kind of being that the Cult Solar believed her to be, all in an effort to combat them. Obviously, she'd let her fear of that control her for longer than was ideal and things have happened that can't be undone.

Understandably, that doesn't fully justify her inaction, but I at least hope that it affords some of the reasoning behind it.

Awakening

Chapter 7: Awakening

Morning Star stood at the the railing, looking down at his creation. At the door behind him, he could hear the Guards hammering away, demanding access and surrender. He could sense the force of Celestia's final blow as it overpowered the condenser orbs he had forged to hold the concentrated power of the artilleryheads, feel the orbs crack and crumble beneath her might. She must have been striking with the sun itself, he mused, She doesn't like to do that very often.

However, right now, Morning's ears were focused upon the clicking and grinding noises issued from below. His eyes were concerned with watching the array as it went into motion, gears turning, levers pushing and pulling, pistons pounding, the entire structure shifting and morphing as its formation changed with each passing second, seeming to enfold upon itself before unfolding into a different configuration, twisting and changing in ways that seemed to almost warp the space around it.

A mare's cry of pain echoed out from below. One of the workers had been a bit too slow in getting off her scaffold and had been sent plummeting as the mechanism's motions toppled it. A few others had fallen, but none so hard. She'd probably broken a leg or something else. It didn't matter to Morning either way. For he had won.

Celestia could feel the device's protective shield give way beneath her onslaught. However, she could also sense the fact that she had failed. She felt it. In fact, she was sure that there wasn't a pony in Equestria who didn't feel it, even if they weren't aware of it. It felt like a faint shiver of...offness was the only word she could think of the describe it...had settled over her, infolding her body and wrapping around it like a sheet of plastic wrap. Then, as quickly as it had come, it had gone. Celestia couldn't sense the feeling anymore, but it was enough to know she had been too slow.

Below her, as the smoke cleared for a second time from the even deeper crater, she could see the device, completely unscathed by her attack, clicking and shuddering as it ran its course. Just looking at it made her body shiver. It looked so wrong, so completely beyond the laws of the world that she knew. The device hung, suspended in the air, completely unsupported, yet she could tell that no force on earth would budge it from its current position.

Sagging in defeat, Celestia descended towards the ground, her heart heavy as she pondered what to do from here. Morning Star's array was up and running. He had succeeded, met his goals and...

Celestia froze as a realization struck her. She knew what the array must have been designed to do, it had been Morning's ultimate ambition after all. However...Where is the rift? The last time she'd dealt with a rift in the fabric of reality, she had felt the sensation of wrongness so strongly that she knew she could be halfway across the world and still sense it. And yet, that sensation was nowhere to be found. That strange, off sensation she'd felt when the device had first activated had lasted less than a second. There was no sign of that sensation now.

That left three possibilities for what had happened. The first was that Morning's plan had simply failed. His machines had activated, but failed to produce the expected rift. That seemed unlikely to Celestia, as Morning Star had always been thorough and meticulous in planning out his designs. Even if it hadn't gone the way he'd wanted, there still have been some substantial effect.

The second possibility was that Morning had completely succeeded. His array had been able to produce a stable portal, opened through the fabric of reality itself. If a portal was contained, then the energies it released might be contained as well. Celestia wasn't certain that she could sense a rift if it was both stable and contained. If that was the case, then it would be likely that Morning Star might not be a problem for much longer as he would almost certainly try to use the portal as soon as possible. What was on the other side of such an opening, whether a pony could survive there, much less return from it, were completely unknown. Even Morning himself had only the purest of pure speculation as to whether or not what he sought was there or if it was how he imagined it. Celestia supposed it was a possibility. If it was the case, she'd probably be able to find out soon enough.

The third possibility, the one that Celestia found to be the most likely, was that Morning's work was not yet completed. Yes, his array and its five component devices were up and running. But she imagined that it was merely a preliminary step. That sensation that had emerged at the moment of activation struck Celestia as the laying of some kind of groundwork, something that Morning would build upon to then produce the effect that he sought.

So he has five foci set up around Equestria. She tried to think of what Morning's next step would be once he completed those foci. Five foci...Wait! Five!

Celestia turned to the commander of the Guard detachment that had accompanied her out. "Bring me a map, immediately!"

The ponies of the Royal Guard scrambled to obey her. Seeing her unleash the full power of the sun not once, but twice, had left them in no mind to balk at her commands. A map was quickly produced and laid out on the dirt at her hooves. Celestia stared down at it, her horn lighting and her magic washing over the map. A few seconds later, the image on paper was replaced by a view of the real Equestria, as though they were miles above it and looking down.

A mark appeared over the location of Appleloosa. Celestia created a similar mark at each of the other temple locations. Once that was done, she connected them all together in a circle. I was right, she thought. The locations of the temples formed a perfect circle between them. She remembered a similar design once. Starswirl the Bearded had once proposed using the Elements of Harmony as components of a powerful array that would cover Equestria's borders in a sheath of protective energy that would see off all who would do the nation harm. Starswirl's plan had fallen through, due to the issues of cost and the fact that the Elements were not designed to function in such a manner. But Morning Star had apparently latched onto the concept of a nation-wide array for his own project.

Equestria's borders had changed somewhat in the years since Starswirl's time. However, the circle of Morning's array still had the same center. Canterlot! There must be some final step in his preparations and it will be taking place there.

"I am heading back to Canterlot," said Celestia, rolling up the map and turning to her Guards, "Take every member of the Cult Solar into custody and bring them back for trial."

The Guard, still looking very unnerved and shaken, saluted and turned to begin relaying her orders. Celestia spread her wings and took to the sky, completely unaccompanied as she began making her way back to the capital and the problems awaiting her there. If there is time until Morning fully activates the array and attempts to open a way beyond the world, then recovering the Elements of Harmony and Twilight are our highest priorities.

The temple doors were practically blasted of their hinges as a pair of unicorns in gold armor burst through, followed by several pegasi and earth ponies. "By order of Princess Celestia, everypony here is under arrest!" declared the lead unicorn. Pegasi were already descending like stooping griffons on the workers at the bottom of the chamber, many of whom were staring up in confusion.

A few of the ponies who were quickly restrained protested their innocence and declared their oppressors to be agents of Nightmare Moon. However, more of them were staring blankly at the empty balcony not far from where the Guards had entered. Only seconds before, the balcony had not been empty, but instead occupied by their leader, the Supreme Pontiff of the Cult Solar...who had just crumbled to dust before their very eyes.

"Hurk!" Spike's stomach swelled explosively and he launched out another burst of flame that transformed into a scroll. "Let's see..." he said, his eyes quickly scanning the contents, "This one is from the task force outside of Fillydelphia for Shining in Can-mmph!" His cheeks bulged again and Spike had to quickly hold the scroll aside to spit out another fireball-turned-letter that fell to the table. He received three other ones in rapid succession before he finally had enough of a lull to start sending them out again.

"Are ya sure yer gonna be okay, sugarcube?" asked Apple Bloom, standing slightly behind Spike.

Not daring to turn all the way around, lest he be on the receiving end of another incendiary missive while she was in front of him, Spike, gave her a weak grin. "I'll be fine." The faint rasp in his voice suggested otherwise, but Spike wasn't about to be dissuaded. Serving as the nexus for the Royal Guard task forces' communications was a big responsibility. Thanks to Spike, even though Celestia's various task forces were scattered across the entire country, they were never more than a few minutes away from communicating with each other, so long as Spike didn't send a letter the wrong way. Fortunately, Celestia had gone though the effort of acquainting Spike with all the task force commanders so that he would know who to send what letters to.

"This is all well and good," said Rarity, fidgeting on the other side of the table, out of range of Spike's flames, "But I am a bitt worried that we should be more concerned with Twilight's situation right now. She could be anywhere."

"Shining said he was on it," said Spike, "We wouldn't know where in Canterlot to look. Just about any of those jerks could have been the ones to take Twilight."

"But why would they take the Elements too?" asked Fluttershy nervously.

On that note, Spike shrugged. "I've got no clue," he admitted, "I guess they figure the Elements are powerful artifacts or something like that."

"It makes sense," said Applejack, "Twilight was tellin' me how most 'o them nobles think the whole thing about the Elements 'o Harmony bein' all 'bout harmony is a load 'o hogwash. She said they all think the Elements are some powerful magic doohickeys and nothin' more."

"Powerful 'doohickeys' that can banish an alicorn to the moon for a thousand years, restore her sanity when she comes back, and seal a chaos god in stone," commented Rarity dubiously, "I suppose that would be power enough to make them attractive to the members of the Noble Court, regardless of how much stock they put in the particulars of what the Elements are supposed to stand for."

The library doors opened and Sweetie Belle came in alongside Dawn. "We're here," declared Sweetie, stepping up to the table, "Did we miss anything?"

Bloom leaned over and clamped her teeth around Sweetie's tail, tugging her back away from the table...right as Spike belched out another letter. "Ah wouldn't go sittin' next to 'im," she said as Sweetie took a couple more nervous steps back.

"Are you going to be all right?" asked Dawn, looking carefully at Spike.

"I'll be fine," said Spike, his voice having grown slightly more hoarse in spite of his assurances, "But I'll be glad when this thing is over."

"Yeah," said Sweetie, looking around, "Where's Rumble?"

"Rumble?" asked Bloom, turning to stare at her friend and fellow Crusader, "Wasn't he with you?"

Sweetie blinked and stared at Bloom. "No. He told me he was going to check on how things were going out here."

Bloom frowned, looking around in confusion. Though the night following Twilight's foalnapping was fraught with worry, the adults had wanted to send the foals right back to school the next day. Dawn, Rumble, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had agreed readily enough. However, Bloom had decided to stay behind and act as moral support for Spike, which was about all she could do for him, save for rub his back and massage his wings occasionally as he spit out letter after letter and sent each one back off again.

"I had the same question about Scootaloo," said Dawn, also looking around.

"Wait...what are y'all talkin' 'bout?" demanded Bloom, "Ah thought they went to school with ya."

"They did," said Dawn, "But Scootaloo and Rumble both said that they wanted to go see if there was anything they could do to help out at the library. We agreed to go to school and take notes for them. But..."

"Wait a second," said Sweetie, "Where's Arkenstone?"

Rarity waved a hoof from the other side of the table. "I'm sorry to say that the poor dear heard that Shining might have acquired a lead and left to take the train to Canterlot."

In spite of his earlier words urging patience, Arkenstone had ultimately decided that he couldn't sit idle and wait to see if Shining's investigation panned out. He'd discouraged the rest of Twilight's friends from following him, explaining that it was best for him to work alone, in case his more...violent skills were required.

Dawn nodded. "I remembered hearing him talk about that when we left..." He froze. "Wait...you don't think..."

Rarity's hoof dropped to the table and, almost impossibly, her pristine white coat got a shade paler. "No...You couldn't be suggesting..."

"Um...suggesting what?" asked Fluttershy, looking around as the look horrified comprehension began to spread from pony to pony in the room. A few seconds later, she caught on as well. "Oh dear..."

Arkenstone rubbed his forehead, frowning pensively. "I know I was saying that I wasn't in the best of shape. However that was not an open invitation or request for assistance." He regarded the two ponies seated on the other side of the train compartment sullenly.

Scootaloo glared back at him, stubbornness etched into her very posture. "Just because you don't say you need help doesn't mean you don't need it," she replied, folding her arms.

"Um..." Rumble looked nervously back and forth between Scootaloo and Arkenstone.

"Look!" snapped Scootaloo, "We're not here because we think this is going to be fun or so that Rumble can get his cutie mark. We're here because we know you're in pretty bad shape. Whatever you might say, you could use help and, right now, we're the only ponies who can give it."

Rumble leaned over and gently elbowed Scootaloo in the ribs. "What about those griffons?"

"They're Fluttershy's bodyguards," said Scootaloo with a roll of her eyes, "They're not going anywhere she's not."

"Okay..." said Rumble, turning back to face Arkenstone, who didn't look any happier, despite Scootaloo's assurances.

"Really...after that fight you had with Dawn, I thought you'd know better than this," scolded Arkenstone.

Scootaloo blushed fiercely and redoubled her glare. "This isn't the same thing. I wanted to come because Twilight needs help. You're pretty strong, but you're hurt. You need somepony to watch your back."

"And you...?" Arkenstone's ears swiveled towards Rumble.

"Um...I agree with her," said Rumble, his tone a little half-hearted, "I mean...I'm a little bit more unsure about this. But I do think you need some kind of help and we're the only ponies in a position to do something." He sighed and sagged. "Storm Front sure isn't...or ever will be again."

For a long moment, Arkenstone was silent as he regarded the two foals across the compartment from him. Then, without saying a word, he got up, opened the door, and left, sliding it shut behind him. Scootaloo and Rumble stared at the door for a moment before looking around the compartment, trying their hardest not to meet each other's gazes, stewing in the awkward silence left in the vacuum of Arkenstone's presence.

"So..." said Rumble, finally, "It's been a while since we were alone together."

"Yeah," said Scootaloo, a little flatly.

"Um...how are things going with Dawn?"

Scootaloo fidgeted and looked down. "They're going all right. He's been feeling a bit better lately. Being without his magic is still pretty hard on him though."

"I guess," said Rumble.

"What about you? How are you and Sweetie Belle doing?"

"Um...We're fine. Sweetie decided to apply to the Academy of Arts and Sciences. I hear that's going pretty well." Rumble idly began to inspect the cord that was wrapped around his right foreleg. This wasn't his usual practice weapon, a length of knotted cord. This was Storm Front's actual meteor hammer, with the heavy steel weight on the end that was capable of caving in a pony's skull if swung hard enough. It was a powerful, deadly weapon, in spite of the simplicity of its design. Looking at it made a sense of trepidation well up in his stomach. Rumble wasn't sure that he should have brought this weapon. Storm probably wouldn't be happy when he returned. However, whatever they ended up against, Rumble was fairly sure that a simple knotted rope wouldn't cut it.

Scootaloo had turned to inspecting her feathers, making sure everything was in order. Preening was awkward with only one pony. She wished Dawn were here, he could usually make the process more enjoyable. Still, she had decided to come and that was that. She just hoped that Arkenstone would be back to the room with an affirmative and not some of the train's staff to make sure that they got sent back to Ponyville.

A few minutes later, Arkenstone came back in. Scootaloo and Rumble looked up, relieved to see that he was still alone. However, they both tensed when they saw what Arkenstone was carrying. The stallion turned to his seat and spat out a pair of coiled ropes onto the seat. "The conductor was kind enough to loan me these," he said, turning to face the foals.

"Um...what for?" asked Scootaloo.

"Leverage," answered Arkenstone, "You may come along. However, there are certain conditions you must abide by. I'm afraid there is no room for negotiation or hair-splitting. If you will not agree to my terms as they stand, in both the letter and spirit, then I will be using these ropes to securely restrain you so that you may be sent back on the next train to Ponyville."

"You're really gonna tie us up if we don't agree with you?" protested Scootaloo, flaring her wings.

She immediately regretted her tone and behavior when Arkenstone's eyes opened ever so slightly. The vibrations and sounds of the train seemed to fade into the distance, replaced by a low rumble that issued forth from Arkenstone himself. Even the lights of the compartment seemed to dim as those sightless slits of featureless white fixated on Scootaloo and pinned her in place.

"Yes," said Arkenstone, "That is exactly what I intend to do. I want you to look at me and ask yourself if there is anything that you could do anything to stop me."

Scootaloo swallowed and shrank back against her seat. Rumble had already scooted all the way over to the corner of the compartment and was shivering as he watched Arkenstone with wide eyes.

"Okay," said Scootaloo, as the power of Arkenstone's presence faded slightly, "We'll do it your way."

"Good," said Arkenstone, "That means you will do what I say when we get to Canterlot. If I tell you to do something, there will be no questions or protestations. You will do it. Failure to follow my instructions could mean no less than your lives, given what we are up against. Do you agree to these terms?"

Scootaloo swallowed, looking Arkenstone. She could tell by the set of his face that there would be no acceptance for any attempts to find loopholes in his orders or going behind his back. If she or Rumble tried anything like that, Arkenstone would have them trussed up and hauled back to Ponyville before they could blink. Finally, she took a deep breath. "Fine."

"And you?" asked Arkenstone, his ears turning towards Rumble.

"Yeah, I'll agree to that," said Rumble, feeling slightly relieved that was all Arkenstone was asking of them. He wasn't as sure as Scootaloo about this. After all, she'd been in real fights before, but he hadn't. The closest he had been to an actual fight was swinging his practice weapon at a stationary target.

"Very well then," said Arkenstone, letting out a resigned sigh, "What on earth am I thinking? Your families will have my head when we get back."

"Hey, if we come back with Twilight then everything'll be fine," said Scootaloo, her tone much more cheery now that she knew Arkenstone wasn't simply going to send them back.

"I pray I don't end up regretting this," muttered Arkenstone.

"Ugh..." Twilight Sparkle groaned and rolled over slightly. As she did, she felt something tug at her foreleg. That feeling alerted Twilight to something else...that she was feeling things. Her mind registered the feeling, along with the fact that it was able to register anything at all. She was finally beginning to wake up. How long have I been out and where am I? The last thing she remembered was Coco Pommel's apologetic expression as she fell to the floor and blackness claimed her.

She wasn't on the floor now, that much was for certain. She was in a bed...a very comfortable bed at that. Her body was practically sinking into the mattress, giving her the faint feeling that she was floating. It was easily as comfortable as the guest rooms in the Royal Palace. That feeling was reinforced by the sensation of high quality fabric sheets against her and the soft, airy pillow that supported her head...which felt strangely heavy.

Slowly peeling back her eyelids, Twilight blinked, looking up some sort of canopy over her head. Slowly rotating her head around gave her a view of the walls of fabric on all sides. The bed was large, queen-size at least. Attached to her right foreleg was an I.V. leading out through the fabric wall.

With a low groan, Twilight shifted to sit up a little and try to get her bearings. As she did, she reached out with her magic to draw back the canopy around her bed...or rather, she tried to reach out with her magic. However, it refused to leave her horn. Twilight had the sensation of her magic being sucked away into something and her horn grew slightly heavier. Her eyes widening, Twilight rolled them up to try and get a view of her horn. She saw something black around it.

Reaching up, Twilight felt the foreign object with her hooves to confirm that it was indeed an inhibitor ring, fitted snugly around her horn. With a huff, Twilight lowered her hooves, knowing there was nothing she could do to dislodge it. Inhibitor rings were designed so that they could only be removed by another pony, not by the pony the ring had been placed on. It would have been pretty useless as a restraint otherwise.

A rippling aura of brown washed across the curtains around Twilight's bed and drew them back, revealing the features of her prison. It was certainly pleasant, as such places went. The room was opulent, outfitted with all manner of decorations and embellishments. On one side, Twilight could see an elaborate chest of drawers with a large mirror hanging above it, adjacent to a walk-in closet. On another wall, she could see the entrance to a bathroom that was probably every bit as luxurious as the bedroom. Another wall was occupied by a massive, curtained window that would probably open up to a magnificent view once the curtains were pulled back. Set in front of the window was a fair-sized table with a couple of seats, arranged so that the ponies sitting there would be able to gaze out the window while they ate or did whatever else ponies did at a table in rooms like this one. The door leading out of the room was on the opposite side of the chest from the closet.

Twilight's mood soured when she saw who else was in the room and she realized exactly where she had been taken.

"Good evening, Dame Sparkle," said Baron Elderflower, looking at her with a polite smile, as though he had simply invited her over for tea and not orchestrated foalnapping her from Ponyville, "I'm glad to see that you are finally up."

There was another unicorn sitting next to him, apparently checking something over in a notebook. His horn flared and the I.V. pulled itself smoothly out of Twilight's arm. The unicorn then took the whole stand in his magic and began carrying it out of the room.

"You've been out since yesterday afternoon," said Elderflower, "My physician said it wouldn't be long enough to cause any real problems, but I'm glad we took precautions in any case. You are far too important to risk harming."

"How considerate of you," Twilight deadpanned. Her throat was feeling sandpaper dry, but she would be damned if she let that slow her down.

The Baron didn't rise to her barb. Instead, he levitated a glass of water to Twilight's lips, tipping it so that she could sip out of it. In spite of her desire to spit that water at his smug face, Twilight decided to gulp it down for now. She needed to recover first. Wiping that smug smile off of Elderflower's face could come later.

"There we go," said the Baron as she drained the glass. He levitated it back to the tray set up on the end table. "I apologize about using an inhibitor ring on you. However, I believe that you would likely do something rash and ill-advised if it wasn't there. I hope you'll understand that I feel the need to leave it on for a little while yet."

"Of course," said Twilight, glowering at him, "And here I thought that you were at least somewhat sensible compared to your peers. As far as the nobles are concerned, you're the last pony I thought would pull this stunt."

"Yes...well...circumstances have changed a little," admitted Elderflower, "I'll admit that this was not my first choice when it came to dealing with you."

"I'm guessing I forced your hoof somehow," muttered Twilight.

"Not exactly," said Elderflower, his smile widening slightly, "In fact, things were going quite swimmingly for me. However...a certain opportunity came up. I realized that, however shaky this particular plan was, this was the best chance I'd have to pull it off. So I took my chance and it paid off quite handsomely."

"And what plan is that?" asked Twilight, her eyes narrowing.

"To put it simply, since Princess Celestia does not seem to be of mind to restore things to their proper order, my allies and I have decided to take more drastic measures to save Equestria from its descent into chaos." Elderflower chuckled. "Honestly, I had been hoping to obtain your cooperation in order to help convince Princess Celestia that this was the wisest course of action. However, as I said, a certain opportunity came up and I decided to take a bit more...overt measures."

"Overt...?" Twilight snorted. "I guess foalnapping me is certainly overt. But that's not going to convince the Princesses to give the reins of government back to the Noble Court."

"Of course not," agreed Elderflower, "Which is why we took this opportunity to secure some additional leverage."

"Additional leverage?" Twilight raised an eyebrow as she went over what she knew of the situation. Elderflower must have learned of both Fancy Pants' fundraiser and the fact that ponies were insisting that she attend it, if he hadn't been one of the ponies pressuring Fancy Pants to invite her. He'd already had some measure of control over Coco and had arranged to have her placed under Rarity in Ponyville. Clearly he'd anticipated that Twilight would need a dress for the function and that she would need to have it fitted. Realizing that he'd had a chance, he'd used Coco to sedate her and arranged for her abduction and transport to Canterlot. That much was obvious. However, as to what the extra leverage Elderflower was talking about...

What could he be talking about? Twilight wondered. Her mind ran through with what she knew about the situation in Canterlot. Princess Celestia is probably still out, leading the attack against the Cult Solar. She's taken the majority of the Royal Guard with her, leaving Canterlot pretty much unguarded if Elderflower and his cronies try anything. I suppose he could be talking about a coup of some kind, but Princess Luna is still here and she'd put a stop to anything like that. So what else is there...?

"Of course, I'm all too happy to explain the situation to you," said Elderflower, "After all, I'm going to need your cooperation when all is said and done and you can scarcely cooperate with me if you are uninformed about your role in these affairs. However, that is going to have to come later. I am not so foolish as to believe that you will simply change your mind overnight and you most certainly won't be particularly well-disposed towards me after these recent events."

"Fine," said Twilight, snorting, I can work out getting away from this creep later. I need to figure out what he's up to first. But... "There is one thing I do want an answer to now."

"And that is...?"

"Where is Coco Pommel? Is she all right?"

Elderflower blinked in surprise, staring wide-eyed at Twilight for a moment. "I'm rather shocked. Your last memory of that mare should be of how she drugged you so that you could be brought to me. Why would you care for the well being of a pony who betrayed you?"

It figures that this would be one of those things he doesn't get, Twilight thought to herself. After all, Elderflower had reacted to her explanations for why she was courting Arkenstone (an earth pony, an almost heretical move for a unicorn amongst the nobility, even a knight like Twilight) much like a foal wrestling with concepts that he simply didn't have the proper frame of mind to understand. "I'm fairly sure she wasn't working for you willingly," said Twilight, very sure of that statement. She had seen Coco's enthusiasm for her work and the young mare's utter adoration of Rarity to know that those feelings weren't being faked.

"Still, treachery is treachery," said Elderflower, "You shouldn't concern yourself with a mare who has betrayed your trust."

"Look, I get that you don't understand it, but I still want you to answer the question," said Twilight, glaring hard at the stallion now, "Where is Coco?"

Seeing she wasn't going to be abandoning her inquiry anytime soon, Elderflower let out a resigned sigh. "Fine. She is here on this estate right now. She was brought to Canterlot along with you, of course. I was going to dispose of her..." He continued, ignoring the look of utter revulsion Twilight was directing at him. "...but she did have some usefulness left, so I opted to bring her into my staff for the time being. If it will reassure you, I will have her assigned to you, so that you may see for yourself."

"That's fine," said Twilight. Now that she knew Coco was here too, she realized that her plans for escape had just gotten a bit more complicated. After all, it wouldn't do to break out and leave Coco in Elderflower's hooves.

"Good," said Elderflower, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm a busy stallion right now. I have some other meetings I need to attend. There's much to be done. We shall talk later."

"I'm looking forward to it," growled Twilight as Elderflower took his leave.

Once he was gone, Twilight turned her attention back to her own body. Her limbs still felt slightly heavy, but were responsive enough that she dared to get out of bed and see if she could stand on her own. She could. Standing up, Twilight began inspecting her surroundings in more detail. The door out of the room was locked, of course. She began to inspect the rest of the room, starting with the closet.

The closet held several gowns in a variety of styles. All of them appeared to be recent acquisitions, though Twilight wondered if they would actually fit her. Then again, given the Baron's resources, he could easily arrange for fittings at any time. They were all formal pieces, primarily the sort ponies wore to balls and other important social functions. He probably expects me to accompany him to some of those events, speculated Twilight. She began rooting through the drawers of the chest, a bit of a tedious process without her magic to aid her.

The upper drawers held several small pieces of jewelry. They were of fine make, but nothing overly expensive or audacious. It was clear that more than a few of them had been purchased to act as accents to the dresses in the closet. The drawers below it were empty, which was something of a relief to Twilight. After all, if she'd found saddles or socks in them, she would have started wondering if Elderflower shared Rarity's taste in romance novels.

Looking up from the chest, Twilight found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror. Ugh! I certainly look like I've been in bed for more than a day now. With a grimace, Twilight turned and made her way into the bathroom to clean herself up.

After taking a brief bath and helping herself to the ample supply of shampoos and conditioners Elderflower had left for her, Twilight was feeling much better as she made her way out of the bathroom, still taking everything in. Going over to the curtained window, Twilight pulled the curtains back and found herself looking out over an immaculate estate, neatly trimmed lawns and colorful beds of flowers that abutted against a low wall. Beyond that wall, she could see the homes and estates of other Canterlot nobles, rising up as the city ran along the mountain. Beyond them, she could see the towers of the Royal Palace. There was something truly distressing about the situation. The Palace was where Celestia (usually) and Luna were, along with her brother and her sister-in-law. It represented safety and security. Looking out the window of her gilded cage and seeing that image so close and yet, currently, beyond her reach made the bottom drop out of her stomach.

If I really was helpless, looking at that would have probably had me in tears, thought Twilight. She realized that this had probably been the reason Elderflower had put her in this room. It was a subtle form of psychological torment, a wordless statement that he could keep her under the very noses of the ponies who cared about her without any concern. She smirked to herself. It's a good thing I'm not near as helpless as the Baron thinks I am.

He certainly thought he had the upper hoof. That confidence spoke through the things he had provided her. There were dresses in the closet, yards and yards of fabric that could have been tied together to form a rope that Twilight could use to escape through the window of this, presumably, second or third story room. The jewelry in the chest could be bent to make lock picks or any number of other tools to suit Twilight's needs...assuming she had her magic. The inhibitor ring on her horn changed all of that, cutting off those options and leaving Twilight as helpless as she would be if the room were completely bare...or rather, the Baron assumed that the ring rendered Twilight harmless.

But that would come later. First things first, she had to see Coco and work out how to help her too. Secondly, she had to be very careful about how she played her cards. Though the Baron's demeanor and actions practically oozed overconfidence, it wouldn't do to underestimate him. The mirrors over the dresser or in the bathroom could be pieces of one-way glass over concealed rooms. Twilight had heard stories about such additions to noble manors, where the home's owner could discreetly spy on her guests for potential blackmail material and the like. She wondered if the Baron or one of his agents might be watching her now, the thought sending a shiver down her spine. Twilight decided that biding her time would be a good idea for now. Even if that wasn't the case, there might still be listening spells planted around the room.

Twilight's planning was interrupted by a loud gurgle from her stomach as it forcefully reminded her that she had not eaten for more than a day. She knew that, whatever Elderflower's plan was, it couldn't hinge on her starving to death. She just hoped that he had the sense to know that she would be hungry after waking up.

As the minutes ticked slowly by, Twilight was starting to fear that he really was that stupid. Furthermore, as more time passed, Twilight found herself battling an even more insidious opponent...boredom. Ugh! Come on! He could have at least left some books for me to read. This is ridiculous.

Finally, there was a knock at the door...Well...Calling it a knock was rather generous. It was more of a light tapping, making Twilight wonder if Fluttershy was working for the Baron now. She was the only pony Twilight could remember having such a timid-sounding knock.

"Um...come in," said Twilight, feeling a bit uncertain as there was a sound of a key turning in the lock. The door opened and a surge of relief went through Twilight as she recognized the pony coming through.

Coco Pommel cringed away as her eyes met Twillight's. Behind her, on either side of the doorway, Twilight could see a pair of the Baron's guards maintaining a vigil in case Twilight tried to make a break for it while the door was open. However, neither of them mattered at the moment. Instead, Twilight used a hoof to gently beckon Coco towards her. The skittish mare did as she was instructed, carefully kicking the door closed behind her. As she did, Twilight could see the reason for the delay, a covered tray resting atop Coco's haunches. It didn't even wobble as Coco's back leg kicked out. Moving towards the table, Coco carried it with the ease of long practice, clearly used to this kind of work.

Even though her stomach was demanding that she get to whatever was on that tray, Twilight held it in check as she carefully looked Coco over for any signs of harm. To her relief, there was no evidence that Coco was hurt in any way. Twilight found herself glad that Rarity wasn't here. The fashionista would have probably broken all the windows in the mansion with her squeal if she could see how cute Coco looked in a maid's outfit.

Coco moved over to the table and gently bumped against it, sliding the tray off her haunches with easy grace. Turning around, she opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off as Twilight swept her up in a tight hug.

"M-M-Ms. T-T-T-Twilight?" stammered Coco as she shook in Twilight's embrace.

"I just wanted you to know, I'm glad you're all right," said Twilight in a soft voice, almost a whisper, "I don't think Rarity would be happy if anything happened to you."

"M-M-Ms. Twilight," whimpered Coco, clearly troubled, "I...I..."

"Shh," said Twilight, tightening her hold on Coco slightly, "I forgive you. I know somepony like you wouldn’t do something like this willingly."

That was all that it took. Coco threw her arms up and around Twilight and began sobbing into her shoulder. Twilight held her and gently rocked back and forth, trying to provide as much comfort as she could. Her stomach was still rather upset that she wasn't putting anything in it at the moment, but Twilight told the troublesome organ to hush. There were more important things to take care of. Food could come later. However, in a back corner of her mind, a tiny glimmer of resentment flared up into an absolute blaze of hatred as she silently vowed that she would make Elderflower pay for what he had put poor Coco through.

"I am glad to see that the operation has been successfully completed," said Elderflower, smiling as he looked over his desk at the ponies assembled before him.

Greenblight stood at the front, a cocky grin on his face after finishing giving his report to the Baron. Behind him and slightly to the right stood Inkwell, who looked on disinterestedly, her posture seeming to suggest a puppet with its strings cut more than a living pony. Behind and to the left of Greenblight stood Perlin, who looked on with an uncharacteristically neutral expression.

"I promised that we could do it, My Lord," said Greenblight triumphantly, "Frankly, those Guards were a disappointment. They scattered like leaves."

"That's only to be expected," Perlin pointed out, "With the bulk of them away on this little excursion Princess Celestia organized, the few that remained were bound to be worn out from extended shifts. You caught them at a time when they probably least expected trouble. Everypony anticipates bandits raiding in the dark of the night, but to launch such a bold attack in broad daylight is practically unheard of."

"Very true," agreed Elderflower, now turning his attention to Perlin, "As for you, I am pleased that you performed to my expectations. You apparently did an excellent job of keeping Shining Armor occupied."

"Bah!" spat Greenblight, only just barely avoiding actually spitting (it wouldn't be fitting in the presence of his employer after all), "He tripped at the finish line if you ask me. Shining Armor popped up right as we were completing the extraction. You could have held him for at least a couple more minutes."

Perlin shrugged indifferently, "By that point, I figured he wouldn't be able to cause too much interference," he lied blithely. The last thing the young stallion wanted was for the Baron and Greenblight to learn about the real reason he had withdrawn from the fight so early.

"Regardless," said Elderflower, cutting the budding argument off, "Perlin has performed admirably. A measure of my trust has been restored and I hope that I can count on you to provide equal, if not superior, service in the future."

"I shall endeavor to," said Perlin, bowing and spreading his wings.

Elderflower's smile grew a little bit larger. "Well now. You seem to have learned some respect as well. Perhaps I should have brought up Coco Pommel much earlier than I did if I had known it would have these results."

Perlin's eyes narrowed dangerously. However, he managed to maintain his polite demeanor. "Are you finished with me then, My Lord?”

"I am," said Elderflower, waving a dismissive hoof, "I shall call for you when I require your services again. You as well, Master Greenblight. You are dismissed." Elderflower directed his gaze directly into Perlin's eyes. "I have given Ms. Pommel some duties to keep her from growing bored here. If you desire to see her, she is currently attending to our guest."

"Thank you, My Lord," said Perlin, bowing his head again as he slowly backed out the door. Greenblight and Inkwell withdrew as well, leaving Elderflower alone in his office.

Settling back, Elderflower let out a sigh of satisfaction. "Things are working out so well now."

Author's Notes:

Officially in before all the quotes about famous last words and tempting fate...

Not a whole lot to say about this chapter, save for giving you more reasons to want to see Elderflower ground into a fine powder and sprinkled on MacArthur's oatmeal...
...
Sorry, wrong franchise.

Next chapter: Perlin gets some advice.

Hawks Circling

Chapter 8: Hawks Circling

"So...how are you feeling?" asked Shining.

"Better, sir," replied Flash, his lips twitching up in a small smile, "I just wish we'd managed to stop them."

Shining sighed dejectedly. "I wish that too. But real life isn't that kind."

"What are the final numbers?" asked Flash.

"Are you sure you want to know?" asked Shining.

"If I'm taking over for you, then it's going to be part of the job," admitted Flash, laying his head back on the pillow, "Besides, those ponies were under my command. I owe it to them to not look away from the consequences of my actions."

Shining gave Flash a sad smile. "I figured you'd say that." He took a deep breath. "Eight dead, including the two that were guarding the main entrance. Three more are critically injured. Of those, there's one who may not survive the night. The doctors are doing their best, but it doesn't look good for her."

Flash felt his stomach sink and he went back to staring at the ceiling of his hospital room. The doctors had told him that the damage to his back and head were relatively minor and that he'd be able to leave the next morning. But that knowledge brought him no comfort now. "We need to find out who was behind this and make them pay."

"We're working on that," said Shining, "I did notice one important piece of information though."

"What's that?"

"The mercenaries that attacked us, they matched the description of the ponies that abducted my sister from Ponyville."

Flash frowned. "You think they're connected then."

Shining's eyes narrowed. "I'd bet my life on it. In fact, I'm sure that the same pony who arranged Twilight's foalnapping is the one who ordered this little trick. I'm looking forward to giving whoever she is a little payback."

"We'll have to find her first."

To Flash's surprise, Shining's lips curled up in a smile that could only be described as smug. "As it so happens, I have a pony on it. She's former SES and is closing in on the responsible ponies as we speak. When we find them, I have a friend on the way to Canterlot who is going to put those mercenaries and the pony that hired them through Tartarus."

"I see," said Flash, "Good luck to you then, sir. I'll join you as soon as I get out of here."

"I'm counting on it," said Shining, making his way to the door, "Also, Hope Spot's here to see you. She was pretty worried."

Flash blushed slightly. "I suppose that's only to be expected."

"Good luck with her," said Shining before closing the door behind him.

"Geez," muttered Flash, flopping back down on the bed, "What is it with my superiors and meddling with my love life?"

Perlin's hooves clicked against the hardwood floor of the hallway as he made his way through the mansion. Depending on the circumstances, he figured it would probably be a bad idea to interrupt Coco when she was talking to Twilight Sparkle. It was probably best to wait until they were finished. Perlin had never met Twilight in pony, but he suspected that the Baron didn't have nearly as tight a hold on her as he thought. If that was the case, Perlin wanted to be sure that he wasn't in a position to trip them up, willingly or otherwise.

"You've been looking more tired than usual."

Freezing in place, Perlin paused for a minute before turning to look at Wight Shade, who seemed to have been following right behind him the entire time. For all that Perlin knew, he might have been. Wight didn't seem particularly dangerous, but Perlin got the sense that the strange stallion didn't play by the same rules that everypony else did.

"I've had a lot on my mind," replied Perlin, "As it turns out, thinking too much about things can tire you out just as much as a serious fight."

"That's understandable," said Wight with a smile, "And the young lady...how is she faring?"

"Well enough," said Perlin, "I'm aware that the Baron will probably try to dispose of her when he finishes with whatever he's planning. I'm trying to figure out how to prevent that."

Wight sighed and shook his head, actually chuckling slightly. "No wonder you have so much on your mind. You're overthinking things. A pony like you shouldn't worry overly much about trying to make complicated plans. You need to focus on where your strengths lie and what you can do with those."

"My strengths...?" Perlin blinked and turned his eyes upward thoughtfully. "But that would mean..."

"See, simple isn't it," said Wight with an approving smile, "You care quite deeply for Ms. Pommel. Luckily for you, the answer is quite easy. You only need to kill everypony that is threatening her."

The young stallion's eyes snapped down to meet Wight's, widening in shock as they did so. "But that's..."

"You needn't worry about the details," said Wight, "Once this is over, it won't matter who knows what about who or what they say. Coco was an asset to the Baron and is now a liability to him. However, she is of no importance to me, whether as an asset or a liability, which means all that matters is what she means to you."

"So then...it's time," said Perlin.

"Nearly," replied Wight, "The Baron hasn't been quite as clever about covering his tracks as he thinks he's been. Granted, I may have been misinforming him about that. But things will be coming to a head quite soon."

"I see," said Perlin, turning to face Wight full on, "If that's the case, then I would like to tell you something."

"And what is that?"

"I wish to accept your offer," said Perlin, his tone uncharacteristically serious.

For a moment, Wight was silent. It seemed, for the first time since Perlin had met him, that Wight was genuinely surprised. "I was beginning to think that you might," he said, "However, I'm surprised to hear such conviction from you. I don't really believe that it's absolutely necessary. As you are now, you are more than capable of achieving your current goals."

"That's true," said Perlin, spreading his wings and looking sadly at them, "As you said, it would be all too easy for me to kill everypony threatening Coco with just these. But...that's not all that I want anymore."

"And what is it that you do want now?"

Perlin sighed, "I want the strength to keep her safe, to protect her from harm."

"So you desire a better blade then?"

Perlin shook his head. "No...I don't want to have to tread so carefully around her. More than a blade, I want a proper sheath."

Wight's eyebrow went up. "I see...very interesting, Perlin Bluestreak. Very well, I will follow your request." He chuckled again. "It's a good thing I anticipated that you'd been considering this. I've already taken the liberty of contacting your guardian. In fact, he should arrive soon."

"The doctor?" Perlin raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think you'd bother to contact him."

"Of course I would," said Wight, "I will require his assistance if we are to improve on his work."

"Um..." Perlin was suddenly looking rather hesitant. "I hope he takes it well."

The sun had already set when the train from Ponyville pulled into Canterlot's station. Scootaloo groaned and stretched her wings as she stepped onto the platform. "Okay...where do we start?"

"We start by securing lodging," replied Arkenstone as he stepped down off the train behind her, "Depending on how things turn out, this could take a few days."

"So we just go to the Palace, right?" asked Rumble, fluttering out behind the stallion.

“That was my plan.”

“Okay…” said Scootaloo, “But if you’re visiting the Palace, then won’t ponies know you’re here right away?”

“Fortunately, I know a few…discrete entrances,” said Arkenstone with a slight smirk, “I will show you one of them now, so long as you promise not to use them for any of your Crusader shenanigans in the future.”

“Fine,” groaned Scootaloo. Beside her, Rumble was already crossing his heart and sticking a hoof in his eye (after closing it first, of course).

“Good,” said Arkenstone, “Let’s be off.”

He turned and led the foals through the station. He was a bit surprised not to sense any signs of watchful eyes. It seemed that the nobles had apparently diverted their attention to other matters, possibly because one of them already had Twilight in their grasp and they no longer felt they needed to monitor the station for arrivals and departures. It spoke of an almost suicidal overconfidence.

Or… thought Arkenstone grimly, …that they are already in the final stages of whatever plan they have and are already taking action.

As they moved, Rumble accidentally bumped into a passing unicorn who was disembarking from the very same train they’d gotten off of. “Sorry,” said the gray colt as he helped the chartreuse-green stallion recover his bags.

“It’s fine,” said the stallion with a polite smile, using a hoof to brush back his chartreuse-yellow mane, “I probably should have been watching where I was going more carefully as well.” His puce eyes twinkled merrily as he smiled down at Rumble.

“Rumble! Will you hurry up!” shouted Scootaloo as she and Arkenstone were already a fair ways away.

“Sorry! Gotta go,” said Rumble, spreading his wings to zip after them.

The stallion watched the colt go before shrugging and shifting the brown duster he was wearing. “Foals…always in such a hurry.” He chuckled and shook his head, heading out through a different section of the station.

After getting Coco Pommel to calm down, Twilight managed to extract the younger mare’s story while she helped herself to the platter of daisy and daffodil sandwiches that Coco had brought. They were delicious, to say the least, with their elegant cuts hiding a homey, earthy flavor that Twilight suspected came from the fact that Coco had prepared them herself, rather than letting the Baron’s chef try to woo Twilight with something overly fancy.

Twilight learned all about Coco’s past dealings with Elderflower, as well as everything that had come before. Coco had originally been apprenticed under a designer in Manehattan, who had gotten on the wrong side of a viscount named Eventide. Eventide arranged for Suri’s reputation to be utterly destroyed and sank Coco’s along with it. With no place else to go, Coco had been taken in by the Viscount himself and had been forced to work as a member of his staff. Then, Eventide had gotten into a conflict with Baron Elderflower, which had ended in a brief conflict in the Crystal Caverns beneath Canterlot, where Eventide and his entire host of mares at arms were slaughtered by Perlin Bluestreak. Coco, who had followed the Viscount down in hopes of finding leverage that would allow her to win her freedom from him, had witnessed the whole affair. She’d been quickly discovered by the Baron and Perlin. Elderflower had taken over Coco’s employment and made arrangements for her, which ultimately brought her to where she was today.

"I'm so sorry," said Coco, looking away from Twilight.

"No. I should be the one apologizing," said Twilgiht, "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be in this position to begin with."

"If it weren't for you, I would still be Viscount Eventide," said Coco, a sad smile spreading across her face, "I wouldn't have gotten the chance to meet Ms. Rarity and apprentice under her. I learned so much. She even used my designs in her fashion show for the Royal Warrant."

She sagged down. "When I worked for Suri, everything I made was hers by default. It didn't matter if I was just doing the grunt work for her or coming up with a design of my own. If it was successful, it was hers. The only things I got to keep were the failures. Suri used my designs in fashion shows, just like Rarity did. But Suri always took the credit for them.

"At first, when I saw my dresses on those models during Rarity's fashion show, I was afraid that it was starting all over again. But then she called me out. She went up in front of all those important ponies and told told them that those were my designs. I've never been so happy in my entire life."

Slumping all the way to the floor, Coco began to cry again. "Th-that only makes it worse. After everything she did for me, I lied to her and to everypony. I betrayed her trust! I sold out one of her best friends to the Baron! How can I ever face her after this?"

Laying down beside Coco, Twilight gave her an encouraging smile, even if Coco was too busy burying her head into her forelegs to see it. "You can face her because you know that Rarity is better than that. Coco, I'll admit that we could have settled things much more easily if you had just gone and told us. I understand that you were afraid of what the Baron might do and how we would react. You could have done better. But the same is true for me. There are times where I look back and I think about what I should have done better. Life is full of times like that and you'll have more occasions like that in the future.

"But that's the thing about hindsight. You can always talk about what you should have done. But what truly matters is what you do from here. I know Rarity very well. I know that, even if she realizes your part in all of this, she's more worried about how you're doing than she is about what you did. She's not such a shallow pony that she'd throw you away for something like this."

"Y-you're s-sure?" Coco said, her voice hiccuping.

"I'm positive," said Twilight, nuzzling Coco's cheek, "When we get out of this, we'll talk to Rarity and I know that you'll still be able to work with her. I know that you'll still be friends."

For a moment, Coco was silent. Then, she looked over at Twilight, her gaze questioning. "Y-you said...?"

Twilight held a hoof up to Coco's lips. "Shh." Looking around, she took in their position. The mirror was on the other side of the room, so the bed was between them and the mirror. If it was a window for a concealed room, whoever was inside would be unable to see them now. However, Twilight couldn't use her magic to look for listening spells, so long as the inhibitor ring was on her horn...

...At least, not her magic on its own. Twilight began to smile as she made sure her head and, more importantly, her horn were below the line of the bed and out of sight from anypony who might be watching through the mirror...if there was anypony at all.

Twilight couldn't possibly be too cautious in this situation. One misstep and a carefully planned escape could get violent and dangerous. That wasn't so bad on its own. Twilight had studied battle magic under Arkenstone's instruction, learning to cast attack and defense spells under duress and during hectic situations. She had also worked on streamlining her mental processes to shorten the time lag for casting spells on the fly. Regardless of how dangerous the situation got, Twilight was fairly certain of her ability to at least get away from here.

But Coco changed things. Twilight was responsible for her safety as well. Thus, Twilight had to be absolutely certain that she could map out the safest way out of this situation that would give her the greatest chance of getting both her and Coco out with minimal risk. If things got hairy, then Coco, having zero experience with fighting, would be in the greatest danger.

Thus, Twilight made absolutely certain that the bed was between her and the mirror and that the the door to the bathroom was closed as well before going to work. Reaching out with an arm, Twilight looped it around Coco's neck and pulled the younger mare's face into her shoulder, a gesture of comfort. However, it also served to keep Coco from seeing what Twilight was doing.

Below the ugly black band of the inhibitor ring, there was a glimmer of silvery light as another ring appeared around Twilight's horn. It was a band of dark-gold with etchings of glittering silver. The ring was a gift from Akenstone. Originally, it had belonged to her older brother. The ring was forged from arcanasteel, an alloy formed from an alchemical marriage of mithril and orichalcum. The unique properties of the resulting alloy gave the ring some very useful qualities. Twilight intended to put one of those qualities to work now.

The ring could be charged with magic, acting as a storage device for the energy needed for spells. Not only could Twilight use its stored magic to supplement her own raw power. The fact that the magic was already externalized through the ring, rather than her horn, reduced the burden on the horn itself, allowing for the casting of powerful and complex magic.

Of course, the fact that the magic was already externalized also meant that, since it wasn't being channeled through her horn, the inhibitor ring could not absorb and cancel out the magic. In other words, Twilight could still use her magic, even in this situation. Furthermore, because the arcanasteel ring had been bonded to the alicorn of her horn itself, Twilight was able to charge it without having to channel the magic out through her horn, meaning that she didn't have to worry about limiting her usage of the item, lest she run out of stored power. In other words, the ring functioned as the perfect device to circumvent an inhibitor ring. Baron Elderflower's precautions were useless.

Unable to keep a triumphant smile from her face, Twilight went to work on shaping the spell. It was a bit trickier, given that the magic was already externalized. Instead of manifesting in her usual violet aura, the magic instead formed an aura of glittering silver. Twilight took that aura and shaped it into a circle, like a lens that she held up before her eyes, carefully looking around the room.

As she had expected, there were listening spells placed in every corner. That clean meeting of multiple lines at ninety-degree angles was perfect for anchoring spells for an extended period of time. Assuming that the corners she couldn't see from her position behind the bed also had listening spells embedded in them, Twilight figured that the listening spells had complete coverage of the room. Fortunately, those spells were audio only. Picking up and translating vibrations in the air was a much easier process than processing ambient light into an image. So Elderflower and his lackeys could listen, but not watch...not through spells at least.

The mirror was the next target. Carefully directing her horn at the floor, Twilight sent a tiny pulse through it. Her aura vanished into the wood, washing out around her. It was a concept borrowed from earth pony magic. Twilight knew that Arkenstone and other proficient earth ponies could sense their surroundings through the ground in incredible detail. In fact, developing that ability had been what had lead Apple Bloom to discovering her cutie mark. By sending her magic through the floor itself, rather than over the floor, she concealed the magic itself from observation, which would make her efforts unnoticeable to most unicorns. Only ones who had studied and applied principles learned from earth pony magic like she had would be in a position to notice. Here, in the stronghold of an ardent unicorn tribalist, the spell might as well be invisible.

Through the feedback she received from the spell, Twilight was able to construct a rough map of her surroundings. There was indeed a walled-off, empty space behind the mirror, a chamber for observing what went on inside Twilight's room. The bathroom was safe, however. Twilight would have to check it for listening spells later. But now she knew the true layout of the cage Elderflower had trapped her in. More importantly, she knew where the holes in the bars were. Now all she had to do was making an opening large enough for her and Coco to escape through. I can do this, she thought.

However, now was not the time to escape just yet. True, she could probably manage an escape and take Coco with her. But that wasn't enough. After everything that Elderflower had done, Twilight knew that simply escaping wouldn't be the end of the matter. Even if she did escape and bring the full force of the Princesses and the Royal Guard down on Elderflower, there was still the chance that he might get away and continue whatever he had planned elsewhere. Elderflower wasn't the kind of pony to take defeat lying down. Nor was he the complacent sort who would remain content with simply eluding justice. Elderflower would not stop until either he realized his plans for Equestria or somepony stopped him. Twilight fully intended to be that pony.

But first, that meant learning just what Elderflower was up to. In order to do that, Twilight needed time. Whatever the Baron was planning, it was obvious that she was a part of it. Depending on what he wanted, he would need Twilight to be aware of at least the basic gist of his plan, even if he chose to leave out the minute details, if Twilight could get at least some idea of what Elderflower was up to, she could work out how to stop him...for good.

Her work done for the time being, Twilight loosened her grip, allowing Coco to pull her face away from Twilight's shoulder. Twilight smiled at Coco, who gave her a questioning look. "It's going to be okay," said Twilight, "I'll figure a way out of this. There's no way I'm leaving without you." A vague assurance like that was relatively harmless. Baron Elderflower knew better than to believe that Twilight would go along with his plans without an iota of protest. A defiant statement like that was only to be expected and the Baron would undoubtedly believe that Twilight's attitude would soften once she appreciated the full reality of her position.

"Can you really?" asked Coco.

"I'm sure I can," said Twilight, "But I don't want you to put yourself at risk. So just do whatever Elderflower needs you to do. I'll work out how to get us out of this mess."

"O-okay..." said Coco.

There was a polite knock at the door. Twilight got up from behind the bed, looking towards the door. She wondered if Elderflower had come to speak to her again already. "Who is it?"

The door opened and a young, cream-colored stallion, dressed in a black cloak, leaned in. "Excuse me. I was told that I could find Coco here."

"Perlin!" Coco shot up off the floor, her expression somewhere between surprise and relief.

Twilight's eyes widened as she looked at Perlin Bluestreak for the first time. After everything she had heard from the ponies who'd met him, she was surprised by her first impression of the young stallion. Perlin seemed considerably different from the blithe, flippant, and casually violent pony her friends had described. He seemed...softer than she'd imagined, warmer, more equine. Maybe he's changed.

Her suspicions became more acute when she saw Perlin's eyes lock on Coco and a faint hint of pink beginning to tint his cheeks. Looking at Coco, Twilight could see a similar blush on the younger mare's cheeks as well. Oh... Ironically, in spite of her situation, a very large part of Twilight simply wanted to squeal at the sight of those two...
...
...

...Then Twilight remembered that Perlin had once cut her brother's horn off. Her expression soured and she began to glare at the young stallion.

"Oh...right..." said Perlin, suddenly remembering that Twilight was still in the room. He dipped his head politely to her. "Twilight Sparkle, it's nice to meet you. I am Perlin Bluestreak."

"I'd never have guessed," Twilight deadpanned.

Perlin didn't seem overly bothered by the chilly reception. "I understand that news of current events are hard to come by here," he said, his lips twitching up in a smile, "I can, however, report that your brother was in excellent health, when last I saw him."

"My brother...?" Twilight's anger was forgotten as cold feeling settled in her stomach, "You didn't...?"

"We did fight," said Perlin, "He managed to acquit himself much better this time around. I wasn't able to get in a single hit against him."

"Perlin!" There was a stern tone in Coco's voice and Twilight yanked her eyes away from Perlin to look at Coco, who was looking at Perlin with a hardened expression.

“Um..." Perlin stepped back, looking altogether like a colt who didn’t quite understand why he was being scolded.

Coco sighed. “I’m sorry, Ms. Twilight. Perlin…isn’t used to thinking about what he says.” She returned her attention to the young stallion. “Please wait outside. I’ll be there in a moment.”

“…All right,” said Perlin, his ears lying flat against his skull as he slowly backed out of the room.

When the door closed again, Twilight stared at Coco. “Wow…Are you sure you used to be afraid of him?”

“I was,” said Coco, “And I still am…for different reasons now.” She shook her head. “Perlin doesn’t really understand how the things he does hurts others because he didn’t really start learning how to care about others…until recently.”

“You mean…when he met you,” said Twilight, a small smile returning as she saw the return of Coco’s blush.

“Well…yes,” said Coco, looking away from Twilight, “That’s why…I think he can get better. I’m sorry that he hurt your brother. I hope you can forgive him.”

“I think I can,” said Twilight, running a hoof through Coco’s mane, “After all, if we can forgive Princess Luna for snapping and trying to plunge the world into unending night, I think I can forgive somepony like Perlin for putting my brother in a hospital for a while.” Her smile faded. “But, he’s hurt and even killed other ponies. He will ultimately have to answer that someday.”

“I understand,” said Coco, “I think I should probably go now.” She picked up the tray and its cover before making her way to the door.

“Stay safe,” said Twilight softly as she saw Coco out.

Now that she was alone, Twilight turned her full attention to formulating a plan to get her and Coco out of this mess.

"So..." said Dawn hesitantly, looking across the table at the bright-orange mare, "...this is what it feels like."

In spite of the dire situation, Melon Cream couldn't help but giggle, her fuchsia mane bobbing. Melon was practically the spitting image of what Scootaloo would probably look like...if she were an adult earth pony. Even if the filly got her pegasus nature from her father, she obviously took after her mother in the looks department.

Dawn and Fluttershy were now in Melon's house, sitting across the table from her in the kitchen. Dawn wasn't exactly happy to be there, not because he disliked Scootaloo's mother, he was actually quite fond of the mare. Rather, he was not happy to be the bearer of bad news. Dawn had taken it upon himself to tell Melon that her daughter had apparently snuck off to Canterlot to partake in what promised to be a dangerous rescue mission. Dawn felt particularly responsible, given that his current condition had probably been what had inspired Scootaloo to decide to go "in his place" as it were.

"I guess so," said Melon, remembering the times she'd had to console her daughter when Dawn had disappeared on some dangerous endeavor or another. While she was indeed worried about Scootaloo, she had to admit that she was a little amused by Dawn's bemused feelings about being on this end of a situation for once.

"I'm sure that Arkenstone will look after them," said Fluttershy.

Dawn frowned. "If he has any sense, and I know that he has more sense than me, he'd tie them up and send them back on the next train."

"Maybe," admitted Fluttershy, "But Arkenstone's still recovering from the fight, isn't he? Maybe he thinks he needs their help."

"Even so..." muttered Dawn, trying to imagine Arkenstone being willing to put the lives of two very inexperienced ponies at risk simply because he wasn't at the top of his game.

However, the greater amount of his concern was reserved for Scootaloo and Rumble. Scootaloo had at least some experience in battle now, having dealt with a cultist who'd tried to attack her and even traded blows with Perlin Bluestreak once. However, she didn't have even remotely the level of experience that Dawn did. Not to mention that, for all her rapid progress in the past months, Scootaloo was very much a novice in the Gale King. She had only just begun to figure out how to use the art's rapid-movement technique. Dawn was worried that it wasn't nearly enough to help her through a real battle. At best, Scootaloo could probably bull through any obstacles through brute force. But it was very much up in the air as to whether or not she would last long enough to resort to those methods in the first place.

Rumble was an even greater concern. Dawn didn't envy Applejack’s position right now, thinking about what she must have been experiencing having to reveal to Thunderlane, Cloud Chaser, Flitter, and Storm Front what Rumble was doing. Unlike Scootaloo, Rumble had no experience in battle. When it came to using the meteor hammer, Rumble was still a complete beginner, having not graduated from using his practice weapon yet.

Still, Dawn was in no position to either help or hinder them. He simply had to put his faith in Arkenstone's judgment and hope that he would still be able to see those two when all was said and done. However, that didn't stop the frustration from bubbling up inside of him. After our last fight, I thought that she would know better, he thought petulantly, She won't accomplish much at all if the only thing she's thinking about is proving herself. That's not the proper mindset to...

Dawn's body jolted, sitting up straight, his ears stretching towards the ceiling as an idea struck him. Beside him, Fluttershy and, across from him, Melon Cream both jumped at the colt's unexpected behavior.

"Dawn? What is it?" asked Fluttershy.

"I need to check something," said Dawn, pushing away from the table and rushing up the stairs to Scootaloo's room.

"What is he doing?" asked Melon, looking over at Fluttershy, who could only shrug.

From above, they could hear the sounds of Dawn rummaging. Melon would have normally been rather irate at the idea of a colt searching through her daughter's things. But she trusted Dawn, even if she had no idea what he was looking for.

After several minutes, the sounds from Scootaloo's room died down and Dawn came back down. Fluttershy noted that he looked much better. He was completely empty-hooved. Despite that, a massive weight seemed to have been lifted from his shoulders. As he came back to the table, Fluttershy could pick up a faint mumble escaping from Dawn's mouth. "She took it with her."

"What is it?" asked Fluttershy.

Seating himself at the table, Dawn looked up at his mother and gave her a relieved smile. "I think...while we have plenty of cause to worry, I feel a bit more confident about Scootaloo's reasons for going now."

Fluttershy and Melon exchanged confused glances, wondering just what Dawn was talking about.

Scootaloo glowered at Arkenstone's rump as she and Rumble followed him down the hallway. Discrete entrance my flank. She'd been expecting the blind stallion to show her and Rumble some concealed passageway, maybe something that could only be opened by tapping a secret code on a particular brick or something like that. That's how it worked in the Daring Do books she'd read.

Instead, Arkenstone had taken them around to the back of the Palace, where an impressive array of warehouses, holding all the myriad supplies needed to keep the place running, were set. There, amongst those warehouses, Arkenstone had simply let them in through a small entrance normally used for the delivery of parcels. From there, he led them down clean, but unadorned hallways, the secret highways of the Palace that the servants and staff used to move about without bringing their hustle and bustle to the attention of various nobles and dignitaries.

Finally, they emerged into a section of the Palace that Scootaloo recognized from the time she and her friends had spent exploring the place while they'd stayed their over the Hearth's Warming season. It was a hallway that ran along the outside of the Palace, its windows overlooking the city and the land beyond. At this point, night had fallen and the city twinkled with lamps, while the towers and spires were faintly outlined by the glimmering light of the stars above. As she admired the view, Scootaloo felt a faint breeze stir her feathers. Her wind-sense allowed her to immediately zero in on the source of the draft. A pair of windows had been broken. There was even some shattered glass still laying strewn about the floor.

"What the hay happened here?" she asked, looking around.

"I'm not sure," said Arkenstone, taking a moment to sniff the air, "I can smell a fair bit of sweat...traces of ambient magic...and...blood."

"Blood?" gasped Scootaloo, looking around for any splotches of red. As she did, she noticed that the floor and walls along the hallway looked chipped and pitted, as though pieces had been chiseled or cut out of them.

"The scent of blood is coming from somewhere farther away," said Arkenstone darkly, "Some ponies were killed here today."

Rumble gasped, his face going pale. Scootaloo felt her own limbs begin to shake. In spite of her confident words earlier, she couldn't help but feel the fear in her gut. For the first time since she and Rumble had snuck aboard the train to join Arkenstone, this truly felt real. Some sort of fight had taken place in the Royal Palace and ponies had died. There really were lives on the line. If either she or Rumble made the slightest mistake, then they might be the ones who ended up dead.

Arkenstone sniffed and his ears swiveled towards the foals. "Afraid?"

Scootaloo puffed herself up, ready to deny it with all her will. But, even though he wasn't facing them at the moment, she could still see the stony expression of Arkenstone's face. Her breath left her and she sagged slightly as she realized that lying to him would do no good. "Yeah."

"Good," said Arkenstone, his words taking the filly off guard, "If you truly were indifferent about this or were too immature to admit you were afraid, you'd be on your way back to Ponyville."

"Oh," said Scootaloo, her ears perking. Actually, now that she thought about it, she remembered Dawn telling her about how important fear was, how it could help her avoid danger. There was nothing wrong with being afraid, so long as you didn't let it control you, which Scootaloo would be doing if she gave into her fear of admitting that she was scared. Part of her was incensed that Arkenstone had apparently used his words as a way to test her maturity and resolve. But, at the same time, she felt somewhat pleased that she'd passed. She figured that Arkenstone hadn't completely given up on finding some excuse to send her and Rumble back to Ponyville. However, if he was truly set on that purpose, Arkenstone didn't need that excuse. He could have very well done it, whether or not they'd shown how serious they were, regardless of what agreements they might have made earlier.

Does he really think we can help or is he having that much trouble? mused Scootaloo, watching the Knight warily.

Arkenstone tilted his head, his ears twitching as he turned all the way around to face the foals. However, his muzzle and his attention were focused past them down the hall. Following his lead, Scootaloo and Rumble turned around as well, surprised to see a familiar pink alicorn trotting up the hall towards them.

"Arkenstone?" Cadance came to a stop, blinking as she looked them over. "Scootaloo? Rumble?" Understandably, the rising intonation of her voice indicated her increasing surprise at the presence of the two foals accompanying Arkenstone.

"Cadance...what happened here?" asked Arkenstone, choosing to ignore her confusion for the moment.

Cadance froze at the sound of Arkenstone's question, her ears pressing flat against her skull. "We were attacked?"

Arkenstone's entire body went tense at that. "Tell me everything."

The stallion looked around carefully, trying to spot any ponies who might have been tailing him. However, he saw nopony. That didn't confirm anything. After all, given his choice of profession, he wasn't particularly adept at skulking and sneaking...or finding out if anypony else was skulking and sneaking nearby.

Turning his eyes upward, he surveyed the rather nondescript building before him. It was a small house, one that could have belonged to practically any member of Canterlot's upper-middle class, only a couple economic tiers down from the nobility and their mansions. While this building was indeed rather small and understated by Canterlot standards, the price of property and associated taxes on it made it comparable to a small mansion practically anywhere else in Equestria.

However, he wasn't here to observe the decor. He was here to do a job and he fully intended to do it. The comfortable life he'd made for himself out in Trottingham practically depended on it. Raising a chartreuse-green hoof, the stallion rapped a series of knocks against the door in a particular pattern.

A minute or so later, the door opened and the stallion found himself facing a cream-colored colt wearing a black coat.

The stallion smiled, feeling a faint sense of fondness rising up within him. "Hello there, Perlin. I see you've apparently been trying out some new fashions since we last talked."

Perlin Bluestreak smiled in return. "Hello Doctor. It's been a while."

Doctor Kombu chuckled and followed as Perlin turned to lead the way inside. "Why don't you tell me what I've been called here for. I'm a bit confused about it."

"Gladly," said Perlin, looking over his shoulder at Kombu, "However, there is somepony you need to meet first. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

"Well now, this is a surprise," said Wight Shade as they arrived in what must have been the house's living room, though it didn't look anything like a living room right now, "All this time, I wondered about just who was responsible for this young stallion's impressive set of wings. I should have realized that it would be you." He sat in the middle of the open space, waiting patiently.

For a moment, Kombu's eyes narrowed in confusion as he stared at Wight for a long moment. "Do I know you...?"

Wight said nothing, merely waiting patiently as the doctor looked him over, examining him closely from the tip of his tail to the point of his strange, off-white horn.

Slowly, recognition began to dawn on Kombu as he looked closely at Wight. The color of his coat, his mane, and his eyes were nothing familiar. However, the way Wight spoke, his posture as he sat...all of it was hauntingly familiar.

Kombu blinked and settled back on his haunches so he could raise his forehooves to rub his eyes. "I must be seeing things," he said, "This can't be right...You-"

"Your eyes do not deceive you," said Wight, his smile widening slightly, "I've changed a great deal since we last met. I am very impressed that you, of all ponies, are able to recognize me." Wight inhaled deeply and heaved a relaxed sigh. "It's good to see you again, Kombu."

For a long moment, the doctor fought to find the words to say, to express his feelings. When he next opened his mouth, he found that there was only one word he could use. “Teacher..."

Author's Notes:

Another two chapter release today, mostly because I feel like making up for lost time. I can't say that I'll keep it up all the way through, but I intend to keep it up for a little while yet.

Next chapter: Adrian Veidt Elderflower is not.

The Best Laid Plans...

Chapter 9: The Best Laid Plans...

Arkenstone listened grimly as Princess Cadance laid out the events that had occurred only just earlier that day. Part of him regretted rushing off to Canterlot first thing in the morning, since it had left him out of the loop while something so dire was happening. Granted, there was nothing he could have done, one way or another, but that didn't mean that he liked being blindsided by such news.

And what dire news it was; Guards dead and injured, the Palace stormed by an armed force, the Elements of Harmony stolen, Princess Luna subdued by some unidentified attack...If Princess Cadance wasn't the one delivering the news, Arkenstone would have had a hard time believing it.

"What about Princess Celestia?" he asked.

"She's returning," said Cadance, "She expects to be here by tomorrow morning with all the ponies of her personal Guard that can accompany her. However, the bulk of the Royal Guard will take longer, possibly up to a week, due to the complications of securing all the prisoners seized by the operation."

Arkenstone pursed his lips thoughtfully. He'd had no intention of relying on the Royal Guard in any case. A Knight of the Celestial Order handled his own affairs. But the extended period until the Royal Guard returned to the city meant that there was a great chance of something else happening in the meantime. Ponies had unquestionably noticed the disturbance at the Palace today. There was no telling what might happen when they realized the scope of what had occurred, particularly if they learned that the Elements of Harmony, the tools used to save Equestria from Nightmare Moon and Discord, had been stolen. Mass panic was a possible outcome. Worse still, assuming that one of the nobles, if not the same one who'd abducted Twilight, was behind this affair then she was likely to actively stoke the flames.

But what is their ultimate aim? wondered Arkenstone. Sowing discord in Canterlot was all well and good, but it hardly counted as an end in and of itself. Such a situation was merely a means for accomplishing something even more significant. But what?

His train of thought was interrupted by the click of hooves as Shining Armor strode through the door of his office, where Cadance had been briefing Arkenstone, Scootaloo, and Rumble about the situation.

"Hey," said Shining, "Spike told me you were on the way. But what are the kids doing here?"

To their credit, neither Scootaloo nor Rumble protested the designation, though Scootaloo's wings twitched irritably.

"They asked to accompany me," said Arkenstone simply, "Having reached a certain understanding with them, I have allowed it. They have not yet given me reason to regret my decision."

"Ooookay," said Shining, giving the foals a dubious look as he stepped around the desk to join his wife. He was aware that Scootaloo had been Dawn's student for the past few months and that Rumble had been studying under one of the mercenaries that Shining had sent to Ponyville back around the time Dawn had first arrived. However, he was more than a little concerned about the fact that neither of them had much in the way of combat experience. He would have been more at ease if Dawn had come along instead, given that he already had a good idea of what the ebony colt could do. However, he was also aware that Dawn was still recovering from his exertions against Terra Heart. Even so...

"Do you have any leads as to Twilight's location?" asked Arkenstone, drawing Shining's attention back to him.

Shining sighed. "Not yet," he admitted reluctantly, "Thanks to a suggestion from Luna, I have somepony on the case. But she hasn't reported anything back yet. Right now, with the resources I have at my disposal, there's nothing to do but wait and hope that she uncovers something soon."

"Thank you for agreeing to join me for dinner," said Elderflower, giving Twilight a polite smile across the dining room table.

Twilight returned his polite smile with a sardonic one as she carefully curled her fetlock around a fork and lifted a dainty bite of salad to her lips. After chewing and swallowing, she said, "I don't believe I had much of a choice in the matter." After finishing her inspection of her chambers, Twilight had spent the night in the lavish prison cell and enjoyed a light breakfast, delivered by Coco, a quiet lunch, also delivered by Coco, before receiving an invitation to dinner with the Baron. It was the first time he'd communicated with her since leaving her room for the previous day.

Even if she hadn't been trying to work out what Elderflower was planning, Twilight would have probably accepted his invitation to simply alleviate her boredom. Coco was wonderful company, but could never stay for too long, having apparently been given a list of tasks by the Baron to keep her busy. On top of that, nopony would bring her so much as a book to read. Twilight figured that was probably a deliberate move by Elderflower as well, sealing Twilight in a very dull, uninteresting environment and then presenting himself as the only source of mental stimulation available.

"Please," protested Elderflower, "You don't honestly think that I would be so uncivilized as to allow you to starve simply because you snubbed my invitation? Given your circumstances, that would have been a perfectly understandable response." What went unsaid was that her acceptance of Elderflower's invitation was a slightly more suspicious one.

"Under the circumstances, I felt that it was the least I could do," said Twilight, pausing to take a sip of wine from her glass. Before she'd joined the Baron at his table, she had taken the opportunity to cast a powerful detoxification spell on herself through her arcanasteel ring. The spell would last for at least six hours and nullified numerous poisons, drugs, and even alcohol. Even if there was nothing in the food or wine, Twilight could drink like a fish all night long and wake up without so much as a hangover. Granted, it also meant she couldn't get buzzed, which arguably defeated the point of drinking anything alcoholic in most situations. Also, because the spell neutralized toxins and other substances as they passed her lips, it had the side-effect of making the wine taste flat and unappetizing due to the absence of the alcohol's sharper notes, like it had been simmered for several hours before it had been served.

Even if Elderflower had no intention of using the myriad number of drugs that a pony of his means could acquire to soften her will and make her more...pliable...Twilight knew she needed her wits about her and didn't want to risk taking in even a moderate amount of alcohol when the stakes were as high as this. Her abrupt willingness to oblige her captor's request had been met with suspicion, but Twilight couldn't afford to wait and take her time winning his trust. Shining Armor, Arkenstone, the Princesses, and everypony else she knew were probably already looking for her. In all likelihood, it was only a matter of time until they found her and came to her rescue, even if Twilight hadn't already arranged her own escape by then.

However, rescue came with the risk that Elderflower might still make some attempt to carry out his plans, whatever they were. Having her stolen back from him and having him outed as a foalnapper might put a stop to what the stallion was trying to do, but Twilight wanted to be sure. She didn't want Elderflower's schemes to come back to haunt her a few months or years down the road. She wanted to bring this matter to an end and wanted it to stay ended.

"The least you could do?" echoed Elderflower, raising an eyebrow as he sipped at his own glass.

Twilight nodded. "I'm still more than sore at you for foalnapping me. But you have my curiosity. This was an extremely audacious move on your part and I can't help but want to find out what it is that you're really up to."

Elderflower's eyes drifted shut and he let out a small chuckle. "Every bit as clever and inquisitive as I could hope. Very well. I would need to tell you at some point in any case. Now is as good a time as any."

Twilight's eyes narrowed at that. It implied that the Baron didn't expect her to be compliant to his wishes, regardless of what he said, but also that he didn't think there was anything she could say or do that would truly disrupt his work. Granted, he had no idea that she was not as helpless as she first appeared. But Twilight didn't even fantasize that she'd won his trust for even a minute.

"Earlier yesterday, before you had woken up, my employees, who were responsible for transporting you from Ponyville by the way, conducted an operation on my behalf. Thanks to Princess Celestia's efforts to police that cult that has been causing you and yours so much trouble, security at the Palace was rather light, something that I used to my advantage."

The glass, which Twilight had been lifting to her lips for another sip, fell from her grip. It hit the table and toppled over, spreading a dark-purple stain across the pristine white of the tablecloth, which Twilight completely ignored as she stared, aghast, at the Baron, who looked genuinely pleased with the reaction his words had elicited.

"You attacked the Royal Palace?" gasped Twilight, gaping unashamedly at Elderflower, "Are you insane? What could you possibly hope to accomplish? Princess Celestia would never-"

She was cut off as Elderflower idly raised a hoof. "Please do not make too many assumptions," he said with an amused smirk, "It's not as though we are planning to overthrow the Princesses through force of arms or any such thing. As formidable as the assets I managed to acquire are, I'm not so foolish as to think that they could manage such a thing, much less with Princess Luna still in residence. No...Rather, sending my forces to the Palace was for a goal not too dissimilar from having them take you from Ponyville earlier."

"You attacked the Palace to steal something," said Twilight, putting the pieces together inside her head. The question of what lingered. There were plenty of items that would be of interest to a pony with Elderflower's ambitions. The vaults beneath the Palace held numerous artifacts, both mundane and magical, the latter of which ran the gamut from pitifully weak to powerful enough to cause a major incident (a certain particularly troublesome amulet came to mind). The archives were a veritable treasure trove of knowledge, particularly old spells, some of which were so especially dangerous that even Twilight, with her authorization to learn high-level battle magic, wasn't permitted to study. The Palace was also practically the nerve center of the Equestrian government, with all manner of documents and official correspondence that a pony of Elderflower's intelligence might be able to use to some obscure purpose. Even if he was simply looking for additional material wealth to bankroll his ambitions, Elderflower had his pick of countless art objects and vaults of gems to choose from.

However, none of those things seemed really appropriate to the situation. Ancient magical artifacts were all well and good, but they were also finicky and unreliable at the worst possible times. It took a great deal of research and careful understanding to use them properly. The same was true of many of the most dangerous spells secreted in the archives. It took exceptionally skilled unicorns to learn and apply them. Elderflower, from Twilight’s knowledge, was not a particularly adept spellcaster. He was also not the kind of pony to trust others with immense power if said power had the risk of corrupting them and turning them into a liability to his cause.

Ultimately, through the process of elimination, Twilight arrived at what she believed was the only possible target of the raid Elderflower had orchestrated. “The Elements of Harmony!” she said, “You stole the Elements!”

“Correct,” said Elderflower, taking another sip of his own wine, seemingly ignoring Twilight’s accident on the other side of the table.

“But why?” asked Twilight, “I thought nopony in the Noble Court believed-“

“Nopony in the Court was foolish enough to believe that tripe about what the Elements are supposed to stand for,” said Elderflower, cutting her off, “We have always accepted that the Elements are tremendously powerful artifacts. The results speak for themselves after all.

“However, it’s fairly obvious to everypony with even half a brain that the so called qualities of harmony that were assigned to the Elements were an invention of Princess Celestia’s. Most likely she intended them to serve as a deterrent to keep anypony from doing what we just did. However, it would be foolish for anypony to believe such platitudes.”

Twilight gnawed at the inside of her lip as she fought to keep from braining the stallion in front of her with her salad plate. How could Elderflower be so clever and insightful one moment then so utterly moronic the next? It truly boggled the mind. However, she managed to rein in her temper by the barest of margins, consoling herself that Elderflower’s denial over how the Elements worked would only serve as another impediment to keep him from actually being able to use them in whatever scheme he had cooked up.

Instead, she decided to continue to press for more information. “What are you planning to do with them?”

A butler arrived and used his magic to carry the salad plates away. Another followed up to deliver the main course, ravioli stuffed with wild mushrooms in a creamy sauce. It was delicious, but Twilight’s consternation with what she had just learned kept her from really enjoying the meal.

Elderflower took a break from the conversation to enjoy a few mouthfuls before washing them down with another gulp of wine and turning his attention back to Twilight. “I do not believe I have stolen the Elements so much as I took custody of them.

“Believe it or not, Dame Sparkle, my plans for the past few days, from abducting you to taking the Elements, were not originally my primary plans. They were more in line with a Plan B…or C…or even D…The point is that securing both you and the Elements were something of a last resort for me and my associates.”

“I forced you to your last resort already?” asked Twilight.

Elderflower chuckled. “Oh, not even close. In reality, everything was going quite well for me. However, we decided to arrange to take you and the Elements as a contingency, in case everything else failed. To that end, we began to quietly muster our strength, gather allies, hire hooves, that sort of thing. We were anticipating a rather bloody conflict you see. In our plans we figured we would be raiding the Royal Palace, going up against a full complement of the Royal Guard and no fewer than two, if not three, powerful alicorns. Such an action promised a great deal of trouble and bloodshed and would signal the death of subtlety, as far as our plans went anyway, which was why it was a last resort. We had to work slowly and carefully to avoid drawing suspicion as we built up our forces. We weren’t even a quarter of the way to meeting our projected needs for this plan.”

“What made you decide to make that your main plan?” asked Twilight.

“I think you already know quite well what made us decide to do that,” said Elderflower.

A lump formed in Twilight’s throat. Yes, she had a pretty good idea of what had prompted Elderflower to decide to attack the Royal Palace. Princess Celestia’s sweep of Equestria with the Royal Guard, the sting to take down the Cult Solar, had almost completely depleted the Palace’s marepower. With the bare minimum of ponies around for security, even a small force would have encountered relatively little resistance.

"It was truly a stroke of good fortune," said Elderfloower, "Even with that, there were some difficulties. I'm told that Princess Luna nearly put a stop to things."

I can't even begin to imagine how they got past her, thought Twilight. She was fairly certain that Elderflower wouldn't tell her, even if she asked. Instead, she focused on the real problem now. "What do you intend to do with the Elements?"

Elderflower took another bite of his pasta before answering. "The plan is relatively simple. By taking the Elements, we have accomplished two things. Firstly, we executed an abrupt and violent attack on the Royal Palace without being caught. Secondly, we've secured the most powerful magical artifacts in the nation, if not the world. What do you think the average commoner will think when she finds out those things occurred and the Princesses were powerless to stop them?"

Twilight shivered at the thought. There would be serious unrest, if not outright panic. Ponies would have their faith in the security and effectiveness of Equestria's government completely undermined. To make matters worse, with the bulk of the Royal Guard still out on Celestia's sting operation, there would be practically nopony to enforce order in Canterlot, which would only fan the flames even further.

"Naturally, the Princesses will be occupied with securing Canterlot for quite a while," said Elderflower casually, not seeming to care one wit about the suffering such a state of affairs would cause, "In the meantime, we shall take the Elements and put them to good use."

"Good use?" asked Twilight.

"Yes," said Elderflower, pausing to take another sip of his wine, "Think about it. Even though, including yourself, there were only two unicorns amongst your number, you managed to defeat Nightmare Moon and seal away Discord. Imagine what the Elements will be capable of when they are assigned to ponies who can make the fullest use of their capabilities."

"You have ponies in mind?" asked Twilight, raising a critical eyebrow. She already had a pretty good idea of what Elderflower was getting at.

"Yes," replied Elderflower, "My associates and I are in the process of identifying the finest spellcasters to come out of prominent magic schools, including the School for Gifted Unicorns here in Canterlot. Naturally, you are at the top of that list. Once we have our candidates, we shall bestow the Elements upon them. Then, we shall move to quell the unrest within the city and move forward to confront the Princesses with our new Element Bearers. With that power on our side, even if the Princesses ultimately refuse to recognize our rights as the true rulers of Equestria, we will have the leverage to force the issue if such a thing truly becomes necessary."

Twilight couldn't quite conceal her disgust with the stallion sitting in front of her. It was just as well that she was feeling so disgusted with him as it was keeping her from slamming her hoof into her face at the stupidity of his plan. While it was fairly solid, she could easily see why Elderflower had originally left it as a last resort. Even if he and his cronies had the Elements on their side, even if they managed to use them to defeat the Princesses or seal them away or whatever, they were still looking at years, if not decades of civil unrest as ponies across Equestria resisted the forced transition of power taking place in Canterlot. Of course, more importantly, all of that hinged on the Elements of Harmony working the way Elderflower thought they worked. That single, gaping hole in his plan would bring his entire scheme crumbling down whether she did anything or not. Twilight was actually seriously tempted to let him actually try so he could see just how ridiculous a farce his ideas were.

But that wouldn't help her or Coco Pommel. Nor would it help with the unrest sown by Elderflower's actions the past few days. It also wouldn't bring any justice for the victims of Elderflower's or the other nobles' schemes these past few years. Besides, Twilight wanted the satisfaction of bringing down this creep herself.

"So...what do you think?" asked Elderflower, "I can understand that you probably have your reservations about this. You are still possessed of that commoner sentimentality after all. Despite that, I do believe that you are the best choice for leading the new Element Bearers when we bring true harmony to Equestria."

"I need to think about it," Twilight demurred, "This is a lot to take in at once."

"By all means, take your time," said Elderflower, "This is a decision not to be made lightly. Admittedly, we are on a bit of a tight schedule, as I wish to strike while the iron is hot. But I understand that there will be some delays in the Royal Guard's return to Canterlot. That should afford us some time to stir the pot as it were."

"I'm sure it will," said Twilight, her eyes narrowing. Her plans for escaping and thwarting Elderflower had just gotten much more complicated.

Draining the remainder of his glass, Elderflower used his magic to levitate it up, signaling a servant to come refill it. "But enough about that. Let us enjoy the remainder of our dinner."

Twilight suppressed a sigh as she settled in for the remainder of the meal, not looking forward to the Baron's notions of what would pass for polite conversation in the slightest.

A low whirring noise filled the air as a steel-gray blur whizzed about the room. The room was one of many just like it found throughout the Palace. At some times, it served as an auxiliary ballroom, at others a banquet hall, or even a convention center of sorts. The important thing was that it was very large and open, with plenty of space to work with, which was exactly what Rumble needed as he put the meteor hammer through its paces.

Training was about all that Rumble had to do right now. Princess Celestia had arrived that morning, before he’d even woken up. She had immediately sequestered herself, Arkenstone, and Shining Armor away in a conference room, apparently discussing the current situation and what to do about it. Rumble and Scootaloo had been left to their own devices. Rumble thought Scootaloo might be training as well, but wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he had to do his best to be ready when Arkenstone finally decided to act.

Rumble's training weapon was a knotted rope. While an appropriate facsimile of the real thing, the live weapon felt considerably different to the colt. It had its own slight differences to weight and balance that made using it a different experience for him. Rumble really wished he'd gotten a few chances to swing the real thing around before he'd "borrowed" it from an incapacitated Storm Front's room. He certainly appreciated the difference between the two. A knotted rope, if mishandled, would leave behind stinging pain and bruises, but the metal weight of the live weapon would probably break his bones if he slipped up with it.

Princess Cadance had been all too happy to grant Rumble the space to practice with his weapon. He needed to get used to it before he ended up in a real fight. Rumble was fully aware just how far behind Scootaloo, to say nothing of Arkenstone, he was. He'd been reluctant to go along with Scootaloo's plan to accompany the stallion to Canterlot in the first place. There was no way he was ready for real combat yet. But Rumble was determined not to be an impediment to Scootaloo and Arkenstone. At the very least, with Dawn out of commission, Rumble saw it as a responsibility on his part to keep an eye on Scootaloo, even if she was stronger than him, if only to try and curb her more reckless tendencies.

As he finished with his latest form, Rumble caught the weight deftly, finally feeling a bit more comfortable with the dangerous weapon. He wished he was even half as skilled as Storm Front was with it. The dark-gray stallion had occasionally shown Rumble how the weapon could be merged with the user's natural pegasus magic, manipulating the air around it. Storm Front could use his magic to produce powerful shockwaves that could deal blows to a target's inner organs, past most ordinary defenses, or disrupt an opponent's sense of balance by transmitting vibrations into their inner ear. But Rumble was a long ways away from being that capable.

As he panted softly, getting his breath back for another practice run, he heard a faint clopping of hooves over by the door. Looking over, Rumble was shocked to see the willowy form of Princess Cadance as she made her way towards him.

"Oh!...Ah!..." Rumble was at a bit of a loss about what to do, but settled for bowing deeply to the approaching member of royalty, only to get his forelegs tangled up in his weapon's cord and go sprawling across the floor.

"Oh my," said Cadance, bringing a hoof to her mouth when she saw Rumble's accident. She was barely able to stifle the giggle that threatened to emerge at the colt's expense. Instead, she gently lifted Rumble up off the floor with her magic, allowing him to untangle the meteor hammer from around his legs.

"Th-thank you um...Princess..."

"Just Cadance, please," said Cadance with a smile as she set Rumble back down, "I can understand that you're a bit nervous. But please don't worry about being formal with me. Before long, I will have to move to the Crystal Empire and officially rule there. I suspect that I will deal with all the formalities I can stand when that happens."

"Okay...um...Cadance," said Rumble, blushing slightly at the fact that he was referring to an actual princess in such familiar terms.

This time, Cadance was unable to keep from giggling. She ran a hoof through Rumble's mane. "Thank you," she said, "I can see why Sweetie Belle likes you so much."

Rumble's blush intensified. "You...um...know about that?"

"Of course I do," said Cadance, "She looked so happy with you at the Winter Gala. Besides..." She tapped her horn. "...Love Princess, remember?"

"Oh...right," said Rumble.

"I saw you practicing," she said, "You were amazing."

"Th-thanks," said Rumble, looking away, "I-I'm still just a beginner really. I'm not used to using the real thing yet and...I haven't actually been in a real f-fight with it before." It would have been an outright lie to say that Rumble had never fought before. But the schoolyard scuffles that foals inevitably found themselves in couldn't even begin to compare to real combat, something Rumble was painfully aware of.

"Yes, I can tell," said Cadance with a wink, "I can understand your feelings. You don't feel ready for this at all. You understand you don't have any experience with real fights. You're fully aware of your limitations. But that's a good thing."

"It is?" asked Rumble, looking up in surprise.

Cadance smiled down at him before using a wing to draw Rumble to her side. She began to gently lead him towards the doors of the room. "It is," she said, "It's important that you know what you can and can't do, when you might be out of your depth. It helps you to maintain a proper perspective and then use what you can do to fulfill your goals. In that respect, I think that you might be further along than even Scootaloo is."

"I...um...I hadn't thought of it like that," said Rumble.

"Let me ask you something," said Cadance, "Even though you know that you're not ready for a real fight, even though you're fully aware of just how inexperienced you are, how little practice you have with that weapon, why did you come here?"

"I...I..." Rumble mulled it over. Scootaloo had been the one to approach him about going to Canterlot with Arkenstone. Rumble had seen for himself just how much pain the blind stallion was in at times. Arkenstone hid it well, but the battle with Terra had taken its toll and Arkenstone still needed time to recover fully.

Also, there was Scootaloo to consider. She was stronger and more experienced than him. She'd taken on a deranged cultist and even exchanged blows with Perlin Bluestreak, who had fought evenly with Dawn on multiple occasions. But even with that gap between them, Rumble thought it was a bad idea to leave the orange filly to her own devices. Right now, he was the only pony who had any hope of watching Scootaloo's back as they embarked on whatever ridiculously dangerous endeavor this turned out to be.

"I came...because I felt I had a responsibility," he said finally.

"What responsibility?" asked Cadance as she continued to guide the gray colt down the hall.

"To do...something...anything. Scootaloo's right that we're the only ones who can help Arkenstone right now. He's worse off than he lets on. Both Storm Front and Red River are too hurt to fight, Dawn's still waiting for his magic to come back, those two griffons have to stay near Fluttershy." Rumble shook his head. "I'm not ready for this...but..."

"But what?" asked Cadance, watching Rumble closely.

"But...when will I be ready? That's the question I keep asking." Rumble lowered his gaze to the marble floor passing under his hooves as they walked. "I'm not ready now. But will I be ready a couple months from now...or a couple years...when? I'm afraid that...if I say that and use it as a reason to not do something when I really should do something, then I'll keep using it, no matter how far down the road it is. Even if I'm not ready right now, I still need to do something...because I'm one of the few ponies who can."

A tear trickled down Cadance's cheek. These little ones all grow up so fast. I'm sure his teacher would be proud to hear him now. "I see," she said.

Their walk brought them to the door of the guest room that Rumble was using while he and the others were staying at the Palace. These weren’t the larger suites Twilight and her friends had been given when they had visited for Hearth’s Warming, but were quite comfortable all the same, individual rooms of the sort one might find in a fairly decent hotel. Scootaloo had the room next door and Arkenstone’s room was just across the hall. The rooms also had the advantage of being situated fairly close to the staff sections of the Palace used by the Royal Guard, including Shining Armor’s office. They were often used to house various officers and officials from other branches of the Guard when they came to the Palace on official business.

“Um…” Rumble looked at the door, having been too absorbed by his thoughts and the conversation itself to realize where Cadance had been leading him. He only just now realized that Cadance had brought him back to his room.

“Rest is an important part of training too,” said Cadance with a giggle, “It’s getting late and a growing boy like you should be in bed if you want to really realize the fruits of your training.”

“Oh…okay.” In reality, Rumble was feeling quite tired. But his anxiety about what he was doing had driven him to keep practicing, even when he should have given up for the evening.

Leaning down, Cadance gently nuzzled the top of Rumble’s head, a gesture of affection not dissimilar to what Flitter would do when Rumble was at home. Rumble felt faintly cold as he realized just how much he missed Flitter and the rest of his family now.

“Before you go to bed,” said Cadance, pulling away, “I’d like to do something for you.”

“What?” asked Rumble, looking up at her with wide eyes.

“I’d like to offer you a…blessing…of sorts, a love blessing, if you will,” said Cadance, her smile widening slightly.

“Uh…but is this really the time?” asked Rumble, his cheeks turning a very bright shade of red as he looked away bashfully.

To his surprise, Cadance broke out into a fit of laughter. It took her a minute to rein in her mirth before she finally went back to smiling at Rumble. “Oh, not with Sweetie Belle. You’re on your own with her for the time being. I don’t think you’re quite ready for that kind of love anyway. I’m talking about a different sort.”

Rumble blinked. “There’s a different sort?”

“Of course,” replied Cadance with a wink, “There are all different sorts of love. The love between two ponies is important, of course. It’s one of the most beautiful and my favorite kind of love. But there are plenty of other kinds.

“There’s the love ponies have for the precious objects they have in their lives, particularly if those objects have some sort of special meaning. There’s the love ponies have for what they do when they are following their passions. In a sense, you could even say that love is the root of a pony’s cutie mark. And those are only two examples.

“I may not be a warrior or a soldier, but I’ve spent plenty of time around those sorts of ponies. It comes with the territory when your husband is Captain of the Royal Guard. I’ve found that warriors, especially those who’ve truly mastered their weapons, share a special bond with their chosen weapon, often like the love they might have for another pony. It isn’t romantic, maybe closer to familial, but it’s still a kind of love, a bond of trust and understanding between two parties. To a true warrior, a weapon is not merely an inanimate object to be wielded, it is a dear companion, to be trusted, respected, and understood.

“For some warriors, the weapon in question isn’t even an actual object, but a polished skill, like Arkenstone and his magic or Scootaloo and the Gale King. Sometimes it’s a concept or idea. But, all the same, it’s something that ponies put their faith and love in. Believe it or not, that kind of love falls under the purview of my magic as well.”

Cadance pressed a hoof to the coil of the meteor hammer that was wrapped around Rumble’s right foreleg. “You were practicing today because this is a weapon you aren’t totally familiar with yet. It isn’t just that its weight and heft are different from the training version. It doesn’t feel quite right because it’s not your weapon…yet. That kind of bond is forged through constant training and relying on it during those dark times when you can rely on nothing else.

“My magic is powerful when used in the right ways, but it can’t make up all that time and experience for you. What it can do is open your heart and help you learn to accept this weapon as a companion and a part of you. It’s not much, but I think it’ll help you a little when the time finally comes for you to fight. Does this sound all right to you?”

Rumble was silent for a few minutes as he stared pensively at the door to his room. Finally, he looked up at Cadance and nodded. “Yeah,” he said, “I think I’d like that.”

“Good,” said Cadance, gently pushing open the door, “I’ll cast the magic on you now, so that it’ll take effect during the night. When you wake up in the morning, go through your training like usual. I think you’ll start to notice the difference fairly quickly. It’ll also help if you take that meteor hammer with you when you sleep. Just…” She gave the weapon a cautionary look. “…make sure it’s nice and secure so that you don’t accidentally strangle yourself if you end up tossing and turning.”

“Okay,” said Rumble, looking down at his weapon.

“Ready?” asked Cadance.

Rumble stepped in front of her before turning to face her. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, clearing his thoughts as he looked Cadance right in the eye. “Yeah.”

The shimmer of magic began to dance along the length of Cadance’s horn. “Here we go then,” she said.

Her magic gathered at the tip of her horn before changing shape and color into the form of a glowing blue heart that then drifted down towards rumble. As it touched against his forehead, it burst with a small pop. Rumble felt a feeling of warmth wash through him. Then he felt the cord of the meteor hammer wrapped around his foreleg. It felt as though the weapon was glowing hot. Strangely, it wasn’t a painful, burning sensation, but a comforting one. Rumble swore he could feel every thread woven into the cord pressed against his fur and skin. He could feel the heft of the steel weight as it rested near his hoof, now feeling somewhat familiar and welcome, rather than foreign.

The feeling began to fade and Rumble felt his eyelids begin to droop.

“Sleep well,” said Cadance. Leaning down, she gently kissed Rumble’s forehead before backing out the door and shutting it slowly.

“Goodnight,” said Rumble as he watched it click shut. Turning around, he went through his evening routine, brushing his teeth, using the bathroom, and so on, before climbing into bed and pulling the covers up to his chin. Not even thinking about uncoiling the meteor hammer from around his hoof. As Rumble’s eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep, he dreamed by remembering the first time he had seen that graceful weapon in action, remembering Storm Front swinging it through the clouds.

In her own room, Scootaloo opened the saddlebags she'd brought with her. It took a few seconds of rummaging, but she ultimately found what she was looking for. It was a strip of fabric, dyed the same grayish-purple as her eyes. It was smooth to the touch and shimmered faintly under the light hanging on the ceiling above. It was thin and supple, resembling little more than a ribbon. However, the ends of the strip terminated in bundles of a lighter, more feathery weave of the fabric, giving it the impression of something akin to a very thin scarf. It was a gift from Rarity.

A couple months ago, Perlin Bluestreak had forced Coco Pommel to let him into the Carousel Boutique in order to steal a sample of Rarity's new shimmersilk. The plan had ultimately failed and Perlin made his escape amidst the sounds of screaming and breaking glass. Scootaloo had noticed and had gone to confront him, leading to a brief, yet intense battle in the skies over Ponyville. During the battle, she had knocked Perlin's prize, the strip of shimmersilk he'd stolen, away from him and recovered it. That hadn't exactly been her intention at the time, considering Scootaloo hadn't even known about the theft when she had confronted Perlin. However, it had been a relief to Rarity and Coco when she had returned the stolen good to them.

In hindsight, Scootaloo had come to accept that her actions that night had been incredibly reckless and she had deserved Dawn's scolding afterwards, despite the brief falling out that had resulted between them. However, when she'd brought the strip of fabric back to Rarity, Scootaloo had realized something else upon seeing the looks of relief on Rarity's and Coco's faces. She'd realized what should have been truly important about the fights she picked, why Dawn got in the fights that he did. She'd realized that, if she was going to pick fights with other ponies, she needed to do it for the right reasons, not simply because they were there and she vaguely thought of that particular pony as an enemy.

In a gesture of thanks, Rarity had made a few modifications to the strip of fabric, turning it into the ribbon Scootaloo was looking at now. As she looked at it, Scootaloo allowed her mind to go back to the memory of the look on Coco Pommel's face when she saw that the stolen fabric had been returned. If I'm gonna put myself at risk, it needs to be for things like that, thought Scootaloo. Coco and Twilight had been taken by somepony and Scootaloo wanted to help get them back. If he weren't still waiting for his magic to recover, undoubtedly, Dawn would be here now in her place. But he wasn't recovered yet. So Scootaloo had decided that she needed to come instead. She was probably being reckless and inconsiderate of the risks. But, as she looked at the ribbon draped across her hooves, she truly felt that she was doing the right thing. Wherever Coco and Twilight were, they probably weren't smiling now. Scootaloo intended to do whatever she could to put smiles back on their faces...

...And if the process of doing so involved pounding flat the face of whoever was responsible for taking them, so much the better.

With a sigh, Scootaloo put the ribbon back away and crawled into bed. However much she wanted to get out and just do something, there was nothing for her to do until Arkenstone figured out just who had taken Twilight and Coco and where they were hiding her. She hoped that the pony that Shining Armor had put on the job came back with some answers soon.

As the night grew darker and the shadows lengthened, the ponies tending to Elderflower's estate began to go through the process of wrapping up their work for the day. Lamps were lit, illuminating the estate's gardens and flowerbeds, but also providing light for the patrols by Elderflower's mares at arms. His guards moved like clockwork about the grounds in pairs, treading between rows of colorful flowers one moment and walking carefully around the outer wall the next. It was rather dull, monotonous work. Night after night, the same routine played out again and again. Such was the routine of providing security during the nights that the distraction posed by an attempted infiltration, whether by thieves or by spies, would be welcome by the guards.

However, despite their boredom, they did not allow their thoughts to wander and remained focused on their work. The Baron was notorious for his dislike of ponies who were subpar at their jobs. A breach in security was likely to be met by the dismissal of everypony on that particular shift, whether they shared the responsibility or not. Said ex-guards would find themselves blacklisted and unable to find work in Canterlot or any other major city again. Luckily, such occurrences were rare and Elderflower moderated his decisions according to the circumstances...if the intruder was caught.

The guards had other reasons to be on edge this night. Elderflower was no fool. He knew full well that keeping his direct employees out of the loop would be counterproductive, particularly if any of them wondered why a large number of deadly-looking ponies had taken up temporary residence in the manor. They knew full well that they were hosting the mercenaries who had brazenly launched an attack on the Royal Palace and made off with the most important artifacts in Equestrian history. They also knew that the slightest thought of reporting this to anypony in authority would likely be met with a swift death before they were able to carry such an action. Elderflower's mercenaries were also functioning as extra eyes and ears amongst his staff as they moved through the manor, making sure that nopony harbored any thoughts of betraying the Baron at this important juncture.

Elderflower's guards were wary and alert. But that alertness was primarily focused on looking for intruders coming from without. Unfortunately for them, they were poorly prepared for somepony who was already within their perimeter. As the night deepened, Shade Steel silently went to work.

Author's Notes:

This is yet another example of that one character I created to be a one-time antagonist forcing her way back into the story and essentially taking on a life of her own.

Next chapter: Perlin has a very...interesting experience.

Sneaking and Slinking

Chapter 10: Sneaking and Slinking

Off to one corner of the grounds belonging to the Baron was a garage. Normally it only housed Elderflower's personal carriage, which he used to travel to destinations around the city in comfort and style. However, right now it held two other carriages; heavier, armored carriages that could be used to transport prisoners or soldiers. They belonged to the Banehammer mercenaries currently employed by the Baron. The garage was convenient for keeping the two carriages that had been visibly used in the attack on the Royal Palace out of sight.

From beneath one of the carriages slipped a silent shadow. The dark-gray pegasus mare carefully crept along the floor of the garage until she could look out and see the grounds that were visible from her position. She hadn't dared to attempt her infiltration the previous night and had instead spent her time observing the positions of the guards and marking their patrol paths. The fact that the guards moved like clockwork might have appealed to the orderly sensibilities of Baron Elderflower, but it also served to make the patrol patterns predictable. Shade Steel had only just peeked her head out and she could already see that the guards were walking exactly the same patrols they had the previous night. She could tell where these ponies were with her eyes closed.

Not that it made the infiltration all that much easier. The grounds were a collection of broad, flat lawns and low flowerbeds, nothing that could serve as effective cover when she made her approach to the manor. Elderflower was distinctly more pragmatic in comparison to many of his peers, considering that many of them decorated their own grounds with tall hedges, large statues, and even small stands of trees that would have worked perfectly for hiding and skulking. Sadly, none of that was to be found here. Shade would have to be extremely careful on her approach.

The lamps added difficulty as well. They were shorter than average so that their light washed out at a shallow angle. Thus, in addition to providing light for the guards to see by, the lamps also threw ponies into stark relief as they walked along the grounds. The long shadows cast were easily visible from all the way across the yard and it would be easy to spot a single shadow moving against the clockwork pattern used by the guards.

Shade moved her eyes around, examining the situation as carefully as she could. She felt distinctly unprepared for this action. She was completely unarmed. The combat knife and the long, thin throwing blades she normally concealed in her feathers were absent. If she'd had a little longer after receiving the assignment from Shining Armor to prepare, she was fairly certain the Captain would have allowed her to reequip herself in preparation for the mission. But the Banehammers' attack on the Palace had proven to be too urgent an opportunity to pass up. Shade had barely managed to slip by the strangely alert unicorn guarding the carriages and conceal herself beneath one before the raiding party made it back.

On the other hoof, a corpse or a guard going mysteriously missing would blow her cover as surely as being spotted would, if a little less suddenly. So perhaps it was for the best if the option of violence was closed to her for the time being.

Technically, Shade didn't need to do anything more. She had determined exactly who the Banehammers worked for. She could have run back to Shining Armor at any time since the previous day to make her report and finish up. Shining Armor would likely take care of the rest. However, Shade wasn't satisfied simply playing pointer for the Royal Guard. If she was going to do this job, she would do it to the best of her abilities. First, she needed to determine if Twilight Sparkle and the other mare foalnapped from Ponyville were being held here. Once she did that, she needed to assess the situation so that she could help Shining Armor determine what sort of intervention was required. If they went about it the wrong way, Elderflower could probably slip away with the Elements, his hostages, or both. That was unacceptable.

Taking a few extra minutes, Shade continued her observations of the guard patrols to ensure that they weren't going to suddenly change up the pattern on her. It was something she'd dealt with on previous missions for the SES. Competent guards changed their routines and altered their schedules slightly to avoid being predictable. However, Elderflower's mares at arms were not that competent.

Shade waited for the right time, the largest window she had to act with, the greatest period of time that nopony would be watching the ground between the garage and the mansion. There was no cover to slip behind, so she would have to cross all that distance in one go, without casting a shadow that would catch somepony's eye.

I haven't used this move in a while, thought Shade as she slowly lowered herself down to the ground, Time to see if I can still pull it off. Her legs bent and she sank down into a crouch, then sank down lower still, until her belly was less than an inch away from the garage's floor. In addition to using her legs, she braced her wingtips and feathers against the ground. Then, she waited just a little bit longer, until a pair of armored ponies strolled past her position. This was her chance! Shade set off.

Had anypony been looking on from above, she would have looked like a giant lizard or, worse, a giant cockroach as she skittered across the estate's lawn, using her legs and wings in tandem, all six limbs splayed out to hold her body as low as equinely possible, to carry herself forward as the grass below tickled her belly. Down this low, Shade wasn't casting much of a shadow, even as she passed near one of the lamps. Up ahead, her goal, a side entrance for servants, loomed closer and closer with each passing second.

Before she was even halfway across, Shade was already regretting that she hadn't worked more to keep in shape while she'd been acting as Princess Luna's maid. Her legs and wings were burning from the exertion. This was not a natural position or method of locomotion for a pony. It had taken several months of training back when she'd first been initiated into the SES for Shade to actually get the technique down. There'd been a time when she could've done it as naturally as walking, but that had been back before she had resigned from the Guard.

Nonetheless, she pressed onward. She was committed now, for more reasons that one. If she was spotted, then Elderflower would be alerted to the fact that somepony was onto him and would probably take actions to cover his tracks. Whatever they might be, they promised to be unpleasant for the ponies in his custody. Now that she was committed, she had to get in, do her job and get out with nopony the wiser. For this to work, Elderflower and his cronies had to be left completely unaware that they'd been marked.

The burning sensation in Shade's muscles intensified and she felt as though she either needed to lay down or stand up, anything to put an end to the strain. But she grit her teeth and pushed past through the sensation, urging herself onward. There was the door! Pausing, Shade allowed herself a second to look around and make absolutely sure that nopony had seen her yet. The guards were still moving as they were before, with no changes in their posture or actions that indicated that they'd seen something. However, it would only be another few seconds before another pair rounded the corner of the mansion, which would result in them looking right at her. A tremor of fear ran through Shade's limbs. If she was off by the slightest bit, if those guards were only a couple of steps ahead of her estimation, then it would be over for her.

But there was no time for hesitation on her part. Shade quickly reached for the doorknob. She'd already observed servants entering and leaving, noting that the door was left unlocked for their convenience. Perhaps it was a mistake born of laziness. Perhaps Elderflower just had that much faith in the alertness of his guards. In either case, this was Shade's way in. Her fetlock curled around the brass knob and turned it, another tremor of fear running through her-what if she was wrong? Shade forced it down and twisted the knob. It turned and the door opened. Shade ducked inside and turned to pull the door shut behind her, careful to slow it down at the last second, turning the knob so that it swung shut without so much as a click before letting the knob return to its original position.

Once inside, Shade looked around to make sure she was alone. This was the entrance primarily used by the groundskeepers. It was also occasionally used as a convenient side entrance by servants making runs to a different part of the estate, which was apparently why it was kept unlocked, even at this time of night. Looking around, Shade could see racks of tools; shears, hoes, rakes, and bags of fertilizer. Nopony would be spending any time in this room at this time of night, save to pass through it going in or out.

Knowing that it might only be a matter of time before somepony had to enter or leave, Shade crossed through the room to the door on the other side. Slowly, Shade opened it a crack so that she could look through. As she did, she strained her ears for the sound of hoofsteps, thanking Celestia (and Luna) that the hallway floor outside was polished wood. If it had been carpet, hearing somepony coming would have been much more difficult. Moving across hard surfaces without making a sound with one's hooves was a skill that Shade had spent several years mastering. She doubted anypony among Elderflower's servants would need such a skill. She could only hope that he didn't have somepony less-savory and similarly-skilled to her walking about at night.

Once she was certain she didn't hear anypony coming, Shade opened the door wider and leaned her head out, looking up and down the hall to make sure that nopony was coming. As late as it was, most of the servants had probably retired to bed, now that their master was unlikely to need them until the next day. Shade resolved to move with caution anyway. In a larger household, she might be able to steal a uniform and masquerade as a maid while she moved (heavens knew, she'd certainly gotten a lot of practice in acting like a maid lately). But the Baron, a relatively low rank in the Noble Court, would have a smaller staff, where ponies likely recognized each other on sight. A new face would be noticed instantly. She'd just have to stay out of sight then.

Her hooves not making the slightest sound against the hardwood floor, Shade set off down the hallway, her eyes examining the door to every room she came across as she cross-checked it against the mental map of the mansion she was building as she went.

Nobles used a fairly predictable layout for their abodes, depending on the style of architecture. The main entryway and the ballroom were usually on the first floor, bisecting the center of the building, with the grand dining room usually adjacent. The hallways off to the sides on the first floor usually led to the parts of the mansion not meant to be seen by outsiders, places like kitchens, cleaning closets, and supply rooms. The basement levels were generally used as barracks by the noble's on-duty mares at arms.

The second story was generally occupied by rooms that were still used by visitors and outsiders, but provided a more intimate setting; rooms like offices, maybe a conservatory, or a smaller dining room of some sort. Above them on the third floor were usually the bedrooms used by the home's owner and any visitors (Or prisoners, Shade thought to herself darkly.) to the manor. Above that, on the fourth floor, would be the servants' quarters.

If there was any substantial evidence of the Baron's crimes to be found, it would probably be on the second floor. However, Twilight Sparkle and the other mare abducted from Ponyville would likely be on the third floor. Nobles like Elderflower were notoriously fond of the "honored guest" routine for simultaneously confining and mocking their prisoners. Shade decided to start with the second floor, then work her way up to the third, if she had a chance.

Still moving like a silent wraith down the halls, Shade made her way deeper into enemy territory.

Twilight Sparkle let out a breath she hadn’t even been aware she’d been holding as she slumped down onto the bed. It felt as though she’d been holding it in all evening. Surprisingly, making polite conversation with Baron Elderflower had been strangely…normal…compared to the discussion they’d had right before that. He had chatted about a variety of topics, from fine wines to asking Twilight for some stories about her adventures and even showing a modicum of curiosity about the magical research she conducted. The fact that the conversation was so normal only made it seem more eerily disturbing when juxtaposed with the overall context of her situation.

As she tried to relax, Twilight thought about how the situation had gotten much more complicated. Now, not only did she have Coco to worry about, but the Elements of Harmony as well. At the very least, Twilight had to work out a means of securing the Elements or, barring that, making absolutely sure that they couldn’t be used by Elderflower or his cronies (she was a bit more confident on the latter point, thinking she might not actually need to do anything at all). Pursing her lips, Twilight worked on coming up with her plan of action. She knew what Elderflower was up to now, so there was no need to delay much longer.

Her time spent planning was interrupted by a polite, timid knock on the door. Looking up, Twilight smiled. “Come in,” she called.

The door swung open and Coco Pommel came in. “I-I came to see if you n-needed anything before b-bed tonight,” she said.

Fighting hard to stop a triumphant grin from spreading across her face, Twilight nodded. This is perfect. “Actually,” she said, “I could use your help. I’d like to take a bath and brush my mane before bed, but…” She sighed. “I’m having a really hard time managing the brush without my magic. Maybe you could help me.”

Coco brightened up a bit at the prospect of being able to do something. Aside from bringing Twilight her meals, Coco’s role largely seemed to revolve around being comforted by the older mare while she sniffled and sniveled like a helpless foal. Even if it was only brushing a mane, Coco was glad to be able to contribute something.

“Come on then,” said Twilight, heading into the bathroom with Coco a short distance behind her.

After Coco was through the door, Twilight shut it, cutting off any chance the observers most likely watching from behind the bedroom mirror had of seeing what she was about to do. She’d already double-checked to make sure no such secret observation chambers were in the bathroom. The only surveillance was a bevy of listening spells, once again anchored in the bathroom’s corners. Having assessed their sensitivity, Twilight now knew what she could do to thwart them.

First, she went to the bath and turned the faucet, sending a stream of water cascading into the large tub with a loud gushing noise. It was actually loud enough that Twilight and Coco would have to raise their voices to be heard over the water. However, that was only if they were holding a normal conversation.

Turning to Coco, Twilight gave the younger mare an encouraging smile and held a hoof to her lips. Coco’s eyes widened…and then widened even further as the golden band of Twilight’s arcanasteel ring appeared on her horn. The silvery aura caused by Twilight’s magic as it was channeled through the ring wove through the air around them, forming a dome that warped their view of everything outside, as though they were looking out through a bubble. The sound of water from the tub’s faucet became muted.

“M-Ms. Twilight! What…?” Coco gaped unashamedly as she looked at the magical construct. She might not have been a unicorn, but even she could recognize the inhibitor ring on Twilight’s horn, resting just above the arcanasteel band.

“We don’t have a lot of time. I need to make this quick,” said Twilight, looking around the room.

Her privacy spell would keep the sound of their voices from being picked up by the listening spells in the bathroom. But the ponies on the other end of those spells would grow suspicious if they heard absolutely nothing from Twilight or Coco for an extended period of time. Maybe, if she’d put more work into studying illusion and glamour magic, Twilight could have constructed an illusory conversation between herself and Coco for the listening spells to pick up instead of the conversation they were actually having. But Twilight was no Trixie Lulamoon. Even with her almost universal affinity to nearly every form of magic under the sun and moon, Twilight couldn’t simply cast a set of spells she’d never studied before.

That was assuming such a spell could even be cast under these circumstances. The arcanasteel ring was a powerful tool and its capabilities had given Twilight the ability to turn her captors’ beliefs and expectations on their heads. But it was far from a perfect substitute for her horn. Working magic through the ring always felt one step removed to Twilight, like she was slightly disconnected from the spells she was weaving. It had taken her three tries to be absolutely sure that the detoxification spell she’d cast for dinner earlier had been cast correctly. A more complex spell, like a full auditory illusion, would have taken an impractically long time to cast under these circumstances.

“Listen carefully,” said Twilight, resting her hooves on Coco’s shoulders, “I meant it when I said that I was getting us out of here. But there’s something else that I need to do.”

“What?” asked Coco, deciding not to waste time with pointless questions. At this point, all she could really do was believe in Twilight.

“Elderflower sent his goons to attack the Royal Palace yesterday,” said Twilight, her statement eliciting a shocked gasp from Coco, “They’ve stolen the Elements of Harmony.”

Coco shivered slightly. She’d never expected Baron Elderflower to do something so…drastic.

“Before we break out of here, I need to know where the Elements are,” said Twilight, “Do you think you could help me find them?”

Shivering, Coco hesitantly nodded. Then she paused, remembering something she’d seen the previous day. “I-I think I may know where they are.”

“Where?” asked Twilight, unconsciously tightening her hold on Coco’s shoulders.

“A-a while ago, G-Greenblight and his ponies c-came in through the front door,” said Coco, “Th-they were carrying some sort of large chest. I th-think they took it down to the basement.”

“The basement…” Twilight thought about it for the moment. In most manors like this, the basement housed the barracks, but also the armory and supply rooms for the owner’s guards and security forces. She supposed it was as good a place as any to hide extremely important stolen artifacts…if Elderflower didn’t have any place lower down. Such a concern wouldn’t have been so troubling a year or two ago. But, in the wake of the changeling invasion and the discovery of the Crystal Caverns beneath Canterlot, Twilight would not have been surprised that some of the Noble Court, like Elderflower, had suddenly developed a passion for spelunking and mining. The caverns were a veritable maze beneath the city and through the mountain. If Elderflower had hidden the Elements down there, finding them while still looking after Coco’s wellbeing would be a much more difficult job.

Still, it was better than nothing. Looking back at the tub, Twilight saw that it was nearly full. Their conversation time was up. “All right,” she said, turning back to Coco and speaking quickly, “When I drop the spell, I need you to act as though nothing’s happened. There are listening spells all over both rooms. We’ll talk about regular things and act as though this never happened. Can you do that?”

Shakily, Coco nodded. “Um…about the Elements…maybe Perlin could help us.”

Taken aback by the suggestion, Twilight blinked in surprise. “Perlin?”

Coco nodded. "Yes...um...he could get down into the basement easier than I could. Maybe if I asked..."

Twilight thought it over, noting that time was quickly running out. If she didn't shut off the water soon, the tub would overflow. "Not yet," said Twilight, "But we'll keep him in mind." She could understand Coco's hopeful attitude. Perhaps Coco really was helping Perlin grow into a better pony. However, if Perlin's words the previous day were any indicator, then he was clearly still working for the Baron''s interests. She remembered, all too well, Dawn and Rainbow's descriptions of Perlin, of a young mercenary who took on jobs primarily for amusement more than anything else. Coco might have been getting through to him, but that didn't necessarily mean that Perlin was on their side just yet.

"O-okay..." said Coco.

"I'm dropping the spell now," said Twilight, "Remember, we have to talk like nothing happened."

"All right."

With a grunt, Twilight released the spell and her ring once again vanished from sight. The sounds of the bathroom came rushing back in and Twilight rushed to turn off the tub. "Oh! That was close! I got so carried away looking for the right shampoo I didn't even notice how full the tub was getting."

"I-it's okay," said Coco, the hitch in her voice prompting a wince from Twilight. Fortunately, given Coco's typically timid mannerisms, particularly in the context of their larger situation, it was hardly noticeable.

As Twilight bathed, Coco went through the preparations to work on her mane. The two of them chatted amicably about a variety of topics, from the work Coco had done for Rarity and Suri (in the process, nearly bringing Coco to tears once again) to what ideas Coco had for future designs. Twilight was impressed by the younger mare's acting skills. Coco kept the conversation going quite naturally. She supposed that spending several months pretending not to be an unwilling agent of Baron Elderflower who'd been scared out of her mind half the time had probably contributed to those skills.

They wrapped up for the evening and Twilight watched Coco head out the door before settling onto the covers of her bed, wanting to sleep, but having difficulties, thanks to her worries about whether or not any of Elderflower's ponies suspected anything. Still, Twilight managed to eventually drift off.

Shade moved swiftly and silently down the halls. She'd found a servants' staircase to ascend to the second levels. At one point, her travels brought her to a balcony that overlooked the Baron's ballroom, which stretched up into the second and third stories of the mansion. The balcony ran around the ballroom's upper perimeter, with a staircase on either side dropping down, allowing easy movement from one level to the other. Shade didn't dare follow the balcony around. The ballroom was one gigantic open space and anypony on one side could easily spot her on the other. There was a distinct lack of cover, save for the railings that ran around the balcony and the fact that the benches and seats on the second level were pressed up against the wall. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling would cast her shadow down to the floor if she tried to fly across. If anypony else came onto the balcony while Shade was making her way around or happened to glance up from the ground floor, the jig would be up.

Instead, she doubled back and took a hallway around. Fortunately, this one worked its way around the space taken up by the ballroom and made its way over to the other side of the mansion. As she moved, Shade carefully inspected each room she came across. Most of them were small sitting rooms, offices, and other such spaces, nothing important. As she came down the hallway on the other side of the ballroom, Shade noted a few doors that looked more ornate than the others. These were probably ones that the Baron reserved for his personal use, particularly when he wanted to impress others in a more intimate setting than some grand gala.

The first one she came to opened up into a sunroom with an impressive view looking out off the side of the mountain. She got the impression that the Baron liked this room very much, given the sparkling shine of the moon and stars glinting off the freshly cleaned table. It was clear he used this room often and had it cleaned often because of that.

Moving on a little further down the hall, Shade paused as she twitched, her ears perking up and forward. She picked up the faint drone of voices. They were not moving, which meant that nopony was about to come down the hall towards her. Instead, they were issuing from another door. Shade carefully stole up to the threshold and lowered herself down, tilting her head so that she could press her ear flush against the crack at the bottom of the door. Even as she did so, her other ear stuck almost straight up in the air, swiveling back and forth as she also listened up and down the hall for signs of anypony coming. Dividing her attention in such a way was a skill she'd worked hard to master.

"-think Dame Sparkle will come around eventually," a smooth, yet masculine, voice was saying. Shade surmised this was Elderflower.

"Eventually isn't good enough," declared the gruff voice of an unmistakably large pony, "Your little operation with the Elements has a limited window of opportunity. Once the Royal Guard get back from their field trip, the unrest in the city will be quelled and all you'll be is an audacious thief."

Shade frowned. She figured that this voice belonged to Greenblight, the large, scarred pegasus who led the Banehammers. The SES files on him indicated that he was a dangerous individual. But their overall assessment was that he depended largely on the backup of his subordinates to be effective. If anything, the Banehammers' second-in-command was considered to be the more dangerous pony on an individual level, even if Greenblight was the one making all of the decisions.

"Dame Sparkle's cooperation is not essential," said Elderflower, "If, ultimately, we are truly pressed for time, then I can simply select her replacement from one of the available candidates and we can continue on from there. Even if she will not use the Elements to further my goals, then I can still ultimately use her position as a close confidant of Princess Celestia later on."

"If you say so," said Greenblight dubiously.

"And what if none of your candidates can actually put the Elements to use?" inquired a younger voice. Shade's ear twitched as she heard it. She'd heard this voice before, in the hall at the Royal Palace, right before she'd slipped away to start her mission. This was the young stallion who'd attacked Shining Armor, Perlin Bluestreak, if she remembered correctly.

"I am certain that will not be the case," said Elderflower, a note of irritation tinging his voice, "Our candidates were culled from the brightest minds produced by magical institutions around Equestria. If anypony can unlock the secrets of the Elements and plumb their depths, it will be them."

"Still, it couldn't hurt to have some additional contingencies," suggested Perlin.

Elderflower's voice was an angry growl. "That's not-"

"For once, I agree with the boy. The outcome of your plan hinges on these artifacts you had us go to such lengths to acquire performing as expected." Greenblight was sounding surprisingly conciliatory for a stallion known to have such a fierce temper.

"I can understand that ponies like you probably have little appreciation for the depths of magic. However, I can assure you that you have nothing to be concerned about." Elderflower's frustration with his employees' skepticism was getting more and more pronounced.

"Surely, if the Elements of Harmony were so easy to use, Twilight Sparkle and her friends would have used them more than twice," Perlin pointed out, "While my knowledge of their history is rather spotty at best, I think there would have been plenty of cause for them to turn to the Elements in other situations...something about some dark unicorn up in the Crystal Empire, I think..."

Elderflower's sigh of frustration was audible out in the hallway. "That is because there is no way that Dame Sparkle and her...friends...could have used the Elements properly with only two unicorns amongst their number. A superior understanding of the magical arts is required to properly mold the forces unleashed by such powerful artifacts."

"If you say so..." Shade could practically hear Perlin shrug.

"Now then, do any of you have any other concerns you wish to bring up?" asked Elderflower. When silence greeted his inquiry, he spoke again. "Good. Perlin, you are dismissed for the evening. Master Greenblight, I wish to inspect our prize once again."

"Whatever you say, boss," said Greenblight.

"May I join you?" asked Perlin, "I would like to see for myself just what we've made so much of an effort to acquire."

"If that is what you wish," said Elderflower.

Shade heard the shuffling sound of hooves moving across carpet and she realized that they were heading for the door. She had only seconds before it opened and she was exposed. However, the hallway had nothing to hide behind, all the other doors were too far away for her to reach in time. Casting her eyes about, Shade fixated on the only possible direction she could go...Up!

The door opened and Elderflower strode out into the hall, Greenblight following along behind him, accompanied by the usually silent Inkwell. Behind them followed Perlin Bluestreak, his black cloak billowing slightly as he turned to follow the others down the hall. None of them bothered to look up, which was just as well, as they would have spotted Shade Steel, who'd wedged herself up against the arched ceiling, bracing her legs and wings.

In the brief seconds prior to the emergence of the Baron and his mercenary employees, Shade had darted up to the ceiling and lodged herself there. Then she'd slowed both her breathing and hear heartbeat, relaxing and erasing her presence completely. She counted herself lucky that she'd managed to finish in time. She was a bit out of practice after spending so many months working as a maid.

As she'd expected, Greenblight was indeed a menacing presence, his body seeming to overflow with power, only barely kept in check. But Inkwell was the truly frightening one of the pair, her soulless, black gaze being something that Shade had first noted when she'd snuck under the carriages. However, Perlin Bluestreak practically made Shade's senses buzz as he passed beneath her.

The young stallion couldn't have had as much experience as the two mercenaries in front of him, but something about Perlin struck Shade as genuinely threatening, causing her to mark him as the most dangerous of the three. Even though he was in the heart of what should have been safe territory for him, the young stallion maintained an active awareness of his surroundings. Shade counted herself lucky that he apparently couldn't sense the wind like Dawn could or he would have noticed her immediately. As it was, she would have to exercise great caution following the group while he was around.

Shade waited until the group reached a corner and turned around it before dropping to the floor. Moving swiftly and silently, she tailed behind them, always making sure to keep to something she could conceal herself behind should one of them happen to look back. Even as she did, she made sure to keep aware of her surroundings. It wouldn't do to hide herself from Elderflower and his allies if she was stumbled on by some random servant running an errand.

The group made their way down the hallways to one of the mansion's auxiliary stairways not unlike the one Shade had originally followed up to the second floor. She was careful to remain at least one full flight behind and above the group. They descended down past the first floor and into the basement. Once there, Elderflower opened the door and stepped inside.

Stepping down onto the basement level behind the group, Shade barely managed to get a glimpse of the basement through the door as it swung shut. She'd been rewarded by the sight of yet another hallway, this one lined by a large number of doors on both sides. She'd also seen the shapes of other ponies moving up and down the passage. This was the barracks, where Elderflower's guards and, apparently, his hired mercenaries currently resided.

Going any further would be extremely dangerous. This level of the house was occupied by trained soldiers and experienced fighters. If she made the slightest mistake, she'd be discovered and then everything she'd done would have been for naught. By all rights, she should have turned back and gone to make her report to Shining. She'd confirmed, via her eavesdropping on Elderflower's previous conversation, that both Twilight Sparkle and the Elements or Harmony were here in Elderflower's mansion. Even now, she had a good idea of where both Twilight and the Elements were. If she went any further, she risked throwing all that away.

Shade lifted a hoof and rested it against the door, taking a deep breath. Now was the time to make the decision. Her pride as a pony who'd once been an elite operative of the Royal Guard SES demanded that she follow through, that she discover every tidbit she could that might help Shining and preserve ponies' lives once he and the Royal Guard went into action. However, a more rational part at her urged her to withdraw, that she had done enough, that she shouldn't jeopardize the mission simply to satisfy her pride. She wasn't part of the SES anymore. She was a criminal, performing a task in exchange for her freedom.

In the end, it all came down to who she was doing this for. Shade closed her eyes and thought about Shining, his eyes full of barely concealed worry for his sister. She thought about Dawn and how he'd forgiven her for her crimes, even going so far as to invite her to join him and those close to him for breakfast on Hearth's Warming. She thought about Princess Luna, against whom she'd harbored a grudge for fabricated evils. Also, her mind turned to the figure of a little unicorn back in Ponyville, a filly who Shade needed to speak to once everything was said and done.

Shade considered all this and more, taking one last deep breath before looking silently at the door...and backing slowly away.

"Something caught your eye?" asked Greenblight, noticing that Perlin had been glancing back at the door to the stairwell.

Perlin blinked at the stallion's words before turning back. "No...nothing really. I'm just a little distracted."

Greenblight chuckled darkly. "You shouldn't let yourself get so easily distracted lad, or somepony might take that flighty head off yours off your shoulders."

"Perhaps," said Perlin, bushing off the implied threat with his usual lack of concern.

Greenblight snorted irritably at the failure of his barbs to sink in. Instead, he continued following in the wake of Elderflower as the group walked to one of the armories that shared space with the guards' quarters in the basement. Opening the door, Elderflower went inside and turned on the light.

The room normally housed spare weapons and pieces of armor. Right now, it was completely bare, everything having been cleared out to make room for the single, large chest that rested in the center of it. Using his magic, Elderflower flipped back the lid, allowing the light from above to illuminate the precious contents within.

There they were, the fabled six Elements of Harmony. Five golden necklaces and one golden tiara. Each one was inset with a gem of a particular shape and hue. They were works of art, exquisitely crafted. Just looking at them filled Elderflower with pride and satisfaction. They were his and, soon, they would be carried by the unicorns that had sworn themselves to his cause. With the Elements on his side, wielded by ponies who could tap the full depths of their power, Elderflower knew that it was impossible to lose.

And yet...there was something off... As Elderflower examined the Elements in their chest, he was conscious of the fact that he couldn't sense any magic in them at all. He'd dealt with magical artifacts in the past, though nothing very powerful, and even small pieces of enchanted jewelry. Such items always had a faint buzz of residual magic around them, whether they were being used or not. However, the Elements of Harmony had none of that. They were completely inert to his senses, as though they were six pieces of completely ordinary jewelry.

"Very sparkly, to be sure," said Greenblight, eyeing them dubiously, "To think we had to fight so hard to get them."

Without a word, Perlin slowly stepped toward the chest for a closer look. For some reason, his heartbeat quickened as he looked at the Elements. They were physically beautiful. That much was indisputable. Yet...there was something...more. Perlin lifted a hoof and held it out over each of the Elements in turn. His hoof passed over the red lightning bolt without so much as a twitch, the same with the blue balloon and even the magenta starburst on the tiara. The orange apple did nothing either.

However, as his hoof passed over the purple gem shaped like a diamond, Perlin felt a faint snap, like a discharge of static electricity. The sensation wasn't painful or stinging, but almost tickling. His hoof paused, but nothing else happened. Perlin wondered if he'd imagined it. Then his hoof moved to hover over the little pink butterfly. It wasn't so much as a snap, but a faint tingling sensation now. Perlin moved his hoof in closer. Unbidden, his mind was flooded with images of Coco, of her smiling, of her crying, of her hoof against his cheek and brushing against his wing.

Little by little, the gem began feeling warmer and warmer beneath Perlin's hoof, threatening to become uncomfortably hot, even though he wasn't even touching it at the moment. Looking at the gem, Perlin fancied that it might have begun to glow faintly.

"Please put your hoof down," instructed Elderflower, nothing in his tone of voice suggesting that he had noticed anything from the Elements themselves, "I would rather not risk you damaging such precious objects. Even if I billed you for the remainder of your entire life, you wouldn't be able to properly compensate for damaging even one of them."

Perlin put his hoof back down. The feeling was gone and he wondered if he had actually felt anything at all. Maybe I imagined it, he thought, taking one last look at the butterfly-shaped gem sitting innocuously in the chest.

"If your curiosity is sated, then perhaps you should leave," said Elderflower, a note of irritation in his voice. Beneath his calm visage, he was dealing with a simmering anger at the thought that a lowly pegasus like Perlin would dare to touch something so precious and powerful. It had been bad enough that these Elements had been worn by earth ponies and pegasi. Elderflower didn't dare allow anypony from the other tribes to touch them, lest the Elements were tarnished in some way.

"Yes, I think I've seen enough," said Perlin distractedly, stepping out of the room, leaving Elderflower to silently gloat over his spoils.

Shade was doubly careful as she made her way up through the manor, passing the ground floor, then the second floor. At the third floor, she paused, wondering if she should take the chance to confirm Twilight Sparkle's location. However, she figured it was probably best not to take any more risks. The time had come to report in and let Shining Armor handle the rest. Cautiously, she made her way up to the fourth floor, where the stairs came to an end. These were the servants' quarters.

Shade cautiously looked around for any sign of any maids or butlers moving about. But the doors to their rooms were all closed. Hopefully there was a way to the roof or an upper-level window that she could fly out of. The Baron would have been a fool not to have somepony watching the sky for intruders attempting to fly in, but she wondered if his spotters would be in a position to notice a pony leaving if she was already inside the perimeter.

Making her way down the hall, Shade kept an ear out for the signs of anypony approaching. Soon, her ears perked as she picked up the sound of hoofsteps coming from down the hallway ahead. Looking around, Shade tried to find someplace to hide. However, this hall had even less cover than the ones below. After all, Elderflower had no need to decorate his servants' quarters with expensive art or decorative plants. The rooms were out of the question, given that she had no idea which ones were occupied or not and didn't have the time to check. The ceiling was too low for Shade to pull the trick she'd used to evade Elderflower and his mercenaries earlier. Her ears going back, Shade sank back away from the source of the sound. If she was spotted, she would only have seconds to act. If she killed the pony about to spot her, maybe she could hide the body and buy a little time. However, if the approaching servant managed to alert the rest of the household to Shade's presence...

The servant ahead came into view, her eyes widening as she saw the dark-gray pegasus. Shade's own eyes widened as she took in the maid's features, namely her cyan mane and matching eyes, as well as her off-white coat. Shade realized she was looking at the other mare abducted from Ponyville, Coco Pommel, if she recalled the information from the file correctly.

In a flash, Shade crossed the distance between them, managing to reach Coco just as she was about to open her mouth. Shade's hoof reached her first and covered Coco's mouth. Moving fluidly, like liquid shadow, Shade swept around, moving up and over behind Coco, wrapping her other foreleg around Coco's neck and pulling her back while keeping one hoof clamped against the younger mare's lips.

"Make a single noise and I'll snap your neck," whispered Shade harshly, her blood boiling at the sight of Coco. After all, from the look of things, Coco had been working for the Baron when Twilight was abducted. If she was a maid now, then it was likely that she'd been in the Baron's employ the entire time, a plant. The fact that she was moving around freely when Twilight Sparkle was obviously confined seemed to reinforce that fact.

"I'm going to ask you some questions and you are going to answer them," whispered Shade harshly, "Again, making any noise but answering me will get you killed."

She felt Coco's throat bob against her foreleg, a clear sign of a suppressed whimper. From her angle, Shade could see the tears gathering at the corner of Coco's eyes. She should have thought about that before she threw in with the Baron, Shade thought harshly.

"I have a better idea." Shade felt a faint chill against her neck as the smooth, young, but undeniably masculine voice of Perlin Bluestreak interjected. "You will let her go right now and I won't separate your head from your shoulders. If you think you'd be able to snap her neck before I could do that, I welcome you to try."

Shade trembled as the powerful malice of the young stallion's killing intent cascaded over her like a waterfall. It wasn't as intense as Arkenstone, who'd once made her hallucinate her own death, but it did speak of a pony far more able than she was, who was more than capable of following through on his threat.

"Now," said Perlin, each word seeming to sharpen his killing intent until it was not unlike the blade he currently held against her neck, "I will repeat myself once more and then your head will roll. Let. Her. Go...Now."

Shade's forelegs fell away and Coco sagged to the floor, now whimpering audibly.

"Coco, come around behind me," said Perlin, his voice much gentler.

Moving stiffly, but quickly, Coco did as she was told. As she walked past Shade, the former Guardsmare was certain that Perlin was about to kill her once Coco was behind him. However, once Coco had walked past Perlin, he actually lowered the blade against Shade's throat and stepped back.

Moving slowly, aware that the killing blow could come at any second now, Shade slowly turned around, shocked by what she saw. She'd seen Perlin's wings before, having taken the chance to sneak a peek at them while he and Shining Armor were fighting in the Palace. However, this was the first time she was able to see his wing up close and observe the meticulous detail in its design as he held it up like a barrier between Shade and Coco.

"Now then, I think you shall be answering my questions," said Perlin, his hawklike eyes narrowing as he glared at Shade.

Author's Notes:

Perlin's experience with the Element of Kindness serves as a callback of sorts to a conversation Twilight had with Sunset Shimmer a couple stories ago about the true nature of the Elements. It's not a big revelation, but another indicator about what kind of pony Perlin has the potential to be underneath his callous killer outer layer.

Next chapter: It's go time.

Reporting In

Chapter 11: Reporting In

The tension running through the hallway was almost a tangible substance as Shade Steel stared at Perlin Bluestreak. This had to be the worst-case scenario for her. Not only had she been discovered, she'd been discovered by Baron Elderflower's most dangerous hired killer, a pony who had fought evenly with Shining Armor. If it came down to a fight, Shade doubted she'd be able to escape. While she counted herself at her most deadly in close quarters, she was currently unarmed and Perlin was likely deadlier than she was to begin with. Either she'd be killed right here or Perlin would report her to the Baron and everything Shade had spent the past two days working on, risking her life in the process, would come undone.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" asked Perlin in a cold, no-nonsense tone. Shade could hear the barely restrained anger simmering just below the surface as he spoke. From the way he kept himself protectively between Coco and her, she wondered if Perlin had feelings for the young mare.

Shade clamped her mouth shut, pressing her lips into a thin line as she pondered her options. If she doubled back, she'd only end up back at the stairwell and then it would simply be a matter or not as to whether she could flee through the manor faster than Perlin could pursue. She shifted her weight, making ready to turn and bolt-

Perlin's wing flashed, moving faster than she could see. Something lanced out away from him, flashing past Shade's face in a silvery blur before whipping back into his wing. A second later, Shade felt a line of pain along her cheek and she incredulously raised a hoof. Pulling it away, she found a trickle of blood. She felt cold all of a sudden and Shade realized that running was not an option either.

"Now then, do I have to repeat my question or will you require another demonstration?" asked Perlin.

With a sigh, Shade realized that she had no hope of escape. However, the last thing she wanted to do was start giving Elderflower's employees information. Granted, the information she had wouldn't really undermine Shining Armor in any way. But the last thing Shade wanted to do was give any information to the enemy.

Then something occurred to her. Perlin had her at his mercy. However, what he should have done was raise the alarm, shouted, done anything that would catch the attention of somepony else. Behind the doors could be any number of servants, waiting to be awoken by a loud shout. Once that was done, Elderflower and the rest of his mercenaries could take custody of Shade and interrogate her properly.

Instead, Perlin was speaking softly, as though he specifically didn't want to disturb anypony or give away the fact that he'd found an intruder. In a way...it almost seemed as though he was actually helping her.

"My name is Shade Steel," said Shade softly, hoping that she could trust her gut on this one, "I'm here on behalf of Shining Armor to find the ponies responsible for the abduction of his sister and the theft of the Elements of Harmony."

"I see..." said Perlin, talking over the sound of Coco Pommel's surprised gasp, "I thought it was something like that."

Shade blinked and canted her head to the side. "You did?"

"Yes," said Perlin, "I trust your mission was fruitful. I thought I'd noticed somepony following us down to the barracks."

Shade licked her lips nervously. "Yes...it was."

"Good," said Perlin, his expression still stony, but slightly softer now, "Then I will show you out."

Shade's jaw dropped as she stared at the young stallion. Behind Perlin, Coco was looking at him with a similarly shocked expression.

"Wha-what do you mean?" asked Shade.

"Exactly what I said," said Perlin, turning around and gesturing for Shade to follow him, "We should hurry. I don't want this to end badly because somepony up here decided they need to use the bathroom or something."

As he turned around, he leaned his head over to Coco and whispered something in her ear. Coco gave him a nervous, uncertain look then moved to walk past both Perlin and Shade, cringing slightly as she walked past the older mare. Shade watched Coco out of the corner of her eye as Coco went to one of the rooms and went inside.

"She won't be reporting this, if that's what you're worried about," said Perlin, "She may have more freedom to move about the mansion, but she's as much a prisoner as Twilight Sparkle is."

Shade kept her mouth shut as she watched Perlin, wondering what exactly he was planning. Part of her suspected that he might still kill her. But, at this point, there was nothing to lose by playing along. She could only hope he was being sincere. Perlin began leading her down the hallway. Stopping at one of the doors, he pushed it open to reveal another stairway leading upwards.

"That one goes to the roof," he said, "There are at least two sentries on the north and south ends during the night. I recommend descending to about the third floor's level before flying out. Make for the the buildings beyond the wall and drop down to the streets as soon as you can. That will give you the best chance to get away without being spotted."

"Thank you," said Shade, "But why are you helping me escape?"

Perlin smirked at her. "As it stands, my assignment is nearly finished and my employer has said that there is no real need to keep up appearances any longer."

"Your employer...?" Now Shade was confused. Perlin was supposed to be working for Baron Elderflower. There was no way he could be serving the Baron's interests by helping her escape the mansion, was he?

"It's nothing you need worry about," said Perlin with a chuckle, "Suffice to say that I have no need to hinder your mission."

Shade swallowed hard, hoping that she could trust the young stallion's words. After all, for all she knew, he could simply be directing her to a rooftop ambush. However, it was all or nothing. Either Perlin was being honest about helping her or he was setting her up to take a fall. It didn't change what Shade had to do. Despite that, she continued to move cautiously as she made her way up the stairs, opening the door to the roof as silently as she could casting her eyes about for any sign of the sentries. They were exactly where Perlin had said they would be. There weren't a lot of places for ponies to hide on the rooftop, so Shade felt fairly safe when she didn't see any other ponies.

Being sure to be absolutely quiet as she closed the door behind her, Shade made her way to the edge of the roof between the two sentries, who were busy scanning the skies for any signs of interlopers attempting to come in above. Following Perlin's advice, she stepped off the roof and allowed herself to drop two stories before she spread her wings and leveled out; well above the gazes of the guards patrolling the grounds and below the gaze of the guards scanning the skies above. As soon as she was past the wall, she dipped down and darted down into an alleyway that ran between two buildings, just across the road from Elderflower's estate. Touching down, Shade took one last chance to glance over her shoulder, checking to see if anypony had noticed her presence and raised the alarm. However, Elderflower's estate remained as silent and peaceful as it had been when she'd first arrived.

Shade didn't allow herself to relax. She set off at a trot, wandering at random through the streets and alleys, just in case somepony was actually following behind her. Only when she was absolutely certain that nopony was on her tail and that she was a safe distance away from the mansion did she take to the air and begin winging her way back to the Royal Palace.

Coco looked up as the door opened and Perlin stepped into her room. "P-Perlin...what-?"

"Shh," said Perlin, putting a hoof to his lips, cutting Coco off. He glanced around the room for a moment before closing his eyes and letting out a breath. For a moment, he stood their silently, seeming to listen to something. "We should be safe," he said.

"What were you doing?"

"Trying to see if I could sense any listening spells," said Perlin, "I noticed that Elderflower had them placed in Twilight Sparkle's room. I was worried that he might have placed them in your room as well."

"A-are you sure there aren't any?" asked Coco, beginning to sweat at the idea of Elderflower, or somepony working for him, listening to everything she said and did, "What about the rest of the manor?"

"I could sense the spells in Twilight Sparkle's room easily enough," said Perlin, "It's rather simple if you know what to look for. I was trained to fight unicorns, so it's something that I was thoroughly drilled in."

"Oh..." said Coco, her ears going back at the reminder of Perlin's history. Granted, he was now using what he'd gained from that history to protect her, but that didn't make it any less unnerving. "Wha-what about that m-mare?"

"She left," replied Perlin simply, "With any luck, she will be back at the Palace shortly and somepony will come to rescue the two of you."

"Why did you help her?" asked Coco.

"Because we're nearly finished here," said Perlin, the corners of his mouth turning up in a small smile, "When all this is over, you won't have to worry about Elderflower ever again."

"I-I won't?" Despite the fact that Perlin's words were encouraging, they filled Coco with a sense of foreboding, an ominous feeling. There was something in the finality of Perlin's tone that filled Coco's heart with dread. "P-Perlin...what are you talking about?"

"The less you know, the safer you will be," said Perlin. Stepping in close to her, Perlin leaned against Coco and pressed his neck up against hers, letting his chin rest over her withers. Coco was a bit hesitant at first, but she ultimately returned the gesture.

"I'm sorry," said Perlin, his voice almost a whisper, "My selfishness ended up causing you so much trouble and pain. Please bear with it a little longer. I promise that you won't have to live in fear after this."

"Perlin...?" Coco felt a shiver go through her body. This was wrong. Something was very wrong.

Perlin began pulling away from her. As he did, he gently drew his muzzle across her neck, nuzzling his way up to her cheek before ending nose to nose with her. Slowly, Perlin backed away from her, an apologetic smile on his face.

Coco looked at him, her worry growing. The sense of wrongness was intensifying with each affectionate gesture. This wasn't right. Perlin's words were gentle, encouraging, and filled with care and concern for her. But, for some reason, she had the ominous feeling that, in his own way, Perlin was saying goodbye to her.

"I need to go," said Perlin, taking another step back and turning to take his leave.

"Wait!" Coco lunged forward and threw her arms around Perlin's shoulders, drawing him up short.

Perlin froze, his wings rustling underneath his cloak at the unexpected contact. "Be careful! I could have-"

"Please," said Coco, still clinging tightly to Perlin, "I don't know what it is you're going to do, but...I don't want you going somewhere I can't follow. I know you mean well, but...I'm afraid...You need to come back. Please don't run away from me."

"I..." Perlin swallowed hard. "I'm not sure what it is I plan to do. But...I may end up doing something that you won't be able to forgive me for."

"Then don't do it," said Coco, pressing her face into his neck, "If you know something is wrong, then you should know better than to do it. That's something a grown pony does Perlin. Remember, you need to be an adult now."

For a moment, Perlin said nothing. He seemed to be thinking about what she said. "It may not be right, but it remains something I need to do anyway," he said. He began to pull away.

Before he could pull away completely, Coco pulled hard in the opposite direction, yanking Perlin back towards her and turning him around so they were face to face once again. Before Perlin could say or do anything, Coco leaned in and pressed her lips to his. The kiss was quick and chaste. They pulled away, staring at each other, Coco as astonished by her own boldness as Perlin was. Their cheeks burned as they stared at each other.

"Y-you still have a lot of growing up to do," said Coco, her eyes tearing up as she tried her hardest to keep the smile on her face, "Think of that as a promise for when you do." Leaning in again, she moved her lips up to Perlin's ear. "So come back to me."

"I...I..." Perlin looked as though he desperately wanted to say yes, to agree to her terms. However, in a sharp, jerking movement, he pulled out of her arms and darted back out the door, shutting it behind him.

Left alone in the room, Coco whimpered and pressed a hoof to her chest. Meanwhile, outside the room, Perlin walked down the hall at a hurried pace. However, before he'd reached the stairs back down, he froze. His right hoof, the one that he'd held over the Elements of Harmony, was beginning to throb faintly.

Shining Armor was jolted awake by the sound of somepony pounding on his door. It took him a moment as he blinked groggily. Beside him in bed, he felt Cadance stir as she too was roused by the frantic pounding.

"Honey...what is it?" asked Cadance, rolling over.

Gritting his teeth, Shining glared at the door, which was shaking from the force of the knocks. "Go back to sleep, dear," he said, "I'll find out and, so help me, if it isn't important, there's going to be an opening in the ranks, once I finish with the court-martial." With a low growl, he forced himself out of bed and onto his hooves. It was bad enough that he was already having trouble sleeping, what with his sister foalnapped, the Palace raided, and the Elements stolen. Now ponies had to come and pound on his door at all hours of the night.

Grabbing the knob with his magic, Shining yanked it open, standing back so that he didn't catch a face full of hoof when the door was out of the way. The Guard on the other side immediately dropped his hoof and stood at attention, saluting sharply as he met Shining's glare with only the mildest of flinches.

"This had better be good," rumbled Shining.

"Sir! Shade Steel has returned with her report. She said to tell you that she found them."

A feeling like an electric shock jolted through Shining's body, knocking all thought of sleep away. "Where is she?" he asked.

"She's waiting in your office, sir."

"Thank you for your prompt report," said Shining, "You're dismissed. Get some rest."

"Yes sir!" The Guard turned and set off down the hall as Shining closed the door again.

"What was it?" asked Cadance as he came back towards the bed.

"Shade Steel's back," said Shining, a small smile on his face, "It seems she's succeeded."

Now it was Cadance's turn to jump as she jerked out from under her sheets. "Really!"

Shining nodded. "Go get Arkenstone. I'm going to head to my office and take Shade's report."

Cadance nodded and untangled herself from the sheets as Shining's horn flashed, silvery armor coalescing into being around his body.

"You should use a comb," said Cadance, noting her husband's bad case of bedmane.

"That can wait," said Shining, "This is no time to worry about appearances."

Cadance sighed and nodded. She would have liked to spend a little time to make herself presentable too. But fetching Arkenstone and kickstarting the process of getting Twilight and the Elements back came first.

"So...it was Elderflower," said Arkenstone, cupping his chin with one hoof as they finished listening to Shade Steel's report, "It almost seems wrong, somehow."

"I can confirm it," said Shade, "I heard the Baron with my own ears. I would have tried to follow him to get an exact fix on the Elements' location, but I didn't want to risk being discovered."

"You've done more than enough," said Shining, a smile on his face, the first one he'd worn while looking at Shade, "This means the world to me. Thank you."

"I owe you, all of you, that much at least," said Shade, a slight smile on her own face.

"Still, it doesn't feel quite right," said Arkenstone, "I'm amazed that a pony like Elderflower would do something so overt. Taking the trouble to come speak with Twilight in Ponyville was also outside my expectations. But I didn't peg him to be a pony to resort to something so...violent."

"Maybe you forced his hoof already," suggested Shining.

"But still, from what you heard, his plans seem ludicrous," said Cadance, "Trying to outfit ponies of his own choosing with the Elements and believing it will work simply because they are unicorns...it's ridiculous. The Elements of Harmony just don't work that way."

"Of course they don't," snorted Arkenstone, "But Elderflower and those like him don't believe that. In their own way, they aren't all that different from the members of the Cult Solar in that they refuse to believe that which they find to be inconvenient." He didn't seem to notice Shade's pained flinch at his words.

"If it weren't for the fact that this guy needs to pay for all the suffering he's caused and the ponies who've died as a consequence of his orders, I'd almost let him keep the Elements just so we can see his whole plan go up in smoke when he tries to use them," muttered Shining Armor, "It's gonna take some time. The rest of the Royal Guard is still a few days out and we'll have to make sure all the prisoners are secure before we move..."

"That won't be necessary," said Arkenstone, turning around and heading for the door, "I will take care of this matter tomorrow morning."

Both Shining and Cadance stared at him. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't have hesitated to simply let Arkenstone go and do his thing. As formidable as the Banehammers were and whatever ponies Elderflower might have had on his guard, Shining and Cadance pitied the ponies who might try to get between Arkenstone and Twilight. However...

"You're still recovering from your injuries, aren't you?" asked Shining, "Are you sure you're up for this?"

To Shining's surprise, Arkenstone turned his head slightly, angling an ear back towards him. "Fortunately, I happen to have the assistance of two rather trustworthy ponies. However, they will require a good night's sleep, which is why I'm waiting for the morning." After that, the blind stallion took his leave.

Shining blinked and shot a confused look at Cadance, who lifted a hoof to her mouth and giggled coyly. "You know something I don't?" he asked.

"I think the three of them will be just fine," said Cadance, "Call it a mare's intuition."

"Um...what am I missing here?" asked Shade, blinking as she watched the couple.

"Arkenstone brought a pair of young helpers from Ponyville with him," explained Cadance.

"Wait! Do you mean Dawn?" asked Shade.

Shining shook his head. "Dawn's still recovering in Ponyville. He fought another one of your fellow cultists, Terra Heart."

Shade's back legs collapsed and she dropped down onto her haunches, her wings hanging limply down her sides as she gaped at Shining. "The Cardinal! Dawn Lightwing fought the Cardinal...and lived?"

"Barely," said Shining, "According to Arkenstone, it was a near thing."

"B-but...if he's still alive then...that must mean that the Cardinal lost. Did Dawn Lightwing w-win?"

Shining shook his head. "No. Dawn ended up losing. Arkenstone was the one who defeated the Cardinal."

Shade's entire body began to shake violently as she looked over her shoulder at the door the blind stallion had exited through. After she had been defeated by Dawn in Ponyville, Arkenstone had confronted her at the Guard station where she'd been confined. At the time, she hadn't known the truth about his identity and had even entertained the idea of subduing him so that she could escape to go after Dawn again. However, she'd barely had time to conceive the notion before Arkenstone had hit her with a blow of pure killing intent, striking Shade down with the image of her own violent death if she tried to make her idea a reality. At that time, she'd been made aware of the vast gulf between her and the Knight of the Celestial Order.

On the other hoof, Shade had never actually seen, much less met, Terra Heart, the Cardinal of the Order of Celestial Light. However, as the pony second only to the Supreme Pontiff himself, Terra had been an almost mythical figure within the Order, with stories of his feats and prowess rivaling the tales of the Knights that Shade had listened to as a foal. He'd been thought of as an invincible paragon of Celestia's will. Shade had never imagined such a pony being defeated.

And yet, Arkenstone had beaten Terra. The realization shocked Shade to the core. Ever since her capture and punishment, she had learned the truth of the Cult Solar's culture of deceit. However, she'd still believed that the Cardinal was an exceedingly powerful pony.

"I-is he...is the Car-...Terra Heart dead then?" asked Shade.

"No," said Shining, "We have him in custody. But Arkenstone came very close to killing him. He only stopped when Celestia intervened personally."

"I...I see..." said Shade, looking down at the floor.

"It's late," said Cadance, giving Shade a small smile, "You've done an excellent job and we will speak with the Princesses about commuting your sentence. Go and rest. You've earned it."

"Th-thank you," said Shade, dipping her head before taking her leave.

After the door closed behind Shade, Cadance glanced at her husband. "Now what?"

"Well...I guess I should send a letter to Spike letting Twilight's friends know we've found her," said Shining, taking up paper and quill, "Poor guy won't thank us for waking him up at this hour, but I think he'd like to know right away."

"I guess none of us are getting any sleep tonight," said Cadance, staring out the window and watching the moon as it meandered across the sky.

"Misery loves company," said Shining wryly, his quill already flying across the page.

In the caverns below Canterlot, Perlin Bluestreak looked around at the numerous crystal formations jutting out of walls, hanging from above, and growing from below. They glittered with countless colors, reflecting and refracting any ambient light and throwing it about in a vibrant display that dazzled the eyes. Despite this, they didn't compare to the harsh strobing of the colored lights used in nightclubs across Equestria. Instead, crystals' luminance was gentle and comforting. Perlin could understand Celestia's desire to keep thee caverns intact, rather than having them stripped of their natural decorations to sate the greed of various nobles and entrepreneurs.

Still, even though Celestia and those who served her wished to protect the caverns, they didn't know the caverns' full extent, not yet. Mapping the Crystal Caverns was a tedious, lengthy process that had to be carried out with a great deal of caution. Every year, more of the caverns were discovered, from tiny passageways almost too small to admit a pony leading to massive caverns, to flooded chambers whose underwater tunnels might yet lead to other, even more spectacular sections of the cave. Finding all these places was neither easy nor safe and a pony who was unfortunate enough to lose her way might wander the rest of her natural life and never find the way out.

And all that was without the ghost stories. The caverns had only been rediscovered recently, thanks to the changeling invasion. However, stories were already circulating. Archives had been searched, records scoured, and many a tome of forgotten lore pondered over(1), revealing what little historical accounts remained of the caverns, including many of the legends that surrounded them. Stories abounded about ghosts, ghouls, goblins, and other monsters of even more horrific description. Some ponies even theorized that an offshoot of the legendary Yahoos that supposedly dwelt amongst the peaks of the Himalneighan mountains might be found in these caves. There were tales of caverns that changed their shape and orientation after ponies went through them so that they never had the same way in or out, theories that the caverns themselves were an extension of some alien intelligence, and the inevitable tales of the caves being inhabited by some supernatural equine of unnaturally tall and thin proportions fitted out with a rather dapper suit and a face of varying descriptions (when it had a face at all).

Perlin had heard many of these stories. They certainly made for interesting reading. However, he'd never actually believed any of them. But, looking around at the natural majesty and mystery of the caves around him, he could easily imagine how such legends could come into being. The shimmering crystals and all the effects they created excited the mind and made the heart race. Perlin liked it down here. Granted, he liked the open skies better. But the Crystal Caverns were a very nice place to visit.

"I see you've made it." Up ahead, a familiar stallion stepped out from behind one of the many crystal formations. Wight Shade smiled as Perlin approached.

"Of course," said Perlin, "I apologize for the delay. I had some business to take care of before I left the Lord Baron's manor."

"Oh?" Wight raised a curious eyebrow.

Perlin chuckled. "Just as you said, he wasn't nearly as clever as he thought he was about covering his tracks. It would seem that the information of Twilight Sparkle and the Elements' whereabouts will be in the hooves of the Royal Guard, if it isn't already."

"I thought as much," said Wight, "though a good bit sooner than I'd thought."

"Is that a problem?" asked Perlin as Wight began to lead them deeper into the network of caves.

"No," said Wight, "But, once again, I am reminded that ponies can be easily underestimated, even when they aren't formidable elites, like you or the Knights."

"What comes next then?" asked Perlin.

"We shall simply allow things to play out as they stand," replied Wight, "Elderflower and those who aided him have served their purpose. If, by some miraculous happenstance, the Royal Guard and Sir Arkenstone somehow fail to put a permanent end to the Lord Baron's ambitions, then it shall fall to us to clear the board."

"If that is the case, then there is something we probably should see to," said Perlin. He spoke quietly to Wight, who listened before nodding.

"Yes...perhaps we should intervene in that case. As pointless as it would be in the grand scheme of things, leaving such issues unattended would hamper my plans somewhat." He sighed. "As much as I would like to see things play out, I think we might have to step in."

"Then how shall we proceed?" asked Perlin.

"It wouldn't do for us to do anything until Sir Arkenstone has made his move," said Wight, "But I think we can act soon."

The two of them proceeded further still into the caves and were soon lost amongst the glittering and glimmering lights.

"I see," said Celestia before yawning widely, "Thank you for coming to tell me."

Cadance nodded slowly. "Are you sure it's all right to let Arkenstone handle this? His body isn't in the best shape right now."

Slowly, the older alicorn shook her head. "I don't think that anything I might say would dissuade him from his course. Sadly, we simply do not have enough ponies in Canterlot yet to mount a proper strike. Arkenstone is right. Time is of the essence here."

"Then...maybe you should go as well," suggested Cadance, "If Twilight Sparkle was kidnapped against her will and the same pony behind such an act brazenly attacked the Royal Palace and stole the Elements of Harmony, then you should be taking direct action."

To Cadance's surprise, Celestia actually smirked at her. "I could," she said, "But in this case, I don't believe I need to." She held up a hoof, forestalling Cadance's response. "This isn't like the situation with the Cult Solar, where I was too worried about overstepping my bounds to act until things had already advanced much farther than they should have." She shook her head. "That was truly a terrible case of negligence on my part. In this case, I do not need to act because I know things will go well, even if I don't intervene."

"What do you mean?" asked Cadance.

Celestia giggled. "You don't honestly believe that Twilight has been a passive captive all this time, do you? Don't you remember a gift that your husband gave her, courtesy of Arkenstone?"

Cadance's eyes widened as she realized what Celestia was referring to. "Oh! The ring!"

Nodding, Celestia looked out the window, her eyes roaming across Canterlot's rooftops. "Baron Elderflower's plan was coming undone from the moment of its very inception, yet he foolishly believes that nothing is wrong. However, he shall fail, and the ponies that will bring an end to his ambitions will be the very ponies he sees as being beneath him. First he shall suffer the complete and utter humiliation of being bested by those he considers inferior. Then I shall descend upon him with the weight of the law and give him the punishment he truly deserves, him and those who aided him. He will rot in a cell for the rest of his natural life, with the knowledge of who defeated him eating away at his mind. That shall be his real punishment."

Cadance shivered, reminded that, when she wanted to be, Celestia could be viciously vindictive under the right circumstances.

"Besides," said Celestia, gesturing to a stack of papers resting on her desk, "It's not as though I've been sitting idle here. When the rest of the Royal Guard returns, we shall be engaging in another sweep, this time of Canterlot."

"Is that...?" Cadance eyed the stack of papers nervously.

Celestia nodded. "Blueblood, Fancy Pants, and the ponies they've managed to sway have not stood idle either. With this information, we will be able to abolish the Noble Court once and for all and their farce shall be at an end. Once this is over, my little ponies won't have to worry about the machinations of those deluded idiots who somehow believe that a coincidence of birth makes them inherently superior to others." She sighed. "And that project of mine will finally be completed."

Cadance nodded. She would be quite glad to know that ponies would no longer be subjected to the mysterious games and power plays of the Noble Court. For centuries, Celestia had worked slowly and carefully at stripping them of their power and influence without them realizing. Now, Elderflower's ambition to return the Noble Court to its original levels of power and influence would instead be its downfall.

"If that's all, then I think you can return to your husband," said Celestia, "You should both get some sleep. It would seem that tomorrow is bound to be a busy day."

"Yes," agreed Cadance, "Goodnight, auntie."

"Goodnight," replied Celestia, watching as Cadance left. As the door closed behind Cadance, Celestia let the smile drop from her face, adopting a stern, worried expression as she turned to look out the window once more. And, with the nobles finally out of the way, I can focus on something much more important.

Morning Star was still out there after all. His plan wasn't yet complete. Celestia felt certain that, whatever he was planning to set into motion, the final piece of Morning Star's plan would be found here in Canterlot. The time had come to set aside distractions like the Noble Court...permanently.

Morning(2) had come and, with it, Arkenstone had roused Scootaloo and Rumble into wakefulness. He'd told the two of them to report to the dining room for breakfast, where he would explain the situation, along with their plan of action. Apparently he and Shining Armor had learned where Twilight Sparkle and Coco Pommel were being kept. It was now time to rescue them and bring them home.

In her room, Scootaloo stared down at the ribbon draped over her hooves. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and thought back to that night a couple months ago, when she'd faced down Perlin Bluestreak. She remembered the look of fear and worry in Dawn's face and his anger over how reckless she had been. She remembered returning the strip of stolen fabric to Rarity and Coco and the look of relief on their faces. More importantly, Scootaloo remembered a vague feeling, a sense of accomplishment, something she hadn't noticed at the time. But now, she realized that, in a sense, that simple act of kindness and reassurance had been even more important than managing to hold her own briefly against Perlin Bluestreak.

That's what Mom was talking about, she thought, What Dawn's been doing all this time...fighting for others. I shouldn't be fighting for myself, but for Coco, Twilight, Arkenstone, and even Dawn. Opening her eyes, she looked down at the ribbon again and smiled before taking the strip of fabric and wrapping it around her neck like a scarf, so that its ends trailed up and rested over the base of her wings. Looking up at the clock, she realized that her time was nearly up. Taking a deep breath, she centered herself once more. Let's do this.

Meanwhile, in the room next door, Rumble was busy winding the cord of his meteor hammer around his foreleg. Since he had received Cadance's blessing, he'd felt as though he'd grown a bit more accustomed to the presence of the real weapon. He hadn't gotten the chance to practice with it since then, but the steel weight of the weapon now felt as though it belonged by his side. All told, Rumble felt much more at ease than he had a day or so prior.

His ears perked upright at the sound of somepony knocking at the door. Opening it, Rumble blinked in surprise as he found himself facing none other than Princess Cadance.

"Hi," she said, beaming down at the colt, "May I come in?"

"Um...sure," agreed Rumble, blinking as he looked up at her.

Cadance levitated a small box off of her back and lowered it down to Rumble, who took it in his hooves. "It was a bit of a rush order that I placed with one of the Palace tailors. Fortunately, she's a friend of mine, so she managed to get it done before this morning. Take a look."

Rumble pulled the lid off the box. His eyes widened as he stared unabashedly at what was contained within. It was a pale-green shirt of light silk, with white embroideries along the collar and at the ends of the sleeves. The color aside, it was nearly identical in appearance to the one Storm Front had worn almost constantly. "It's amazing," he said.

"I haven't had a chance to meet your teacher, but I did see his picture from the files that Shining Armor had," explained Cadance, "Luckily, the tailor was able to replicate the design in your size."

"Thank you so much," said Rumble. Carefully, so as not to dislodge his weapon, he slipped into the shirt and, with the aid of his feathers, tied the front closed. Taking a moment, he examined himself in the mirror.

"It really looks quite handsome on you," observed Cadance with an amused titter, "I think that Sweetie Belle will be very impressed the next time she sees you."

Rumble's cheeks turned pink, but he smiled nonetheless. "Thank you," he said warmly.

"You're welcome," said Cadance. Bending, down, she planted a kiss on Rumble's forehead. "Good luck."

With a nod, Rumble departed and Cadance watched him go down the hall, smiling fondly. "Be safe...all of you," she whispered under her breath.

Scootaloo stared at the bowl in front of her. It was filled with oatmeal that smelled of cinnamon and maple. Off to one side rested a spinach and asparagus omelet, already decorated with ketchup in a criss-crossing pattern. There was no question that breakfast looked appetizing. However, at the same time, Scootaloo's stomach was churning so badly that she wasn't sure she could keep anything down. Across the table from her, Rumble was in similar straits.

"You both need to eat," said Arkenstone, "It's important to keep up your strength." Practicing what he preached, he was already digging into his own breakfast with a gusto.

"I-I'm not sure I can," said Scootaloo, her voice quivering with nerves.

"If you can't eat, then you won't be of any help to me once the fighting starts," said Arkenstone sternly, "Then you're probably better off here."

Whipping her head around, Scootaloo glared at him. Arkenstone shrugged indifferently. "There is no shame in admitting that you aren't ready to fight. I would much rather you did that than have you accompany me and get yourself hurt or killed."

"Harsh as always," said Shining as he and Cadance trotted into the dining room. Passing by Scootaloo, Shining leaned over and whispered into her ear. "Try the tea. It should help."

Scootaloo nodded and reached for the cup of tea by her plate. Using her feathers, she lifted it to her lips and took a tentative sip. To her surprise, the flavor of the tea was complemented by the sharp bite of ginger. As she swallowed down the mouthful, Scootaloo was surprised to find that her stomach was beginning to settle. Feeling a bit better, Scootaloo began to eat her own breakfast. Across from her, Rumble watched what she did before mimicking her actions and finally managing to eat his own breakfast.

They ate in silence. As the time for their departure drew nearer, Scootaloo felt her nerves drawing tighter. She felt as though she might jump at the slightest provocation. Rumble looked a bit calmer, the but the tremors running up and down his legs betrayed his own nerves. Without a word, Arkenstone once again led them through the Palace, this time taking them out through a servants' entrance where the accumulated garbage of the ponies who lived and worked there was taken out.

Both Scootaloo and Rumble wrinkled their noses as the stench hit them. Even the fact that it was technically royal garbage didn't seem to change the fact that garbage stank, no matter where it came from. Despite the fact that his acute sense of smell probably made the scent of garbage all the worse to him, Arkenstone didn't so much as twitch as the three of them carefully sidestepped mounds of trash bags and other receptacles to make their way to the streets of Canterlot.

Their path took them down alleyways and past old storefronts. Then they entered into a section of Canterlot that seemed quite different. Imposing walls lined the streets. Behind the walls or through the wrought iron gates they occasionally passed, Scootaloo and Rumble could see the visages of elaborate mansions, bright-green lawns, and vibrantly-colored gardens. The mansions seemed to be living beings in their own right, each one looking as though it was consciously striving to outdo its neighbor in the grandiosity of its decoration. Through one gate, they could see hedges trimmed into the shapes of ponies and other creatures in remarkably lifelike poses. The yard next door was decorated with statues of white marble with ivy artistically climbing and wrapping around them.

The streets themselves were relatively empty. Unlike those in the more public sections of Canterlot, which were often full of all manner of ponies going about their business, hardly anypony seemed to use these streets. Scootaloo supposed that the richest and most distinguished nobles probably wanted to keep their streets free and clear of commoners, which left her a bit surprised that nopony had bothered them yet.

Finally, they stopped at a particular gate, which offered them a view of yet another manor and its ostentatious yard. Scootaloo blinked as she looked in, noticing that the decorations were more subdued in this particular yard. Instead of statues or pony-shrubs, it sported low flowerbeds. Looking around, she noticed none of the guards that, according to Shade Steel's report, had been roaming about through the night.

"Where are all the guards?" asked Rumble, giving voice to the same question Scootaloo had in her head.

"During the night, they need to be very thorough," said Arkenstone, "But during the day, it would be suspicious to have so many ponies patrolling the grounds. It would be much too obvious to observers that Elderflower has something he doesn't want other ponies seeing. No doubt the area is still being watched, but the guards will be able to see things from the windows much more easily during the day."

"Oh," said Scootaloo, "Okay...how are we doing this then? How are we getting in there?"

A dangerous-looking smile spread across Arkenstone's face. "Through the front door."

His tail lashed through the air. Both Scootaloo and Rumble caught glimpses of tiny objects scattering around before they vanished from sight. Then, with a faint whistling noise, lines seemed to magically appear on the gate in front of them. With a clank, those lines became points of separation and the gates quickly fell to pieces with the clanging of iron against the marble driveway that led up to the front of the manor. Arkenstone strode through the entrance as naturally as though he belonged there, his first step slamming down with enough force to crack the stone beneath it and sending a rumbling tremor surging through the ground that made the manor's windows rattle audibly, even from this distance. Scootaloo and Rumble followed behind, casting their eyes about nervously, looking for the first signs of trouble.

"Come," said Arkenstone, "It's time for us to enjoy the Baron's hospitality."

Author's Notes:

1) Ravens optional.
2) The time...not the pony.

---

In the immortal words of The Gamers: "And now for the killing...followed by light salad."

Next chapter: Elderflower experiences a minor setback.

Stepping Up and Stepping Forward

Chapter 12: Stepping Up and Stepping Forward

Twilight Sparkle could scarcely believe her ears as Coco relayed her story, the two of them once again conversing quietly behind Twilight's privacy spell in the bathroom while the listening spells were artfully drowned out by the sound of running bathwater. Coco had come bursting in first thing in the morning, clearly badly worried about something. "Perlin really did that?" she asked dubiously.

Coco nodded. "At least, that's what he said he did. He led that mare away and came back a little bit later."

Frowning, Twilight stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, pondering what Coco had told her. Part of her was silently elated, though a bit annoyed. She'd been hoping and planning to take care of things herself. Though now it seemed that her brother might handle things before it got to that point. She'd been amazed to hear that Shade Steel of all ponies had come at the behest of Shining Armor. As far as she knew, Shade's sentence wasn't up. But it did make sense. With the Royal Guard, including the SES, out dealing with the Cult Solar, Shade would probably be the only pony with the requisite skills for that kind of mission in Canterlot. She could only hope that Shade hadn't been lying about working for Shining Armor.

Though, it might have been a moot point anyway. Perlin had said that he would help Shade escape. But then he'd led the mare away from Coco and taken her off someplace and come back alone. While that could have meant he'd stayed true to his word, it was just as possible that he'd lured Shade someplace where he could dispose of her quietly. It would probably be a simple task for a pony with Perlin's level of skill.

However, the question of whether or not Shade had actually been allowed to escape did not seem to be what was bothering Coco. She was more worried by Perlin's strange behavior when he'd talked with her after that. Twilight wished there was something she could say. But she knew too little about what was happening and didn't really have the time to articulate her feelings about it.

Once the tub had filled up again, Twilight was forced to call an end to their conversation, once again cursing the fact she hadn't studied illusion magic more thoroughly. Once again, they were forced to imitate a relatively normal conversation for the benefit of the listening spells dotting the bathroom. However, Twilight still did her best to sooth Coco's worries as the younger mare ran a brush through her mane.

"Are you meeting the Baron for breakfast?" asked Coco nervously as she set aside the brush.

To her surprise, Twilight ushered Coco to into a sitting position in front of the mirror and took up the brush in her own hooves. Twilight's movements were slightly shakier and more uncertain, thanks to a lack of practice at using her hooves rather than her horn for basic grooming. However, Coco's much shorter mane made for easier work.

"He hasn't issued an invitation yet," said Twilight, "But I wouldn't be surprised if he asked me to brunch, seeing as you were locked out of the kitchen this morning."

Coco nodded. She'd brought Twilight her breakfast the previous day, after requesting a meal from the kitchens. However, this morning, Coco found that she was being barred from the kitchen and her requests for something for Twilight to eat were being refused on the basis that it was being "seen to."

"What will you do?" asked Coco.

"I'll accept, of course," said Twilight, her mouth drawn in a tight line as she met the gaze of Coco's reflection in the mirror. She would need to speak with Baron Elderflower more, however unpleasant the experience might be, if she was to find out the particulars of his plan and put a stop to it before more ponies got hurt. Of course, if the Royal Guard or Arkenstone came storming in sooner than that, it would be a pointless effort. But Twilight couldn't afford to simply rely on them.

They exited the bathroom, Coco seeming much more calm after being on the receiving end of a good (or at least semi-good but well meaning) grooming.

"Do you want to wait with me for a bit?" asked Twilight, "I'm sure nopony will mind."

"If you're sure..." said Coco, her eyes darting in an uneasy glance towards the bedroom mirror. To her credit, the motion was so subtle that even Twilight, who'd been looking Coco right in the face, barely noticed it, so there was practically no way that whatever hidden observers were on the other side of the mirror had actually seen the gesture.

They had just settled down at the table by the window when there was a crash and clang of metal, followed by a shuddering tremor that made everything in the room jump nearly an inch off the floor.

"Wha-what was that?" gasped Coco, glancing around frantically.

Twilight sighed and suppressed the urge to groan. "That was probably Arkenstone," she said, "I figured he'd find us sooner or later." Darn. And I was really hoping to take care of things myself. Well, there was no use in crying over an upset trough now. She would just have to make the best of the situation. Arkenstone had probably come to rescue her. Twilight felt obligated to make sure that the Baron was taken down first.

"It's time for us to go," she said, giving Coco an encouraging smile, "Are you ready?"

"N-not r-really..." stammered Coco, beginning to shake in place. She knew that Twilight had some sort of plan, but hadn't expected to have to go through with it so soon.

"Well...I didn't really have everything planned out yet, but we'll play it by ear," said Twilight with a giggle, gently brushing a hoof against Coco's face, "Just stay with me and we'll get through everything just fine."

"I-if you're sure..." said Coco, her eyes darting from side to side.

Twilight nodded and stepped around the bed so that she was standing right in front of the dresser and the mirror hanging above it. She smiled brightly at the mirror, probably confusing the hay out of whoever was behind it. With a flash, a band of dark-gold with silvery inlays appeared beneath the black of the inhibitor ring around her horn. Silvery fire steamed out of the arcanasteel ring and coalesced into an orb the size of a large apple, suspended in the air just above her horn. A second later, Twilight ducked her head to level her horn at the dresser and launched the sphere of eldritch power straight into the piece of furniture.

The telekinetic bolt transformed the dresser into a battering ram, smashing it through the wall and shattering the mirror in the process. Over the sounds of crumbling wood and breaking glass, Twilight heard a pair of pained gasps as the dresser and the remains of the wall it pushed ahead of it slammed into the pair of ponies who had been watching the room from the other side of the one-way mirror. The dresser's momentum carried it and the ponies caught behind it, all the way to the other side of the hidden room and slammed them hard against the back wall.

Looking through the hole in the wall, Twilight could see the details of the room on the other side. It was mostly unfurnished, bare walls and an uncarpeted floor. One either side of the hole she'd just opened, Twilight could see the remains of a wall-mounted desk that ran the length of the wall, probably just underneath the disguised window into her room. The dresser, the remains of the wall and the mirror, and the ponies behind it had been shoved into a pile of debris on the opposite side of the room. Neither of the ponies pinned behind the desk were moving.

Twilight had a brief flash of nerves. Had she killed them? However, she quickly forced those worries back down. One way or another, getting Coco out of the mansion and then thwarting Elderflower's plans came first.

First things first, now that pretend time was over, it was now time to get rid of that annoying inhibitor. Using the power stored in the arcanasteel band, Twilight forged her magic into a thin blade, which she then used to begin splitting the inhibitor ring from the outside. She had to be careful with how she managed the spell. Power was absorbed through the inhibitor ring's interior surface. However, as her spell cut through the ring's outer layers, it would begin to lose power as that power was absorbed by the ring itself. The only way to effectively cut through the ring with magic would be to focus as much power into as narrow a line as possible to exceed the material's capacity along that thin line before it could be dispersed through the rest of the ring. It took incredible precision and focus, which only got harder as the ring's material still continued to absorb her magic, even as the material itself quickly melted away, and the ring gradually grew heavier and heavier.

Finally, with a loud crack, the ring split, loosening its hold on her horn. Twilight dipped her head an allowed it to slide of the end and fall to the floor. It hit just as the door to her room slammed open and a pair of Elderflower's guards came barreling into the room.

One of them opened his mouth, clearly about to begin barking orders at her and Coco. However, he froze and stared in shock when he saw that Twilight was no longer wearing the inhibitor ring. Favoring the unfortunate stallion with a taunting smile, Twilight blasted him with a crackling burst of power that exploded in a flurry of arcs across his body. The stallion barely managed to let out a strangled scream before the stunning spell brought him down, leaving him twitching spasmodically on the floor.

His companion, a pegasus mare, whirled to face Twilight, her eyes flicking back and forth between Twilight and Coco as she apparently tried to figure out what to do. "H-how...?" she gasped.

"Elderflower isn't nearly as smart as he thinks he is," said Twilight simply, "I'd suggest surrendering...before I have to hurt you."

As she spoke, Twilight's ring lit up, sending waves of white fire washing over her body. When the flames dissipated, Twilight now stood clad in silvery barding, plates of armor polished to a mirror-like shine with amethyst-colored decoration at the edges. Both Twilight's champron and peytral sported a magenta gem in the shape of the six-pointed star at the center of her cutie mark. The segmented plates of the criniere ran down the length of her neck, parting along the center to allow her mane to stream out. Both the flanchard and the croupiere were relatively plain and unadorned by comparison, but practically shined beneath the room's lights. Everything was smooth and rounded, looking practically artistic in its design. In fact, Twilight imagined that if Rarity were ever to design a suit of armor for her, it would look something like this. She certainly hoped her imagination was doing her friend justice.

Twilight's ears picked out the faint sound of Coco's gasp. Glancing over at Coco, Twilight could see that she was staring at Twilight in wide-eyed awe, clearly having no idea that Twilight was capable of something like this. Twilight kept her glance fleeting, wanting to keep her eye on the guard, just in case she tried something.

"Wha-what is this?" demanded the pegasus mare, backing her rump into the open door, bumping it against the wall with enough force that it rebounded and smacked her back in the rear, making her jump with a yelp.

"This is me and Coco getting out of here," said Twilight coldly, glaring at the guard, practically daring her to try something, "If you have any sense, you'll let us and turn yourself in."

The mare swallowed, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. Twilight could understand, the pegasus mare and her companion had clearly thought they were guarding a pair of helpless prisoners. Elderflower had Twilight restrained and monitored, while Coco was far too timid and helpless to be a threat. If there was going to be any trouble, it would come from the outside, not from the very ponies they were monitoring.

For a moment, it looked as though the guard was going to heed Twilight's words. Her eyes darted back and forth between Twilight and Coco. Twilight made a mental note to be on guard, in case this pegasus tried to do something to Coco. However, the nervousness in the mare's eyes betrayed her lack of confidence in her ability to deal with the situation. She hesitated before focusing all of her attention on Twilight. "I...I have to..." Her limbs began to shiver and Twilight felt a pang of sympathy for the mare. She was clearly badly worried about the consequences for failing Baron Elderflower.

"Please...let us past," pleaded Twilight.

"I can't do that," said the mare, her gaze hardening. She reached around to one side of her flank and pulled out a broad-bladed knife. Lunging forward, she thrust the knife, its tip trying to locate a gap in Twilight's armor.

Twilight let her. One of the benefits of having armor composed of actualized magic was that it wasn't constrained by its appearance. Just because two plates did not join seamlessly didn't mean they were an opening, unlike how things worked for mundane armor. The mare's thrust looked like it was heading straight for the center of Twilight's peytral, when it instead changed direction and darted towards the joint between two plates of her criniere. The instant the knife reached its target, a jolting bolt of violet lightning crackled from the point of contact, running back down the blade of the knife and up into the wielder's fetlock.

The guard let out a cry of surprised pain, trying to pull back or let go of her knife, maybe both. However, she was unable to get away as the lightning crawled up her leg and into the rest of her body. A second later, she no longer needed to pull away as she was physically launched back with enough force to break through the door before crashing into the wall behind it.

Twilight sighed. "You should have let us go." Turning to look at Coco, Twilight gave her a smile. "All right. Let's get out of here."

Swallowing hard, Coco nodded hesitantly and fell in behind Twilight as they headed out the door. As they went through the door, Twilight looked to one side, seeing what she had noted before when she'd left the room to join Elderflower for dinner. Her room was situated at the end of the hallway. A few feet beyond the door, the hallway terminated in what looked like an ordinary wall, leaving just enough room for a pony to stand next to her door on that side so that the guards could have the portal flanked from both sides. However, Twilight was willing to bet that the end of the hallway was actually a concealed door that led to the room behind her mirror.

"Wh-where are we going?" asked Coco as she cringed behind Twilight, looking down the hall for any signs that the guards or Elderflower's hired mercenaries might be coming.

"First we're getting you out of here," said Twilight sternly, "I'm guessing that tremor was Arkenstone. If we meet up, I can have you stay with him while he gets you to safety. But I need to go after the Elements and get them back."

"Okay," said Coco. The two of them set off as another set of tremors, accompanied by loud crashes, rocked the estate.

"Somepony tell me what that was!" yelled Elderflower as he emerged into the main entryway, looking down towards the doors. On either side of him, stairs ran down along the walls, flanking the doors that led to his manor's ballroom. He'd addressed guests and assemblies of his servants on many occasions from this perch, looking down upon them with quiet confidence. None of that confidence was to be found now.

"There's an intruder, My Lord!" yelled a guard, who'd taken a moment to actually look out the front door before reporting.

"Is it the Royal Guard?" demanded Elderflower, glaring down at the unfortunate pony.

The guard shook his head. "The pony isn't wearing any uniform. I think it's some earth pony."

"Some earth pony..." Eldeflower had to let that sink in. Suddenly he remembered. Twilight's coltfriend, the same stallion who had dispatched Earl Steel Flint, was an earth pony. Could that stallion...that Arkenstone...have somehow learned where Twilight was being kept and come for her?

It seemed impossible, but Elderflower wouldn't have been surprised if that was the case. Luckily, I have the Banehammers. Earl Flint might have been a fairly formidable battle mage in one-on-one duels, but he had no experience with real combat. The Banehammers are much more dangerous. Even if this stallion managed to best Flint, there's no way he'd be able to handle so many hardened warriors.

"Get Greenblight and his ponies here immediately," said Elderflower.

"That won't be necessary," said Greenblight, actually emerging behind Elderflower to stand at the top of the stairs. Down below, Inkwell emerged from the doors to the ballroom. Behind her, Elderflower could hear the clicking of numerous hooves against the ballroom's polished floors. The Banehammers hadn't wasted time waiting for orders and had already assembled to greet the threat.

"You'd best leave things to us, My Lord," said Greenblight, watching the front doors with a savage grin, "We'll make short work of this fool."

"Do not underestimate him," said Elderflower, "He's probably much more dangerous than he first seems."

Before Greenblight could say anything in response to that, there was a whistling noise coming from the door. A beat later, the sturdy wooden constructs fell to pieces, having been sliced cleanly by some sort of set of invisible blades. They tumbled to the floor with a clatter, revealing a beige stallion, who strode through as though the house belonged to him. Stepping into the entryway, Arkenstone sniffed the air for a few seconds before his muzzle pointed in Elderflower's direction.

"Am I correct in assuming that you are the lord of the house?" asked Arkenstone calmly.

"You are," said Elderflower, trying to keep a tremor of fear from his voice. Arkenstone seemed like an ordinary earth pony, albeit a blind one. However, for a pony who had strode into the center of enemy territory, he was remarkably calm and composed, the tone of his voice betraying no sign of fear or excitement.

"I see...in a manner of speaking," said Arkenstone, "Then this is quite fortunate, seeing as it will save us both time and unnecessary bloodshed. You will release Twilight Sparkle, surrender the Elements of Harmony, and submit yourself to the custody of the Guard to be tried for the crimes of foalnapping, unlawful imprisonment, theft, murder by proxy, high treason...and any other crimes that the Princesses can think to accuse you of. If you do that, then I will not be obligated to chop you into tiny pieces, just like that door I just walked through."

Elderflower's lips curled back, baring his teeth as he glared down at the earth pony below him. "Filthy scum! You dare to force yourself onto my property and address me in such a manner...How dare you level such foalish accusations without one wit of proof."

"Perhaps I haven't made your situation clear," said Arkenstone, "The fact that I am here is proof enough. I am also very interested in that stallion standing beside you, along with the mare down here. They certainly match the description of the ringleaders of that bunch of mercenaries who raided the Royal Palace. Are you seriously trying to pretend that you aren't responsible at this juncture?"

From beside him, Elderflower could hear a sharp intake of breath. He heard Greenblight beginning to breathe faster and faster, almost sounding as though he were hyperventilating. Elderflower was not unfamiliar with Greenblight's "trick." He decided to stall to give the scarred stallion time.

"Fine," said Elderflower, returning his attention to Arkenstone, "You are correct. I am indeed responsible for the attack on the Palace. I have indeed taken the Elements of Harmony as Princess Celestia has simply proven that she can no longer be trusted with their stewardship. I cannot, in good conscience, return them to her and allow them to be misused again."

"Misused?" Arkenstone raised an eyebrow. "Saving Equestria twice over is misusing them?"

"She placed the fate of the nation-No!-the world, in the hooves of commoners...earth ponies and pegasi!" yelled Elderflower, his blood rising at the amused tone in Arkenstone's voice, "The Elements of Harmony are the most powerful magical devices ever conceived and she would dare to allow those whose trade is not magic itself to wield them! It was only blind luck that they've worked thus far. I shall not allow the Elements to be sullied any further.

"I shall place them in the hooves of ponies who truly deserve to bear them. I will bring true order and true harmony to Equestria. I shall end our long slide into anarchy and restore things to the way they were meant to be!" Elderflower was panting after his tirade. He no longer cared about buying time, unable to stand the disrespect this common earth pony was showing him. "Twilight Sparkle is mine as well. Her power shall become the foundation of a new Equestria. If you have any true respect for her and her station, you will turn back and not interfere any longer."

"I shall not, nor do I need to," replied Arkenstone, "Your ignorance is truly mind-boggling in that you fail so utterly to understand what the Elements truly are. We know all about your plans for them. I must admit, we were sorely tempted to let you try to carry those plans out so that you could find out for yourself just how addlebrained your little schemes are. However, good ponies have died as a result of your actions and your decisions. It is because of them and Twilight that we are here now." Arkenstone's eyes opened, revealing orbs of featureless white that glared upwards at Elderflower. "I give you one last warning. Surrender or I will kill you."

Elderflower suddenly felt as though a weight of several tons had dropped down on his back. His legs quivered in fear and, despite his best efforts, he let out a strangled whimper at the intensity of the killing intent being directed at him. He now understood all too well just how Steel Flint had died at the hooves of this stallion. He could feel that intent to kill honed into the finest of blades now being leveled at him. This was a pony who truly knew how to kill other ponies.

A low snarl off to Elderflower's side reminded him that he had ponies who knew how to kill too. Regardless of how competent this Arkenstone might be, in the end, Elderflower had the advantage of numbers. Besides, the Banehammers were mercenaries experienced in the ways of real war. That was exactly why Wight Shade had recommended them to him in the first place.

"Kill him!" snapped Elderflower, turning about and striding toward the upper doors, resisting the urge to break into a gallop the moment his back was turned.

Down below, Inkwell's eyes narrowed and her horn flared with ebony power. Wisps of smoke curled upwards from the cracks that ran along the length as several small spheres of energy formed in the air around her. Arkenstone's eyes closed again and he turned his muzzle towards her. He took a step forward...

That was all the provocation Inkwell needed. At her will, the little black spheres darted out at Arkenstone, swarming through the air around him like bees to come from all directions. Arkenstone hid a grimace and whipped his blades into action. Had he been at his best, he would have easily been able to cut them all down with his swords. However, his reflexes were dulled and his senses still slightly muddled as a consequence of his convalescence. To complicate matters, he'd never found himself regretting walking into a place with such a dedicated cleaning staff as much as he did today. The maids had clearly been busy, as not a speck of dust lingered on any surface that he could use to build his armor.

Fortunately, even homes with the most devoted of caretakers had places that no maid could hope to clean. The gaps between walls, where pipes and wiring ran were spaces that nopony would ever really think to clean on a regular basis. Instead of trying to intercept Shade's incoming bolts, Arkenstone slashed at the walls to either side of him, cutting them open and releasing billowing clouds of dust, the accumulation of years, into the air around him. His power joined those tiny particles together into black, scale-like pieces that quickly merged together to form larger, smoother pieces, forming plates of armor that built themselves around his body. In a matter of a few seconds, he would be completely enclosed and protected.

Sadly, Inkwell had no intention of giving him those few seconds. Her bolts surged at him in a constant barrage, pounding at him like a deluge of hailstones from nearly every conceivable angle. His armor, not fully manifested, broke apart under the onslaught, barely blocking the blasts. Arkenstone desperately tried to rebuild his armor, but Shade's bolts shattered the pieces he assembled as fast as he could replace them. In his current state, Arkenstone was forced to abandon any thought of offense in order to maintain his defense and keep rebuilding his armor quickly enough to keep Inkwell's bolts from reaching his vulnerable flesh. Though Arkenstone had a certain amount of skill at hardening his body, it was far below the level of a true practitioner of the Mountain Root. Inkwell's magical bolts were far too fierce in their intensity to be held back by the limited reinforcement Arkenstone could achieve. Right now, they stood at a total stalemate.

A loud, bellowing roar from above signaled that the stalemate was at an end. From the balcony above, Greenblight hurtled himself into the air so that he dropped towards Arkenstone like a plummeting stone, already swinging his massive scythe about wildly. Arkenstone could sense his approach easily, but was unable to take any action, as Inkwell's barrage had him fixed solely on the defensive. From the ballroom doors behind Inkwell, Arkenstone could her the rumbling sound of numerous hooves as the rest of the Banehammers charged forward to follow Greenblight's lead. I certainly can't fault their experience, thought Arkenstone wryly, seeing as they don't seem to have any issues with using all of their strength against me despite their numerical advantage.

However, Arkenstone found himself supremely grateful that he hadn't come alone. From behind him, emerging from either side of the wall where the front doors had once stood, a pair of blurs, one orange and one gray, shot into the air. The gray blur angled up over Arkenstone's head, rushing right in front of Greenblight's face, only narrowly missing a strike from that deadly-looking scythe. Greenblight barely even noticed, his single functioning eye not even tracking the blur, instead remaining fixed on the target of his berserk ire as he continued to dive at Arkenstone, foam trailing from his mouth.

However, Greenblight definitely took notice when something, a cord of some sort, wrapped around his neck. With a mighty yank, the burly, scarred pegasus suddenly felt himself being pulled to one side. In his current state, he hadn't given a single thought to maintaining his balance, so he was taken completely off-guard as the cord whipped his body around just in time for a Greenblight's own wings to launch him in the direction he was being pulled.

As a consequence, Greenblight went sailing over the heads of his underlings and went flying to the ballroom that they had previously assembled in. Another yank on the cord changed the path of his flight yet again and Greenblight slammed down into the polished stone tiles that made up the ballroom floor. Luckily, his own lack of balance saved him and he hit shoulder-first instead of headfirst. Even as he hit the floor, Greenblight was already scrambling to get upright, not even seeming to notice the pain of his impact as he snarled savagely at his antagonist. The cord around his neck went slack and then withdrew completely as Greenblight faced the gray pegasus colt in front of him.

Rumble swallowed nervously as he faced the scythe-wielding pegasus in front of him, who growled and snarled in a manner more akin to a wild animal than a trained fighter, his single eye rolling wildly as more foam began to gather at his lips. "I'm your opponent," said Rumble, hoping that his first real fight wasn't about to be his last.

At the same time Rumble had managed to redirect Greenblight's dive, Scootaloo charged straight in at Inkwell, zipping just above the heads of the armored ponies surging out from behind her. Inkwell's eyes zeroed in on her immediately and the shooter-marble sized bolts she'd been bombarding Arkenstone with all immediately changed course to converge on Scootaloo instead. Scootaloo ignored them, instead focusing all her strength and speed on her forward charge. Inkwell's reflexes and responses were quick, but she was still a beat too slow to catch up with the charging filly.

As Scootaloo closed in on Inkwell, she could see the mare charging another attack spell just above her horn. Scootaloo kicked out with her hind legs. At the same moment, she executed a lunging motion and swept both of her wings forward so that the outermost primaries extended past her head. A concentrated blast of air roared out at Inkwell, whose eyes widened. She immediately changed strategies, abandoning the attack spell she'd been building in favor of spreading a shield of telekinetic energy in a curving wall between her and Scootaloo.

It barely slowed down the barreling cannon blast of air resulting from the Forward Wing Strike, as the impact smashed through Inkwell's shield and pounded into the mare, knocking her completely off her hooves and sending her flying back through the doors, across the ballroom and crashing out through the massive, floor-to-ceiling windows on the opposite side. Inkwell was barely able to raise another shield as she slammed into the ground outside, plowing a furrow through one of Elderflower's flowerbeds and scattering countless red and yellow petals into the air. As she followed her opponent out through the window, Scootaloo was struck by the notion that the scene would have looked somewhat beautiful (if a little like one of Pinkie Pie's parties) if it weren't for the blotchy-coated mare getting to her hooves in the center of it all.

Inkwell's eyes narrowed dangerously as she glared at Scootaloo, who shivered as those soulless black orbs raked over her body. Inkwell's horn once again began to shimmer with ebony power, more smoke climbing out from the cracks. Four black orbs the size of grapefruit scattered out from the tip of Inkwell's horn, each one picking its own path to come at Scootaloo from a different direction.

Realizing that her first true battle had really begun, Scootaloo narrowed her eyes and set herself. This is it!

As Scootaloo and Rumble managed to seize and deflect the ringleaders of the Banehammers away from Arkenstone, the blind stallion was still left with a few dozen rank and file members of the mercenary company. The moment Greenblight and Inkwell had been knocked back through the ballroom doors, the group's charge had ground to a halt, the armored ponies milling uncertainly in the absence of their leaders.

At the rear of their formation, a group of them stepped back and turned around, prepared to follow Greenblight and Inkwell into battle against the foals that had knocked them away from Arkenstone. However, before they could take so much as a single step in the direction of the ballroom, a pair of black swords crossed through the air in front of them, moving so quickly that they were nearly invisible. The whirling blades carved a line in the floor between them and the ballroom doors, bringing the armored ponies to an abrupt halt.

"I won't be allowing any of you to leave," said Arkenstone cooly, having not moved an inch from where he had been standing when the battle had started, "We will finish this here, one way or another. If any of you have even a fleeting attachment to your lives, you will set down your weapons now and surrender. If you do not...then you shall receive no quarter." Arkenstone's eyes opened once again, the sight of the menacing white orbs sending chills down the spines of the ponies now facing him.

However, none of them dropped their weapons. The pegasi spread to the air above, flying as high as the chandeliers and the arched roof of the entryway. Down below, earth ponies moved to spread out and encircle Arkenstone. Unicorns lit their horns, ready to let fly with bolts of eldritch power at a moment's notice.

The Banehammers were no mere collection of thugs. They had charged griffon armies, faced down minotaur warbands, outmaneuvered famously nimble Saddle Arabian bandit clans, and even earned the respect of the most terrifying and bloodthirsty zebra tribes. They'd fought and subdued monsters and had been called monsters by their foes. These were ponies who had faced true war and conflict, something that even the Royal Guard almost never had to deal with. They were hardened and experienced fighters, each and every one of them. That collective experience warned them now that this particular stallion was even more dangerous than an entire army. They realized that, even though he was a single adversary, they could not afford to take him lightly.

Arkenstone braced himself as the Banehammers came storming in.

Elderflower immediately turned down the hall as he left the entryway, looking to take the nearest set of stairs up to the third floor. He would need to retrieve Twilight Sparkle and take her with him. No doubt she would be resistant to the idea, particularly if she learned that her coltfriend was leading the charge to get her back. However, so long as the inhibitor ring was in place, there was nothing Twilight could do to keep him from doing what was necessary.

It's unfortunate to have to abandon my home like this, thought Elderflower, But it isn't the end of the world. As long as I have the support of my compatriots, we can continue the plan.

He'd just reached the stairs when he nearly smacked his head against that of one of his own guards descending down from above. The guard's eyes, already looking quite panicked, went wide when he realized that he'd nearly bowled his employer over. "My Lord!"

"What is going on?" snapped Elderflower, in no mood for dealing with panicking guards.

"Twilight Sparkle has escaped," he said, "She's advancing across the third floor now. We've been trying to stop her, but nopony's been able to do anything."

"How?" demanded Elderflower, "The inhibitor ring prohibits any form of magic. Don't tell me she spontaneously became another kind of pony!"

"I don't know how, My Lord, but she managed to remove the inhibitor ring. She's wearing some sort of armor now. None of our spells or weapons can break through it."

"Armor?" Elderflower blinked at that, trying to figure out just what was going on. "This is ridiculous! Get out of my way!"

"My Lord! It isn't safe!" The guard tried futilely to dissuade Elderflower, but the Baron pressed on, ignoring his guard's complaints.

"Twilight Sparkle escaping confinement...ludicrous! I already have enough on my plate right now. I can't afford to have my own servants losing their heads over something so obviously impossible." Elderflower continued to mutter and grumble as he climbed the stairs, emerging onto the third floor just in time to see the body of one of his guards go sailing right past his face, the unfortunate pegasus letting out a terrified scream as he smashed into another guard further down the hallway.

Eyes wide with shock, Elderflower looked down the hall in the direction the poor guard had come from. Still a fair distance down was a cluster of several of his mares-at-arms, their armored forms arranged to block the hallway as best as they possibly could. With the low ceiling, the pegasi couldn't hope to take to the air, so the earth ponies had moved to the fore, using their own bodies to barricade the hallway while, behind them, unicorns primed their horns to fire spells at the pony heading towards them.

It can't be, thought Elderflower incredulously, feeling as though he were moving in slow motion coming up the stairs. The complete absurdity of the situation lent everything a strange, dreamlike quality that made Elderflower wonder if this was a passing nightmare, that he would wake up to find that everything was as it should be. Coming up behind his guards, Elderflower looked past their heads to get a look at who was coming towards them.

Twilight Sparkle made her way down the hallway, her horn glowing as she unleashed a lance blazing violet energy that crashed into the earth ponies in the front ranks. The beam exploded in a burst of concussive force that scattered the front line and the ponies behind them like tenpins. Walls crumbled as ponies went crashing through them. A pegasus was bounced up by the force of the attack to slam into the ceiling before falling senseless to the floor. Two of the unicorns went flying past Elderflower on either side. One of them passed close enough that her armor actually scraped against Elderflower's cheek, drawing a small amount of blood. The sensation of pain and the jolting shock as everything seemed to speed up to normal again to his eyes cemented it for Elderflower that he most certainly wasn't dreaming.

Now that the view was no longer obstructed by his guards, Elderflower had a clear view of Twilight. His eyes took in the gleaming silver of her armor, as well as the glimmering band around her horn, just below where the inhibitor ring she was supposed to have been shackled with had previously rested. Following behind her was a nervous, cringing Coco Pommel, who shrank back with a terrified squeak as the younger mare's eyes met Elderflower's. Behind the two mares was a shimmering wall of violet energy, completely barricading the hallway behind them. Behind that wall, Elderflower could see more of his guards milling about as they fought to break or circumvent the barrier to get at Twilight from the rear.

Twilight came to a stop when she saw Elderflower standing there, taking great satisfaction in the flabbergasted expression on his face. "Lord Baron," she said cheerily, "I would like to thank you for your hospitality. But I'm afraid that I have to inform you that I've decided to refuse your generous offer. So Coco and I shall be going now...Oh! And I'll be taking the Elements with me as well."

Elderflower's mouth opened, closed, then opened again as he fought to find the words to express himself. Rage, fear, and confusion rushed through him in equal measure, throwing his thoughts into total chaos as he tried to make sense of what was going on. Months of preparation, years of planning and scheming, all of it was coming undone right before his eyes. Twilight Sparkle had been helpless, imprisoned, and restrained. The Royal Guard, much less Twilight's coltfriend, should have had no idea he was involved in her foalnapping or the theft of the Elements. Everything had been coming together perfectly.

Twilight's smile was cheerful, almost giddy, but that only served to make it all the more menacing as she continued to advance sedately down the corridor. In spite of himself, Elderflower found himself taking nervous, halting steps back as he tried to keep the armored mare in front of him from closing the distance. "You can't...! You couldn't...! Your magic...it was..."

"You really thought you had me helpless," said Twilight, raising an eyebrow, her smile fading as she continued to move forward, "I admit, you did catch me off guard by using Coco to knock me out before kidnapping me. That's probably one of the cleverest tricks I've seen one of your ilk pull. Sorry to break it to you, but I could've broken out at any time. You don't know nearly enough about what I'm capable of to keep me here.

"You fool!" snapped Elderflower, "I thought you understood what Equestria needs."

"I do," Twilight replied, "I know better than you do what Equestria needs. More importantly, I know exactly what it doesn't need, a batch of petty tyrants in positions of power to affect the lives of ponies everywhere simply because you have the blind luck to be born into the right family. I also know that the last place that the Elements of Harmony need to be is in the hooves of you or the ponies you've chosen."

"So you would have the Elements be trifled with by ponies who have no business meddling in the affairs of magic," snapped Elderflower, "There's no way pegasi or earth ponies could understand their power."

"That's where you're wrong," said Twilight, "And I know because I'm one of the ponies who wielded the Elements. All those things Princess Celestia has said over and over again, all those things you dismissed as platitudes. They're all true. I know that because I've felt the Elements' power. I know that what's needed isn't mastery of spellcraft or arcane power. It's something much deeper, something you dismiss and scorn because you think it's beneath your position." She smiled grimly. "But the truth is, those sentiments you look down on are a lot more powerful than you are."

"Enough!" yelled Elderflower. Behind him, he could hear the pounding of hooves as more of his guards came galloping down the hallway. "I thought that you could be made to see reason, Dame Sparkle. Clearly, I was wrong." Turning around, he strode back towards his guards as they came. "Bring her down," he told them, "Alive, if you can. If you can't then..." He shrugged indifferently.

"What about the other one?" asked the mare in the lead.

Elderflower glanced over his shoulder at Coco, who was still cowering behind Twilight. "Kill her."

With that, he set off as the guards charged past him. As soon as he was clear of them, Elderflower broke into a gallop, heading for the stairs once again. Retrieving Twilight Sparkle was out of the question now. The only things he had left with which to salvage his plans were the Elements. I'll get them out through the caverns. If I can get them to the meeting area, the remainder of our forces will be able to take care of the rest. I will save this nation if I have to burn this city to the ground.

He failed to notice the tiny spark that leapt off the tip of Twilight's horn and struck his rump, right at the base of his tail as he retreated. Twilight watched the Baron's departure, a warm feeling of satisfaction welling her stomach even as she turned her attention back to the guards filing into line in the Baron's wake.

Author's Notes:

Now the fun really begins. Part of what I was looking forward to in this arc was that it gave me a chance to have somepony other than Dawn shine. Scootaloo gets a chance to show her mettle as an up-and-coming martial artist and Rumble gets his chance to...well...rumble.

Next chapter: The battle rages.

Dancing With the Wind

Chapter 13: Dancing With the Wind

Greenblight threw back his head and howled, reminding Rumble of the wolf-pony from that movie Thunderlane had taken him to see once. Rumble had gotten nightmares from that one. However, this was no nightmare, nor was it a pony on a screen. Greenblight was very real, very dangerous, and that scythe he was swinging around was very big and looked very sharp.

To the average pony, the attack would have looked shockingly fast, especially for a pony of Greenblight's bulk. However, Rumble's vision and reflexes had been honed by years of racing his brother through Whitetail Woods, slaloming between trees at breakneck speeds, picking out narrow gaps and watching for the markers that signaled turns. Compared to that, Greenblight's attack seemed rather...lazy. Rumble ducked under the swing, the blade passing harmlessly above his rump, whilst he narrowly avoided being brained by the weapon's shaft. His vision was filled by a green chest covered with scars as Rumble realized that, even if Greenblight didn't hit him with the scythe, the stallion was still more than capable of simply running him over. With a yelp of surprise, Rumble threw himself to the side, barely missing being trampled by the raging stallion.

Greenblight was already pivoting on the spot, spinning around and swinging the scythe in a wide arc. The blade missed Rumble completely. But, once again, the colt was forced to evade the weapon's shaft. As he jumped above the strike Rumble took to the air, trying to get some more room to maneuver in the open air of the ballroom, falling back from Greenblight. For a moment, he thought that the stallion might lose interest and return to the fight with Arkenstone, which was still raging in the entryway. But the moment Greenblight's bloodshot eye fixed itself on Rumble, he knew he didn't have to worry about anything like that. Lucky me, he thought sardonically.

With another bestial howl, Greenblight launched himself at Rumble, taking to the air, his wings beating hard to lift his bulk off the floor and send it hurtling at the colt. Rumble twisted out of the way of another swing of the scythe, deciding that he needed to do some attacking of his own. He'd been hesitating ever since he'd managed to get Greenblight away from Arkenstone. He'd never used the meteor hammer on another pony before, much less the real version of the weapon. If he wasn't careful, the steel weight could crush bones, including somepony's skull. He didn't want to kill anypony, not even somepony as terrifying as Greenblight. However, he didn't have near the level of skill Storm Front did.

I guess the best way to go about it would be to avoid stuff that I know will kill him and hope that where I hit him won't kill him, thought Rumble. If Greenblight ended up dying anyway then...well...he'd simply have to cope. There were things more important at stake. Arkenstone had made that very clear to them when they left the Palace that morning.

"I want you to listen carefully," said Arkenstone as Rumble and Scootaloo followed him down the hallway, "When we reach our destination, if you truly desire to fight, there is a very good chance that you will have to kill your opponent."

Both Rumble and Scootaloo froze at that. Arkenstone proceeded a couple more steps before stopping himself. He didn't turn around, but his ears swiveled in place so they were oriented on the positions of the two foals. "I can understand that you are uncomfortable with that fact. I would be worried if you weren't. However, neither of you are skilled enough to deal a disabling blow, much less such a blow in the middle of pitched battle. If you waste your time, energy, and awareness trying to do so, you end up putting yourself at risk and you will likely be the ones to end up dead. That outcome is unacceptable."

Now he turned around, facing them directly. "This is your point of no return. If you follow me and enter the battle, you must be prepared for the possibility that you will have to kill your opponent. If you truly feel that you can win without that, then you may try. However, if you don't feel ready to kill your opponent, should such a thing prove necessary, then you will need to turn back now."

Rumble swallowed and looked down at his right foreleg, now concealed behind the green sleeve of his shirt. If push came to shove, could he take that final step? Closing his eyes, he thought about it for a long moment. He was a little worried that Arkenstone would lose patience and simply leave them behind, but the stallion remained in place without a word.

"I'm not ready," Rumble admitted, "But I'll do what it takes, because...because that's what needed."

Arkenstone smiled sadly and lifted a hoof to gently brush back Rumble's mane. "Very few ponies are truly ready for their first taste of battle. That much is true. I trust you."

After a longer moment, Scootaloo answered as well. "I'll do what I need to," she said, "Our friends need us."

"Very well then," said Arkenstone, once again leading the way down the hall, "Then let us be off."

The time for hesitation was past. Rumble snapped out his foreleg, launching the meteor hammer straight for Greenblight's flank. The weapon lanced out like the head of a striking snake. An instant later, it sank into Greenblight's side, just behind his ribcage, with a meaty thunk. A yowl of pain filled the air and Rumble winced in sympathy. Once, during a schoolyard squabble years ago, another pony had kicked him there, an experience that Rumble had found excruciatingly painful. He'd spent several minutes simply writhing on the ground.

However, to Rumble's complete shock, Greenblight didn't falter. He didn't even flinch. Instead, the stallion whirled around, immediately charging at Rumble again, leading with an overhead swing of the scythe. Rumble rolled to the side, allowing Greenblight to go barreling past him. As he did, he brought the meteor hammer around in an overhead swing and brought it straight down on Greenblight's haunch, hitting him just above where his cutie mark rested. Once again, the stallion hardly reacted, save for an angry roar, before spinning around, the tip of his scythe threatening to spear Rumble through the ear.

Whipping the meteor hammer through a complex pattern, Rumble brought it swinging up from below, slamming it straight into Greenblight's stomach. The air burst out of the stallion's mouth with a loud whoosh. However, Greenblight's jaws opened and he spewed out a more gasping, strangled version of his roar before coming at Rumble without the slightest hesitation, one fetlock clenched around the end of his scythe's shaft while his other hoof aimed punch after vicious punch at Rumble as the colt ducked inside the weapon's range.

As he closed with Greenblight, Rumble drew back the meteor hammer, wrapping it around his barrel and up between his wings to shorten the length of the weapon in play, allowing him to use it in closer quarters. He barely managed to slip past Greenblight's punch, which was as fast as it was wild and uncoordinated. As he did, he whipped the meteor hammer up and smacked it into one side of Greenblight's ribcage. The weapon connected with the crack of breaking bone and the two of them were past each other. Coming out behind Greenblight, Rumble swung the meteor hammer up and around from overhead, allowing the portions of cord he'd wrapped around his body to slip away, giving him the length he needed to bring the arcing swing of the weapon down right on the base of Greenblight's tail, once again connecting with an an echoing crack.

Yet again, Greenblight whirled around, acting as though broken bones didn't even bother him. If anything, the pain seemed to drive the stallion into even greater throes of madness. He charged for Rumble, the scythe spinning and whirling.

Geez, thought Rumble, his stomach churning, What's this guy made of?

Scootaloo rolled and banked, barely managing to jerk her rear out of the way of a sphere of crackling, ebony magic that zipped past it. The orb of power merely changed direction, coming back at her yet again. Scootaloo had to kick of the air and send her body into a spin, pulling her wings in as she danced between that sphere and a second one coming in from a different angle. A third and fourth were coming in as well. Scootaloo kicked down with all four of her hooves, managing to launch herself out of the way of those ones as well. Unfortunately, all four attacks turned to come at her yet again.

With a growl of anger, Scootaloo glared at Inkwell, who was glaring back with even greater intensity. With her wind-sense able to follow the paths of the energy balls as they chased her through the air, Scootaloo was glad that she didn't at least have to watch them. However, it was all she could do to avoid the bolts tracking her every move. She didn't have the time to spare to try and launch some sort of counterattack. Instead, she was forced farther and farther away from her opponent with each passing second.

Then Inkwell's eyes narrowed dangerously. Her horn, already smoking and glimmering with jet-black magic, glowed with greater intensity. A fifth bolt, then a sixth, joined the four already chasing after her. Horseapples! thought Scootaloo, jerking and juking all the harder as she fought for some way to throw them off. However, the orbs weren't simply following or tracking her, Inkwell was obviously actively controlling the paths of their flight, using them to come at the filly from different directions in an attempt to corral her and keep her from avoiding them.

Scootaloo really wished that she'd mastered the rapid movement skill Dawn had taught her. Dawn could probably skip in and out of attacks like this with ease. So far, Scootaloo hadn't fully learned how to use that technique, even when simply using it to move forward. Backwards, side-to-side, up and down were all beyond her at the moment. Luckily, being able to use her hooves to kick off the air itself allowed her to change direction much more sharply than the average pegasus. When one of the orbs of energy suddenly jumped in front of her, Scootaloo's right hind and forehooves kicked out, allowing her to jump sharply to the side before she collided with it.

Deciding to change tactics, Scootaloo began pouring on the speed, trying her hardest to keep the orbs chasing after her. Three of them did. The other three broke off and began moving in an extended arc to cut off her movement as she tried to circle around Inkwell. Scootaloo banked and found herself once again flying farther from her opponent in an effort to keep all six orbs behind her.

Then it happened. The six pursuing orbs suddenly stopped homing in on her and instead went into straight flight, scattering into the air. Scootaloo pulled up short and glanced back. Inkwell was practically a dot in the distant yard now. Scootaloo estimated that she'd pulled over a hundred meters away at least. Apparently this was the maximum range for Inkwell's magic...

...Or so Scootaloo thought. A few seconds later, she yelped and dodged, barely managing to avoid a lancing beam of jet-black power the width of a broom handle that zipped past her with a faint whistling noise. What the hay! The attack had come dangerously close to spearing her through the center of the chest. Even the shift in the air caused by its approach had come too late. Instead, Scootaloo had reacted to the intense, focused killing intent that surged ahead of the attack. If she hadn't noticed that and dodged, she would have been killed right there and then.

That near death hammered home the truth to Scootaloo in a way that all of Arkenstone's lectures never could. If she messed up, if she made one mistake, she would die. This was no training session, this wasn't even like the battle that Dawn had fought with Storm Front and Red River. This was real. For the very first time, it truly sank in for Scootaloo just how much danger she was in. Even her brief exchange with Perlin back in Ponyville hadn't affected her like this. She was in true battle with an opponent who intended to kill her.

All this time, she wondered, was this what it was always like for Dawn? Her heart shuddered as she imagined herself in Dawn's hooves, thinking about what it would be like to spend days and weeks haunted by this feeling, the feeling that death was just around the corner, that the tiniest slip-up could cost him his life. Was this what it was truly like every time Dawn went into battle and put his life on the line?

She didn't have long to ponder as another lance of magic forced her to evade yet again. Inkwell's shots were precise and deadly, targeting the wings, the heart, and other organs. Scootaloo didn't need to touch those beams to know that they would punch through her body as easily as one of Rarity's sewing needles could pierce a sheet of fabric. Inkwell's accuracy at this distance was incredible.

I have to get closer, thought Scootaloo. She just barely managed to avoid those shots thanks to all her months of training with Dawn and thanks to the fact that Inkwell's intent clearly broadcasted where she was attacking ahead of the attack itself. The tiniest fraction of hesitation in Scootaloo's movements would result in her death. Inkwell's attacks were much too focused and dangerous to deal with.

Besides, Scootaloo couldn't attack from this distance. If Dawn was here, she was sure that he could strike back at Inkwell even from this far away, maybe even farther. However, Scootaloo didn't have enough control to keep her attacks from dissipating over long distances. If she wanted to beat Inkwell, she would have to get in close.

A beam of ebony power seared over her head, punching through part of her mane. Scootaloo winced at the pulling sensation from her hairs being broken away. Now was her chance. She had to cover as much distance as possible in order to get close before Inkwell got off another shot. Scootaloo had noticed something about Inkwell's attacks before. Unlike the remote-controlled orbs Inkwell was using before, these powerful long distance shots couldn't be fired rapidly. It always took a few seconds for Inkwell to fire off another shot. Scootaloo realized that the time lag must have been the time it took for Inkwell to focus and condense her magic in order to fire it over a long distance. Even more importantly, unlike the orbs she was using earlier, Inkwell couldn't change the direction of her long-range shots after they were fired.

In other words, this was her chance to get close before Inkwell could fire again. Scootaloo took advantage of those few seconds, charging straight in at her opponent, getting ready to throw herself to the side the instant she felt the next shot coming. The ground was a blur and the only thing Scootaloo saw clearly was the rapidly growing form of Inkwell.

Then she felt it, that piercing spike of intent that preceded each of Inkwell's attacks. Scootaloo kicked out with her legs, but failed to account for the strength of her own forward momentum. Instead, she began to skid awkwardly to the side, not moving nearly fast enough to get clear of the next shot. Oh no! She realized that this would be her fatal mistake. Even if this attack wasn't fatal, it would certainly knock Scootaloo out of the sky. Even if the subsequent crash failed to finish her off, Inkwell would probably be perfectly happy to do the job.

I'm sorry everypony, she thought, the images of the ponies she loved flashing before her eyes as she braced herself for what was coming.

With a loud crack, the meteor hammer slammed into Greenblight's left shoulder. The arm below that shoulder dropped limply. Now Greenblight only had his right leg with which to swing the scythe. But, as ever, the stallion seemed to hardly even notice Rumble's attack, instead howling savagely as he came in. Once again, Rumble ducked beneath the wild swing of the scythe, seeking to pass to the left where the fearsome weapon couldn't reach him. However, Rumble quickly learned his mistake when he saw what looked like an emerald-green log, criss-crossed with scars, swing up in front of him.

"Ack!" Rumble twisted and took the hit right across the flank. The force of the blow sent him flying away from Greenblight to smack hard against the wall, driving the breath from Rumble's lungs. Gravity took over from there and Rumble slid down the wall and to the floor, thankfully not hitting far enough up to hurt himself further. The act of falling actually saved his life as the point of the scythe sank into the stone right where his head had been only a second before. Greenblight grunted and growled as he fought to pull the weapon loose, but was having a hard time doing so with only one good arm.

Rumble gladly took advantage of the chance to get his breath back and take stock of his injuries. Fortunately, the hit from Greenblight's foreleg had been more surprising than dangerous and he hadn't hit the wall hard enough to break anything. He figured that he'd have a nasty bruise between his wings when all this was over.

Greenblight had turned his body as Rumble had tried to pass him, allowing him to essentially swing the otherwise limp and useless foreleg like a large flail. Given the state of Greenblight's shoulder, such an action should have been beyond agonizing, but the stallion had done it without hesitation and showed no indication that he even cared. Every time Rumble hit him, Greenblight seemed more angered than pained by the experience. Rumble was extremely fortunate that he'd actually disabled Greenblight's arm with that last attack. If Greenblight had been able to punch properly with that limb, the attack would have probably broken Rumble's bones.

It's like he doesn't care about the pain, thought Rumble incredulously, The only time a hit stops him is when it makes it impossible for him to physically move. That right arm was a perfect example. Even now, it dangled uselessly while Greenblight continued to lever the scythe out of the stonework. Using his body to whip it around like he just had was the extent of what Greenblight was capable of.

But if he doesn't care about pain, then it means he'll keep going, no matter how badly his body is injured, thought Rumble. Unless he broke all four of Greenblight's legs and both his wings so that those limbs could no longer carry the scarred stallion, Greenblight would keep coming after him.

Such a revelation should have frightened Rumble. It should have made him tremble with fear and made him consider running away. However, it actually had the opposite effect. Rumble felt his fear and nervousness fading, replaced by understanding. He's not thinking about anything, he thought, He just keeps attacking. Greenblight had never made any effort to avoid Rumble's return strikes, never even tried to put up any kind of defense. He hadn't tried to make any tactical use of the ballroom's layout or effectively apply his weapon. It was as though he was completely mindless. However, this was different from the thoughtless state that Dawn, Arkenstone, and even Storm had described as the pinnacle of martial mastery. This was true mindlessness, a wild, flailing attack without any control or real guidance. Greenblight only pursued his target and attacked however he possibly could.

Even that scythe that had been so intimidating before was less frightening to Rumble now. It was deadly to be sure. If it ever hit him, he'd probably end up killed by it. But now, after avoiding countless swings, Rumble saw what an awkward and unwieldy weapon it really was. The cutting edge was on the inside of the blade, which made slashing attacks rather awkward unless the weapon was pulled straight back towards the pony holding it. The tip was dangerous, of course, but narrow and easily dodged. The position of the blade simply made it difficult to swing so as to actually hit something. Rumble was in more danger from that heavy wooden shaft than the blade of the weapon.

The scythe was poorly suited for combat. However, it did have a particularly intimidating quality. For millennia, the scythe had been a symbol of death, associated with figures like the Grim Reaper, who harvested the souls of the ponies who passed from the world of the living. However, that was a symbolic extension of the scythe's true purpose, namely cutting crops for harvest. Reaping, grim or otherwise, was not a particularly violent activity, namely because, whether one was reaping grain or souls, the things being reaped generally weren't trying to reap you back.

Though he wasn't aware of the whole picture, Rumble had succeeded in uncovering Greenblight's weaknesses. Greenblight was actually at a disadvantage when fighting against a single opponent. Furthermore, because, in his berserker rage, he abandoned all pretense of defense, he was also at a greater disadvantage without his subordinates to support him. In battle, Greenblight's primary role was to break up enemy formations. The sight of a crazed, scarred pegasus, howling like a fiend, and brandishing a scythe like the specter of death itself was enough to strike fear into the hearts of even the staunchest opponents. He threw himself bodily into enemy ranks, striking out wildly with maniacal strength, turning his enemies' own organization against them as their formation kept them from scattering enough to effectively evade his strikes. However, if he were to continue to fight alone for any significant length of time, the flaws in his methods would become clear. The scythe was intimidating, but an awkward weapon at best. And those scars, which seemed so frightening at first, were obtained from Greenblight's lack of concern for his own wellbeing when he raged. In fact, he was dangerously vulnerable. If his enemies had the chance to realize this, they could turn their numbers to their advantage and surround him to quickly bring him down...

...Which was why Greenblight always made sure that his Banehammers were never far behind him when he struck. Greenblight drove himself like a wedge into the enemy ranks, breaking up their formation. Before the enemy could realize his vulnerability, the rest of the Banehammers fell upon them and finished the fight with ruthless efficiency. With Inkwell using her precise and deadly battle magic from the rear, they were a force to be feared on the battlefield.

But on his own and against a single opponent with plenty of room to move and evade, Greenblight was reduced to less than a wild beast, for even monsters had more survival instinct and canniness than Greenblight now held. The longer the fight went on, the more things turned to Rumble's advantage. Greenblight could not maintain his berserk state forever. When it finally subsided, all the pain of his injuries would finally catch up to him.

I can do this, thought Rumble, clenching his fetlocks around the cord of his meteor hammer. However, even as he thought that, he forced himself to remember something that Storm Front had once told him.

"If you completely lose your fear of your opponent, then you are at great peril. Fear alerts you to danger. If you relinquish it completely, you lose that wariness and leave yourself vulnerable. Even if an enemy seems completely incompetent, maintain some semblance of respect for her until the battle is over."

Remembering those words, Rumble took a deep breath and braced himself as Greenblight finally managed to yank the scythe free of the wall. However, he failed to do it properly and the tip of the weapon snapped off and remained lodged there. Rumble took to the air again as Greenblight came at him. Whirling the meteor hammer, Rumble worked out his plan of action. Take out his other arm, then his wings. Then it won't matter if he doesn't notice pain if he can't even fly up to me.

His plan in place, Rumble met Greenblight's charge with one of his own, hoping that he could finally bring an end to this battle.

The expected shot never came. Instead, the killing intent vanished and Inkwell didn't fire. For a moment, Scootaloo thought the mare was toying with her. However, as she got in closer, she could see that Inkwell was blinking furiously and shaking her head. Something got in her eyes?

Before Scootaloo could think too much about it, Inkwell managed to clear up whatever problem she was dealing with and focused her gaze on Scootaloo once again, those black eyes burning with malice. However, instead of firing another lance of magic, she instead unleashed a burst of several smaller bolts from her horn. They were smaller than the grapefruit-sized bolts Inkwell had unleashed earlier, about the size of large cherries. But she compensated by unleashing more than a dozen of them. Their greater numbers and higher speed made it much more difficult for Scootaloo to track. With a yelp, she spun and jumped, kicking out her legs to throw herself out of the way of all the bolts as they came at her with unrelenting ferocity. The ends of the ribbon Scootaloo wore around her neck flapped and snapped as the filly's frantic dodges whipped them through the air.

Scootaloo yelped in pain as she missed a dodge. One of the bolts burst against her shoulder. It was a glancing blow that failed to actually cause any injury. But it was still painful. She couldn't keep this up for long. The bolts might not have had the penetrating power of the the lancing shots Inkwell used to strike over longer distances, but Scootaloo would be pounded into a pulp by them if she allowed them to hit her.

There was no time to think. Instead, Scootaloo felt her mind go blank as she was on the verge of being overwhelmed by the sheer number of attacks coming at her. It was a strangely calm and relaxing feeling. Suddenly, she was sensing all of Inkwell's bolts clearly. She could sense the gaps in their approach. Not even thinking about it, Scootaloo kicked out with one hind leg, twisting her body along with the motion, going to a rolling, acrobatic spin that sent her in between two of the bolts. She felt them immediately turn to reorient on her new position as four more came in in separate vectors.

Completely losing herself to the moment, Scootaloo kicked straight down with all four legs. At the same time, her months of training caused her to move her wings in cooperation with the motion. She shot upward, out from between all of the attacks. However, it didn't feel quite right to her. There was too much resistance from the air as she shot upward. Though she wasn't consciously thinking about it, Scootaloo knew she could move faster than that.

Several more bolts rushed in from around her. However, Scootaloo kicked back with all four of her hooves, her wings moving in tight arcs around her sides. This was a motion that she knew well. Moving so quickly that she was no more than a blur to the eyes of a normal pony, Scootaloo zipped forward and out of the way of the incoming bolts. At that moment, she realized that, if she could simply apply that principle of moving the wings in whatever direction she was going, she could move faster, no matter what way she was going.

I get it, thought Scootaloo, the battle forgotten for a moment, If I can do this, I can move even faster. The next time Inkwell's bolts swarmed around her like hornets, Scootaloo kicked straight down again. However, this time she pointed her wings up and then swept them down in tight arcs, clearing the air out of her path. Scootaloo seemed to vanish in that instant, only to reappear higher up. Even Inkwell had to take a second to find Scootaloo again with her eyes.

Though she didn't realize it, Scootaloo was actually improving over the course of the fight. Every time something felt off or awkward, she adjusted her position and balance until if felt better. As a consequence, she was dodging faster, moving with greater grace and precision. Her effort to evade Inkwell's swarm of telekinetic bolts was like an elegant dance taking place at unbelievable speed. She spun and pirouetted through the air, spinning and twisting between the shots with what seemed to be contemptuous ease, though she was actually pushing her body harder than she ever had before. Sweat matted down her fur and ran through her mane and tail, but Scootaloo only felt exultation as her movements gradually grew smoother and more precise.

As she finished another dodge, Scootaloo found one of Inkwell's bolts waiting for her. Without thinking about it, Scootaloo lashed out with one wing. The burst of air met the orb of black energy and knocked it away with an angry buzz. Realizing that she could use the Gale King to deflect as well as evade, Scootaloo swept one wing in a wide arc, twisting to put the strength of her entire body into the motion. A heavy blast of wind swept out around her, scattering Inkwell's swarming bolts like autumn leaves.

Inkwell growled and the bolts immediately reoriented and came back at Scootaloo. However, Scootaloo swept her wings in tight arcs, this time moving them from back to front as she kicked forwards with all four of her hooves. The reverse of the exercise she'd been practicing for so many weeks now felt a bit more awkward than the original form, but she still managed to blur as she shot backwards, her flight now taking her away from Inkwell.

Then the shots scattered again, flying off in random directions as Inkwell released her control of them again. Scootaloo blinked, getting her mind back together as she realized that the sudden onslaught of magical bolts had stopped. Looking in, from this distance she could barely see Inkwell shaking her head again. A few seconds later, Scootaloo again felt that spike of ferocious killing intent, followed by another lance of ebony magic as Inkwell once again switched over to sniping at the filly.

Scootaloo's eyes widened as she finally realized what was going on. I get it! She can either see me really close or from really far away. But she can't do both at once. When I get too close or too far away, she has to stop what she's doing and actually switch. Finally, after spending the whole battle on the defensive and simply trying to stay alive while avoiding those lethal magical blasts, Scootaloo had managed to spot a chink in her foe's armor.

She was reminded of Rumble's retelling of events when he related how he'd seen Inkwell, Greenblight, and their ponies carry off Twilight Sparkle and Coco Pommel. He'd been hiding behind a rock nearby and had thought that Inkwell had spotted him for a second. But the mare had continued on like she had seen nothing. Rumble must have either been too close when she was looking for things far away, or too far away when she was looking for something in close...maybe even both. There was some sort of line or boundary where Inkwell couldn't make out her targets at that distance and had to switch one way or the other.

And Scootaloo already had an idea of where that line was. Thanks to her stubborn focus on simply controlling her magic and making precise shots, as well as not having to defend herself at all, Inkwell hadn't moved a single step since the fight had begun. Because of that, Scootaloo was able to use the landmarks, the wall, the boundaries of the flowerbeds, to get a rough idea of where Inkwell had to transition her fighting style from close range to long range.

However, she couldn't afford to spend too much time or effort trying to figure out exactly where that line was. At some point, Inkwell was bound to figure out what Scootaloo was up to. After that, there was no telling what the mare might do. I have to end this quickly, thought Scootaloo. Sensing another jolt of killing intent, she barely managed to shift out of the way. Silently, she thanked Dawn for making her train with Red River occasionally to get used to the sensation.

"I keep hearing you talk about intent and stuff like that," said Scootaloo as she stood in front of Dawn, "What's that all about?" As usual, they were practicing in the quarry. In the skies above, Storm Front was putting Rumble through his paces. Not too far away, Red River lounged, his spear resting over one shoulder as he enjoyed the view of the others diligently practicing.

"Would you like to find out?" asked Dawn. Raising a hoof, he beckoned Red River over. The azure stallion, enjoying the opportunity to occupy his time with something, obliged the colt and approached. When he was close enough, Dawn told him, "Scootaloo is curious about sensing intent. Could you provide her with a demonstration?"

"Certainly," said Red with a smile before turning to Scootaloo, "Are you sure you want to do this? It's a frightening experience."

Scootaloo nodded. "I'm not scared."

"You should be," said Red, "I've told your coltfriend many times that fear is an important aspect of mastery. A lack of fear will make you careless and could cost you your life someday. If anything, Dawn wants me to teach you how to listen to your fear."

"What do you mean?" asked Scootaloo, swallowing. In spite of her words, she began to feel a little nervous.

Seeing her bravado fading, Red smiled a little. "I'll show you. Hold still now." Sinking into a stance, he leveled the spear out to one side and focused entirely on the filly in front of him. For a few seconds, nothing seemed to happen.

Then Scootaloo felt it. Her senses screamed and all her honed reflexes told her that something bad was coming. Even though Red was motionless in front of her, she still felt as though his spear was already coming right at her. Half a second later, Red actually did thrust the spear, bringing it to an abrupt halt less than an inch away from Scootaloo's nose.

"What do you think?" asked Red.

Shivering, Scootaloo backed away a little before slumping down on her haunches. Dawn came beside her and gently draped a wing over her back as he nuzzled her cheek. "Tha-that was..." Scootaloo blinked furiously, trying to find the words to express how she felt.

"A skilled opponent, one who has honed her techniques through life and death battle can produce such an effect," explained Red, "Her intent, her desire, her conviction to kill her enemy projects itself. Properly honed, intent itself can be a powerful weapon in its own right. However, it can also telegraph your attacks before you even make them if you don't learn to master it properly. I deliberately emphasized the interval so that you clearly felt my intent before I moved. If I were fighting for real, it would have been like this..."

Scootaloo had zero warning. Once again her senses told her she was in extreme danger. But Red's spear was already a blur, heading right for her face. She would have jumped away, but Dawn's wing held her in place. He didn't flinch even though the spear was heading for him as well. Once again, Red brought the weapon to a halt less than inch away from the filly's face.

"Intent triggers an instinctual response, a sense that you were born with, warning that your life is in danger. Unless you learn how to properly heed that instinct, reacting to an enemy's intent may cause you to falter and render you vulnerable." With a chuckle, Red pulled back his spear. "The more skilled and experienced your opponent is, the shorter the interval between intent and action is. Furthermore, if your opponent is a true master, then she may very well be able to strike without intent at all so that there is absolutely nothing for your instincts to react to. However, that is a skill that only the most formidable and experienced of fighters are able to cultivate. Even I can't manage that."

"So that's what it's like," muttered the filly. Dawn's wing gently brushed up and down her back, the feeling soothing her after experiencing so much fear.

"More or less," said Red, "As I said before, this is all about listening to your fear. Fear is your instincts telling you that you're in danger. However, listening does not mean that you allow your fear to control you. If you did that, you'd either freeze in place or flee, either of which would render you vulnerable. Instead, you must use your fear as a guide to tell you when you need to evade or defend. Sadly, in order to be capable of that, you must experience more fear, a great deal of fear."

Swallowing, Scootaloo looked up at Red. Even though she knew this would probably be the most unpleasant lesson she was ever going to experience, she still asked, "Could you help me with that then?"

Red actually grinned and glanced at Dawn, who smiled and nodded. "If that is what you want, then I shall oblige you."

Those lessons had been some of the most difficult and terrifying Scootaloo had ever dealt with. Red made it feel as though he was going to kill her over and over again. True to his words, the experience had not been a pleasant one. However, when he had finished, Scootaloo felt she had truly gotten a handle on how to sense the killing intent that both Red and Dawn were talking about. Those lessons were saving her life now, as they were the only thing that kept Inkwell's shots from punching holes through her body.

First, she had to start getting in close again. She didn't know how much magic her opponent had, but Inkwell didn't seem to be running out anytime soon. If anything, the continuous plume of smoke now emitting from her horn seemed to indicate that her horn would burn out before her reserves did, although there was still no telling how long that would take.

Scootaloo dodged the next shot and once again sprinted straight in towards her opponent, keeping all her senses focused on Inkwell. She noticed the instant where the mare suddenly blinked and began shaking her head again. Now that she had a more precise idea of where the invisible line that defined the limits between Inkwell's two different types of vision lay, it was time to put her strategy into action.

Once again, Inkwell unleashed a burst of black spheres, this time a round dozen of apple-sized ones. Compared to the last round, they were much easier to dodge than the swarm of smaller spheres. However, as Scootaloo swung out a wing to deflect them with another blast of air, she noticed that the orbs were not as easily diverted from their paths. She supposed that she wasn't the only one refining her strategy throughout the match. Each time she came in close, Inkwell was apparently refining her own remote-controlled telekinetic bolts, finding a balance between speed, power, and numbers to find the ideal attack to finally bring her nimble opponent down, working as carefully and meticulously as a pony carefully fitting pieces into a puzzle.

I need to end this soon, thought Scootaloo as she twisted and danced out of the way of the shots again. She remembered the sensation of the last time and continued to let her senses guide her to refine her motions, to help her move faster and dodge more effectively. She would need every ounce of speed and agility she could muster to put her strategy into action as Inkwell's bolts continued to doggedly pursue her through the skies.

That persistent focus was both Inkwell's greatest strength and her greatest weakness. Prior to the accident that had cracked her horn and damaged her mind, she had been a skilled battle mage with a wide repertoire of spells and a cunning mind. Had it not been for the incident where she'd overchanneled her magic during battle, Inkwell would have probably been the leader of the Banehammers, rather than Greenblight. However, the same accident that had damaged her horn, limiting her only to basic telekinetic spells, had also damaged her mind. Inkwell's ability to think of things in the wider scope, to act strategically and tactically, had been lost. In its place was the ability to single-mindedly focus on the task at hoof. That intense focus had allowed her to take basic combat spells, like the telekinetic bolt that practically any unicorn could learn, and refine them into forms that rivaled even the most advanced battle magic for effectiveness. However, it had also eliminated her capacity to lead others and think beyond her own actions.

As a consequence, Inkwell played a supporting role amongst the Banehammers, whether it was sniping down priority targets from a long distance or supporting the main body of troops with a precise bombardment from closer range, she existed largely as a magical projectile weapon. As such, she no longer considered the wider implications of her actions. Right now, she was focused entirely upon one task, killing the filly who was interfering with her. She switched up the basic tactics for her attacks to better obtain that end, refining her approach continuously. As she did so, Inkwell never even considered the notion that Scootaloo was doing the same.

Moving carefully, even as she dodged frantically, Scootaloo edged backwards to where she figured the limit of Inkwell's close-range vision was. Once she had reached that point, she would have to act immediately. She would only have a few seconds at best before Inkwell figured out what was going on. Scootaloo had to land the decisive blow in those few seconds. When she estimated she was at the limit, Scootaloo swallowed nervously. Here we go. Beating her wings, she backed past the imaginary line she judged was the limit of Inkwell's vision.

Releasing control over her guided bolts, Inkwell began to blink and shake her head, clearly shifting her vision over for long-range combat. However, the instant she began doing so, Scootaloo reversed her flight and charged straight in.

For Inkwell, whose eyes had followed Scootaloo throughout the entire battle, Scootaloo had pulled back until she was little more than an orange and fuchsia blur to the mare's vision. Upon getting her eyes to shift over, an act that took quite a bit of effort and concentration, Inkwell would have been able to see and track the filly with perfect clarity even if she was over a kilometer distant. However, once the shift was complete, Inkwell couldn't make out Scootaloo as well. All she did see was an orange blur rapidly getting closer. Her eyes going wide, Inkwell had to concentrate on shifting her vision over yet again. But her panic hampered her efforts, making it take longer than it should have.

Scootaloo kicked back behind her with her hooves, swinging her wings in tight arcs around the side of her body, parting the air in front of her and using it to fill in behind her, allowing her to accelerate so rapidly she seemed to vanish to normal eyes. For the first time, she felt she'd truly executed that technique perfectly. The distance between her and Inkwell vanished in the blink of an eye. As Inkwell finished shifting her vision over, she found herself looking at Scootaloo just as the filly arrived just in front of her. Inkwell's eyes widened yet again.

Ideally, Scootaloo would have had some smart remark ready, something to show that she had this battle in the bag. But she didn't have time for that. There wasn't time for anything fancy. She just had to hit Inkwell as hard as she could and pray that would bring the fight to an end. In order to do so, Scootaloo fell back on the attack she knew best. Bracing her hooves against the ground, she lunged forward, pushing hard with her hind legs as she swept both her wings forward so that the tips of her primaries extended past her head, putting the full weight and power of her body into the motion. For the second time that day, Scootaloo executed the Forward Wing Strike, this time at point-blank range.

Inkwell shrieked as a roaring column of air slammed into her body with the force of a locomotive. Bones cracked and broke, muscles tore, and tendons snapped as the blast drove her all the way across Elderflower's yard, blasting a furrow through the earth and tearing apart everything in its path. Both mare and wind hit the wall that surrounded Elderflower's property, which shattered under the onslaught and continued on across the street beyond, the stone cobbles not faring any better than the dirt of the garden had. Finally, Inkwell came to a rest well beyond the boundaries of Elderflower's estate, her body limp and unmoving.

Author's Notes:

And on that rather brutal note, this chapter comes to an end. The tricky thing about establishing Greenblight and Inkwell as credible foes was also showing that they can be extremely vulnerable under the right circumstances. They are at their strongest when they have a specific role to fulfill and are fully supported by the rest of their underlings. Outside of those circumstances, their effectiveness as fighters drops drastically. Greenblight especially has to be careful about not fighting without support for too long, as his greatest advantages are psychological.

Next chapter: Elderflower experiences a not-so-minor setback.

Broken Dreams

Chapter 14: Broken Dreams

For a long moment, Scootaloo stared at Inkwell's unmoving figure. She was panting, almost gasping for breath. Her body was soaked with sweat and her limbs were shaking. She had no idea she'd been working so hard. But now that the battle was over, all of that exertion was taking its toll. But the battle wasn't over yet...at least, Scootaloo wasn't certain that it was over yet.

She didn't want to check, but, at the same time, knew she had to. She had an obligation to make sure that Inkwell was truly out of the fight and that she wouldn't come back to cause problems at a later time. However, she was terrified of what she would find. The time had come to see whether or not she had ended up killing another pony. Though she'd told Arkenstone that she was prepared for this possibility, the reality of being a killer was still something she wasn't truly ready to accept.

Gulping Scootaloo took off and flew, tracing the trench her attack had torn through the earth, following it to its ultimate end. Her path took her past the wall and across the street, where Inkwell lay up against the side of another building, its wall cracked from the force of the mare's impact and the wind driving her. Scootaloo's stomach churned as she got her first good look at the mare.

There was no question that Inkwell was no longer a threat. Even if the mare managed to miraculously get back on her hooves, she wouldn't be using her magic anymore. The cracked horn was now gone. In its place was a jagged stump, slowly oozing blood as fragments of the horn littered the ground around her. One of them was even imbedded in the wall like a piece of shrapnel.

That wasn't the only injury Inkwell had suffered. All four of her limbs lay at awkward angles. One of the bones in a hind leg had snapped and actually broken through the skin. Its white color contrasted sharply with the blood spilling from the room, forming a crimson pool right beneath the injury. Inkwell's chest looked slightly deformed and the mare's muzzle was bent crookedly, more blood seeping out of her nose and mouth. Those soulless black eyes were no longer visible, the lids having closed.

Scootaloo wanted to vomit. Her stomach was violently trying to reject its contents and send them back up and out through the filly's mouth. She forced the feeling down mercilessly and leaned in, putting an ear up against Inkwell's now offset nose, praying silently.

She heard it faintly, just the barest whisper of breath. Inkwell was alive...for now. But with injuries like those, she wasn't likely to last for long. Scootaloo was torn. She had a battle to see through to the end. After all, Twilight still needed rescuing and the Elements of Harmony had to be recovered. But, at the same time, she didn't feel she could abandon a critically injured mare like this, even if she had done unspeakable things in the past and had been trying to kill Scootaloo only a few minutes ago.

The click of hooves against the stone street caught her ears and Scootaloo looked up, her body going tense as she turned to face what might be a new threat. However, she relaxed a little when she saw a small formation of Royal Guards with none other than Shining Armor at their head.

"Geez," said the stallion, his eyes going wide, "I was debating whether or not to go through the front gate. I guess it's a good thing I heard you fighting out back here."

"Yeah," said Scootaloo, looking down at the mare, "Can you help her?"

Shining's eyes went to Inkwell and hardened as he glared at the mare. He knew for certain that she had personally killed two of his ponies. Part of him wanted to let her bleed out on the street. However, one look at Scootaloo and the worried, tortured look on her face snuffed that anger out. If Inkwell was going to die, it should be on his watch. There was no need to let a filly become a killer at such a young age if he could help it, even if she had legitimate reasons for doing so. Besides, Inkwell and the few of her cohorts who managed to survive this affair would still need to stand trial when all was said and done.

"We'll do what we can," he said, nodding to one of the unicorns behind him. The mare stepped forward, clearly reluctant to help a pony that had murdered her comrades. However, her horn flashed and she set a stasis spell on Inkwell to hold her body until she could be treated. Such spells were mandatory for Guard unicorns so that they could aid their comrades if they were injured in the field.

"You've done really well," said Shining, smiling down at Scootaloo, "I think Dawn would be proud of you."

That brought a smile to the filly's face. She forced it back down a moment later. "I've got to get back," she said, "Rumble might need help."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" asked Shining.

Scootaloo grinned and nodded. "Yeah. After fighting her, the rest of this should be a cinch."

"Okay then..." said Shining feeling a little dubious. Statements like that were bad omens after all. Still, he felt he could trust in Scootaloo a little more after what he'd just seen her do.

The filly flew back towards the mansion whilst the other members of the Royal Guard looked to Shining. He could tell that they were reluctant to leave the fate of such an important operation in the hooves of foals. But Shining felt that they would probably do better than he or his subordinates could manage in this situation.

"Set up a perimeter," he said, "We'll make sure that none of the Baron's lackeys get away when this is all over."

The authority in his voice erased all traces of doubt in his ponies and they quickly moved to obey him. They hesitated when they heard a familiar, bestial howl echoing out from the estate, a sound many of them remembered hearing during the enemy raid on the Palace the other day. Be safe kids, thought Shining as he took one last glance at Scootaloo's receding form. He hoped that they would make it through this. He didn't want to face Twilight if she found that foals had been hurt attempting to help her.

Greenblight's trademark roar was not what it used to be. It now sported a watery, gurgling quality. Along with that, the foam around his mouth was now flecked with streaks of red as he spat blood every time he made a sound. Rumble had delivered several solid blows to the stallion's side and stomach. He'd held back somewhat out of a reluctance to do too much damage. While he wasn't an anatomy expert, Rumble did remember the biology lessons Cheerilee had taught, primarily the fact that, behind the muscles of the stomach area, a pony's body was full of soft and squishy organs. Rumble didn't want to be the one to squish those organs when all was said and done. Maybe it was imprudent of him, but he wanted to do everything possible to avoid killing his opponent. Greenblight couldn't keep his berserk rage up forever and when it passed, the stallion would collapse like a sack of potatoes.

I've just got to make sure he doesn't kill me in the meantime, thought Rumble nervously as he slipped around another flailing slash from Greenblight's scythe. With only one foreleg, the stallion could barely manage to swing the heavy weapon. As a result, his attacks were all too easy to avoid.

Beating his wings to gain altitude, Rumble climbed into the air above Greenblight and launched his meteor hammer straight down, aiming for the spot right between Greenblight's wings. The scarred stallion was twisting, turning around to continue his pursuit of the colt and, as a consequence, the steel weight ended up slamming into his right wing where it met his shoulder. The wing suddenly began to move erratically and Greenblight was no longer able to keep himself in the air. As he fell, he continued to roll his body over so that he could swing the scythe at Rumble one last time. It was a futile gesture as the colt simply rose a little higher, which, along with Greenblight's own fall, carried him easily out of the reach of the weapon.

Greenblight slammed down onto the floor with loud thud, sprawling out on his back. Rumble winced and averted his eyes slightly, hoping that the fall wasn't enough to kill the stallion. Looking down, he could see Greenblight's three intact limbs flailing in the air as though the stallion were still trying to reach up and somehow magically pull his enemy down to him. His eyepatch was askew, revealing a mass of scar tissue where his other eye had once been. The sight of the ruined socket made Rumble want to retch. The scythe lay nearby on the floor, forgotten. Its blade, which had already lost its tip the the wall earlier, had snapped in half. The shaft had cracked and split partway along its length.

From the twitching, shifting motion of Greenblight's body, it was clear that he was trying to get his hooves back under him and continue the battle, even if he had no way of reaching Rumble now. Rumble simply opted to continue hovering well out of reach, watching his opponent cautiously. Even if he had clearly won, there was no telling if the stallion had some other method of violence at his disposal.

Gradually, Greenblight's motions began to slow. His legs lowered and the stallion's angry snarls were replaced by wet, watery coughs. Finally, he lay still, gasping and hacking. A minute later, he began to groan as the berserk rage that had possessed him only moments before completely subsided and the collective pain of his injuries and exertions set in fully.

"Th-this is...this is impossible," coughed Greenblight, pausing to spit out another gob of bloody spittle, "I can't have lost to...a foal."

"You did."

Both Rumble and Greenblight looked over to see Arkenstone walking through the ballroom doors. Behind the stallion, Rumble could see the still forms of numerous ponies...or rather, what was left of numerous ponies. It seemed that the Banehammers had fought to the last and Arkenstone had dispatched them with ruthless efficiency. Rumble felt an icy chill go down his spine and he paled as he forced himself to look away from the corpses.

As Arkenstone approached, Rumble finally came down to land next to him as the blind stallion reached out and gently ran a hoof through Rumble's mane. "That was well done, especially for your first real battle." His smile widened and his ears twitched at the sound of an incredulous cough from Greenblight. "That's right. Not only did this child defeat you, this was also his first real experience with a life or death battle. Thank you for making sure it was a valuable one. I don't doubt he gained a great deal from this."

"Um..." Rumble looked back and forth between the two stallions, trying to take in Arkenstone's smug demeanor and Greenblight's expression of disbelief.

"Hey! Are you guys all right in here?" asked Scootaloo as she came flying in through the windows.

"We're fine," said Arkenstone, his muzzle turning up towards her, "How did you fare?"

"I won," said Scootaloo, though the look on her face indicated that she wasn't very happy about that. There was another disbelieving exclamation from Greenblight. "Shining Armor is here with the Royal Guard. I think they're setting up outside."

"Good," said Arkenstone, sniffing in Greenblight's direction, "Rumble didn't deal anything too life threatening. This one will keep for a little while. Now it's time to find Twilight."

Even as those words left Arkenstone's mouth, an explosion sounded from upstairs. One of the ballroom walls along the upstairs balcony exploded outward, sending a rain of small debris falling downwards. A quartet of armored ponies in Elderflower's colors were sent sprawling along the balcony, one smashing through the railing, his hindquarters hanging off and threatening to drag him off the balcony to the unforgiving floor below. However, a violet aura surrounded his body and yanked him back onto the balcony before he could fall off.

Twilight Sparkle, clad in silvery armor, emerged from the newly opened hole in the wall, a cold expression on her face. However, as she looked down from the balcony and spotted Arkenstone, her eyes widened. Her stern countenance melted into an exuberant smile. "Arky!" she exclaimed. Turning around, she smiled and beckoned to someone behind her. "You see, Coco. I told you everything would be fine."

"Th-that's wonderful," said Coco, a note of skepticism in her voice as she crept out onto the balcony. However, she relaxed a little when she saw Arkenstone and the foals. Then, when she saw who was lying on the floor a short distance away, her eyes widened and she gasped.

Twilight also noticed the foals. "Scootaloo...Rumble...? What are you doing here?"

She would have teleported down, but Twilight knew that there were still some of Elderflower's guards left, plus who knew how many mercenaries. The Banehammers might not have been the only mercenary force he had on his payroll. Instead, she led Coco to one of the spiral staircases leading down to the ground floor so that she could walk to Arkenstone. As she approached, she came around the edge of the ballroom doors and saw the mess her special somepony had left in the main entryway. Her eyes widened and Twilight went pale. Looking back, she could see that Coco hadn't yet reached an angle that would allow her to see out into the entryway yet. Thinking quickly, Twilight gripped both of the ballroom doors in her magic and slammed them shut.

Coco looked at Twilight in confusion as the lavender mare took a moment to collect herself. Finally, she managed to give Arkenstone a questioning look. Though he couldn't see it, Arkenstone seemed to sense her silent inquiry and shook his head slowly. "They refused surrender and fought to the last," he said softly.

Swallowing hard, Twilight nodded. Then, she turned to look at Rumble and Scootaloo, who were still watching the reunion nervously. "Why did you bring them?" she asked.

"They volunteered," said Arkenstone, "After they agreed to my terms, I decided to put my trust in them. In all honesty, they saved my life a few minutes ago. If they hadn't separated Greenblight and Inkwell from the rest of their soldiers, they might well have been too much for me.

Turning back, Twilight could see that Arkenstone was not in the best of shape. Though he hadn't been injured, he was apparently in pain, breathing a good bit harder than usual. Beneath his beige coat, his skin was also a little pale. Clearly, his injuries from Terra Heart were still bothering him. In spite of that, he had taken on several dozen heavily-armed mercenaries.

"Oh Arky," said Twilight softly, reaching up with a hoof to gently caress his cheek, "You shouldn't push yourself like that."

"I'll be fine," said Arkenstone, "I am no stranger to fighting while injured. Admittedly, I'm in a bit worse shape this time around than usual. The Banehammers were no slouches either."

Coco was silent throughout the exchange, staring incredulously at Greenblight, who was still coughing and moaning on the floor. The whole experience felt surreal to her. Here he was, the stallion who had terrified and threatened her, who'd once held the blade of that now-broken scythe to her throat and demanded she follow his orders lest said blade lop her head off. But now he was helpless, only capable of twitching and groaning in pain. From the sound of things, Inkwell wasn't much better off. These ponies had made the past few weeks a living Tartarus for her.

Does that mean...? she wondered, Doest that mean it's really over? Is everything really going to be all right?

"Hey," said a tentative voice from her side. Looking down, Coco stared at Scootaloo, who was looking up at her worriedly. Coco let out a tiny gasp as she saw the grayish-purple ribbon wrapped around Scootaloo's neck. "Are you okay?" asked Scootaloo.

"Yes," said Coco after a moment's hesitation, "I think I am."

"You said Shining and the Royal Guard were outside?" asked Arkenstone, turning his attention to the filly.

"Yeah," said Scootaloo.

"Then could you and Rumble escort Coco out and make sure that she is safely in their custody?" requested Arkenstone, giving Scootaloo a proud smile, "You fought well. But now it's time to complete your mission. You came here to help out Coco and Twilight, correct?"

Scootaloo nodded, while Coco brought a hoof to her mouth. They came here for me...after what I did... Her eyes began to water. The feathers of a pegasus' wing gently brushed against her side and Coco looked over to see that Rumble had come up next to her.

"It's going to be okay," he said, giving her a reassuring smile, "Let's go."

"A-all right," said Coco. Scootaloo and Rumble began to lead her to the opposite end of the ballroom and the doors that led out to the backyard.

Twilight watched them go, smiling fondly, glad to see that Coco was going to be all right. Coming up next to her, Arkenstone gently nuzzled her cheek. "I've never been so scared in all my life as I was when I found out somepony had taken you," he admitted.

Twilight couldn't help but giggle as she returned the nuzzle. "And here I thought you'd been teaching me to handle myself."

"That I did," agreed Arkenstone, "But, as Fluttershy can no doubt tell you, knowing how strong the pony you care about is doesn't make it any easier when they are gone."

"True enough," said Twilight. Her smile dropped. "I guess it's time to end this."

"Yes," said Arkenstone, "We'll need to track down Elderflower before he gets away with the Elements. I'm sure I can pick up his scent somewhere."

"There's no need for that," said Twilight with a smirk, "I tagged him with a tracking spell the last time I saw him. He didn't even notice. I can teleport us right to him."

Arkenstone sniffed sharply and tilted his head up. A few seconds later, Twilight realized why. Hooves pounded as more armored ponies in Elderflower's colors spilled out of the hallways leading into the ballroom and the balcony above. After beating down several of the Baron's guards already, Twilight found herself wondering just how many Elderflower had on his payroll.

"Perhaps you should go on ahead," said Arkenstone, "I will deal with things here."

Twilight swallowed and turned to regard her coltfriend. She had gotten a glimpse of the carnage Arkenstone had unleashed upon the Banehammers in the main entryway. She shuddered to think that the ballroom would end up in a similar state. If Elderflower's guards didn't back down, Arkenstone would slaughter any who dared try to fight back. She didn't want to see him paint another room with blood.

Still, she decided to have faith in him, knowing that Arkenstone would never spill blood unnecessarily.

"I'm off," she said, closing her eyes an concentrating. It was the work of a few seconds to get a fix on the tracking spell she'd planted on Elderflower. Her horn blazed and Twilight vanished in a burst of violet light, leaving Arkenstone alone, facing the remainder of Elderflower's forces.

Grim-faced ponies began to advance on the lone stallion, but froze in place as a powerful sense of fear settled over them like a heavy, smothering blanket. The source of that feeling was Arkenstone as he once again opened his eyes. "I do not have much patience for foolishness to begin with. What little I had today has already been pushed to its limit. Before any of you so much as think to start this battle, I would advise you to take a look in the next room." With a faint hissing and whistling noise, Arkenstone's blades flashed, moving faster than the eye could see. They sliced the ballroom doors to pieces, sending chunks of wood crashing to the floor and revealing the blood-soaked tableau that lay beyond them. Many of Elderflower's guard paled as they looked through the doors.

"That is going to be your fate if you insist upon seeing this through to the end," promised Arkenstone, "I am not in the mood for games, particularly not with the likes of you. If there are any among you who value your lives, you will drop your weapons and surrender...Now!"

Twilight reappeared, blinking away the lights of her own magic as she sought to get her bearings in her new surroundings. She was in a wide hallway with numerous doors, evenly spaced, running down either side. The way was lit by several lanterns. A short distance down was an intersection with another hallway. From her position, Twilight could see even more doors down that other hallway. Given that she knew the Baron had been below her when she first teleported, she figured that this must have been the basement and the barracks for Elderflower's guard, as well as where he had been billeting the Banehammers when they stayed here.

Her ears twitched as she picked up a low scraping noise, the sound of something large and heavy being dragged across the floor. Elderflower appeared around the corner of the intersection, grunting and straining as he struggled to move something with his magic, often tossing his head and making pulling motions with his body, as though he were physically harnessed to his burden.

Twilight could easily recognize the signs of a unicorn who didn't do much heavy lifting with his magic if he was still defaulting to such pointless physical gestures. But that made sense. The Baron was a pony who did everything possible to keep from getting his hooves dirty. He left the hard work to others and only made an actual effort of his own if he was left with absolutely no other option.

During one of his tugs, the Baron caught sight of Twilight out of the corner of his eye, standing there with one eyebrow raised, as though she were genuinely bemused by his current predicament. Elderflower's heart leapt into his throat as the ramifications of her presence sank in. There was no sign that his guards were still pursuing her. She hadn't a scratch on her and she was regarding him as though he was no threat whatsoever.

"Having trouble, Lord Baron?" asked Twilight, applying a mocking inflection to those last two words, making her verbal acknowledgment of his rank into an insult.

Elderflower wanted to say something...anything... But instead, he simply stood there and stared at Twilight. He'd had her at his mercy. She had been in his home, under his authority. He'd been in control the entire time. And yet, in less than an hour, everything had come crashing down. Now Elderflower was reduced to fleeing through the basement of his own manor, forced to take on the burden of carrying the Elements himself, as though he were some lowly beast of burden. How had everything fallen apart so completely?

"It's over Elderflower," said Twilight, "It's time to give up."

In spite of his current situation, Elderflower's lips twitched up in a smile. "It's over? My dear Dame Sparkle, I'm afraid I've only just begun."

Twilight's peytral clanked loudly as she smacked it in lieu of her own face. "For Celestia's sake...you did not just say that. What in the world did you take for your electives at school, Cliche Villainy 101?" Silently, she did acknowledge that it was partially her fault for hoofing him a straight line like that.

Elderflower seemed a little nonplussed that Twilight was not taking his words seriously. It took a moment for it to sink in that she truly didn't regard him as a threat any longer. "You arrogant brat. I have given you every opportunity to be a part of something great, something noble. I gave you the chance to assume a role befitting your current rank and the opportunity to rise beyond the meager station of your birth. Despite that, you've spurned me, thrown away everything that would be yours...And for what...commoner sentiment? How could a pony like you possibly be entrusted with the Elements of Harmony?"

"Maybe because I understand them better than you ever will," replied Twilight, "I know how the Elements work. The things you dismissed a sentiments and platitudes are actually the core of the Elements' power. They don't draw their strength from magic in the unicorn sense. It comes from something deeper, something greater."

"Ridiculous!" snapped Elderflower, "The sixth Element's name is Magic. There is nothing else it could possibly be."

"If that was true, then we probably wouldn't have needed the Elements to beat Discord," said Twilight, "But the truth is, we could throw our unicorn magic at him all we wanted and it would do nothing. More of the same wouldn't accomplish anything. That's why the Elements worked, because they weren't simply an extension of what we unicorns can already do. They're a power that exists beyond the boundaries of tribe and class." Her eyes narrowed. "But that's beside the point. Give up the Elements. I'm taking them back where they belong."

Elderflower let out a wordless snarl and used his magic to flip the lid of the chest up, revealing the Elements in their resting places. Then, he wrenched out the tiara decorated with the six-pointed star of Twilight's cutie mark and held it over the floor. "I will give up nothing," said Elderflower, "Even if I cannot escape with the Elements, there is no way that I would allow them to fall back into your hooves. I would sooner smash them than give them up."

With an angry groan, Twilight rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Oh for Celestia's sake, I'm getting sick of this. If you want to smash the Elements, be my guest."

Elderflower blinked in confusion for a second before his anger returned. "Don't you dare underestimate me. I will do it!"

"Let me help you with that then," said Twilight, her aura taking hold of the Element of Magic. Carelessly wrenching it free from Edlerflower's magical grip, Twilight hurled it down to the floor. The star-shaped gem shattered like glass, the golden metal of the tiara warped from the impact. The Element of Magic now seemed to be nothing more than a mass of twisted gold wire surrounded by fragments of shattered gemstones.

"What have you done?" cried Elderflower, backpedaling away from the mess. He'd never expected Twilight to call his bluff, much less carry it out for him. "Are you insane? How could you destroy something so important?"

Snorting derisively, Twilight strode forward, her approach causing Elderflower to fall back further. "Weren't you the one threatening to destroy the Elements? I just saved you some work. Now quit yelling and just watch."

Closing her eyes, Twilight filled her mind with thoughts of her friends, the ponies she cared about most. She thought of the Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. She thought of her family, her parents and Shining Armor. She thought of Coco Pommel, who'd endured so much at the hooves of Elderflower and his cronies. She thought of Blueblood and Fancy Pants, who'd worked so hard behind the scenes to help her and her friends. She thought of Arkenstone, the stallion she loved. More and more ponies flashed through Twilight's mind and she felt a sense of tremendous warmth flow through her. Smiling, Twilight basked in that warmth, letting it fill her.

As Elderflower watched, Twilight Sparkle's body began to glow. Where it lay on the floor, the remains of the Element of Magic began to glow as well. First the tiny gemstone fragments began to twitch, then rattle against the floor. The bent and dented form of the tiara slowly lifted off the ground. Yet, not so much as a spark issued from Twilight's horn. The tiara seemed to dissolve into a stream of molten gold that began to swirl around Twilight's head, while the shining shards of gemstone orbited it like glittering stars.

Twilight opened her eyes, which blazed white like twin suns, their luminance almost blinding Elderflower as he was forced to avert his gaze. His legs were trembling so much that it was all he could do to remain standing upright. The stallion was certain that the harsh light from Twilight's eyes was going to scour him from the world. The hallway was growing uncomfortably hot and Elderflower felt as though he was on the verge of bursting into flame.

Finally, the light faded and Twilight stood there. Her armor was gone. Instead, she now wore the tiara of the Element of Magic, whole once more.

"Impossible," gasped Elderflower.

Twilight couldn't quite keep the smug smile from her face. "You wouldn't know," she said, "When my friends and I found the Elements, they were just a bunch of rocks. Nightmare Moon shattered them right before my eyes. It wasn't until I realized what the Elements were and why my friends were there that they took on the form that they have now. The Elements aren't a bunch of cheap amulets. You can't break them or smash them. You can't simply hoof them over to somepony and expect them to work just because that pony might be good with magic. They're so much more than that.

"That's why your plan has no hope of succeeding. Unless the ponies you gave them to could truly embrace the virtues of Harmony; Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Loyalty, they'd wouldn't be able to do a thing with the Elements. In your hooves, they're useless."

"No!" yelled Elderflower, stamping his hoof down, "I am the one who will bring true harmony to Equestria. I will put things in their proper order and put everypony in their place. I will never accept this mockery of harmony that you and Princess Celestia preach. I was born to guide this nation to greatness! That is my right, the right of all of noble birth."

"You're not bringing order," said Twilight, "You're throwing a fit because things aren't going the way you think they should. Ponies have died and you've sown nothing but misery and pain with your schemes. If that's your idea of order, I'd rather see Discord break out again before I support that."

Elderflower's eyes narrowed dangerously. "So be it." The tip of his horn lit up, the aura brown at first. Then it turned white, becoming a blinding flash that forced Twilight to cover her eyes with a yell. She heard the drum of Elderflower's hooves as he rushed past her. Galloping down the hallway, Elderflower pulled open a door, rushed inside and slammed it shut behind him. There was a click as a bolt slid into place and Twilight was left alone with the Elements.

When she opened her eyes again, it took Twilight a moment to get her vision back to normal and stop the random lights from blinking across her eyes. Her first impulse was to go after Elderflower, but she could still sense her tracking spell on him. She could find him easily enough.

But first, she had to get the Elements out.

Elderflower spit out curses as he tripped over a rock and went sprawling. As he did, he scraped past a crystal formation, its sharp, jagged edges drawing lines of red across his coat. With a grimace, Elderflower forced his hooves back under him. He was glad that he'd excavated a passage into the Crystal Caverns. The magical properties of the crystals would interfere with any attempts to trace him using magic. He assumed that Twilight had used some sort of tracking spell on him, which would explain how she'd teleported down to him so easily. However, she wouldn't be able to do that down here. On top of that, these caverns were probably completely foreign to her. A pony who was unfamiliar with the caverns could wander for weeks and not enter the same chamber twice.

Elderflower, on the other hoof, had invested a great deal of time and money in making sure that the caverns beneath his estate had been carefully investigated and mapped, complete with routes leading to the estates of his allies...not that he was heading to any of his fellow nobles for help. Instead, Elderflower was making his way to the massive chamber that had been dubbed the Grand Hall of the Crystal Caverns. It was a large, high-ceilinged cavern with a surprisingly clear floor, free from the abundance of crystal stalagmites found in other chambers.

It was large enough that well over a hundred ponies could assemble there. When they had discovered it, Elderflower and his allies had decided to use it as a rallying point for the mercenaries they gathered as they planned for their assault on the Palace. The raid had been implemented much earlier than planned and hadn't required such a massive force. But the other nobles had not disbanded their forces yet. After all, they were still useful in other capacities.

The plan had been to use the mercenaries to stage further attacks on the city of Canterlot and stir unrest and fear within the city for Elderflower and the others to quell once it reached fever pitch. Doing so would be simple once Elderflower debuted the Elements of Harmony and their new wielders. However, that plan had now been shot to the moon.

Still, Elderflower had no intention of giving up so easily. I'll show the Princesses and Twilight Sparkle just who should be running this nation. I will use our gathered forces to bring about such an eruption of chaos that, even with the Elements on her side, the Princesses won't be able to quell it. I will plunge this city into anarchy and wash the streets with the blood of all those commoners. Then Celestia will have no choice but to concede the necessity of the Noble Court. It would be an easy task to carry out. All Elderflower had to do was reach the chamber and give the orders and the assembled mercenaries would launch an all out attack on Canterlot. He'd already sent the order for them to assemble a while ago in preparation for the original plan. They would already be there, waiting for him, when he arrived.

With a final sprint, Elderflower burst into the Grand Hall, his mouth open, ready to start barking orders. However, he came skidding to a halt at the sight before him, his voice dying before it left his lips and his jaw going slack with shock and horror.

The Grand Hall had become a mausoleum. The cavern floor was covered with blood and entrails beneath the hacked and dismembered bodies of dozens of ponies. One of the few crystal formations jutting out of the floor was decorated by the forms of pegasi impaled on the spears of crystal shards. The walls were scorched and pitted from bolts of unicorn magic that had either missed their target or been deflected. The floor, where it was visible through the gore, was cracked by the hooves of fighting earth ponies.

Only a dozen or so ponies remained alive and they were presently engaged in the process of dying horribly. As Elderflower watched, the remaining mass of armed and armored ponies undulated as they surrounded and converged on something, earth ponies surging forward to crush their enemy beneath the weight of their armored bodies, whilst pegasi rose up to strike from the air. From behind, unicorns launched bolts of eldritch power past their comrades, trying to strike down whoever was inside the center of their encirclement.

The light thrown off by the crystals flashed off something silver. A pair of wings flashed out, slicing cleanly through armor of the finest steel as though it were paper. Feathers attached to thin wires lanced out, slicing off limbs and piercing skulls. A cream-colored colt danced amongst the hardened mercenaries, leaving naught but death and blood in his wake as he whirled through the mercenary formations like a dervish. As Elderflower watched, Perlin Bluestreak cut down six of the remaining mercenaries with a single, elegant-looking spin before flaring out one wing and spearing most of the rest on wire-bound feathers. The very last of the surviving mercenaries survived no longer as Perlin's wing parted his head from his body.

Only as the last of the assembled mercenaries slumped to the ground in pieces did Perlin finally notice Eldeflower's arrival. Smiling jovially, the young stallion folded his wings, secreting them beneath his black cloak once again as he came at a trot towards Elderflower. "Ah, Lord Baron, I figured I'd be seeing you one last time."

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Elderflower, "How dare you betray me?"

Perlin canted his head at Elderflower. "Betray you? I'd think I've done a pretty good job serving you so far. All I've done now is honor my contract with my employer."

"Honor your contract... You've slaughtered my ponies and did nothing to defend my estate when it was attacked. What in the world are you babbling about? How is this honoring your contract with me?"

"It isn't," said another voice. Looking over, Elderflower almost felt as though his eyes would leave their sockets as he saw who else was in the caverns. Wight Shade's crimson eyes glittered with amusement as he approached. The light of the crystals refracted off of the strange transparent substance that sheathed his off-white horn, becoming even stranger colors that swirled around him as he approached.

"Perlin's contract with you was at my behest," explained Wight, "I was the one who recommended and introduced him to you, if you'll remember. However, at the time, I neglected to mention that I had already hired Perlin to work for me."

"Doing what?" demanded Elderflower.

"To work for you," replied Wight, "That is to say, I asked Perlin to serve as your pony until such a time that I no longer had any use for you, Lord Baron."

"Use...what use?" asked Elderflower, shaking with rage as he glared at Wight.

"Various things," said Wight with a shrug, "In all honesty, I mostly needed you to continue stirring things up here in Canterlot so that Celestia's attention wouldn't wander too far abroad. That ended up working quite well for me.

"By the way, I would like to thank you for returning the Elements to Twilight Sparkle. I am quite grateful that you went to such lengths to acquire them. But now, it is best that they are returned to their proper place."

"You were the one who suggested I go forward with the plan to steal them in the first place," Elderflower pointed out, still trying to figure out just what was going on.

"Yes," admitted Wight with another shrug, "I was taking a bit of a gamble at the time. Unfortunately, it didn't pay off as much as I was hoping, though I suppose your efforts did end up helping me in the end."

"You scum," snarled Elderflower, "After everything, you have the audacity to say that you were the one using me! You are just a simpering court official that Princess Luna took in on a whim, out of sympathy. You cannot even use magic, so you don't even deserve to be called a real unicorn."

That actually got a chuckle out of Wight. "Well...I was lying a bit about not being able to use magic. You see, due to the circumstances that left me with this..." He gestured up to the off-white horn jutting up out of his forehead. "...it is true that I have been rendered unable to use my magic in its original state. However, rather than being reduced to not having magic at all, I actually ended up creating a new form of magic, one uniquely my own."

"Spare me your lies," growled Elderflower, stalking forward.

Perlin moved to intercept him, but Wight halted the young stallion with a raised hoof. Turning his attention back to Elderflower, Wight smiled politely. The next instant, a sound like that of a large balloon bursting filled the cavern. Elderflower was blown off his hooves and sent slamming into a nearby wall with a cry of pain as he felt his ribs on one side crack under the force of impact.

There had been no flash of light from Wight's horn, no shimmering aura. There was no visual evidence to indicate that a spell of any kind had been cast. But the results were undeniable. With a groan, Elderflower forced himself back onto his hooves. Looking up at Wight, he shuddered with fear as Wight continued to smile politely down on him.

"As I said before," explained Wight, "I am most grateful for your assistance, Lord Baron, however unwilling and unwitting it may have been."

"You will pay for this," snarled Elderflower, "I will make you pay."

"No," replied Wight in a careless tone, "You won't. Now then, I have promised Perlin that he would not have to worry about anypony going after Ms. Pommel again when all is said and done. I believe you are the last pony who currently poses any threat to her."

Perlin took another step forward, but paused as Wight raised a hoof again. "Seeing as I was the orchestrator of this situation, I believe I should take some responsibility towards cleaning it up. Besides, I recently came up with a new 'spell' of sorts and have been looking for a test subject. You will probably be as good as any, Lord Baron."

A shimmering ripple ran up the length of Wight Shade's horn. To Elderflower's speechless horror, it began to change. The seam that formed the horn's spiral slowly began to widen as the horn began to...uncoil...as though it had been made from a strip of some claylike substance that had been wound together, unwinding from a spiral into a loose helix. At where the "horn" met Wight's forehead, a strange, unearthly light began to build, spreading slowly up through the center of the helix. A strange buzz began to fill Elderflower's ears, making his teeth rattle and his organs squirm. At first, he simply thought it was the spell itself. However, as the light built, the buzz faded away, replaced by a lack of any auditory sensation so profound that Elderflower wondered if he had spontaneously gone deaf.

The light continued to grow, swallowing all of Elderflower's other senses. His sense of smell went first, leaving Elderflower feeling as though his nose had vanished from his face. After that went the sense of taste, turning Elderflower's tongue into nothing more than a lump of flesh within his mouth. Finally, his sense of touch went as well. The Baron felt as though his body had faded away from around him. Even his sense of space and time were gone and the stallion found himself trapped within an endless moment that seemed to drag on forever. The light built, swallowing everything until it was the only thing that Elderflower knew.

Perlin watched as the light faded and Wight Shade's horn began to draw back, once again winding up into the familiar spiral of its usual approximation of a normal unicorn horn. Blinking, Perlin reached up with a hoof to rub his eyes. As he did so, he felt another dull throb through his right hoof. But the young stallion ignored it for the time being. He had no words for what he had seen. Wight's "magic," if it could truly be called that, was so alien that even its effects were hard to describe. It was as though the light had been absorbed into Elderflower. Perlin had seen what could only be described as shadows being washed away until Elderflower himself became a shadow...a shadow that was still there, now standing starkly against the wall, illuminated with the lights cast by the nearby crystal formations.

Hardened fighter and seasoned killer that he was, Perlin couldn't stop himself from shuddering as he looked at that shadow and realized it was all that remained of the pony he had once worked for. The fact that Elderflower had threatened Coco, used her as a tool to maintain Perlin's obedience, did little to alleviate the feeling of wrongness that Perlin felt at that moment. His hoof throbbed a little harder.

"Well...that was an interesting result," observed Wight, tilting his head and examining the shadow on the wall, "It's a pity that I don't have time to analyze the residual effects, but we must be going." He smiled politely at Perlin, the stallion's mannerisms giving no indication that he had thought anything about how completely he had eliminated another living pony. "Let's be off. We still have work to do after all."

"Of...of course..." said Perlin.

"Now that you no longer have to worry about Ms. Pommel's safety or your contract with the Baron, we can also begin work on your new wings," said Wight, "The sooner we get started the better. I am sure you will be eager to master your new assets."

"Yes..." said Perlin, glancing back at his cloak and the mithril-feathered wings hidden beneath it, "...I'm sure."

Author's Notes:

Next chapter: Scootaloo and Rumble get the short end of the stick.

Hero's Welcome

Chapter 15: Hero's Welcome

"This way," said Arkenstone, nodding towards a gap in the crystal formations that had been nearly invisible to Twilight's eyes. Two outgrowths of pink and cyan shards seemed to mesh together in a solid wall of jagged edges and pointed tips. In fact, the pink crystals were slightly larger in size than their blue-green cousins, but set a little farther back, creating a perspective trick that made it seem as though they were the same distance away. However, as Twilight got closer, she was able to see that, by stepping around the cyan formation, she could see an opening in the cavern wall just beyond the pink one. Perspective tricks had no effect on a blind pony after all.

Sniffing like a bloodhound, Arkenstone stepped past Twilight, following Elderflower's scent as it led deeper into the caverns. Silently, Twilight cursed herself for forgetting that the Crystal Caverns' namesake crystals generated all sorts of ambient magical energies that completely baffled the effects of her tracking spell. As a consequence, Twilight had been forced to go back and get Arkenstone's help after her coltfriend finished making sure that the last of Elderflower's guards were taken into custody. The crystals' magic had done nothing to hide Elderflower's scent, it seemed. Thus, Arkenstone was easily able to follow the Baron's trail as it wound through glittering caves and twisting passageways. The two of them had been seeking Elderflower for the better part of an hour now.

Arkenstone paused, raising a forehoof to stop Twilight as she stepped up next to him. Looking around nervously, Twilight asked, "What is it?"

"I think we aren't far now," said Arkenstone, "But..."

"But what?"

"I smell blood," said the blind stallion, his nose wrinkling, "A lot of it...even more than what I spilled up in the mansion. A large number of ponies have been killed up ahead...slaughtered is probably a more appropriate word for it."

"That's..." Twilight looked ahead, wondering just what they would find as they proceeded forward. "Are you sure that's where Elderflower went?"

"I am," replied Arkenstone, clearly not liking his answer any more than Twilight did. He tilted his head towards her. "You need not go any farther than this. Perhaps you should let me take it from here. Whatever is up ahead...I doubt it will be pleasant."

Twilight was sorely tempted. It wasn't often that she saw her coltfriend troubled or disturbed like this. The fact that she knew full well that Arkenstone was no stranger to bloodshed, even on a massive scale, only made it all the worse. However, closing her eyes, she thought about all that had happened, all that she had been through. "No," she said finally, "I need to see this through to the end."

"So be it," said Arkenstone, "If you're sure, then let's proceed."

They emerged into a massive cavern. Twilight gaped as she stared at the walls and ceiling, utterly astounded by the sheer size of the space. She'd seen some impressive scenery in the caverns while escaping with Cadance during Queen Chrysalis' attempted invasion of Canterlot. However, the scale of this place was awe-inspiring in its own right.

The mass of corpses on the cavern floor detracted from the grandeur of the spectacle a good bit though. The bodies and the state that they'd been left in made Twilight want to retch. There were easily over a hundred ponies in here and they'd been butchered without mercy. It put the spectacle of the aftermath of Arkenstone's fight against the Banehammers to shame. Forcing the contents of her stomach back down where they belonged, Twilight noted a certain similarity the victims of this event shared with Arkenstone's victims. Though their bodies were often in pieces or covered with their own blood, she could see a great deal of armor and a large number of various weapons scattered about. The air carried the faint traces of ozone and a low hum that accompanied a large number of unicorns casting powerful spells in a confined space...attack spells if the scorch marks and craters in the wall were any indication. These ponies were fighters and they had apparently died fighting something...or someone.

"Who do you think they are?" asked Twilight.

"You mentioned that Elderflower and his allies had been recruiting muscle for an assault on the Palace," observed Arkenstone, "I think these were the ponies they recruited."

"But who could have done this?"

Arkenstone sniffed the air. "I think I have a good idea. I smell somepony familiar...Perlin Bluestreak."

"Huh?" Twilight once again looked to take in the spectacle of death before them. "But Perlin was working for Baron Elderflower. Why would he turn around and kill all of Elderflower's soldiers?"

"According to Ms. Pommel's story, the Baron was holding her as leverage to ensure Perlin's good behavior," said Arkenstone, "He even went so far as to allow Shade Steel to escape with the knowledge that Elderflower had both you and the Elements in his custody. It would seem that Perlin has terminated their contract...or...he wasn't working for Elderflower to begin with."

"What makes you say that?" asked Twilight.

"I can smell another pony here. There is something familiar about his scent, but...I just can't seem to place it." Arkenstone continued to sniff around. "Elderflower came in and stopped here..." He paused at a particular point. "He was attacked...not by Perlin...but something else...something I can't place. It..." He frowned and shook his head. "I can't even begin to tell what happened here...what this other pony did."

"Well..." said Twilight, feeling faint as she stepped past Arkenstone, "I don't think Elderflower is going to be a problem anymore." She desperately wished saying those words would actually make her feel better than she did now. However, what she saw made that an impossibility.

"What makes you say that?" asked Arkenstone.

"This is the point where Elderflower's scent ends, isn't it?" asked Twilight.

"How do you know?" inquired Arkenstone.

"Because I think this is all that's left of him," said Twilight, raising a hoof to touch the wall, resting it on the darkened shadow that formed a faint silhouette of a unicorn that had apparently been burned into the stone.

Dealing with the aftermath of Elderflower's scheme went surprisingly quickly for Twilight and her friends. Shining Armor had quickly taken charge of the situation, the Royal Guard taking custody of the Baron's captured guards, as well as both Greenblight and Inkwell, now the only surviving members of the Banehammers.

Though Elderflower himself was clearly not present for questioning, the Guards, now that they had unrestricted access to the Baron's mansion, successfully harvested a veritable treasure trove of information in the forms of files and ledgers Elderflower had kept on his activities, including his numerous associates. Shining was pleased to announce that, once the rest of the Royal Guard returned to Canterlot, a large number of other nobles would be subjected to Equestrian justice for their part in Elderflower's act of treason. By his own reckoning, they now had enough evidence and reason for Celestia and Luna to declare an end to the Noble Court itself, when all was said and done. Twilight was certainly hopeful in that respect, as it meant that the second of the two biggest thorns in her and her friends' sides would finally be nothing more than a passing memory.

Though Twilight did want to see everything through to the end, Shining, Cadance, and even Celesstia and Luna, all pressed her to return home to Ponyville.

"I can understand that your desire for closure, but you've done your part," said Celestia with a smile as she shared dinner with Twilight the very evening after she'd successfully been "rescued" from captivity, "But you have friends in Ponyville who need the reassurance of your presence."

"You sent a letter to them, didn't you?" Twilight pointed out.

Celestia chuckled. "I did...by courier. I'm afraid that I will be recommending that Spike not send or receive letters for the next three weeks at least." She sighed. "The poor boy worked himself ragged coordinating with my Guards during the raid on the Cult Solar. Because of that, we were immensely successful in securing a large number of prisoners."

"That's my Spike," said Twilight fondly, "I'll definitely make sure he takes it easy when I get back to Ponyville. I'm glad to hear that your raid was a success. I'm sure that'll be good news for Fluttershy, Dawn, and Flaxseed."

Celestia nodded. "I doubt we are even remotely close to capturing everypony belonging to the Cult. However, I believe that this will hopefully send a definitive message to the remainder of the organization regarding my view of them. I can dare to hope that those who remain will see sense and either give up their allegiance or turn themselves in to atone.

"I doubt that I will have worry about their leader twisting recent events to suit his chosen narrative. From the reports I received from my Guards who raided the temple outside Trottingham, he apparently vanished into thin air, abandoning all his loyal underlings to their fate without so much as a word."

"But that's not really the end of it," said Twilight, frowning.

"No it isn't," said Celestia with a shake of her head, "What I saw in Appleloosa and the reports from the other temples made things clear. Never, not even in my worst nightmares, did I dare imagine that two of my problems were, in fact, one and the same."

"Morning Star...He's still out there, isn't he."

"He most certainly is," said Celestia, staring out the dining room window, "He disappeared because the Cult Solar has apparently served its purpose to him. That much is clear. Nothing I or any of my Guards have tried has been able to even scratch the devices found in each of the temples. To make matters worse, I fear that this is only beginning."

The somber mood was interrupted by the sound of Twilight's hoof smacking into her own face, prompting a start from Celestia, who looked in confusion at her student.

"Sorry," said Twilight, grimacing, "You just reminded me of something really stupid that Elderflower said earlier today."

"Oh..." said Celestia, "I think I get the drift of what he must have said. My apologies. In any case, I am sure that the final part of Morning Star's plan will take place here in Canterlot."

"Then shouldn't I stay?" asked Twilight, "Depending on what Morning Star might be up to, we might need the Elements of Harmony to stop him."

"I've considered that," said Celestia, "But there is no telling how long this may take. Morning Star has been exceedingly patient. He spent ten years using the Cult Solar as a front to disguise the construction of his array. The next phase of his plan, whatever it may be, may take ten more. I have no desire to confine you and your friends to Canterlot for what might be an unknown period of time. I will have my Guards and whatever Knights are available look into it and keep you abreast of the situation. So please return to your friends. I think they have waited long enough for you to come back."

"Okay," said Twilight a little reluctantly, "If you're going to be using the Knights, does that mean Arkenstone-?

"Arkenstone will be returning to Ponyville with you," said Celestia, "Besides the fact that I want him to stay close to you in case the remaining nobles try something before we round the rest of them up, he is also the Siege Perilous. It is best to keep him in reserve unless it is absolutely necessary."

Twilight nodded. "All right then." Secretly, she felt quite relieved that Arkenstone would be coming back with her. After everything that had happened, she was looking forward to just spending some time with him.

There was one other topic that Twilight wanted to bring up. "What about Coco Pommel? Can she come back with us?"

"Right now, Cadance is taking Coco's statement," said Celestia, "At first, we were considering Coco Pommel as a possible accomplice to Elderflower's crimes. However, from what you and Arkenstone have told us, I believe that she can be pardoned for her part in all this if Cadance approves."

"I certainly hope so," said Twilight, glancing down the table at Scootaloo and Rumble, who were eating quietly, trying not to look as though they were listening in, "Coco's suffered enough at the hooves of two separate nobles. I'm sure that Rarity will be happy to have her back."

"Yes," said Celestia, flicking an ear, "I'm sure she will." Her expression grew a bit more serious. "Now, we move to the most important matter."

"The Elements?" asked Twilight.

Celestia nodded. "I have kept the Elements in their vault, here in Canterlot, for their safety, to prevent them from being stolen...which is exactly what just happened." She sighed. "Of course, there was the incident with Discord as well...and let's not forget how keeping them there forced you to fight through a swarm of changelings in an effort to get to them during the Royal Wedding...an effort that ultimately failed. Because of this, I am forced to re-evaluate how we can keep the Elements secure from now on."

Twilight nodded. "What will you do?"

A sad smile crossed Celestia's face as she envisioned all the hardship that could have been averted. "What I should have done from the very beginning. When you return to Ponyville, you will be bringing the Elements with you. I want you to keep them safe."

"Me?" gasped Twilight, pointing to herself, "But...I'm a librarian. I may have some decent security measures, but for something that important..."

"It isn't physical security that is the issue," said Celestia, "Here, in Canterlot, with all the measures I had taken, my efforts to ensure that were foiled, rather easily it would seem. I've realized now that the Elements would be no safer in a bank vault or any other 'secure' space I could envision. It is not that that you need to secure the Elements. You will keep them safe because they are with you and your friends, the ponies who use them and understand them best. When you destroyed and restored the Element of Magic in front of Elderflower, it demonstrated that your bond with the Elements transcends mere physical concerns. To be honest, the Elements belong with you and your friends and I should have left them with you the very day you rescued Luna."

"I see," said Twilight. When she put it like that, Celestia had a point. Ultimately, the greatest obstacle to using the Elements against whatever crisis came up was the need to go to Canterlot to fetch them, which had worked against Twilight and her friends in two out of three cases. However, if the Elements could be kept on hoof, then it would be easier for her and her friends to deal with whatever threats arose in the future. Assuming nopony stole the Elements from them.

"That being said, I believe I shall omit the specifics of where the Elements are," said Celestia a twinkle of mirth glimmering in her eye, "It will probably work to our advantage, should somepony get the brilliant idea of trying to steal them again."

That made Twilight smirk. "It might," she agreed.

The train ride back was uneventful and Twilight spent it leaning up against Arkenstone, watching quietly as Scootaloo and Rumble tried their best to comfort and reassure Coco Pommel, who was sitting across from them. The poor girl was gradually growing more and more anxious as their train approached Ponyville, absolutely certain that there was no way that Rarity would allow her back after everything that had happened.

"It's going to be fine," said Scootaloo insistently, "Rarity was just as scared for you as she was for Twilight."

Rumble nodded his agreement. "I know she won't hold it against you."

"Y-yes but..." stammered Coco, "...h-how can she? I took her trust and...I betrayed her..." She let out a low sob. "I could have told her, told everypony. But I was too scared."

"Then why are you coming back at all?" asked Scootaloo.

"B-because...after everything Ms. Rarity has done for me...I...I owe it to her to a-apologize...even if she doesn't forgive me." Sniffing, Coco ducked her head. Scootaloo and Rumble exchanged a resigned look as they gently brushed their wings against Coco's back in an attempt to reassure her. For all that they were sure that Rarity didn't bear any ill will towards Coco, there was very little they could do if Coco refused to believe that. About the only option they had was to simply wait until they got to Ponyville so that Coco could see for herself.

A couple hours later, the train pulled into Ponyville's station. As she stepped off the train, Twilight was half-expecting to see her friends already waiting for her there. However, none of them were present. She supposed it made sense. Celestia's letter had simply told everypony that Twilight had been rescued and that everything had been taken care of. But Celestia had neglected to say when they might expect Twilight back. Given that Spike was taking a leave from his work sending and receiving letters, there had been no way to let them know when Twilight was on her way back, short of another courier. However, Twilight hadn't wanted to strain Celestia's resources any more than they already were. She figured her friends would know soon enough, now that she was back.

"Hey! Where is everypony?" demanded Scootaloo, looking around the platform.

"They probably didn't know when we were getting back," said Rumble, "Maybe we should just head home and let our families know first."

Twilight's head perked up and she got an idea. "Actually...why don't we head to the library first. I think I have an idea of where everypony is."

The foals blinked in confusion. "Okay then..." said Scootaloo.

Twilight set off for the library, Arkenstone falling in next to her. Trailing reluctantly behind them was Coco, who had Scootaloo and Rumble on either side of her, both of the foals working to urge her along. During the trip to the library, Twilight looked around, trying to see if anything looked out of the ordinary. However, Ponyville seemed perfectly fine. Everypony was going quietly about their business. A few of them even called out greetings to Twilight and her group as they made their way along the streets. According to Arkenstone, news of Twilight and Coco's abduction had not been spread to the to the town at large to avoid causing too much unrest. Still, Twilight had expected her arrival to cause more of a stir.

As the library came into view, Twilight's eyes narrowed. She noticed that the windows were suspiciously dark. The building and everything in its immediate vicinity seemed unusually quiet, as though it was holding its collective breath. Yep, thought Twilight, I knew it. From the way his ears were twitching, she could tell that Arkenstone knew that something was up as well.

When they reached the front door, Twilight held up a hoof. "Let me go in first."

That earned confused glances from Rumble, Scootaloo, and Coco. The former two probably should have known what to expect after living in Ponyville their whole lives. Still, they'd probably been too distracted trying to keep Coco's spirits up.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight stepped forward and pushed the door open. Just as she'd expected, the library had been plunged into darkness and she couldn't see a thing. Might as well get this over with, she thought with an amused smile. Stepping in, she looked around. "Whenever you're ready, Pinkie."

"SURPRISE!!!" The combined shout of Twilight's friends, led by Pinkie Pie made Twilight press her ears up against her head. Still, she couldn't quite restrain her smile as the lights came on, revealing everypony there waiting for her. Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were all a given, especially Pinkie, seeing as the party was undoubtedly her idea. Mayweather was standing next to Pinkie, chuckling at the pink mare's exuberance as she resumed setting out plates of various treats. From the kitchen, Twilight could see Flaxseed's head poking out, the stallion having apparently hidden himself there to avoid having the "surprise" part of the surprise party trigger another of his panic attacks.

The Crusaders were there as well, Dawn looking rather silly and out of place with such a composed expression while standing between Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, who were both sporting ear-to-ear grins. Behind the three of them stood Melon Cream, who was smiling warmly at Twilight over the heads of the foals.

Rumble's family was there too. Flitter, Cloud Chaser, and Thunderlane all sported excited grins, clearly eager to welcome Rumble back, though Twilight could see the faint twitches to their eyelids that betokened a reckoning over Rumble's sudden and unexpected departure.

Besides Applejack and Apple Bloom, the rest of Ponyville's Apple Family were present as well. Little Dinky was practically hopping in place, perfectly happy to be part of a Pinkie Pie Party, but probably not really understanding exactly why everypony was celebrating. Standing slightly behind her were Big Macintosh and Ditzy, who both gave Twilight relieved smiles when they saw her.

On the couch, set off to one side of the library, Storm Front and Red River lounged, both of them looking better than Twilight remembered, but still only partway along the road to recovery. Storm Front in particular seemed especially happy to see them again, which was understandable, given that it was his student had snuck off on a dangerous mission to Canterlot.

Her eyes were drawn to a flash of purple emerging from between Rarity and Applejack. Twilight braced herself to catch Spike as he tackled her.

"Twilight! You're back!" he shouted as Twilight wrapped him in an affectionate hug and nuzzled the top of his head. She noticed that Spike was less concerned about his image as tears flowed freely down his face. She could also hear the faint rasp in his voice, the consequence of his throat being worn down through the sending and receiving of so many letters.

"Oh Spike," she said, her voice nearly a whisper, "It's good to be back. Thank you for working so hard for all of us. I'll find a good reward for you."

Spike sniffed and pulled away so that he could beam up at her. "I'm just glad to have you back," he said, "That's reward enough for now."

Laughing Twilight nuzzled her assistant once again before letting go. Spike stepped back, giving Twilight's other friends room to greet her.

"Oh Twilight!" squealed Pinkie, throwing herself at the mare in question, "We were all so super worried about you! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Pinkie," said Twilight, returning the hug, "Everything's okay."

"I'm glad," said Fluttershy as she hovered over to nuzzle Twilight's cheek, even as Pinkie refused to let go.

"Ya sure gave us a mighty good scare, sugarcube," Applejack weighed in as she approached Twilight's other side and began to pat her back.

"Indeed. We were afraid that you might have been suffering all sorts of things while in the custody of that...that brute," said Rarity, snarling out those last two words. Using her magic, she began to carefully pry Pinkie off of Twilight.

"I didn't suffer," said Twilight, "Well...not that much. The worst thing that happened was that I was bored for the most part. It was like staying in a four-star hotel and getting room service every day, but not being allowed to go anywhere or do anything."

"As it turned out, my presence was apparently quite unnecessary," commented Arkenstone wryly as he stepped in to stand next to Twilight while her friends pulled back to give her more space, "Twilight was actually doing quite a good job of rescuing herself when I found her."

"I'm glad you came anyway," said Twilight, nuzzling her coltfriend fondly.

"Me too," agreed Arkenstone.

As she pulled away from their display of affection, Twilight grinned at Rarity. "I managed to bring somepony else back with me as well."

An awkward silence fell over the assembled ponies as Coco nervously crept through the library door, cringing as though she were about to be attacked. Both Rumble and Scootaloo were behind her, gently urging the young mare on. Shivering, Coco slowly looked up, but not all the way, not daring to meet Rarity's eyes as Coco faced her. "Ms. Rarity...I...I'm so so-EEP!"

Coco's voice cut out with a surprised squeak as Rarity surged forward and wrapped her arms around her apprentice, pulling Coco into a tight hug. "Oh Coco!" wailed Rarity, "I was so worried about you. We all thought that you might have been..." Her voice trailed off and Rarity instead simply leaned into press her neck up against Coco's. Like a dam breaking, Coco's emotional restraint crumbled away and she began to sob up against Rarity, who held her and rocked back in forth, whispering soothing noises.

Coco wasn't the only one experiencing an emotional reunion. A short distance away, Scootaloo was facing down her mother and Dawn, both of whom looked none too happy with her. Fluttershy hovered awkwardly in the background, clearly not wanting to add to Scootaloo's discomfort, but not able to do anything to defuse the situation either. The warm smile Melon had been wearing when Twilight had come in was nowhere to be found. Instead, she fixed her daughter with a stern glare that made Scootaloo wished she could fight Inkwell three times over, rather than face her mother's glare for any length of time.

"Mom...I'm-"

"Do you have any idea how much you terrified me, young lady," admonished Melon, her harsh tone cutting Scootaloo off sharply, "You disappeared without a word, leaving all of us to worry about what might have happened to you. You could have died out there and we would have never even had the chance to say goodbye."

"I'm sorry," said Scootaloo, her ears drooping and a faint whimper finding its way into her voice.

Melon continued to glare at her until something finally snapped. She reached out and pulled Scootaloo up against her, enveloping the orange filly in a crushing hug that squeezed the air out of Scootaloo's lungs. "Don't ever scare me like that again!"

Scootaloo tried to say something, but found herself unable to speak as the combination of her own emotions and the vice-like grip her mother had on her served to keep her voice from emerging. Finally, after Scootaloo was fairly certain that her orange coat was beginning to turn blue, Melon released her.

Looking down at Scootaloo, Melon' expression was still stern, but softer as well. "Ever since you started learning martial arts from Dawn, I figured that you would be going out to fight someday," she said, "But...please don't do that again. Don't disappear without a word to me or Dawn."

"O-okay," said Scootaloo, unable to stop a few tears from leaking out of her eyes. She turned to Dawn, who was still frowning as he watched her. "Dawn...I'm sorry for not telling you either."

Dawn sighed. "It's just as well," he said, "I don't really have anything to add. I, at least, can consider it a taste of my own medicine. Now I know what it was like for you every time I went off somewhere to fight."

Stepping up to her, Dawn pulled Scootaloo to him and captured her lips in a kiss. Scootaloo let out a surprised hum as her wings buzzed excitedly on her back. After a moment, she relaxed and lost herself to the kiss, wrapping her forelegs around Dawn's shoulders so that she could pull him closer. It was the longest, most intense kiss they'd shared yet. When they finally pulled away, Scootaloo and Dawn were both panting slightly. Dawn spread his wings and wrapped them around the back of Scootaloo's head, pulling her forehead up against his as his feathers closed out the outside world.

"I'm glad you're all right," said Dawn in a soft voice, "And I'm proud of you."

"You are?" Scootaloo blinked, a bit shocked to hear that from her coltfriend after finding out just how worried he had been.

"I'm proud because I think, this time, you entered the battle for the right reasons," said Dawn.

Pulling back out of his embrace and away from his wings, Scootaloo glanced over at the sight of Coco, still crying like a foal in Rarity's embrace. She smiled and sniffed, a tear coming to her eye. "Yeah...I guess I did."

"I also hear that you did quite well for yourself," said Dawn, raising an eyebrow as he smirked at her, "I would like to know the details."

"Um...uh..." Scootaloo felt her cheeks heating up.

"Oh! That's right," said Melon, her smile coming back, "The letter we got mentioned that you even saved Arkenstone. I have to hear about this."

"I'd like to hear it as well," interjected Fluttershy, "...If that's all right with you."

For once, Scootaloo was feeling a bit uncomfortable being the center of attention.

On the other side of the room, Rumble was cowering under the stern glares of his brother, Cloud Chaser, and Flitter.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do, bro," said Thunderlane, crossing his arms, "You just up and vanished without a word. Flitter and Cloud Chaser went out of their minds worrying over you...I mean...I was okay, 'cause I-ooph!"

"Quit trying to act tough," scolded Cloud Chaser as she jammed her elbow into Thunderlane's ribs, "You were pacing up a storm in the living room. I was sure you were going to wear a hole in the floor."

"It's just cloud," protested Thunderlane, "I could've patched it easily...er..." Realizing he was admitting that he was worried, Thunderlane let out a resigned sigh. "Look," he said, turning back to Rumble, "I was scared. You're the best little brother a pony could ask for. I can't imagine what I'd do without you. Besides, imagine what it would be like for me to have to tell Mom and Dad that you went and got yourself killed."

His ears lying flat against his head, Rumble shrank back from the three ponies' collective glare. "Sorry," he said.

"Isn't there somepony else you owe an apology?" prodded Flitter, stepping aside so that Rumble could see where Storm Front was still resting on the couch, watching the exchange with a carefully neutral expression.

"Y-yeah..." said Rumble, feeling even more nervous now. Not only had he snuck away with Scootaloo to Canterlot and gotten involved in a very dangerous battle, but he'd also stolen his teacher's weapon to do so. Even now, the meteor hammer Rumble had "borrowed" from Storm front was still coiled about his right foreleg beneath the sleeve of his silk shirt.

Trembling, Rumble approached his teacher, who continued to watch, Storm's expression giving absolutely nothing away. "S-S-Storm...I'm sorry...I..."

"Why?" asked Storm. There was no accusation in the tone, only simple curiosity.

"Huh?" The stutters died on Rumble's lips.

"Why did you go to Canterlot?" asked Storm, "I imagine that it was Scootaloo's idea. But what prompted you to go along with it?"

"I...uh..." Rumble looked down at the floor, thinking very hard about the answer. Storm waited patiently, watching the colt with an unblinking gaze as he waited for Rumble to formulate an answer.

"I...Ever since I started learning how to use the meteor hammer, I've been wondering about why," said Rumble, seemingly talking to himself as much as he was to his teacher, "I mean, at first it was something really cool. I thought it was amazing when I watched you practice and I thought it would be awesome if I could do that myself. But...the more I practiced, the better I got, I started wondering what I was going to do with it. I don't really think I'm cut out to be a mercenary like you. What was I going to do, once I learned how to use it?"

Storm remained silent, merely waiting for Rumble to continue his explanation.

"At first, I thought the two of us going to Canterlot with Arkenstone was a really bad idea. I mean, I've never actually used the meteor hammer in a fight before. But...I could see it myself. Arkenstone was having a hard time. He was doing a good job of hiding it, but I think he was still hurt pretty bad from his fight with Terra. I remembered watching those ponies take Ms. Twilight and Ms. Coco away and I thought about how scared Ms. Coco looked. I put all those things together and I just thought...I thought I couldn't just do nothing when there was something I might be able to do to make a difference."

"Hmm..." Storm seemed to be examining Rumble very closely. "Let me see it," he said, fixing his gaze on Rumble's right foreleg.

Rumble nodded and pulled back his sleeve so that he could uncoil the weapon. After Cadance's blessing and using it in a real battle, his very first one no less, Rumble was more than a little reluctant to part with it. However, Storm Front was its rightful owner. Rumble had only "borrowed" it after all. Despite his desire to keep it, it wasn't his.

Storm carefully lifted the weapon, allowing the coils of the cord to drape over the fetlock of his good foreleg and lifted it up to inspect it. "Interesting..."

"What is it?" asked Flitter, coming up behind Rumble. She'd been expecting Storm to be more strict with his student. She was surprised by Storm's inquisitive, but reserved attitude.

"...What did you do?" asked Storm, glancing away from his weapon at Rumble.

"Um...Cadance...uh...helped me with it," said Rumble.

"Cadance? Princess Cadance?" Flitter stared down at the colt, trying to figure out just where the Princess of Love, of all ponies, fit in to all of this.

"I see...That makes sense," said Storm, a slight upward stretch of the corners of his mouth forming the beginnings of a smile, "That explains a lot."

"It does?" asked Flitter, feeling completely in the dark.

"This is not my weapon anymore," said Storm, his smile growing as he hoofed it back to Rumble, "It belongs to you now."

"What?" exclaimed Flitter, "He stole that from you and rushed off on harebrained scheme to get himself killed and you're actually giving it back to him?"

"Well..." Storm leaned away from Flitter's wrath as Rumble quivered in front of her, "I could scold him about such things, but I'm not a fan of hypocrisy when all is said and done."

"What do you mean?" asked Flitter.

"I am no stranger to the adage about it being easier to ask forgiveness rather than permission," he admitted, "I have done similar things in the past as well, some of them much more ill-advised than what Rumble has done. Granted, I was a bit older at the time than he is now, but I understand his position.

"Besides, he didn't do this out of some reckless desire to prove himself or a chance to 'try out' the real weapon as it were. He did it because he genuinely felt it was something he should do, something he believed was right to do. I can't fault a pony for following his convictions, even if that puts him at risk." He gently brushed his hoof through Rumble's mane and gave the colt a much sterner look. "However, you do have to make amends for the worry you put your family through. No amount of my approval or acceptance of your actions is going to change that."

"Y-yeah," said Rumble, cringing as he felt the weight of Flitter's gaze bear down on him.

"I'm glad to hear that," said Flitter, "Because you are grounded for the next month, young man."

"Right," said Rumble with a sigh.

"Besides, there's somepony else you owe an apology," said Flitter.

"Um..." Rumble heard the sound of hooves clicking against the wooden floor and turned just in time to be slammed by Sweetie Belle in a tackle.

"Rumble!" yelled Sweetie, "Don't you dare do something that stupid ever again."

"I...I don't think I can promise that," said Rumble, now lying on his back with Sweetie on top of him. "But..." he said, leaning up so that he could plant a quick kiss on her lips. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

"With the benefit of hindsight, knowing the possible consequences of your actions, would you still have done the same thing?" asked Storm, smiling as he watched Sweetie continue to hug Rumble.

For a moment, Rumble thought about it. Then he smiled up at his mentor. "Yeah...I probably would."

A faint flash caught the eye of everypony in the vicinity and their eyes were drawn down to Rumble, who looked about in confusion when he saw that everypony was staring at him, this time with a different expression on their faces. "What is it?"

"Bro, check out your flank," said Thunderlane, barely hiding a grin.

"Huh?" Craning his neck, Rumble was able to get a view of his flank...and the brand new cutie mark that rested on it. Now visible was the image of his cutie mark, a pair of hooves, one gray (just a little darker than the shade of his coat), which was curled around a white hoof, so that their fetlocks were linked together.

"You did it!" squealed Sweetie, her shrill tone actually causing nearby windows to rattle alarmingly, "You got your cutie mark!"

"Say what now?" Apple Bloom and Spike both came over, with Scootaloo and Dawn not far behind.

"Rumble just got his cutie mark," said Sweetie Belle, finally getting off her coltfriend and letting him get to his hooves, her previous distress all but forgotten.

Rumble appeared dazed by the revelation as he gazed in stunned awe at his own flank, marveling at the mark that had not been there before. "But what does it mean?" he asked.

"I think, in this case, the answer is obvious," said Storm, "Your personal drive is to reach out to others who are in need and provide them with help. You felt you weren't ready for that battle, but you went along anyway because you felt there were ponies who needed your assistance regardless. It's a cutie mark to be proud of."

"Wow," breathed Rumble.

Flitter nuzzled his cheek. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered. "But you're still grounded..." she added, her stern frown returning for a second, "...after your cutecenera."

From a short distance away, Dawn and Scootaloo watched as everypony fawned over Rumble's new cutie mark. "So...I guess that means you're the last one," she said, with a sidelong glance at Dawn.

The ebony colt merely shrugged. "Eh..."

Scootaloo couldn't quite keep a giggle down at Dawn's unconcerned response. He would be totally casual about being the last one of us to get his cutie mark. I wonder what it'll be though.

"Out of the way!" declared Pinkie as she began to work her way through the ponies around Rumble, "Let me at him! I've got a party to plan!"

"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home," commented Scootaloo wryly as both Melon and Fluttershy giggled behind her.

"How is she?" asked Shining as the chief surgeon employed by the Guard made his way out of the operating room.

"Stable," replied the doctor calmly, "I estimate that she will retain use of two of her legs. She won't be walking again. Her horn was completely shattered by the impact. Repairing it is impossible, I'm afraid. Combined with the damage stemming from what I can only assume was an incident involving severe overchannelling followed by either rough or nonexistent treatment, I very much doubt that she will be growing it back. The damage to her alicorn is systemic, which means its growth has been severely stunted."

"Ugh," grunted Shining with a sympathetic wince. Even if the mare behind those doors was one of the worst kind of criminals, he wasn't sure any unicorn should have to suffer like that.

The doctor shuffled some pages on the clipboard in front of him and continued. "She also sustained severe injuries to her upper and lower jaw, loosing several teeth. We tried reconstructive surgery, but were only partially successful. We managed to realign her jaw and muzzle, but were unable to restore total function. Unfortunately, she won't be able to consume solid food for the remainder of her natural life.

"Furthermore, her brain suffered damage as a result of the mentioned overchanneling incident. It would appear that the damage has been aggravated as a consequence of her injuries. The vast majority of her higher brain functions appear to have shut down. Only time will tell if she will be able to regain any cognitive ability."

"So she's a vegetable?" asked Shining.

"A very angry vegetable," said the doctor, "From what we've been able to determine, Inkwell seems to be locked in a perpetual state of anger and hatred, possibly directed at the one who did this to her. At the same time, she doesn't seem to be mentally capable of acting on that hatred, even if the pony it was directed at were right in front of her."

"Couldn't have happened to a nicer mare," said Shining, "She's probably not going to be fit to stand trial, I guess."

"Probably not," agreed the doctor, "She will probably be institutionalized."

"Oh well," said Shining with a shrug, "What about the other one?"

"He is showing much more promise," said the doctor in a chipper tone, "Greenblight took a pretty severe beating. But, when all is said and done, his worst injuries were self-inflicted."

"How?" asked Shining.

"He took several blows from a small, blunt object," explained the doctor, "In particular, he broke his left shoulder, his right wing at the base, the base of his tail, and two ribs. On top of that, he took several more hits from the same object along the barrel and stomach. All of these were substantial on their own, but the stallion aggravated them severely by virtue of heavy exertion after receiving them."

"Oh right," said Shining, thinking back to what he'd heard from Rumble, "He's some kind of berserker."

"I'd scoffed at the idea at first, but it is a sound explanation," said the doctor, "The broken ribs were the worst injury, thanks to the fact that they'd come dangerously close to puncturing his lung. That was a consequence of continued activity after their breaking. We were able to repair the joint in his shoulder, but the muscles and tendons around it will take longer to heal due to their damage. I'd almost think he was trying to use his disabled limb as some sort of flail."

"That's exactly what he did," said Shining.

The doctor blinked before continuing. "Then, of course, there are torn muscles, strained and snapped tendons, all manner of injuries consistent with exertion to ridiculous extremes. This berserker state of his apparently allowed him to exert Hysterical Strength."

"What's that?" asked Shining.

"Under the proper conditions, a pony can, either consciously or unconsciously, override their physical limiters to exert their body's full strength. Our bodies limit themselves in order to keep from causing too much damage to our muscles and connective tissues. In this case, the stallion apparently used some form of self-hypnosis or similar procedure to induce a fit of maniacal rage. As a result, he was able to completely exert his body's whole strength for a temporary period of time. On top of that, adrenaline and various other hormones released during the process also reduced his response to pain so that he could continue fighting, despite what would normally be debilitating injuries."

"Sounds pretty convenient," said Shining.

"Also dangerous," retorted the doctor, "Those built in limiters exist for a reason. Overriding them is supposed to be an emergency response, normally triggered as a response to life-threatening danger. If used repeatedly and for extended periods of time, it would ultimately result in permanent damage to the user's muscles and tendons. Greenblight was gradually pushing his body to self-destruction. The injuries he received earlier merely hastened this process. I find it unlikely that he'll be able to fight again, if he should ever find himself outside of a cell after this."

"Which isn't likely, considering his laundry list of crimes," said Shining, "But he'll be able to stand trial."

"He will," said the doctor.

"Good," said Shining, "Thanks for your time."

"I'm glad to help," said the doctor with a smile, "Please say hello to your wife for me."

"So...how did it go," said Cadance, looking up as her husband entered their room.

"As well as can be expected," said Shining with a tired smile, "The doctor says 'hi,' by the way."

Cadance giggled and turned back to her own work. She'd been tasked with interrogating Elderflower's captured guards, probably the only witnesses to his misdeeds, aside from the two ponies in the hospital. They had been reluctant to talk, apparently believing that their employer was still capable of some form of reprisal, even from beyond the grave (which a few didn't quite believe he was in yet). It was tedious work, building up their trust and developing a rapport she could work with to get useful information. Such activities left her drained at the end of the day.

Laying down on the bed beside her, Shining nuzzled his wife. "So what about Greenblight and Inkwell?" asked Cadance as she returned the gesture.

"Inkwell isn't going to be doing anything, possibly ever," said Shining, "Like the doctor said, she's a really angry vegetable now. She's probably going to spend the remainder of her life hating the pony who put her in that state without any means, physically or mentally, of acting on it. Frankly, it's no less than what she deserves."

"I wish I could believe that," said Cadance, "But she's the way she was because her brain was damaged when she overchanneled. If she hadn't had that accident, she would have been the leader of the Banehammers. She might have even led them in a better direction."

"I doubt it," said Shining, "The damage to her brain altered her ability to think in broad terms and caused her to focus on immediate things. But it didn't alter her concepts of right or wrong in any way. In that sense, she's very much the same mare she was before the accident. Trust me, she deserves this."

Cadance shuddered, not liking the idea all the same. Part of being the Princess of Love was believing in ponies' better nature after all. "What about Greenblight?" she asked.

"Physically, he got off pretty light," said Shining, "Some of his injuries may be permanent, but he'll be able to look after himself." A faint smirk crossed Shining's face. "He just has to live with the fact that he was beaten by a foal who was participating in a real battle for the very first time, a fact that's going to get around to all the ponies he's had dealings with. Greenblight's going to become a laughingstock in mercenary circles and he knows it."

"Now there's a fate I feel is well deserved," said Cadance with a small smile of her own.

"I couldn't agree more," said Shining, "Let's get some sleep. The rest of the Royal Guard are going to be back in a couple of days and then things are going to get really hectic."

Author's Notes:

It gets hard writing certain scenes from this chapter because there are so damn freaking many characters to keep track of. Seriously, when I wrote Twilight's welcome scene, I almost completely forgot about putting Spike in it.

That aside, it would appear that most everyone is happy with the fates that have been dealt to certain villains. I'm glad I could deliver in that regard.

Next chapter: Celestia's done playing around.

Progression

Chapter 16: Progression

True to Shining Armor's words, the Royal Guard squads that had been deployed to the far reaches of Equestria returned a day and a half later with several-hundred prisoners in tow. It was the largest mass arrest in the history of Equestria...which wasn't all that surprising, given the nation's relative lack of a history of mass arrests. Simply arranging for the space to hold all the arrested cultists had been a logistical nightmare, as Canterlot's sole prison (an extension of the Palace dungeons), was not meant to hold that many ponies. Celestia had anticipated that particular issue and had been making arrangements. Unfortunately, due to the haste with which the operation had been launched, many of those arrangements weren't yet complete. And all that came just before the bureaucratic nightmare of arranging trials for them.

All this meant that Celestia's planned reckoning with the Noble Court would have to wait. Guard investigators went over every inch of Elderflower's mansion, seeking evidence to convict his coconspirators. As evidence emerged, those ponies were placed on house arrest in their Canterlot estates, not permitted to leave while squads of the Royal Guard patrolled outside constantly. The air was filled with tension, as many of the detained nobles still had their cadres of mares-at-arms with which they could potentially try to use in order to force the issue. At least two members of the Noble Court had fled Canterlot for what remained of their properties in other parts of Equestria, the Guard following swiftly on their hooves.

Despite the tension, nothing had happened so far. But still, Canterlot, and the rest of Equestria along with it, held its breath as its inhabitants awaited the first spark that might set the city ablaze.

In contrast, Ponyville remained quietly pleasant as its inhabitants continued to rebuild their lives in the wake of Terra Heart's visit. Despite the fact that Canterlot was visible to the naked eye from the town, hardly anypony seemed to pay the city on the mountain any mind.

Fortunately, there was no longer any danger of anypony needing to cover damages to their homes and businesses. Shortly after Twilight Sparkle's return, Mayor Mare received a notice and a substantial deposit into the town's relief budget. If anypony had noticed that the amount of the deposit was equal to sum total of Baron Elderflower's monetary assets, they held their tongues. The deposit had come with a promise that more would be available if Ponyville needed it.

In the wake of their jaunt to Canterlot, both Rumble and Scootaloo had been grounded for a month by their respective families. Melon Cream hadn't originally intended to punish her daughter in such a way, but felt it wouldn't be fair to Rumble if he was the only one who was grounded, especially since Scootaloo had confessed to being the instigator of their departure. Needless to say, Cheerilee was not enthusiastic about the idea of two of her students cutting class and playing hooky by way of playing heroes...particularly without so much as a note. As a consequence, Rumble and Scoootaloo found themselves lumped with detention on top of their grounding, and a few days of makeup homework to boot. Despite the fact that the two of them were proud of what they'd accomplished, neither of them was feeling particularly happy with the outcome.

Despite all that, life in Ponyville was well on its way to returning to normal. The events of Twilight's abduction seemed to have occurred in the background for most ponies who were not within her immediate circle of friends. While a few had noticed her absence, nopony had commented on it, which actually made it easier for Twilight, as the last thing she wanted was to be hounded by ponies desperate to know what her experience in Baron Elderflower's custody had been like. All in all, things were proceeding quite naturally...with the exception of one minor hiccup...

"So...I was kidnapped," said Twilight matter-of-factly.

"Yeah," said Spike as he slid another book into its place on the shelf. His voice was still faintly gravelly from the strain his throat had been under the past couple of weeks.

"I was taken right out from under everypony's noses in Ponyville and spirited all the way to Canterlot for a few days," continued Twilight.

"That's right."

"You were all panicking because you had no idea where I was."

"Uh huh."

"Princess Celestia actually considered postponing the operation against the Cult Solar when she heard about it."

"Yep."

"Arkenstone, Scootaloo, and Rumble came up to Canterlot and actually had to force their way into Elderflower's mansion so that they could rescue me."

"Eeyup."

"...And all throughout this whole ordeal, through everything that was going on...Nopony bothered to tell Rainbow Dash about it."

"Um...yeah," said Spike, grinning sheepishly at Twilight, who looked more confused than angry about that fact.

"Not that I wanted to drag Rainbow away from her Wonderbolts training to help me...But why?" asked Twilight, tilting her head. A second later, she was forced to swat at her ear to dislodge a buzzing fly. The little pests had been oddly persistent ever since she'd gotten back from Canterlot.

Behind her on the table was a letter from the mare in question, which had been delivered through Spike's flames (Rainbow having been left out of the loop regarding the current moratorium on dragonfire letters) via a set of specially made candles Twilight had given Rainbow before she'd left to join the Wonderbolts. Twilight and Spike had worked Spike's dragonfire into the candle wax, giving the flames the properties of Spike's own fire, allowing Rainbow to send letters back through Spike, even if she wasn't a unicorn. If nopony had written her and Spike hadn't sent any letters to her, Twilight wasn't entirely sure how Rainbow had learned about the whole ordeal. However, the one thing that was certain was that Rainbow was not happy to have been left out of the affair.

Spike shrugged. "I sent a letter to Spitfire through one of Ouranos' feathers, since I figured this was the kind of emergency that she gave us those feathers for. She wrote back, saying that she was leaving it to us. I figured she'd tell Rainbow and that they were just all busy helping bust up the Cult Solar." Spitfire's reply had come through Spike's fire, lending credence to the idea that Rainbow was aware of the situation, as Spike presumed that Spitfire was using one of Rainbow's candles for that purpose. However, it was possible that a unicorn from the Guard unit she and the Wonderbolts were assisting had sent it instead.

"Hmm..." mused Twilight, tapping her chin.

"I don't think we should worry too much about it," said Spike, "There wasn't much Rainbow could have done in any case. Besides, we can tell her that everything is just fine now."

"That much is true," agreed Twilight, "Still, I hope Rainbow isn't too upset over all of this."

"I can't believe you!" yelled Rainbow Dash, glaring across the desk at Spitfire, who didn't flinch beneath the angry gaze of those cerise eyes. Rainbow's multicolored tail lashed angrily as she flared her wings, spreading cerulean feathers to either side of her in a classic gesture of pegasus agitation. "How could you find out that Twilight was in danger and not at least tell me about it?"

Spitfire's eyes narrowed. She'd been prepared for this outburst since the day she'd learned about Twilight Sparkle's abduction. Naturally, a mare as loyal and devoted as Rainbow wouldn't be happy to learn that one of her closest friends had been foalnapped. "I made a decision as the leader of the Wonderbolts and as a Knight," said Spitfire simply, "I believed that the last thing you needed was to be distracted during such a crucial time."

"Distracted!" Rainbow exclaimed.

Spitfire's orange eyes narrowed as she returned Rainbow's glare with a steady gaze. "That's right. If I'd told you, what would you have done?"

"I'd have gone to Canterlot to do something about it!" declared Rainbow.

"What?"

"I would have found Twilight!"

"How?"

"I...uh...um..."

Spitfire sighed and raised a yellow hoof, running it through her yellow and orange mane. "You would have bolted off to Canterlot and thrown yourself into the middle of a Royal Guard investigation, only making things even more difficult. On top of that, you would have been offering Elderflower and his cronies an additional target."

"Yeah..." admitted Rainbow, her wings sagging and her ears drooping.

"Look, I understand that this hurt you," said Spitfire, "I may have been wrong to keep it from you. I certainly hope that you'd be able to listen to me if I told you not to go haring off after your friend. Perhaps I should have more faith in you. But what's done is done."

"You're probably right," Rainbow admitted, "I wouldn't have been thinking clearly. I obviously wasn't a minute ago."

"That happens sometimes," said Spitfire, "You don't always have time to think things through and will just have to go with your gut sometimes. One of the most difficult things to learn is when to differentiate between those times and the times when you have the opportunity to think about what you're doing. You have to factor in the wider context of the situation. You're participating in important training and you're a target for a rogue stallion with exceptionally dangerous armaments. Rushing off would only expose you to danger you're not ready to face.

"On top of that, you have to consider your future position. You're going to be facing decisions like this occasionally as a Wonderbolt. If you're on the job with me, you can't afford to abandon your position and go rushing off the instant you hear one of your friends is in trouble." Now Rainbow was the one standing cowed as Spitfire stared sternly across the desk at her.

"I think you've grilled my student enough," said the mare standing behind Rainbow, "It's true that she's impetuous and still occasionally reckless, but you really should have been honest with her from the start."

Spitfire's ears went flat and she nodded hesitantly. The pink mare smiled as she moved to stand next to Rainbow, gently extending a wing and draping it over Rainbow's back. Though she was considerably older than either of the other ponies in the room, Firefly scarcely looked it. The most apparent signs of her age were the light wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and lips, the hallmark of a mare who'd spent most of her life smiling. Her light-blue mane and tail showed no signs of graying and her blue eyes were as clear as ever, sparkling with life. Firefly was the eldest Knight of the Celestial Order currently serving, a pony who had perfected the pinnacle of pegasus magic and who was now teaching that secret art to Rainbow Dash.

Most ponies would have never even dreamed of talking to Spitfire as Firefly had. As a fellow Knight, Spitfire was technically Firefly's equal. But Spitfire had too much respect for the pony who had once mentored her to take offense at Firefly's tone. "I suppose that's true," admitted Spitfire.

"There," said Firefly, now smiling brightly, "Now that everything's settled, we can get back to work. Rainbow here still has a long way to go, so I can't afford to let too many things get in the way."

"Right," said Spitfire distractedly as she met Rainbow's gaze one last time, "I'm sorry for deceiving you like that."

"And I'm sorry for bursting in here and yelling at you, Captain," said Rainbow, "I'll try to think things through more carefully next time."

The two of theme exchanged nods and Firefly guided Rainbow out. Spitfire sank back with a relieved sigh. "I just wish I could use some sort of time travel spell to go back and smack myself on the back of my head when I had that 'brilliant' idea."

"Ugh...I can't stand this," groaned Scootaloo irritably as she and Dawn made their way back towards Ponyville. Though he certainly wasn't obligated to, Dawn felt as though he were at least partially responsible for Scootaloo' s actions and had made it a point to wait through detention with her and Rumble. Fortunately, between the three of them, Scootaloo and Rumble were able to get caught up on the work they had missed relatively quickly. Also, for all that it was a pain, detention was also an ideal time to get homework done so that they didn't have any waiting when they returned home for the day. Scootaloo really wished she could enjoy that more, as the only thing she had to look forward to after school was heading straight home, where she would remain under the watchful eye of her mother.

Dawn tried to provide her with as much company as he could, under the auspice that he was her teacher as well. Scootaloo was grateful that her mother hadn't grounded her from training as well, something Melon Cream wouldn't even actually consider unless Scootaloo had done something truly deplorable. However, for the time being, that was to be the extent of Scootaloo's social life. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Rumble were unable to interact with her outside of school, as Scootaloo was forbidden from leaving the house, or her mother's supervision when they went out together. Treats from Sugarcube Corner were scarce and only available after being earned through several extra chores beyond the ones usually expected of the filly.

"You're doing quite well," said Dawn, "It won't last forever. I think you'll be able to manage."

Despite her frustration, Scootaloo couldn't quite keep a smile from her face as she listened to her coltfriend's words. After all, Dawn was also grounded...in a different sort of way. According to Doctor Stable, his magic was recovering, but, for the time being, Dawn remained ground-bound. Given how much that experience had frustrated him, Scootaloo figured she could soldier her way through what was ultimately a much lighter sentence.

"I'm just glad I didn't get back a few days later," she said, "Another week and I would've been grounded during my birthday."

"Birthday?"

"That's right," said Scootaloo, grinning at her coltfriend, "It's coming up next month. Come to think of it, I think Bloom's isn't too much later...Sweetie too. All of us were born pretty close together."

As she spoke, Scootaloo noticed that Dawn's confusion was replaced by calm acknowledgment. "I see..."

Scootaloo shrugged off his bland response. Instead, something else occurred to her. "Hey Dawn...when's your birthday?"

"I don't know," said Dawn.

"Oh, cool..." It actually took Scootaloo a few seconds to register what Dawn had just said. His tone had been so casual and unconcerned that the actual substance of what he had said had flown completely under her radar. "Wait! What do you mean you don't know?"

"I don't know," repeated Dawn, "My Master and I never learned the day I was born, so I've never really had a birthday to speak of."

Scootaloo froze in place, blinking as she processed this new revelation. Dawn was an orphan. Though his memories of that time were fuzzy, due to him being so young, Dawn did know that he had been thrown out of the cloud home that he'd been living in by the pony he'd identified as his mother. By lucky chance, the pony that would become his Master, teacher, and father figure for the next few years had been passing beneath and had managed to catch Dawn as he'd fallen towards the ground. When Dark Wing, the pony who'd caught Dawn, returned the colt to the cloud mansion that he'd fallen from, the owners of said mansion had denied ever having a foal.

The prevailing theory was that Dawn had been rejected by his parents due to being born with the Eyes of Nightmare. Given that his presumed parents belonged to the pegasi upper-class, they had likely perceived his condition as being a threat to their status and prestige and had attempted to cover it up by removing Dawn from the equation.

Taking that into consideration, Scootaloo supposed that she shouldn't have been surprised that Dawn didn't know the date of his own birth. However, something else concerned her more. "Even if you don't know when you were born, you must celebrate your birthday sometime, right?" she asked, already having a worrying premonition of what the answer would be.

Dawn shook his head. "No. Actually, back then, I didn't even realize that ponies celebrated the day they were born. I'd seen parties from a distance when we'd tried settling in one town or another, but never knew what they were for. The subject never came up between us."

"What about when you got to Ponyville?" asked Scootaloo, her eyes growing wider, "You've seen birthday parties around here."

There had been plenty of birthdays in the intervening time since Dawn had arrived. Some had been for Fluttershy's friends or ponies in their class. Now that she thought about it, Scootaloo vaguely remembered Dawn watching those exchanges from a distance, as though he were some in some foreign place, observing some strange cultural ritual that was unknown to him. He hadn't actually participated in them, though he did bring an obligatory present for most of them.

"That was when I figured out what birthday parties were," said Dawn with a shrug, "But I don't know when my birthday is, so I've never had one myself. It doesn't seem all that important to me."

Scootaloo's jaw went slack as she stared at her coltfriend. The idea of not knowing when you were born might not have seemed all that daunting in and of itself. However, the thought of never having that special day where you and your friends celebrated your becoming a year older...that thought made her heart shudder.

Once again, she shouldn't have been surprised. Birthdays were just another entry in the long list of things that Dawn's Master, had apparently never bothered to teach him about. Before he had come to Ponyville, Dawn had no idea what Nightmare Night was about. Nor had he ever celebrated Hearth's Warming. His life with his Master had been one of constant instruction, focusing on developing Dawn's skills and abilities. However, the consequence was that Dawn had missed out on several important experiences that Scootaloo and those around her had always taken for granted.

"Is it bad?" asked Dawn, a little unnerved by the sight of Scootaloo gaping at him.

It took a moment for Scootaloo to regain her composure. After working her mouth back shut, she struggled to find the words to say. "Well...It's kinda important. I guess you'd have to actually have a birthday party to get the feeling. You might want to think about it."

"If you say so..." said Dawn.

Their walk continued in awkward silence as they resumed their journey to Scootaloo's home.

"Remarkable..." mused Wight Shade as he studied the object in front of him. Given that the material was so reflective, it had been tricky finding the proper lighting to examine it with. But Wight and Kombu had eventually settled upon a light in the red spectrum. The object he was currently examining was a wing, Perlin Bluestreak's wing to be precise. "You actually succeeded in bonding mithril to a living organism without impairing the function of the altered limb. I'd given up on that."

"I know that it's nothing close to what you achieved," said Doctor Kombu, staring across Perlin's back at Wight.

"Nonsense," said Wight with a chuckle, "You've completely exceeded my achievements in this field. The entire reason I took my research the way I did was because I came to the conclusion that there was no way to do exactly what you have done. That you have succeeded where I failed is completely to your merit."

"You're not upset?" asked Kombu.

"Why should I be? You've uncovered a new dimension of study in the bonding of organic and inorganic materials. By all rights, Perlin's wings should shred themselves to pieces if he even tried to flap them. Yet he can fly and wield them as though they were little more than ordinary feathers. This is a revelation! How did you achieve it?" Wight's eyes shone with curiosity as he looked up at Kombu, betraying a childlike eagerness to learn everything about Perlin's wings, now that he had the chance to examine them in earnest.

"It wasn't easy," admitted Kombu, using his magic to carefully manipulate Perlin's wing as the colt lay limply on the operating table in front of them. Perlin wasn't unconscious or anesthetized, merely in a self-induced trance as he lay still and allowed the two unicorns on either side of him to manipulate his wings as they pleased. It was a position that Perlin was used to. It allowed Kombu to examine his wings whenever he was due for another adjustment or when the wings needed (rarely) to be repaired. Neither Perlin nor Kombu were overly fond of drugs or anesthetics and avoided relying on them unless it was absolutely necessary.

Kombu continued his explanation. "The outer layers are pure mithril. But the core of each feather contains a trace quantity of silver, almost like marrow in a bone. Given that mithril is magically and electrically resistant, it stands to reason that it would have to be paired with another metal that is more cooperative to magic in order for the wings to function like normal pegasus wings. The silver core acts as a conduit for Perlin's magic, which allows him to fly, despite the fact that the wings' weight exceeds that of ordinary pegasus wings. I also spent years working how to marry the metal to his musculature so that his wings wouldn't simply tear themselves apart at the point of contact."

"Truly magnificent," said Wight with a chuckle, "I'm impressed. It almost seems a shame to replace them."

"But it's the boy's will," said Kombu with a shrug, "I've recorded all the information on the procedure and have the records sealed in a safe at the estate in Trottingham. I am confident that I could perform the procedure again if I had the materials."

He sighed. "But therein lies the difficulty. Duke Torchlight spent over half of his fortune on acquiring the mithril just to make the boy's original pair of wings. I have had to use those resources to purchase additional amounts of the metal for his repairs and adjustments as he grew."

Mithril was not an easy material to obtain by any stretch of the imagination. Its value and the scarcity of the metal were but the tip of the financial iceberg. Mithril mostly came from the territory of the griffon aeries, many of which were still intensely hostile towards Equestria and its ponies. As a consequence, mithril often first had to be acquired by a more friendly aerie that would then trade it with ponies. This, combined with the ever-shifting allegiances of the various aeries, as they fell in and out of conflict with one another, led to the rise of an ever changing network of of "roads" through which the precious metal had to travel in order to reach Equestrian hooves.

On top of that, the vast majority of the mithril supply in Equestria was controlled by the government, especially the Princesses and the Royal Guard. As such, others, even the members of the Noble Court, had to go to great lengths simply to acquire mithril, even in moderate amounts. The sheer expense that Duke Torchlight, one of the highest-ranking members of the Noble Court had gone to in order to obtain what he had highlighted this truth.

"It's worth looking into," mused Wight, "Doing so might open new avenues of research, even for the materials I work with."

"Fortunately, all that information is also up here," said Kombu, tapping his forehead, "I am happy to provide you with any information you require. It is a privilege to work with you once again."

"Excellent," said Wight with a chuckle, "For the time being, let us focus on making our customer happy." He grinned as he looked down at his "customer," who waited patiently on the table for the operation to begin.

Pinkie Pie opened her mouth and inhaled in a loud gasp that gave everypony in the room the impression of being pulled towards her. "What? Dawn's never had a birthday party!" she very nearly shrieked before she was lightly cuffed by the yellow mare with the striped mane sitting next to her.

Slumping down slightly, Pinkie grinned apologetically at Mayweather, who let out a resigned sigh before smiling and nuzzling Pinkie's cheek. "Try to relax a little more," suggested Mayweather softly before reaching up to scratch behind Pinkie's ear, causing the party pony to purr almost like a cat.

"That's what Melon Cream told me earlier," said Rarity, "She heard it from Scootaloo, who had it from Dawn himself."

"Oh my," whispered Fluttershy, her hooves going to her mouth as her eyes widened, "I had no idea!"

Their little group had assembled in the most unusual of meeting places, the employee bunkhouse on Sweet Apple Acres. Sugarcube Corner, like nearly every other establishment in Ponyville, was still going through the process of reconstruction. The Cakes were currently supervising the acquisition of new ovens, bakeware, and other equipment, taking the opportunity to upgrade to newer models of nearly everything after having spent the last twenty years using the old sets. The library would have ordinarily been the venue of choice for a meeting like this. However, Dawn was helping Arkenstone prepare for the reopening of the teahouse. The two of them, along with Spike and Caramel, had taken over thee library's kitchen to experiment with new blends and even snacks that could be served along with the tea. Fortunately, such experiments promised to keep the boys occupied for several hours.

"You never asked?" inquired Twilight, glancing at Fluttershy, who sank back behind her mane a little.

"Um...I wasn't sure if Dawn was ever going to bring it up. I thought it might be an uncomfortable topic for him." Fluttershy sighed. "I never even considered that he didn't even know when it was or that he'd never celebrated it. He never even said anything during any of the birthday parties we went to."

"I suppose it just never occurred to him," said Rarity, gently tapping a hoof against her lips, "I'm sure that he's probably noticed ponies celebrating birthday parties before, but he never thought to bring it up himself. He probably didn't want to be a bother. He is that sort of colt after all."

"Well...Ah'm wonderin' if we need to do anythin' 'bout it," said Applejack, drawing shocked gasps from the other ponies in the room. "Don't get in a tizzy! Here me out," she said, holding up her hooves, "Ah'm just pointin' out that Dawn don't seem to think it's a big deal. Ya know how that colt is. He ain't one fer big shindigs or hullabaloos. He might not've brought it up 'cause he don't want anypony makin' a big fuss 'bout it like we are now."

"She has a point," Rarity conceded, pursing her lips, "That is very much like the Dawn we know."

"In that case, we might just want to wait," said Twilight, "Maybe Dawn might like the idea after he goes to the Scootaloo's birthday party. Odds are good she might talk him around."

"That sounds reasonable," said Rarity.

"No!" shouted Pinkie Pie, pounding her hooves on the table loud enough to make everyone else in the room jump, "No! No no no no nonononono NO! Dawn absolutely has to have a birthday...and a party!"

With a sigh, Mayweather lightly cuffed Pinkie once again. "Settle down."

"Pinkie, I understand you're enthusiastic about throwing parties and that it's really important to you," said Twilight, "But if Dawn isn't interested in having a birthday party, I don't think that's something we should force on him."

"That's not the point," protested Pinkie, "A birthday is a time for us to celebrate, to tell a pony how happy we are that he was born. Dawn's never had that! He's never had a day for all his friends and family to get together and share just how happy they are to know him." She sagged down. "We've celebrated things he's done. But Dawn needs a day for ponies to celebrate that he's simply there. That's what a birthday's for."

Pinkie's friends stared at her, a little taken aback by her vehemence. But, at the same time...

"I think you're right," said Fluttershy, "I tell Dawn I love him every day. But he's spent his entire life with ponies saying that he shouldn't have even been born, telling him that he was a monster, a demon. He deserves a day for ponies to say that they're happy he was born. I want a day to tell him that."

"Are you sure?" asked Twilight, "Would Dawn actually care for a party?"

"Oh...He wouldn't like a big one," said Fluttershy with a smile and a giggle, "And he'd never ask for a party himself. He'd rather not be a bother...But I'm sure he wouldn't mind a small party, something like the welcome party Pinkie did for him last year...but smaller."

Twilight and the others exchanged glances. Pinkie Pie seemed mollified by the prospect of throwing any kind of party, even if it was just a small one. While Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack had their doubts,, they defaulted to Fluttershy's expertise. She was Dawn's mother after all.

"I guess that's fine," said Twilight after a moment, "But when should it be? We don't have a birthdate for Dawn, so we need to decide what day to have his birthday on."

"Ooh! Ooh!" squealed Pinkie, grinning as she bounced in her seat, "Let's make it soon! I want to throw that party as soon as possible."

"Hush," scolded Mayweather with a roll of her eyes, "If anypony gets to decide what day is Dawn's birthday, it should be the one who's raising him."

All eyes turned to Fluttershy, who smiled warmly. "Actually, I know exactly what day Dawn's birthday should be..."

Princess Celestia stared out over Canterlot. She could see the gold-clad figures of her Royal Guard moving along the streets below, many of them having returned to their former patrols. However, it was the bare minimum that they could afford at the moment, most of the Guard being tied up in enforcing the house arrest of several members of the Noble Court. Though the number of Guards on the street were light, their presence alone was a balm to the worry and discontent of Canterlot's citizens, a sign that things were slowly returning to normal.

"It's getting late, you should retire for the day," said Luna as she came out to stand beside her sister.

"I will," said Celestia, "I just wanted to make sure that everything was going well."

"The city shall see to itself for the night," said Luna, "You've been very busy lately."

Celestia nodded. The trials had begun. With so many ponies affiliated with the Cult Solar having been arrested, the magistrates had been forced to try them in groups according to their places of origin. The troublesome part had been separating out the well-meaning ponies who had simply been duped into joining the organization from the ponies who considered themselves true believers who presented an active threat to Luna or ponies like Dawn. Fortunately, there was a fairly simple procedure for that. Very often, all they had to do was bring Luna into the courtroom and watch the sparks fly. The ponies who genuinely believed in the Cult's doctrine against Luna often outed themselves very quickly, especially when they didn't realize that Celestia was watching.

Still, even though the majority of the Cult's leadership and the ponies staffing their temples had been arrested, the fact remained that its members were still a very real threat. Though the Royal Guard had rounded up as many of them as they could, there were likely plenty of Cultists who had slipped through the cracks. Hopefully, most of them had realized the error of their allegiance and would return to their normal lives without causing trouble. However, Celestia was sure that there had been a few who would refuse to accept the truth and would continue to pose a threat to ponies like Dawn and Luna in the future. Whether those few malcontents could actually succeed in rebuilding the Cult was a question that Celestia hoped she didn't need to find the answer to.

Still, she knew she couldn't afford to rest on her laurels. She'd made the mistake of not stamping out the Cult Solar in its entirety once. She would be damned if she made it possible for some other malcontent to start the whole thing over a few hundred years down the road. She would tear the Cult Solar up by its roots and make it absolutely clear that she would no longer tolerate their violent idiocy.

However, that would come after the Noble Court was dealt with. With a sigh, Celestia lowered her head. She suspected that Morning Star was somehow behind their actions as well. While she supposed that having the Royal Guard in Canterlot completely understaffed was issuing an open invitation of some kind to the nobles, there was no accounting for the speed with which they had taken advantage of the situation, almost as though somepony had prepared and primed them for it. Had Morning Star actually arranged the whole affair with the Cult Solar to draw the Royal Guard away from Canterlot for some unexplained purpose, which was carried out under the cover of Elderflower's actions? Had Morning Star accomplished his goal, whatever it was?

Whatever the case, at least we have the Elements of Harmony back, she thought..

Feeling the gentle brush of Luna's feathers against her own prompted Celestia to look over at her sister, who met her gaze with a warm and gentle smile. "Go on," said Luna, "I shall watch over the night."

"Do as you will then," said Celestia.

Stepping away from the balcony, she set off for her room, looking forward to a good night's sleep. However, she paused as she heard some commotion coming from the hallway that led to the throne room. There was the sound of raised voices and agitated tones that indicated an argument of some kind, accompanied by the sound of several sets of hooves as a decent-sized group of ponies headed her way. Straining her ears, Celestia tried to pick up the conversation and find out if it was something that she needed to weigh in on.

"Your Grace! Again, I ask you to stop this. This is highly inappropriate!" That was the voice of her majordomo, a rather stiff and stubborn stallion by the name of Habitus, who, despite his tendency to worry needlessly over formalities was an able steward, managing to make Palace affairs run like clockwork.

"Get out of my way, you simpering wretch!" snarled a second voice in an outraged, imperious tone that made Celestia's eyelid twitch. She knew that voice all too well. Duke Periwinkle, one of the highest members of the Noble Court, on a level equal to Prince Blueblood, was a common fixture of Day Court sessions. At least once a month, he brought forward some sort of petition against some pony or business that he believed had slighted him in some obscure or imagined fashion, demanding that Celestia imprison, banish, or imprison and banish those he held responsible or some other ridiculous punishment.

"Your Grace, you must stop immediately! Petitions must be brought during regular Court hours! You are out of line!" Habitus' protestations were slowly getting louder as the group got closer.

"You are the one out of line, you trumped-up hoofservant!" roared Periwinkle, clearly in one of his moods if Celestia was any judge of them, "I am not some dirt-groveling commoner to be turned away on technicalities! I will not stand by and ignore the insult that has been paid to my peers!"

Celestia sighed and turned in the direction of the conversation. If Habitus was actually giving ground, even to a pompous blowhard like Periwinkle, it was probably because Periwinkle had brought suitable intimidation with him, probably in the form of several of his guards if the number of hooves she was hearing was any indication. Periwinkle would probably not be turned away, short of Celestia summoning a Guard platoon to dissuade him, something she, unfortunately, did not have on hoof at the moment.

Instead, she opted to give her majordomo some relief and take over the conversation. Following the sound of voices, she strolled down the hallway and turned a corner, affecting an expression of surprise as she saw Habitus and Periwinkle, giving the impression that she'd stumbled across the commotion by accident.

"My," said Celestia as she looked over at the group of ponies, "What is going on here?"

True to her suspicions, Periwinkle had brought a group of his guards with him. The pastel-blue unicorn had ten ponies in blue-rimmed armor standing behind him, arrayed in ranks of two. Half of them were unicorns, while the other half were earth ponies. The guards affected expressions of cold indifference as they stood behind the outraged duke. However, Celestia could spot faint twitches of nervousness as they followed in their master's wake. Bringing an armed force that wasn't part of the Guard in some fashion into the Palace was very illegal. That extended even to members of the Noble Court, who often thought themselves above the laws meant to control the "common ponies."

"Your Highness!" exclaimed Habitus, notes of relief and pleading in his voice as he addressed her, "This ruffian has ignored all decorum and barged in here, unannounced and with an unauthorized-"

"SILENCE!" roared Periwinkle, cutting Habitus off, "I'll have your hide for daring to refer to me in such a fashion."

"You will do no such thing," said Celestia, pretending to hold back a titter of amusement, "I value Habitus' skills very highly and I would not like you to deprive me of them."

"Then you should remind the fool not to forget his place and insult his betters," snarled Periwinkle, both his tone and words actually causing the front row of his guards to step back in surprise as they stared at their master like he had gone mad.

Celestia actually giggled for real at that. "I suppose I should," she said, "However, that would require that one of his 'betters' actually be present for him to insult."

Reeling as though he had been struck, Periwinkle worked his mouth furiously as he stared at Celestia with wide eyes. Habitus was also staring at her with a similar expression of amazement. Favoring her steward with a smile, Celestia said, "You can go now. I will take care of things here."

"A-are you sure, Your Highness?"

"I am," said Celestia, "You are dismissed for the evening. Go get some rest. We have a busy day tomorrow and many affairs to attend to."

"And do any of these affairs pertain to redressing the insult paid to my peers by the Captain of your Guard?" asked Periwinkle as Habitus trotted past Celestia to escape down the hall behind her, only barely managing to keep from breaking into a full-blown gallop.

"That affair shall be attended to," said Celestia with a smile, "I am sure that it is on the docket somewhere."

"This is the highest priority!" insisted Periwinkle, "The ponies your Captain has placed under house arrest are the leaders and ruling powers of Equestria. How dare he treat them like a batch of common criminals!"

Celestia found herself laughing for real, much to the discomfort of Periwinkle's guards, who shifted nervously and began stepping back slightly. "Indeed, they are not common criminals," said Celestia, "They are criminals of the most uncommon sort."

Periwinkle's eyes bulged in their sockets, his jaw going slack at Celestia's words.

Almost grinning, Celestia continued. "Shall I list out the crimes they stand accused of? They include conspiracy and accessory to abduction, murder, and high treason. If it weren't for the fact that our court system is currently quite busy, they would already be rotting in prison, quite possibly for the remainder of their pitiful lives."

Periwinkle opened his mouth to protest, but Celestia cut him off. "And now you show up here with armed guards, daring to make demands of me and insisting that I bow to your will. You violate the law and bring armed ponies in my presence, forcing your way past and threatening my staff, who are infinitely more worthy of consideration than your ilk. You speak of the affronts to your peers, yet your behavior here and now is an affront to me." Celestia's tone grew harsher and darker with each sentence as her body began to shine, white light spilling out of her form. The hallway slowly began to heat up, the Duke and his escort all breaking out into sweats as the temperature continued to climb.

"Y-you can't," stammered Periwinkle, "The N-Noble Court will not allow-"

"The Noble Court cannot allow or disallow anything anymore," said Celestia, her voice booming down the hallway, making the windows rattle and the doors shudder, "It is officially disbanded. You and yours are hereby stripped of the tattered remainders of your authority, your titles are no more than meaningless words. You stand before me, commoners one and all, just like the ponies you so scorn."

"We will not stand for this!" protested Periwinkle, "You will regret trifling with us!" He turned and glared at his guards. "You serve me. Subdue the Princess! We shall take back what is rightfully ours."

The guards exchanged nervous looks before slowly backing away from Periwinkle. Then, haltingly at first, one of the ponies in the first rank reached up with a hoof and began to undo the buckles that held her armor together. The steel plates dropped to the floor with a loud clang. One by one, the others began to follow suit.

"You traitorous dogs!" howled Periwinkle. His horn began to blaze, but abruptly dimmed when the horn, along with the Duke's entire body was washed with a golden aura.

Celestia's magic yanked Periwinkle off his hooves before slamming him bodily in the wall. "Enough of this," said Celestia, her voice a dangerous rumble. Already, the sound of hooves echoed down the hallway as even more ponies arrived. This time, it was members of the Royal Guard who rounded the corners, both in front of and behind Celestia.

Celestia levitated the limp form of Periwinkle over to them. "Take him and throw him in the dungeon, whatever cell is available."

Turning to regard the Duke's former guards, Celestia smiled as she saw them kneel. "Thank you, my little ponies. For the time being, I ask that you return to Periwinkle's estate. Look after things there. I will not leave you abandoned."

Moving in almost perfect unison, the ranks of ponies bowed deeply to Celestia before making a hasty exit, a few Royal Guards shadowing them down the halls to make sure they did as they were told. After they had gone, Celestia was left standing alone in the hallway, looking over a few piles of abandoned armor. She let out a sigh, hoping that she hadn't just made things even harder for herself.

Author's Notes:

So...yeah. When it came to writing this story arc, I largely forgot to mention Rainbow Dash at all, so I addressed it here. I'm a bit surprised nobody really brought it up (or maybe I haven't been reading the comments in enough detail).

I suppose you could call it a good thing that a government has difficulty coordinating mass arrests due to a lack of experience in...coordinating mass arrests. That means someone's doing something right...right?

Next chapter: Guess who's back. Here's a hint:

Cleaning House

Chapter 17: Cleaning House

Celestia found herself regretting the abruptness of her declaration the next day. She'd wanted to wait until the business of processing all the cultist prisoners had been dealt with before making that declaration. However, Duke Periwinkle had forced her hoof. Before the day was half over, the news of Periwinkle's arrest, along with the Celestia's declaration, had been carried to every corner of the city. Naturally, there was plenty of unrest amongst the nobles who hadn't already been put under house arrest, save for a scant few that had followed the cues of Blueblood and Fancy Pants, both of whom were doing their best to help contain the situation.

Several members of the Noble Court began to muster their forces. Even though the mercenaries that Elderflower and his coconspirators had been mustering had been slaughtered, the remaining members of the Noble Court still had plenty of ponies to muster in the form of their mares-at-arms, one of the primary reasons Celestia had been so careful with them in the past. If they rallied their collective forces and marched against the Palace, the Royal Guard would have to meet them, the result of which would then threaten the lives and homes of the rest of the city's inhabitants.

"I really wish you hadn't done that," said Shining Armor as he met Celestia outside of the throne room, the Day Court having been suspended for lunch, "My ponies on patrol have already been picking up signs of trouble. They've been spotting runners and messengers all day. They've even seen armed ponies assembling on the noble estates."

"I wish things could have happened differently," said Celestia, "But Periwinkle made that impossible. Any concession I made to avoid conflict would have set a dangerous precedent and risked undoing everything that Twilight and her friends have suffered for."

"I agree," said Shining, "But we need to find a way to contain this before it gets really out of hoof. If the nobles rally their forces and try to march against us, I'll be forced to pull the guards away from enforcing the house arrest on Elderflower's allies. Even if we ultimately win, I'd bet bits to bridles that Elderflower's cronies'll use the opportunity to skip town, if they don't throw their own forces behind the revolt."

"Then why not let them?" asked a chipper voice from behind Celestia and Shining. The two of them whirled around to see another pony standing there with an impish grin on his face.

"Swift Stride," said Celestia, a feeling of relief washing over her, "I am glad to see you back."

The khaki earth pony laughed as he regarded the Princess and her Captain of the Guard with eyes so squinted that they might as well have been closed. "Sorry it took me so long to get back here," he said, "Some things came up."

"I'm sure they did," Shining Armor muttered under his breath. Unlike Celestia, he wasn't quite so happy to see the most infamously (at least, insomuch as her Knights could be infamous) eccentric of the Celestial Knights, a pony who had a reputation as a liar and a thief to the point that not even his peers, the other Celestial Knights, trusted him wholly. His squinty eyes and perpetual grin always gave Shining the impression of a scheming fox, an impression that the smooth, brush-like shape of Swift's white tail only heightened further. The sight of the Swift's spiky mane unnerved Shining as he was reminded that Swift's black clad outfit concealed innumerable explosives and poisons, possibly enough to bring down the entire Palace if the stallion was of a mind to.

The tiniest twitch of Swift's right ear was all the acknowledgment he gave Shining's remark. Instead, he kept his attention on Celestia. "From what I've been hearing, things have been getting interesting here."

"A little too interesting for my taste," said Celestia with a sigh, "What you said a moment ago...Are you suggesting I should let Elderflower's allies flee?”

Swift nodded. "If there's any kind of real fight between the nobles and the Royal Guard, the Royal Guard is going to come out on top. Elderflower picked his allies for their pragmatism and their ability to see the reality of the situation...to a certain extent. They probably realize that an open fight against you is going to end in disaster, however bloody it ends up being. Knowing that, they'll take the opportunity to flee. But if they want to take advantage of a revolt to escape, that means they'll have to move fast and travel light. They won't be able to drag their guards and staff along with them and they'll probably even lend their forces to the rest of the Noble Court to help buy them more time.

"As for where they'll run to; they'll most likely head for their home estates in the cities and provinces they hail from. Ponies like them are always unwilling to give up the trappings of their positions after all. If they can't be nobles in Canterlot, they'll run to some place where they can still be nobles, even if it's only in their heads. And even if a few of them actually manage to get creative, all you have to do is have the SES tail them to find out where they're running to. Then, after everything is settled in Canterlot, you'll be able to round up the runners easily enough. They'll be bereft of protection, having left their guards behind to escape, and you can have them detained by the Guards in the locales they flee to, which will add insult to injury. And...on top of everything else, you'll have another crime to charge them with."

"That sounds lovely," said Shining sarcastically, "But I'm missing the part where allowing the nobles to start a revolt is a good thing."

Swift's grin widened. "Starting a revolt isn't a big problem. The tricky part is how you put it down. It'll also put the nobles' greed and arrogance on display for the whole of Equestria, completely unifying ponies against them. You can bet that the staff tending to the runners' home estates won't be so loyal to them when they learn that they're harboring fugitives against the state. You'll have cause to seize the nobles' assets, which will cut off their ability to interfere economically with Equestrian affairs. You'll also have an excuse to detain the whole lot of them at once and wrap up everything nice and neat."

Shining grimaced. "And how do you suggest we put down this revolt?"

With a chuckle, Swift's grin widened even further, to a degree that Shining was truly beginning to feel disconcerted. "I'm glad you asked. You're thinking like a soldier, that you have to face these ponies like enemies on a battlefield. But there's no need for that..."

"Inhale," said Dr. Stable, holding the stethoscope up against Dawn's wing, "Hold it...good...let it out slowly." He moved the instrument to Dawn's other wing and repeated the instructions.

Dawn followed them without protest, holding perfectly still as the doctor moved from his wings to Dawn's back and then along his barrel. Finally, after several repetitions, Stable put the stethoscope away. "Well now...I believe I can grant you a clean bill of health. Your body is recovering nicely."

"And my magic?" asked Dawn.

"As long as you don't perform anything strenuous with it for the next two weeks, you should be fine," said Stable, "You can fly and I think this wind-sense of yours you've told me about won't strain you. However, I must caution you against any sort of flight-related exercise or strenuous training. Running through your forms is fine, but only if you're not using your magic while doing so."

"Thank you," said Dawn, looking relieved.

Dr. Stable chuckled. "I can honestly say right now that, however much I might like you, I would much prefer it if I didn't have to see you again for a little while. Please try to make it so that the next time I see you is for a routine physical and not a trip to the emergency room."

"I'll try my best," said Dawn, "But I can't make any promises."

Stable sighed. "I suppose that's the best I can hope for."

With a giggle, Fluttershy rested a wing across Dawn's back and guided him out of the doctor's office. The two of them made their way out into the waiting room, where Scootaloo was still sitting, having been given a brief reprieve from her grounding to accompany Dawn and Fluttershy to the physical.

"How'd it go?" asked the filly, getting off her seat.

"I'm getting better," said Dawn, "But the doctor said to take it easy for a little while longer."

"Aww," groaned Scootaloo, "I was hoping we could start sparring."

"Two more weeks or so," said Dawn, "But we can still do your regular training in the meantime."

"Why don't you walk Scootaloo home," suggested Fluttershy to Dawn, "I did promise Melon that I would send her straight back after we finished your physical. We don't want her to get in trouble after all."

"Do I have to?" complained Scootaloo, her body practically wilting from the idea.

"I'm sorry," said Fluttershy with an apologetic smile, "But you don't want your mother to think you need a longer punishment...not with your birthday coming up."

There was a note of panic in Scootaloo's eyes at Fluttershy's words, but she quickly relaxed. "Yeah, you're right."

Dawn smiled and rested a wing across Scootaloo's back. "Let's go," he said. Leaning over, he whispered into her ear, "Your mother said to bring you back. She never said we had to be quick about it."

Scootaloo found herself nodding as she and Dawn strolled off at a sedate pace, enjoying the spring day as Fluttershy waved at them from behind. "I'll see you at home," she called out to Dawn before turning to head back to the cottage.

Dawn and Scootaloo stayed pressed together as they strolled down the streets of Ponyville. As they went, they could see the fruits of the reconstruction efforts. New houses were being built all around them, cracks and crevices in the streets were being filled in. Slowly, but steadily, Ponyville was beginning to pull itself back together.

"Ms. Cheerilee says that the school will be rebuilt in another week," said Dawn as they turned a corner, "We won't have to head out to Sweet Apple Acres for class anymore."

"That's good," said Scootaloo, "I didn't mind too much, but I bet you were getting tired of walking there every day."

"A little," said Dawn, "But that's no longer an issue. I just hope that everypony's homes are rebuilt by then. Otherwise, it would be a fairly long walk from the tents to the school."

"Yeah," agreed Scootaloo.

For a little while, they walked in a comfortable silence. However, as Scootaloo's home came into view, she thought of something. "Hey Dawn..."

"Yes?"

“What do you want to do for Hearts and Hooves Day?”

Dawn blinked. “Um…”

Pausing, Scootaloo looked at him in confusion. “Is this another holiday you don’t know about?”

“...Would it make you angry if I said yes?”

It took a moment, but Scootaloo finally released her frustration with a sigh. “I should’a figured…another thing your Master didn’t bother to teach you about.”

Dawn shrugged. “No one pony could teach everything. What and when is this Hearts and Hooves Day?”

“Well…” It took a few minutes for Scootaloo to explain the nature of the holiday as they went along. The date was a little over a week away.

“So…that’s it,” said Dawn, thinking about what it entailed. An entire day devoted to romance and relationships, something that confused him. He wasn’t sure exactly what celebrating a holiday like that would be like for him and Scootaloo. Given how close they were already, there didn’t seem to be anything particularly special they could do that would be outside the norm for them…save for certain actions that were most certainly not to be carried out by ponies their age.

“What do you want to do?” asked Scootaloo.

“Um…won’t you still be grounded?” Dawn pointed out.

“Yeah,” said Scootaloo, “But I think Mom might lift my grounding for just one day if I behave myself.”

“So…you’ll still be grounded.”

“Hey!” shouted Scootaloo, bristling at the joke as Dawn smirked at her, coughing slightly to hide his chuckles.

“Very funny,” she muttered, giving him a light punch to the shoulder, though she couldn’t quite keep a smile from her own face. “In all seriousness, we should probably go on a date.”

“A date?”

“Yeah,” said Scootaloo, “You know, like we did during the Harvest Festival. We’ll go out and get a meal somewhere, have some fun…enjoy each other’s company…”

“Um…how is that different from what we usually do?” asked Dawn. After all, they frequently shared meals, whether at Scootaloo’s home or Dawn’s. He supposed going out to a restaurant or something might constitute something a little different, but it still seemed like the same thing to him.

“Maybe we don’t need to really do anything different,” Scootaloo pointed out, “Yeah, the day is special, but we should just try to have fun with each other.”

“I’m always open to that,” said Dawn with a smile as he opened the gate for her.

“And…because it’s a special sappy, romantic, lovey-dovey day, I’ll…” Scootaloo froze in place, turning her head away from Dawn in a futile effort to conceal her blush.

“You’ll what?” asked Dawn, genuinely curious.

“I’ll…” Scootaloo’s voice dropped down to nearly inaudible levels. “…wear a dress.”

Thinking about how Scootaloo looked in her dress made Dawn blush as well. “That would certainly be special,” he admitted, “In that case, I’d love to go with you…assuming you can behave.”

A snort escaped Scootaloo’s nose as she playfully punched Dawn again. “I’ll show you!” she exclaimed, “It’s a date then.”

As they arrived at the door, Dawn stood back as Scootaloo opened it. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said over her shoulder.

Leaning forward, Dawn placed a quick kiss on her lips. "Tomorrow then," he said. Turning around, Dawn stepped out into the yard before trying to spread his wings. He took to the air for the first time since his fight with Terra Heart. The initial liftoff was a little awkward, but he quickly managed to balance himself out before he was making his way, at a sedate pace, to his own home. Scootaloo watched him go with a smile on her face, not going inside until he was out of sight.

The air in Canterlot hummed with tension, almost as though a premonition of disaster had fallen upon the city. The streets were empty, all homes and businesses closed up tight. Members of the Royal Guard still patrolled through the public districts in pairs, their eyes wary as they scanned every nook and cranny for any kind of threat. However, their patrols all carefully skirted the edge of the Noble District, home to the elaborate estates of the members of the Noble Court. Within those places, the only Guards to be found were those watching the homes of the nobles that Princess Celestia had placed under house arrest. Those Guards stood at rigid attention, their hooves resting near their weapons, ready to draw and defend themselves at a moment's notice.

Within the Noble District, there was a large plaza at the convergence of several streets, which spread out through the district like the spokes of a wheel. It was a beautiful space, the white tiles reflecting the light of the sun off the street, making the place fairly seem to glow in the daylight. At the center was a fountain of a rearing unicorn, steams of water spraying out of the tip of its horn in all directions into a pool at its base. Around the pool was a low bench that could be used by pedestrians to rest their hooves after walking around the city.

Normally, this plaza was a favorite spot for tourists, who took advantage of its position to get a picturesque view of the looming estates that surrounded it. It was used as an assembly area for tour groups and even a space for the occasional festival. On rare occasions, it was also used for outdoor ceremonies conducted by the Noble Court, usually related to some arcane function buried deep in their lore of tradition and history.

Today, however, the plaza was an assembly space for an army.

They arrived in trickles at first, grim-faced ponies, clad in polished armor, their eyes and faces hard as they marched down the streets and began to line up in front of the fountain. These were the mares-at-arms belonging to various noble families. Some were hired hooves, recruited for their skill at combat and protecting their charges, whilst others were knights and vassals who had served their particular family for generations. Some of these ponies had taken up arms against each other in the past for some reason or another during the course of numerous conflicts that had played out between the various nobles. But today, they assembled with a sense of common purpose, their previous conflicts forgotten as they stood shoulder to shoulder with one another.

Along with the guards came their masters, nobles of every stripe and rank, unicorns all. They were the members of the Noble Court, descendants from the same noble families that had once ruled under the auspices of the House of Platinum during the times of the Unicornian Kingdom. In the distant past, their families had controlled entire provinces of Equestria, ruling over the commoners, earth ponies and pegasi, who were little more than serfs. Over the centuries, that had changed. Their powers had lessened, their authority had waned as Princess Celestia slowly stole it away from them without them even realizing it. The ponies assembling in the plaza today were but a shadow of the Noble Court's former glory. All they had left now was their vast wealth and the few lands that they hadn't sold off generations ago, including their estates in Canterlot.

Despite this, those who came to the plaza walked with their heads high, wearing expressions of arrogance and pride as though it were the height of fashion. Though they no longer participated in the actual governance of Equestria, they were still assured of their superiority. Thus, Princess Celestia's proclamation was a blow to that pride. It was a wind fanning embers of resentment into the flames of outright rebellion as the nobles looked to the Royal Palace and thought of restoring their rightful rule.

Their guards assembled in tightly organized rings around the plaza's fountain, all of the armed ponies focusing their attention on the nobles who gathered there. For the sake of this glorious campaign, old relics had been pulled out of storage and dusted off. Proud banners were raised, some bearing the crests of noble houses, others showing the symbols of knightly orders that served those houses. Armor was cleaned and polished, weapons were sharpened, old spellbooks were brought out so that battle mages could brush up on their most destructive magics.

For the first hour, silence reigned over the plaza. The only sound was the clank of armor and hooves clicking against the stone streets as more and more ponies arrived. By the hour before midday, the plaza was packed with ponies.

Then the speeches began. Various nobles stepped up onto the rim of the fountain, positioning themselves so that they could be seen by the crowd of guards and knights. They shouted, the sound of their voices carrying across the assembled soldiers. They spoke of the honor and dignity of their positions, of their rights and privileges as members of the nobility, of their superiority over the common pony. They listed the slights and insults paid agains them by Princess Celestia, by Shining Armor, and by upstarts like Twilight Sparkle. Names were spoken, names like Steel Flint, Elderflower, Sweet Water, the names of ponies who had been grievously wronged by Princess Celestia and her favorites. Many of these ponies had formerly been rivals of the named, who had once sought to undermine or outmaneuver the very ponies they now sought to aid and avenge. Their previous conflicts were forgotten beneath the weight of their common cause.

Then, moving as one massive force, the combined forces of the Noble Court began their march. The armed soldiers formed into ranks and made their way up the street leading to the Palace, their hooves clopping against the ground in perfect unison, looking to all the world like a glorious army marching to war as their banners trailed through the air overhead. The nobles marched with their guards, walking at the center of their protective formations. Pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns all moved side by side. Pegasi would not take to the air until it was time for the battle to begin, their presence in the ranks serving to add to the intimidation factor as the fighters moved as a single unit.

Their path took them past a few of the houses being guarded by the members of the Royal Guard. Those Guards in the path of the advancing nobles quickly withdrew, leaving their charges unguarded. As the nobles' mares at arms marched past those estates, the gates opened and their numbers were bolstered further by more soldiers from the imprisoned ponies. However, as those soldiers moved out through the front gate, solitary figures made their way out through the back, rushing in the direction of Canterlot's train station.

Swift Stride shaded his eyes as he looked in the direction of the Noble District. From his perch atop a clocktower in Canterlot's market district, he could easily see the mass of ponies making their way up the street to the Palace. He had to squint against the glare of the sun reflecting off of polished armor, not bothering to conceal his grimace. "Geez. Maybe we should ask Celestia to turn the sun down for a little bit. I don't know how those ponies can march together without going blind."

Beside Swift stood a nervous Flash Sentry, who swallowed hard as his eyes moved over the assembled forces of the Noble Court. "Are you sure this is going to work?" he asked.

"Pretty much," said Swift, "Look at them. Their pegasi aren't even in the air yet. They're marching up the street in broad daylight in nicely packed ranks with no room to maneuver, flying banners and flags like it's a damn parade. Those fools are using tactical manuals over a thousand years old. If you wanted, you could've set up ambush points in over half a dozen places on the way up and slaughtered them wholesale before they even got out of the district."

"But why would they do something so foolish?" asked Flash, still feeling nervous. It wasn't every day he faced an entire army of ponies.

"Well...they've never actually had reason to update those manuals," said Swift with a chuckle, "Ever since Princess Celestia took over the sun and the moon, outside nations generally came to the conclusion that invading probably wasn't worth the risk, so the nobles have never actually had to field their forces for a real war in a thousand years." Swift kept to himself that the peace was also kept by the Celestial Knights, each of whom was supposed to be an army unto herself. "Before then, the only wars nobles participated in were mostly against each other. Those conflicts usually involved lining up their forces into pretty little formations like they did today and smacking them into each other until the side that killed more of the other side's ponies became the winner. It was more about preening and posturing than it was about actual warfare." With the reforms Celestia had ultimately put into place, open, armed conflict between noble houses began to die out, thus ending the likelihood that certain nobles might get more creative in their tactics in the intervening years.

If the nobles still had access to the mercenary forces that Elderflower and his cronies had amassed, their force might have been commanded by ponies who were actually experienced in actual warfare and might have been deployed with more pragmatism, which would have made this affair bloodier and much more difficult to resolve. Although the reason behind the deaths of those mercenaries was unknown, Swift was certainly grateful that those ponies weren't in a position to make a difference now.

"They're nearly here," he said, "Places everypony!"

Flash gulped and took to the air, flying up to a raincloud and landing on top of it. The other Guards withdrew down alleyways and into buildings, closing doors and windows tightly. Up and down the street, every opening had been carefully covered over and sealed. It almost looked like a ghost town of abandoned buildings. Swift Stride descended nimbly from his perch, his hooves finding holds on ledges most ponies would have slipped off nearly instantly as he made what looked to be a controlled fall down to street level, landing so lightly that his hooves barely made any sound against the cobblestones.

"Now for the fun part," he said to himself with a diabolical chuckle. Shining Armor had thought that the plan was ridiculous, of course, amounting to little more than a foal's prank. But Celestia had vouched for Swift's cunning, thus throwing the support of the Royal Guard behind his scheme.

From the street level, it was impossible to see the approaching host yet. However, Swift could already hear the synchronized sound of ponies marching in unison, their hooves clicking off the cobblestones all together. After a few minutes, they became visible as the leading edge of the army rounded the corner, all of them still marching rigidly. Swift could still see the pegasi in their ranks, marching just like the rest, rather than screening their comrades from the air. Undoubtedly, those pegasi would look very intimidating when they all lifted off at once. But they were next to useless right now. More importantly, they wouldn't be able to escape what was coming.

As the nobles and their soldiers approached, their eyes narrowed at the sight of the single black-garbed stallion barring their path, grinning almost manically as his foxlike tail lashed back and forth. The noblemare leading the procession stopped and held up her hoof. One by one, the ranks of soldiers behind her also came to a halt, the sound of hooves trailing off into the silence as their leader stepped forward.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded the silvery-gray mare as she glared at Swift.

"Isn't that obvious?" asked Swift, "I'm putting an end to this little joke of yours. It's pretty funny that you think you could actually lead a rebellion against the Princesses and hope to win."

"This is no rebellion," snarled the mare, "We are taking back what is rightfully ours, what had been denied to us for generations...our right to rule."

"If I recall, it's a right that your ancestors were all too glad to give up," Swift pointed out, "And none of you ponies actually wanted to rule because it was too much work and you're far too important for that. It seems to me that the nation has been running itself just fine without your stewardship for the past few centuries, even better in fact.

"But I suppose that's beside the point. You morons thought you could march an army up to the Princesses' doorstep and just have them give everything back to you. You lot must be stupid if you think that's going to work."

"Peasant," spat the mare, "I do not have time to bandy words with you. You are lucky we have more pressing matters or I would have you imprisoned so that you can be reminded of your place at our leisure. However, if you do not move yourself from our path, I will simply have you killed and we will march over your corpse."

Swift fell silent, the smile falling from his face, suddenly replaced by a much more pensive expression. The mare thought that he was realizing the folly of his position. However, instead, Swift started talking to her again. ""Um...Just checking, but...you're that Duchess, right? What was your name again...Fluffle Puff-"

"It's Thistledown!" the mare nearly screamed, her face twisted in a grimace of indignation.

"So I was close," said Swift with a relaxed smile.

"You weren't even remotely close!" yelled Thistledown.

"Oh well," said Swift with a shrug, "Just wanted to make sure of who I was talking to. The fact that you're at the front means you have the most status out of all you noble goons right now."

Taking a second to recover her composure, Thistledown schooled her face back into an expression of measured scorn. "That is correct. By both rank and seniority, I am the most distinguished member of the Noble Court."

"Thought so," said Swift, his grin returning, "That explains why you're at the front and why all those lesser nobles are following along behind you. After all, once the fur begins to fly, who do you think is going to fall first?"

That remark took a chip out of Thistledown's facade as she took an uncertain step back.

"I mean," continued Swift, "It certainly makes sense for those girls to follow behind you. When you fall heroically in battle, they will gladly avenge your death and then one of them will be in a position to rise to the top. Or maybe they're thinking that your death doesn't need to be nearly so heroic, so long as everypony else thinks it is."

Thistledown cast an uncertain glance over her shoulder at the army behind her and the other nobles standing back throughout its line.

"I mean, just because you have a common cause for grievance against the Princesses doesn't mean that you aren't all going to have to settle out who's really in charge once the dust settles," said Swift, "It certainly makes sense to make sure that the top candidate is out of the way first."

"That's...r-ridiculous," stammered Thistledown, nervously shifting her weight back and forth, her expression indicating her lack of belief in her own words.

"If that's what helps you sleep at night," said Swift, "Though, I don't think you'll have to worry about sleeping tonight anyway."

From behind Thistledown, Swift could hear the sound of ponies' hooves shuffling as the soldiers behind the Duchess began to shift their positions. A similar sound was beginning to drift up from farther back amongst the enemy formations. It was the sound of the ponies in the rear ranks starting to move up as they failed to understand what the holdup at the front was.

The soldiers directly behind Thistledown parted to admit two other unicorns, both of whom carried themselves with a similar degree of arrogance to the Duchess. As they came to a stop, they both noticed Swift's presence and turned to glare at Thistledown.

"You have stalled our advance at such a crucial time for one earth pony. What is the meaning of this?" demanded the stallion who now stood at Thistledown's left.

"I will take care of the matter," snapped the Duchess, clearly annoyed by the distraction.

"If that were true, you would have already," replied the mare who'd settled in on her right, "And yet it seems that our glorious leader has hesitated for some crucial reason. Weren't you supposed to lead us into the heart of the Royal Palace and reclaim our glory?”

"You'd like that, wouldn't you," snarled Thistledown, startling both ponies, "You'd like for me to go at the front while the rest of you follow behind, all nice and safe behind your ranks of soldiers, just waiting for some 'unfortunate accident' to befall me so that you don't have to worry about me being at the top when everything is over."

"What are you talking about?" demanded the stallion, "Do you really think that we would plot to betray you in the midst of such a glorious enterprise? We need unity now."

"Unity!" snapped Thistledown, "You speak of unity, Regal, when you were the one plotting to undermine my work three months ago?"

"You're bringing that up now?" asked the stallion, glaring at Thistledown.

"Not that I'm surprised that Regal would do such a thing," said the other mare cooly, "but could we settle this later?"

"Shut up!" Regal nearly shouted, "You're one to talk after trying to slip drugs into my drink during the last gala I hosted."

"Oh please," said the mare with a roll of her eyes, "Now who's the one bringing up old grievances?"

Swift looked on as the three of them continued to argue and squabble, noting the sounds of growing unrest in the ranks behind them. The soldiers and guards the nobles had assembled looked on with growing irritation and impatience as their leaders, who had previously spoken of unity and the honor of their cause continued to bait and agitate one another. Swift wouldn't have been surprised if many of the other nobles farther back in the ranks were making their way to the front now. I think things are going as well as we could hope for, he thought before clapping his hooves sharply together. The sound snapped the three bickering nobleponies out of their argument as they turned to glare at Swift once again.

"Actually, I was lying about your allies plotting your death," Swift said with a grin a Thistledown, who bristled with anger, "I just wanted to hold you up a bit longer."

"You will pay for defying us, you wretch," growled Regal, stepping forward.

"You see," said Swift, ignoring the stallion, "It doesn't matter whether or not your allies are plotting against you, because I've decided to kill you all here."

"What?" gasped the other mare, her eyes going wide.

Swift curled one forehoof about a cord that none of the nobles or their soldiers had noticed before. The cord lay between the cobbles, running down the street until it reached one of the marehole covers that led to Canterlot's sewer system. Several such covers were in the street at regular intervals, a natural part of Canterlot's scenery. The soldiers and their leaders hadn't given them a second through as they marched over them.

Swift gave the cord a sharp yank. From the sewer entrance it ran into, there was a loud sound, almost like a large pony coughing. That sound repeated itself several times, running all the way down the street. At the same time, there was an explosion of pale-blue dust that burst out through the holes of the cover. More of the dust exploded out from every gutter running down the street, flooding the entire area with a blue cloud of swirling particles that completely enveloped the host of ponies before they could react.

Got 'em all, thought Swift with a chuckle as the dust washed over him as well.

"What...what is...this...?" gasped Thistledown in between hacking coughs as her eyes and skin began to burn. Her throat felt as though it was on fire.

"Oh this," said Swift, seemingly unbothered by the cloud, even though he was standing amidst it, "This is poison made from the blue spider lotus flower. It kills you slowly and painfully over the course of about fifteen minutes. It leaves a burning sensation wherever it touches and it'll even seep in through your skin if you manage to hold your breath."

"You...fool!" shouted Regal between coughs, his voice already becoming hoarse, "You'll die too!" The cloud was beginning to disperse, the heavy dust not spreading all that far on a windless day.

"Nah, I'll be fine," said Swift, raising a hoof to his lips and giving a piercing whistle.

That was the signal for Flash Sentry on the raincloud up above. Upon receiving Swift's signal, Flash began to hop up and down on the cloud, prompting a downpour that washed over Swift completely, just large enough to thoroughly soak his entire body.

"The nice thing about this poison is that it can be neutralized if you dilute it with water...lots of water." Turning his head up, Swift opened his mouth and began catching some of the rain there and gargling it before spitting it back out on the street. Raising a hoof, he signaled for Flash to stop. "There," he said, "Good as new."

"Water! We need water!" shouted Thistledown, her rasping voice still managing to convey the panic she felt.

"Conjure it, you fool!" snapped the other mare, already lighting her horn. However, even as she tried, her horn sparked feebly and fizzled out.

"One of the reasons I picked this poison is that it disrupts and ultimately shuts down all forms of pony magic," said Swift with a laugh, "I'm afraid you're not gonna get any water from magic. And even if your pegasi had clouds on hoof, they couldn't make it rain to save their lives."

The three nobles exchanged horrified glances. Already, the news of what had just hit everypony was filtering back through the lines, along with what was needed to neutralize the poison. The sounds of panic were beginning to spread as they tried to figure out a source of water that could save their lives. Unfortunately, it was a clear day in Canterlot, with no rainstorms scheduled. To make maters worse, while there were municipal sources of water all around, they mostly amounted to sinks and fountains, nothing that could serve to completely drench a pony, certainly not an entire army of ponies before the poison ran its course.

It was Thistledown who hit upon the solution, her bloodshot eyes lighting up as she recalled a large source of water just close enough that the nobles and their entire army could wash the poison away before it killed them. "The reservoir!" she shouted, already wheeling to one side and bounding off down a side street.

Canterlot's reservoir, the primary source of water for the city's citizenry did indeed lay a few blocks away, a large artificial lake that caught runoff from the rainfall and recycled water from the city itself, actually generating a picturesque waterfall that spilled over its edges and plummeted down to a river below. It was a favorite destination for families and foals on hot summer days, as it could be used as the city's swimming hole among other things. It was certainly large enough to hold the entirety of the nobles' army as they washed the poison dust off their bodies.

Thistledown's words triggered a stampede as the pain-maddened ponies charged off down any lane available to them, desperate to make it to the reservoir before their lives were forfeit. Within three minutes, the entire street had been cleared out, the horde of armed ponies having all abandoned their formations to rush to their salvation, everypony fighting bodily to get there first, as every minute, indeed, every second counted. The nobles galloped amongst them, fighting just as fiercely, their dignity and pride forgotten as they sought to save their sorry hides. Not one of them sought to organize matters to better coordinate the process, all of them too worried about preserving their own lives.

"And that's that," said Swift, clapping his hooves together as though brushing off more of the dust. He shook his body vigorously, sending water spraying everywhere and tossing the ends of his white sash about. He couldn't completely remove the water form his body, but he no longer looked like a half-drowned dog.

"Now what?" asked Flash.

"Your ponies in position at the reservoir?" asked Swift.

"Yes."

"Then I doubt they'll even need your instructions to know what to do," said Swift with a grin. Reaching into his clothes, he produced a fairly large sack, from which he extracted what looked like a small pill, which he tossed carelessly into his mouth and swallowed down. Raising the sack, Swift hoofed it over to Flash. "When your Guards finish rounding up that sorry lot, make sure the rest of this goes into the reservoir...Oh! And use some rainclouds to wash down the street and houses around here before you let anypony use the place."

"That powder wasn't actually poison, was it?" asked Flash. He'd been leery of allowing Swift to use a massive, poison-based weapon in the middle of Canterlot, but had relented due to Celestia's reassurances.

"Nah," said Swift, "That was three parts itching powder, two parts pure capsaicin, and one part weak poison joke extract."

"Poison joke!" exclaimed Flash, looking at the streets nervously.

"Like I said, it's weak," said Swift, "I figured out how to reduce poison joke's potency a while ago and made it into a powder. In its weakened state, it can shut down a pony's magic, but won't do much else. Couldn't have those fools conjuring water when there was such a convenient source nearby, now could I?”

"I guess not," admitted Flash with an uneasy shrug.

"That's what those pills are for," explained Swift, pointing at the bag, "They'll neutralize the poison joke dust in the reservoir when those ponies wash it off and keep the rest of the city from being affected." When the weather team washed down the streets, the runoff would also end up in the reservoir and would be rendered safe as well.

"Okay..." said Flash, feeling a bit strange about the whole situation. Still, Swift had managed to arrange things so that the situation had come to a neat end without any bloodshed. As he was about to fly away to do the rest of his part, he paused and turned to hover a short distance above Swift Stride. "By the way, why did you bother with that whole thing with the Duchess, telling her her allies were planning to betray her?"

"It might have been true," said Swift with a shrug, "But the point was to make sure that I didn't miss anypony. For all that they might have been marching together really well, those ponies weren't a real army. They're just a collection of various house guards and knightly orders affiliated with different nobles. Those idiots basically scraped together all the ponies they could find and marched them out. They didn't bother with logistics and lines of communication. So when things stopped at the front, ponies in the back were clueless as to why. When they didn't start moving right away, the ponies at the back would start moving up to try and get the ones ahead of them moving and so on. Because of that, they all grouped together nice and tight. It also made it harder for the pegasi to take off so that they could escape the powder or generate some wind to blow it away."

Flash blinked, stunned by Swift Stride's insight and planning. As the stallion slated to be the next Captain of the Royal Guard, Flash had been briefed about the Knights of the Celestial Order. However, aside from a brief meeting with Arkenstone when the blind stallion had been at the Palace a few days prior, Flash had never been introduced to them before. He'd heard of the Knights before then, of course, been told stories of their incredible power and prowess. However, he'd always believed the Knights to be fairy tales. And yet, here was a pony who had routed an entire army without shedding a drop of blood or killing anypony. In its own right, that was every bit as impressive, if not more so, than any demonstration of martial skill.

With a shudder, Flash turned and flew to the reservoir to help with the capture of the Noble Court's forces.

In the end, Swift Stride's plan had worked beautifully. The nobles and their guards had rushed to Canterlot's reservoir in a panicked crush, throwing themselves into the water with abandon. Those ponies who managed to maintain a sufficient amount of reason stripped off their armor and weapons before throwing themselves in. Those that were too panicked to remember quickly had to remove their armor before it dragged them down to a watery death.

As the packed mass of ponies continued their headlong plunge into the water, those who had arrived first only found themselves pushed out further as their comrades pressed in behind them, preventing the first arrivals from getting out. Once the last ponies of the nobles' once-grand army had charged into the lake, the Royal Guard came in behind them, quickly moving to secure the discarded armor and weapons before anypony could get out to reclaim them. When all was said and done, the Royal Guard easily managed to round up and detain the entire bedraggled mass of sodden ponies. Though they had rinsed away the itching powder and capsaicin, the poison joke powder had already taken affect, rendering it impossible for any of the prisoners to use their magic.

Once again, the Royal Guard found themselves weighed down with a large number of prisoners, which, however magicless and bedraggled their condition might be, proved to be a challenge in and of itself. The prison was already full to bursting with apprehended cultists. Nopony in Canterlot had ever considered the logistics behind capturing and imprisoning an entire army before.

Fortunately, Celestia, Luna, Swift Stride, and Shining Armor had already taken that problem into consideration and had decided to use the nobles' own schemes against them. The captured army and their leaders were herded down into the Crystal Caverns to be detained in the very same massive cave that Elderflower and his allies had used as a rallying point for their assembled mercenary forces. Thanks to the notes seized from their investigation of Elderflower's estate, the Royal Guard knew every entrance and exit to the place, which made confining the would-be rebels all the easier. According to Swift, the poison joke would wear off after three days, which would give the Royal Guard time to ensure that all the prisoners were properly restrained before they could regain use of their magic.

Thus, the Noble Court's rebellion against the Royal Diarchy was crushed before it could even begin.

Author's Notes:

And he's back. I don't think that it comes as a surprise to anyone that Swift Stride is one of my favorite characters to write. It's best to use characters like that sparingly or there's a risk that they'll initiate a hostile takeover of your story. But damn is it fun to write a good guy who's a diabolical trickster.

This was, more or less, a fun way to tie up most of the loose ends left over from the last story arc. The nobility are dealt with, Swift Stride gets to be crazy...and awesome...and crazy awesome. A good time is had by all...except for the bad guys.

Next chapter: Has anybody seen my cat? I swear I had it in this bag...

Unexpected Visit

Chapter 18: Unexpected Visit

"Once again, you have done a great service, both for me and Equestria," said Celestia as she and Swift reclined on the cushions before the fireplace. After finishing up everything related to the nobles' rebellion, Celestia had retired to her quarters and taken Swift with her. The last time they had been together in this room, Swift had just finished taking care of an even more dire problem than an army marching on the Royal Palace, a problem involving an escaped prisoner of Tartarus.

"Eh, it was pretty fun," said Swift with a chuckle before taking a sip of the iced tea that Celestia had ordered for the two of them, "You should've seen the looks on their faces when I told them they'd been poisoned."

Though she sighed in exasperation, Celestia couldn't quite keep a smile from her face. Swift was very fond of his lies after all. Still, he had always spoken the truth to her. That much Celestia knew for certain.

"You were also the one who provided us with the information to bring down the Cult Solar," said Celestia, "I keep owing you more and more."

"It didn't do much good though," said Swift, his good mood faltering as he stared at the fire crackling away, "Even with everything I did, it wasn't enough. Whatever Morning Star's plan was, we couldn't stop it. I guess I spent too much time playing around."

"I don't doubt that you worked as quickly and expediently as you could," said Celestia, "Morning Star is an opponent who's power defies our common knowledge and understanding. I gravely underestimated him and he was my own student." She sighed. "So your oversights are naught but an extension of my own foolishness."

"You're never too old to make mistakes, I guess," commented Swift, setting down his cup before flopping onto his back, his icy-blue eyes clearly visible as he stared up at the ceiling, a pensive look on his face.

"Does it trouble you?" asked Celestia.

"Of course it does," said Swift with a grunt, "I know I had him. I managed to outplay him even better than I expected, but he still came through. The way he worked through things...We're playing a game with him, but only he knows all the rules. What's more, if he wants or needs to, he can change those rules at any time he so desires so that the ones we do figure out don't apply anymore."

"Are you saying he's treacherous?" asked Celestia.

"I'm not talking about rules of engagement," said Swift, "I'm talking about the rules of reality, the rules that are supposed to govern what's possible and what's not. Even taking into account the absolute limits of what unicorns are supposed to be capable of, he can do way too much. Break his toys and he'll just make new ones that can't be broken the same way. Crack the secrets of his magic and he'll change how it works so that those secrets don't mean anything..."

Something Swift said clicked with Celestia and her gaze went off into the distance as she picked up his line of thought. "...Even take away his horn and he'll just make a new one..."

"Take away his horn?" asked Swift, looking sharply at Celestia, "What are you talking about?"

"Swift Stride...I realize I probably should have asked you this earlier, but did Morning Star have a horn."

"Yeah, he did," said Swift, his eyes widening slightly, "But it wasn't the same color at the rest of him. It was-"

"White," said Celestia simply.

"How did you know?" asked Swift.

"Because I just realized how Morning Star was able to outmaneuver us," said Celestia, "I'd wondered how he managed to arrange Elderflower's foalnapping of Twilight and the theft of the Elements so quickly after we began to move. He'd have to have nearly perfect information from the Royal Palace."

"So he has a pony on the inside," said Swift, getting to his hooves.

"Except that, not only does he get nearly perfect information, he's able to act on that information instantly," said Celestia, "I suspect that Morning Star is the pony on the inside."

"Eh? But how? He was...?" Swift trailed off and blinked slightly as he tried to adjust to the idea. "Never mind. If it's that guy, he'd find some way to make it work."

"I had no idea...just how badly I've blundered," mused Celestia.

"What are we going to do about it?" asked Swift.

"I believe I know who to talk to," said Celestia, "I shall deal with it from here."

"If that's the case, I've got to start making plans of my own," said Swift.

That gave Celestia pause and she turned to look at her Knight. "What do you mean?"

Swift sighed. "Morning Star is way too much for us Knights. Simple force isn't going to solve this problem. So I'm going to have to do what I do best."

"Lie?" asked Celestia.

"That's right," said Swift, "There's no end to what my lies can accomplish. All I need is to change the game on this guy before he realizes it. If he thinks his current set of rules is working out for him, he won't bother to change it and I can use that to control him."

"And how are you going to do that?" asked Celestia.

Swift gave Celestia an unexpectedly sober look. "You aren't going to like my answer..."

"So...what do you think?" Wight Shade smiled as Perlin Bluestreak lifted his head up off the operating table and looked back at his wings.

Perlin frowned. It wasn't an expression of disappointment or dislike. Rather, he seemed a bit confused. "They look...rather normal." He began to spread and flex his new wings.

Compared to the feathers of gleaming mithril he had previously sported, Perlin's new wings did indeed look more normal than they had originally. Instead of shining silver, his wings were now a shade of slightly grayish dark-blue. To the naked eye, they looked almost perfectly natural, exactly like normal pegasus feathers. After years of sporting wings made of metal, the sight of something that looked so natural...so organic...was disconcerting to the young stallion.

"Feel them for yourself," prompted Kombu, who was observing from the opposite side of the operating table.

Sitting up, Perlin took one of his wings and curled it around to the front of his body. With a forehoof, he began to gently stroke his feathers. Even to the touch, they felt like normal feathers. It was a sensation Perlin had believed he'd never experience again. "Amazing!" he breathed, not quite believing his own senses.

"How do they feel on you?" asked Wight, genuinely curious.

"Different," said Perlin, trying to work out how to put his feeling into words, "I don't clearly remember how my original wings felt. It's been so long. They feel much more alive and responsive than the mithril ones. Right down to the feathers, they feel almost exactly like a part of my body."

"Almost...?" prompted Wight.

"They feel slightly detached," elaborated Perlin, "Like I'm joined with them, but like they are slightly foreign to my own body...part of me, but not..."

"I'm sorry," said Wight, "I suppose if you give us more time, we can make adjustments-"

"I didn't say it was a bad thing," said Perlin quickly, "It just feels...different. They move perfectly. I can feel everything like I think I should." He began flexing and rotating the wing around, getting a feel for it.

"The materials aside, from a biological perspective, they are perfect pegasus wings," said Kombu, "right down to the muscle and bone structure. Their range of motion and the amount of strength they can exert are no different from your previous wings...as per your specifications."

"Good," said Perlin.

"Yet you feel a sense of detachment..." mused Wight, "...Perhaps the nerves aren't appropriately connected..."

"I checked them over when we made the connections," countered Kombu, "There should be nothing wrong with the nerves."

"I think it's a good thing," observed Perlin, drawing the attention of both stallions, who stared at him in surprise, "If a weapon were a perfect part of your body, it would be part of your body and, thus, no different from fighting unarmed. True mastery of a weapon comes from that gestalt, when two separates, the wielder and the wielded, become one and the same, achieving something that is greater than the sum of their parts. That was how I managed to do so much with the last set of wings. They wouldn't be worth having if I didn't have to truly master them."

"I'm afraid that's something I would know little about," admitted Wight, "But I think I have the general idea. I've seen something similar not too long ago. I look forward to seeing how this idea of mastery works for you."

"Given that I was involved in his original development and training, I believe I can fill in the gaps," said Kombu, "That being the case, we should walk you through just what you can do with your new wings."

Night had fallen by the time Wight Shade returned to the Royal Palace. He counted himself lucky that Princess Luna's Night Court was still relatively unpopular, with few petitioners seeking out her guidance. It certainly left him with a bevy of free time to indulge in his other interests.

As he made his way down the hallway leading to Luna's audience chamber, Wight paused and glanced behind him. "Is there something I can help you with, Princess?"

Celestia stood behind him, her gaze stony and composed, like that of a pony going to war. It wasn't the glare of somepony looking at someone she hated, but rather, the resolved look of a pony prepared to put everything on the line to win.

Seeing that look on Celestia's face prompted a sigh from Wight. "Well...I guess the jig is up then. I probably shouldn't have been surprised that you'd figure it out once you and Swift Stride had a chance to compare notes."

Celestia's eyes narrowed. "So it really is you...Morning Star..."

A smile spread across the unicorn's face as he turned around. As he did so, he began to change. It was subtle at first, but blotches of pink began to bleed out around his coat, like stains spontaneously forming, covering his originally tan coat with one of pink, while more colors began to spread up his white mane, staining his entire body the color of the sky at sunrise. He slowly closed his eyes and reopened them, regarding Celestia with the eyes she had once known so well. Only his horn remained unchanged, just as Swift Stride had reported.

"All this time, you were right here, right by my sister's side...even as you led a cult dedicated to her destruction..."

"Technically, I was both here and there," replied Morning Star, "One of the benefits of my development is that I no longer need to be limited to just being in one place at a given time."

"Doppelgangers," whispered Celestia, "Clones conjured by your magic, connected to a single consciousness."

"I wouldn't quite call it that," said Morning with a smile, "The Supreme Pontiff was truly a separate pony. However, he was another me, so we naturally cooperated on our mutually desired goal. Once he had fulfilled his purpose, he returned to me. The big benefit was that I was able to share information with myself instantly. The tricky part was actually pretending that I got my information through mundane channels when I probably knew everything before everypony else in the Or-sorry-Cult."

"How many other yous have you created?" Celestia wanted to know, uncertain she would get an answer.

"Just the one," replied Morning with a shrug, "It can probably be attributed to the differences in our environments, but there were a few minor differences between us. If I created too many more than just one, I risked one of me actually becoming a distinctly different pony, possibly one who might oppose me, and I would be too busy to notice until it was too late."

He looked at Celestia and chuckled. "Of course, you probably don't believe me. But that's your call. I can't exactly blame you, considering everything I've done."

"Why?" asked Celestia, "Why did you join the Cult Solar? Do you really hate me so much that you would use the suffering of my sister and innocent ponies to punish me?"

Morning Star canted his head, looking slightly befuddled by Celestia's question. "Hate you...?" He rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, pondering her words. "Well...I can't rule out the possibility that I may have been feeling vindictive over having been forced to actually start well behind square one...not to mention that having my horn broken off most certainly hurt, even if I should have expected such an outcome, I wouldn't say that I hate you. I'm afraid my head is far too busy for things like hatred. The Cult Solar were just the most appropriate tool I found."

"Tool?"

Morning nodded, smiling brightly. "Yes. Through their organization, once I'd rebuilt it, I was able to obtain everything I needed; money, materials, willing hooves, even a cover to keep you from figuring out that I was behind it all. On my own, I'd estimated that it would have taken me close to seventy years to finish the array. With the Cult Solar, I managed it in under ten."

"If that was all you needed, then why?" demanded Celestia, "Why persecute innocent ponies like Dawn Lightwing and Flaxseed?"

"Oh...that?" Morning tapped his chin. "Convenience, I suppose."

Celestia's eyes bulged and she could barely keep the cold fury building in her gut from forcing its way out of her mouth. "Convenience...?"

"That's right," replied Morning, "You see...your efforts were far more successful than you realized. After your reprimand a thousand years ago, the Cult Solar had been reduced to scattered pockets of a scant hoofful of ponies in the farthest flung regions of Equestria. The organization was probably a decade or less away from going extinct entirely.

"Naturally, when I decided to use them to complete my array, I knew I'd need them to have a bit more traction as a group. Of course, getting the ball rolling wasn't easy. When you need to build up a cause and rally a large number of ponies to it, adoration is all well and good for the long term. But, in the short term, nothing quite does it like having a common enemy to rally against. Nothing motivates ponies better than providing them with an outlet for their anger and suffering, something they can project their problems and their own flaws onto.

"Unfortunately, while Princess Luna was tailor-made for just such a role, she was on the moon at the time. Sadly, a shadowy figure of a Mare on the Moon is not exactly the most galvanizing figure to breathe new life into a faltering religious order. I required something more tangible, more immediate."

"Dawn Lightwing," breathed Celestia.

"It was quite by accident that I found him," continued Morning cheerfully, "From the moment I saw him, I knew he was exactly what I needed. Here was a pony afflicted by a condition that came straight out of the Cult Solar's lore and, more importantly, incapable of concealing that condition from those around him. By playing on his presence and directing the hatred of my soon-to-be followers at him, I gradually began to rally them to my cause. From there, everything else followed naturally."

"But he evaded your efforts to destroy him," observed Celestia.

"Which is something I'm glad for," said Morning, "Every time he escaped a trap or evaded pursuit, it only painted him in a more dangerous light to the believers. Even the fact that he actively avoided harming anypony while doing this was easily overlooked. When he went into hiding in the wilderness, I was quite relieved. I'm not sure I would have been able to keep such a rigorous schedule on the array's construction if my followers hadn't had the knowledge of him being out there somewhere as motivation.

"I was actually disappointed when we discovered he was living in Ponyville. It meant that I would actually have to devote some energy towards making at least a token effort to eliminate him or ponies would start to wonder about my intentions if I didn't do something after building him up into such a terrible threat."

Celestia felt her heart grow heavier and heavier as she listened to Morning blithely discuss ruining an innocent colt's life solely for the purpose of carrying out his experiment. The fact that his actions were completely devoid of malice or hatred of any kind actually made it even worse. Dawn's suffering had just been a means to an end for him. And it is all because of my negligence. If I hadn't allowed Morning Star to live the first time I'd beaten him, Dawn could have had a normal life. He would not have had to experience such crushing pain and loneliness.

Still, such reflections could come later. Morning Star was here now and she had to deal with him. "What are you planning now? I know your experiment has not yet truly begun."

"That's correct," admitted Morning, "I've only almost finished laying the groundwork for it. Of course, I'm not so stupid as to tell you the details that will allow you to stop me while there's still a chance of you actually doing so. Admittedly, your best chance was to strike before the array's foci were completed, but you missed that one...barely."

"Yet you saw fit to arrange for Twilight's abduction and the Elements' theft," noted Celestia.

"True," agreed Morning, "That was a gamble, one that didn't pay off nearly as well as I had hoped. But I suppose that's how it goes. Not every gamble is a rousing success. I admit that you had me quite worried there for a minute. Perhaps the few minutes, seconds even, of hesitation my little gamble cost you ended up making all the difference."

Celestia's eyes narrowed at his words. He spoke of stealing the Elements of Harmony and foalnapping one of their bearers as though it was merely a distraction, almost as though he didn't consider the Elements a threat at all. Maybe there's a chance in that.

"I'm certain that if I stayed around for much longer, you'd probably try to kill me," observed Morning, already feeling the intensity of Celestia's gaze, "I'm guessing that you've already arranged for your sister to hear this conversation so that she doesn't think you're picking on her poor, defenseless steward."

Luna stepped out from around the corner opposite Celestia, concern and confusion warring in her gaze as she looked at Morning Star. "Wight Shade," she said softly, "Are you really the Morning Star that Celestia told me about?"

"I would think that would be clear, given what you've heard so far," said the unicorn with a shrug, "Though you can continue to call me Wight Shade. I've actually grown quite attached to it and prefer it to my old one."

Turning back to Celestia, he smiled again. "If you're worried about stopping me, I would like to point out that I still have some time before I'm actually ready to fully activate the array. It needs at least two months to...well...'charge' is not exactly the word I would use for it, but I suppose it's a suitable word. You are most certainly not pressed for time at this juncture, although..." He shrugged indifferently. "...I could simply be lying to throw you off. You might want to consult your Knight about that. I must admit, though he proved to be the greatest threat to my work in ten years, I'm glad he came to me. I think I learned almost as much from him as he did from me."

Having had enough, Celestia lowered her horn and blasted Morning Star with a shining ray of solar energy. As soon as the beam contacted him, Morning's form seemed to shatter like glass before dissolving into dust, which then vanished entirely.

Luna slowly stepped forward to examine the spot where Morning had been standing. "Did you...?"

Celestia sighed. "No. He has survived much more than that without difficulty. He simply left. I would say he was taunting me, though I'm not entirely sure Morning Star even has the capacity to taunt. I suspect, if he has given himself a new horn, that his magic now has a different form from the unicorn magic that we know. Much like how the Dark Matter he creates operates according to its own unique physical laws, so too does his magic operate in a manner that is alien from our own."

"It must have been him then," said Luna, still gazing sadly at the spot, "When Elderflower's mercenaries raided the Palace and stole the Elements, I confronted them at the gates and sought to prevent their escape. However, I was struck down by some unknown means, by a force that I could not perceive, either physically or magically. It must have been Wight Shade's work."

Celestia blinked, a bit thrown by the fact that Luna was referring to Morning Star by the name he'd used as cover. However, she supposed it was a rather fitting name. He was indeed the remnant of a pony Celestia had failed to destroy long ago, returning like a vengeful shade...minus the vengeful part.

"Do you think that his words are true," asked Luna, "that we might still have time?"

"Perhaps," said Celestia, "It is hard to say. Morning...or Wight, I should say...was often the chatty sort when it came to his studies. He did love to talk ponies' ears off about his ideas, whether they might understand him or not. However, he did lie about his experiments when I originally forbade them. He was a rather awkward and pitiful liar back then. He has clearly matured in that area over the years. However, I suspect that, if he were to use lies, he would probably do so through omission. Rather than having us pierce through an outright deception in what he actually said, he'd rather that we overlook something he did not say."

"On that note," said Luna, "was there anything he did not say that stood out to you?"

"Far too much," said Celestia, shaking her head, "It worries me that he may have gained a little too much experience from his interactions with Swift Stride. I hope my Knight has better luck in piercing through Wight's deceptions than we have...and better luck in deceiving Wight in turn."

"Come on Dinky. Let's get to the next grove," called Apple Bloom over her shoulder as she pulled the cart down the path.

"Coming!" called Dinky, prancing along behind the wagon, grinning cheerfully as she levitated another wobbling basked up and emptied its contents into the wagon.

Bloom smiled as she heard the sound of apples thumping against each other, even if the wagon did get heavier with its additional load. The smell of apples, both ripe and ripening filled the air as the fillies worked to help their family bring in the first big harvest of the year. True, Bloom's calling might have more to do with construction than agriculture, but it didn't change the fact that she was an Apple down to the core. And, as an Apple, there was nothing quite as invigorating as a good, hard day's work.

The cart was half the size of the ones that Applejack and Big Macintosh used, requiring more trips to the barn and back in order to deliver all its loads. However, Bloom figured that all the extra pulling was good exercise for her. It was also a good chance for her to practice earth pony magic, at Red River's recommendation. When the wagon got really heavy for her, she had to take a deep, centering breath and draw in the power of the earth around her, allowing her to connect her hooves to the ground and push hard against the wagon's weight, when they might have otherwise simply skidded futilely against the dirt. Using this technique, she began to see how Macintosh and Applejack could haul large wagons, filled to almost overflowing with fruit, without a single misstep.

Dinky's help was also for more than the sake of giving the youngest member of the family some extra chores. Beginning recently, ponies had noticed that Dinky was becoming strangely prone to magic flares, accidentally levitating various objects without realizing it while trying to use her magic to accomplish some other task. The fact that she was trying to use her magic at all, in spite of her age, was another surprising factor. When she'd been Dinky's age, Sweetie Belle had had difficulty even coaxing sparks from her horn. And yet, here Dinky was, levitating full baskets of apples into the back of the wagon, one right after the other. Her telekinetic grip was unsteady and more than a few apples had taken a tumble. But, there was no question that Dinky was already quite powerful for her age. In fact, it had been Twilight Sparkle, who had been similarly talented at a young age who had suggested the exercise to help Dinky get accustomed to using her magic.

It had been a surprise to Bloom when Applejack had assigned her and Dinky a couple of small sections of the orchard near the farmhouse to clear out on their own, rather than having Dinky and Bloom follow along with the older ponies. The fact that Applejack had trusted Bloom and Dinky out of her and Macintosh's sight spoke volumes for their trust in the younger ponies...or at least trust in Bloom's ability to keep Dinky out of trouble.

As they pulled the wagon into the next grove of apple trees, Bloom looked around, taking in the sight of all the baskets already set out to catch the falling produce. Unhitching herself from the wagon, Bloom took a moment to stretch out her legs and back now that they were free from the burden of hauling several pounds of apples around.

After a moment, Bloom felt limber enough to begin bucking and set her sights on the first tree. "Well, let's get started."

As she stepped towards the tree, Bloom noticed Dinky staring off at something else in the grove. With a confused frown, Bloom approached her niece. "What'cha lookin' at, Sugarcube?"

"I hear something," said Dinky, still staring.

Bloom strained her ears in the direction Dinky was looking. For a few seconds, she didn't hear anything aside from the groaning of wood and the hissing of leaves as the wind played through the orchard. Then she began to pick it out amongst all the background noise, a deeper, more rhythmic sound...the sound of a pony snoring.

"Oh," said Bloom, "That must be Rainbow Dash snoozin' in one 'o our trees. Does it all the time." Shaking her head, Bloom reminded herself to keep an eye out for which tree Rainbow was in so that the cerulean pegasus didn't accidentally get herself bucked off the branch she was napping on, something that Applejack sometimes did just to rile her up...

...It took a second for Bloom's memories to catch up to her and remind her that there was no way it could have been Rainbow Dash, seeing as Rainbow Dash was supposed to be off in Cloudsdale for her Wonderbolt training.

If that ain't Rainbow, then who in the hay is it?

Bloom set off towards to the source of the noise, scanning the trees and the ground for any signs of the sleeping pony. Whilst Applejack and Macintosh had never said that only Rainbow was allowed to nap in the orchard, the cerulean mare had certainly been the only pegasus on the Weather Team to make a habit of it. Bloom supposed that it could be some random pony passing through from some other place, who had missed the road and wandered into the orchard by mistake. Such things had happened in the past. However, because of the unknown background of such ponies, it was important to be much more cautious with them.

She made sure to keep ahead of Dinky as she followed the sound of somepony snoring. Bloom wasn't a fighter and the basics of earth pony magic she'd learned from Red River had little to no combat use, though he had taught her the basics of standing firm, rooting herself to the earth and strengthening her body, she wasn't so foolish as to think as that qualified her to get into a fight with another pony. However, at the very least, she'd make sure she was in a position to protect Dinky if things went south.

The snoring grew clearer and clearer. As she got closer to the source, Bloom's ears were indeed able to confirm that the source of the noise was coming from somewhere above, in the branches of one of the apple trees. Arriving at the tree she thought to be the source of the noise, Bloom squinted as she looked up into the branches. Sure enough, she could make out the form of a pony resting on one of its branches, snoring away.

The pony in question seemed to be wearing some type of loose-fitting black clothes that covered most of his body below the neck, all the way down to the hooves of all four of his legs. A silvery, fox-like tail dangled down off the branch, swaying in the mild breeze as the stallion continued to snore away the afternoon.

Something seemed off to Apple Bloom. It was hard to see from her angle, as the pony above was lying sprawled out along a branch, his legs dangling off both sides of it, his back in the air, but she was fairly certain that this pony had no wings and, thus, was not a pegasus. The lack of the horn seemed to suggest it was an earth pony. However, Bloom couldn't imagine what an earth pony was doing sleeping on such a high and precarious perch.

Taking a deep breath, Bloom pressed a forehoof to the trunk of the tree, drawing in her magic and slowly releasing it. As she did, she felt it flow throughout the tree, feeling the tree's shape, its branches, and even the load placed on those branches by the leaves and apples growing there. Gradually, her awareness found the pony resting above and what she learned made Bloom gasp.

The branch the stallion was laying on was a long, spindly specimen from the upper reaches of the tree. Such a branch would have had difficulty supporting the weight of a lighter pegasus, much less a full-grown earth pony stallion. However, it hardly seemed to bend under his weight at all, as though the stallion in question weighed next to nothing. Furthermore, he was perfectly balanced, his center of gravity seeming to rest perfectly along the branch, with neither side teetering in the slightest, the expansion and contraction of his chest as he snored not even remotely disturbing the stallion's perch. Bloom doubted that she'd even be able to knock the pony off if she bucked the tree.

In the few seconds she had spent examining him, Bloom had come to the conclusion that this was no ordinary pony. Stepping back from the tree, Bloom cast her eyes around the ground, looking for signs that the intruder had been helping himself to the tree's weight of apples, discarded cores and the like. While having a few apples being lost to a munching passerby might not have made any dent in Sweet Apple Acres' productivity, it was a bad idea to foster the notion that just anypony could come up and help themselves. Even Apple Bloom's and Applejack's close friends were generally careful to get permission before helping themselves to any apples on the house.

Looking back at Dinky, Bloom could see her niece's eyes alight with curiosity as she watched the sleeping pony in the branches. No doubt, the little unicorn filly would love to know what this stallion was doing up there. However, Bloom conscious of Dinky's safety, debated what to do about the interloper. They had no idea whether or not this pony was dangerous, whether he might be a potential friend, or somepony who could threaten the two fillies.

Biting the inside of her lip, Bloom looked up at the sleeping stallion once more. Wanting to get to the bottom of this mystery, she decided to wake the stallion up. However, there was no reason she couldn't be cautious about it.

Carefully, Bloom began to back away from the tree, keeping Dinky behind her and edging the younger filly away from the strange stallion. Dinky, though obviously eager to learn about the newcomer, had apparently noticed Bloom's caution and held her tongue while Bloom had been taking in the situation.

"Okay," said Bloom when she determined they were a safe distance from the sleeping stallion, "Ah'm gonna go ahead and wake that pony up and find out who he is. If somethin' bad happens, Ah want ya to run to the farmhouse as fast as ya can, hollerin' at the top 'o yer lungs."

"'Kay," said Dinky, a bit nervous at Bloom's caution.

Normally, Bloom wouldn't have been so wary. However, several months of deranged cultists, including members of her own extended family, and agents of manipulative Canterlot nobles, she'd gained a bit of a cynical view of unfamiliar ponies. That was fine by her. It wasn't like she was Pinkie Pie after all.

Seeing that Dinky was going to stay a safe distance back, Bloom returned to the tree, stopping just short of being directly below the stallion. "Hey!" she shouted up.

The snores stopped abruptly. "Huh?"

Up above, Bloom could see the stallion shifting, lifting a foreleg to rub his eyes before he appeared to fully wake up. Leaning over to one side of the branch, yet somehow miraculously not simply sliding off, the stallion moved to peer down at her with eyes squinted so tightly that Bloom thought they were still closed at first.

"Who the hay are ya and what are ya doin' in our orchard?" asked Bloom, narrowing her eyes as she met the stallion's squinty gaze. She might not have had her siblings' talent for noticing falsehoods, but her instincts told her that this pony was as shifty as they got.

The stallion grinned cheekily at her. "Sleeping," he said simply.

"Ah got that," snapped Bloom, "But why are ya here?"

"I like the smell of apple trees, especially when there are so many apples around. Besides, it's a nice day for napping."

Bloom couldn't really argue with the logic of the latter part of the stallion's statement. The day was fine indeed and, in the shade of the trees, definitely the right temperature that Bloom would fancy taking a nap beneath one of them when their work for the day was done. However..."So ya decided to come onto somepony's private property and sleep in their trees without askin'?"

"Pretty much," said the stallion, "I figured that, so long as I didn't eat any of your apples without permission, it'd probably be okay."

Bloom supposed he had a point. Even if he was technically trespassing, that wasn't a major offense in the view of members of the Apple Family, particularly if the pony trespassing wasn't actually trying to steal their produce.

"Can ya tell me yer name?" asked Bloom, noting that the stallion had skirted around the earlier question of who he was.

"Well...seeing as I was in your orchard, sleeping in your trees, I probably should," said the stallion, rubbing his chin, "The name's Swift Stride."

Bloom blinked and looked down for a moment, contemplating that. For some reason, the name was familiar, though she couldn't remember where she'd heard it before.

Up above, the stallion seemed to languidly slide off to one side of the branch, falling a few feet before halting sharply as the fetlocks of his hind leg and foreleg on his right side hooked over the branch and kept him from falling all the way off. Instead, he dangled there for a moment before shifting his weight back and forth. Finally, he released his hold on the branch and went spinning through the air before landing on the ground with all four hooves, touching down with barely a sound.

Bloom, who had looked up just in time to catch the acrobatic display stared with wide eyes at the stallion before looking back at the branch and then back at the stallion again, stunned by his display of agility.

"Wow!" squealed Dinky from behind, clapping her hooves and grinning at the show.

Swift's grin widened and he swept his right foreleg up to his chest, dipping his head almost all the way to the ground and bending his left leg in a dramatic, flourishing bow. "Thank you! Thank you! My next performance is at five.”

"Could you teach me how to do that?" asked Dinky eagerly.

"I could, but you'll have to wait a few years," replied Swift, "You'll get yourself hurt otherwise."

"Aww..."

Bloom decided to step in before Dinky got any other ideas...not quite conscious of the fact that, a few months ago, her own thoughts on the matter wouldn't have been all that different from Dinky's. "Are ya passin' through then?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm visiting a friend in Ponyville," replied Swift.

"Who is it?" asked Bloom, "Maybe we can help ya find that pony."

"He's an uptight guy by the name of Arkenstone," said Swift, "Maybe you've heard of him."

Bloom's eyes went wide. Arkenstone's teahouse was popular, especially now that it had almost reopened. However, ponies rarely came to Ponyville to see Arkenstone specifically. They generally fell into one of two categories, merchants bringing the ingredients Arkenstone needed or...

All of a sudden, it hit her. Bloom remembered why Swift Stride's name sounded so familiar to her. She'd heard it before. During the Hearth's Warming Season, Bloom had accompanied her sister, along with their friends and family, up to the Royal Palace for the holiday, followed by the Winter Gala. During the Gala, Dawn and Scootaloo had been taken off to a special side party, where they got to meet six of the seven Knights of the Celestial Order. Dawn and Scootaloo had told Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Rumble about it afterward. But Bloom also remembered Dawn saying that one of the Knights had been absent, a Knight named...

"Yer one 'o the Knights!" she exclaimed, gaping up at Swift.

"Huh? You've heard of me?" Swift actually seemed rather perplexed by the idea. "I guess Arkenstone's been getting chatty."

"Ain't ya the one nopony likes?" asked Bloom.

The bluntness of her observation made Swift burst into laughter. "That's so true! That could be one of my titles. Actually..." He tapped a forehoof against his chin. "...it might be one of them."

"That ain't exactly somethin' a pony should be proud of," huffed Bloom, glowering at the stallion. He seemed a nice enough pony, but there was something off about him that set Bloom's nerves on edge.

"Are we gonna help him find Arkenstone?" asked Dinky.

Bloom sighed. While she might not be a hundred-percent sure of the stallion, she still had the Apple reputation for hospitality to uphold. She'd offered to show Swift where Arkenstone was and he'd taken her up on it. She'd just have to see things through to the end.

"We need to get this grove cleared out first," said Bloom, glancing around.

"I can help you with that," said Swift. Lashing out with one hoof, he connected solidly with the trunk and making the entire tree shudder. A second later, all of the tree's apples came tumbling down into their baskets.

Bloom's jaw dropped as she stared at the sight. Applebucking was not as easy as it seemed. There was an art to hitting the tree in just the right manner to knock down all of the ripe apples. If one's kick didn't connect properly or have enough power behind it, only a few apples would be knocked down, if any at all. If one kicked too hard, the tree could be damaged. Furthermore, making the apples fall properly was also a consequence of an earth pony's magic. It was an art that farmers like the Apples had spent years honing and perfecting. Even Apple Bloom had only gotten the basics down well enough to do her own bucking around a year ago...

...And Swift had done it as casually as a pony idly kicking a ball in the park, almost effortlessly in fact. Bloom's mind returned to how she had found the stallion, asleep and perfectly balanced on a branch that should have been too weak to support his weight. Ah guess those are the kind 'o things ya can do when yer a Knight.

"Ah guess there's no harm in havin' ya help," said Bloom, "Seein' as ya can buck pretty well. Let's get it done then." In her own thoughts, she just put it down as Swift making up for deciding to sleep in one of their trees.

With Swift's help, divesting the trees of their fruit went quickly and, in short order, the wagon was full of more apples to be brought to the family's cellar. Even though Swift offered, Bloom still insisted on pulling the wagon herself, even though it was much heavier now. Instead, Swift walked alongside her, Dinky trotting along on her opposite flank, watching as Bloom strained against the harness.

When they arrived at the farmhouse, Swift helped Bloom and Dinky to transport the apples down into the cellar. With his assistance, the work went at a brisk pace. Before too long, they had the fruit stored away and the wagon had been returned to the barn.

Seeing that the other wagon wasn't back yet, Bloom guessed that Applejack and Macintosh were still out working in their areas. Part of her was tempted to wait until they returned. Even if he was a Knight (and they only had his word on that), Swift still struck Bloom as a shady pony. She doubted that Applejack would approve of Bloom going off with Swift on her own, much less take Dinky along, which the younger filly would probably insist on.

It should be okay if Ah check with Red River first, thought Bloom.

"Hold here fer a minute," she said to Swift. She gestured for her niece to join her. "Come on Dinky. We should tell Red where we're goin'."

"'Kay," squeaked Dinky as she fell into step behind Bloom.

The two of them left Swift in the front yard and headed up into the farm house. As they came into the living room, Bloom immediately laid eyes on her sister's coltfriend. Red River was quietly reading as he lay, sprawled out across the couch. Normally, Bloom would have bristled at the thought of the stallion simply laying there and doing nothing when everypony else was so busy. Even Granny Smith, as old as she had been, had usually spent her time baking or preparing for the next meal. However, two things checked any frustration Bloom might have felt.

The first was the brace around Red's right foreleg, going all the way from his shoulder to the bottom of his hoof, holding his leg in position so that he could barely use the brace as something of a crutch whenever he needed to move about the house. It was a step above the wheelchair Red had been using before, but he still needed time before he regained full use of that leg. As a consequence, going anywhere was a difficult task for him and actually doing anything that required the use of his forehooves became nearly impossible if the task had to be done with more than one hoof.

The second reason was that Bloom had tasted Red's attempts at cooking and, consequently, learned why Red had always said that Storm Front had been the cook of the pair. Red seemed to have a very poor eye for ingredients and amounts, frequently botched the cooking times or cooked food at either a temperature that was too high or too low. Edible the results might have been. Palatable they were not.

"Back already," said Red as he smiled at Bloom, "That was faster than I expected."

"Yeah, we got some help," said Bloom.

"Really?" Red raised an eyebrow.

"Eeyup," said Bloom, "We met a stallion named Swift Stride sleepin' in the orchard. He helped us finish buckin' and now we're gonna take him to see Arkenstone."

Now Red's other eyebrow rose to join its companion. "Swift Stride? Really?"

"That's right," said Bloom, "Ya wanna see fer yerself?"

"I think I do," said Red, carefully getting off the couch. His leg brace clonked against the floorboards as he hobbled to the door behind Bloom as she and Dinky led him out onto the front porch to see the visitor.

As soon as he laid eyes on the stallion, Red's body immediately tensed up. Swift was still waiting on the front lawn. At some point, Winona, the family collie, had come over to inspect the new arrival. Already she was panting happily, having rolled over onto her back while Swift was giving her an enthusiastic belly rub.

"Who's a good girl?" he said in a low, affectionate tone, "You are! Yes you are!"

Then, sensing eyes upon him, Swift looked up, still grinning widely at the three ponies on the porch. His gaze immediately settled upon Red. "Howdy there, Partner," he said in a remarkable impersonation of the Apples' accent, "It sure is a fine day out here."

"So this is Swift Stride," Red muttered.

"Dinky and Ah were gonna take him into town and show 'im where Arkenstone's place is," said Bloom, "Ya think it's gonna be okay?"

"I think so," said Red, "I certainly hope so."

Swift merely continued to grin.

Author's Notes:

I primarily used this chapter to show some things about Swift Stride and drop a few hints about what he can do. In spite of what I said in the notes on the previous chapter, he did come pretty close to taking over this fic when all is said and done.

Next chapter: And now for something completely different...Diamond Tiara getting run over by a carriage!*

---

* Almost.

Good Lies

Chapter 19: Good Lies

With Red River's, admittedly uneasy, blessing, Apple Bloom and Dinky escorted Swift Stride into town. It was unquestionably a sight to behold. All around them, the air was filled with the sounds of construction as crews worked around the clock to rebuild houses and businesses. A few homes with lighter damage had been repaired already, but several had to be completely rebuilt from the ground up. Still, little by little, Ponyville was beginning to get back on its hooves.

"Wow," commented Swift as he looked back and forth, his squinting eyes taking in the sight of the work crews banging away all around him, "Arkenstone and that other guy really did a number on this town, huh?"

"That's fer sure," said Bloom.

"Sloppy," muttered Swift, "I'd think he'd be able to do a neater job than this."

"Like yer one to talk," growled Bloom, glaring up at him.

Noting her hostile reaction to his words, Swift smirked. "It's nothing. I'm sure Arkenstone did the best he could." Naturally, such a patronizing remark didn't really elevate Bloom's opinion of him and she glared at him all the harder.

I guess she has a pretty high opinion of him, thought Swift. That made sense. He knew that Arkenstone was quite fond of foals. If what he'd heard was to be believed, then Arkenstone had been acting as a mentor of sorts to Dawn Lightwing, giving the colt some pointers on improving. He'd even brought to the foals along to assist him for his attack on Elderflower's estate in Canterlot. Maybe it was Bring Your Friends' Foals to Work Day.

"Sounds like you really like the guy," said Swift.

"'Course Ah do," said Bloom, "Arkenstone's a really nice stallion and the best boss Ah could ask fer."

"Boss? You work for him."

"At the tea shop sometimes," said Bloom, "It's a really good place to work."

"Huh? I remembered that guy really liked his tea. I guess he decided to make a living out of it," mused Swift, "Might as well do what suits you."

"What the hay does that mean?" asked Bloom, her eyes narrowing.

"Nothing you need worry about," said Swift with a laugh, gently patting the filly on the head, though she only glared at him all the harder.

With a sigh, Swift thought about trying to change the topic, maybe inquiring about Bloom's magic lessons, which he could clearly see she'd been having. However, he felt a faint tremor through his hooves. His ears began to pick up a low rumbling noise and twitched slightly. Something was coming.

Bloom, on the other hoof, was distracted by something else. Up ahead, she could see a familiar pair of fillies, one pale-pink and the other a light-gray. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were heading down the street, heading straight for Bloom, Dinky, and Swift. Bloom's body immediately went tense at the sight of them. Though they could no longer make fun of her for being a blank flank, Bloom knew that there were plenty of other ways to put a pony down. Even as she tensed up though, another part of her reminded her that the two fillies hadn't been so hostile lately.

Last year, they had gotten into an altercation with Dawn during a rough patch in his life and had ended up causing something of an incident. The affair had gotten the attention of Filthy Rich, Diamond's father and prompted him to review his daughter's behavior. As a consequence, Diamond had been forced to spend time taking lessons in proper behavior from Rarity, who, as the older sister of one of Diamond's favorite victims, had been more than happy to give the rich filly her due slice of humble pie. The lessons had apparently worked, as Diamond's bullying had rapidly tapered off and then completely vanished altogether. However, there was still an air of unease between Diamond and Silver and the former targets of their ire. The two of them had kept their distance from the rest of the class, particularly Dawn and the rest of the Crusaders and not caused problems with anypony else. However, nopony had been particularly keen to approach and attempt to befriend them either. The two fillies now seemed isolated off in a world of their own.

Sweetie Belle, at Rarity's urging, had made the occasional attempt to extend a hoof of friendship to Diamond and Silver, but the two rich fillies remained largely distant currently. The recent leveling of much of the town had not provided anypony with opportunities to make further attempts.

With a sigh, Bloom resolved to keep going as though nothing were wrong, already avoiding eye contact with Diamond and Silver. If they didn't bother her, she wouldn't bother them. Besides, it wouldn't be right to take Swift on a detour simply because she wanted to avoid somepony.

Then Bloom's ears began to pick up a faint rumbling noise coming from somewhere behind her. Her hooves were also picking up the tremor of something large moving across the ground. Just as she was about to begin looking around for the source, Bloom suddenly felt Swift's foreleg curl around her barrel and pull her up against the stallion. A faint squeak from Swift's other side told her that Dinky was being given the same treatment. Before Bloom could even think to begin asking what was wrong, Swift had already kicked off the ground with his hind legs, leaning to the left and going into a cartwheeling flip that sent them into somepony's front yard.

Even though her view was twisting and turning wildly, Bloom was able to see something go rushing past them, missing them by several feet, thanks to Swift's quick action. As the stallion's flip brought them back to an upright orientation, Bloom could see what was happening much more clearly. A wagon from one of the construction crews, loaded down with building materials had apparently gotten loose and was barreling down the street, bouncing and swaying wildly, throwing off parts of its cargo as it went...

...And it was heading right for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Diamond was laughing gaily at something Silver had told her and neither of them were looking at the incoming wagon, apparently oblivious to the rumble of its approach.

"Diamond! Look out!" yelled Bloom at the top of her lungs.

For a second, Bloom was terrified that the two fillies hadn't heard her and that the noise of her voice had been lost over the rumble of the wagon. However, Diamond's ear twitched at the sound of her name and she looked up, her eyes going wide as the wagon bore down on them. With a shrill scream, Diamond threw herself into Silver, tackling the other filly and knocking them both out of the way, just as the wagon went barreling past.

However, that wasn't the end of it. As it roaring by, the wagon jolted and a box went flying out of it. Diamond threw herself protectively over Silver as the box landed just inches away from them, exploding open and throwing its cargo of nails everywhere like shrapnel. Diamond cried out in pain.

The wagon continued on its course, nearly knocking over several other pedestrians, some of them barely managing to scramble out of the way. One mare narrowly missed being brained by a plank of wood that went flipping through the air. A stallion ducked below a piece of rebar that was sent spinning past. Finally, the wagon came to a stop when it reached the bottom of the slope where the street split and rammed into the sturdy oak growing in the fork of the road.

"Oh horseapples!" yelled a stallion dressed in a construction worker's vest as he galloped past, "The foremare's gonna have my head for this!"

"That was close," said Swift as he set Bloom and Dinky down.

Even as her hooves touch the grass, Bloom was already galloping down the road, heading for the other pair of fillies. "Diamond Tiara! Silver Spoon! Are ya all right?"

As she approached, Bloom could already hear Diamond whimpering. "Owwww...It hurts!"

When she arrived, Bloom could see why Diamond was in such pain. The pink filly was covered in scratches, but the worst injury was on her right foreleg, where a large nail had gone clean through it. Blood was leaking out along the edges of the injury and dripping down the length of the nail. Silver Spoon was trying to extract herself from under Diamond's body, but stopped every time her friend let out a pained whimper.

"Oh no! We've gotta get that out," said Bloom.

"Hold up," said Swift, chomping down on Bloom's tail and pulling her back she could touch the nail.

"Why are ya stoppin' me?" snapped Bloom, glaring back at Swift. To her surprise, Swift had a serious look on his face. His eyes were still squinted, but that toothy grin was nowhere to be seen.

"At that angle, the nail might have hit her artery," said Swift, "If we pull it out, she's going to start bleeding pretty bad. The best thing to do is get her to a doctor so that she can be treated the instant the nail's pulled out. Besides, if we try to pull that thing out willy nilly, we could end up making the injury worse."

"We've gotta get her to the hospital then," said Dinky, already tearing up a the sight of Diamond's injury.

"Where is it?" asked Swift.

Bloom pointed off down another street. "It's that way. We ain't too far. Should we wait fer an ambulance?"

"Probably for the best," said Swift. He could already see a pegasus that had been flying overhead rushing off in that direction, apparently to summon aid. "If they're close, they'll be able to get here quickly and they can move her without making things worse."

"Can we do anything about me?" asked Silver from her position under Diamond. She was uncomfortable enough, but she was also worried about jostling Diamond too much if she stayed where she was.

"If we're careful about it," said Swift, "I don't think she has any broken bones, so we shouldn't have to worry about shifting her too much. We just don't want to bump that leg."

Moving very gingerly, Swift carefully wrapped an arm around Diamond's barrel and began to slowly lift her up. However, even that slight movement changed the angle of her leg and-

"OW OW OW OW! STOP IT!" screamed Diamond.

Carefully, Swift lowered her back down.

"What do we do?" asked Dinky frantically, tears now streaming down her face.

"Diamond, we've got to move ya so Silver can get out," said Bloom, near tears herself.

"But it hurts so much!" protested Diamond, no unconcerned about appearances as she sobbed openly.

"Hurts, huh?" mused Swift, rubbing his chin, "Hold on! I may have something for that."

He began to rummage around in his clothes. "No. No. Not that. Definitely not. Um..." As Bloom watched, the stallion produced a variety of objects, cylinders and tubes, and what looked like small cloth spheres, secreting them back away as soon as he saw them. Most of them looked rather suspicious, dangerous even.

"Aha!" With a flourish, Swift produced a small cloth sack bulging with small objects. "I knew I had some left."

"What are those?" asked Bloom, eyeing the bag with no small amount of trepidation.

"In my business, it's easy to get hurt with nopony to really help you, so it's important to have something for the pain." Swift grinned and pulled the drawstring on the sack, tipping out a single small, yellow seed onto his hoof. "These come from a tree that grows really deep in the Everfree. They're a really potent painkiller that doesn't have any bad side effects. One of these should make you feel a lot better."

"Really?" asked Diamond, her eyes wide and sparkling with hope as she stared at the seed.

"Yeah...they're really potent though. I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up out for the rest of the day." Swift glanced at her. "Are you sure you can handle something this strong?"

"Yes! Please!" wailed Diamond, "That's even better! Please give it to me!"

"Okay," said Swift, carefully holding the seed up to Diamond's lips, "Don't chew it. Just swallow."

"A--all right," said Diamond, carefully taking the seed from Swift's hoof. Following his instructions, she swallowed it down right away.

"Now just relax and give it a minute to kick in," said Swift, speaking calmly and surely, now gently using his hoof to brush down the filly's mane, "You're gonna start feeling a bit drowsy."

"O-okay..." said Diamond, her eyelids already beginning to droop.

"There you go," said Swift, "Nice and easy. Now let's get your friend out from under you."

Working very slowly, Swift lifted Diamond's body up just enough that Silver could crawl out from underneath her. As Swift gently set Diamond back down, Bloom and Dinky were searching around the immediate area. Bloom found Silver's glasses, which managed to avoid breaking. Dinky found Diamond's trademark tiara, which had gotten a little bent during the fillies' tumble, but nothing that couldn't be easily repaired.

In less than three minutes, the ambulance wagon, pulled by a pair of burly stallions, arrived, skidding to a halt a short distance away as a pair of hospital responders got out and began to assess the situation. After confirming Diamond's injuries with Swift, they loaded her on a stretcher and slid her into the ambulance. Silver was quickly treated for a couple of small scrapes. In less than five minutes, the ambulance was on its way to the hospital.

Swift looked down at Bloom and Dinky. "I guess we should go and make sure everything's okay," he said.

Bloom gave the stallion a searching look. Finally, she appeared to decide on something. "Take Dinky and go on ahead," she said, "Ah'm gonna go get Diamond Tiara's pa and meet ya there."

"You sure you trust me with her?" asked Swift, looking down at Dinky. The younger filly still seemed rather shaken after what she had seen.

"Ah guess Ah do," said Bloom, "Look after her, please."

"I'll do my best," said Swift.

Bloom turned and galloped off down the road as s Swift looked down at Dinky. "You want to ride on my back?" he asked, giving her an unusually gentle smile.

"Yeah," said Dinky.

Swift lowered himself down and allowed her to hop on before setting off for the hospital. Silver Spoon, having recovered her composure, followed them. They arrived a few minutes ahead of Apple Bloom, who came bursting in along with another stallion, this one dressed sharply in a fine suit, looking like he had just come from an important meeting.

For a moment, all the eyes in the waiting room shifted to the well-dressed stallion as he caught his breath. Taking a moment to compose himself, he walked up to the reception desk.

"Excuse me," he said to the nurse on duty, "I was told that my daughter, Diamond Tiara, was admitted here with an injury."

The nurse didn't even need to check. After all, there probably weren't many ponies in Ponyville that would fail to recognize Filthy Rich, as well as his daughter, on sight. "Yes, Mr. Rich. Your daughter was taken in and is being treated presently."

"Can you tell me what her condition was?" Filthy hadn't pressed Bloom for details, being too concerned with simply getting to the hospital.

The nurse quickly gave Filthy a rundown of his daughter's injury. Filthy paled at the thought of Diamond with a nail pierced through her leg.

"The doctor said that she should be fine," said the nurse, "The bleeding was manageable and he expressed confidence about being able to repair the artery once the nail was removed."

"I see..." said Filthy. Turning, he saw that Bloom had gone over to join Dinky, Silver, and Swift. Coming up to Swift, Filthy bobbed his head politely to the other stallion. "Sir, I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I am for helping my daughter."

"Happy to help," said Swift, smiling, "She took things pretty well, all considered."

Filthy nodded and checked on Silver, who explained what had happened to the best of her ability. Bloom and Dinky also chimed in. By the end of their story, Filthy was vowing to track down just which of the construction crews was responsible for the accident and have...words...with them.

It was around that time that the doors leading to the emergency room opened and Dr. Stable trotted out. His eyes found Filthy immediately and he headed over. "Ah! Mr. Rich, I'd heard that you'd arrived." As he saw Filthy's worried gaze, Stable smiled. "Your daughter is going to be just fine. The wound won't even leave a scar. She'll be free to leave the hospital tomorrow morning."

"Thank goodness," said Filthy, slumping to the floor.

The front doors burst open to admit a sweating and panting Applejack. "Bloom! Dinky! Are you two okay?"

"We're right here, sis," said Bloom, waving Applejack over.

Seeing her sister and niece standing there, unharmed, prompted Applejack to let out a sigh of relief as she doffed her hat and took a moment to wipe the sweat from her brow. "Sweet Celestia! Ah near about had a heart attack when Ah heard Flitter come flyin' in, sayin' the two 'o ya were in some kind 'o accident."

"We're fine," said Bloom, "But Diamond Tiara..."

She explained the situation again, her account causing Applejack's brow to furrow. When Bloom finished, Applejack looked over at Swift Stride. "Looks like Ah owe ya a heap 'o thanks fer this. Yer welcome to dinner anytime and, if ya ever need a place to lay yer head, our house is open to ya."

"You're welcome," said Swift with a chuckle.

"Can I go see my daughter?" asked Filthy.

"Yes," said Stable, "You can head right in. However, please avoid disturbing her. She's had a healing spell and needs her rest." He gave Filthy Diamond's room number.

"Thank you," said Rich.

"By the way," said Stable, turning to regard Swift with a bemused look, "I am most impressed with this 'miracle drug' of yours that seems to have magically relieved Ms. Tiara of her pain. Yet, when I scanned her to find out what I was dealing with, I found no drug in her system at all."

That got everypony's attention, even Filthy's, though he'd been about to leave to go see Diamond. Swift, in the meantime, had fished out a familiar looking sack and had poured a small batch of the yellow seeds into his hoof before shoving them into his mouth and chewing. "Want some?" he asked, holding out the sack.

"Hey! Ah thought ya said it was some kind 'o miracle seed that grows in the Everfree," snapped Bloom.

"It does," said Swift, grinning mischievously, "It also grows several other forests and is even grown domestically." Seeing their confusion, his grin only widened. "I never said they were only grown in the Everfree."

"May I?" asked Stable, holding out a hoof.

"Sure," said Swift, pouring out a few of the seeds.

Stable put them into his mouth and chewed them before swallowing. "I see," he said, "Pine nuts."

"Pine nuts!" exclaimed Filthy, staring at Swift, "You gave my daughter a pine nut and told her it was medicine?"

"That's why I told her to just swallow it," said Swift, "I didn't want her tasting it and realizing it was something she'd had in last night's salad or something."

"Can somepony tell me what's goin' on?" demanded Applejack.

"I understand," said Stable, still surprisingly calm, "You gave her a placebo."

"Um..." Dinky canted her head as she stared up at Stable. "Didn't he give her a nut?"

Stable chuckled at Dinky's confusion. "He did. A placebo is a medical term for a treatment that's ineffectual, neither beneficial or harmful in and of itself. It's often some form of inert substance administered as a pill or tonic to the patient while they are told it is medicine."

"Ya mean..." Applejack's eyes narrowed as she turned an accusing gaze on Swift Stride. "...it's a lie."

"That's...one way of putting it," said Stable, slightly surprised at Applejack's sudden hostility.

"But you said that my daughter wasn't feeling any pain," protested Filthy.

"She wasn't," explained Stable, "Even if the nut itself had no real value as a medicine, its administration as a placebo was effective. Because Ms. Tiara believed that the pill would relieve her pain, her body responded as though it actually had been given a painkiller. It's what is known as the placebo effect in the medical community. It was effective enough that we didn't even need to give Ms. Tiara any other medicines or painkillers."

With each word that came out of Stable's mouth, Applejack's gaze intensified as she watched Swift carefully. For his part, the black-garbed stallion seemed completely unfazed by the scrutiny.

"Hey! Wait a second," protested Apple Bloom, "If this pla-plac-placebo thing is so amazin', why ain't ya usin' it all the time."

Stable adjusted his glasses. "How the placebo effect works isn't entirely understood. There are limits to what it can accomplish. Under many circumstances, it's not advisable and can do more harm than good. On top of that, the fact that its basis relies upon a lie that the patient needs to believe in wholeheartedly in order for it to be effective, the slightest doubt on the patient's part can undo the whole thing."

"So it's actually quite risky," mused Filthy, giving Swift a careful look.

"Oftentimes," said Stable, "But, when used properly, it can be quite effective. In this case, I think it was an excellent application, given the situation. Though her artery was threatened, Ms. Tiara's wound was not very severe otherwise. Her leg was pierced by a long, thin, object, all the way through. In some parts of Equestria, that might even be considered a fashion statement." Stable rolled his eyes, indicating what he thought of just such fashion statements. "In reality, she probably was not in all that much pain to begin with. Such wounds tend not to be as painful as they look. In fact, I remember a certain colt who received a similar injury a few months back and, aside from the resulting blood-loss, hardly seemed inconvenienced by that injury."

Bloom, Applejack, and Dinky shared an uneasy glance, knowing exactly which colt Stable was talking about.

"In Ms. Tiara's case, I believe her own fear and panic caused her to internally exaggerate her pain. Once Mr..." He gave Swift a questioning look.

"Swift Stride," said Swift.

Stable nodded and continued. "Once Mr. Stride provided her with the placebo and calmed her down sufficiently, the wound would not have caused much pain on its own, even if the placebo hadn't been so effective. I suspect that Mr. Stride's primary efforts were focused on getting Ms. Tiara calmed down enough that she could be moved safely."

Filthy nodded and once again turned to face Swift. "Even if your actions were rooted in deception, I still must thank you for helping my daughter." With that, he headed off to find Diamond's room. Silver Spoon followed behind him, eager to see her friend.

"Well..." said Swift, stretching in a catlike manner, "that was an exciting little diversion. Any other questions, doc?"

"None right now," said Stable.

"I guess it's time to get back to what we were doing," said Swift, already trotting out the doors and into the afternoon sunshine, "So..." He looked over his shoulder and noticed that Applejack had turned sideways after coming out the doors and had blocked Bloom and Dinky from following after him. Her emerald eyes glared out at Swift from beneath the brim of her hat. "Eh...something wrong?"

"Ah ain't lettin' mah sister or Dinky go anywhere with ya," said Applejack, "Ya may have helped Diamond Tiara, but Ah don't trust a pony who'd pull a hustlin' act like that, especially with an injured filly. Yer a liar and Ah don't trust ya."

Swift tilted his head to the side. "Well, I certainly am a liar. But I only tell good lies."

"That's a load 'o hogwash!" snapped Applejack, "There ain't any such thing as a good lie?"

"Really? So you don't think me relieving a little filly's pain is a bad thing?" asked Swift.

"That's..." Applejack's mouth worked silently as she tried to find the appropriate words for a rebuttal.

"That placebo effect that the doctor was talking about can work both ways," said Swift, "If a pony genuinely believes they should be feeling more pain than they are, their body will respond accordingly. That filly had herself so worked up, she was going to spend the next several minutes suffering while we waited for the ambulance to arrive. They would have had a much harder time treating her and they would have had to give her real painkillers, which are all well and good, but can have plenty of side effects of their own. It's better to avoid that, given the chance, don't you think?"

"Well...uh..." Applejack looked a bit more uncertain now.

Swift shrugged. "Well...I probably shouldn't ask you to trust me, given that I am a liar after all. But I was really trying to help that filly.

"I won't ask you to let the little ones come with me, but if you could point me in the direction of Arkenstone's place, that'd be fine."

Applejack froze, her eyes wide as she realized what Swift was asking. "Yer..."

"Sis!" exclaimed Bloom, "Don't ya recognize his name. He's one 'o them Knights, like Arkenstone."

"Yer that Swift Stride?" asked Applejack, now looking at Swift with a mixture of mistrust and fear.

"That would be me," said Swift, bowing with a flourish, "I'm sure you've heard about me from Arkenstone."

"Yeah," said Applejack hesitantly, "Ah've heard a...few things."

Swift cackled. "Well...care to tell me where Arkenstone is?"

With a sigh, Appljeack looked down at the ground before looking up at Swift again. "Ah ain't trustin' ya yet. But Ah'll take ya there. Ah want to check with Arkenstone and make sure yer who ya say ya are."

"By all means," said Swift, "Lead the way."

Arkenstone carefully sniffed the burlap bags that had been laid out in the library's basement. He'd just received a new shipment of tea and spices from his Saddle Arabian sources. Twilight Sparkle had graciously allowed him to use her basement to hold his ingredients while he waited for the work crews to finish the reconstruction of his teahouse. Said work was coming along at a brisk pace, something that Arkensone appreciated. In fact, it seemed that he, along with ponies like Berry Punch and Haute Cusine were receiving priority treatment, ponies within the community being quite eager to have their favorite establishments up and running as soon as possible.

With a sigh, Arkenstone stepped away from the sacks, having finished his inspection. He'd lost several of his favorite teapots and other crockery when the shop had been destroyed. Those things were not so easily replaced, at least, not without a few trips abroad to the regions of the world where he'd acquired them. Still, at the end of the day, they were mere objects and not as important as ponies lives. If it was to save Dawn Lightwing from the hooves of a cultist, Arkenstone would have shattered those pots all over again without another thought.

Coming up the stairs, Arkenstone's nose picked up the smell of food drifting out from the kitchen. Spike was apparently hard at work with dinner. Twilight was resting on a pile of cushions on the far side of the room, her eyes fixed on the scroll in front of her as she diligently perused its contents. Beside her, hovering in a field of her magic, were a quill and notebook. The quill worked vigorously as Twilight jotted down note after note, sometimes seeming to write one for each line of text she read. Near her haunches rested a pile of similar scrolls and books.

His tail swished to ward off an errant fly, which seemed to have become rather persistent in recent days. Arkenstone made his way over to Twilight's side of the room, carefully stepping over the pile of literature as he made his away around behind the mare. Laying down, he curled up against her side and rested his chin across her withers. Twilight initially flinched at the unexpected contact, having been too engrossed in her reading to notice her coltfriend's approach. However, she quickly relaxed and allowed her head to lean against his as she scooted a bit closer to cuddle up to him.

"Everything all right with your ingredients?" she asked.

"All is well," replied Arkenstone, "How are your studies coming along?"

He could practically hear the smile in Twilight's voice as she answered. "Amazing! I'd never dreamed that even half of these things would be possible. I haven't learned so much new material since I left school. If this weren't restricted information, I could probably earn two or three Principles from what I've already read alone and I'm not even halfway through the archive."

The scrolls Twilight was currently studying came from a secret wing of the archives, known only to a scant few ponies, belonging to the rogue mage, Morning Star. It was information concerning his principle creation, the substance, or substances rather, known as Dark Matter, material that operated according to its own physical and magical laws that had no earthly source, but had instead been created solely by Morning Star himself. Though all historical evidence and memory of Morning Star had been erased as punishment for his crimes by Celestia, she had kept the repository of his knowledge, unable to completely erase all that he had done.

Early in the spring, an incident had occurred. A stallion by the name of Flash Spark, who had been arrested and later banished from Ponyville for attempting to rape Fluttershy, had appeared in the skies of Cloudsdale, his body having been covered in armor composed of strange material. The Wonderbolts, with some help, had engaged Flash Spark on two occasions before some mysterious pony had taken control of him and left hints leading Twilight and Celestia to the conclusion that Morning Star, or somepony who had his knowledge, was behind Flash Spark's actions. In order to better combat this, Celestia had granted Twilight access to the entire contents of Morning Star's wing of the archives, hoping that Twilight could understand the nature of Dark Matter and, hopefully, overcome the threat it presented.

It was no easy task, however. Morning Star had spent most of his life designing his special materials. Despite its overarching title, Dark Matter was not just one substance, but several dozen, possibly hundreds of different materials, composed of molecules derived from atoms and subatomic particles that had distinctly different natures and behaviors from the ones that existed in the present world. They had their own physical laws, which were difficult enough to puzzle out on their own, but even more difficult was figuring out how the components of various Dark Matter forms interacted with the existing world and how they interacted with one another and how the substances of the material world interacted with them in turn. From hundreds of substances came countless millions of possibilities...

...And, now that they knew that Morning Star was not only alive and active, but also continuing his research, Twilight was painfully aware that the information she had might very well be obsolete. Morning Star had had ten whole years to create additional Dark Matter substances and modify the qualities of the ones he had already created. If she weren't thrilled by the sheer level of novelty that reading Morning Star's work had provided, Twilight would have been severely frustrated by the scope and complexity of the task that lay before her.

Fortunately, aside from her enthusiasm for research, Twilight had two very important factors to keep her frustration at bay. The first was her younger brother and personal assistant, Spike, who had put all he could into keeping things organized for Twilight, helping her compile and index her notes, all while making sure that she got three wholesome meals a day, prodded her to bathe, and made sure she got to bed at a reasonable hour. Without Spike, Twilight would have probably worked herself until she either starved or passed out from exhaustion. The second was Arkenstone, who, while not providing as much substantive assistance as Spike, acted as a supportive coltfriend should, soothing Twilight's frazzled nerves with plenty of gentle nuzzles and soft kisses. He would occasionally team up with Spike to get Twilight to put down her research on a periodic basis to spend some time relaxing or socializing, both things Twilight would have probably overlooked in her enthusiasm for her project.

With Arkenstone currently curled around her, Twilight decided she'd had enough work for the day and set down the scroll after marking her place on it. Her notebook and quill drifted over to the nearby table. Leaning back, Twilight sighed as Arkenstone gently began to nibble at her ear. She'd noticed that he'd been keeping closer ever since they had returned from Canterlot. It was clear that he regarded her abduction as a severe failure on his part and that the Knight was now reluctant to let Twilight out of his sight...so to speak.

"Arky," she said in a soft voice.

"Yes?" Arkenstone pulled his lips away from her ear and instead went back to resting his chin across her withers.

"I was thinking...about your teahouse..."

"What about it?" Arkenstone's ears perked up, wondering if Twilight had some piece of advice concerning his hobby turned livelihood.

"Well...I was thinking, maybe you don't need to have your own quarters built into it," said Twilight, her cheeks blushing, "W-would you like to m-maybe...stay with me...even after the teahouse is open?"

Arkenstone's eyes opened a fraction and his ears shot straight upright at her suggestion. "And...where would I sleep?"

"With me..." said Twilight, her hesitance conveying just how nervous the suggestion made her, even if it was the obvious answer to Arkenstone's question.

"Um..." Arkenstone's throat vibrated against Twilight's shoulder, actually sending a pleasant shiver running down her spine, even if it was canceled out by her nervousness over the subject matter.

"I mean, it's okay if you don't want to," said Twilight quickly, "I can understand. It's a big step for us to move in together and-EEP!"

She cut off with a loud squeak as Arkenstone lifted a foreleg and wrapped it around her, rolling Twilight onto her side and pulling her up against his chest as he snuck his other foreleg around her so that he could hug her from behind. Twilight found her head tucked under Arkenstone's chin so that her horn barely missed brushing against his muzzle.

"Twilight," said Arkenstone, his voice barely a whisper, "When I realized you were gone, it was the most terrifying moment of my life. I was confronted by the idea of what life would be like without you and I was shocked by how empty it felt. I was afraid and angry, a hair away from losing control. I'm glad I remembered how capable you are, otherwise I might have stormed into Canterlot and ripped the city apart looking for you."

Twilight couldn't help but giggle, even as her cheeks flushed further. She let out a contented sigh as she squirmed to press harder against Arkenstone's chest. "I was scared too," she admitted, "I mean, I knew I could get out of Elderflower's clutches anytime I wanted. But I had Coco to worry about too. And then there were the Elements and everything else. I think the one thing that really calmed me down was that I knew that you were out there and you would be looking for me."

Squirming some more, Twilight rolled around so that she and Arkenstone were now face to face. Even though she knew he couldn't see it, Twilight gave Arkenstone her biggest smile and leaned in to kiss him slowly, holding their lips together for a long moment before pulling away. "I love you. I think I have for a long time. I'm tired of waiting and taking it slow. I want you to stay here with me and Spike."

Arkenstone couldn't keep a throaty chuckle from escaping him. "You realize that we'll have to get Spike his own room. After all, we don't want him seeing something he shouldn't."

"Arky!" squealed Twilight, her cheeks going bright red as the implications of his words sank in, "I don't think we're ready to go that far."

"I know," said Arkenstone, laughing softly, "But I couldn't resist. You're quite cute when you're flustered."

Twilight thudded a hoof against his chest. "Oh you," she huffed with a roll of her eyes before smiling and leaning in for another kiss.

This one lasted longer and grew more involved as the seconds ticked past. Arkenstone's hooves gently stroked Twilight's mane as she wrapped her forelegs around him to pull herself closer, her eyes drifting shut as she lost herself in the pleasure of the moment...

...A moment that was interrupted as the library door swung open and a black-garbed earth pony came strolling in. "So this is where ya were, Arkenstone. I-"

The khaki stallion's voice cut off abruptly as both Twilight and Arkenstone froze in their make out session. Twilight was sure that her cheeks were only a few seconds away from bursting into flame and she wanted nothing more than to bury her head into Arkenstone's chest and pretend she didn't exist.

Arkenstone's reaction was much more dramatic. He pulled away from Twilight, rolling over once to get his legs underneath him before quickly stepping forward to put himself between Twilight and the new arrival.

The other stallion merely grinned at the couple. "Oh! Don't mind me. By all means, carry on. It looked like you two were about to get to the good part."

Arkenstone sniffed and his ears swiveled to face directly towards the other stallion. Twilight noticed that Arkenstone was now completely on alert, his posture relaxed, but ready, a sign that he was in an unfamiliar situation that he wasn't sure he could handle.

"Hello Swift Stride," said Arkenstone, his tone neutral, but wary.

Twilight's eyes widened as she looked at the other stallion, with his white, spiky mane and fox-like tail. This then was the infamous seventh Knight, the one Arkenstone considered the strongest of the Celestial Order, the one that he and all the others regarded with wariness and mistrust, the mere mention of his name making even Arkenstone's normally stoic expression falter in a such a way that it looked as though he'd been sucking on the world's sourest lemon.

As Twilight looked him over, she found she could understand Arkenstone's misgivings. Swift's entire look just screamed "shifty" like a blaring alarm. Maybe it was the loose-fitting black outfit, which could be concealing any number of dangerous weapons within its confines, or his overall foxlike appearance. Maybe it was his squinty eyes, which made it almost impossible to discern what lay behind those pinched lids. She'd actually thought for a second that he kept his eyes closed like Arkenstone did, but that clearly wasn't the case.

"What brings you here?" asked Arkenstone.

"I've been away for a little bit, doing some information gathering," said Swift, "I've already been up to see Celestia in Canterlot and I wanted to compare notes with you and the little lady behind you."

"Compare notes..." said Twilight, getting to her hooves so that she could stand next to Arkenstone, "...About what?"

"A few things," said Swift, "The Cult Solar, the Noble Court, Morning Star..."

"Wait!" exclaimed Twilight, "You know about Morning Star?"

"I met him," replied Swift, "I infiltrated the Cult and provided Celestia with her list of targets. It doesn't seem to have made much of a difference in the long run."

"You mean you've actually spoken to Morning Star?" asked Twilight, her previous trepidation forgotten as she advanced on Swift, "What was he like? What kind of pony was he?"

"Whoa! Easy there!" said Swift with an amused cackle as he fell back on his haunches, greatly amused by Twilight's unquenchable thirst for knowledge, "I share mine if you'll share yours. Celestia said she sent the contents of Morning Star's little private library over to you. I'd like to know what you've learned so far."

"Absolutely!" exclaimed Twilight, her eyes shining.

"Um..." Arkenstone's ears swiveled back and forth as he tracked the conversation between Twilight and Swift. Swift Stride's presence always set Arkenstone's hair on edge. It didn't help that Swift had a mischievous streak to rival that of Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash and wasn't above pulling pranks on the other Knights whenever they might let their guards down. Everything about him, from his attitude to his actions kept them constantly guessing about where Swift actually stood in a given situation, what actions he might actually take.

But Arkenstone was especially wary about Swift, particularly because, beneath all the silliness and gimmicks, there was something about Swift Stride that marked him as being infinitely more dangerous than he seemed, something he never showed to anypony, not even those who were supposed to be his closest allies.

"Ah guess our job is done here."

Arkenstone's ears twitched as he realized that three ponies had come into the library just behind Swift. Arkenstone's attention had been so thoroughly focused on the other stallion that he'd neglected to notice that Swift had not come alone. And I thought I was lax before, mused Arkenstone.

Twilight was clearly to engrossed with exchanging information with Swift to notice Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Dinky at the door. Arkenstone decided to leave them to it as he went to greet Applejack and the other two.

"I suppose he had you guide him here," he said.

"Eeyup," said Applejack, "Bloom and Dinky found that stallion nappin' in our orchard. Turns out he was lookin' fer you."

"Is that so...?" said Arkenstone, pressing his lips tightly together as one ear swiveled around to focus on Swift, who was still talking with Twilight.

"Somethin' wrong?" asked Applejack, her tone clearly suggesting she wouldn't have been surprised if something was indeed wrong.

"Swift just said he'd been in Canterlot," said Arkenstone, "Which means he probably took the train down. Coming from the station, he should have found the library easily, even if he didn't know I was here. On the other hoof, your farm is quite out of the way if he was just looking for me."

Applejack's eyebrows went up. "Yeah. Now that ya mention it, that is pretty suspicious. What kinda game is that ornery feller runnin'?"

"I wish I knew," said Arkenstone, "I've never been able to fully understand or predict his actions."

Bloom stepped forward, observing Arkenstone with cautious, worried eyes. "Yer scared of him...ain't ya?"

Arkenstone twisted his entire head around and once again took the opportunity to inhale Swift Stride's scent. "Yes...I suppose I am rather frightened of him."

Out at Sweet Apple Acres, Big Macintosh made his way through the orchards. On a day like today, there was a particular place he liked to visit. Sure, it reminded him of their recent loss, but it also put him at peace. The place radiated an aura of tranquility that helped him relax after a long day's work. It also helped him to actually come to terms with what had happened.

After all...Granny Smith was gone and nothing would bring her back.

As he arrived at her grave, Macintosh came to an abrupt halt, the stalk of grass that had been in his mouth dropping away as it hung open in surprise. "What in tarnation?"

Somepony had deposited a small bundle of pink gladioli on Granny Smith's grave.

Author's Notes:

And so Swift Stride comes to Ponyville. The whole idea of him using a placebo to calm down an injured pony and then have to justify it to Applejack came from another fic I'd been considering back in the day. Swift Stride was originally set to be the main character of that story, which had no connection to this series whatsoever. However, I ultimately ended up scrapping that story before I'd even started writing it, mostly because I didn't have any real plot or endpoint in mind other than putting Applejack together with an accomplished liar who uses deception to actually help others a'la Utsuho Azako and having them bounce off each other. Because of that I made Swift Stride into the character he is now and moved him into this series.

That being said, I would like to remind everyone that I am not a doctor and have zero experience in practicing medicine. The extent of my knowledge on placebos comes from Wikipedia and certain M.A.S.H. episodes. I apologize for any factual inaccuracies that may have emerged as a result, though I always have the fact that the setting is the magical land of talking technicolor ponies to fall back on as an excuse.

Next chapter: Swift Stride is a troll.

Testing the Waters

Chapter 20: Testing the Waters

Their work done for the day, Applejack took Bloom and Dinky back to the farm with her after Bloom had taken the opportunity to say hi to Spike. Swift Stride had terminated his session with Twilight a little early, explaining that he needed to find a room in town. Though Applejack had previously offered him a place to rest on the farm, Swift strongly suspected that said offer had been unofficially retracted after she had gotten a taste of his true nature at the hospital. Fortunately, he was more than happy to find his own shelter. Arkenstone wasn't exactly sure where Swift would go, as the inn hadn't been rebuilt yet, but he felt a much greater peace of mind knowing that Swift was out of the library for the time being.

As they sat down at the table with Spike for dinner, Twilight gave Arkenstone a searching look. "You looked ready to jump out of your own skin the entire time that Swift was here," she noted.

"Unfortunately, that was more or less the case," said Arkenstone.

"He seemed nice enough to me," said Twilight. Sure, Swift Stride had a shifty look to him. But, in her brief discussion with him, Twilight was amazed at the breadth of Swift's knowledge. They'd started discussing the nature of Morning Star's Dark Matter and Twilight had been shocked by Swift's knowledge in the fields of chemistry and physics, enough that he'd easily been able to keep pace with her in spite of not having even looked at Morning Star's scrolls.

"He can seem quite pleasant when it suits him," said Arkenstone, "However, his attitude is often mercurial and it can be very hard to predict his actions. It's the main reason we Knights generally regard him with suspicion."

"That seems kind of...petty to me," said Twilight.

"Perhaps it is," admitted Arkenstone with a shrug, "But it's the little things that ultimately add up. I'm sure you noticed how knowledgable he is on certain topics."

Twilight nodded. "Yes. I was amazed he was able to follow everything I was saying about Morning Star's Dark Matter. Normally, I'd expect to have to simplify my words to make another pony understand, but I didn't have to do it this time."

"Yes," agreed Arkenstone, "Swift Stride is very intelligent, unquestionably the smartest amongst the Knights. Even highly-skilled mages like Arcana and Sunset agree. He is especially brilliant in the fields of chemistry, biology, botany, pharmacology, and psychology, especially as they pertain to certain practices."

"What kind of practices?" asked Spike, his ear fins perking up as he asked.

"He is an expert in explosives and poisons," replied Arkenstone, "I have observed him fighting on two occasions. His outfit conceals innumerable bombs of a variety of types and yields, and countless different poisons with varying degrees of potency."

"With your nose, I'd figure you could sniff out exactly what kind of bombs and poisons he carries," Twilight noted.

Arkenstone shook his head. "I can place some of them," he said, "But there are even more than I can't. If you've never encountered something before, you can't definitively identify it. I am familiar with quite a few different poisons and drugs, but Swift has many many more. As far as the explosives he carries, all I can discern is that I am very uncomfortable anytime Swift stands near an open flame."

"Yeah," said Twilight, shifting nervously, "I can imagine that."

"But, what truly worries me about Swift Stride is that there is something more to him that I can't readily identify. For all that he has so many tricks and trinkets that he can use in a fight, it never feels as though he truly needs them. That's why I've always felt that Swift is the strongest Knight."

"He actually sounds kinda awesome," commented Spike.

"It might be," agreed Arkenstone, his ear twitching as another fly buzzed past. "But that doesn't make his presence any less worrying."

Though he'd said otherwise, rather than actively seek shelter for the night, Swift instead found himself wandering through Ponyville's streets, taking in the sights and watching ponies as they finished their business for the day, forming a steady trickle in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres, where the tents brought in from Canterlot provided shelter for ponies as they waited for their homes to be rebuilt. Rather than follow that stream of ponies, Swift instead took a route that led him across the town and out into a different section of the countryside.

The meandering path eventually led to a pair of homes that seemed to be perched at the very edge of the Everfree Forest. One home had the look of a quaint, country cottage, with a babbling brook that ran across the front yard, where it actually flowed under a small bridge that was part of the walkway leading up to the front door. The house was surrounded by a variety of birdhouses and animal pens. It was beautiful and homey.

Nearby, a second house had been erected. This one had a more conservative appearance, crafted from dark wood planks and slate shingles, it contrasted rather sharply with the white plaster and straw thatching of its neighbor. Both houses were illuminated from within and Swift could see figures moving through the windows of the cottage. Adjusting his position, Swift got a better view of the cottage's interior and was awarded by the sight of an ebony colt sitting at a table across from a yellow pegasus mare and a tan earth pony stallion. Even from this distance, Swift could see the colt's eyes, their vivid turquoise color and unique draconic shape. So this is where the little guy lives. He seems to have made a nice home for himself.

As Swift watched, the family in the cottage were working their way through bowls of steaming soup, which was supplemented by a loaf of bread that they used to sop up the remainder in their bowls. Watching them eat and seeing Dawn Lightwing smile and speak with his adopted parents, almost resembling a normal foal as he did so, warmed the stallion's heart. He'd felt a little guilty about Dawn's situation ever since he'd observed Morning Star send Terra Heart off on that so-called holy quest to exterminate the colt. Swift could easily think of half a dozen ways that he could have disposed of Terra, but none of which were permissible given his mission at the time. They would have ruined his chance to sabotage Morning's plans.

Abruptly, Swift's ear twitched and he shot to his hooves. Kicking off the ground, he danced nimbly to the right, his spiky mane stirring as something powerful and sharp slashed through the air where he had been sitting. Backpedaling away from the spot, Swift watched as a pitch-black griffon in equally black armor melted out of the darkness with a silence that belied his impressive bulk.

"Identify yourself," said the griffon plainly, his yellow eyes hard as he glared down at Swift, "I won't tolerate any suspicious activity."

"If it's suspicious activity you're looking for," said Swift with a cheeky grin, "I've noticed this big black griffon attacking random ponies who happen to be resting beside a public path."

The griffon's eyes narrowed and his body tensed, clearly readying for a charge. However, rather than waiting, Swift ducked...primarily because he'd noticed another attack coming from behind. Once again, his mane was stirred by a set of claws passing within inches of it. Dropping down into his belly, Swift went into a forward roll that took him out of the way as the black griffon surged forward and brought both his claws down on the patch of grass where Swift's head had been resting seconds ago. As he rolled, Swift caught a glimpse of his other opponent, a second, smaller griffon, most likely a female. Her brindled coat was much more visible in the darkness than her companion's, which was probably why the black one had attacked first and drawn Swift's attention. The female's forelegs were clad in gauntlets that terminated in large, vicious-looking fighting claws that the griffoness brandished with impressive speed.

"You know, the two of you really need to work on your hospitality skills," said Swift as he came back up on his hooves, "This is not an appropriate way to say hello to somepony. I've heard there's this pink mare in town who specializes in this sort of thing. Maybe you could take some lessons from her."

Even as he spoke, Swift withdrew a small cylinder from his sleeve, readying it in the curl of his fetlock as the two griffons sprang upon him once again.

"Something wrong?" asked Caramel, looking up from his soup bowl at Dawn, who had stopped eating and was now staring out the window into the darkness outside. His own bowl of potato and leek stew forgotten.

"Somepony's out there," said Dawn, "We're being watched."

"Oh no!" whispered Fluttershy, cringing and sidling up next to Caramel, "Is it somepony from the Cult Solar?"

"I thought the Royal Guard rounded them all up," said Caramel, wrapping a comforting arm around Fluttershy's shoulders.

"There was no way for the Guard to get all of them," Dawn pointed out as he got to his hooves.

Given the circumstances, he'd anticipated the possibility that a few escaped members of the Cult might come to Ponyville in a last ditch effort to kill him. He'd been especially vulnerable the past few weeks, cut off from his magic and most of the other ponies tasked to protect Ponyville being out of commission. Thankfully, that threat had yet to materialize. However, Dawn realized he was still quite weak, having only just regained use of his magic a few days ago. It would still be another week at least before he was ready to start training in earnest again. Attempting to utilize the techniques of the Gale King in his current condition would probably setback his recovery. However, if the pony outside was really a cultist, Dawn might not have a choice.

"I'll go see," said Dawn, heading to the door.

In spite of the situation, both Fluttershy and Caramel knew better than to try and stop him. Instead, Fluttershy watched him go, mouthing "be careful."

Dawn opened the door and stepped out onto the front porch, his pupils dilating as he quickly adjusted to the surrounding darkness. One of the main capabilities of his eyes was that they afforded him superior night vision and motion sensitivity in comparison to the eyes of regular ponies. While the world outside their little cottage wasn't as clear as day to his eyes, he could see, using the light of the moon and the stars, quite easily. More importantly, his eyes were instantly drawn to the commotion taking place beyond the front yard, over on the other side of the path. Dawn saw the large, ebony form of Skan descending upon a single pony, who easily jumped out of the way.

Spreading his wings, Dawn took to the air, intending to fly over and try to defuse the situation before it went too far. Even if the strange pony was a cultist, Dawn had to at least try and talk him down from doing anything rash. However, as he landed, Dawn saw the black-garbed earth pony duck out of the way as Zhan slashed at him from behind and then rolled away just as Skan brought his talons down.

The earth shuddered from the impact of Skan's blow, but Dawn hardly noticed. Instead, Skan and Zhan immediately went on the offensive, converging on the earth pony from separate angles. As they charged, the earth pony twisted his body and slammed his forehooves down, seeming to meet the griffons' charge head on. They clashed a loud thudding noise and raising an impressive cloud of dust as metal rang out against metal from within. Every once and a while, Dawn could see something spark as attack met defense, but otherwise, couldn't make out anything that was taking place within the cloud.

Then he silently scolded himself for forgetting on of his most basic and important skills. Now that he had his magic back, Dawn was once again free to fall back on his wind sense. However, after spending so many weeks unable to use and having to get used to working without it, Dawn had almost forgotten about it until now. Relaxing, he took a deep breath and spread his wings slightly, allowing his magic to carry his awareness out into the air around him.

The skill came back to Dawn with an easy familiarity that was warmly welcomed by the colt. Dawn was afraid that he'd grown lax, but he could easily feel and understand the eddies and whorls in the air, produced by interfering objects. He could feel the two griffons fiercely exchanging blows under the cover of the dust cloud...as well as the shape of the pony who was now sitting right next to him.

Dawn jumped and looked sharply over to see the strange earth pony now sitting next to him, grinning as he poured a hoofful of pine nuts out of a cloth bag and munched them down with considerable relish. Even as he watched, the stallion tapped his hind hoof on the ground in an a strangely rhythmic pattern that seemed to blend between the clang of metal against metal issuing from the cloud. "Dang! Those two are really going at it." He chuckled and looked over at Dawn before glancing down at his sack and then holding it up to the colt. "Want some?"

Dawn looked over at the cloud, then back at the stallion, his expression neutral. Through the air, he could sense that both Skan and Zhan appeared to be in no danger of hurting one another, even as they parried and deflected one another's attacks. Instead, it appeared to be a well coordinated effort on their part to pen in a single target, a target that was no longer actually near them. The entire scene reminded Dawn of something he'd seen in one of Spike's more humorous comic books.

"Sure," he said, holding out his hoof.

The stallion cackled gleefully as he poured a helping of nuts out into Dawn's hoof and then some more for himself. Dawn began munching on his helping, noting with approval that the nuts had been roasted.

"So..." mused the stallion, "how long do you think it's gonna take for them to figure out I'm still not in there."

"I'm surprised they haven't dispersed the cloud yet," noted Dawn.

"Eh...the smoke bomb I dropped is set for continuous emission," said the stallion, "It should keep putting out smoke for another thirty seconds." Noting Dawn's expression as the colt looked at him, Swift laughed and said, "Don't worry. It's non-toxic. But it is heavier than air and should keep them bogged down until the bomb runs out."

Frowning, Dawn turned his attention back to the fight taking place within the cloud, wondering how Skan and Zhan had failed to notice that the third participant in the fight had already bowed out. Then he felt it, a faint clopping noise, like a hoof smacking the hardened dirt of the path...but coming from the empty ground between the two battling griffons. His eyes widening with surprise, Dawn snapped his head around to look at the stallion again, realizing that the sound issuing from the ground over by the griffons was in perfect time with the tapping of the stallion's hind hoof.

Though they were swinging away with their foreclaws, the griffons each kept at least one of their hind paws planted firmly against the ground at all times as they fought. Dawn realized that the pads of those lion paws were probably very sensitive to vibrations transmitted through the earth, the perfect tool for keeping track of a grounded opponent in blind conditions. It was a skill that was just as impressive as the piece of percussive ventriloquism that the stallion was using to keep the two griffons believing that he was still somewhere between them.

"Why are you toying with them like this?" asked Dawn.

The stallion shrugged. "Well...they weren't exactly being the best listeners before. I figured this might help them get it out of their system. Besides..." He looked over at Dawn. "...why aren't you stopping them?"

"They don't seem to be in any danger of hurting each other," said Dawn, "It certainly is impressive to observe. Besides..." He turned his blue-green eyes up to meet the stallion's squinted ones. "...I don't know why, but you don't seem like an enemy to me."

The stallion's eyes widened, revealing irises of ice-blue. "You're something else, kid." His ears twitched and he looked over at the smoke cloud. "Looks like time's up."

Though the bomb the stallion had apparently dropped ceased to continue emitting smoke, it still took nearly a minute for even Skan's powerful swipes to begin sweeping it out of the way. Finally, he and Zhan had cleared out the smoke and the two of them came to an abrupt halt, realizing that their sparring partner was no longer between them. It took a second longer for their eyes to zero in on Swift' s location.

"Ready to call it a day?" asked Swift, once again grinning mischievously.

Skan, huffing and panting after his efforts, glared fiercely at the stallion before launching himself in another flying lunge. Zhan moved to follow him, but froze when she spotted Dawn sitting next to the stallion.

"Skan! Wait!"

Dawn blinked and tensed as he realized he was in the path of Skan's charge. Though the black griffon wasn't actively aiming for him, Dawn could easily find himself crushed beneath those plates of armor as Skan bulled past him to reach the strange stallion. Moving to dodge, Dawn found his body responding sluggishly, the consequences of the past week of inactivity combining with his still recovering magic to keep him from escaping the situation.

Skan closed in, bringing one set of talons around in a powerful swipe that could easily kill Dawn, even if they simply grazed him. However, as Dawn readied himself for the blow, there was a blur off to one side of him and suddenly the stallion was in front of him.

"Okay! Enough of this," snapped the stallion, giving a sharp twist of his hips, the motion causing trailing ends of his sash to blur into motion, giving off a faint snapping noise, like a small whip. The stallion whipped the end of his sash into the path of Skan's claws. The cloth strip should have been shredded by Skan's talons. But instead, his swinging forepaw was knocked away, the deflection completely taking Skan off-guard.

"I think you need to calm down before somepony gets hurt," said the stallion, no longer grinning as he regarded Skan, who was looking in shock at his forepaw.

It took a moment for Skan to notice Dawn's presence. "What are you doing out here, Little Cub?"

"I came to see what the commotion was," said Dawn, "I don't think there's any need for you to be so aggressive while protecting us. I'm grateful for the sentiment though."

Skan looked between Dawn and the stallion before letting out a defeated sigh. "It seems I still have a great deal of growing to do, in spite of my age. I have to admit that I am probably no match for an opponent who can have me jumping at shadows so easily."

"Apology accepted," said the stallion, adopting a jaunty grin once again.

"Would you please identify yourself now?" asked Zhan, coming up to stand beside her mate.

"The name's Swift Stride," said the stallion, his words giving Dawn a start as the colt turned to look at him in surprise.

"So you are the Knight that Arkenstone spoke of," said Dawn, "The one even he acknowledges as the strongest."

"Eh...I don't know about all this 'strongest' and 'weakest' talk," said Swift with a shrug, "I''m really good at keeping ponies on the tips of their hooves. I guess that's why they're always so on edge whenever I'm around."

Skan's eyes narrowed. "If you were a Celestial Knight, why did you not identify yourself? We could have avoided all this trouble."

"It's more fun this way," replied Swift with a chuckle.

Both Zhan and Skan glared pointedly at him.

"Sorry," said Swift, raising his hooves, "That was a lie. I really wanted to get a feel for the kid here. Seeing as he isn't supposed to be in any shape to fight right now, I figured that seeing how he handled a strange situation would be a good way."

It was clear that neither of the griffons truly believed that that had been Swift's intentions. Even Dawn had his reservations about the black-garbed stallion's real reason for doing as he did. However, it was unlikely that Swift would ever say exactly what it was he'd been up to...nor was it likely that anyone would believe him even if he did say something completely truthful...which might very well have been the point.

"In any case, I don't think there is any danger here," said Dawn, looking to Skan and Zhan, "Thank you for your concern. But I think you need not worry about this one."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Zhan, still eyeing Swift suspiciously.

"As sure as I can be," said Dawn.

Skan and Zhan exchanged one last look before backing off. Dawn and Swift watched them go until the two griffons had returned to their home.

"So," said Dawn, looking up at Swift, "Would you like to come inside? I think there's enough food for one more at the table."

Swift seemed to think about it for a second before nodding. "Sure. That sounds fine."

Surprisingly, despite his unusual appearance and shifty nature, Swift Stride's introduction to Dawn's family seemed to go over very well. Fluttershy and Caramel both had reservations about Dawn inviting an unfamiliar stallion in. However, they were mollified when they learned that Swift was a Celestial Knight. Swift, for his part, was a surprisingly engaging guest, even able to break through Fluttershy's infamous Wall of Shyness (also frequently referred to as "her mane"). During dinner, he regaled them with stories of the lands he had visited, along with the various peoples and animals he had encountered, more than a few Fluttershy would have liked to meet herself.

What interested Dawn more was that, besides all the lands he had been to and all the creatures he had seen and met, Swift had more than simple anecdotes to tell. He spoke of animals and their habits, of lands and their cultures, of rich histories and strange customs. It occurred to Dawn that, rather than his work as a Knight, Swift's true passion lay in learning and sharing this knowledge. He certainly made for an engaging storyteller and, by the time Dawn was ready for bed, Swift had hooked his audience for hours. Fluttershy and Caramel offered the use of the couch for Swift, seeing as he didn't have a place to stay for the night, an offer Swift gratefully accepted.

As he went to bed, Dawn thought back upon the evening and everything that he had heard. He also remembered Arkenstone's wariness of Swift Stride, the mistrust that Arkenstone seemed to harbor for the black-garbed stallion. Those thoughts had lingered on Dawn's mind throughout the evening. It seemed to Dawn that Swift had perfectly tailored his actions and mannerisms to fit the situation, allowing him to win over even a shy pony like Fluttershy. This wasn't the first time somepony had done that. Red River and Storm Front had done much the same the first time they'd met Fluttershy all those months ago.

If that's the case, thought Dawn, then Swift Stride might very well be doing the same with Arkenstone and the other Knights. For all his skill in so many areas, his greatest one seems to be controlling how ponies see him. It isn't that he's an untrustworthy individual, but rather that he wants the other Knights to view him with suspicion...But why?

It was difficult to say. Dawn couldn't be sure that the stories that Swift had told at and after dinner that night had been true or not. He figured, in order to get a true feel for Swift, he would have to see the stallion do what he did best. However, Dawn worried about the kind of situation that would allow him to view Swift Stride as Arkenstone and the other Knights saw him.

Dawn's questions and curiosities would have to wait. After all, for all that he was curious about Swift Stride, he still had to go to school. Doing so was much easier now that he was able to fly to and from class. More importantly, it allowed him to resume his regular morning training with Scootaloo, meeting with her at sunrise so that the two of them could run through their forms before breakfast.

When everypony arrived at the tent that served as Ponyville's temporary schoolhouse, Dawn and the others noted that Apple Bloom seemed unusually quiet and pensive. Whatever it was seemed to keep her distracted all through class, so that she barely took any notes and instead spent a great deal of time staring off into space. She even ended up receiving a couple of reprimands from Ms. Cheerilee.

The other surprise that day was Diamond Tiara. Most of the students had only learned about her accident that very morning and many of them were surprised when the pale-pink filly came trotting into class right on time, even though, with the healing spell she'd received the day before, she'd had a tailor-made excuse for cutting classes for the day. Silver Spoon was there as well, having no such excuse, and quietly stuck to Diamond's side throughout class.

During lunch and recess, Bloom explained the events of the previous day to the other Crusaders, detailing how she'd stumbled across Swift Stride snoozing in the orchard and then taken him into town. She also told them about the accident and how Swift had actually treated Diamond Tiara with a pine nut and a lie, something that shocked everypony. Bloom was just finishing the story when Diamond and Silver actually came up to them.

"H-hi," said Diamond awkwardly, rubbing one foreleg with the other as she averted her eyes from the five ponies in front of her, all of whom had been targets of her ire at some point or another.

"Uh...hi," said Apple Bloom, looking at Diamond in confusion. It wasn't that she still expected barbed remarks or thinly veiled insults from Diamond anymore. But ever since Diamond had "reformed," so to speak, she and Silver had kept their distance from most of the other students, many of whom, understandably, still carried grudges over Diamond's previous treatment of them. This marked the first time that she had actually approached somepony directly in the months since her lessons with Rarity.

"I...I just wanted to say..." Diamond averted her eyes further, her voice dropping down to a barely audible answer. "...thanks..."

"Um...yer welcome,," said Bloom, putting on an awkward smile, "Ah didn't really do all that much."

Diamond sighed and forced herself to look into the eyes of her former victim. "Yes...but...If you hadn't said something...If you'd just kept your mouth shut...Silver and I wouldn't have noticed until it was too late. We'd have been out of your manes forever. I thought you'd like that."

Bloom's jaw dropped and she found herself fighting for a way to respond to that absurd statement. However, she didn't have to as Scootaloo shot to her hooves, wings flaring out and her eyes glaring straight at Diamond.

"What the hay is wrong with you?" snapped Scootaloo, "Do you actually think we'd be okay with that? Do you really think we'd be happy if you died?"

Diamond reeled back, reacting as though Scootaloo had physically slapped her. "You mean you wouldn't?" she asked, "After everything we put you through...wouldn't you be happy that you never had to deal with us again?"

Beside Diamond, Silver lowered her eyes, staring at the ground. Dawn looked on, actually feeling a twinge of empathy for the two fillies. He'd seen the cold stares directed their way, noticed their isolation and how they'd been walled off from the rest of their classmates after Diamond and Silver stopped using their respective families' wealth as a blunt instrument to get their way. He was quite familiar with that sense of isolation.

The empathy was supplemented by guilt. Dawn had experience with isolation, with cold, judging stares. He'd been where those fillies were now. In fact, he'd been in much worse straights than them. And yet, he had done nothing, even though it would have been the right thing to do. He had been content to keep to his friends and his affairs. Every time he'd seen Diamond and Silver skirt around another group of foals or quietly move to a different part of the schoolyard after a group of foals settled near them and then glared at the pair until they moved, he'd looked the other way.

Unlike his situation, which was the consequence of his eyes, Dawn reasoned that Diamond and Silver had brought much of this onto themselves and were merely reaping the consequences of the abuse they'd heaped upon others. However, that excuse turned sour the moment he even considered it. Yes they had behaved horribly. Yes, Diamond Tiara had said absolutely atrocious things to him the day he'd snapped at her and set the whole affair into motion. But that didn't change the fact that the two of them were earnestly trying to change their ways. The right thing to do was embrace that and reach out to them. Leaving them to stew in isolation would only set them back onto the path they were trying to escape, maybe even more firmly than before.

Before Dawn could say or do anything or Scootaloo could respond to Diamond's question, Sweetie Belle surged up and threw her hooves around Diamond's neck, pulling Diamond into a hug as she let out a gasp of surprise, her carefully repaired tiara threatening to tumble off her head. "Don't say that," said Sweetie, tears leaking out of her eyes, "We've fought before and I've really disliked you for what you did..." She pulled away and looked Diamond in the eyes. "...but I've never hated you. I don't think any of us have."

Behind Sweetie, Bloom, Scootaloo, and Rumble nodded their agreement. Dawn, on the other hoof, got up and walked over to Diamond as Sweetie let her go. Diamond's eyes met Dawn's and she flinched and backed away. Whether it was because of the memory of his harsh words to her before or if she was still disturbed by the sight of his eyes, Dawn couldn't say.

Dawn's lips curled up in a smile and he reached out with a wing to brush one of Diamond's tears away. She flinched at the contact and stared at Dawn in surprise. "You...do you forgive me?"

"I do," said Dawn.

"Even after all the things I said?" asked Diamond, her eyes watering up even more.

"Yes," said Dawn, "I've mistakes of my own, some even worse than yours."

"Like you wouldn't believe," muttered Scootaloo under her breath, prompting Bloom to hush her with a light jab to the shoulder.

Now Rumble stepped forward and smiled at the two fillies. "I think we can all forgive you. If we just kept ignoring you, we'd be bullies ourselves." He spoke a little bit more loudly than usual, stopping well short of shouting, but loudly enough that it was quite easy for several groups of foals nearby to "overhear" his words. Several of them averted their eyes, expressions of guilt flashing across their faces.

Bloom couldn't quite keep her grin from her face as Diamond and Silver gaped at Rumble. "There ya have it," she said, coming forward to stand between Rumble and Sweetie, rearing up so that she could wrap an arm around each of them and pull them up against her sides. "Ah don't know where a got that goshdarned idea that anypony would like ya dead, but it's a load 'o hooey and ya know it."

"Thanks," said Silver, her voice barely more than a whisper, the ghost of a smile hovering over her lips.

"Um..." Rumble glanced around Bloom at Sweetie Belle, who met his gaze and nodded. "Would you like to hang out with us for now?"

Diamond and Silver shared a surprised glance. While it certainly seemed that the olive branch had been both extended and accepted, neither of them had expected an invitation to join the Crusaders. When they turned back, they saw that all five Crusaders were watching them expectantly.

Finally, it was Diamond who answered. "S-sure."

The rest of recess passed without incident. Diamond and Silver were both nervous about their new situation and weren't quite sure what to do with friends, now that they actually had some. It was a little awkward for the Crusaders as well, given the previous topic of their conversation. Neither Diamond nor Silver knew that the Celestial Knights were real or that two of them were now hanging about town. That left Dawn and the others in something of a quandary as they searched for an appropriate conversation topic.

Perhaps unfortunately, the topic instead turned to the most awkward thing a group of five fillies and only two colts could possibly hope to discuss, the upcoming Hearts and Hooves Day, along with who would be doing what with who. In previous years, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had had no shortage of suitors (insomuch as other foals could count as actual suitors), both male and female. However, their experiences were soured by the knowledge that their classmates often approached them, not because they found Diamond and Silver attractive, but because they were more interested in the fillies' wealthy families. They both speculated that there would be a moratorium on anypony approaching them this year, though Bloom, Sweetie, and Scootaloo thought otherwise. Dawn and Rumble wisely kept their mouths shut, as good colts should when the fillies in their lives were in the process of the infamous practice of "girl talk."

Still, it had been an enjoyable way to spend the remainder of their time until classes resumed for the day and both Diamond and Silver seemed much relieved by the change in their situation. As they filed into the tent for their next set of lessons, Dawn felt something tug on his tail. Turning around, he noticed Sweetie using her magic to pluck a piece of white fluff from his tail.

"Uh...you missed something," she said with a slight giggle. Seeing the odd looks the others were giving her, she rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry...I blame Rarity."

Dawn held up his hoof to take the bit of fluff and examined it, surprised to find that the foreign material had been bound up in his tail for the better part of the day. I need to brush my tail more carefully. Examining it more closely, he realized he knew where it came from. "Angel Bunny...I thought he'd been sleeping on my tail last night."

"You still had a couple of feathers in your mane when you came to practice this morning," Scootaloo noted, "Have Fluttershy's animals been giving you trouble?"

"Not really," said Dawn, "They've been spending more time in my room lately. It used to be that hardly any of them came in at all. But now it seems as though they've been staying in there more frequently. They used to always stay in Mom's room."

He missed the looks that passed between the fillies and Rumble. It was Rumble who asked. "When did this start happening?"

Dawn blinked and rolled his eyes upwards, trying to think about when the animals had started spending more nights in his room. "I think it was a little after Terra Heart came."

From the looks on the rest of his friends' faces, it was clear that none of them were surprised. Dawn looked from one to the other, trying to figure out where their questions were leading. "Is something wrong?"

It was Scootaloo who answered. Shaking her head with a sigh, she said, "It's nothing bad. You're just clueless."

Dawn wanted to ask more, but Cheerilee's call for the students to get in their seats stopped him. The topic would have to be tabled for another time.

"Incredible!" gasped Twilight, "How did you manage even do a proper study of poison joke pollen, much less figure out how to reduce its potency?"

"I got help from a couple of zebra alchemists," explained Swift as he watched Twilight examine the sample of blue powder he'd given her through a microscope, "It's actually a pretty common pest plant in their lands. I think that friend of yours in the Everfree might have actually transplanted it accidentally when she came here."

"Poison joke as an invasive species..." Twilight rubbed her chin. "I'd never thought of it that way. I just thought it was another weird magic plant from the Everfree."

"Equestrian ponies don't realize it," said Swift, carefully removing the slide from beneath the microscope, "but outside of Equestria, places like the Everfree are fairly common and large. The idea of manually controlling the weather and seasons is rare. Only Guoxia and a couple of other pony-settled regions have anything like it and not with the same level of sophistication that we Equestrians have."

Twilight nodded. She'd read about such things in her studies under Princess Celestia, given that Celestia had diplomatic negotiations with numerous nations. It had actually been something of a surprise to her that the ponies of Ponyville viewed the Everfree Forest with a level of fear that bordered on outright superstition. It was one of the reasons Zecora had been viewed with such suspicion, given that the zebra chose to make her home in what ponies viewed as a terribly unnatural place, even though, to the rest of the world at large, the Everfree probably seemed perfectly natural...if dangerous.

When Swift had first arrived at the library, it had been with the intent of speaking more about what Twilight had learned from Morning Star's archives. However, the conversation had eventually diverged as Twilight began to express curiosity in Swift's encyclopedic knowledge of various substances. Now, with the two of them standing behind a microscope, talking about one of Swift's many compounds, Twilight realized that he was, in fact, a fellow scholar. She felt a certain sense of kinship with him.

At first, Arkenstone had been nervous about leaving Twilight on her own with a stallion he regarded with a great deal of caution. But, at Twilight's urging, he had gone to see to the reconstruction of his teahouse, leaving Twilight and Swift to their own devices.

"We got a bit sidetracked," said Twilight as she and the black-garbed stallion made their way upstairs, "But...do you remember what I asked you before?"

"Sure," said Swift. He'd been describing the design of the component mechanism of the array he'd watched being built outside of Trottingham, the one that Morning Star had been overseeing personally.

"Do you think that one was especially important for some reason?" asked Twilight.

"Not necessarily," said Swift, "A certain degree of symmetry is required for a design like that to work. Given the overall design of the array, I share the Princess' suspicions that the central component of the array will be in Canterlot. That being the case, the central piece is probably the key and the ones around the outside are of equal importance to one another."

"But why was he overseeing that one personally?" mused Twilight.

"Possibly because he needed to stay somewhere," said Swift with a shrug, "It gave him a fixed base of operations, was far enough out of the way that it wouldn't be found by anything less than a dedicated search, but close enough to a town that he could get any supplies he personally needed. Popping from one to the other would have left him exposed and might have even drawn the Princess' attention to him before he was ready."

"I guess that makes sense," said Twilight.

"What about you?" asked Swift, "Do any of the component pieces I described match anything you've read about?"

"I don't think so," said Twilight, "Without having any idea of the effects they might have, I couldn't begin to tell you what materials they were composed of. Even the ones that you described as blowing up when they came into contact with each other don't give me much to go off of. Lots of materials are volatile or react violently with other substances.

"The problem is, if Morning Star wrote about this particular experiment, it didn't make it into his archive. I thought Celestia might have destroyed that information in particular, but she told me she never actually found it."

"That's convenient," muttered Swift, "The one piece of information about Morning Star's plans that we actually need and it just happens to be the one thing that never got preserved."

"It is," said Twilight, "Though I can certainly understand it. Morning Star probably anticipated that Princess Celestia would object and decided not to leave anything that could be used to disrupt his work."

"You think it actually can be?" asked Swift, "I tried a lot of things while I was at the temple, planting bombs, rigging stuff to collapse. The only thing that worked was using broken components of Morning Star's own machine to blow it up. After he got the array up and running, not even Celestia's power could leave a scratch on it. It's like they're not even a part of this world anymore."

"Maybe they aren't," mused Twilight, her eyes lighting up.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe they aren't part of this world," explained Twilight, "That was the point after all. He created materials that operated according to their own laws of physics by creating entire worlds' worth of physics to govern those materials. If that's the case then..."

Swift's eyebrow went up. His ear twitched as a nearby fly buzzed past it. "What are you getting at?"

"I'm thinking," said Twilight, "That this might actually be the way to counter Dark Matter. Even if it seems like something not part of this world, it can still interfere with the matter of this world. By working out how the material of his array interferes with the world, we trace the rules of that interference and use them as a means to actually interfere with it."

"Could you actually calculate that out somehow?" asked Swift incredulously.

"With enough information about the materials and Dark Matter in general, I think I can," said Twilight, "This might be the answer." She trotted eagerly over to the pile of scrolls awaiting her review. "I can't wait! This is huge!"

Swift's ear twitched as the fly buzzed past it again. "Yeah...it sure is..."

He closed in behind Twilight. When he stood less than a meter behind her, he lifted up a foreleg. From beneath his sleeve, he extended a thin, slender blade, which he then began to aim at the mare in front of him.

Author's Notes:

And here we reach another one of those points that's probably gonna have a few readers up in arms. Oh well, I embrace the controversy.

Next chapter: Arkenstone gets sick.

The Power of Lies

Chapter 21: The Power of Lies

Dawn pushed open the door to the library and cautiously stuck his head in. After school had gotten out, he'd decided that he wanted to take the chance to speak with Swift Stride again. Thus, he'd excused himself from his friends while they went to play for the afternoon and had flown back into town (although Rumble and Scootaloo had to return to their homes immediately, as usual). Swift had mentioned visiting the library earlier that morning, before Dawn had left for school. Dawn hoped that Swift was still there.

Sure enough, there the stallion was, standing just behind Twilight as she inspected a scroll she'd withdrawn from a large stack that had been piled off to one side of the library. Neither Spike nor Arkenstone were anywhere to be seen. Dawn opened his mouth to call out to Swift, but the words died on his tongue when he saw what Swift was doing.

The black-garbed stallion had extended a dangerous-looking blade from beneath the sleeve of one foreleg and was now advancing on Twilight from behind. The oblivious unicorn was too busy examining a scroll to notice as Swift raised the blade and positioned himself for the strike.

"Stop!" shouted Dawn, rushing through the door, causing it to slam against the wall as he bulled forward.

Swift froze in place for an instant before looking over in surprise as Dawn charged in. Twilight also dropped her scroll, surprised by Dawn's outburst. She turned around to look at the colt as he closed in. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw light gleam off of something and turned her head further to look behind her. When she saw what Swift was doing, Twilight screamed.

Swift's body blurred as he lunged forward, aiming the blade for Twilight's throat. There was a flash of silvery light and the knife scraped across the armor that had suddenly formed over Twilight's neck. A crackling discharge of violet energy ran up the blade from the point of contact and into swift's arm, causing it to jerk spasmodically as the arcs of Twilight's magic threatened to reach into his body and blow out his nerves, a stunning effect that Twilight had designed into the armor produced by her arcanasteel ring.

Instead, Swift whipped out his arm, casting the sparking nimbus of energy away as though he were simply shaking off some water. At the same time, Twilight took advantage of the situation to vanish in a burst of light before reappearing next to Dawn, who had come to a stop when he'd seen Swift's attack miss.

"Not bad," commented Swift, studying his blade, "You've definitely improved your reflexes and lowered your casting lag. You've gotten pretty good with that ring too."

"Is that what this was?" demanded Twilight, "A test?"

"Not really," admitted Swift with a sigh, "I was thinking about how dangerous you are. I thought it might be better to deal with you before you become a problem later."

"What in Equestria are you talking about?" demanded Twilight, her eyes wide.

Swift's face was deadly serious as he advanced on Twilight and Dawn, his icy blue eyes clearly visible. "You're way too smart for your own good," he said, "Do you have any idea what you just figured out, what it might mean? You're probably the first pony, aside from Morning Star himself, to gain such a clear understanding of Dark Matter. To make matters worse, you did so in a matter of months."

"So..." Twilight's eyes narrowed. "Wait! Don't tell me you've been working for him the entire time."

"Do you really think I'd do that?" Swift scoffed, "If I was actually working for the guy, I wouldn't have gone through the trouble of blowing up his machine. No! It's the opposite. I want to stop him and I need to do whatever it takes to do it."

"Then why are you trying to kill me? I'm about to figure out how his Dark Matter works, how we can affect it." demanded Twilight as she began to backpedal, keeping herself between Swift and Dawn. The colt might have his magic back, but there was no way that Dawn was in any condition to fight yet. Under these circumstances, it fell to Twilight to protect him.

"That's just the problem," said Swift, "Why do you think it took Morning Star ten years to create his array? It wasn't just an issue of building the things. Every piece of each one had to be designed individually. It's a device so enormously complex that you could probably write an entire archive's worth of books on all the components. More importantly, Morning Star's not done with it yet. He still needs to finish the last piece. After that, who knows what else he might have to do to actually bring about the effect he's looking for. It's taken him years, decades even, of complex calculations and careful design to come this far.

"But you've already worked out much of how his Dark Matter works. Knowing Morning Star, I can easily see him making that attribute of yours work for him. If he can tap into your intelligence and use you to work out the necessary calculations and conceptualizations he could probably finish his work in a matter of hours."

"What?" gasped Twilight, "What makes you think that I would help that pony?"

"You may not have a choice," said Swift, "I saw what Morning Star did to that pegasus...Flash Spark was his name, I think...He could easily do the same to you, put you under his thrall and then put you to work helping with his project. It's better to take you out of the equation entirely."

Twilight stared at Swift aghast. She'd been worried about Arkenstone's feelings, but now she realized just how terrifying this stallion was. Was Swift Stride really willing to go this far just to stop Morning Star from carrying out his plan? Was any of this even true? Was Swift simply acting on vague speculation? Or was he even telling the truth about what he was trying to do? There was no way to tell. That sense of uncertainty made Twilight quiver. Swift was a pony who turned the concepts of truth and lies on their ear. Knowing that he was a liar didn't help, because there was no way to be certain what parts of his statements were a lie and what was the truth or what he was actually lying about. Any of it could be a lie. All of it could be a lie.

Twilight came to one conclusion, she had to get away and take Dawn with her. Liar though he was, Swift Stride was a Knight of the Celestial Order, one whom even Arkenstone and the other Knights regarded as the strongest of their number. She had no hope against him in a fight on his terms. Right now, the best she could do was to go to the pony she knew actually stood a chance of stopping him.

Twilight's horn blazed. A second later, she vanished, teleporting out and taking Dawn with her. For a moment, Swift stood there, staring at the scorch marks on the floor where Twilight had been standing. His ear twitched. The buzzing had stopped. Did he bite?

Arkenstone observed quietly as the construction workers finished hammering together one of the walls of his new teahouse. The foremare had initially been a bit irritated at having to alter her designs so far along into the construction. However, taking the living quarters that had originally been upstairs in the design actually promised to save some time in the long run, given that her workers hadn't built that far up yet.

Arkenstone actually felt a little giddy at the prospect of moving in with Twilight and Spike. It was a big step. It had apparently worked quite well for Caramel and Fluttershy. Arkenstone could only hope that he might have so much success with his fillyfriend.

His nose twitched as it picked up the faint smell of ozone. Turning about, he sniffed and noticed that the smell originated from the library. What was more, it was tinged with the smell of Twilight's magic, a sign that she was using her power in an agitated manner, possibly with violence. Sniffing more, Arkenstone could pick out other scents, fear, surprise, and anger. Something was wrong.

Before he could go investigate, he felt the air nearby burst outward as it was abruptly displaced by a foreign mass appearing in its location, accompanied by that smell of ozone and magic. Twilight was there, Dawn Lightwing with her. The colt stumbled slightly, clearly caught off-guard by the sudden teleport. Still, he didn't seem any worse for wear to Arkenstone's senses. The faint clank of something that sounded vaguely like metal told Arkenstone that Twilight was decked out in her armor.

"Twilight? What's wrong?" asked Arkenstone.

"It's Swift Stride!" exclaimed Twilight, "He's going crazy. He's trying to kill me?"

I should be more upset about this, thought Arkenstone as he turned to face the library, But I'm not very surprised. Just what is he up to? One way or another, if Swift even thought about trying to kill Twilight, Arkenstone would kill Swift first.

The library doors opened and Swift Stride stepped out into the afternoon sunlight, his expression just as serious as it had been when Twilight had last seen him. He walked at a sedate pace towards the three of them as Arkenstone stepped ahead of Twilight and Dawn to confront his fellow Knight.

"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Arkenstone, his eyes opening, their empty white gaze glaring straight at the other stallion.

"My duty," replied Swift as he continued to approach.

"You will not touch Twilight," said Arkenstone, the ground beginning to groan as he drew in the earth's power. Everypony in the vicinity was assailed by the strange sensation of the ground beneath their hooves tilting in Arkenstone's direction.

"You don't have a choice in the matter," said Swift, his tone just as serious, "She's much too dangerous. If you get in the way, I'm taking you down."

"I always knew you were never trustworthy, said Arkenstone grimly, "But I never thought you were capable of this. You disgust me."

"I'll accept that," said Swift, "I deserve it. But that won't stop me from doing what needs to be done." He surged forward.

Arkenstone was already responding. His tail lashed through the air, scattering pine needles, which crackled with his power, transforming into enormous black swords that vanished as they accelerated rapidly towards the approaching Swift, threatening to cut him to pieces.

As the swords were about to pierce his flesh, Swift seemed to trip over his own hooves, going into a rapid tumble that sent him rolling along the ground. The first blades passed harmlessly above him. The next set of blades came jabbing down from above even as the first set reversed their direction and spun about, slashing at Swift's flanks from behind.

Swift came back up on his hooves in a clumsy-looking lurch that jerked his body to the side, even as he threw himself into a jump, kicking his hooves off the ground and going into an airborne flip that carried him over one of the blades slashing at him behind, even as the lurch took him out of the way of the swords slamming down into the ground where he'd been less than a second before.

Swift's hooves had barely touched down on the ground before he shifted direction yet again, the movements still looking clumsy and awkward, even as they seemed to miraculously carry him clear of Arkenstone's attack.

From his position behind Arkenstone, Dawn was awestruck by the display. Through his wind-sense, he could follow Swift Stride's movements even more clearly than he could with his eyes. Though Swift's motions looked clumsy, drunken even, to the casual observer, Dawn could feel the tautness of Swift's muscles, even through the interference caused by Swift's clothes and the multitude of objects the foxlike stallion seemed to be carrying on him at any given time. His motions, jerky and uneven as they appeared, actually showed off a finely-tuned sense of balance that allowed Swift to assert complete control over his movements in even the most awkward of positions. Furthermore, the constant shifting of his posture seemed to allow him to go in any direction at any time, making it impossible for Dawn to predict where he would go next. I know that he has the whole lying theme going on, thought the colt, But I never thought it would extend so far as to allowing him to use his body and movements for deception in battle. This goes far beyond merely feinting.

Already, Swift had nearly closed with Arkenstone. The dust thrown up by Arkenstone's attacks was already beginning to swirl and condense around the blind stallion, joining together and becoming plates of ebony armor.

"Uh oh! Can't have that now," said Swift, darting in even closer, skipping past another pair of blades threatening to skewer him from either side, even as he jumped by kicking off the flat of another blade slashing at him from the front. The swirling dust around Arkenstone congealed into another set of blades that flashed upwards at Swift as he came down from his jump, trying to impale him while he was in midair.

Seeming to kick off the air itself with one hind leg, Swift twisted like an acrobat, actually contorting his body to fall between the blades. As he did, Arkenstone brought them together, trying to use their edges to slash at Swift Stride from all directions. Twisting his hips in a manner similar to what Dawn had seen him do the previous evening, Swift actually lashed out with the trailing ends of the white sash wrapped around his waste, whipping them about with enough force to actually deflect Arkenstone's blades before they could close in.

By this point, Arkenstone's armor had already covered a significant portion of his body. His head had come first, but the plates were now forming along his back and down his haunches. His entire form crackled with power as he prepared to take the battle to its next stage. Ponies in the vicinity were fleeing, many of them realizing that this incident was threatening to turn into a repeat of Arkenstone's fight with Terra, possibly with equally dangerous consequences.

Landing directly in front of Arkenstone, Swift sank down into a crouch that actually lowered him well below the level of his opponent's head and surged forward again, his motion actually carrying him under Arkenstone's chin. Rather than try to strike at Arkenstone's head, which was already fully armored, Swift instead allowed his movements to carry him past Arkenstone's forelegs on one side as he aimed his own forehoof for the one section of Arkenstone's body that had yet to be encased in armor, his stomach.

Driving his hoof upward, Swift punched Arkenstone in the belly...hard. The breath exploded out of Arkenstone's lungs and the force of the blow actually sent him rearing upward, backpedaling as he did so to get Swift out from under him. Rather than try to press the attack, Swift instead pulled something else out of his clothes. It was another cylinder. However, rather than throwing it, Swift instead held it as he swung it through the air in front of Arkenstone's armored face. The end of the cylinder flipped open, sending a clear liquid splashing through the air, splattering against the armor...just in time for Arkenstone to inhale in an effort to soothe his abused lungs.

Arkenstone was immediately beset by the putrid smell of rotting flesh. It was so intense and overwhelming that he gagged and reeled back as he came back down on all fours. Despite that, he maintained his hold over the armor, continuing to form it, even as a twisting stream of dust came rushing around from one side, forming into a massive blade that slashed at Swift, who went into a leaping backflip to avoid the attack.

"How do you like my perfume?" asked Swift in a taunting tone, a grin once again decorating his face. The fact that his icy eyes remained fully visible gave his expression a malicious quality as he landed. "I call it Essence de Rafflesia. You think those fancy fashion designers'll like it?"

"Do you really think something like this could stop me?" asked Arkenstone, stepping forward. Yes, the smell was incredibly potent and revolting. However, as a Knight, Arkenstone was not unfamiliar with the smell of death, even if it was in the form of an imitation produced by a flower. He'd always been aware that his acute sense of smell was a vulnerability his foes could exploit if they knew about it. As such, he had trained himself to not allow his magic to be disrupted by potent scents. The only reason Swift's tactic had caused him to react at all was Swift's clever technique of using a strike to force the air out of Arkenstone's lungs and then catch him with the scented oil when Arkenstone inhaled afterward, ensuring that Arkenstone got a powerful dose of the scent. Even though it lingered, Arkenstone was still able to discern the scents connecting him to the surrounding dust and his pine needle swords. He could still fight at full strength.

Despite this, Swift's grin widened. "Actually, I think it will. After all, I'm borrowing a page from your book."

"What-?" Arkenstone's voice cut off abruptly as he was suddenly assaulted by a crippling wave of nausea that washed over his body. The reaction seemed to have been triggered by him inhaling again, thus drawing in more of the rafflesia oil's scent. His stomach roiled and threatened to rebel. His legs suddenly felt as though they were made of rubber. The other scents he had been tracking, the ones connecting to his weapons and even the smells of the other ponies in his vicinity, were completely wiped away by that smell of rotting flesh. Arkenstone's armor crumbled back into dust and his blades disappeared, leaving a few pine needles to flutter lifelessly to the ground.

"Wha-what did you-" Arkenstone tried to take another breath, breathing through his mouth. However, the scent still rose up from the back of his mouth and reached his nose that way, the smell of rotten meat once again sending a disorienting wave of queasiness rushing through his body. "H-how-?" Trying to speak only made things worse, as he still had to inhale in order to speak, each breath further aggravating the nausea rampaging through him. Arkenstone wretched, bile rising in his throat as he fought desperately to keep from throwing up. But it was a losing battle.

"Like I said," said Swift, "I took a page out of your book. I bet you didn't even think that your particular form of earth pony magic could be used in this manner.

"Scent is a potent sense, even when it isn't as acute as yours. It ties directly to several triggers in your brain for powerful physiological reactions. By using the scent as a conduit for my magic, exactly how you use it to form your blades, I can use it to send a powerful impulse directly to your brain and bring about a physical reaction tied to the scent itself. Rafflesia was an easy one, but I've actually been experimenting with several odors to see what kind of effects they have."

Swift began to walk forward. "Now...I think it's time I finished my work. You're not gonna be in any condition to stop me, but I don't like leaving bad feelings behind, so I'll make sure you and Twilight Sparkle die together."

Before Swift could get much closer, an ebony blur rushed over Arkenstone's body to land directly in front of the incapacitated stallion. Dawn sank into a partial crouch, spreading his wings out so that the feathers splayed upwards and outwards, forming into a shield that partially obscured the stallion behind him from view. "I won't allow this," said Dawn, glaring grimly at Swift. Behind him, Twilight came up next to Arkenstone and lit her horn, the magenta waves of a cleansing spell washing over Arkenstone as she used her magic to try and purge all traces of the scented oil Swift had scattered from his face, and hopefully all traces of Swift's magic along with it. However, such a treatment would take time, time she suspected Swift wasn't about to allow them to have...unless Dawn did something...drastic.

"I thought you weren't up to fighting strength yet," observed Swift, affecting an amused expression as he watched Dawn.

Dawn's eyes narrowed and he surged forward, twisting his wings back around to their usual position even as he swept them in front of his head, lunging forward to put the full force of his body behind the motion. As he did so, his muscles strained and ached, protesting the exertion of his out-of-practice body. Still, Dawn followed through, grasping the air with his wings and thrusting it forward.

The blast of compressed air tore a shallow trench through the ground, throwing up rocks and dirt in waves to either side as it rushed towards Swift Stride. Swift stood there, his stance almost casual as he waited for the attack to reach him. At the last instant, he produced another small cylinder from within his sleeve. With a casual motion, he tossed the cylinder off to one side, where it exploded outward in a burst of fire and smoke.

Dawn's eyes widened as the oncoming blast of air swerved, drawn to the point where Swift's bomb had exploded, brushing harmlessly past the black-garbed stallion, whose white sashes danced in the passing wind, but otherwise showed no signs of the powerful attack he'd just avoided.

Dawn couldn't believe what he had seen and felt through his wind-sense. Swift had used the bomb to blow away the air in an area off to one side of him, creating a vacuum that drew the oncoming attack away from him. Even more amazing, Swift had somehow pushed the explosion itself in the direction away from him, thus ensuring that the vacuum's flow would pull in air from the direction where Dawn's attack had been approaching. By barely exerting any effort himself, Swift had successfully deflected a strike from the Gale King, even if said strike was less powerful than Dawn's usual standard.

Panting, Dawn tried to focus on his opponent. He was feeling lightheaded after that last attack. He'd only been able to manage it because he'd spent the time Swift had used to explain the nature of his magic to Arkenstone carefully gathering and focusing what little strength he had. In his current condition, a second attack, much less a prolonged battle, was completely out of the question.

Swift frowned as he faced Dawn, clearly not happy with the situation. "I don't want to fight you, kid."

"Nonetheless...I...will not...step...aside," panted Dawn as he forced himself to remain standing with his wings spread. His threats were empty and Swift could probably knock him over simply by breathing on him too hard. However, Dawn refused to move from where he was.

"Geez," muttered Swift irritably, "I just wanted to be quick about this. There's no need to start another fight and level the town again." With a sigh, he sagged down. "Fine then. I give up. I didn't want to get you caught up in all of this."

Dawn blinked as he stared at Swift. "You're giving up so easily."

"I didn't really want to kill Twilight Sparkle," said Swift, "But I still think it needs to be done. But I really wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I drew even more ponies into the fight. So I'll go. I'll have to work things out from another angle."

"I won't let you kill her," said Dawn, glaring at the stallion who had spent the night in his home, "Not ever." In his chest burned a fire of anger. Though he'd found Swift to be unusual and eccentric, he'd found a certain respect for him. But seeing that Swift was not only capable of, but willing to commit such a heinous act filled him with anger and confusion. Why would he go so far out of mere speculation?

"Forever is a long time," said Swift with a wry grin, "But I don't think we have all that long." Turning around, he began to stalk away.

Dawn watched him go as the stallion trotted casually off into the distance. Now that the fighting seemed to be over, the other ponies were beginning to come back out to see what damage had been done. Fortunately, aside from the ground between the library and the teahouse, which had been ripped and torn by the combination of Arkenstone's swords and Dawn's gust, there had been no other damage done.

After Swift vanished from view, Dawn turned around...or rather, he tried to turn around. However, his legs seemed to turn to rubber and he staggered and stumbled in a clumsy effort to move his body. It took him a few seconds longer than usual to finally move his body around to face Twilight and Arkenstone, who had not moved from their previous position. Arkenstone's stomach had apparently given up the ghost, as evidenced by the pool of vomit in front of the blind stallion. He stood shakily, supported by Twilight, who had removed her armor and was now gently running her muzzle through Arkenstone's mane, trying her best to comfort her coltfriend.

"How are you feeling?" asked Dawn, no longer panting now that he'd had a moment to catch his breath.

"Mortified," grunted Arkenstone, grimacing, "I've never been so utterly humiliated in my entire life."

"Arky," whispered Twilight, "It's okay. You said yourself that he's supposed to be the strongest."

"But that is no excuse for him to beat me so easily," muttered Arkenstone petulantly, "I couldn't protect you at all."

"It'll be fine," said Twilight, "We're all okay. Let's get you into the library." She looked over at Dawn and frowned. "You too. You weren't doing yourself any favors by pushing yourself like that, especially considering your condition."

"I'm sorry," said Dawn.

"Don't be," said Twilight, giving him a warm smile, "However reckless and dangerous it may have been, the fact remains that Arky and I might have been dead if you hadn't stepped in. Thank you for that. But you do need to get some rest after pushing yourself so hard."

"I suppose I sh-" Dawn tried to take his first steps towards the library, but stopped talking as a bout of a dizziness swept over him, making him sway dangerously. I really shouldn't have done that.

Before he could fall over, Dawn was swept up in a cloud of Twilight's magic as she scooped up both him and Arkenstone, carrying them towards the library. As she did, she heard a familiar voice calling out.

"Twilight!" Spike came rushing from amongst the crowds of onlookers as he sprinted on all fours towards Twilight. Having grown even more in the past few weeks, he'd been finding it increasingly hard to walk on two legs, especially when he was in a hurry. As a consequence, he had taken to moving on all fours when he tried to run. However, moving in such a way was not yet second nature to him, so his run was complicated by the occasional stumble that threatened to send him pitching snout-first into the dirt.

Spike came to a skidding halt, his claws plowing furrows through the dirt as he took in the scene. "What in the hay happened here?" Spike had left the library to fetch additional quills an parchment to meet Twilight's ever-growing need as she continued to research Morning Star's work. He'd heard the commotion in the distance and had abandoned his task to return to the library and find out what was going on.

"Swift Stride happened," said Twilight with a sigh, "Come on. I need to get Dawn and Arkenstone settled. Then I'll tell you about what happened." Looking around, Twilight took in the rest of their audience. "All right everypony! There's nothing left for you to see here, so you'd best move along."

With some reluctance, the crowd began to break up as Twilight and Spike took Arkenstone and Dawn into the library.

Once they had Dawn and Arkenstone settled, Twilight opted to immediately report the situation to the ponies she knew could help. Using Spike's flames, she sent a letter to Princess Celestia. Spike was still recuperating from using his dragonfire too much during the Royal Guard campaign against the Cult Solar, but Twilight believed that an emergency like this required the quickest action possible, a sentiment Spike heartily agreed with one he'd heard what happened.

A second letter was sent to Spitfire by way of phoenix feather. When she'd met the Wonderbolt Captain and Celestial Knight in Cloudsdale during Rainbow Dash's Wonderbolt initiation, Spitfire had given Twilight a small collection of feathers from her phoenix companion, Ouranos. Those feathers allowed Twilight to send a letter directly to the phoenix, who, in turn, would deliver the letter straight to Spitfire. Letters delivered in such a fashion were considered emergency missives and were given the highest priority by Spitfire. One of the other Celestial Knights threatening her life and beating Arkenstone in his attempt to kill her certainly qualified as an emergency in Twilight's mind.

Though she was loathe to continue working Spike, Twilight still sent him off to retrieve Fluttershy so that she could come to collect her son. In the meantime, Twilight tended to both Dawn and Arkenstone.

Arkenstone's nausea and dizziness had faded after Twilight had purged all traces of the rafflesia scent from him. Doing so had cut the link between Arkenstone and Swift stride's magic, but there was still a fair bit of Swift's magic still remaining in Arkenstone's system, keeping him feeling slightly sick as the afternoon waned. Not having had much training in healing magic, Twilight couldn't do much to purge the remnants of Swift's magic from Arkenstone' system and was simply forced to wait until it faded over its own time. Arkenstone had said it wasn't necessary for her to fetch an actual doctor, seeing as he hadn't actually suffered any injuries.

Dawn was a different matter. Exerting himself while still recovering had strained both his body and his magic. The ebony colt had drifted off as soon as Twilight had set him on the couch, barely even stirring as she settled a blanket over him. She'd been worried that he might have aggravated his condition. But an examination on her part indicated that he would be better with some rest. Silently, Twilight thanked Celestia that Swift Stride had not chosen to press the issue and continue fighting against Dawn or she most certainly would have needed a doctor.

As she tended to the two ponies who had fought to protect her, Twilight reflected on Swift's stated reason for trying to kill her. His words lingered in her mind, making Twilight wonder if there was any truth to Swift's speculation. Did he truly believe that Morning Star would try to use her in such a manner, that she and her knowledge of Dark Matter could be used as some sort of computing device for Morning's purposes? Where had he even gotten the idea?

But then, Swift Stride had been the pony to spend the most time in Morning Star's company lately. He probably knew the current Morning Star better than anypony, even Princess Celestia. When he had come down from Canterlot, Swift had brought with him another troubling piece of information that Celestia had discovered shortly before his departure...that Wight Shade, Luna's majordomo, had, in fact, been Morning Star in disguise.

As disturbing as it was, such a revelation made a certain degree of sense to Twilight. Using the Cult Solar as a cover for the construction of his array was all well and good, but Morning Star would want eyes and ears in Canterlot and the Royal Palace in order to keep informed of what ponies knew about his work and about him personally. Who better to keep track of such things than himself? It also explained how Wight Shade had known about the secret archive that Princess Celestia had kept with all of Morning Star's writings contained within. However, Twilight initially could not fathom why Morning Star would deliberately show his collected works to a pony who would almost certainly turn that accumulated knowledge against him.

But set within the context of Swift Stride's assertions, Morning Star/Wight Shade's action made more sense. Had he deliberately revealed his work to Twilight in order to prime her for use as an instrument in his schemes?

Even if it was true, it certainly was't justification for Swift to try and kill her. More troubling was the fact that, for all his stated determination, Swift had abandoned his efforts rather easily, almost lackadaisically. If he wasn't truly committed to killing her, then what had he been trying to accomplish? Twilight could only sit and ponder those questions silently as she waited for Spike to return with Fluttershy.

"You seem rather pensive," observed Kombu as he approached Wight Shade. The white-horned unicorn was currently in the house's study, staring off into space. Ever since he had been outed within the Royal Palace, Wight had taken to staying in the house that he had obtained in order for him and Kombu to have a workspace to outfit Perlin Bluestreak with his new pair of wings.

"I just heard something rather interesting," remarked Wight with a smile, "It's something I hadn't considered before. I find it to be such a pity that Swift Stride must be an adversary. In many ways, he's as much of a scientist as we are. Using the data he has available, he certainly came to some very interesting conclusions."

"I see..." said Kombu in a rather perfunctory manner. In reality, he did not see, which was perfectly understandable. Morning Star-Wight Shade, Kombu corrected himself-had unique ways of gathering information, even from distant and secure places, where even the most powerful and potent of scrying spells could not hope to penetrate. How he collected this information was a mystery that Kombu had yet to unravel. It certainly seemed odd. If Wight could use his methods to infiltrate places so effortlessly without having to actually be there, then why had he bothered with secreting himself into the Royal Palace all those years?

"And what will you do with this information?" asked Kombu, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure yet," said Wight, "It certainly is a tantalizing idea, something that could reduce my workload immensely. I will have to give Swift's idea serious consideration."

"I see...What shall we do in the meantime?" asked Kombu.

"Well, I see no need to halt my current work," said Wight, "I take it the Royal Guard is still combing the Crystal Caverns."

"Yes," said Kombu with a nod, "They have not yet found the central focus of the array, but they are patrolling the vicinity of its entryways. We may have to consider closing them off. With your abilities, I am certain you do not need a direct passage."

"I do not," agreed Wight with a nod, "I can make my own passage, even when it is time to move the final piece into place, I can do so with ease. However...I am concerned."

"How so?" asked Kombu.

"Celestia is not a fool," said Wight with a sigh, "She has seen my array for herself and she had no doubt figured the lateral location of its exact center, where the final piece needs to be set. She will not give up on trying to locate the last mechanism simply because I have closed off all normal forms of access to it. The longer it takes for her and her Guards to locate it, the more desperate and driven she will be to find it."

"Mayhap you should try and explain to her exactly how your array functions," suggested Kombu, "Surely she will understand that this is much safer than any other method used to try and breach the boundaries of our reality."

"I did," said Wight, "some ten years ago. She reacted then as she does now. She does not believe that it is worth the risk, that the threat is much too great."

"Then perhaps we should arrange for another distraction," suggested Kombu, "Perlin is undoubtedly looking for an opportunity to put his new wings through their paces. You also have that other stallion you've modified...What was his name again?"

"Flash Spark."

"Yes! Him. He might be a useful means of keeping Princess Celestia and the Royal Guard occupied."

"I suppose..." said Wight uncertainly, "The problem is that Celestia is fully aware that Flash Spark's modification was my work and that he essentially serves my purposes. She won't be distracted by him so easily. It might even drive her to search all the harder because she will realize she is pressing me."

"Perhaps," agreed Kombu, "But if the danger is great enough, then she will not be able to ignore it, even if she realizes your purpose in doing so. The wonderful thing about your Dark Matter is that, even if ponies recognize it, it is still dangerous enough that they cannot afford to overlook it, even when they know you are using it for a distraction."

"We shall see," said Wight, "I need to consider my options quite carefully. Flash Spark and Perlin aside, I no longer have the assets that I did. I cannot use the Cult Solar or the Noble Court as cover for my actions any longer."

Author's Notes:

I get the feeling that Swift's actions in this chapter are gonna be a little controversial...or a lot. Still, I have my reasons. The scary thing about Swift is that he's the kind of pony who can make you start to doubt which way is up, which is one of the reasons Arkenstone's always so nervous about him. Of course, the other reason I did this is because it gives me a chance to write another kickass fight scene.

Next chapter: Twilight considers calling the Acme corporation.

The Elusive Truth

Chapter 22: The Elusive Truth

Celestia's reply to Twilight Sparkle's letter did not arrive until the next day, after Fluttershy had come to take Dawn home and Twilight had had the opportunity to explain the incident to her friends. They reacted with varying degrees of distress and disbelief. Though, perhaps unsurprisingly, the one least surprised behind this turn of event was Applejack.

"Ah knew that lyin' snake in the grass was up to no good," muttered the farmer under her breath.

The letter itself was delivered by a pegasus courier, Celestia having opted to spare Spike anymore strain for the time being. The letter she sent was met with mixed feelings once Twilight had read its contents.

My dearest student;

It distresses me greatly to know that one of my Knights was capable of acting in such a fashion. I have great expectations for all of them, but Swift Stride was exceptionally special in my opinion. Over the course of his years of service, he has accomplished a great deal of good. I have always placed my trust in him and never doubted his loyalty to Equestria and the ponies who call it home. Even now, given what you have reported, I believe that he acted with the best of intentions, however heinous the actions he has taken may have been.

That said, it does not excuse what he has tried to do. Even if it was in the interest of preventing disaster in the future, deliberately threatening the life of a pony who is innocent of wrongdoing is unforgivable, especially when such a threat is carried out by one who has sworn himself to the service of the very ponies he has tried to harm. There is no question that Swift Stride must be held to account for his actions.

Thus, it is with a heavy heart that I revoke Swift Stride's status and authority as a Knight of the Celestial Order. He no longer acts with my authority and may no longer enjoy the privileges accorded to him according to his position. He is to be arrested and brought to me for trial and review, followed by sentencing. The other Knights are being notified this as expediently as possible, though, as always, it may some time for this message to reach all of them.

I am sure that you understand that Swift Stride has most likely not abandoned his plan to kill you and may, even now, be looking for another opportunity to take your life. I am sorry that you would find yourself in such danger so soon after your ordeal with Elderflower. I can only hope that the rest of my Knights are able to apprehend him promptly, before he can make another attempt. Please be on your guard.

Sincerely; Princess Celestia

"What does she mean, 'revoke his status?'" demanded Twilight irritably, staring at the letter, "She should have stripped him of his title immediately."

"Functionally, it's the same thing," said Arkenstone softly, "Though Swift Stride still bears the title of a Celestial Knight, he no longer has any of the status normally accorded one. Celestia will not consider actually stripping him of his title until he has been tried, at which point his discharge from the Celestial Order will be part of his sentence. If he is killed before he can be apprehended then she will try him en-absentia and revoke his title posthumously."

"But why wait for a trial?" asked Twilight, "It's clear as day that he's committed a serious crime."

"It's a matter of law and procedure," replied Arkenstone, "It serves as a reminder that, even with our status and position, we Knights are still beholden to the law. Our privileges allow us to supersede certain laws and authorities, but there are laws that even we must bow to. It reinforces the fact that, however independently we act, we are still ultimately bound to Equestria and its ponies." He sighed. "I know it sounds like so much empty rhetoric, but it is an essential piece of our identity, our obligations as Knights."

Though she didn't really like the answer, Twilight nodded. Though the Knights of the Celestial Order were not as bound by ceremony and tradition as other knightly orders (most of which were now defunct in the wake of the dismantling of the Noble Court), they were still ultimately bound by their tenets.

"Has this ever happened before?" asked Twilight, "A Knight betraying the Order?"

"I cannot say I recall any precedent for this," admitted Arkenstone, "Though, as you can see, the Princess did foresee the possibility and has measures in place for it. When push comes to shove, it will fall to us to bring Swift Stride to justice."

Twilight hoped that would come sooner rather than later. The last thing she wanted to do was spend months sitting and looking over her shoulder for one of the most dangerous ponies in the world to make another attempt on her life.

The very same day that Celestia's reply arrived, so too did Spitfire. She wasn't alone. Though the Wonderbolts remained in Cloudsdale, she was accompanied by two ponies, one of whom Twilight and her friends were especially happy to see.

"Rainbow Dash!" squealed Pinkie Pie, leaping forward to tackle the cerulean pegasus in a hug that sent them both sprawling across the ground.

"Pinkie! Easy!" yelled Rainbow once she recovered from having the wind knocked out of her lungs.

"But you haven't written in forever!" protested Pinkie, continuing to squeeze her arms tighter around Rainbow's shoulders, making her bones creak.

"I wrote you last week," replied Rainbow as sardonically as she could, given the circumstances.

"Yeah, I know," agreed Pinkie with one of her trademark, face-splitting grins, "Like I said...Forever!"

Spitfire and the her other companion, Firefly, made no effort to stifle their chuckles as Rainbow wriggled and struggled to get free of Pinkie's steel grip.

"Thank you for coming," said Twilight, coming forward and extending a hoof to Spitfire.

Spitfire took the proffered hoof and gave it a friendly shake, her expression becoming grave. "It's not like I could afford not to," she said, "Having one of us Knights go off the reservation like this is a serious problem. Plus, this is Swift Stride we're talking about. I don't think that just one of us is up to the job of bringing him in."

"I can certainly attest to that," said Arkenstone as he traded nods with Spitfire and Firefly.

Firefly said nothing, but smiled warmly before turning her attention to other matters. Besides Twilight, her friends, and Arkenstone, Dawn was there as well, along with the other members of the Crusaders (though Dawn was technically the only actual "Crusader" remaining). Even Scootaloo and Rumble had been released from their grounding long enough to say hello to Rainbow Dash as she arrived. Now that Rainbow had finally managed to pry Pinkie Pie off of herself, she was presently engaged in sharing an enthusiastic hug with the orange filly.

"It's good to see you doing well," said Firefly with a smile as she approached Dawn, "I understand you've been through quite the harrowing ordeal."

"Given how quickly Swift Stride stood down, harrowing is not the word I would use for it," said Dawn with a raised eyebrow.

That got a laugh out of Firefly. "I don't believe I was talking about Swift."

Dawn blinked. "Oh...you mean Terra Heart then?"

"Correct," said Firefly, "Though, from what I've heard from Arkenstone about the matter, you managed to acquit yourself quite well."

"I ended up paying the price for it," said Dawn, thinking back to his weeks of convalescence, which had been some of the longest and most difficult of his life, which, considering everything else he had been through, was really saying something...and his actual injuries hadn't even been all that bad.

"We all go through those times, sooner or later," said Firefly with a shrug, "I've experienced Wing Stroke myself. The recovery period is no picnic." She gave Dawn a conspiratorial wink, using a wing to gesture discreetly towards Scootaloo and Rumble. "I also understand that your fillyfriend and that colt over there acquitted themselves quite well in Canterlot recently."

"Indeed," agreed Dawn, giving Firefly a wry smile, "Though they are now paying the price for it in their own way."

Firefly burst out laughing, drawing the eyes of everypony in the vicinity. It took her a moment to calm down. When she did, she waited until everypony was distracted by their own conversations again before leaning down to speak to Dawn in a whispering tone. "Quite true. I don't believe I've ever experienced being grounded for sneaking off to save a foalnapping victim from her captors. Your friends have truly broken new ground." Pulling back with a chuckle, she beamed down at Dawn. "Still, you must be quite proud of your student, considering how well she performed."

Dawn looked over and smiled fondly as he watched Scootaloo chatting animatedly with Rainbow. "That I am. Though I think I'm proud of her for other reasons as well."

Firefly brushed a hoof through Dawn's mane as she watched him. The little ones grow up so fast these days. They make me feel old...in a good way.

In the meantime, Spitfire was deep in conversation with Arkenstone and Twilight.

"So you're not staying?" asked Twilight, shifting nervously.

"I'm afraid I can't," said Spitfire, "Having me stick around town for no reason would look weird. I need to stick with my team. Having all the Wonderbolts come down to join me here for any length of time would look even weirder. I could claim that I'm taking a leave of absence, which I've done occasionally. Even I need a vacation every once in a while. But that excuse would only last for so long."

"I figured as much," said Arkenstone with a nod.

"However, Firefly is gonna stick around. The only reason she was with us to begin with was for Rainbow Dash's training. They can do that just as easily here as they can in Cloudsdale. Firefly is our most senior Knight, so if any of us has any chance of catching Swift Stride, it's her. Even if he does prove to be too much, between her and Arkenstone, they should be able to hold the jerk off until I can get to you."

"Normally I would agree," said Arkenstone, "But Swift Stride greatly surpassed my expectations. He took me down in a matter of seconds."

"Yeah..." Spitfire wished she had some encouragement to offer on the subject. Arkenstone had been caught unprepared by one of Swift's tricks. But unprepared was pretty much a default state of affairs when dealing with the notorious trickster. For every one of Swift Stride's gimmicks or techniques they'd figured out, he could just as easily have a dozen more secreted away and was probably developing new ones all the time. It was like trying to put together a puzzle where all the pieces kept changing shape.

"It's the best we can hope for," she said finally, "Firefly's no pushover. I'm leaving you some more of Ouranos' feathers. Aside from that, all we can do is keep our feathers crossed...those of us who have feathers."

"It's not a perfect solution," said Twilight, "But there rarely ever is one."

Firefly had been idly listening to their conversation with one ear as she quietly chatted with Dawn and Fluttershy, who had warmed up quite nicely to the older mare. Seeing that Spitfire was wrapping up, she nodded to Dawn and Fluttershy before going back to Spitfire.

"Taking off?" asked Firefly with a smile.

"Yeah," said Spitfire, "Look after them for me...and don't get too soft on my rookie just because she's back in her hometown."

Firefly bobbed her head. Spitfire took a moment to say her goodbyes, to Rainbow in particular before shooting off into the sky, leaving a streak of flames in her wake. Turning to Rainbow, she said, "You can take the rest of the day off. We'll get back to your training tomorrow. Go ahead and spend some time with your friends."

"Thanks!" exclaimed Rainbow before grinning down at Scootaloo. "Um...hey...squirt? Are you okay with me using your house...you know, just while we're staying here."

To her surprise, Scootaloo blushed and sheepishly averted her gaze. "About that...it's kinda...occupied right now."

"Huh?"

"Rumble's family is staying there, since their house got trashed during the fight." Scootaloo sighed. "Their house hasn't been fixed yet and it won't be for a couple more weeks. Sorry Rainbow."

"Hey, it's okay," said Rainbow, wrapping an arm around Scootaloo's shoulders, "First off, it's your house now, so that's your call to make. Secondly, it's awesome that you'll let your friend live there after losing his home. It's okay. Firefly and I will figure something out."

Mentally, Rainbow began to tally their options. Since her old cloud house was not available for the time being, they would have to stay elsewhere. Her friends' places were not exactly viable options, given that many of them were in similar situations. Sugarcube Corner had been wrecked and, like Rumble's home, was still in the process of being rebuilt. Twilight's library was short on guest space, especially since Arkenstone was staying there now. Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Flaxseed, and Coco Pommel were all staying in Rarity's parents' house while they waited for repairs on the Carousel Boutique to be finished, which meant that house was also fairly packed right now. Fluttershy's cottage had never really had a guest room to begin with and the extra room she had furnished now belonged to Dawn. As a last resort, Rainbow supposed that she and Firefly could bed down in one of Applejack's barns or possibly get rooms in the Apple Family bunkhouse, where Pinkie Pie and the Cakes were currently staying. That was probably the most viable option for the time being.

"Excuse me."

Rainbow's introspective examination of the situation was cut off by the sound of a familiar voice. Looking up, Rainbow saw the familiar face of Melon Cream as she approached the group.

"Mom? What's up?" asked Scootaloo.

"I heard that Rainbow Dash had come back and I wanted to say hello," said Melon with a smile, "I also just heard what you were talking about. You don't have a place to stay right now, Rainbow?"

"Not really," said Rainbow, "Me and Firefly will figure something out."

"I don't think you need to," said Melon, reaching out and pulling Scootaloo up against her in a motherly hug, "We have a guest room at our house. I think it's big enough for the both of you, if you don't mind sharing a bed."

Firefly, who had come to stand beside Rainbow, smiled back and nodded her agreement to the proposition. "I don't think we mind at all."

"I'm surprised Scootaloo didn't offer it up herself," said Melon, who glanced down at her daughter.

Scootaloo blushed and looked away. "Well...I didn't think I was allowed to. I'm already in trouble and I didn't want to get any deeper."

Melon giggled. "It's all right, dear. I don't mind you offering our guest room, especially for a pony like Rainbow Dash. Besides, it's been a while since we last got the chance to sit and talk."

"Yeah," said Rainbow, thinking about the times she would occasionally come over to chat with Melon, "That'd be nice."

"Well, since the housing issue seems to be settled, I'll leave you with your friends," said Firefly, "I want to scout things out for a little while." As she turned away from Melon, Scootaloo, and Rainbow, Firefly looked pointedly at Dawn, who noticed her gaze and returned it. Spreading her wings, Firefly took to the skies, leaving the group behind.

As she did, Firefly's ears caught Melon's words as the ground fell away. "So...I hear you've been training with a Celestial Knight. You'll have to tell me all about what that's like."

As the sun began to dip towards the horizon, Firefly settled on a hill near the outskirts of town, one that allowed her to get a good look at all of Ponyville as it sprawled before her. She supposed that, on most days, this made for a picturesque view of a horizon filled with white-walled houses sporting quaint thatched roofs. However, the view today wasn't quite so impressive. Many homes still looked broken with walls caved in or sections off the roof missing. Others almost looked like they had been pulled apart and put back together wrong. The wooden skeletons and scaffolding that marked where houses were being repaired or outright rebuilt dotted the landscape and the detritus of construction littered everything in between.

"Not exactly a pleasant sight," said Dawn Lightwing as the ebony colt settled in for a landing next to Firefly, who smiled when she realized she'd barely noticed his approach.

For a colt who was supposed to be out of practice after not being able to use his magic at all for several weeks, he had moved surprisingly smoothly, his flight barely disturbing the air currents around him. Furthermore, the colt didn't seem to even be aware of it himself. It seems that he had the opportunity to refine a few other things, she thought as she looked down at him.

"I suppose the sight seems even less pleasant when you feel at least partially responsible for it," she said softly.

Dawn's posture stiffened slightly before he relaxed himself again. As expected, he felt at least a little guilty, given the fact that Terra Heart had come for him. Arkenstone's fight with Terra, which was what had actually caused so much damage in the first place, was a direct consequence of that.

"This sort of thing happens sometimes," said Firefly, ruffling the colt's mane before extending a wing and wrapping it around him, "I won't contest your right to feel guilty about it, but I should remind you that feeling guilty won't change what happened. Ponies are picking up and moving on with their lives and that's what really matters."

"I suppose so," said Dawn, though his heart wasn't in it as he spoke.

"Here's something else to keep in mind," said Firefly, "I've been in this position before, where you feel responsible for a large amount of destruction, even if it was something you never wanted to happen. The important thing to remember is what truly needs to be protected. Property and buildings are all well and good, but they can't hold a candle to pony lives. You, Arkenstone, and the others had plans to ensure that ponies weren't endangered by just the sort of situation you ended up facing. As a consequence, the only life in jeopardy, the only pony who was truly being threatened, was you. Arkenstone, those two mercenaries, they stepped up to protect you. Yes, they may have been hurt as a consequence, but they were hurt knowing that their mission was a success because of their efforts. Thinking about it like that is much more fulfilling than stewing in guilt over it, don't you think."

Dawn nodded. "Thank you," he said, a small smile playing across his lips, "But I get the feeling you didn't want me to find you just so you could give me a pep talk."

Firefly chuckled. She was glad that Dawn had gotten the gist of their little nonverbal exchange earlier. "That is true. I actually wanted to talk to you about Swift Stride."

"Just me?" asked Dawn, raising an eyebrow.

"For now," said Firefly, "I'll be able to talk to Arkenstone and Twilight Sparkle about it soon enough. However, I want your impressions regarding him and his actions."

Dawn frowned and looked down at the grass in front of his hooves. "He stayed with us the night before that. I got the impression that he was a good pony or, at least, not somepony who would do something like that."

"Well...he is a liar after all," said Firefly, "Perhaps the most skilled deceiver in all of Equestria, maybe even the world. It also makes me wonder...just which part about that was the lie?"

"What do you mean?" asked Dawn, looking up at her in confusion.

"That he's a good pony or that he's capable of attacking an innocent the way he did," mused Firefly, "Just which part of that is the lie?"

Dawn pursed his lips. "Isn't a bit presumptuous to assume that one of those is the truth?"

"He could be lying about both, I suppose," said Firefly, "But I genuinely get the feeling that, maybe, at least one of them is true."

"And you think that he is a good pony?" asked Dawn.

"I think so," said Firefly, "Celestia has had her errors in judgment before. She has even misjudged ponies terribly. However, she places a great deal of trust in her Knights and so she vets us very carefully. With all the power and privilege afforded to us, it is telling that, since the foundation of our Order, not a single Knight has betrayed her vows before this."

"First time for everything," muttered Dawn, earning a dark chuckle from Firefly.

"That may be true...but I wonder..." said Firefly, once again looking up to study Ponvyille. The darkness was descending and the lamps were being lit for the night ahead. Like the homes and streets they illuminated, the lampposts had not passed through the battle unscathed. Thus, they formed small clusters of light, surrounded by pools of darkness.

"What do you wonder about?" asked Dawn as Firefly's silence stretched out.

"It just seems a bit convenient to me," she said, "Even if you were there, even if you were determined to fight, I cannot see Swift Stride giving up so easily. What about you? When you think back about the incident, was there anything that stood out to you."

Dawn's eyes narrowed and he looked down pensively. In his mind, he began to play back the events of the previous day, from walking in on Swift trying to stab Twilight in the back to his abrupt departure. In fact, Dawn had barely even begun to think about it when he already hit upon something that struck him as unusual.

As Firefly had said, it was convenient, too convenient, that Dawn had walked in exactly when he did, just as Swift was standing there, blade extended and poised to strike. It was a picture-perfect interruption, the timing of which was just too miraculous to take on its own. Then there was the strike itself. Though Dawn had shouted and moved to intervene, there had been a tiny, almost imperceptible gap between Dawn's shout and Swift actually striking. In that gap, Twilight had turned around and seen Swift there. Swift hadn't struck until Twilight had seen him. As skilled and deadly as the stallion was, Dawn couldn't imagine Swift hesitating long enough that somepony like Twilight, for all the training in battle magic that she had, to block and evade him. He should have been able to kill her before she had even begun to turn her head...But instead, he had waited. Why?

"You're suggesting that he wanted to put on some kind of display to make us think that he was going to kill Twilight Sparkle, when he actually wasn't," said Dawn, "But why would he want us to think that?"

"I wonder..." mused Firefly, "...if we were even the ones he was putting that little act on for."

"You think Swift Stride had another audience?"

"Possibly," said Firefly, "I just wanted to bounce the idea off of you. Arkenstone is taking this rather personally, given that Twilight is his fillyfriend. I can understand that and I think it's something that Swift was banking on. More importantly, the fact that Swift has not talked to anypony about this plan probably means that he wants us to play along for now."

"So...if you do find him, you'll apprehend him?" asked Dawn.

"If," agreed Firefly, "Which is very unlikely. I've never known Swift Stride to ever be found unless he wants to be found. All we can do now is what is expected of us."

"I suppose it makes sense," said Dawn, "But...I wonder who Swift Stride's performance was for then."

"We'll probably find out in time," said Firefly, "I already have an idea on that." She smiled down at Dawn. "So I take it that Rainbow Dash is still with her friends."

"Yes," replied Dawn with a small smile of his own, "Pinkie Pie has turned it into an impromptu party. It's small...but very noisy."

"That certainly sounds like the Pinkie Pie that Rainbow told me all about," said Firefly with a laugh, "I suppose there's nothing for it. We'll have to rejoin the celebrations."

"If you say so," said Dawn with a shrug. He'd gotten more used to Pinkie's antics, including her prolific party penchant. Fortunately, this gathering was smaller than her usual celebrations, which made it more bearable for him.

The two of them took to the air and winged their way back to the library. Sure enough, as they got closer, they could pick out the sound of music coming from the tree, along with the shouting voices of several ponies. Given that all of Twilight's neighbors were currently staying in the camp outside of town while they waited for their homes to be rebuilt, there was nopony around to issue noise complaints.

As Dawn and Firefly came in for a landing, the front door slammed open and Twilight Sparkle(1) came stomping out, a look of absolute consternation on her face, teeth bared and eyes glaring as she stamped away from the library, fuming under her breath. She was so wrapped up in her frustration that she almost missed the two pegasi who'd landed right in front of her.

"I can't take it anymore! She always does things like this and it drives me crazy! No! I don't get how anypony can just look at it and not question it! I was right from the very beginning! The ponies in this town are CRAZY!" She froze and blinked when she realized Dawn and Firefly were standing right in front of her. Her anger faded and she gave them both a sheepish grin. "Oh! Hi you two. Welcome back?"

Firefly lifted a hoof to stifle her giggle while Dawn canted his head as he asked, "Is something the matter?"

Twilight opened her mouth, looking as though she was about to unleash another angry tirade. However, she hesitated, seeming to think better of it before letting out a gusty sigh. "No. Not really. It's just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie."

"I don't follow..." said Dawn.

"Just look for yourself. You'll see." Twilight continued to walk away from the library. "I just need to take a break from all her craziness."

"Don't wander too far," said Firefly as she looked over her shoulder.

"I won't," Twilight called back.

As Dawn and Firefly came up to the door, it opened again and Arkenstone came trotting out to follow Twilight. Firefly and Dawn relaxed a little, knowing they would have less to worry about as long as Arkenstone was with her. It seems that, no matter what we do, we just seem to trade one crisis for another, thought Dawn resignedly as he followed Firefly into the library.

Once they were inside, it only took them a few seconds to see the sight that had frustrated Twilight to such an extent. Rainbow Dash was relaxing at the table, one wing wrapped around Scootaloo as the orange filly leaned up against her idol, smiling contentedly. She was regaling Rarity and Fluttershy with stories of her experiences with the Wonderbolts, including many of the unique personalities she had encountered there. Besides the two mares, Rumble and Sweetie Belle were also seated at the table, hanging onto Rainbow's every word.

Off to one side, Melon Cream was casually chatting with Cloud Chaser and Thunderlane, possibly comparing notes about their grounded foals. On another side of the library, Flitter and Coco Pommel were enjoying a conversation of their own.

On the floor in the center of the library, Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Spike whooped and hollered as they danced to the music, clearly enjoying themselves. Watching them having their fun made Dawn smile until he noticed and odd shadow that seemed to belong to a fourth pony on the dance floor, despite the fact that there was no one else there. Looking up, Dawn's eyes widened as he saw just what had driven Twilight around the bend.

Pinkie Pie(2) was also dancing, which would have been perfectly natural, if she wasn't prancing about the ceiling light, giggling like a foal, dancing on the ceiling as naturally as though it were the floor. The sight made Dawn's wings dangle and his jaw hang slack as he just stared up at it.

"Looks like Rainbow wasn't exaggerating about what that mare can do," said Firefly wryly as she watched the display.

Pinkie Pie stopped dancing as she suddenly noticed the two newcomers. Without the slightest hesitation, she jumped off the ceiling, descending with a cartwheeling flip and landing with a gymnast's precision right in front of Dawn and Firefly. "You're back!" she exclaimed, "I'm so glad. We need more ponies to make this a proper Welcome Back Rainbow Dash Party, especially since Twilight became such a grumpy-pants and had to leave all of a sudden."

"I'm sure she and Arkenstone will be back," said Dawn, now finally able to close his mouth.

"Sure they will," said Pinkie, "I'm gonna set up some games."

As she turned to go, Dawn looked over to Firefly and muttered to her, "I wouldn't mind so much if she wasn't clearly breaking the law of gravity."

Pinkie stopped and grinned over her shoulder at Dawn. "Sure, but I never studied law."

Once the party wound down, Firefly and Rainbow Dash joined Scootaloo and her mother at their home. Over the next few days, things quieted down considerably. Even with the presence of an extra Knight in Ponyville, the threat presented by Swift Stride still loomed large in Twilight's mind and she found herself looking over her shoulder nearly constantly whenever she went out. Arkenstone stayed with her as much as possible, accompanying Twilight constantly, whether she was out on a shopping excursion or visiting one of her friends.

For Dawn and his friends, things adopted a much greater sense of normalcy. Dawn's magic was soon fully recovered and he was able to once again start training in earnest. As such, he and Scootaloo fully resumed their original schedule for training, meeting in the morning to go through their forms and going to the quarry in the afternoon for heavier, more intensive training. Dawn had run through his forms on a regular basis while he'd been recovering. Because of that, it didn't take him long to get back up to his full capacity. If anything, he felt as though he had a better understanding of himself now that he'd had the opportunity to train without his magic for a period of time.

Furthermore, now that she had demonstrated an impressive degree of growth since she started learning the Gale King, Dawn now felt that Scootaloo was ready to move on to the next level of her training.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Scootaloo with a nervous swallow, staring at the wooden post Dawn had hammered into the ground. It was a fairly tall pole of wood, slightly thicker than the average fence post.

She'd been slightly confused when Dawn had told her that he would meet her at the quarry before going off on his own. Still, Scootaloo had done as he had said and gone to the quarry. While she waited, she went through her forms, using her magic in conjunction with the motions, sending powerful gusts of compressed air sweeping across the open ground, smashing rocks into gravel and cracking large boulders. It was second nature to her now and she'd grown to love getting wrapped up in the feeling of becoming one with the wind and dancing through the air. The rhythm of her hooves against the ground, the ebb and flow of the air around her were like music to her, music that she followed with her mind and body, not just her ears. She also knew from experience that it was music that could hold Dawn captivated whenever he watched her.

When she had finished running through her forms, she noticed that Dawn had arrived, carrying the wooden post with him. Along with the post, he had brought a hammer and spike. Using the spike and hammer, Dawn bored a hole into the packed earth in a space that hadn't been completely churned up by Scootaloo's practice. After that, he'd used the hammer to drive the post into the hole he'd made. While Dawn was no earth pony, years of practice had given him a body of taut, dense muscle that allowed him to work through the task quickly.

Completely baffled as to what the colt was up to, Scootaloo almost forgot to breathe when she learned what the post was for and what Dawn was expecting her to learn.

"I'm sure," said Dawn, "The second base technique of the Gale King is tricky to learn, but I think you're more than up to it. It's essentially a natural extension of what you're already learning, it simply requires more focus and control, as you're essentially doing two things at once whenever you use it."

"Okay..." said Scootaloo, sweat breaking out across her brow.

Dawn's eyes narrowed. "It should go without saying that using this technique against another pony is forbidden. In fact, until I give you permission, you should not attempt to practice it outside of my supervision and never in a situation where other ponies might be around."

Scootaloo didn't feel any sense of frustration at Dawn's restrictions. She'd gone through this before during the previous phases of her training, where Dawn had frequently restricted her practice to keep the chance of her hurting herself or other ponies to a minimum. However, this was a different situation. Scootaloo had no desire to go against Dawn's instructions, primarily because she was just as nervous about learning this technique as Dawn clearly was about teaching it.

After all, this was the technique that Dawn used most rarely. Even though lightning was technically the more advanced and difficult skill, Dawn still preferred it to the second base technique of the Gale King, the vacuum blades. The technique produced blades of air capable of slicing through nearly any material substance, even nearly indestructible materials, like mithril. Scootaloo had seen Dawn use the technique before, but only during the most desperate of circumstances...or when he was truly angered enough to be vicious. A shudder ran down her spine as she recalled the memory of Dawn almost using those blades of wind to slice the wings from her father's back.

It was understandable. Unlike a blade of solid material, a strike from the Gale King's vacuum blades could not be blunted. There was no "back" or "flat" of the blade to strike with, which meant that, when the attack hit, it always cut its target. Therefore, using it in a nonlethal fashion was almost impossible unless one was incredibly discriminating about what they cut, a skill that even Dawn had yet to master.

"I understand if you're nervous," said Dawn, "That's good. This technique should be treated with respect because of how dangerous it is to others. I've never felt comfortable about using it." Coming from a colt who could toss lightning around with ease, that truly meant something.

Swallowing hard, Scootaloo turned to face the post. "So how do I do it then?"

"It starts with how you hold your wing," said Dawn, extending his own wing, spreading the feathers out, giving the appendage the look of a bladed weapon, "This technique looks like a line from the front, but it actually spreads out in the form of a plane from the point of origin, which is the wing."

"Obviously," muttered Scootaloo. Nonetheless, she held out her wing in the same way that Dawn did.

"The next part should be easy for you," said Dawn, "Begin by rotating the air directly above your wing."

Through her wind sense, Scootaloo felt Dawn beginning to do exactly that. "Does it matter which way?"

"No. Whichever way you are comfortable with is fine."

With a nod, Scootaloo extended her magic out into the environment around her, stirring the air directly above her wing into motion, relying on just her magic, not using the motion of the wing itself. Following what she sensed Dawn doing, Scootaloo didn't extend her reach out too far, but instead focused on spinning the air just above her wing, creating what seemed like a rotating disk of moving air.

"Now comes the trickier part," said Dawn, "Again, using your magic, begin spinning the air below your wing...in the opposite direction."

Pressing her lips together tightly, Scootaloo used her wind-sense to feel what Dawn was doing and did her best to imitate him. True to his words, it was tricky. Her body's impulse was to spin the air under her wing in the same direction as the air on top of her wing. However, focusing carefully, she was able to do it. However, that was only the first difficulty.

As the disks of air spun, they pulled the air around them into their rotation, like two tiny tornados. The primary source for the air that they were drawing from, came from the air between the two rotating disks, along with her wing itself. Scootaloo felt a faint tugging sensation from both sides of her wing, along with another tug forming along her wing's leading edge.

She was unable to maintain the rotations for long and eventually dropped her wing, letting out a breath as she relaxed, realizing that her body's muscles had gone taut in her efforts to focus on her tasks.

"Good," said Dawn, giving Scootaloo an approving smile. "That's the first step."

"That's tough," said Scootaloo.

Dawn gently nuzzled her cheek. "So was getting off the ground at first," he pointed out, referencing her first flying lessons with him, "You have no problem now. The more you practice it, the more natural it will feel to you."

"So I'm guessing the technique is spinning the air really fast and then launching it off the edge of your wing," said Scootaloo.

Dawn nodded. "That's the basic gist of it. The rotating currents draw the air out from the space between them, creating a vacuum. That vacuum is what forms the blade's edge. In order for it to be effective, the space must very narrow and thin, less than the width of paper."

Remembering how Dawn had taught her the rapid movement skill used by the Gale King, Scootaloo nodded. "Start with big motions, then make them small, right?"

Dawn's smile widened and he kissed her on the cheek. "Exactly." His touch sent a warm thrill through Scootaloo. "My Master described it like this. Imagine that you are grinding those two small whirlwinds together, as though you were trying to sharpen a blade between them. The tighter you grind them together, the sharper your blade's edge will be."

"Okay," said Scootaloo.

"However, the first thing is to get used to the feeling of rotating the air in two different directions with the same wing," said Dawn, "So, for the time being, I want you to practice that for now. Start with one wing, then the other. Alternate evenly between them. Eventually, you'll work on doing them both at once."

Scootaloo nodded, a little bit of nervous sweat beading on her brow. It sounded like Dawn was working her up for a tricky juggling act. Good thing I already know a bit about juggling, she thought wryly. After all, she'd spent the autumn practicing using air currents to levitate stones over her wings in order to gauge how to moderate the force of her blows. She hadn't been confident enough in her skills to practice such moderation during her fight with Inkwell, but she now realized that that practice had actually prepared her for learning this technique and all the complexities that came with it.

"By the way, what's the post for?" asked Scootaloo, looking at the object in question.

"That is for when we are ready to begin testing the technique itself, once you begin launching it," explained Dawn, "I know I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, but I thought I would take advantage of the surplus of tools and materials in town while they're still here. I don't know how long this will take."

"Oh," said Scootaloo, looking at the pole again. Even if she broke it, the hole Dawn had made for it would remain, so he could replace it at will, now that it was dug. They would just have to make sure that it wasn't destroyed when Scootaloo went through her forms.

"Ready to begin?" asked Dawn, bringing Scootaloo's mind back to the present.

Squaring her shoulders, Scootaloo spread her wings and took a deep breath to clear her mind. "Yeah."

"Looks like those kids are working hard?" observed Firefly with a small grin as she peered down on them from above.

"Of course they are," said Rainbow Dash with a confident smirk as she leaned back into the cloud the two of them were on, lounging as though it were her personal couch, "That's my little sis down there. She knows the importance of training hard."

"So she does," agreed Firefly, "What about you? Just because we came back to your hometown doesn't mean that you get to skimp on your own training."

Rainbow's smirk vanished and she rolled back onto her hooves. "Right," she said.

"Have you made any progress?" asked Firefly.

With an angry sigh, Rainbow shook her head. "No. It doesn't matter how hard I try or how much I think about it, I just don't get what you're talking about. I can't see these 'Wings of the Heart' no matter what I do."

"Give it time," said Firefly, "There's no need to rush. I know that you have them. Every pegasus does. Concentrate on that feeling you get when you're soaring through the air, when you've gone through another loop or even pulled off a Sonic Rainboom. It's not something you'll find simply by thinking about it hard enough. Your wings are something you feel."

"Okay," said Rainbow with no small amount of uncertainty. She closed her eyes and extended her wings, taking deep breaths to clear her mind. Following Firefly's instructions, Rainbow allowed herself to get lost in the feeling of flight, her magic lifting her off the cloud's surface as she embraced the sensation, remembering the thrill of every twist, loop, and dive of her career. She'd flown harder, practiced longer than just about any pegasus her age. She'd flown high and low, reveled in the feeling of her wings cutting through the air, working clouds with her hooves, looking down from above and seeing all of Equestria laid out before her.

Firefly grinned as she watched Rainbow. Though the younger mare didn't realize it yet, the fruits of her training were already beginning to show. Shimmering, rippling light danced across the surface of Rainbow's wings, swirls of color matching the lines of her namesake mane twisting and curling across her wings, occasionally lining up in stripes to dye her feathers in all the colors of the Rainbow.

She's getting closer, thought Firefly, She's tapped into her magic more deeply than just about any other pegasus around, even those kids down below. She's already using her wings as the medium. All she needs now is the image. Find those wings, kid. I know you can.

Author's Notes:

1) Organizus Maximus
2) Partius Extravaganzus

---

I miss the good old days when Looney Tunes was king of the cartoon world (outside of the Disney Channel, at least). It makes me feel old. Oh well, that's life.

Next chapter: "Pull the lever!"

Of Hearts and Hooves

Chapter 23: Of Hearts and Hooves

As the days passed, Scootaloo and Dawn's training continued to progress. In addition to working Scootaloo through the wind manipulation skills needed to create the Gale King's wind blades, Dawn also began walking her through the physical techniques of using those blades, similar to how he had walked her through the first batch of techniques for the Gale King. Then, just as Scootaloo had suspected, Dawn had her link those techniques together into forms.

Ironically, that made it all the easier for her. As Dawn had once demonstrated to her, though there were differences to how the wings were held and moved, the steps to all the forms were the same, allowing her to move almost seamlessly into practicing the First Form of the Gale King, but moving her wings as though she were using the vacuum blades, rather than bursts of wind. The most difficult thing about the practice was fighting muscle memory as it tried to drag her back into performing the First Form as she had originally learned it. But that proved to be a minor difficulty at best.

In many ways, Dawn's instruction seemed to be little more than a courtesy, as Scootaloo had been able to work out how to proceed for herself. Dawn had often told her that this was one of the greatest strengths of the Gale King. Once a practitioner had learned and memorized all five forms, it was possible for her to practically teach herself how to use more advanced skills, as everything was either a refinement or variation of the techniques that had come before. Through continuous practice, a greater understanding became clear and, so long as the user practiced diligently, no further instruction was needed...

...Not that Scootaloo minded having Dawn around to continue instructing her regardless. With his input, she progressed much faster than she would have on her own. Scootaloo counted herself lucky to have such a dedicated teacher, who also happened to be her coltfriend. When they were training, that latter aspect of their relationship didn't factor into what they did, though Dawn sometimes used little kisses and nuzzles as forms of encouragement, something that Scootaloo loved. What really mattered to her was that a certain day was looming large in the near future, a day where Scootaloo's romantic relationship with Dawn would come to the fore.

"...Sure! I can do that. No problem." Pinkie Pie grinned widely as she bounced in place, her teeth gleaming.

"Thanks," said Scootaloo with a relieved smile, glad that she had thought to do this beforehoof, rather than try to do it on Hearts and Hooves Day itself.

"I'll just add you two to the list," said Pinkie, turning to Mayweather, who was watching from behind Sugarcube Corner's counter, "Put Scootaloo down for one Picnic Lunch-DS."

Mayweather raised an eyebrow. "DS?"

"Dawn Special!"

"You have a special lunch just for Dawn?" asked Scootaloo.

"Of course I do!" exclaimed Pinkie, holding a hoof out imperiously, "What kind of party planner would I be if I didn't take a pony's tastes into account when I plan for them?" She moved a few steps to the right so that she stood an empty part of the floor. "Pull the lever, Mayweather!"

Looking to the wall behind her, Mayweather reached out for one of the two levers mounted there. Scootaloo watched, tilting her head in confusion. Wait! Were those always there?

Mayweather pulled one of the levers down. With a click, a trapdoor opened beneath Pinkie's hooves. Looking down, she had just enough time for her eyes to go wide and a gasp to escape her throat before she plunged through the opening. "WRONG LEVEEEEEEEEEEER!" Her words terminated with a loud splash sounding out from somewhere down below. The doors swung shut.

Scootaloo looked over at Mayweather, who was staring at the floor, aghast. Neither of them said a word.

A few seconds later, the front door slammed open and a dripping wet Pinkie Pie came stomping in, her mane and tail now soaked down so that they hung straight, her toothless pet alligator, Gummy, clamped onto one of her haunches.

"Why do we even have that lever?" she groused, shaking vigorously, the motion dislodging Gummy, who went tumbling through the air, only to land on the counter with all four feet, his naturally vacant gaze staring across the room as though absolutely nothing of interest had occurred.

Now that she was finished shaking, Pinkie's mane and tail had returned to their natural state and she stomped over to the exact same spot on the floor as before, before nodding at Mayweather with a serious expression.

With a sigh, Mayweather reached over and pulled the second lever. This time, rather than dropping out from under Pinkie, the trapdoor instead tilted down part way so that the party pony slid down off of it with a jubilant squeal that echoed through the shop until the floor returned to its original position.

Scootaloo blinked and looked at Mayweather. "What's down there?"

"Beats me," said Mayweather with a shrug, "I haven't been down there yet."

They stood there for a few minutes, watching the floor and waiting for something to happen. Then the trap door dropped down to a slanted position again and Pinkie Pie came sliding right back up. "Got it!" she said, proudly displaying a rolled up scroll.

"What's that?" asked Scootaloo.

Pinkie tossed the scroll to Scootaloo, who caught it and began to unroll it. Her eyes widened as she perused the scroll's contents. "Hey! These are party plans for Dawn! You've come up with all of this?”

"Yep," said Pinkie, "Everything from his favorite food to the colors he likes best and even what music he prefers and what arrangements I can do depending on the kind of party."

"Cool!" said Scootaloo, scanning the scroll, "Wow! You're already planning out his birthday party...and his cutecenera..." Her eyes continued to scan down. "...and his wedding reception..." Her cheeks went bright red. "...his first anniversary..." The color spread to the rest of her face. "...his firstborn FOAL?"

"Whoops!" yelped Pinkie, swiping the scroll away from Scootaloo, "I let you read a little too far ahead. Spoilers."

Steam began to come out of the fillly's ears as she glared at Pinkie Pie, her face practically glowing red.

"So...um...anyway, I'll make sure to have your lunch ready on the big day," said Pinkie, quickly diving over the counter and rushing back into the kitchen, "See ya later!"

"Wait!" Scootaloo froze when she realized that Pinkie was already gone. In her mind, she remembered what Rainbow Dash always used to say about Pinkie. Pinkie Pie, you are so random. Strangely, it seemed almost the opposite in this case...and it creeped Scootaloo out a little. "You know what, I'm just gonna forget about it. Yep, bleach it from my brain, never talk about it again."

"That sounds wise," said Mayweather, nodding sagely.

"I don't know how you put up with her," said Scootaloo, giving the former cultist a wry smile, which Mayweather returned.

"She makes life interesting, I'll say that," said the mare with a giggle, "With her around, I don't think I'll ever fail to see the bright side of things."

"Do you two have any plans?" asked Scootaloo. Come to think of it, she wasn't even sure that Mayweather and Pinkie Pie were actually an item, for all that they had been spending so much time together.

A faint tinge of pink on Mayweather's cheeks appeared to confirm Scootaloo's suspicions. "Not this year," she said, "Since she thinks the two of us can handle it, we're giving the Cakes the day off so that they can have it to themselves." Normally, Mr. and Mrs. Cake spent the day running the shop, which was always especially popular on Hearts and Hooves Day. On top of that, a lot of ponies had the same idea that Scootaloo did, wanting to order picnic lunches or baskets of treats to share with their special someponies ahead of time. Normally, the couple were loaded down with work until well after the holiday was over. When asked about it, they often said that they had had their fun and were giving the younger ponies a chance to enjoy the day.

"Are you going to look after the twins too?" asked Scootaloo.

"Yep," said Mayweather, "I don't understand how Pinkie and I can handle it, but the Cakes seem to believe we can do it and I'd be happy to give them the chance to take the day off for once." When Mayweather had opted to stay in Ponyville after her former fellows from the Cult Solar had returned to Appleloosa, the Cakes had treated her like family, always welcoming her into the shop with open arms, even hiring her on, even though they didn't actually need an extra hoof.

"Good luck with that," said Scootaloo, glad that she wasn't looking after the double bundle of infant terror. Her mother had regaled her with stories of what she had been like at that age and Scootaloo couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to deal with two infant foals at the same time, much less one who was a unicorn on top of one who was a pegasus. Thankfully, according to the Cakes, the twins were nearing the end of their spurt where their respective magics were flaring.

"I guess I'll see you then," said Scootaloo, heading for the door.

"Yeah," said Mayweather, "We'll have your lunch ready to pick up at eleven. Remember that those dumplings won't retain their heat for too long, so you'll want to get to eating them fairly quickly."

"'Kay, thanks," said Scootaloo over her shoulder as she went out the door. Now that that was out of the way, it was time for her to head over to Bon Bon's shop. She had another order to place with the candy maker.

"There!" exclaimed Rarity, her eyes shining as she viewed the finished piece, "Perfect, don't you think."

"It really is," agreed Coco, smiling widely at Rarity, practically glowing with satisfaction as she looked at their latest collaborative piece.

Rarity's smile widened when she saw just how happy Coco was. Now that she no longer had the threat of Baron Elderflower hanging over her, Coco Pommel almost seemed reborn. It was as if her former attitude of fear and paranoia had washed away like a coating of dust, leaving behind a lively mare who was practically glowing with energy and enthusiasm for her craft. Granted, her mannerisms were still much more reserved than Rarity's and she didn't quite have the confidence of a true master artisan, but she was definitely getting better. It did Rarity's heart good to see Coco so happy, especially after all that she had suffered these past few months.

"Berry Punch will just adore this dress, I know it," said Rarity with a squeal as she moved the ponyquin and its load to one side so that she could begin work on the next one. Coco was hard at work on yet another piece as well.

The two of them exulted in once again having all the room they needed to really work. Repairs on the Carousel Boutique had finally been completed, allowing them to move back in after so many weeks spent cooped up in Rarity's parents' house. The place had been homey, but with four ponies and the necessary implements of Rarity's business, they had been on the verge of popping out through the seams. As it was, Coco was still staying at the house while she waited for the workers to finish construction on the house that would be hers on the plot of land that had formerly been owned by Caramel. Unfortunately, said house was on the bottom of the list of priorities as reconstruction efforts continued and displaced ponies struggled to get their homes and businesses up and running.

Fortunately, things were coming along quickly. Sugarcube Corner and several other business establishments had been successfully rebuilt over the past few days and more ponies were moving back into their homes. In fact, it was predicted that the construction might be finished by Hearts and Hooves day or shortly afterwards, much to the relief of everypony in town.

It was a good thing the Boutique was once again ready for business, as business was booming. Hearts and Hooves Day was another big day of business for Rarity, with countless ponies looking for dresses or suits to impress their significant other. On top of that, ponies from out of town had heard of Rarity's skills, especially after she had obtained the Royal Warrant and now she was being swamped with dress orders, including ones from Canterlot; though the members of the Noble Court would probably never be amongst her clients ever again, what with most of them being arrested and all.

Rarity wasn't the only one loaded down with work. To her absolute surprise and wonderment, Coco had received several commissions from Canterlot as well. The apprentice designer was still in a bit of a shock that ponies had noticed her work during the selection process for the Royal Warrant and actually wanted to order her work when they could order Rarity's.

"By the way, dear," said Rarity, "Have you made a dress for yourself?"

"F-for myself?" asked Coco, blinking in surprise at the sudden shift in topic.

"Yes," said Rarity, "I've already started work on my own ensemble." She didn't bother saying who that ensemble was for or that she'd also made an excellent suit as an accompaniment. "One never knows. You might just catch the eye of some handsome young stallion."

"Th-that..." Coco's voice trailed off as she looked down, her work momentarily forgotten.

"Oh! I'm sorry dear," said Rarity, seeing how Coco's mood had suddenly taken a turn for the downcast, "I didn't mean to push you into something that you're uncomfortable with."

"I-it's okay," said Coco after a few seconds, "I just...don't really think I need to catch somepony's eye." She stared out the window.

"Hmm?" Rarity raised an eyebrow before she remembered something. "Oh...Do you think he'll be here?"

"I...I don't know," said Coco with a sigh, "I hope I'll get to see him...But the last time I saw him...it felt like a goodbye to me."

"Goodbyes aren't always for forever," Rarity came up to lay a hoof on Coco's shoulder, "I am sure that, if he truly cares about you, he'd want to find some way to share that with you."

"I hope so," said Coco.

She'd told Rarity, of course, about her experiences as Elderflower's hostage. Rarity had been shocked to learn that Coco and Perlin Bluestreak had known each other before the night he had supposedly forced her to let him into the Boutique so that he could steal a sample of Rarity's new shimmersilk. It had been even more surprising to learn that Perlin had something of a crush on Coco and that her being held by the Baron was just as much about keeping him under control as it was about keeping her quiet. Rarity didn't quite understand how Coco had actually come around to reciprocating the feelings of a young stallion who'd been, more or less, stalking her for several months. However, she got the impression that Coco's feelings were genuine and that she truly cared for Perlin. However, there had been no sign of the boy after everything had ended. He'd made no efforts to contact Coco again and the only information anypony had about him was that he had been the one behind the massacre of the mercenaries that Elderflower and his cronies had been amassing.

Part of Rarity wanted to urge Coco to move on. Whatever Perlin was doing, it was clear that it didn't involve Coco anymore. If anything, his staying away could very well be taken as a concession on Perlin's part for all the distress he'd caused Coco and that he felt she was better off without him. Still, at the same time, Rarity wanted to respect Coco's feelings. She would not have simply started reciprocating Perlin's feelings because his stalking had won her over, but because she had seen something in him worth liking. At least, that was what Rarity hoped was the case.

It won't do her any harm to have this opportunity to sort her feelings out, thought Rarity as she watched Coco resume work, There will be other Hearts and Hooves Days after all.

As the next few days passed, there was a growing sense of excitement hanging over Ponyville. Hearts and Hooves Day was one of the town's favorite holidays and nearly all of Ponyville's inhabitants were making plans for it in one way or another. Even ponies who had no significant other with which to spend the day usually found something that they wanted to do on that particular day, even if it was nothing more than spending the afternoon at the bar with their friends, lamenting their collective lack of success in the romance department.

Decorations went up around the town, decking it out in pink and magenta, paper hearts hanging from every possible surface. Under Mayor Mare's direction, teams of ponies swept the streets, picking up the debris leftover from all the construction work going on as the work itself was suspended for the day. After all, nopony wanted a romantic stroll interrupted by a nail through the hoof (unless they were into that sort of thing...some ponies had weird tastes). The stores that had managed to reopen were displaying all manner of Hearts and Hooves-themed items, from candies to jewelry to tempt passing ponies. The weather team had set up several rainbow formations around the town at scenic spots where they could be admired by gathering couples.

Cheerilee, as always, only held a half day of school for her foals, many of whom would be partaking in the celebration of the day, even though many of them were far too young for romance. Under Pinkie Pie's guidance, several games had been set up around town for the younger foals to enjoy themselves, which would keep them from getting underhoof, something the adults appreciated (and also, hopefully, would keep the foals from asking too many awkward questions later that night).

The day dawned bright and clear and the foals eagerly streamed into the newly rebuilt schoolhouse for their half day of class. As always, the foals exchanged cards and small tokens of affection with one another (those who had a special somepony, anyway). Cheerilee mostly overlooked this, so long as it didn't distract from the few lessons they had that day. After the noon bell rang, students streamed out of the schoolhouse, many of them foregoing lunch and heading straight back home to get ready for the remainder of the day.

"You look sharp, bro," said Thunderlane, giving an approving nod as Rumble tugged a little on his white suit jacket, trying to get it to sit straight on his body. Rumble had put on more muscle in the past few months since he'd last worn this particular suit, which made it sit a little tight on him. He would have liked to take it to Rarity to see if it could be fitted a little better, but she and Coco had looked so busy that he hadn't wanted to bother them with yet another project.

"Thanks," said Rumble, looking up at his older brother, who was, likewise, dressed to kill.

Thunderlane chuckled and used his hooves to tug the outfit into a better position, one that he hoped wouldn't give Rumble the impression that the collar was trying to choke the life out of him. "So, what's the big rule?"

"Be home by seven," quoted Rumble earnestly. For Hearts and Hooves day, even by the standards of foals his age, that was a rather early curfew. But it had been the only concession that Flitter had required in order to lift Rumble's grounding for one day so that he could spend it with Sweetie Belle.

"Right," said Thunderlane, grinning in approval. Leaning down, he spoke in a conspiratorial whisper into his brother's ear. "And what's Super Secret Rule Number 1?"

"Have fun," replied Rumble with a playful grin.

"Right again," said Thunderlane. Lifting his head back up, he looked down at his little brother and smiled fondly. "I don't say it often enough, but I'm proud of you, bro. You're incredible."

"Thanks," said Rumble, blushing and averting his eyes.

Lowering his head again, Thunderlane gave Rumble a little nuzzle. "Between you and me, Cloud Chaser and I probably wouldn't have grounded you, but you know how Flitter gets. Sorry."

"It's okay," said Rumble, "I kinda deserved it. Even if I was doing the right thing, I really scared you all, Flitter especially."

"She doesn't say it, but I think she's proud of you too," said Thunderlane, "I know Storm Front is."

That brought a smile to Rumble's face. Storm Front and Flitter wouldn't be doing anything too strenuous for their date. After several weeks of intensive healing spells, Storm was well enough to walk under his own power for short distances. But he wasn't up to flying yet. Whenever he wanted or needed to go out, somepony had to ferry him down to ground level via cloud. Odds were good they would be home well before Rumble's curfew came around, which nixed any idea that he might be able to stretch the limits of it, not that Rumble was inclined to push his luck in any case.

"Good luck," said Thunderlane, clapping Rumble on the back, "Time for you to go out and meet your filly, right?"

"Yeah," said Rumble, blushing yet again as he made his way to the door, "See you later."

Thunderlane watched Rumble head out and take a flying leap off the porch of the cloud house as the door swung back shut behind him. Turning back to the mirror the stallion chuckled as he continued to work on making himself presentable for his date with Cloud Chaser, checking to make sure that the small box he'd acquired was tucked securely inside his suit.

"I don't know..." said Spike, looking over his suit as he posed in the mirror, "I'm just not sure about it."

"You look fine, Spike," said Twilight with a smile, even as she rolled her eyes, "Lace on the cuffs and antique military buttons would have looked ridiculous anyway.”

"But I'm just not sure about the color..." Spike began.

"THE COLOR IS FINE!" roared Twilight, at the end of her rope with her younger brother's dithering, "We've been all through this before. Once you'd tried that other suit, you'd hate it. Black is a great color! It sets off your spines."

Spike blinked and refocused on his reflection in the mirror. "You really think so?"

"Of course," said Twilight, panting after her little rant, "Now, how about you get along with meeting Apple Bloom, you don't want to keep her waiting."

"I just want to look my best," said Spike.

The sound of clopping hooves announced Arkenstone's presence as the beige stallion tramped his way up the stairs, a small smile on his face. "I think you look spectacular," he said.

"Hey, thanks-" Spike froze for a second. "Why do you do that?" he asked in a deadpan tone as Twilight struggled, and failed, to hide her giggles.

Arkenstone chuckled. "I figured it was a good way to get you motivated," he said, "After all, I think you have about three minutes left before the time you agreed to meet her."

"Wha-" Spike glanced at the clock and let out a surprised yelp, "Holy guacamole! You're right! I'm gonna be late!" He dashed down the steps, rushing towards the door as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Hmmm...he's gotten better at running on all fours," Arkenstone noted as he heard the door slam shut down below, "He didn't trip even once."

"That's something I'm glad for," said Twilight with a relieved sigh, "I keep getting worried whenever he trips up."

"I think he'll be fine," said Arkenstone with a smile, "Are you ready for our plans?"

"Almost," said Twilight, "Now that the worrywart is gone, let me get dressed." Even though she knew he couldn't see her expression, Twilight gave him a half-lidded smile. She suspected that Arkenstone, blind though he was, would easily be able to sense her intent.

"Of course," said the stallion, "I'll wait for you downstairs."

As he departed, Twilight let out a relieved sigh and began to go through the process of putting on her dress.

"I'm impressed that you're so calm for your first Hearts and Hooves Day date," observed Caramel with a chuckle as he watched Dawn, who was laid out on the couch, waiting patiently for Scootaloo's arrival.

"It can't be that much different from the Harvest Festival or the Winter Gala," said Dawn, "Scootaloo told me to let her take care of everything, so there's no point in worrying about things that I have no say over."

"I guess that's true," said Caramel. Dawn was right. All things considered, the colt's date with Scootaloo was unlikely to lead to anything groundbreaking (or rather, Caramel would be seriously worried if it actually did lead to anything groundbreaking at their age). He was in similar straits with Fluttershy after all. Neither of them wanted to do anything that pushed the boundaries of their relationship right now. Hearts and Hooves Day was, first and foremost, a day for reaffirming the feelings that they had for each other. All in all, it wasn't really any different from the dates that he and Fluttershy had shared since the beginning of their relationship.

Looking at Dawn again, Caramel's eyes narrowed as he spotted something in the colt's mane. "Hold still," he said, leaning forward and using a hoof to gently brush out a small tuft of white fur, "You missed something," he said.

"Oh..." said Dawn, looking at the small piece of fur, "Angel slept in my bed last night...again."

"He's been doing that a lot, has he?" asked Caramel, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," said Dawn, "The other animals too. It's odd, they all used to stay in your room with Mom."

Caramel blinked and his expression of mild suspicion vanished, replaced by one of embarrassment as his cheeks flushed and he realized exactly why the animals were vacating the room he shared with Fluttershy. "Oh! Right!"

To the stallion's unspoken relief, Dawn appeared to be oblivious to his embarrassment and clueless as to the reason why he suddenly had so many fluffy and feathery roommates.

A knock on the door prompted Dawn to look up. Hopping off the couch, he glided gracefully over the table, landing soundlessly right in front of the door and opening it. Scootaloo stood there, decked out in the same grayish-purple dress she'd worn to the Harvest Festival and the Winter Gala. She'd supplemented it with the her shimmersilk scarf. Her cheeks were already tinted pink as she smiled shyly at Dawn. "Hey...You ready?"

"I am," said Dawn with a warm smile on his face. Already, the sight of Scootaloo in the sleek, silky dress that hugged the contours of her body was making his heart pound a little faster and his cheeks heat up.

"Then let's go," said Scootaloo, her eagerness overcoming her shyness as she tugged Dawn out the door. The two of them were gone in a rush of wind, Dawn leaving so quickly that he didn't get the chance to close the door behind him.

Caramel chuckled as he came up and shut the door in the wake to the pair's departure.

"Did they leave already?" asked Fluttershy quietly as she descended from the bedroom, the wispy, cloudy folds of her mist-like dress drifting around her as she moved. The sight of her all done up caused a lump to form in Caramel's throat. Silently, he nodded in answer to her question and, inside his own head, proclaimed himself the luckiest stallion in the world.

"Oh good," said Flutttershy, giving her coltfriend a meek smile, "Are you ready?"

"S-sure..." Caramel had to swallow and get his throat to work before he could speak properly, "I'm ready when you are."

Giggling at his dopey, smitten expression, Fluttershy gave Caramel her happiest smile. "Then let's get going too. I don't want to miss our reservation."

"Me neither," said Caramel with an emphatic nod.

"Looks like everyone is having fun," said Rainbow Dash as she looked down over Ponyville and smiled. Down below, she could see ponies as they mingled with their significant others, exchanging hugs, kisses, and nuzzles with plenty of enthusiasm. The bevy of warmth and affection that was nearly tangible, even up in the clouds above town, was such that Rainbow could forgive the sappy premise of the entire holiday.

Under normal circumstances, Rainbow would be glad for the opportunity to continue her training, happy for an excuse to not be swamped by the lovey doveyness of the whole holiday. Her training would give her the excuse she needed to stay outside of town and focus on something else for most of the day, with something to occupy her time and attention other than the sappy lovefest going on below.

However, this time, Rainbow was glad for the chance to participate and the reason for that gladness was stooping down from the sky behind her as she waited. A pale-blue stallion with a dark-blue mane and emerald-green eyes flared his wings and touched down on the cloud, making it bob slightly under Rainbow's hooves. One of his outstretched wings came to rest over Rainbow's back so that he could pull her up against his side.

"Ready for some fun of our own?" asked Soarin', second-in-command of the Wonderbolts as he nuzzled Rainbow's cheek.

"You bet!" aid Raibnbow, excited for Hearts and Hooves Day for the first time since...ever, really. This would be the first time she had ever spent the day with her special somepony or had a special somepony to spend the day with. In the past, she had been too wrapped up in her training for the Wonderbolts to worry about crushes and romance. Now, things were different.

"So...what should we do then?" asked Soarin', "I didn't really plan anything, I'm afraid."

"Eh, I don't have anything planned either," said Rainbow with a shrug. "We can just go down and hang out in town for a while. They always have plenty of things for ponies to do on Hearts and Hooves Day."

"Sounds good to me," said Soarin' with a grin, before planting a kiss on Rainbow's cheeks, "I'll let you take the lead on this. It's your town after all."

Turning her head, Rainbow returned the gesture, but by pressing her lips against Soarin's. "Sure thing," she said with a sultry smile, "I'm glad you could make it."

"So am I," said Soarin', pressing his neck up against hers, "I've been missing you up in Cloudsdale. I hope you can finish your training soon. We're all waiting for you."

"I'm trying," said Rainbow, "But I'm not exactly getting it all that easily."

"Give it time," said Soarin', "There's no need to rush. I miss you, but we can wait however long you need us to."

"Thanks," said Rainbow, leaning against him with a happy sigh, "Now let's go have some fun."

The two of them jumped off the down, allowing their bodies to drop for a short distance before their wings snapped out to catch the air and slow their descent. The two of them moved in perfect, polished unison as they swooped down towards the street, the tips of their wings just barely brushing against one another. It was an impressive display of synchronicity worthy of two Wonderbolts, even though only one pony had really seen it.

Perched on another cloud, situated even higher up, Firefly chuckled lightly as she watched the two younger pegasi descend down into Ponyville to amuse themselves in the town's festive atmosphere. "Ah, to be young and in love," she said with a fond smile.

Settling down to lie on her back, Firefly prepared to enjoy a nice nap to pass the time whilst the younger ponies enjoyed themselves. Technically, she was supposed to be on watch for Swift Stride, just in case the truant Knight decided to come back and make good on his threat against Twilight Sparkle. However, there was no sign of him yet. Firefly's awareness had spread throughout the air across the town, almost completely imperceptible to anypony down below. If Swift Stride did come to town, she would know it, even if she happened to be asleep at the time. On top of that, even if Swift did manage to slip through her perception, Arkenstone was with Twilight. Though he had been incapacitated the last time he'd fought Swift, Arkenstone wouldn't allow himself to be taken down so easily during their next encounter.

Just as she was about to drift off, Firefly's eyes suddenly snapped open and she sat up, completely alert. Somepony dangerous had entered the town below. To her relief, it wasn't Swift Stride. However, Firefly realized that she did not recognize this unknown pony. Her eyes narrowing, the aged pegasus rolled off the cloud and spread her wings, silently moving to shadow the new arrival and learn whether or not this strange pony was a threat.

Having finished spreading out the blanket and laying out the food in the basket, Applejack paused just long enough to take in a deep breath, savoring the sweet smell of the apple trees all around her, most of them laden down with fruit just on the verge of being ripe. In a couple more days, this section of the orchard would be ready for harvest and she would be coming through here, pulling her cart behind her and laying out baskets in preparation for a session of vigorous applebucking.

But today, that was not a concern. Instead, what she was concerned with was the stallion slowly making his way towards her, a faint sheen of sweat visible on his forehead as he labored up the hill towards the picnic spot. Red River might not have needed a brace on his foreleg anymore, but that didn't mean that he had fully regained his mobility. It didn't help that spending several weeks bound to a wheelchair and, even after being allowed out of it, rarely moving farther than the distance from one room of the house to the other, had left Red's body and limbs weak and atrophied after such a prolonged period of disuse. The healing spells he had been subjected to had drained his body's reserves, even with the supplements he had been taking to help the spells run their course. As a consequence, his body looked considerably thinner than it had before his ordeal, the compact musculature of his form having given way to a skinnier, bonier look.

Just the short journey from the farmhouse to this scenic hill had taken a significant toll on Red's endurance. Aside from the sweat, he also had the look of a pony trying hard to not pant for breath as he ascended the slope, one ponderous step at a time.

Applejack winced in sympathy as she watched her coltfriend struggle. She'd offered to push him up in the wheelchair, but Red had insisted that he needed the exercise. He had to get back into shape after all. Unlike Storm Front, Red fully intended to get his body back into fighting shape once his recovery was complete, no matter how arduous a task that promised to be.

"Well..." said Red, his breath coming in short puffs, in spite of his best efforts, "that wasn't so bad." He smiled as he took in the view, his eyes surveying the orchards as they stretched out towards the horizon. The faint breeze in the air cooled him as it wicked away his sweat, giving Red a profound feeling of satisfaction that a pony might get after a good workout. He was tired, but it was a good kind of tired, not the unpleasant, smothering sense of tiredness that accompanied the healing spells he received.

"Ah wish ya wouldn't push yerself like that," said Applejack as she came up to Red and pressed her neck up against his, resting her chin on his withers as the stallion returned the gesture.

"I need to get my exercise somehow," said Red with a smirk that Applejack couldn't see from her position, but she could unquestionably hear in his tone, "Otherwise, I'll turn into a big blue lump of lard on your couch, thanks to all your wonderful cooking."

"Ah'm guessin' Ditzy's muffins ain't helpin' either," observed Applejack wryly, eyeing the contents of the picnic basket, which included several of the aforementioned treats.

"Probably," said Red with a grin as he stepped way from their embrace so that the two of them could settle onto the blanket, side by side, "That mare shouldn't be allowed in the kitchen. Someday, she'll trigger and obesity epidemic, I swear."

Applejack cackled at that. Ditzy and Big Macintosh had gone into town to spend the day with Dinky, something they'd been doing nearly every Hearts and Hooves Day since the two of them had become a couple. Apparently, their marriage hadn't changed their routine at all.

"Now then, all that's left is..." Red's voice trailed off as he looked around.

"We're here!" called out a voice from above.

Looking up, the two earth ponies smiled as they saw Flitter heading towards them, her forehooves pressed into a cloud that she was pushing in front of her. Resting on the cloud in question was Storm Front, looking uncomfortable at having to be carted from the cloud house down to Sweet Apple Acres by his fillyfriend, however necessary it may have been.

Flitter brought the cloud down until it was hovering only scant inches above the ground. Storm Front disembarked, moving carefully and deliberately. Like Red, Storm looked thinner than before. One of his wings was still suspended in a brace that kept it immobile against his side and the wraps around one of his forelegs showed that it was still a fair ways from being completely healed. Of the two of them, Storm had come off worse from their fight with Terra Heart. According to the doctors, the injuries to his leg and wing would probably not allow him to return to fighting shape, even after he had recovered. They had done their best, but the damage had been too severe. Surprisingly, Storm's reaction to the news had been relatively ambivalent.

"Glad ya could make it," said Applejack, exchanging a brief hug with Flitter before she helped the two pegasi get settled.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world," said Storm, giving Applejack and Red a smile as he slowly laid down on the blanket, Flitter settling down beside him.

"Now that everypony's here, let's eat," said Red with an eager grin as they prepared to tuck into the spread that Applejack had laid out.

Rarity could barely suppress her giggle as she saw a prancing Sweetie Belle out the door. Already, she could see Rumble descending down from the sky to meet her. Ever the gentlecolt, even for one so young, the little pegasus was both well-dressed and groomed, even wearing one of the suits Rarity had made for him. For a moment, she idly wondered if Rumble had dressed like that simply to stay on her good side as he continued to date Sweetie. She quickly dismissed the thought, knowing that Rumble was a good colt and wearing or not wearing a suit wouldn't change that. She hoped he was aware of that as well. After all, Sweetie could have done much worse for a coltfriend, albeit, Rarity silently conceded, she would be hard pressed to find better.

Likewise, Rarity had made sure that Sweetie was dressed properly to enjoy her date. Nothing too formal, of course, but something that would accentuate Sweetie's good looks and make Rumble's wings flutter. After all, it never hurt to remind the colt just how lucky he was to be dating such a cute and...well...sweet filly.

Now that she had seen the younger couple off, Rarity turned her attention to her own endeavor for the day, slipping into the royal-purple dress she had designed to wear to the Winter Gala. While she had been tempted to make a new dress for this occasion, Rarity had always been a little disappointed that she'd never gotten to show this one off to a certain pony.

Said pony was making his way down the stairs as Rarity put the finishing touches on her ensemble for the afternoon and evening. Flaxseed might not have been a member of the upper crust, with intimate knowledge of grooming and preening, but he clearly knew how to smarten himself up for an evening out. It helped that Rarity had made him a suit for the occasion, which she took the opportunity to admire as she looked the stallion over.

Flaxseed's gray-streaked mane had been combed and brushed until it hung straight and even. Likewise, his tail had been freshly combed out as well. His coat was well-groomed and even his hooves had been recently cleaned and polished. He was dressed in a creamy-white suit, the color of blanched almonds, which nicely complimented the color of both his brown eyes and golden coat. It was a relatively simple affair, but one that certainly worked to his advantage as Flaxseed gave Rarity a nervous smile, which Rarity warmly returned.

Upon seeing her in her glittering, purple gown and elegantly coifed mane, Rarity could see spots of red flare on Flaxseed's cheeks as he took her in. Deciding not to waste any time, Rarity sauntered closer and turned to brush her side up against Flaxseed's chest, letting her back pass beneath his nose so that he could pick up the faint scent of roses wafting out of the fabric before winding about to his side so that she could rub the dress against his coat, directly behind where the suit ended. Through the silky fabric of her dress, Rarity could feel Flaxseed shiver at the contact and even hear him sniff as he sought to better appreciate the scent.

"Wow..." was all he could say as Rarity stepped past him and turned around to face him once again.

"You're not exactly looking so bad yourself," said Rarity with a teasing smile, stepping closer and holding out a foreleg, "Shall we? I reserved a table at the Golden Horseshoe. I even made sure to get us a corner booth. It's not for a couple of hours yet, but I figured we could take our time and enjoy the sights as we make our way over."

A shadow passed over Flaxseed's face, something that made Rarity worry. Was he uncomfortable with her suggestion? She hadn't taken him to the Golden Horseshoe before. It was, perhaps, the highest-class establishment that could be found in Ponyville, often catering to the likes of Filthy Rich and the ponies that mingled freely in his circle. Even with her refined tastes, Rarity had never fancied dining in such a restaurant more than once or twice a year. As successful as she was, she never imagined that she'd ever make enough to eat there regularly. Perhaps, given the fact that she'd been awarded the Royal Warrant, that might change. However, even if it did, Rarity wasn't sure she'd want to eat in such an establishment regularly. It always daunted her friends, even Twilight, who'd grown up in the halls of the Royal Palace, to enter such a fine restaurant, to say nothing of ponies like Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, who wouldn't be caught dead in such a hoity toity place (with apologies to Hoity Toity).

She hoped he could manage. The owner of the restaurant was a fine sort of pony, one who might not take offense if she couldn't make her reservation. However, simply not showing up when she had gone through so much trouble to arrange for a table in advance would be rather rude. She'd still give it up though, if Flaxseed was truly uncomfortable with the idea. After all, that was one of the reasons she had tried to reassure him with the promise of a corner table.

After so many years of persecution at the hooves of the Cult Solar, Flaxseed had been left a jumpy, neurotic mess, always looking over his shoulder, keeping one eye out for trouble, and making sure to keep his distance from other ponies. Whenever he went out with Rarity, he was nervous and wary, skittish to such an extreme that he made Fluttershy, on her worst days no less, look positively adventurous by comparison. Whenever they ate out, Rarity always had to make sure that they could get a table in the corner of a restaurant, where Flaxseed could have a clear view of most of the room and nopony could come up behind him.

He'd been getting better in recent months, ever since an actress and former-fillyfriend of his had come to the Boutique as one of Rarity's customers. Flaxseed's relationship with the mare had come to a traumatic end when she had seen his Eyes of Nightmare and sold him out to the Cult Solar. To say that Rarity was furious with the mare was an understatement. As a consequence, the mare had been unceremoniously ejected from the Boutique without the dress she had been seeking. Rarity had also been pleased to hear that, upon her return to Manehattan, said mare had suddenly had a great deal of difficulty finding roles to play in Bridleway productions and had been forced to accept bit parts in cheap, lower-end establishments, as Rarity had apparently been not the only one to hear and take exception to that mare's behavior.

That incident had been a turning point for Flaxseed. After seeing that Rarity was not about to desert him or allow him to come to harm if there was something she could do to prevent it, he seemed to have come to appreciate how safe he was in Ponyville. Even the threat of Terra Heart's attack had done little to shake Flaxseed's growing comfort and confidence, much to Rarity's relief.

Strange as it seemed, over the course of spending months helping Flaxseed out the morass of fear and paranoia he had been trapped in, Rarity had grown fond of him. At first, he'd been a pony in need of help and comfort, something she desperately wanted to provide. Then he had become an important asset to her business, helping tremendously by managing her accounts and finances. His work was even more important to her now, with all the commissions she was receiving as a Royal Warrant holder. But Rarity had come to see Flaxseed in a different light, as somepony she enjoyed spending time with and getting to know, as somepony she might like to know a bit more intimately.

She supposed that his former trauma might be part of it. Flaxseed's last intimate relationship had not ended on a high note. Given what he had been through, Rarity couldn't exactly blame him if he chose to hold her at a distance for the time being. The guilt he felt for playing an unwitting roll in Twilight's foalnapping only seemed to make him want to keep himself at a greater distance.

Still, Rarity was determined to see if she could bridge the gap between them and maybe build their relationship into something more.

Giving the stallion her warmest, most affectionate smile, Rarity said, "Come along, dear. Let's make the most of our day."

The shadow that had passed over Flaxseed's face earlier was nowhere to be seen for the time being, as he nodded and followed her out the door.

Author's Notes:

So many damn characters! Ugh! It gives me a headache sometimes.

Next chapter: Still more sappy stuff.

The Warmth of Life and Love

Chapter 24: The Warmth of Life and Love

"Do you know where Perlin went?" asked Kombu as he approached Wight Shade as the dark-tan stallion was looking over some notes in the study.

"I'm afraid not," said Wight, looking up from his research, "I think he went out sometime last night, something about today being a big day."

Kombu blinked as he recalled what day it was. "Really now? He hadn't told me anything about a fillyfriend."

"There was something he was troubled over when he was working for Elderflower," said Wight calmly, "I think a filly was involved." Already, many of the details concerning his collaboration with and use of the Baron had faded in Wight's memory, as they had little to no bearing on his current work. He couldn't even be bothered to remember why Perlin had suddenly changed his mind about having his wings altered.

"Hmm..." mused Kombu, "I'm a little surprised. I didn't even know that Perlin thought about things like that."

"Ponies change," said Wight with an indifferent shrug.

Kombu nodded. However, in the back of his mind, he noted, Although, some don't seem to change nearly as much, as he looked at Wight over the desk.

Dawn's stomach growled loudly as he settled onto the blanket Scootaloo had laid out. His fillyfriend had through of everything, it seemed. In front of him was a small tower of bamboo steamers, from which wafted the scent of the onion soup dumplings that Dawn liked so much. Arrayed around the steamers, which stood proudly, like the artful centerpiece of a dining arrangement, were a variety of other foods and treats, many of them savory, rather than sweet. Dawn had been surprised to learn from Scootaloo that Pinkie had apparently prepared a special menu just for him. He made a note to thank Pinkie profusely the next time he saw her. Set off to the side was a small black box from Bon Bon's sweet shop (where Caramel worked).

"Are you waiting for the dumplings to go cold?" prodded Scootaloo as she settled in next to Dawn, "Let's dig in."

Needing no more prompting, Dawn used the tips of his feathers to lift the lid of the steamer and separate the individual pieces of the tower, which he settled in front of himself and Scootaloo. The two then used their primaries to delicately pluck the dumplings from their spots and pop them into their mouths. Dawn relished in the flavors of caramelized onions and melted cheese as it spread through his mouth and hummed in pleasure.

The two of them slowly made their way through the spread, taking the time to enjoy each bite, letting the warmth of the peaceful afternoon wash over them. One of Dawn's wings draped itself over Scootaloo's back, his feathers brushing down her sides, prompting happy shivers from the filly as she tried to focus on her meal.

After they finished eating most of the food and had packed what they hadn't finished away, Scootaloo opened the box she'd gotten from Bon Bon's. Inside were a number of small truffles. These had been ones that Bon Bon had made especially to suit Dawn's palate, having cut back on the sweetness and richness and using flavors that appealed to the colt, like tea and chile peppers. They were delicious, but, more importantly, Dawn could stomach them with relative ease, especially compared to how he normally reacted to such rich and sweet dainties.

For his part, Dawn was amazed at the consideration that Scootaloo had shown him in planning out their date. She'd gone out of her way to arrange for foods and treats that would appeal to his rather particular sense of taste, something he knew sometimes caused difficulty for his friends and family. As he and Scootaloo helped themselves to the truffles, one at a time, he leaned against her, resting his cheek against hers.

"Thank you for doing all this for me," he whispered softly, his breath gently tickling the filly's ear.

"Hey," said Scootaloo, even as she blushed, "It's your first Hearts and Hooves Day. I had to make it special."

"You didn't have to," said Dawn, "But I'm glad you did. I'm so lucky that I get to be with you."

Letting out a happy sigh, Scootaloo lowered her head, rubbing the top of it along Dawn's chin as she moved under his head and rested her own across his forelegs. "Heh," she snorted, "You've got to be the sappiest coltfriend I could ever have."

"But still yours," said Dawn, lowering his head to rest on top of hers.

"Yeah," agreed Scootaloo, letting her eyes drift closed as the two of them basked in the warmth of the sun, "Still mine."

Dawn lazily surveyed the park as his eyes drifted closed...only to shoot open again as he abruptly lifted his head up to look for the pony that had caught his attention. To his shock, he spotted a familiar-looking dark-gray mare making her way through the park, her eyes scanning all the ponies present. Dawn tensed, the slight motion rousing Scootaloo in the process, as his eyes locked with Shade Steel's. However, she blinked and then slightly inclined her head towards him before continuing on her way. Dawn watched her as she made her way to a nearby hill, where Dawn could see Big Macintosh and Ditzy Doo cuddling together as they watched Dinky frolic in the grass.

"Something wrong?" asked Scootaloo in a concerned tone.

As Dawn watched as Shade stopped a short distance away from Macintosh and his family and raised a hoof in greeting. At this distance, there was no way to know what they were talking about, but he saw the nervous and angry looks on Macintosh and Ditzy's faces fade as Shade continued to speak. The frightened look on Dinky's face was fading into a more sympathetic one.

Dawn found himself smiling and he relaxed again and lowered his head back down. "No," he replied to Scootaloo's question, "Nothing's wrong...just watching somepony keep a promise."

"Are ya feelin' better now?" asked Apple Bloom as she leaned up against Spike, the two of them both dripping wet after a dip in the lake.

Spike now felt silly for fretting so much over his outfit, considering that Bloom had chosen to wear nothing and that he'd ended up stripping out of it so that the two of them could enjoy an afternoon of splashing and frolicking in the cool water. They weren't the only ones. While the season was still in transition between spring and summer, the afternoon heat was nothing to scoff at. The Weather Team had arranged for a nice breeze to blow through town and set up plenty of clouds for shade. But taking a dip in the clear waters of the park's lake was still a pretty popular idea.

All around them were numerous other ponies, both individuals and couples, lounging on towels or playing in the water. Mares tossed their soaked manes and gave their companions sultry winks. Couples wrestled playfully, splashing or dunking one another, occasionally coming up for kisses as often as they came up for breath.

Spike nodded in answer to Bloom's question and tightened his arms around her as she squirmed up against him to press more of herself against his body. "Yeah. I'm back to sending letters again. The Princess and Twilight both think that, so long as I don't try helping to coordinate a Guard operation again, I should be fine now." There was no trace of the gravelly hoarseness in his voice that had followed him in the days after Celestia had led the Royal Guard against the Cult Solar strongholds across Equestria.

"Ah'm glad," said Bloom, tucking her head under his chin and nuzzling into his neck. Now that they had come out of the lake and were nicely damp, the cooling breeze was practically chilling as it teased her wet fur. Normally, she would have wrapped herself up in a towel. But she had something better than a towel right now. She had a dragon. Spike's scales were damp as well, but the cold bothered him much less than it did Bloom. In fact, the fire that burned inside him made his scales pleasantly warm to the touch, his embrace staving off the wind's chill and making Bloom feel pleasantly sleepy in the wake of their vigorous play earlier.

"What about you?" asked Spike, "Are you feeling better now?"

"A lot better," said Bloom, thinking back to how upset she had been in the weeks after her grandmother's death, "Ah think Ah've come to accept it now." She sighed. "Ah still have mah moments, though. Ya come down the stairs fer breakfast and expect to see her there, already up and makin' stuff, but she ain't. The house feels a little empty without her in it."

Spike reached up with a clawed hand and used it to gently scratch behind Bloom's ear, eliciting an almost catlike purr from the filly. "I guess losing somepony who was such a big part of your life takes some getting used to," he said.

"Yeah," said Bloom, "But Ah'm lucky to have mah drakefriend to help me through it." She kissed Spike on the lips, smiling against him as she felt his tail curling around her and pulling her closer to him.

Sweetie Belle took a long pull on the straw, relishing in the chocolate and strawberry flavors of the milkshake as she swallowed. On the table across from her, Rumble sucked on a second straw, the two of them working together to finish the thick, creamy beverage resting in a tall glass on the table between them. All around them, other couples were doing much the same thing at their own tables. Sugarcube Corner was bustling with customers coming in and going out. The tables were crowded with ponies, frequently in pairs, chatting and giggling with each other as they shared pastries or beverages.

The two foals had been quite lucky to score a table of their own. Given the nature of the holiday, ponies generally lingered at their tables a good bit longer than usual, slowing down the cycle of customers in and out of the shop. Even setting out several umbrella-covered tables in front of the establishment had barely made a dent. A few times, scuffles had nearly broken out between frustrated customers who wanted tables of their own and couples who wanted to linger at their tables a little longer. Only the continuous efforts of Pinkie Pie and Mayweather managed to keep things under control, with Pinkie doing her absolute best to broker compromises between aggrieved parties before their bickering could ruin the spirit of the day and Mayweather occasionally shouldering the burden of the customers' agitation as she urged those couples who had clearly finished eating and drinking to take their leave so that others could have a chance. Thus, despite the occasional raised voice, things inside the bakery were peaceful and happy.

"By the way, have you heard from the Academy yet?" asked Rumble, looking over the milkshake at Sweetie.

Sweetie smiled and nodded. "I did. They got Vinyl and Ms. Octavia's recommendations and they want me to show up for an audition. According to Vinyl, it should be easy for me to get a full scholarship."

"When's the audition?" asked Rumble, returning Sweetie's smile.

"In a month," she said, "Rarity's already making plans for us to head down to Trottingham. She's trying to see if our parents can meet us there so we can make a vacation of it."

"Do you think they'll make it?" asked Rumble.

"I don't know," Sweetie admitted, "Last I heard, they were still somewhere up in the Horseshoe Bay area. It's hard to get ahold of them sometimes."

"I'll bet," said Rumble, raising an eyebrow. Sweetie and Rarity's parents were rather notorious for what someponies considered to be a rather cavalier attitude towards raising their children, namely by seeming to strive to be absent from their lives as much as possible. In recent years, Sweetie had spent more time staying at the Boutique with Rarity than with the house she was technically supposed to be sharing with her parents. Given the recent disaster with Terra Heart, that had worked out in their favor, as it allowed Rarity and Sweetie to move into the house while they waited for repairs on the Boutique to be finished.

Nopony seemed to be quite sure why Rarity and Sweetie's parents were abroad so often or for so long. Some ponies speculated that the pair were enjoying an endless series of vacations, one after another, whilst others speculated that their travels had something to do with their work. Theories ranging from them being criminals on the run to being secret agents of Celestia abounded. Most mares thought that pushing Sweetie onto Rarity when the older sister had her own business to look after was negligence of the worst sort. Those ideas had been whispered much more frequently when Sweetie's parents failed to show up for her cutecenera.

For her part, Sweetie had never expressed any dissatisfaction with her and Rarity's situation. It helped that she idolized her older sister and loved spending time with her. Rarity had originally seemed frustrated with the arrangement, especially when Sweetie went from staying days to staying months at a time, long enough for Rarity to register her as a dependent on her tax forms. However, she seemed to have come to terms with Sweetie's continued presence and had basically become something more akin to Sweetie's mother than her sister.

"I'm sure things'll work out," said Rumble, "Even if your parents can't make it, I know you and Rarity will have a good time."

"Yeah," chirped Sweetie, not seeming the slightest bit troubled by the possibility of her parents being no-shows. "What about you?" she asked, "Have you thought about where you'll be going when you get out of school?"

"Well...I was originally planning on going into the Weather Team," said Rumble, "But..."

"But what?" asked Sweetie, leaning forward.

Rumble scratched his head, "Storm Front and Arkenstone have been talking to me. They think that maybe I should look into working for the Ministry of Welfare. Storm's even been writing to Softhoof to help figure out a career path for me. You remember her, right?"

"Uh huh," said Sweetie, nodding. It would have been hard to forget the paradoxically named mare who'd come to evaluate Fluttershy's suitability as Dawn's mother. Stern, but fair, Softhoof had investigated Fluttershy and Dawn quite thoroughly. After the whole debacle at Diamond Mountain, Softhoof had ascended to the position of director of the Department of Foal Protection Services after the previous director had resigned due to his part in the whole affair.

"Is that what you want?" asked Sweetie.

"I'm not sure," admitted Rumble with a shrug, "But Storm Front and Arkenstone seem to think it's worth looking into. Even if I don't want to go into Foal Protection, working in the ministry might be a good idea." He frowned thoughtfully and looked down at the table.

"I think it would be a great idea," said Sweetie, beaming, "You really like helping ponies, especially ponies that are having a hard time. Imagine all the good you can do for foals around Equestria if you did that."

"That would be nice," said Rumble with a small smile, "You'd be okay with it? It's a job that would probably have me going all over the place."

"Sure," said Sweetie, "If you can handle me going to school in Trottingham, then I think I can handle you helping ponies in different parts of Equestria."

Rumble smiled to himself. "I guess I'll look into it." He sighed. "But we don't have to worry about that right now. Let's just have some fun." He noticed their milkshake was almost completely drained. "Let's finish this and get out of here."

"Okay," said Sweetie.

"Missed me!" shouted Rainbow Dash as she darted away from Soarin's reaching hooves, mischievously letting the very tip of her tail brush playfully against the tip of his nose. "You've gotta try harder than that, boya!"

"That so?" growled Soarin' playfully as he pumped his wings, putting on a burst of speed as he tried to overtake Rainbow, his eyes glued to her toned haunches as she flew ahead, just barely out of his reach.

Giving him a teasing glance over her shoulder, Rainbow went into a roll then banked sharply to the right at such a tight angle that she almost completely reversed directions in the air, shooting right past Soarin' before he could even think about reaching out to catch her. Gritting his teeth, Soarin' pulled to the right, putting all his weight into the motion, turning as tightly as he could manage, swerving around to see Rainbow casually flying away from him with a smirk on her face, looking almost as though she was lounging on her back even as she sped away. Soarin' put on a fresh burst of speed in an effort to close the gap between them. it worked and Rainbow was soon in his reach. However, just as he was about to extend his forelegs and wrap them around her barrel, Rainbow changed directions again, zipping upwards out of his reach.

And on it went. The two of them darted through the skies, twisting and rolling, turning and banking as Soarin' tried hard to catch his fillyfriend whilst she taunted him by hanging just barely outside of his reach. His mind went back to the last time he had done this with her. The last time had been much more serious. Back then, she had also been at the limit of her strength and endurance and had still forced him to use all of his strength and skill to keep up with her. Now that she was in prime form, especially after her heavy training with the Wonderbolts and Firefly, Rainbow was making it quite clear that she could fly circles around Soarin' on his best day. She was in complete control of this game, tantalizing him with feathery brushes of her wings and tail, but not allowing him to get ahold of her.

I think I'm gonna need to step up my training regimen if I wanna keep up with her, thought Soarin' soberly. He tried to think of what it would be like if all of the Wonderbolts were trained up to her level. Of course, once she finished her training under Firefly, Rainbow's flying would probably be on another plane entirely.

Soarin's eyes were glued to Rainbow as she pulled up to loop over him. With her namesake mane and tail dancing behind her and the sun shining through the gaps between her feathers, she had an almost angelic look. The look she gave him with those magnificent cerise eyes of her made Soarin's heart thump in a way that had nothing to do with their current activities. He was almost completely consumed with the desire to take her in his arms, hold her tightly, and never let go.

Their little game had begun simply enough. They'd spent a little while touring the town, seeing what kind of activities there were and what fun was to be had. Unfortunately, Rainbow's patience with sappy stuff had quickly wound down, despite her new appreciation for the holiday and what it stood for. So instead, she had looked for something she and Soarin' could do that they would both enjoy. Naturally, her mind had settled on one activity, flying.

And so their one-sided game of tag had begun. It had only taken a minute to make it clear that Rainbow Dash was simply toying with Soarin'. But he found himself enjoying it anyway. He always relished the opportunity to see Rainbow in her element, doing what she did best. He only hoped that he could catch her at some point.

Rainbow Dash pulled up into a steep climb, Soarin' charging up after her. The two of them surged upwards, leaving Ponyville far below, climbing up well past the altitude that Cloudsdale rested at, shooting higher and higher with each passing second. The air grew colder and thinner, noticeable in spite of their pegasus physiology. Soarin' wondered just how high Rainbow planned to go. Maybe she's planning on breaking Estelle's record, he mused idly as he pumped his wings harder in an effort to keep up with her. His shoulders were burning, his wingtips and hooves were starting to feel numb. The bite of the cold was sharper than ever and he strained for each and every breath.

Up above, he saw Rainbow shoot a glance back before she suddenly stopped, flaring her wings out wide as she slowly began to fall backwards. Soarin' strained to put on one last fresh burst of speed to close the last few meters between them, turning his flight so that he came up under her back, matching her posture. He wrapped his forelegs around her barrel, sliding them up to hug her chest and pull her up against him. Rainbow's wings folded as Soarin' wrapped his own around her, enshrouding her with his feathers as the two of them began to fall.

"Gotcha," he whispered into her ear.

Rainbow didn't answer with words, but instead twisted her head around so that she could plant her lips on his. Soarin' kissed her back with all of the vigor he possessed, teasing her lips with his tongue before she opened them to grant him entrance, their tongues dancing together as the two of them stayed locked in their kiss, the ground looming up below them.

Soarin's wings spread out and he turned their fall into a glide that carried them to a vacant cloud. The two of them skidded to a stop, throwing up puffs of white mist. Rainbow giggled as she squirmed a little in his grip, but Soarin' refused to let her go.

"That was awesome," she said breathlessly.

"It sure was," agreed Soarin', "Wanna keep going?"

Rainbow grinned playfully at him. "You bet," she said before kissing him again.

Coco Pommel took her time ambling through town, watching the various couples mingling with each other with envious eyes. She sighed and felt a disappointed shiver go down her spine. She knew better than to think that she would see Perlin today. It wasn’t as though he could just come waltzing into town to visit, particularly when so many ponies who had marked him as a threat were here. On top of that, even with the black cloak he wore to keep them from showing, there was always the risk that his mithril wings would draw plenty of attention on their own.

Besides, it seemed as though Perlin had decided to give up on any idea of a relationship with her, just when Coco was feeling that she might actually be willing to reciprocate his feelings. That night, at Elderflower’s manor, the last time she had seen him, it had felt so much like he was saying goodbye to her, like he didn’t plan on seeing her again.

Even if that was true, Coco desperately hoped that Perlin had taken what she had said to heart about what he needed to do, about how he needed to grow. She’d gotten the impression that he’d left her because there was something he needed to do that she wouldn’t like, not because he simply wanted to go back to doing things the way he had always done them.

Lost in thought, she barely noticed her meandering path taking her through the park and out into Whitetail Woods. Out here, there were fewer ponies, most of them being more interested in picnics out in the open or in the activities available in town. It was a bit of a shame. The woods were beautiful this time of year, the trees all decked out in their finest greenery, enshrouding the area with dappled light that seemed to dance with every stirring of the breeze. Out here, Coco was alone with her thoughts…as well as just plain alone. She’d never thought there would be a time where she’d miss having Perlin drop in on her from out of nowhere without a single warning.

She let out a disappointed sigh and pondered heading back to the Boutique for the evening. There were some projects she could work on to keep herself busy at least.

“I didn’t think you’d be alone today,” said a soft, familiar voice from behind her.

Coco gasped, jumping in surprise before whirling around to see none other than Perlin Bluestreak standing behind her, an uncharacteristically nervous smile on his face as he observed her with his hawklike eyes. “Perlin!” she exclaimed, “You came!”

Perlin’s smile quivered and threatened to widen. “Well…I thought it wouldn’t be wise, but…I guess I just couldn’t stay away.”

He seemed surprised, tensing slightly as Coco threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly. “I was worried about you,” she said, her voice barely a whisper, “You never came back.”

Raising a foreleg of his own, Perlin returned the embrace somewhat awkwardly. “There were things I needed to do. I needed to make sure that you wouldn’t be bothered again.”

Pulling back, Coco gave him a confused look. “What do you mean?”

Perlin averted his eyes and Coco was surprised to see something that looked like shame in his expression. “I don’t think you’d want to know.”

The bottom dropped out of Coco’s stomach and she had a fairly good idea of what Perlin had done. Whatever it had been, it had probably involved killing, maybe even a lot of killing. Knowing that Perlin was a killer was frightening enough. But knowing that he might have killed ponies for her sake made Coco feel sick to her core. Part of her wanted to turn and run, to never look at Perlin again. She knew by now that, if she did, he wouldn’t make any effort to stop or pursue her. He would probably back off entirely and never try to contact her again, especially now that he no longer worked for Baron Elderflower.

The part of her that she hoped was the better part took that other part and quashed it mercilessly. For all that he’d done, for all that he might do, she felt in her heart of hearts that she couldn’t simply run away from Perlin Bluestreak…not anymore.

“Maybe I don’t want to know,” she said in agreement after a long silence, “I don’t know if I can ever like how you did it, but I’m still glad that you were looking to protect me.” She reached up with a hoof and gently brushed it against his cheek. “I thought I might not ever see you again.”

“There was a time where you’d probably have been overjoyed at that thought,” said Perlin, glancing off to the side.

“There was,” said Coco, “But not anymore.” She leaned in and gently pressed her lips against his, holding it there for a few seconds before pulling away. “I know that you can be a better pony. I want to help you be that pony…if you’ll let me.”

Perlin’s cheeks were flushed from the kiss as he looked at Coco. “I suppose I could.”

“Good,” said Coco, “Part of being a better pony is not running away from the things you’ve done or the things you need to do.”

Perlin nodded. “So now what?”

Her heart quickening, Coco gave Perlin her brightest smile, “We enjoy what’s left of the day,” she said, “I want to show you something…”

"What do you think?" asked Rarity, looking pointedly at the pasta with mushroom cream sauce that Flaxseed had ordered.

"It's delicious," said Flaxseed as he used his fork, held delicately in the grip of his magic, to gather up another mouthful of noodles and bite down on it. He chewed for a few seconds, relishing in the flavors as they spread throughout his mouth, the fragrance of the mushrooms and the spices they''d been cooked with seeping up into his nose. When he swallowed, Flaxseed let out a contented sigh before taking up his wine glass and taking a sip. "What about you? Is that any good?" He nodded towards the slice of quiche that Rarity had on her own plate.

"As marvelous as could be expected from an establishment like this," said Rarity, dabbing at her lips delicately with a napkin.

While she'd been worried at first, it was clear that Flaxseed was enjoying himself. When they had set out, she'd noticed that he'd hardly glanced around him, his worries seemingly forgotten for the evening. Instead, she'd caught him glancing repeatedly at her, averting his eyes and blushing like a shy young colt whenever their gazes met. She'd prayed to herself that they wouldn't be interrupted by any loud, sudden noises, even as she relished the looks that Flaxseed was sending her way.

As they ate, they enjoyed pleasant conversation, mostly about the different orders Rarity had received recently. Ponies' ideas for how to dress for their Hearts and Hooves Day dates ranged from the elegant to the downright absurd. As always, the ponies with the most absurd ideas were the ones who tended to reject the suggestion of any modification the most strongly. Despite the fact that Rarity was the master artisan who had earned the Royal Warrant for herself, it seemed that a great many ponies still believed that they knew better than her how to do her job.

As the evening wore on, Rarity noticed that she tended to be the one doing most of the talking, while Flaxseed listened attentively and chimed in on a few occasions. She realized it was probably due to the fact that he didn't get out all that much, even if he was feeling better about living in Ponyville, he still had yet to find activities that he wanted to do on his own or friends, aside from her, Sweetie, and a few others, that he might want to do them with. He could probably tell her about all the numbers he'd been crunching recently or the financial affairs that he'd sorted out on the behalf of Mayor Mare. But that would have made for tedious conversation at best.

However, she also noticed that Flaxseed was wearing a pensive frown as the conversation wound down. "Is something the matter?" she asked.

Flaxseed looked up at her, startled by her question. For a moment, he seemed to be seriously considering just dismissing her concern and deflecting the conversation in another direction. However, seeing the look in her eyes instead made Flaxseed sigh and look away. "I...I just..."

"Are you feeling uncomfortable?" asked Rarity, "I understand if you feel a bit too vulnerable here."

"Th-that's not it...Well it is...sort of..." Flaxseed lowered his head so that his muzzle was nearly resting on his plate, hovering just inches over the recently emptied piece of porcelain. "I'm...pathetic..."

"Pathetic?" asked Rarity, aghast by the mere suggestion of the idea.

"I'm a mess," said Flaxseed, still staring morosely at the remains of his meal, "After everything you've done for me, after all of that, I'm still afraid to even leave the Boutique. I'm such a panicky mess that those thugs actually used it to their advantage. They got away with foalnapping because I can't handle myself."

"Flaxseed...that's not-" Rarity was cut off sharply as Flaxseed looked back up, his eyes meeting her. Rarity saw them flicker red and catlike for the briefest of seconds, but then they were back to their normal shape.

"I'm such a paranoid fool that I can't even go out with you unless you find us a table in the corner, like I'm some kind of picky child." He closed his eyes and shook his head vigorously. "I think I understand what you're trying to do, but you shouldn't. I'm just the broken shell of a pony whose pieces you've put back together I...I fixated on you because you're one of the few ponies whose truly cared about me or tried to help me in a long time, even though you know what I am. But we shouldn't...It's just...You can do better than me...You should do better than me."

"That's enough!" The plates rattled as Rarity pounded both of her hooves onto the the table, the sudden outburst and the noise accompanying it causing Flaxseed to let out a startled yelp and jump backwards, his eyes flaring red again and staying that way this time as he gaped at her.

Rarity's first instinct was to immediately backtrack, calm down and go to his side, soothe his worries and get him relaxed again, lest she trigger another of his violent panic attacks. However, that was exactly the problem. She had tread so lightly with Flaxseed that she'd forgotten that, sometimes, even a pony like him needed somepony to be firm, even stern with him.

Some of what he had said was true. Rarity had put a great deal of thought and effort into helping Flaxseed recover from his traumas, coming to care for him as a result of that. He saw her affection as merely an extension of sympathy and pity for him. To be honest, it had certainly started that way. However, it had begun to change into something more earnest when Rarity had looked past Flaxseed's issues, to the stallion he could be if he wanted. Despite all the obstacles poised between them, Rarity had fallen for that stallion. Perhaps it wouldn't work out between them, maybe they would figure out that they were better off seeing other ponies. Relationships sometimes went that way. But Rarity was determined that they would end such a relationship on their terms, not because Flaxseed was unable to overcome his fears and neuroses. She refused to give up on him that easily.

She flinched, feeling the pressure of eyes on her from all directions. Looking around, Rarity realized that her outburst had attracted the attention of all the other ponies in the establishment. Now every customer and waiter was staring at her and Flaxseed with looks of worry and confusion. Rarity blushed as she realized she was making a spectacle of herself and Flaxseed.

Lighting her horn, she conjured a shimmering, azure field that settled into a dome over her, the table, and Flaxseed, enclosing the entire space. The ambient noise from outside was cut off and anything she or Flaxseed said inside its boundaries would not be heard without. With a sigh, she turned back to Flaxseed, who was still watching her, his body tense, his crimson gaze was possibly inches away from flinging the plate on the table in front of him at her head.

Rather than apologize or settle down, Rarity instead narrowed her eyes. "I don't recall saying anything about needing or wanting better. Better is not the issue here. You're upset because you see yourself as weak and unable to move beyond your own pain, but I know that you're better than that. You're afraid to step out on your own. You feel you can't overcome that fear, but you're wrong. It's not that you can't...but that you won't."

Flaxseed opened his mouth to protest, but Rarity quickly cut him off before he could utter a single syllable. "And don't tell me that I'm overestimating you. I know you're a stronger pony than this, Flaxseed. I know this because, if you weren't, we would have never met at all. You survived all those attempts on your life, cultists hounding you ceaselessly. And, on top of all that, you found the courage to come here, when, by all rights, you had no reason to expect anything more than another elaborate trap."

Now her expression softened and she gave him a warm smile as she navigated around the table and took Flaxseed in her arms, maneuvering him so that his face was pressed into her shoulder. "You're a stronger stallion than you realize. I know because I've seen it and that's the pony I fell for. That's the Flaxseed I want to go out on dates with, the stallion I want holding me at night. I want to hear the fun things you did with your friends, the life you have outside of me and my Boutique. I want you to have those things and I know that you can. You just need the same courage that kept you alive until now."

Pulling away from him slightly, Rarity used one forehoof to tip Flaxseed's chin upwards. His eyes were back to normal again. "You've survived, Flaxseed. But it's time to stop worrying about survival. You need to live." With that, she leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips. It was a light, chaste touch, but Rarity and Flaxseed both felt as though a spark, like a burst of static electricity, had jumped between them.

Rarity's nerves hummed with pleasure as she leaned in and kissed him again, holding it a little longer this time. She felt Flaxseed's own forelegs come up to reciprocate the embrace and pull her tighter against himself as he began to return the kiss.

Finally, they pulled away again. "Do you feel better?" asked Rarity.

"I-I think I do," said Flaxseed, blinking before averting his eyes again, "What you suggested...I'll try..."

"That's all I ask, dear," said Rarity, gently brushing his mane out of his eyes, "Nopony said that this would be fast or easy. But it is very necessary. And, like I said, it's what you need."

"Thank you," said Flaxseed.

"You're welcome, darling," said Rarity, letting him go and returning to her seat. Lowering the sound dampening spell, she turned and beamed at their waiter, who had been standing outside the dome, at a loss to figure out what was going on inside. "Check please."

"Arky," said Twilight, a hint of warning in her tone as she narrowed her eyes at the stallion across the table from her, "you're doing it again."

Arkenstone flinched at Twilight's deadpan tone, his ears going flat against his head. "I'm sorry," he said contritely.

Letting out a sigh, Twilight forced herself to calm down. It was perfectly understandable that her coltfriend was still jumpy and wary after what had happened. Many times during the day, she caught herself looking over her shoulder, envisioning Swift Stride creeping up behind her, his blade out, aiming right for her neck or some other vulnerable portion of her body. After the issue with the Noble Court had been taken care of, Twilight had dared to hope that she might not have to live with as much stress as she had before when both the Noble Court and the Cult Solar had been active. All she should have had to worry about was Morning Star or Wight Shade, as he now called himself, planning an experiment that could threaten Equestria and the rest of the world with total annihilation. While the Princesses in Canterlot searched for any sign of Wight/Morning's presence, Twilight only had to worry about researching the Dark Matter he had created and how it could be used to achieve his aims and how those aims had been thwarted. Business as usual, in other words.

But, of course, the stallion acknowledged as the most powerful of the Celestial Knights just had to come in and decide that her work had actually made her a threat, rather than a boon to Celestia's efforts and try to kill her as a result. That Swift was so skilled that he'd incapacitated Arkenstone without much noticeable effort only added to the issue. Having a pony like that aiming for her life was worse than the Noble Court and the Cult Solar put together.

But still, Twilight would be damned if she was going to allow Swift Stride to ruin her romantic evening with Arkenstone. Firefly was in Ponyville as well, keeping a sharp eye out for the black-clad stallion. If he did make any effort to intrude, she would hopefully catch him first. Even if Swift did make it past Firefly's vigilant gaze, there was no way he would make it past Arkenstone without raising enough of a ruckus that Firefly wouldn't notice and be on her way to help within seconds. For the time being, she wanted both her and Arkenstone's thoughts on their time together.

"We can't keep our guard up all the time," said Twilight sadly, "Let's just relax and enjoy ourselves for now. Swift Stride will come or he won't. That's all there is to it."

"I suppose you're right," said Arkenstone with a resigned sigh, turning his attention back to the food.

Rather than go out for dinner, Twilight and Arkenstone had opted to stay in and eat a meal that the two of them had prepared together. Twilight might not have been a whiz in the kitchen, but she at least considered herself somewhat competent as a cook. After all, recipes, with their organized lists of ingredients and carefully described steps appealed to her orderly sensibilities. Arkenstone had handled most of the cooking anyways. His sensitive nose made him, among other things, an amazing pony in the kitchen, as the vegetable and apple curry currently tantalizing her nostrils attested.

Instead, the two of them ate in a comfortable silence. There wasn't much to talk about really. Construction was nearly completed on the new teahouse and all of Twilight's attention had been on studying Morning Star's archives. Neither of them was in much of a mood to talk shop. That was just fine by them.

Once the meal was finished, Twilight cast a special spell she'd been working on. The dishes levitated themselves into the kitchen, where various scrub brushes began to clean them as they stacked off to the side of the sink. The spell was programed to run its course without any need for further direction from Twilight. Of course, she still had a few contingencies for canceling it if she had to. A similar spell she'd tried with mops in the Royal Palace in her younger years had taught her to never develop a self-managing spell without a means of turning it off. She'd rather do the dishes herself than end up with a flooded kitchen after all.

As the spell ran its course, Twilight and Arkenstone settled in front of the fire. Twilight rested up against her stallion's side, enjoying the feeling of the shiver that ran through his body as he felt the differing textures of her dress brush up against her fur. Twilight silently reminded herself to thank Rarity for repairing the dress after it had been torn off during her abduction.

"You know," she said softly, resting her head on Arkenstone's forelegs, "When this is all over, we should think of going somewhere."

"Going somewhere?" asked Arkenstone, resting his head over hers.

"You know, like a vacation," said Twilight, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

Giggling, Twilight leaned her head in to nuzzle against his chest and rub up under his chin. "Yeah. We should go somewhere nice, just you, me, and Spike."

"I figured you'd want to bring the other girls with you," observed Arkenstone.

"Normally, yes," agreed Twilight, "But, once in a while, I think it'd be nice if we could just get away from everypony, have a nice romantic trip together..."

"That would be nice," said Arkenstone, "But do you really want to bring Spike along. That would make it more of a family trip, don't you think?"

"I suppose so," said Twilight, "It's just...Spike gets left behind so often when the girls and I go places. I thought I'd like to bring him along on a nice trip for once, not just because we need him to send letters or something."

"Actually, prehaps it might be better to arrange him to go on a trip of his own, possibly with his fillyfriend and their other friends," suggested Arkenstone.

"Maybe," said Twilight, "We'd have to make sure they're chaperoned, of course. They're all still minors after all. But I think Spike would like that a lot."

"As for where, I think I might have an idea," said Arkenstone with a slight smile.

"What sort of idea?" asked Twilight.

"It's something that Rarity's been talking to me about," he explained, "It might even be a good idea to go sooner, rather than later. I know that Morning Star is still a threat and we have no idea how far along his plans are, but it could take months or even years before he's ready to put the final phase of his plan into motion. I don't think any of us wants to wait that long. We can always hope that Celestia manages to track him down before that. But until then, all we can really do is just continue to prepare.

"But, at the same time, we do need to take the opportunity to rest and recover ourselves. After everything we've been through, I think that taking some well-deserved time off will help all of us recover our strength and focus so that we're ready when the time finally comes to confront Morning Star."

"Maybe you're right," said Twilight, "But where is this place that you're thinking of taking all of us?"

"I think you'll like it," said Arkenstone, "It's a quaint little seaside town called Gallopoli..."

Author's Notes:

Still way too many characters to keep track of...

Next chapter: Party crasher inbound.

What Power is For

Chapter 25: What Power is For

"So how is it going?" asked Soarin' as he wrapped his arms and wings around Rainbow Dash, hugging her back against his chest, the two of them lounging on a cloud, watching as the moon slowly climbed its way up past the horizon and the stars winked into existence, one by one. As always, Princess Luna did a spectacular job of painting the night sky with brushstrokes of glittering light, which hung around the moon like a shimmering haze. On this most romantic night of the year, it appeared that she'd pulled out all of the stops.

"How's what going?" asked Rainbow, tucking her head under Soarin's chin. Her mane was a ruffled, tangled mess after several hours spent snuggling, kissing, and wrestling playfully. Their hooves had wandered quite adventurously during the course of their "session." Granted, sex was still off the table until Rainbow's training was complete. But that didn't mean that she and Soarin' couldn't find other ways to enjoy their time together.

"Your training," said Soarin', "Since you're not in Cloudsdale right now, I can't check up on you like I used to. But Spitfire's still assigned me to be your 'morale officer,' so I still want to know how things are going."

"Eh, it's going okay," said Rainbow, "A lot of what Firefly says about what I need to do doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It's like when you take a test and there's a question you know you know the answer to, but you just can't think about it. It's sitting there on the tip of your tongue, but you just can't spit it out.

"She keeps telling me to look for my Wings of the Heart and I don't really get what she means by that. But I feel like there's something there, inside of me, something that's the answer to what she's talking about. I just can't..." She let out a frustrated groan, squirming against Soarin' and trying to find a more comfortable position.

"You'll get it," said Soarin', nuzzling the top of her head, "What advice does Firefly give you?"

"She keeps saying that I need to focus on the feeling of flying," said Rainbow, "She said that my love of flying is the key to finding the Wings of the Heart for me."

"That makes a lot of sense," said Soarin'.

"It does?"

"Well...yeah," said Soarin', "Pegasi, especially those oldsters and conservatives, like the ponies who supported the tribalist uprising, like to talk about how important flying is to the pegasi, how it's what makes us better than the other tribes. Flying is special to pegasi, it's critical to what we are and what we do.

"But, for a lot of us, flying is just a means to an end. We fly because we need to do something with that ability to fly, whether it's working the weather or simply getting from Point A to Point B. It isn't about flying itself so much as it is what we do with our flight. But you're different."

"I am?" asked Rainbow, craning her head up to look at Soarin' in surprise.

"Yup," said Soarin' cheerfully, "My dad always used to say that a mare is at her most beautiful when she's doing what she loves, that she lights up like the sun. I just used to think it was sappy, married-pony nonsense until I saw you flying and I realized that he was right." Soarin' paused to plant a quick kiss on Rainbow's lips. "When you're out there flying, you practically shine and you become the most beautiful pony I've ever seen."

"You sap," said Rainbow with a giggle. Nonetheless, she gave him a kiss in return. Then she paused. "Wait a second...You say that I become the most beautiful pony you've ever seen when I fly. Does that mean that, when I'm not flying, I'm not the most beautiful pony you've ever seen?"

"Um..." Soarin's eyes darted right and left as his forehead broke out into a cold sweat.

Rainbow's eyes narrowed as she continued to look up at his face. "What do you mean by 'um' pal? Are you really having such a hard time answering that?"

"Uh..." Soarin' grinned sheepishly at her. "Well..."

"Soaaaaaaarin'..."

Cripes! thought Soarin', How do I get myself into these kinds of situations?

Unlocking the door, Coco Pommel pushed it open and ushered Perlin into the house. The young stallion's eyes roved over the place as he took in its details. "So you're living here now?"

"For now," said Coco, as she led him into the living room, "It actually belongs to Rarity's parents." She gave him a brief primer about her circumstances. When they reached the living room, she directed Perlin towards one of the couches there. "Wait here," she said, giving him a playful smile, "I'll be right back."

As Coco trotted out of the living room, Perlin settled onto the couch to wait, shuffling his wings awkwardly beneath his cloak. Looking around, he noted the decor of the room and then realized that it would say nothing about Coco because she was only a temporary tenant of this place. There was little for him to do to keep himself occupied. So, for the time being, he settled for resting his chin on the couch's arm and waiting for Coco to come back.

His ears picked up the sound of her moving upstairs in what Perlin presumed to be her room, clearly up to something. Straining his ears, he couldn't figure out what she was doing from the muffled sound she was making. After several minutes, he heard the sound of her hooves on the stairs and turned towards the door, watching eagerly for her reappearance.

"Um...just hold on a second," said Coco, peaking around the side of the doorway and giving Perlin a tiny, fluttery grin, "I haven't really done this for somepony before." Coco was much more used to other ponies wearing her dresses than she was to wearing one herself. From his position, Perlin could see that she'd brushed her mane and adjusted the flower hairpin that she normally set in it.

After a few more seconds' worth of hesitation, Coco slowly stepped into the room. As she did, Perlin found himself gaping.

Coco's dress was a lighter shade of cyan than her mane or tail. Eschewing any fancy embellishments or extras, it seemed to consist of a single sheet of silky cloth draped over her form, folded artfully over her withers so that the edges of the hem hung well clear of her forelegs, its front forming two thick, ribbon-like strips running under her forelegs that crossed over her chest and under her neck before sweeping up to merge seamlessly with the part resting on her shoulders. The dress's smooth skirt seemed to simply flow like liquid over her back and down over her haunches, its train resting on the floor right behind her hooves. As Coco continued to walk, the fabric seemed to ripple with her every movement, the skirt making a faint shushing noise as it brushed over the floor in her wake.

"Wha-what do you think?" asked Coco, blushing and looking down and off to the side, almost afraid to meet Perlin's eyes.

Silence met her question and Coco dared to look up at the cloaked stallion on the couch. Her blush intensified when she realized that Perlin was still staring at her, his mouth hanging wide open, apparently unable to speak. A giggle rose in her throat. I'm glad. This is really awkward to me too.

"W-well?" she pressed, leaning forward slightly.

It took Perlin a few seconds longer to get over his gobsmacked state. Finally, he blinked, as though breaking out of some kind of charm. His jaw worked furiously as he sought to find the words to describe what he was seeing. However, only one ever actually found its way to his mouth. "Wow!"

The hushed, breathless tone of his voice sent a happy shiver down Coco's spine, so very different from the kind of shivers Perlin used to give her. "I-I'm glad you like it," she said, "Y-you can t-touch it...if you want to."

Perlin tensed up and, though he didn't actually move off the couch, Coco could see that he was shifting his weight away from her. "A-are you sure?"

Coco made an affirmative sounding squeak and nodded. Slowly, Perlin got off the couch and stepped towards her, his movements just as nervous and hesitant as hers had been. He raised a forehoof that Coco was surprised to see was shaking like a leaf. It puzzled her a little. She'd already hugged him earlier and had made it clear that she was all right with him touching her now. Yet, he still seemed unwilling, as though he was afraid he might hurt her.

Taking one last step, Coco moved forward so that Perlin's hoof came into contact with her dress, just where it ran over her shoulder. She heard his sudden intake of breath as his hoof came into contact with the fabric, which felt smooth, almost like liquid, beneath his frog. Coco began to press forward a little more, leading Perlin's hoof up over her shoulder and onto her back as she moved forward and pressed her chest up against his, resting her neck against his.

"What is this?" asked Perlin, moving his hoof up and down Coco's back, the feeling sending little shivers of excitement down her spine.

"It's something Rarity came up with," said Coco, "I wanted to give the dress it's own feel...and smell."

Prompted by Coco's words, Perlin leaned forward a little and sniffed, picking up thee faint scent of hydrangea rising from Coco's dress. ""It's amazing," he said, "You did this for me?"

"W-well...I had the design in mind for a while," said Coco, pulling back so that she could look at his face, "I just thought that today was a good occasion to make it. I was worried that I might not get to wear it for you."

"It's beautiful," said Perlin, "and so are you."

"Th-thank you," stammered Coco, going beet-red, then giggling. "You're getting better at this."

"I'm sorry...by the way," said Perlin, looking down, "for the way I used to treat you. I knew that I was making you uncomfortable by being there all the time. I just...I just didn't want to stay away. It was selfish of me."

"It was," said Coco with a nod, "But you know better now. I can tell that you're actually a good pony."

Moving with deliberate slowness, Coco gently cupped Perlin's cheeks and lifted his face back up. Leaning in, she lightly kissed him on the lips, letting her own linger a second before pulling back again. "You were there for me when I needed a friend, somepony I could trust. You protected me, even though you always used to put your amusement first. Before that...you just didn't really know how to show how you felt. I think you know better now."

"Maybe I do," said Perlin, now smiling himself, "I have something to show you as well."

Blinking in surprise, Coco drew back. "What is it?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Perlin reached up and undid the clasp that held his black cloak in place. Shrugging his shoulders, he slid the garment off of his back, letting it fall to the floor. As he did, Coco gasped in surprise, her eyes going wide with shock.

The wings of silvery, razor-edged mithril were gone. In retrospect, Coco realized she should have noticed that something was different about Perlin earlier. When he'd landed behind her, there had been no telltale rattle of metal. The faint granting noises that Perlin's wings made as they shifted beneath his cloak had been absent as well. He'd also been a bit more careless than usual, not making an special effort to keep his wings clear of her hooves or body whenever she was near him. Now she saw why.

Perlin's wings were now a dark, grayish-blue. They looked surprisingly good in contrast to his cream-colored coat, almost matching his mane in color. Instead of the intricately shaped metal Coco had grown accustomed to seeing, Perlin's new feathers looked completely natural and organic. "Wha-what did you do? Did you get your old wings back?"

"No," said Perlin, unfolding his wings and slowly working them, "They are made of new materials. According to the one who made them, they should be even stronger than my old wings."

Another shiver, this one not so pleasant, made its way down Coco's spine as she stared at Perlin's new wings. "Oh..."

"I'm still learning how to use them properly," explained Perlin, seemingly oblivious to her discomfort, "They work differently from my old ones. But there's one thing I really wanted."

"Wha-what was that?" asked Coco, shaking a little harder now as she watched Perlin carefully.

Unfolding one of his wings, Perlin extended it in her direction. Coco shrank back from it for a moment before realizing what he wanted. Reaching out, she gently brushed her hoof against hiss feathers and let out a tiny gasp. She'd expected something hard and rigid, a new set of blades for Perlin to carve up ponies with. Instead, she found something soft and smooth, his feathers almost as silky as her dress in texture. Moving her hoof, she realized she could trace the edges of his feathers without getting cut. Coco had never actually felt a pegasus’ wings before, but she imagined that a normal pegasus’ wings might feel something like this.

“With this, I don’t have to worry about accidentally cutting you,” said Perlin, “We don’t have to be so…cautious anymore.”

To prove his point, Perlin reached out and pulled Coco into a tight hug before extending both his wings and wrapping them around her, holding her close as he slowly brushed the feathers of his wings up and down her body. Through the fabric of her dress, Coco could still feel the light brush of his feathers against her back. For a moment, she was flummoxed by his forwardness when he had been so shy and awkward only a few minutes earlier. But now he was excited and very…forward, rubbing his cheek against hers as his wings stroked her back, pressing a little bit harder with each movement, but never enough to hurt her.

It felt…quite nice, actually. Coco had never been hugged like this. There was a sense of intimacy in Perlin holding her with both his arms and his wings, something that made her feel incredibly close to him. She wanted to hug him back, exchange more kisses with him, maybe something more. However, Coco’s rational mind quickly cooled her head before the blood got to running too hot in her veins. If they let their passions get out of control, there was a possibility that they would do something they weren’t ready for, something they might regret later.

"P-Perlin," whispered Coco, "Perlin...wait..."

The young stallion didn't seem to hear her, instead transferring his affections to her neck.

"Perlin...please," pleaded Coco, growing more and more nervous with each passing second, "Please...stop...STOP!"

Her shout caused Perlin to snap out of it. Coco felt his body freeze before he abruptly pushed away, the force of the motion actually knocking her backwards with a frightened squeak. Righting herself, Coco looked up to see Perlin backing away from her until he bumped up against the far wall, staring at her with wide, terrified eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, so quietly that she could barely hear his voice from where she was lying, "I'm sorry...I..." Perlin closed his eyes tight and averted his face, clearly expecting dismissal or rejection from her.

Coco was sincerely tempted to ask him to leave. She knew he would go if she asked him to. It was the only thing that kept her from bolting herself. Her mind was swimming as she tried to figure out what had just happened, what had nearly happened. Realizing she was hyperventilating, Coco forced herself to take deep, slow breaths to calm down. She had to figure out what had just happened and how to deal with it.

The first thing that came to mind was that Perlin had almost forced her. He had gotten so excited in the heat of the moment that he'd barely heard her plea to stop. It was dangerous if he couldn't control himself. But he did stop, Coco reminded herself, Besides, I think this is my fault. For all that he had done and could do, Perlin was still very young in both mind and heart. She realized she should have known better than to take things so far. Perlin didn't understand romance and relationships fully. He might have cared for her, but he didn't yet realize that there were lines that neither of them were ready to cross.

She was so lost in thought that Coco almost missed Perlin's next words.

"I should go," he whispered, "I'm sorry."

"No!" said Coco as the young stallion started for the door, "Wait!"

Perlin stopped and looked at her in confusion.

"I'm sorry," said Coco, getting back on her hooves, "This was my fault."

"But I-" began Perlin, but cut off as she shook her head at him.

"We aren't ready for this," said Coco, giving him a sad smile, "I let things get too carried away. I'm sorry."

"Aren't ready...?" Perlin blinked, his expression childlike in its incomprehension.

"It's...there's..." Coco tried to find the words to explain the situation, but couldn't. Everything she tried to come up with to explain the situation sounded forced and awkward.

"We got carried away," she said finally, "I think we need to talk about this more."

Perlin canted his head, clearly waiting to hear what she had to say.

"Perlin," she said, deciding to go back to the reason why this situation had suddenly become so uncomfortable for her, "Are your wings...are they...still...weapons?"

Perlin nodded.

"Why?" asked Coco, eyeing the appendages nervously.

"I...It's what I do," said Perlin, "It's all I've known." He glanced back and Coco saw what he was looking at...not his wings, but the mark on his flank, a blade being sharpened on a whetstone.

Coco remembered hearing Perlin's story about how he had been raised. She'd forgotten that his willingness to fight and his desire to hone his skills an intrinsic part of his being. They were the things that drove him and gave him and gave him fulfillment. It was the main reason he had embraced what was essentially a mutilation of his original wings in order to give him feathers of metal that could cleave through steel. His childlike innocence had been the reason he had been so cavalier about killing and the true issue that she had to address.

"But what will you use them for?" asked Coco, eyeing his wings curiously. They had been soft and unthreatening when she had touched them. She wondered how exactly they worked if they were truly stronger than his previous set, as he claimed.

"Right now, I'm using them in service of my employer," replied Perlin, "But...he hasn't had me actually employ them to any particular purpose. I think he's still waiting for me to get used to them."

"So...you're still a mercenary then?" asked Coco.

"I am," replied Perlin.

"I'm not...I'm not sure how I feel about that," said Coco in all honesty. She supposed part of it was the cultural bias that had been instilled in her as an Equestrian towards ponies who turned skill in violence for profit. Then again, Perlin, however unwittingly, along with Greenblight and Inkwell, had made the last few months of her life Tartarus. The idea that Perlin was still selling his lethal skills, possibly to somepony who might tell Perlin to use them against her, gave her the chills.

"Answer this for me," said Coco, "If the pony who hired you...if he told you to kill me...would you?"

Perlin opened his mouth and stopped. Coco wondered whether yes or no had been his more immediate answer and also wondered whether it was good or bad that he had to think about it.

Finally, Perlin closed his eyes, seemingly deep in thought. "I'd have to say no. I can't bear the thought of hurting you or threatening you anymore."

"But if it were somepony else, you'd be just fine with it?" asked Coco.

"I'm not sure..." said Perlin, "I have my obligations...I never used to worry about taking them seriously because I liked fighting and it didn't matter to me whether my opponents died or not. If my employer said I was to kill them, then that was that. Things used to be much simpler for me."

Despite herself, Coco found the strength of will to smile. "Growing up does that," she said, "It means realizing that the world isn't such a simple place and that having fun isn't the only thing that should matter to you."

"I need to think about this," said Perlin, "I should go." He headed towards the door and stopped partway, looking over his shoulder at her. "I'm sorry I made such a mess of things."

"It's all right," said Coco giving him her warmest smile.

Perlin took his leave. Only when she heard the door click shut did Coco allow herself to slump down to the floor and let out a shuddering sigh. It was nearly ten minutes later that she realized that Perlin had left his cloak resting on the floor.

"Goodnight," said Dawn as he wrapped his wings around Scootaloo, holding her close so that they could press their foreheads together.

"Goodnight Dawn," said Scootaloo. The two of them exchanged a quick kiss before the filly retreated to her house.

Pleased with a day well spent, Dawn turned and started walking in the direction of his own home. He could take to the air and easily be there in a matter of minutes, but he thought his mother and father might enjoy whatever they were doing a little longer. He liked the idea of giving them some extra privacy.

"You two look happy together."

It took Dawn a minute to register the voice and realize he recognized it. Hooves thudded into the grass behind him. Whirling around, Dawn spun to face Perlin Bluestreak, who watched him with a peculiar expression. It took Dawn a second to register the lack of killing intent Perlin possessed. He was reminded of their little conversation shortly after Hearth's Warming. It was the last time Dawn had seen Perlin, though Twilight had apparently seen him during her time at Elderflower's mansion.

Perlin's comment also gave Dawn reason to pause. Why would Perlin care about his relationship with Scootaloo? He'd never taken an interest in that before.

Then he noticed something else off about Perlin, particularly since the young stallion was no longer wearing his cloak. "You've changed your wings," observed Dawn, canting his head slightly.

His wind-sense told him even more than his eyes did. Perlin's wings no longer felt like rigid metal to the wind. Instead, they felt more like natural feathers, soft and flexing in the evening's breeze. However, there was something about them, something that changed the way the air flowed through them, that struck a familiar chord within Dawn, an alien feeling, but one that reminded him of something he'd encountered before. Trying to remember where he'd felt this same sense of offness previously, Dawn was suddenly transported back to that day in the skies above the Everfree Forest, as he, the Wonderbolts, and other allies faced down the strangest opponent he'd ever encountered.

"Dark Matter?" wondered Dawn, trying to get a better feel for Perlin's wings through the wind.

"As a matter of fact...yes," replied Perlin, giving Dawn an amused smile, "I'm impressed you noticed."

"Then I assume your current employer is one Morning Star," said Dawn, his voice a low growl. From everything that he'd learned, Morning Star was a pony he hoped to someday give a piece of his mind to.

"Yes," said Perlin with a shrug, "Though he prefers being called Wight Shade right now."

"I see," said Dawn, "So you're working for him then?"

"That is the case," admitted Perlin, "Though, currently, he doesn't seem to have any actual work for me to do at the moment."

"And what are you doing here?" asked Dawn, raising an eyebrow. He could have pressed Perlin for information regarding his employer. But Perlin was unlikely to betray such information. On top of that, if Dawn forced the issue, it would probably lead to a fight right in the middle of Ponyville, which would have disastrous consequences for the town, which was still recovering from the last major battle that had taken place here. And, while Dawn figured that he and Perlin could leave the town limits and find a more secluded area to finish their fight, something Perlin had been willing to do in the past, he was uncertain of his ability to actually win. Perlin's new wings constituted a massive unknown, Dark Matter being capable of feats beyond even Dawn's imagination. There was no telling what abilities Perlin's new wings had.

"I came because I had a question for you," replied Perlin.

“And what question is that?” asked Dawn.

Perlin sighed and looked over his wings. “Why is it that you can hone your skills, but nopony seems so frightened of you…?” He glanced at the house Scootaloo had just entered. “…especially her?”

“Hmm?” Dawn blinked for a moment and looked over at the house, more than a little confused by Perlin’s question. “As for Scootaloo, at least part of it comes from the fact that I am teaching those skills to her. It’s hard for you to learn something if you regard it as a source of fear.” He returned his gaze to Perlin. “What brought this on?”

“I…I…” Perlin looked as though he was trying to figure out what to say. Dawn figured he probably wanted to keep his situation ambiguous in order to keep Dawn from learning something.

“You have somepony…don’t you?” inquired Dawn. He decided to hold off telling Perlin that he had an idea of who that somepony was. He figured Perlin might be more comfortable if she were kept anonymous for purposes of this conversation.

“Well…’have’ is probably not the word I would use,” said Perlin, “I’m not certain I can say that I 'have' her in the sense that you have that filly.”

“So it’s a her,” observed Dawn, raising an eyebrow, “I honestly wasn’t certain that you took an interest in things like that.”

“That may be the problem,” said Perlin, “Before I met her, I never did. I’d never met anypony I’d taken a genuine interest in as anything other than an opponent.”

"I see," said Dawn, "So then, given your question, I am guessing that your skills...or perhaps the weapons you choose to use them with have caused her to fear you."

Perlin nodded slowly.

Tilting his head, Dawn examined Perlin's wings again. "Those wings certainly feel different than your last pair. I am guessing that, while they are probably formidable weapons, they feel like regular pegasus wings most of the time."

Again, Perlin nodded.

"And that was the reason you chose to have those wings replace the pair you previously had," mused Dawn.

Yet again, Perlin nodded.

"Can you explain the problem to me more thoroughly?" asked Dawn, leaning in, interested by this change in his enemy...if Perlin could even be called that anymore.

"Even though I made this change, she's still upset because my wings are still weapons," said Perlin with a sigh, "But this is what I like. I like using them, using the skills I've acquired, meeting strong opponents, fighting them..."

"I don't think that's what really upsets her," said Dawn, "Though without speaking to her directly, I can't confirm that. She knows about your line of work, doesn't she?" At Perlin's nod, he said, "That may be the issue then. You asked me how I could hone my skills and yet not have anypony be frightened of me. However, that is a mistaken assumption."

"What do you mean?"

"I have frightened ponies," said Dawn, glancing back forlornly at Scootaloo's home, "I've frightened ponies terribly. I've terrified the ponies closest to me with the power that I possess and the fear of how I might use that power. Scootaloo was frightened of me, once."

"But what about now? What changed?" asked Perlin breathlessly.

"I changed," said Dawn with a smile, "It isn't honing your skills or changing your weapons that causes fear, it is what you use those weapons for. Right now, those skills, those wings, even the work that you do as a mercenary, it all exists only for yourself. Even the pony who has purchased your skills comes second to your own amusement. I've noticed that about you."

Perlin grimaced. "Are you saying that I should give up being a mercenary?" he asked.

"Perhaps...perhaps not," said Dawn with a shrug, "As it happens, I know two very formidable mercenaries. They are ponies who command respect, rather than fear. They too have honed their skills, but it hasn't brought fear from those close to them."

"Oh...them," said Perlin, realizing just who Dawn was talking about.

"I think, rather than worrying about honing your power and skills, you need instead examine what those things are for, who they are for. If you can answer that question, then you might not be feared by the pony you don't want to fear you any longer."

"You really think so?" asked Perlin, his eyes going wide.

"Well, I certainly think it's a step in the right direction," said Dawn, "It worked for me, at least."

"Ah..." Perlin opened his mouth to say more, but was interrupted by a faint buzzing noise.

Dawn felt a strange shivering through the air that accompanied that buzz, a feeling that was, at once, both foreign and familiar. He'd once sensed a similar buzzing sensation to this, but at a much greater intensity. More Dark Matter?

Looking up, Dawn was surprised to see something that looked like a small white rhinoceros beetle descending towards them. The strange-looking insect flew directly towards Perlin, who held out a forehoof, allowing the creature to alight on him.

The beetle settled into place, but its wings extended out from under its shell and began to buzz. To Dawn's surprise, the buzzing sound modulated itself, forming sounds that became words. "I thought I would find you here," hummed the insect, "This will save us both a great deal of trouble."

"What's the matter?" asked Perlin, looking down at the beetle, seemingly untroubled by having a conversation with an otherworldly insect.

"I am afraid I need your services. A certain asset of mine has gotten out of containment. As it so happens, it is heading in your general direction, so you won't need to go out of your way to subdue it?"

"What asset is this?" asked Dawn, eyeing the bug, "Are you Morning Star?" He'd seen this phenomenon before.

The beetle turned its body around so that its pale-blue eyes could regard Dawn. Naturally, something like this wasn't capable of making an expression and the buzzing voice created by its wings seemed incapable of any kind of inflection that might give away the feelings of the speaker. "That is correct, though I would much prefer it if you continued to call me Wight Shade. I have grown rather frond of that name. I prefer it to my old one, in any case."

"As you wish," said Dawn, "I would like to speak to you in pony at some point. I have some feelings that I wish to unburden myself of."

"I am sure you will have the opportunity in due time...maybe," said the beetle, its buzzing voice unable to inflect the words with either earnestness or mocking, "I would like to continue to converse with you, but I am afraid that I don't have the time for this."

"Yes, this asset you mentioned," said Dawn, "What is it?"

He half expected a dismissal, for Morning/Wight to tell him it was none of his business. However, instead, the beetle said, "I believe you are quite familiar with it. You've faced it down before."

Dawn felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. "Flash Spark."

"The very same," said the beetle, "I do not object to you joining in this affair if you wish to stop him. In this case, he is no longer of any real use to me, so if he ends up being disposed of, then I can accept that outcome. I won't even need to show you where he is. You will be able to find him easily enough. I should warn you that, before I decided I no longer had a use for him, I did give that stallion some upgrades to the abilities he had when you last met him."

Before Dawn could ask what he meant by that, the beetle crumbled into white dust that then dispersed upon the wind.

"I wonder what he meant by that," mused Perlin, "I thought he was going to show me where the crazy stallion was."

"Perhaps he means that I know where Flash Spark will be heading," said Dawn, frowning as he tapped his chin, "The Flash Spark I met was primarily involved with two ponies..." His eyes went wide and he froze in place.

"What is it?" asked Perlin.

"Can you find Rainbow Dash?" asked Dawn quickly.

"She's here, in Ponyville?" asked Perlin.

"Yes," said Dawn, "I suspect she's up in the clouds somewhere. Please find her." He was already breaking into a trot down the street, spreading his wings in preparation for takeoff.

"Where are you going?" asked Perlin, trotting after Dawn.

"To the other pony Flash Spark was obsessed with," said Dawn, "Mom." He kicked off the ground and shot into the air, kicking up a wave of dust that left Perlin coughing.

"I've never seen him so panicked before," mused Perlin before taking to the skies himself, casting his eyes about for any sign of Rainbow Dash even as his ears strained for the approaching buzz of a certain pony.

Fluttershy giggled as she pressed herself up against Caramel's side, rubbing her neck against his. Her wing extended to drape itself over his back, pulling the stallion tight up against her. Caramel returned the favor by entwining his tail with hers and nuzzling her cheek, planting one light kiss after another as he did so. Where their barrels were pressed together, Caramel could feel Fluttershy's heart hammering through her ribs, its pace increasing as the cottage they now shared loomed closer. Their date had been a wonderful experience and now it looked as though the night ahead would be even better.

At this rate, I'm going to have to pop the question soon, mused Caramel to himself, I should've bought a necklace already.

Still, now wasn't the time to worry about something like that. Instead, now was the time to enjoy the feeling he and Fluttershy were currently sharing. He wondered if Dawn was home already, but decided not to worry. Even if he wasn't, Dawn respected their privacy. There wasn't any risk of him coming into their bedroom and stumbling on something a colt his age shouldn't see.

Something large and black loomed up between them and the cottage. Caramel and Fluttershy stopped and looked up in surprise. They felt a faint stirring of the air behind them as something else positioned itself near their haunches. Fluttershy nearly panicked, but calmed when she recognized the griffons in front of and behind them. "Skan? Zhan? What's the matter?"

She was ignored as the two griffon mercenaries focused their attention outwards, their sharp eyes scanning the darkened surroundings in minute detail, their bodies tense and ready for action.

"How did he get so close?" growled Skan, "With those infernal wings of his, we should have heard him a mile out."

"I see no sign of him now," said Zhan, carefully turning in place.

"What's happening?" asked Fluttershy, wishing she could bring herself to speak more loudly.

"We're in trouble," said Caramel, his stomach churning.

From the tree-line of the Everfree Forest broke a white figure, shooting upwards from the canopy like a rising star, the light of the climbing moon glinting off insectile armor. Transparent wings blurred as the strange figure climbed higher into the sky. From this distance, it was hard for Fluttershy or Caramel to make out details, but they could see the smooth, featureless armor covering the pony's face and the segmented, bladed whip that extended from where a pony's tail would normally be, capped with a fearsome looking stinger.

"Flash Spark," growled Caramel, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the stallion who'd once beaten him into a bloody pulp before trying to rape Fluttershy. Dawn had stopped him and broken his wings in the process. Sometime after that, Flash Spark had apparently been picked up by Morning Star, who'd outfitted him with that strange, off-white armor and abilities that had turned the former pegasus into a monster.

Even though they now knew where their opponent was, Skan and Zhan did not move. Instead, they maintained their position guarding the couple's front and rear. Though most of their attention was focused on the approaching Flash Spark, they kept their awareness of their surroundings, just in case he was serving as a distraction for something else to come creeping up from another direction.

Flash Spark hovered a short distance away, well off the ground and about halfway between them and the border of the Everfree. Seams appeared on the smooth armor over his muzzle, two strips pulling back to form a pair of large, vicious-looking mandibles. Behind those mandibles, Flash Spark's pony mouth appeared, his lips already curled back in a malicious grin.

"Well well...it's been a long time, Fluttershy," he said, apparently ignoring the presence of the two griffons, "I see you're still with the mudhopper. I wonder if a stallion like that can give you any real satisfaction."

Shivering, Fluttershy shrank back to lean against Caramel, who'd shrugged out from under her wing so that he could wrap a foreleg protectively around her and pull her close as he glared at Flash Spark.

"Back off," said Caramel, "You're not going to touch her."

"You don't have any say in that, clod," snapped Flash Spark, his light-blue compound eyes glaring at Caramel, "I made a mistake letting you live back then. This time, I'm gonna shred you into a pile of meat and then eat you while Fluttershy gets to watch."

"Don't you dare." The voice was barely even a whisper against Caramel's chest. Looking down, Caramel was surprised to see Fluttershy's eyes hardening. Slowly, she pulled away from his chest and leveled a glare at Flash Spark. "Don't you dare touch him," she said more loudly now, "Caramel is mine and I'm his. I would sooner die than let a...a...monster like you touch me or him."

Though it was hard to read Flash Spark's expression with most of his face covered by armor and his compound eyes unable to change their shape or orientation, Caramel imagined that Flash Spark's sneer had morphed into one of disgust. "You'd rather sleep with a filthy dirt pony than me?" His voice took on a cruel and angry edge. "I'm gonna have to teach you some respect before I have my fun with you."

"You won't have that opportunity," rumbled Skan, sinking a bit more deeply into a crouch, "We will kill you before that happens."

Flash Spark snorted and laughed. The blurring of his wings increased and he shot upwards like a rocket until he hovered high above the ponies and griffons. From that distance, Caramel and Fluttershy weren't able to see any details. However, Skan and Zhan's keen eyes spotted the instant Flash Spark's wings stopped. It was for less than a second. The veins on his insectile wings seemed to change their formation before resuming. Now there was an audible buzz coming from them.

"Here it comes," said Skan, shouting to be heard as the buzz quickly increased in volume and intensity. Both he and Zhan pulled out ear plugs and plunged them into their ears. Their action came not a moment too soon as the wave of sound slammed into them with a tangible force, washing over their bodies completely.

Fluttershy and Caramel cried out in pain as the intense buzz made their teeth rattle and their ears ache. They sank down to the ground, desperately covering their ears with their hooves, agony searing through their skulls as Flash Spark descended on them from above. Skan and Zhan shot upwards to meet him.

Zhan surged ahead of here mate, brandishing the fearsome fighting claws extending from the gauntlets over her forepaws. Lunging forward, she slashed at the descending Flash Spark, aiming straight for his face, hoping to sink her claws into the opening where his mouth was. However, Flash changed direction instantly, skirting sideways in the same direction as her swing. Even as he drifted, he was reorienting on her, the buzzing of his wings intensifying and causing the air around them to visibly distort and ripple. Zhan caught a flare of yellow light and threw herself sideways, even as she gave up on flying upwards and allowed gravity to take hold, drawing her back down and out of what she hoped was the line of fire.

It didn't matter in any case, as Skan slammed into Flash Spark's belly with his extended foreclaws, hitting with the force of a runaway locomotive. The claws drew sparks off of Flash's off-white armor, even as the impact launched him up higher. A loud scream rent the air and twin lances of bright-yellow energy extended out from Flash's wings, slicing through the sky and, fortunately, hitting nothing.

Flash Spark growled and used his flight to boost the upward momentum that Skan's attack had given him. Already, the ripples of another pair of shots were beginning to gather around his wings as he glared down at Skan. The bulky, black griffon was quick for his size, but he lacked his mate's darting agility. The incredibly fast beams that seemed capable of slicing through any material like it was paper were too quick for him to avoid.

Fortunately, Zhan had other plans. While Flash Spark had been preoccupied by Skan's attack from below, Zhan had abandoned her dropping maneuver and had instead shot upwards, above Flash Spark's position. Swooping in from above, she aimed her fighting claws at the point where Flash Spark's wing connected with his body, intending to use the strategy that had worked the last time they'd driven him off. While the armor seemed nearly indestructible, the body beneath it was still flesh and blood. They had turned that against Flash by striking in such a way that his nigh-indestructible armor was driven against his own body, breaking him apart from within.

Zhan's claws connected with the base of Flash Spark's wing, the force of her blow causing the armored stallion to spin in place a little. Once again, the beams that speared out from his wings missed their target. Instead, they stabbed down into the ground and were drawn across it, cutting a pair of black lines through the earth itself, coming uncomfortably close to Caramel and Fluttershy in the process.

Zhan and Skan's eyes met and they at once came to an unspoken agreement. Flash Spark had to be driven or drawn away from Fluttershy and Caramel before they were caught up in the battle and injured.

However, Zhan was distracted by a faint numbness in her arm. Lifting up her foreleg as she retreated from her strike at Flash Spark, she was shocked to see the metal-alloy fighting claws of her gauntlet, which were capable of exchanging blows with weapons forged from mithril, crumbling away. Worse than that, the gauntlet itself was also beginning to disintegrate. The creeping numbness running up her forelimb was probably the only reason Zhan wasn’t shrieking in agony as she could no longer feel anything below the elbow. Her short, blunt claws, now visible, were cracked and chipped. Worse, Zhan suspected that the bones, muscles and even the nerves of her foreleg might actually be in a similar state.

Rather than striking a critical blow against Flash Spark, Zhan had apparently done more harm to herself than she had her opponent. As Flash Spark righted himself, there was no sign that he was suffering any pain from the hit. It seemed that the very same changes that had allowed him to fly without making a sound, despite his wings vibrating like a giant insect’s, had apparently also granted him a body that was even more difficult to injure than it had been before. Worse still, hitting him the wrong way would apparently harm the one striking him instead.

Zhan’s horror at her condition very nearly cost her her life. Her training prompted her to continue to retreat, even as her attention was absorbed by her peculiar and horrifying condition. That was probably the only thing that saved her as she fell back. Flash Spark hissed, a vicious animalistic sound that had no business coming out of a pony’s mouth, and lunged towards her. Under other circumstances, Zhan might have thought that he was trying to headbutt her or even forcefully kiss her beak, as he lunged straight for her with his muzzle. However, her eyes picked up the motion from either side of her head and she realized that those wickedly-sharp pincers were on the verge of piercing her skull from either side.

Zhan tilted back and flipped over backwards, sweeping her wings up past her chest and into the open sky. The movement barely carried her head out of the pincers’ arc as they closed with a nasty scissoring sound and the strong flap allowed her to shoot downwards and out of the way. Out of the edge of her vision, she caught sight of Flash Spark whipping his body around before a burning pain seared itself into her haunch, just above her right hind leg. As she pulled away from Flash Spark, she felt something catch in her flesh…and then tear itself out, a feeling that made her keen in agony. Crimson arcs of blood danced through the air between her and Flash Spark.

From his position, Skan had seen everything, from the failed attack to Flash Spark whipping his body around and sinking the stinger on the end of his tail into Zhan’s haunch. Worse still, Flash’s stinger must have had some sort of barbs on it, for it tore a horrific gash in Zhan’s flesh as her own momentum pulled her free of it.

Flash let out an exultant, insane laugh and spun back around. Once again, the buzz around his wings rose sharply in pitch as he prepared another slashing lance of sonic energy. When he fired, the beams were on course to cut Zhan’s body in two. However, an ebony blur tackled her out of the way, just as Flash Spark fired. The beams missed their intended target and carved another set of lines in the earth below.

"I hope you birds enjoy having your wings clipped," crowed Flash Spark as he prepared to attack again. On the outer edges of his vision, broadened by the compound eyes his enhancements sported, Flash Spark saw a faint rippling in the air. A second later, his ears were filled with an angry roar before he was slammed by a pillar of air that drove him across the sky with an angry yell.

Skan and Zhan looked up to see the ebony and silver figure of Dawn Lightwing hovering above them, positioning himself between them and Flash Spark, who was trying to right his spinning, tumbling flight after being hit by such an intense attack.

"I think you've done enough," growled Dawn as he glared at Flash Spark.

When Flash Spark saw that Dawn had arrived, he once again grinned, the expression looking unsettling, partially hidden as it was behind those angry-looking pincers. "Finally. I thought you were going to take all night to get here."

Dawn's eyes narrowed and he beat his wings, surging forward to confront the insectile stallion head on.

Author's Notes:

Aww, and just when everything was going so nicely too. Oh well, party time. This marks the start of the final arc of the story. From here, things get busy.

Next chapter: Firefly cuts loose.

Wings of Light

Chapter 26: Wings of Light

Rainbow Dash and Soarin' lounged on the cloud, dozing lightly as they enjoyed the cool night air. Neither of them wanted the evening to end. In the morning, Soarin' would have to return to Cloudsdale and Rainbow would have to resume her training under Firefly. They wanted to make the most of the time they did have. Sex was obviously off the table, but snuggling was something the two of them enjoyed and was a good way to pass the time as the night ran its course.

Sadly, it wasn't to be as Rainbow felt, rather than saw a shape swooping over them and landing on the cloud beside them. Startled by the intruder, Rainbow rolled onto her hooves, Soarin' springing up beside them as they both looked to the pony suddenly standing in front of them on the cloud.

Firefly didn't spare a glance for either of them, instead staring straight ahead at the figure of another pony rising up towards them from Ponyville. Looking down at the pony, Rainbow gasped. She recognized the young stallion's cream-colored coat with gray flecks decorating it, along with his grayish-blue mane, and piercing yellow, hawklike eyes. What she did not recognize were the wings this young stallion was sporting, which did not gleam with the silvery sheen of polished mithril. "Perlin?"

"The same," said Perlin Bluestreak as he came to hover in front of the trio of pegasi, "And, before you ask, yes, I did get new wings. It's nice to see you again, Rainbow Dash, Soarin'." His gaze quickly refocused on Firefly. "It's an honor to meet you as well, miss...?"

"Firefly," said the pink mare, smiling as she met Perlin's gaze, "My student has told me a great deal about you, youngster."

"Ah, I see," said Perlin, "You seem quite strong. Under other circumstances, I would love to take the opportunity to see just how strong, but I'm afraid I have other business at the moment."

"What other business?" demanded Rainbow, "Why are you here?"

"My employer informed me that a certain asset of his has escaped containment," explained Perlin, "That asset is apparently heading here and might be here already. I believe you've already tangled with him before."

"Who is it?" asked Soarin'.

"His name was...Flash Spark...if I remember correctly," said Perlin.

Rainbow felt the blood drain out of her face at that name. Her memory conjured up images of the hateful stallion, along with the twisted monstrosity he had become. And he was somewhere near Ponyville now! "Where is he?"

"I can't say for sure," said Perlin, "I was talking with Dawn about it. According to him, there are only two possible ponies this fellow could be going after. One is you. The other is..."

"Fluttershy!" yelped Rainbow, already spinning in place to look in the direction of her friend's cottage.

For a moment, it seemed like nothing was happening. Rainbow as about to breathe a sigh of relief, feeling that they might have more time or that Flash Spark would come after her first. However, that relief vanished when her ears picked up a familiar-sounding buzz emanating from the direction of the cottage. The sound pierced Rainbow's ears and she felt a headache building. A few seconds later, the buzz rose in pitch to a shriek and flashes of yellow light lit up the sky. From her vantage point, Rainbow could see streaks of yellow energy stabbing out into the night.

"Oh no!" she whispered. Her muscles bunched up as her legs folded into a crouch, her wings spreading as she prepared to leap. She kicked off the cloud, rising into the air and shooting towards the cottage...

...only to come to an abrupt halt as Firefly's hoof stamped down on the end of Rainbow's tail, pinning it fast against the cloud. Rainbow let out a pained yelp as her forward momentum was abruptly and painfully halted and she fell back onto the cloud with a grunt.

"What the hay are you doing?" demanded Rainbow, whirling around to glare at Firefly.

"You're in no condition to be fighting right now," said Firefly, a grim expression on her face.

"I can't just stand here and watch," Rainbow snapped, glaring at her mentor, "I fought with him before. I was still in training then."

"That was before your training was as far along as it is now," said Firefly, "Your body is in the process of reordering how it uses its magic. In your current state, you're nowhere near your best. He'll cut you to ribbons."

A surge of air washed over them. Perlin had evidently lost interest in the three of them and was now heading straight for the conflict taking place in the skies above Fluttershy's house. Rainbow watched him go, desperately wanting to follow behind him, if not overtake him to get there first.

"Are you saying we should just stand here and do nothing?" she demanded.

"No," said Firefly, giving Rainbow a grim smile, "You will stay here and do nothing. I will will go and settle this myself."

Before Rainbow could say anything, Firefly was already gone, a pink and blue streak hurtling through the sky.

"It'll be okay," said Soarin', resting a hoof lightly on Rainbow's shoulder, "Firefly's probably one of the most experienced Knights. She's even stronger than Spitfire is.

"I just hope she's strong enough," said Rainbow as she intently watched the skies. Fluttershy, please be okay.

Rumble looked up from his book. Since he'd gotten back from his date with Sweetie Belle, he'd been reading quietly on the couch, waiting for the return of the rest of his family. However, Flitter and Storm Front were apparently still at Sweet Apple Acres and Thunderlane and Cloud Chaser were still out on their date. With nopony to talk to, Rumble settled in for a quiet evening, grateful that Flitter had let him off from his grounding, but wishing she had allowed him to return later.

What had made him look up from his reading was the sound of the door to the cloud house opening. Rumble couldn't quite keep a grin from his face as Thunderlane stumbled in through the door, looking dazed and giddy, a dopey grin decorating his face, and his trademark mohawk mane badly mussed. He walked as though he chugged down half a keg of the Apple Family's hardest cider, stumbling and chuckling vacantly into the house.

Behind him came the reason for Thunderlane's alcohol-free inebriation. Cloud Chaser, decked out in a slinky, jaw-dropping, bright-red dress, rushed in, not even bothering to land on the floor of the cloud house, she zeroed in on Rumble instantly, plucking him off the couch and into her hooves, spinning through the air of the living room as she squealed and shrieked with glee.

"He did it! He did it! Rumble! He finally did it!" Cloud Chaser continued to hug Rumble with ferocious vigor, as though he were an oversized stuffed animal, twirling and pirouetting through the air.

"I take it he popped the question then," observed Rumble, smiling even though Cloud Chaser's spinning was starting to make him feel dizzy. About time, too.

"He did!" squealed Cloud Chaser, finally setting her brother (and future brother-in-law) back down on the couch, "Look!"

Now able to get a better look at Cloud Chaser, Rumble grinned when he saw the necklace she was wearing, a fine gold chain, from which dangled a pendant fashioned in the image of Thunderlane''s cutie mark.

"I'm happy for you," said Rumble, chuckling. He'd known, of course, that Thunderlane had been planning on proposing. He'd also known that Cloud Chaser had been getting impatient waiting for said proposal, not being aware that Thunderlane had been waiting until Hearts and Hooves Day like the hopelessly romantic sap he was.

"So when's the wedding?" asked Rumble, looking between Thunderlane and Cloud Chaser.

Considering the question caused Cloud Chaser to calm down a little. "Um...we haven't talked about that yet," she said with a sheepish grin, blushing.

"She was too busy kissing me everywhere she could reach," bragged Thunderlane, having apparently regathered his wits, "She was hugging me so much I was practically carrying her home."

"Please, you know you loved it," said Cloud Chaser, her voice dropping to a sultry purr as she slunk towards Thunderlane, moving with all the grace of a prowling cat, "Like I know that you'll love what's coming later." She stalked in front of her stallion, passing just underneath his chin so that her tail could rise up to stroke his lower jaw. Thunderlane's wings shot out and fluttered wildly and he let out another dopey laugh as Cloud Chaser strutted away from him, swaying her haunches back and forth with each step.

"Oh boy," said Rumble, rolling his eyes. Grown ups...

His ears twitched. Distracted from the conversation, Rumble noticed a faint buzzing noise that seemed to be filtering in through the walls of the house. What is that? he wondered, looking around. The sound seemed to be coming from outside. Whatever it was, it wasn't pleasant, giving Rumble a feeling like a fly was hovering just inside his ear and he was unable to do anything to get it dislodged. "Do you hear that?"

Cloud Chaser and Thunderlane paused in their antics, looking at Rumble in confusion. In the ensuing lull in the conversation, they too noticed the buzz.

"Yeah," said Thunderlane, his head rotating as he tried to fix a direction on the noise, "What the hay is that?"

"Whatever it is, I don't like it," growled Cloud Chaser, batting at her ears, "It's annoying."

Frowning, Rumble went to the door and pushed it open. No longer muffled by the walls of the house, the infernal buzz streamed in through the open doorway and went from annoying to painful, inciting a sharp, searing pain in Rumble's ears even as his head began to ache from the noise.

"Ugh! That's awful!" cried Cloud Chaser, desperately covering her ears with her hooves. Beside her, Thunderlane was doing the same.

Grimacing, Rumble stepped out on the cloud house's porch and looked around. Now he could tell which way the sound was coming from His eyes fixed themselves in the direction of the Everfree Forest and a small cottage situated near its edge. "Uh oh..."

"I've been waiting for this chance, you little brat," snarled Flash Spark, "I'll pay you back for what you did to my wings. On top of that, your precious mother will get to watch."

Dawn said nothing, already darting in at Flash Spark, his form a blur that seemed to flicker across the space between them. He came right in at Flash Spark's chest, his wings blurring as he launched a succession of pounding blows that hammered at the insectile stallion's armor, knocking him back through the sky. For all that he appeared to be stunned and disoriented by the blows, Flash Spark didn't seem to be taking any harm, but that was nothing new. Right now, Dawn's primary concern was forcing him away from Fluttershy and Caramel, as well as Skan and Zhan. He'd noticed that the griffoness had taken some form of injury in the fight and didn't want her accumulating any more if he could prevent it.

"Hey!" protested Flash, his voice cut off as Dawn slammed him with another thunderous attack, "Stop-...Let me-...What are you-" Every time Flash attempted to speak, Dawn hit him with another attack, knocking him back any further. Already, the cottage was far in the distance behind them and the two were now over a large stretch of the Everfree Forest. The canopy below was practically a blanket of black in the dark of the night.

Flash growled angrily as Dawn pushed him further and further back, each blow taking him farther away from his intended prey. "Knock...it...OFF!" As he roared out that last word, the blurring of his wings stopped for an instant, the veins running through them changing orientation before they started buzzing again. This time, as they resumed their motion, they released a powerful burst of vibrations through the air, expanding out around him in a spherical wave. Dawn had been in the midst of yet another attack. As the focused burst of compressed air ran into the wave of vibrations, it seemed to shudder and disintegrate.

Frowning, Dawn reversed the direction of his flight, kicking out with all four of his hooves and slipping his wings from back to front in tight arcs, causing him to skip backwards through the air so quickly that he literally seemed to vanish and reappear several meters back. Using his wind-sense to keep track of the strange wave of vibrations that Flash had released, Dawn readied himself, just in case he needed to retreat further. Fortunately, effect petered out before it reached him. That's a new trick, he thought, his mind going back to Morning Star's...messenger's...warning that Flash's capabilities had been upgraded. I wonder what else he might be capable of.

"Dammit! It's about time," grumbled Flash, "I thought you were going to push me out of Equestria."

"The idea did come to mind," said Dawn lightly, "I figured you might be more at home somewhere like the badlands. You'd probably find creatures more like you out there."

"Keep joking, you little freak!" snapped Flash, his wings freezing in place and changing again before resuming, the air now filled with that terrible buzzing noise that seemed to drive spikes of pain into the ears of anypony who heard it, "You don't stand a chance agains me!"

Dawn melded his magic into the air around him, using it to create a space of dead air around him, stopping the vibrations released by Flash Spark's wings from reaching his ears. Unlike the attack he'd used just a moment earlier, these vibrations didn't seem to do anything to disrupt Dawn's magic. As he did so, Dawn could still feel the vibrations through his wind-sense, which didn't cause him any pain, unlike what it would have done with his ears.

He also sensed the vibrations seeming to converge and intensify around Flash's wings. His eyes spotted the flaring of yellow light at the points where they waves were converging, a prelude to that strange cutting attack that Flash was capable of. Sure enough, twin beams of yellow energy lanced out from Flash's wings, stabbing out at Dawn like bright spears. However, Dawn had already sensed them and twisted his body around to the side, allowing him to slip between them. Flash compensated by swinging the beams in an arc, causing them to intersect in front of him, aiming to cut Dawn to pieces from both sides. However, the colt dropped down before the beams could reach him.

Dawn dropped down and darted forward until he was directly underneath Flash Spark. Rolling onto his back so that his legs and belly were facing up at his opponent, Dawn attacked. However, instead of the concussive bursts of air he'd been using before, he instead launched twin bolts of lightning up at Flash. The crackling bolts of electricity burst into sparks as they hit Flash's underbelly. But when the sparks faded, there was no sign of damage to Flash's armor.

With an angry scream that was almost bestial in nature, Flash charged straight down at Dawn, his wings already preparing to launch another pair of sonic lances at Dawn, who skipped sideways just as Flash was about to reach him. Flash changed the direction of his flight just as quickly, pursing Dawn and firing the lances as he did. Dawn quickly dipped his flight down and slid to the right, ducking underneath the shafts of yellow and out from between them. Behind him, he could already feel Flash closing the distance between them.

It seemed that Flash's overall speed was higher than his. Furthermore, those insect-like wings allowed Flash to fly in virtually any direction at will, not even needing to change his orientation. Dawn was capable of similar feats, thanks to his training in the Gale King. However, that was only for short distances before he had to resume a normal flight. Against virtually any other pony, the unique abilities Flash's wings granted him would have provided him with an overwhelming advantage, but they didn't actually bother Dawn at all.

After all, for all the difference in their individual abilities, Dawn had one major advantage over Flash Spark. Flash Spark was no warrior. He had no real experience in battle. Aside from this one, the only real fight he'd been in was when he'd attempted to crash the wedding of Big Macintosh and Ditzy a few months back and had been headed off by the Wonderbolts and others. That fight had largely consisted of Flash's enemies battering him whilst he tried, rather ineffectually, to kill them. The nearly indestructible armor he sported and the deadly weapons he wielded were largely useless. Because of his lack of knowledge and skill, he had no idea of how to employ them to their greatest effect, having instead relied on their novelty and unique nature to catch ponies off-guard.

Thus, though he had yet to inflict any actual damage on his opponent, Dawn did not feel overly troubled as he continued to dodge out of the way of Flash's barrage of sonic lances. When Flash closed in, he tried to catch Dawn with the pincers on his muzzle or slash him with the bladed tail extending from his haunches. However, Dawn simply read those attacks and slipped around them effortlessly, not even needing to think about it.

This might actually be a good opportunity for me, thought Dawn as he darted back away from Flash's latest attack. Relaxing his body, Dawn took a breath and let go of his thoughts, clearing his mind and falling completely into the feeling of moving in sync with his adversary. Through his wind-sense, he could feel the buzz of Flash Spark's wings, feel the shifting of those vibrations through the air as Flash moved to attack or fire off his sonic lances. Just like Flash's breathing, those vibrations formed a sort of rhythm that Dawn could feel through the air as they fought. Even though he was no longer actively thinking about the battle, Dawn easily moved, automatically eluding Flash's attacks.

But that was only the first part of Dawn's efforts. What he really wanted to do was test the skill he'd only managed to use once before, during the final stage of his battle against Terra Heart. His mind went blank and the fight seemed to be taking place somewhere very far away. Reaching out into the air around him, Dawn began. Against the constant buzz of Flash's wings, a second, lighter buzz filled the air around Dawn as it began to charge with electricity. Putting the force of his entire body into the motion, Dawn swept his wing around, the feathers slashing through the air like blades. The lightning he generated seemed to merge with the edge of the vacuum blade he produced, gaining both power and speed from the motion of his body. In the midst of its blank, unthinking state, Dawn's mind conjured the image of a brilliant, white crescent sweeping through the air.

To Flash's eyes, Dawn's body seemed to limp one second, almost as though the colt had lost consciousness in midair. Seeing an opportunity, Flash decided to go in for the kill, aiming to catch the colt with his pincers and rip Dawn's throat out. However, the next second, Dawn suddenly whipped out his wing, twisting his entire body along his spine to put more force into the motion. From the edge of Dawn's primaries surged a blade of white that hummed through the air, the sound of its passage seeming to cut through the buzz of Flash's wings.

Flash Spark was not a warrior. He had no honed instincts to sense danger and, even if he had, his reflexes were not developed enough to allow him to dodge. In his own mind, he had no reason to even worry about Dawn's latest effort. After all, nearly every attack that had been used against him, whether pony or griffon, whether it came from a Wonderbolt or even one of the Celestial Knights, had failed to penetrate his armor. This attack was no different. In the end, it wouldn't even phase Flash Spark, who grinned as he continued forward to make his kill.

He couldn't have been more wrong. Ironically, Flash's impulse to go in for the kill was what saved his own life. As a result he'd ended up moving in at an angle that took the majority of his body out of the way of Dawn's attack. The curved edge of the white blade sank into the armor over Flash Spark's upper-left hind leg, just below his haunch. The humming crescent of white energy seared and sliced its way through the armor and the flesh beneath it.

Flash screamed in agony as his attack was completely forgotten. He rolled one way, while his severed leg went tumbling off in another direction, disappearing into the canopy of the Everfree Forest below. Streams of blood spurted from the stump where his hind leg had been.

"You brat! You filthy mongrel brat!" shrieked Flash Spark, his writhing flipping and spinning his body as his wings kept him suspended in the air, "What did you do?"

Dawn said nothing, too dazed from his experience to respond. The last time he had tried this technique, he had been on the edge of exhaustion and depletion and it had drained his magical reserves past their limits. Returning from that blank, thoughtless state was like trying to claw his way back into consciousness after being drugged or knocked out. His entire body tingled from the experience, possibly because he was new to the technique. His flight faltered as he panted for breath, drained from the endeavor.

I think I can keep fighting, though, he thought. He hadn't pushed himself nearly as far as he had during his battle with Terra Heart and his recovery from that fight was, more or less, complete.

Dawn was distracted from his reverie by a wet, sliding sound coming from Flash's leg. His eyes widened as he saw the armor lining the area where the leg had been severed spread down and close over the wound, completely stopping the flow of blood. Well...that's...different.

Flash's cries of pain dwindled and he seemed regain some semblance of self-control. His pincers opened and closed in agitated motions as his compound eyes once again focused on Dawn. His teeth were grit in anger. "You're going to pay for that," he said, his voice emerging as a maddened hiss.

Dawn frowned, wondering just how to deal with this situation. While he didn't want to kill Flash Spark, however disgusting a creature the stallion might have been, he also saw no other real options at the moment. Even before he had been twisted into this...monstrosity, Flash Spark hadn't been a pleasant stallion. But now, it seemed as though the only thing he cared about was inflicting as much pain as possible on the ponies he believed had wronged him. On top of that, the Dark Matter that made up his armor, wings, and who knew what else of his body was unpredictable. There was no telling what other surprises it might have. Even if he subdued Flash Spark now, Dawn was fairly certain that no form of captivity he and his friends currently had at their disposal was sufficient to handle him.

It would seem there's no other way to handle this, thought Dawn grimly.

He backwinged, edging away from Flash, trying to gain distance so that he could try his technique again. However, Flash simply charged forward. Even as he lunged in, his pincers aiming for Dawn's head, his wings made the air scream as yellow light flashed in front of both of them. He fired the sonic lances down at an angle, trying to catch Dawn as he ducked beneath the snapping pincers. Twisting, Dawn managed to slip between the shafts of light and sound as they slashed at the canopy below. Flash reared up, swinging his bladed tail and its barbed stinger under his belly. Kicking off the air, Dawn was able to turn his twisting roll into a cartwheeling motion that carried him out of the way of the fearsome weapon.

Flash was already turning in place and moving to pursue, once again lunging in with his pincers. Gaining distance would only make it easier for Flash to target Dawn with his sonic lances again, so Dawn remained close, his form seeming to double, even triple as Flash's pincers clicked in a continuous effort to spear the colt between them.

Once again, Dawn tried to clear his mind and relax his body, to achieve that thoughtless state once again. However, the increased ferocity of Flash's attack was a continuous distraction, one that kept him from achieving the necessary state of mind. To make matters worse, that infernal buzzing ground into Dawn's ears. This close to its source, Dawn's control over the air around him wasn't enough to keep the vibration at bay and it was a constant source of pain.

As it was, Dawn barely noticed the critical instant when the buzzing of Flash's wings ceased for less than a second, only to quickly resume again. However, he felt the results immediately as a powerful surge of vibrating air rushed away from Flash and washed over Dawn. At this range, there was no way that Dawn could escape from it. The air beneath his wings seemed to go dead and his lift disappeared. Dawn's eyes widened as he began to fall towards the canopy below.

There wasn't a serious risk of him falling to his death, not from this high up. The interruption of his magic had been brief and Dawn could already start to feel his control of the air coming back to him. The real problem came from the fact that Flash wasn't going to sit idly by and let Dawn get away from him. Even as Flash's head darted forward, its pincers closing in on Dawn's head, his hindquarters swung downwards and forwards, whipping that tail and its stinger in an arc that sent it stabbing towards Dawn's stomach. In his current state, there was no way that the colt would be able to avoid the blows.

A sound like a thunderclap roared across the sky, drowning out the buzz of Flash Spark's wings. A shaft of white, edged with blue, slammed into Flash's flank, knocking him tail over teakettle with an pained cry. It was accompanied by a cracking noise as the force behind the blow apparently broke through the Dark Matter that served as Flash's armor.

Confused, Dawn looked around, only to be taken by surprise as a pair of warm forelegs encircled him in a protective embrace as a pony pulled his back up against her chest. Despite the fact that this pony had apparently snuck up on him through his wind-sense, Dawn felt no sense of threat that the unexpected contact would have normally brought. Instead, it made him relax, almost as though his mother was holding him. At the edges of his vision, he caught a glimpse of pink wings. "Firefly?"

Tilting his head up, he saw her face as she smiled down at him. "You did well," she said, "All things considered, I don't think it was wise using that skill in real battle yet. You haven't completely grasped Nothingness yet, at least, not enough to use it at will. Practice some more before you try that again." She transferred her glance up to Flash, who was reorienting himself and growling as he turned to face Firefly.

A second pair of pegasus wings beat the air and Dawn sensed the approach of another pegasus, smaller than Firefly, but larger than him. "Perlin?"

"I wouldn't expect anything less," said the young stallion with a smirk as he came to hover next to Firefly, "You beat me by a pretty wide margin." He transferred his gaze from Firefly to Dawn. "That was quite the trick you pulled. So that was what you've been working up to."

"So it was," said Dawn with a nod.

Perlin's lips curled back in a grin. "Well then, in the interest of keeping things even, why don't I give you a preview of what my new wings are capable of..." He bobbed his head politely towards Firefly, "With your permission, of course, milady."

"Be my guest," said Firefly, "I'm quite curious about your wings myself. They were metal, the last I heard."

Perlin nodded as Flash Spark shouted indignantly, "Are you three going to waste my time on chitchat or are you going to let me kill you already?"

"Sorry," said Perlin with a chuckle, drifting forward so that he hovered between the other two pegasi and Flash Spark, "I will be your opponent for the time being."

"You?" snarled Flash Spark, his sneer more audible than it was visible, "You owe your wings to the same one who gave me this," he gestured to himself and the insectile armor he wore, "Why are you helping them?"

"I don't recall why the fact that both of us received our gifts from the same giver would have us on the same side," said Perlin, "Especially since he actually asked me to cut your little jaunt short. He's apparently upset that you went abroad without permission."

An angry growl gurgled its way out of Flash Spark's throat. "I don't need his precious permission to do as I please. He told me that this was my power to use as I see fit. I am not his slave."

The corners of Perlin's mouth curled up in a tiny, amused smile. "If it suits you to believe that, then, by all means, do continue. I have my orders though. He is my employer after all."

Flash Spark let out a wordless shriek of rage and surged forward. Perlin rushed in to meet him. Flash's wings froze for less than a second once again, then resumed beating. This time, once again producing that painful buzz that prompted Dawn to lay his ears flat against his skull. Pushing gently against Firefly, he prompted her to let go so that he could snap out his wings and create a bubble of air that cut down on the buzzing's interference.

Perlin was undeterred by the noise. Instead, he hurtled forward, his eyes intent on his target. The buzzing rose to a shrill pitch and light flashed out from Flash Spark's wings. Twin shafts of yellow light stabbed out at the young stallion. Dawn tensed. If Perlin dodged or if those beams cut right through him, Dawn and Firefly would have to get out of the way, as they were also in the line of fire.

Perlin went into a roll, not to slip out of the beams' line of fire, but instead to swat at them with his wings. The shrieking lances of yellow light glanced off his wings at sharp angles. One went arcing harmlessly into the sky, intercepting a drifting cloud and splitting it in two. The other one seared down into the forest below. A few seconds later, a groaning crash echoed through the night as several trees were felled by a blade far sharper than that of any axe.

Perlin completed his roll as he continued to charge at Flash Spark, who was surging forward to meet him. Abruptly, Perlin twisted his body to one side so that he could swing one wing in a long sideways slash, aiming straight for Flash Spark's neck. Flash Spark darted straight upwards without changing his body's orientation, easily shooting out of the line of Perlin's swing. As he did so, Flash dropped his haunches down so that he could swing that bladed tail and its stinger straight at Perlin's head. The arc of the swing brought the stinger swinging down before its course curved up, which would have put it through Perlin's chin, had the young stallion not calmly lifted his head out of the line of the strike, flipping onto his back in midair.

Pulling his extended wing back, Perlin swept both wings upwards in a slashing motion that would have cut into Flash Spark from below, like a pair of giant shears. Screeching, Flash Spark shot up even higher, the loud, keening noise of his wings heralding another pair of sonic lances that darted down at Perlin, who angled his wings so that they once again bounced off harmlessly.

Dawn frowned as he watched Perlin continue his flip until he was upright once more then sweep his wings downwards to shoot up in pursuit of Flash Spark. There didn't seem to be anything all that special about Perlin's wings. So far, his use of them seemed similar to how he used his previous pair of mithril wings. Granted, his current pair were capable of deflecting Flash Spark's sonic lances, which would have probably carved through Perlin's mithril wings just as easily as Dawn's vacuum blades had. But, for how pleased Perlin seemed to be with those wings, the only thing truly distinct about them was that they normally felt like regular pegasus wings. Was that what was truly most important to him when he received these new wings? Dawn wondered.

Whenever Perlin swung those wings like weapons, the feathers went rigid and their profile changed, becoming sharp...incredibly sharp, sharper than his mithril ones had ever been. Dawn could feel that much through his wind-sense. Flash Spark was currently doing his utmost to avoid those swings, something he hadn't done against any other opponent so far. That was to be expected, as even a pony as arrogant as Flash wouldn't foolishly assume that armor made from Morning Star's Dark Matter would be capable of standing up against a blade that was also made of Dark Matter. Is that all there is to it...or is there something more?

Then, Perlin lunged in yet again, swinging his wings in broad arcs. Yet again, Flash darted back, trying to keep well out of their reach as he tried to slice Perlin to pieces with his sonic lances. However, Perlin swung his wings again, even though he was well away from Flash Spark. Through his wind-sense, Dawn felt something...change. He was reminded of the first time he had fought Perlin and had encountered the young stallion's wired feathers. The profile of Perlin's wing had changed. However, something else happened as well. What it was exactly, Dawn couldn't say for certain. It was almost as though some sort of seam had appeared in the air along the line of Perlin's slash.

Flash Spark screamed. Dawn's wind-sense picked up another "seam" in the air, right over Flash Spark's back. He felt something briefly arc out from it and bite down into Flash Spark's back along his spine, slicing through his armor with ease. Whatever it was retracted back into the seam as quickly as it came and Perlin's wing returned to normal.

"What was that?" asked Dawn, gaping, "It was almost as though he sent his feather by cutting through space itself."

"I think that may be exactly what it was," said Firefly calmly, her eyes following the exchange intently, "We both know that Dark Matter's greatest strength is that it doesn't conform to the regular laws of physics and magic as we know them. Rather, it obeys its own and produces phenomena by mixing with the physical and magical laws of our world. That trick must be a product of such a phenomena."

Dawn suppressed a shiver. The sensation was alien, grating against his senses as something that should not be there. It reminded him of his first meeting with Wight Shade and the strange feeling he had gotten from the stallion. He realized that it probably should have been expected, since he had been meeting with the Dark Matter's creator, though he hadn't known it at the time.

There was something else he noted. In the process of launching that remote attack, Perlin had actually detached the feather from his wing. In that, it was similar to the wired feathers he had wielded with his previous set of wings. Though Dawn couldn't sense any kind of wire that would be used to control it. But, then again, he'd never sensed the wires that tethered the mithril feathers to their wings either. Perlin's pair of mithril wings had been armed with ten such weapons. I wonder how many he can detach and attack with now.

As if in response to his unvocalized question, Perlin swung his wing once again. Dawn's eyes widened as he both felt and saw all of Perlin's feathers detaching, from the primaries, secondaries, all the way up to the coverts. The strange seams in the air created by those feathers as they vanished surrounded the wing. But between them, Dawn could feel the wing itself, just the raw limb without any feathers over it whatsoever.

Flash Spark twisted and dodged, desperate to escape from the attack. But there was nowhere for him to go as the feathers emerged from the space around him, cutting off all paths of escape and carving into him from all directions. His wings froze in place yet again and Dawn both felt and saw their configuration change. This time, when they resumed beating yet again, a powerful shockwave rushed out in a sphere around Flash, a vibrating wave of force that just barely managed to turn Perlin's feathers aside. The feathers retracted through the seams in the air once again, reattaching themselves to Perlin's wing on the other side.

"That was a pretty little trick," snarled Flash, "But it won't work on me again."

"I somehow doubt that," replied Perlin with a laugh, "It was the kind of trick that could be beaten by someone who's only seen it once, then it wouldn't be worth learning, would it?" He shrugged. "Although...I'm still getting the hang of these wings, so that's not all I'll be able to do."

"Which means that, for now, this is the extent of what you can do," said Firefly as she glided forward past Dawn to hover near Perlin, "It's getting late, so I'll help you finish this."

"Returning the courtesy, are we?" asked Perlin, glancing sidelong at Firefly, "I got an eyeful of your special skill earlier. Are you sure you want to show it to me again?"

"Why not?" mused Firefly idly, "Just as you said, a skill that could be beaten just because your opponent figures out how it works wouldn't be worth learning."

From his position, Dawn could tell that Flash Spark was seething, mostly because Firefly and Perlin were both talking as though he wasn't even there. Charging forward, he lunged straight towards Firefly, who turned her gaze back to him. She gave the insectile stallion a chilly smile.

To Dawn's eyes, everything seemed to move in slow motion. Acting as though she had all the time in the world, Firefly took a deep breath, retracting her wings in and holding them in a relaxed position, not completely folded against her sides, but not stretching out either. As Flash Spark blurred towards her, Firefly released her breath and snapped her wings back out to their full span.

There was a sound like a clap of thunder and Firefly's wings blazed with pure light that washed over everypony around her with a force that was almost tangible. Its intensity momentarily blinded Dawn, given that his eyes had been adapting to the growing darkness of the evening. As his eyes fought to clear themselves, his wind-sense allowed him to remain aware of the situation. Dawn felt the light stream through the air and merge with it. Before Flash Spark could even realize what was happening, a burst of energy, that strange combination of light and air, possibly infused with nothing less than the purest pegasus magic, rushed out like a lance and slammed right into the middle of his head. A loud crack filled the air as fractures appeared on the armor right between Flash's eyes and he was knocked back, reeling and screaming in pain.

Finally, Dawn's vision cleared and he beheld Firefly's technique in all of its glory. Given what he'd seen before he'd been briefly blinded, he'd been expecting her wings to be glowing, shining even. However, what he saw defied all expectation. Firefly's wings were not just emitting light, they had become light. No longer did limbs of flesh, blood, and bone, extend out from Firefly's shoulders, but wings of pure energy, pure magic stretched outward, extending farther and wider than her regular wings ever had. They were less like limbs and more like symbols that had been painted in the sky around Firefly with gleaming brush strokes.

A long, broad line defined the leading edge of each wing, bending approximately where the joints on a regular pegasus wing would have been. Trailing out behind each one were feathers, secondaries and primaries, arrayed at their full spread. Though they spread as though they were real feathers, there was space between each one in such a way that no feather was touching another, nor were any of them actually touching the wing. All were formed from brilliant white light, edged with blue highlights.

"What...what is this?" asked Dawn, gaping unashamedly at the spectacle.

Firefly glanced over her shoulder at him and gave the ebony colt a sad smile. "I'll explain once we finish up here," she said softly, an apologetic tone in her voice.

Turning back to Flash Spark, Firefly gave him a vicious smirk. "Now then, it's time to put you down, bucko."

The cracks formed by Firefly's previous blow and the cuts he'd received from Perlin were already mending themselves. There was no way to tell if the flesh beneath that armor was being repaired as well, but it was obvious that Flash was nowhere near done. Letting out an animalistic scream, he surged forward, launching another pair of sonic lances at Firefly.

Her wings didn't seem to move more than a fraction, but the result was Firefly becoming a blazing streak as she shot out of the path of Flash's attack, taking a bending, twisting path that seemed to come at him from one angle before diverting to attack from another, then another, then another...a seemingly endless succession of feints in the space of a second. Flash, unable to follow her, completely lost track of Firefly before she charged in at him from behind and to the right. As she came in, the feathers on Firefly's right wing merged together into a large shaft of energy that thrust at Flash's unguarded haunch, landing with a sickening crack as his armor and the bones under said armor broke.

The force of the blow sent Flash spinning helplessly through the air. Before he could recover, Firefly was on him once again. This time, she attacked by turning her feathers into a hail of blazing arrows that pounded Flash mercilessly. Broken into chips, his armor was flaking off, revealing the flesh beneath it.

Firefly's eyes widened as more of Flash's flesh under his armor became visible. She'd expected to see his coat, or possibly skin. Instead, she found herself looking at raw muscle and tendon. Flash's armor was not merely on top of his skin, it had become his skin. It had apparently bonded with him on a biological level. Furthermore, as more of her attacks landed, she saw cracks spreading through the muscles as well, as though they were made of something similar to the armor itself.

It would seem that he has become a creature of Dark Matter, both inside and out, mused Firefly. Grimly, she decided to continue the assault. She'd come to the same conclusion that Dawn had earlier. There was no hope in taking Flash Spark alive. They didn't have the means to contain him and the unknown capabilities his modifications presented. Furthermore, he was dead set on continuing to threaten Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and those close to them. Killing him was the only viable solution.

Pulling back her wings, Firefly spread them out to their full span. Their light spread across the sky, blotting out the stars above. She swept both of them at Flash Spark, feathers and the wings themselves merging into a single bolt of light that charged straight for Flash's now-unprotected body.

No longer content with waiting, Perlin took action as well, charging forward and swinging his wings, detaching his feathers and sending them through space to cut off any path of escape that Flash might have.

Through the air, Dawn felt an additional eddy forming in the center of Flash's forehead, caused by something that wasn't there previously thrusting up and out of his skull. Remembering the last time that had happened, Dawn felt his breath catch in his throat. No!

Perlin and Firefly's attacks collided with a roar and an explosive shockwave rippling through the air that nearly sent Dawn tumbling. As it was, he had to quickly kick out his wings to remain properly oriented as the trees below cracked and groaned, their leaves hissing angrily as the wind knocked them off of branches and sent them spinning through the air. Directly beneath the center of the explosion, a few trees were blasted into splinters all the way down to the level of the ground itself.

The light of Firefly's attack retracted and reformed into glowing wings once again. With a flick, those wings burst into motes of light, leaving Firefly's original flesh and blood wings once again. Perlin's feathers had already returned to his wing. He frowned contemplatively as he stared at the space where Flash had been. "I thought there would have been more resistance. Did we blast him to atoms or something?"

"No," said Dawn as he came forward, "He's gone. He got away."

Author's Notes:

Happy birthday to me! In the spirit of this most glorious (and by glorious I actually mean completely ordinary of days), I have chosen to celebrate, not by receiving, but by giving. So as a special birthday present from me to you; have, not one, not two, not three, but FOUR chapters! Watch in awe as I show complete disdain for your desire to do things and nail you to your seats for the next few hours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6MlHxAzLXA

Enjoy.

---

And now, we get to see just what Firefly's technique looks like. I hope it lives up to expectations.

Next chapter: Morning Star makes his move.

Taking Over

Chapter 27: Taking Over

"What do you mean, he got away?" asked Perlin, giving Dawn a confused look.

"I felt it just as your attacks were about to hit him," said Dawn, "He disappeared, right before your blows would have made contact. He disappeared the same way we last fought him. It appears to be some form of teleportation."

"Teleportation...?" Perlin blinked and glanced at the space where Flash Spark had been a moment ago. "I didn't think he could do that."

"I don't believe that it is something he has control over," said Dawn.

"You mean it's involuntary?" asked Firefly, "Some kind of safety feature?"

"It definitely happens without his consent," said Dawn, his voice growing cold, "But I don't think it's a safety feature exactly..."

"What do you mean?" asked Firefly.

Dawn pursed his lips, pressing them together tightly. "I believe he was recalled by the one who controls him."

"Controls him...?" Perlin's eyes widened and he gaped at Dawn. "But Wight said..."

"He lied," replied Dawn, "Because I am certain that there was no way that Flash Spark could have ever truly broken through his control."

After all, that had been painfully apparent the previous time Dawn and others had been forced to confront Flash Spark. The insectile stallion had attempted to crash Ditzy and Big Macintosh's wedding, but had had been intercepted by the Wonderbolts, Fluttershy's griffon bodyguards, Storm Front, and Dawn. They had been on the verge of defeating Flash Spark when, as though somepony had flipped a switch, the pony known as Flash Spark had disappeared and something...else...had taken its place, using the buzzing vibrations of Flash's wings to produce words in much the same way that Wight Shade's beetle-shaped messenger had earlier. Flash's head had grown a horn then too. Dawn was firmly convinced that, rather than being a manifestation of the abilities Flash's armor had granted him, that horn was instead formed by Morning Star/Wight Shade taking direct control over his unwitting puppet.

"That makes sense, I guess," muttered Firefly, "He not only creates Dark Matter, but he controls it as well." She glanced sidelong at Perlin. "I'd be careful if I were you. If you ever got on the wrong side of him, those fancy wings of yours might well cut into your own flesh.""

Perlin gave his wings a dubious look and frowned. "I will certainly have to think about that," he said.

"We should head back," said Dawn, "Flash Spark isn't here anymore and I want to check on Mom and the others."

"Let's go then," said Firefly with a nod.

"Then this is where I leave you," said Perlin, giving Dawn a small smile, "I need return to my employer and discuss the terms of my contract."

"I suppose we'll meet again," said Dawn, giving Perlin a wry smile.

"Try to keep yourself in one piece until then," taunted Perlin.

"The same to you," answered Dawn.

"Anything to add?" asked Perlin, glancing at Firefly.

"I don't think so," she said, "I believe I understand why Spitfire and Arkenstone keep letting you get away."

"Until later then," said Perlin, flicking one wing to his forehead in a mocking salute before he looped around and took off, flying directly towards Canterlot in the distance.

"I like him," said Firefly with a giggle as she watched the young stallion fly off.

"I certainly find myself enjoying his company more than I used to," observed Dawn, ""He's changed a lot from when I first met him."

"I'm sure he could say the same of you," Firefly pointed out.

"Probably," agreed Dawn with a shrug. The two of them turned towards Ponyville. Dawn was beginning to feel the fatigue from his battle with Flash Spark. The strain of using a high-level technique that he hadn't fully mastered had taken its toll on his body and, right now, all he really wanted to do was land and rest.

After a few minutes, they cruised over the edge of the Everfree Forest and came in for landing near the front of Fluttershy's cottage. To Dawn's surprise, there were plenty of other ponies there. Twilight Sparkle and Arkenstone had arrived, as had Rainbow Dash and Soarin'. Rainbow was currently doing her best to help Caramel comfort a distraught Fluttershy.

"Where are Skan and Zhan?" asked Dawn, looking around for the two griffons. He didn't bother questioning the presence of the others, as Flash Spark's presence had probably been announced to everypony in town with that buzz his wings produced.

"At the hospital," replied Twilight grimly, "I don't know what that creep did, but the bones in Zhan's arm are cracked and broken almost all the way up to the shoulder. On top of that, her muscles and tendons had tears all through them. Then there's the wound on her haunch..." Twilight sighed and shook her head. "She'll survive, no doubt. Her life wasn't in any danger, according to the doctor. But he's not sure he can guarantee that she'll have use of that arm." She looked over at Fluttershy, who was currently wrapped in Caramel's forelegs, weeping quietly while Rainbow wrapped her wings around Fluttershy from the back. "Fluttershy's taking it pretty hard. I think she's blaming herself for this."

"It's a feeling I'm familiar with," said Dawn darkly, "Dad and I will help her through it."

"There's something else," said Twilight, holding up a scroll in her magic, "I got this just a little bit ago, a few minutes before that buzzing started. Flash Spark blasted his way out from under somewhere in Canterlot. Princess Celestia sent it to me through Spike."

Taking the scroll, Dawn read it before passing it to Firefly, who perused its contents as well. "This isn't right," she said, returning the scroll to Twilight, "According to the time of his departure given by Princess Celestia, it was less than an hour after Flash Spark left Canterlot that he arrived in Ponyville. As fast as he is with those wings, I doubt he can be that fast."

"It probably has something to do with Morning Star's control," replied Dawn, "We've already seen that Morning Star can apparently forcibly recall Flash Spark from a fight. I would not be surprised if he could send Flash Spark out in a similar manner."

"But then why bother with having Flash Spark blast his way out of Canterlot in the first place?" asked Arkenstone, "If what you suggest is true, and I have little reason to doubt that it is, then he could have sent Flash Spark directly without making his departure so...loud."

"I can't be sure," said Twilight, "But Celestia already sent a detachment of the Royal Guard, along with Shining Armor to help capture Flash Spark. They're hoping that Shining can do something to help contain him with his shields."

"I doubt that would accomplish much," said Arkenstone.

"It's pointless in any case," said Dawn sadly, "Flash Spark has come and gone. There's no trace of him now."

Firefly stared at the distant shape of Canterlot, still visible in the distance, her eyes narrowed. "I don't like this," she declared, "It doesn't make any real sense. According to what Dawn and Perlin heard, Flash Spark had gone rogue. But, given that Morning Star seems to be able to assume complete control of him at any time, that's virtually impossible."

"Why bother with the deception in the first place?" mused Dawn, "It's not as though we would have refused to fight him if had been there at Morning Star's will."

"Maybe because he wanted to give Perlin a legitimate reason to get in the fight," suggested Arkenstone, "Having Perlin take the field against Flash Spark would reinforce the idea that he was running out of control, even if it shouldn't have been possible."

"That's a lot of obfuscation to no real end," said Firefly, "I have a bad feeling..."

"How so?" asked Twilight, looking back and forth between the two Knights.

"I think I understand," said Arkenstone, his tone just as grim as Firefly, "This whole situation has a familiar feeling to it."

"What do you mean?" asked Dawn.

"This sense of trying to figure out what Morning Star was trying to accomplish...lying about the reason Flash Spark was here, lying about Flash Spark being out of control, Flash Spark loudly blasting his way out of Canterlot, then showing up in Ponyville far too soon after he left...there are so many unknowns and uncertainties about the situation...why so many lies...? It almost feels like the kind of thing Swift Stride might have come up with." Arkenstone snorted angrily.

"Swift Stride?" Twilight blinked and then gaped at her coltfriend. "Do you think this is his work?"

"I doubt it," said Firefly, "However dubious his methods, Swift Stride has always been committed to protecting Equestria, even if he's willing to take actions we would never condone to do so."

"Besides, I don't think this is Swift Stride's work," said Arkenstone, "Remember, Swift Stride spent quite a bit of time in Morning Star's company when he was infiltrating the Cult Solar. I suspect that, while Swift Stride may have learned a great deal about Morning Star and his work, Morning Star learned a few things from Swift Stride."

"That's bad," said Twilight with a shiver.

"It's a lot like one of Swift's favorite tactics," grumbled Firefly, "He throws a bunch of deceptions and falsehoods at whoever he's trying to deceive. Then, while they try to unravel all of those, he gets away with the real deception, which was that there was something important about all his other lies and that he was working another angle entirely."

"So...in this case, we need to figure out this other angle," said Dawn.

"But what could it be?" wondered Arkenstone.

"If there's one thing I understand about Morning Star, it's that his research trumps everything else," said Twilight. She remembered the day Morning Star, under the guise of Wight Shade, had guided her and Arkenstone to his secret wing of the library, hidden within the Royal Archives. Twilight had long wondered what purpose that had served Morning Star. However, given what Swift Stride suggested, it suggested he'd been grooming her to serve as a tool to help with his research from the very beginning. "Right now," she continued, following that line of thought, "the only research he really cares about is his grand experiment, the one he's spent the last ten years planning."

"So...all of that..." Firefly waved a hoof vaguely in the direction of the Everfree Forest and the area where the battle had taken place. "...was cover for something to do with his big experiment."

"Maybe..." said Twilight, tapping her chin in thought, "Let me think about it." As she contemplated her theory, Twilight began to mutter to herself out loud. "He built the foci all around Equestria and got them up and running before Celestia could destroy them. According to what he told Celestia and what she figured out, the array is ready, but that's just an intermediary step and the final stage of his plan is supposed to take place in Canterlot..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes drifted to the distant city...then went wide as she let out a horrified gasp. "That's it!"

"What is?" asked Arkenstone moving closer to Twilight and worriedly nuzzling her neck.

"What this was all about," said Twilight frantically, "All the lies...all the confusion...it was never really about Flash Spark or anything to do with him in the first place! All Morning Star cared about was making sure that the attention of everypony that mattered was on Ponyville..."

"And away from Canterlot," finished Firefly, her wings flaring in surprise.

"His experiment!" continued Twilight, "Whatever it is he's doing, he must be doing it while everypony is in a tizzy over Flash Spark's attack. Rainbow! Fluttershy!"

The two pegasus mares looked up. Fluttershy had calmed down somewhat, relaxing as she and Rainbow listened in on the conversation. Ironically, the idea that Flash Spark coming after her and injuring Zhan in the process had been part of a scheme to accomplish some other obscure objective had been somewhat comforting to Fluttershy. It at least alleviated the feeling that the damage done by Flash Spark was partly her fault.

"What's up, Twi?" asked Rainbow.

"We need to get to Canterlot, on the double," said Twilight, "I need you to get Applejack while I get Rarity and Pinkie Pie."

Rainbow's eyes widened and an eager grin appeared on her face. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

"I think so," said Twilight, her eyes narrowing, "It's time to get the Elements."

"I'm going with you," said Dawn, stepping forward.

Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but was stopped as Firefly came up to stand by him. "You're not taking my student and leaving me behind."

"I wouldn't ask you to, Firefly," said Twilight before looking to the colt, "But Dawn..." She paused, considering what she was protesting. This was Dawn after all. He'd been through the fracas that had been the tribalist takeover of Cloudsdale. He'd gone to Diamond Mountain to thwart the schemes of a member of the Noble Court. Arkenstone had rescued her with the assistance of a pair of foals with far less skill and experience that Dawn possessed. She couldn't turn him aside. With a resigned sigh, she smiled at him. "Okay...please be careful."

"Can I borrow one of the feathers Spitfire left you?" asked Soarin', coming over, "I'll let Spitfire know and we can hopefully have her and the other Wonderbolts over for backup in a jiffy...probably faster than we'll get there in fact."

"Sure," said Twilight, "I think this situation qualifies as enough of an emergency to bring her in." She looked from Arkenstone to Soarin' to Firefly. "What about the other Knights."

"You met them all, so you could help Spike send letters to them," said Arkenstone, "But that doesn't necessarily mean they'll be in a position to help. There's no telling how far abroad Sunset Shimmer or Arcana are. Sparrowhawk might well be in another country entirely."

"It never hurts to try though," said Firefly with a shrug.

"Let's hurry," said Twilight, looking around at her friends, "I don't know how much time we have, but I don't think this ruse was meant to last very long."

They quickly set off to make arrangements for their hasty departure for Canterlot.

Celestia sighed as she looked out from the balcony and over the city of Canterlot. The damage caused by Flash Spark's...dynamic exit was clearly visible from her vantage point. A trio of houses near the edge of the middle districts had fallen into what appeared, from this position anyway, to be a sinkhole leading down into the caverns below the mountain. Silently, she cursed Morning Star for giving such a monstrous pony such tremendous destructive power.

Shining Armor and his Royal Guard detachment had already left by train. Celestia hoped that they could get there in time to be of some assistance. Given the nature of Dark Matter, it was highly likely that the fighters in Ponyville would simply decide that Flash Spark was too dangerous and unpredictable to contain and simply opt for killing him. It was more expedient that way. She prayed that they managed to keep the damage to a minimum. The last thing they needed was for Ponyville to get wrecked again while they were still busy rebuilding after the last time.

From her vantage point, Celestia could see silver-plated Guards moving to the edge of the pit and making preparations to descend into it. Amongst them, she could see the dark-blue of her sister as Luna joined them, leading the expedition into what they hoped was a path that might lead them directly into Morning Star's lair.

"Good luck, sister," she said. If there was one silver lining to this situation, it was that Morning Star's foolishness and inability to control the ponies he empowered had apparently opened the way for them to disrupt his plans once and for all. Celestia had wanted to go herself, but Luna had suggested she wait, just in case Morning Star tried something else whilst Luna and her Guards were down in the caverns.

Be careful, Luna, thought Celestia, Morning Star is far more dangerous than he seems.

Before her eyes, the last few members of the Guard expedition slipped down into the chasm, accompanied by Luna. Leaving the balcony, Celestia made for her chambers, planning to make a cup of hot cocoa for herself as she waited for news from Luna. There would be no sleep for her tonight. As she walked, her steps took her past the throne room. The large doors seemed to watch over the hallway, the pair of Guards flanking them staring stoically forward as they awaited orders while monitoring for any threats. Celestia gave each of them an encouraging smile as she passed...

...then paused, drawing looks of confusion from the two Guards as Celestia felt something unsettling behind the throne room door.

"Your Highness...what's the matter?" asked one of the Guards, looking up at her anxiously.

"Nothing...I hope," said Celestia, "I'm just going to check inside the throne room right now. Something doesn't seem right."

Both of the Guards immediately wheeled in place to face the imposing doors, their bodies tense and ready.

Celestia shook her head. "No. Wait outside please. If you hear any form of disturbance from within, go and fetch my sister."

"But..." said one stallion, looking up at her in confusion.

Celestia silenced him with another shake of her head. "No. If it is what I'm afraid it is, then there is nothing you can do. Please wait outside."

The two Guards bowed to her and stepped away. Celestia opened the doors and stepped through, letting them swing shut behind her.

The throne room felt disturbingly empty without the mass of ponies that normally filled it when Celestia held court. With the torches and lamps extinguished, shadows filled the darkened hall, plunging the areas of the room behind the lines of columns into almost impenetrable blackness. The only illumination was the light of the moon and stars as they filtered in through the large windows above.

With a spark of her horn, Celestia sent a spell throughout the room. Lamps lit, torches flared into sparking life. Soon the throne room was filled with warm light and looked much less intimidating, though the sense of emptiness still gave it a daunting impression.

Celestia's steps carried her along the length of the carpet leading up to the dais where she normally held court. As she walked, she eyed every alcove and peered as far around each column as she could manage. There was no sign of anypony. And yet...the troubling sensation did not dwindle. If anything, it intensified, giving Celestia the very firm impression that she was not alone. Worse still, the feeling was strangely familiar. He's here.

"I can sense you, Morning Star," said Celestia, "The game is over, come out."

The click of hooves on marble floors echoed throughout the throne room as Morning Star, strode out from behind one of the columns, specifically one Celestia had already checked and seen nothing before, probably just to unnerve her.

"And here I am," said Morning with a cheery smile, "I believe I asked you to call me by my new name. I prefer it much more than my old one."

"Old habits die hard," said Celestia sadly, "To me, you will always be Morning Star, especially since you no longer wear the disguise your new name was attached to."

"Oh...if it's something like that..." Cracks appeared all across Morning's body. The fur of his coat and the skin underneath it broke away and began to flake off as he walked further out from under cover. The pink of his coat and the orange and yellow of his mane and tail were shucked off, as though he were shedding his skin like a snake. Underneath it was a dark-tan coat and an off-white mane. The eyes Morning Star had had previously peeled away to reveal orbs of glittering crimson. Only two things remained unchanged, the image of a brain surrounded by white wings engraved on his flank and the off-white horn jutting out from his forehead.

"I feel more comfortable this way anyway," said Wight Shade, grinning at Celestia, "At this stage, you could say that Morning Star was my disguise, rather than the other way around."

"You didn't simply change your appearance did you?" asked Celestia, her eyes narrowing as a horrified feeling welled up in her gut. She took an involuntary step backwards. "You changed yourself, your flesh, blood, and bone...it's all Dark Matter."

"That it is," replied Wight, relaxing a little as he slowly began to walk, circling counterclockwise around Celestia as he spoke, "After you broke my horn, even though I had expected it, I was at a bit of a loss. I almost missed you passing sentence on me because I was working out how to make do without it. But then, I had a simply wonderful notion. If my old horn was broken, I could simply make myself a new one, one more in tune with my Dark Matter, even better than the one I was born with.

"Sadly, such modifications cannot be made lightly. For the first thing, I had not yet grasped how to use Dark Matter to forge organic substances. I had to open up an entirely new field of research, even as I worked to rebuild the Cult Solar and make arrangements to build the array. My initial efforts, hasty as they were, had some unpleasant side-effects."

"I can imagine," said Celestia as her eyes followed Wight's journey around her, though she made no effort to follow his movement with her head and body.

"Simply building myself a new horn was difficult enough," continued Wight, "But connecting it to my nervous system, controlling it, understanding the magic that it produced, it required me to make additional changes and each additional change that I made to my body to accommodate my new horn required additional changes to support those changes. You could say things snowballed and I ended up remaking myself from the ground up. Hence this..." He gestured at himself.

"And what does that mean?" inquired Celestia.

"Nothing really," replied Wight indifferently, "My body and magic are different. I've picked a name I've grown quite fond of for something that was just supposed to be an alias. My goals have not changed."

"Of course not. You would not let anything dissuade you from your experiment," said Celestia, her words dripping with disgust, "Why are you here now?"

Wight smiled earnestly, his expression unsettling Celestia even further. It wasn't the smile of a sinister schemer, sneering at the pony he duped. It wasn't the malicious smile of a stallion delighting in her suffering or in taking revenge on her. It was the same smile she'd always seen on him, the smile of her old student, eager to explain his reasoning to his teacher. Wight's appearance and name might have changed, but his personality had not.

"I'm here because I'm ready," he said simply, "It's almost time to begin."

Celestia's blood turned to ice and she shivered. But that can't be, she thought, We'd just gotten a lead on his whereabouts. One of his creations broke out of control and left us a way to find him in its wake. So why...?

She paused, considering the situation, the sickening feeling in her gut growing. She had sent out the Guard and Luna to both bring Flash Spark down and plumb the hole he'd left in Canterlot to find where it began. While the Guard's resources weren't as severely depleted as they had been when Celestia had been running her campaign against the Cult Solar, there were fewer of them in the Palace and the principle obstacles of both Luna and Shining Armor had been sent out. All of this had been predicated on the idea that one of Wight's creations had broken out of his control. But if it hadn't, then that meant...

"It was a distraction, to lower our defenses," said Celestia, "Flash Spark didn't escape from you as we thought, but you actually sent him out."

"In a manner of speaking," replied Wight, "I simply released Flash Spark from the restraints I'd placed on his mind and body and let him do as he pleased. What he did after that was sufficiently loud and messy for my purposes. It often works to your advantage to not try and control every little thing."

"Then what are you doing now?" asked Celestia, "What is the point of talking to me like this?”

"Just passing the time," said Wight, "Things have already been set in motion. I merely need to wait until the preparations are completed. The last component of the array will be here momentarily."

"Here...?" Celestia blinked and looked down at the throne room floor in horror.

"Of course, here," said Wight, "Canterlot was designed to be the center of Starswirl's protective array. The Royal Palace was at the center. The throne room was at the center. Right here is the center, both literally and figuratively, of Equestria itself. I repurposed Starswirl's array for my own use, but the center remained the same. I'd thought you'd known that. My greatest fear was that you would just blast your way straight down from the throne room and find my work."

It made Celestia want to smack her forehead in frustration. All this time wondering where and how Wight would carry out the final phase of his plan and the answer had been literally under her hooves the whole time. She should have seen it.

"I suppose it's darkest at the lamp's base," said Wight with a shrug.

"You're right," said Celestia, "However, you've made a critical mistake."

Wight raised an eyebrow at her. "What's that?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"You may have set your plan into motion. You might be ready to carry out your grand experiment. But your mistake was to appear before me," said Celestia, her eyes narrowing in a glare, "If I kill you here and now, then all of this will be over."

Wight turned his eyes up thoughtfully, considering her words. "I suppose that is technically true...when you put it that way. But, you are incorrect. I have made no mistakes." He paused and tapped his chin. "Well...that's a bit of a stretch. But...insofar as your claim about this particular situation, I can earnestly say that I've made no mistakes."

Taking a step forward, Celestia loomed menacingly over her former student. "And what do you mean by that?"

"Your assessment is predicated on the idea that me appearing before you before my experiment is complete is a mistake. However, that is incorrect because it is predicated on you killing me, which itself is predicated on the assumption that you are able to...which is the true error in your assessment of the situation." There was no taunting in Wight's tone, but a simple statement of facts, as though he sincerely believed what he was saying was true. He gave Celestia a plain, innocent smile. "Unfortunately for you, you are incapable of killing me. You simply lack the means."

"Is that so?" said Celestia, glaring down at him.

"It is."

"Then let me put your assessment of the situation to the test. I defeated you once before and I will defeat you again." Celestia's horn began to glow.

"Of course," said Wight, canting his head, "Feel free to try."

The warm, yellow light emitting from Celestia's horn intensified, going from warm to searing hot as she spread her wings and rose up into the air over the throne room. With a thunderous roar, she unleashed a column of fiery solar energy straight down, the bright-yellow light filling the throne room and shining out from the windows.

The blast descended upon Wight, blotting out his figure from Celestia's sight. The beam of energy exploded with a crash, flinging bits of molten marble every which way, shattering the windows all over the throne room and cracking the columns in its vicinity. When the beam faded, a smoking crater lay where Wight Shade had once been.

"Wasn't this one of the first tactics you used against me last time?" asked Wight as the smoke cleared. Celestia found herself looking down at a cocoon of white feathers, forming a rough sphere around where Wight had been standing. As he spoke, the feathers pulled back, three pairs of wings spreading out and revealing Wight still standing there, completely unscathed. "If I recall correctly, your magic was completely helpless against these."

Celestia huffed impatiently and attacked again. This time she used the attack that had defeated Morning Star the last time they had fought. A thin shaft of glowing yellow light lanced out from her horn. However, as it rushed for Wight, it fractured and split, sending beams rushing off in all different directions and at different speeds, bending at sharp angles to come at Wight from several different vectors at once.

Wight's wings became glowing white blurs as they whirled around him, batting away the beams effortlessly. The bolts of solar light ricocheted around the throne room, shattering columns and even blasting a hole through the back of Celestia's throne.

Not bothering to try and converse, Celestia dropped down and charged in to attack directly, leveling her horn at Wight's chest. However, one of Wight's wings whipped around and slammed into Celestia's side, sending her slamming into and then through a column, trailing blood from a ragged gash in her side as she came skidding to a halt. Wight made no effort to press his advantage, but merely remained where he was and watched Celestia as she struggled to her hooves, his expression unreadable.

"I should warn you that I've upgraded the auto-defense function on my wings," said Wight, "Their reaction time is practically instantaneous, enough so that even a master of the Three Pillars shouldn't be able to outpace them. You should keep that in mind if you're going to keep trying to slip in for physical attacks between spells."

"You may have changed the control for them, but not the wings themselves," said Celestia, staggering slightly as she lowered her horn at Wight again, "That will be your undoing again."

"It's true that I haven't upgraded the capabilities of my own wings," admitted Wight, "But they are sufficient for my purposes."

"Fool!" barked Celestia, taking to the air once again. Wight Shade's overconfidence had been his downfall the last time she had fought him as well. The wings he had such pride in would not hold up. She wasn't entirely certain if it was the effort of using them against so many different types of attacks or if she simply pushed them past their limits with a continuous bombardment of magic, but his wings had fallen to pieces and left Wight vulnerable. If he hadn't bothered to improve his design in the years since they had last fought, then he would end up losing the same way again.

Celestia supposed that Wight could be lying about his wings. But, as she probed them with her magic, the feedback she received indicated that they were the same weapons he'd wielded against her ten years ago. Their power was impressive to be sure, but she couldn't understand why Wight, normally so observant, would overlook the flaw that had cost him the battle last time.

As it was, he barely even glanced her way as she attacked again, this time unleashing a storm of solar rays down upon Wight's head. Again, his wings blurred, batting away the attacks with contemptuous ease. Her horn shining, Celestia reared up onto her hind hooves and flared her wings, combining her pegasus and unicorn magic in a way that only an alicorn could, transforming the winds generated by her wings into a searing gust of solar radiation that washed over Wight Shade. Such an attack would make the blood boil in his veins even as his skin turned black and crisped. Instead, Wight's wings seemed to dissolve into a formless mass of feathers that caught the onrushing wind and dispersed it.

Wight sighed, his voice taking on a disappointed tone as he spoke. "Celestia, please stop this. It's pointless."

"Never!" shouted Celestia, her eyes blazing white, her shimmering mane bursting into blue and white flame as the tip of her horn blazed like the mighty sun she guided through the sky, calling upon all of her power for her next attack, fully prepared to smash the hall and even the entire Royal Palace to pieces if that was what it took to stop Wight Shade.

"Enough." Wight didn't shout. He spoke, sounding tired as he closed his eyes and lowered his head slightly. Before Celestia's eyes, something happened that she could scarcely believe. The spiral running along the length of Wight's horn began to widen, becoming a seam as his horn began to actually unwind, forming a loose helix that wound out from the center of his forehead, the sight of unnerving Celestia to such an extent that she nearly forgot her spell. There was a flare of something, something she couldn't call light, but something all the same, from the base of of Wight's "horn."

The next thing Celestia knew, she was blasted off her hooves, her magic snuffed out like a candle's flame. What was that? Aside from the flare from Wight's protrusion (she would never willingly refer to such a twisted, repulsive object like that as a horn), there had been no signs of an incoming attack spell, no flare of magical aura, nothing that her senses had picked up at all.

"Please calm yourself, Princess," requested Wight, "You can't win. I told you already, killing me is impossible for you."

Celestia struggled to get back up again. Whatever Wight had hit her with had delivered a debilitating shock to her entire body. Her legs quivered as though they were made of jelly. Nonetheless, she started walking towards him. Her horn flickered as she prepared yet another spell.

Wight sighed and closed his eyes. There was another flare and Celestia was blasted off her hooves again. It almost felt as though she was in the center of a bubble that imploded around her, then burst. Her ears filled with a roar that made them bleed, her eyes burned in their sockets and her nose felt as though it was packed with solid cement. Her own lungs betrayed her and turned to stone in her chest, leaving her unable to draw in the breath she would have otherwise needed to scream.

This time, the attack launched her along the length of the throne room and slammed her through her own throne, shattering it to pieces as Celestia landed with a crash behind it. As she lay there, Wight slowly approached, his hooves clicking against the floor. The carpet had been burned away by Celestia's fire. Occasionally, there was the sound of tinkling glass falling from the broken windows. Otherwise, the only things Celestia heard were the relentless pounding and ringing in her ears.

"I apologize for being so rough with you," said Wight, his tone as genuine as always, devoid of any kind of taunt, "But you leave me with little choice. Alicorns are durable, so I had to hit you a little harder than I normally would."

Panting, Celestia lifted her head, glaring at him over the ruined remains of her throne. I have to get up. I have to keep fighting. This is my responsibility, my mistake. Those thoughts ran through her head on an endless loop as she tried to force herself up to confront her wayward former student once more...

But her muscles refused to obey her. Every time she tried to force herself up, a shiver went through her body and she found she couldn't get up off the ground. Her wings trembled. It wasn't the pain or the damage caused by the last two attacks that caused it. Celestia could feel her limbs just fine, could still move them with relative ease. Her body...her heart...refused to listen to her mind when she told it to get up and fight. Instead, as Wight Shade approached, her body responded, her legs kicking out against the floor, pushing herself away from the stallion in front of her. No. It wasn't pain or debilitation. It was raw fear. The pony in front of her struck fear into Celestia's heart in a way that overrode her rational mind and completely wrenched her body out of her control.

"Overwhelming power is one thing," said Wight calmly as he continued his approach, "But there is nothing so terrifying as an attack you cannot comprehend. Even if it were a power that completely exceeded yours, so long as you could grasp its nature and read its execution you could imagine some form of strategy against it, even if you aren't fully capable of implementing that strategy. But against an attack that you can't even begin to understand, no timing to read, no medium to observe, no form you can perceive, you feel completely helpless, unable to conceive of even the most basic strategy. Thus, even ponies who have trained to master their fear and not allow it to control them find that their bodies are no longer their own as that most basic and primal of instincts rips their resolve out from under them."

I can still fight, thought Celestia, even though her body refused to listen to her, I just have to keep this up until I can break down the defense presented by his wings. Victory isn't impossible. I've beaten him before.

"You can't win," said Wight, as though he had heard Celestia's thoughts, "I thought you might have understood by now, but you were never capable of winning against my Dark Matter...not even ten years ago."

"Wha-" Celestia stared up at him. That was a ridiculous assertion. She had shattered his wings and broken his horn, forced him to start all over from the beginning.

"You still haven't realized," said Wight, shaking his head sadly and turning to walk towards one of the broken windows of the throne room that looked out over the side of the mountain and the fields down below. As he did so, the protrusion on his head once again curled and coiled until the tight spiral of his horn was visible once again. "You won ten years ago, not because you actually defeated me, but because I let you win."

"What?" Celestia's jaw dropped and her whole body went limp. "That can't be!"

Wight chuckled wryly. "Before you throw that accusation at me, this isn't the simple whining of a beaten dog. Your magic was incapable of penetrating the defense of my wings and I was on the verge of turning your own magic back against you in a form that would have turned your flesh to ash."

"Then why?" demanded Celestia as she remembered the battle. It came back to her now, that decisive moment where Wight (Morning Star, back then) had stood over her and hesitated.

"Because, as I was about to claim victory, I realized something," said Wight ruefully, "I realized that winning against you then and there would have actually done more harm than good to my plans in the long run."

"What do you mean?" asked Celestia.

"When you found out about what I was doing, you did so at the very beginning stages of my work," said Wight, "Assembling the array, even if you hadn't forbidden my work and I hadn't been forced to labor in secret on it would have still taken years, yes. But that was merely a preparatory stage of my experiment. There were resources that I required, conditions that needed to be met, that simply weren't feasible at that time.

"If I had beaten you, I would have thrown Equestria into chaos. The nobility would have risen up, both to try and punish me for my treasonous actions and to seize power for themselves. Ponies around the country would have had their lives thrown into disarray. Assembling the marepower and resources to construct my foci would have been next to impossible under those conditions. If I wanted to actually make any headway, I would have had to seize control of Equestria myself and would have to take on the burden of governing a country simply for the sake of finishing my work. Doing so could have easily set my work back by twenty years or more. Worse, the resulting chaos might have been enough to break Discord out of his imprisonment even more quickly, which might have delayed my work even more still, if not derailed it irreversibly. By then, your sister would have come back...I'll leave it to you to imagine just how much of a ruckus she might have caused under those conditions."

Celestia blinked as she listened to Wight's explanation. She had thought it was an excuse at first. But the more he talked about it, the more she realized that he was right. Defeating her ten years ago would have made it even harder for him to complete his experiment within any reasonable timeframe. "So you let me break your horn?"

She was surprised to see Wight actually wince at her words. "That..." he said with slight hesitation, "...was not within my predictions...though it probably should have been. Perhaps it demonstrates my nature as a sociopath, but I didn't really comprehend how vindictive you would be. That was a setback I didn't plan for. It turns out it was just as well in any case. I actually had a moment of panic when I realized what you had done. I'd genuinely thought you'd actually ruined everything. But it forced me to innovate, to develop my Dark Matter in ways I'd never considered before. So, in the end, I'm grateful for it." He turned and gave her an amused look, the look of a pony who'd been taken in by a good-natured prank.

"It's just as well in any case," continued Wight, looking back out the window again, "Even if everything had gone as well as I could have ever hoped, I would have still needed to wait."

"Wait for what?" asked Celestia.

"For the longest day of the thousandth year," replied Wight.

"For Luna?" gasped Celestia, "Why?"

"Well, actually, for Nightmare Moon," answered Wight, "I knew you must have had some sort of plan for dealing with her when she returned...perhaps I had even been a part of that plan at some point. However, there was no way you would have turned to force except as a last resort. A direct battle against Nightmare Moon would have devastated Equestria and you yourself if you were forced to kill her. Instead, you would default to the only tools that could save her while minimizing harm to others."

"The Elements of Harmony," said Celestia, her eyes narrowing.

"I needed to study them, see them in action and how they might impact my work," said Wight, "I never imagined that Discord would break out shortly after that and give me a chance to study their power twice over. It was truly an enlightening opportunity."

A glittering cloud of green sparks and smoke gathered in front of Celestia, turning into a scroll with a poof. The scroll landed on the floor in front of her. Carefully, she managed to summon her magic and unroll it so that she could read its contents. As she did so, a triumphant smirk broke out on her face. "It looks as though you'll get the chance to study their effects a third time, up close and personal. Twilight and her friends have figured out your ruse and are on their way here."

Wight blinked and stared at the scroll. "Is that so? Oh well, I'm sure that everything will work out in the end. I managed to study the Elements quite thoroughly on the two occasions they were used. I am confident that they cannot do any real harm to me." He ran a hoof through his mane, eyes turning upward. "I suppose I should take some precautions, just to be safe."

Your confidence shall be your downfall, thought Celestia viciously, A pony like you could never appreciate the true power of Harmony. You will learn your mistake soon enough. She could only hope that Twilight and her friends would arrive in time to stop Morning Star's plans once and for all.

"In any case," said Wight, turning back to face Celestia once again, "Your part in this is over. From here on it will be between me, your student and her friends, and anyone else who chooses to interfere in my work." The horn on his head began to uncoil once again until it formed that strange helix spiraling out of his head. The sight of it made Celestia shiver as a sense of dread settled down into the pit of her stomach. A flare of white began to build up at is base, washing outwards and engulfing her.

"Be at peace, Princess Celestia, by the time you regain yourself, this will all be over."

Author's Notes:

One of the most challenging parts of this story to write, but also the most fun was trying to depict Morning Star/Wight Shade's magic and abilities as something as alien and unnatural, hence the bit with his horn uncoiling as I thought that would look particularly freaky, especially from a unicorn's perspective as it looks just plain unnatural.

Next chapter: Equestria sleeps in late.

In the Dark of Morning

Chapter 28: In the Dark of Morning

"Take care, both of you," said Rarity, looking from Flaxseed to Coco Pommel and back again, "I don't know how long I'll be gone, but please do your best to keep the Boutique up and running."

"We will," said Coco, doing her best to give Rarity a confident smile. She still felt shaky though. The evening she'd spent with Perlin and the mixed bag of feelings it had presented her had left her feeling uneasy and uncertain. She wished she'd handled it differently. Normally, she might have tried talking to Rarity to help her through her confusion, but now Rarity was heading off on some sort of quest with her friends.

"I hope you'll look after Sweetie Belle too," said Rarity. The two ponies in front of her nodded.

"Please be careful," said Flaxseed, his voice plaintive.

"I will," said Rarity, giving him a light kiss on the lips, followed by nuzzling his neck affectionately. Hidden as her face was by Flaxseed's neck, she didn't need to worry about anypony seeing her smirk at the surprised squeak that came from Coco in response to the gesture.

Pulling away from Flaxseed, Rarity turned to Coco. "Oh...I just remembered. Your apprenticeship is almost finished. There's something I want to discuss with you once my friends and I get back from saving the world."

"O-okay," said Coco, a bit surprised by the sudden shift in topics.

"All right. I'll see you dears later," said Rarity as she trotted out the door, a pair of saddlebags on her back being her only baggage. It was enough to make Coco realize that the situation must be grim if Rarity would leave without a small mountain of luggage without so much as a remark.

As she thought about it, her mind turned to what she knew about grim situations and, namely, a certain pony who seemed to be at the center of them. Her mind began to carefully sort out facts and put them together. Something had happened in Canterlot. Twilight Sparkle had required that her friends, who bore the Elements of Harmony, go to Canterlot. Perlin Bluestreak was in Canterlot, or would be soon. For some reason, that idea struck Coco as important and seemed to imply that, whatever this serious situation was, Perlin was involved in some way.

Pursing her lips, Coco hedged and glanced over at Flaxseed, who was still staring at the door with a blank expression. Given the situation, maybe right here, in the Carousel Boutique, was not where she should be at the moment...

"I wish I could join you," said Red River with a sigh as he watched Applejack settle her saddlebags across her back.

"Ya did yer part when that Terra Heart fella came a callin'," said Applejack matter-of-factly, "Now it's time to do our parts. Ya stay here and rest up. Ah'll be fine. We've done this before, ya know."

"I know," said Red, giving her a wan smile, "But do you think that it makes the ones who love you worry less whenever you go out and put yourself in danger like this?"

"'Course Ah don't-wait!" Applejack froze in place, her eyes bulging before she whirled around to stare at Red. "Love...?"

"After everything you've put up with from me, I can say at least that much," said Red, his smile widening, "I love you, Applejack."

Applejack's cheeks burned, turning a brilliant red as she stammered incomprehensibly. While she was busy getting over her shock, Red carefully made his way towards her. Before she'd noticed, he'd wrapped his forelegs around her shoulders and pulled her towards him, bringing their muzzles together and allowing him to sweep her up in a passionate kiss. Because he was still tired from walking out to the picnic earlier, he wasn't able to exert much strength. But Applejack didn't even try to resist and, as the kiss deepened, she pulled him in even tighter.

"Ahh love ya too," said Applejack after she finally pulled away.

"Come back to me safely," said Red, "It would be a shame to lose my home after finally finding it after so long."

"Mah family ain't gonna throw ya out just 'cause Ah ain't around," said Applejack, raising an eyebrow. She didn't even bother to object to his silly idea that she might not come back.

"I didn't say that they would," said Red, "While they are wonderful ponies and this is a wonderful place, you are what makes this home for me."

"That may be the sweetest bit 'o romantic yammerin' Ah've heard yet, ya silver-tongued charmer," said Applejack with a smirk, "Ah'll be back fer sure. Ya just focus on gettin' better."

"Of course," said Red, dipping his head in a nod and letting go.

As Applejack left her coltfriend and headed for the door, she saw the rest of her family waiting there. Big Macintosh and Ditzy both gave her encouraging smiles, while Apple Bloom looked on with worried tears in her eyes. "Be careful, sis," she said. Behind her, Dinky nodded in fervent agreement.

"Ah'll be fine," said Applejack, "Don't fret, y'all."

With that, she marched out the door. As soon as she cleared the porch, she broke into a gallop, heading for town and the train station as fast as her legs could carry her.

"But Mooooom!" protested Scootaloo.

"I said no," replied Melon Cream firmly, putting her hoof down on the floor with a moderate thud to emphasize her decree.

Scootaloo had been shocked to learn that Rainbow Dash and Firefly were leaving and even more shocked to find out why. Naturally, she wanted to come along. The prospect of not only fighting alongside Dawn, but her idol, and even other members of the Celestial Knights was a tantalizing prospect that Scootaloo couldn't be dissuaded from easily.

"Need I remind you that you are still grounded, young lady," said Melon in an icy tone, "You accepted your punishment. If I need to, I will not let you set hoof outside of this house."

Scootaloo tensed, her anger flaring, her wings flaring along with it.

"Scootaloo."

Dawn's voice stopped her in her tracks, the angry words on the tip of her tongue dying unsaid as she turned to look at her coltfriend. Fluttershy had already gone ahead to the train station to get ready for departure. But Dawn had come with Rainbow and Firefly to say goodbye to Scootaloo.

"You're strong," said Dawn, giving her a small smile as he brushed his hoof through her mane, "You've been in a real battle now and I know you can handle yourself. But..." He looked down at the floor. "...this battle will be a very different matter."

"What are you talking about?" asked Scootaloo.

"Morning Star...Wight Shade, I suppose...is not an ordinary enemy. He's a far cry from the likes of the ponies you and Rumble fought. I've seen his Dark Matter in action. It's an alien power that twists the reality of this world to produce unnatural results that are terrifying to behold. I'm not sure that I am ready to face an enemy like that."

"Then why are you going?" asked Scootaloo, "You're not an Element of Harmony, like Rainbow Dash or your mom. Why do you need to be there at all?"

"Because..." Dawn hesitated slightly. "...there is something I need to confirm. As it stands, my role may not be to fight Morn-Wight Shade himself. There is something I need to do, someone I need to see."

"Oookay..." said Scootaloo, raising a confused eyebrow.

"It really is for the best if you stay here, squirt," said Rainbow Dash, descending from upstairs, Firefly following behind her, "I'd get distracted worrying about my favorite little sister."

Firefly walked past Rainbow and gave Scootaloo a light nuzzle. "You're learning fast kiddo, but you don't quite have the experience for this kind of fight yet. It's going to be very different from the little field trip you took with Arkenstone. Dawn has enough experience to see him through. You'll be ready one day, but not yet."

With a defeated sigh, Scootaloo sagged down. "Okay," she said.

"I promise we'll be fine," said Rainbow, ruffling the filly's mane, "Heck, I'll probably have this wrapped up and'll be back in time for lunch tomorrow."

"Be careful," said Scootaloo, giving Dawn a plaintive look.

"I will be," said Dawn, leaning in and giving her a kiss, "Look after your mother...and please take notes for me. I miss enough school already."

"Egghead," muttered Scootaloo wryly, though her heart wasn't really in it.

"Let's go," said Firefly, leading Dawn and Rainbow out the door.

"I'm super sorry I have to go like this," said Pinkie Pie, giving Mayweather her most apologetic look, "But Twilight says it's super important."

"It's fine," said Mayweather, giving Pinkie Pie a quavering smile.

"What's wrong?" asked Pinkie, tilting her head. Something told her that Mayweather wasn't just upset about how dangerous this mission might have been or that she now had to handle all the cleanup and closing procedures after the Hearts and Hooves Day rush on her own.

Mayweather looked down in shame. "It...it feels like some of this is my fault."

"Huh? Why?" Pinkie tilted her head.

"Morning Star was the one leading the Or-the Cult Solar, right? That's what Twilight said." At Pinkie's nod, Mayweather sighed. "Then that means that this is at least partly my fault. If we hadn't let ourselves get taken in by his lies, we wouldn't have built his devices...the world wouldn't be in danger."

Pinkie's smile faltered. "Yeah, I guess that's true," she admitted, "But it's still mostly his fault, you know." He words caused Mayweather to look up. Pinkie continued. "Yeah, you might have helped him, but you helped that meanie because he lied to you about what those thingies were for. That doesn't make what you did right, but you can't be the only one who gets blamed or even most of the blame...or even more than a liiiiiiiiiiiitle, teeeeeeeeny, tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiny bit." Her grin reclaimed its proper position on her face. "And that means it doesn't really matter now, 'cause all that does matter is making sure that meanie doesn't destroy the world."

Pinkie cupped both sides of Mayweather's face with her forehooves and forced their eyes to meet. "I'm gonna come back, and when I do, I wanna see a big, happy smile on that face. No more frowns, okay?"

"Okay," said Mayweather weakly, a small smile worming its way onto her face in spite of her melancholy.

"Good!" chirped Pinkie, rubbing their noses together, "I'll be going now, so remember...Smile!"

Letting go of Mayweather, Pinkie proceeded to bounce towards the door, a radiant look on her face. When the door shut after Pinkie's exit, Mayweather stayed stock still for a moment before shaking her head and chuckling. "I'll never figure out what we see in each other. Maybe that's for the best."

Kombu peeked his head around the doorway, looking into the throne room. This was one of the smaller servant entrances, actually situated behind the throne itself so that servants could discreetly provide refreshments for Celestia in between hearing the prolonged whining sessions of entitled fools who thought their personal grievances with the tax code more important than the task of running the country. The fact that she bothered with such a waste of time and energy was one of the things that made Kombu suspect that Celestia was nowhere near as competent a ruler as many of her little ponies would believe.

From where he stood, everything looked fine. The throne was untouched, the hall was spotlessly clean. The doors stood closed and silent, the massive hall empty and untouched. However, as Kombu took a tentative step through the door and into the throne room itself, the scenery changed radically. The throne was gone, having been reduced to splinters. The luxurious red carpet that led from the doors to the base of the dais the throne rested upon had been scorched into blackened tatters. The proud columns on either side were cracked, chipped, or even completely shattered. The windows lining the upper walls had all been broken, leaving shards of glass all over the floor, which had been pitted and blackened.

"Ah, you're here," said Wight Shade, looking up as Kombu stepped up by the remains of the ruined throne, "Come give me a hoof. I'd like to at least tidy up a little bit." Wight was calmly using all six of his wings like a massive set of brooms, sweeping debris off the floor and shifting it to the sides of the room. His casual manner was more like that of an overworked janitor than the stallion who had just dethroned one of the most powerful ponies in the entire world.

"Well..." observed Kombu, stepping down from the dais, "...this all looks...horrible."

"I suppose it does," agreed Wight, "Unless her sister is involved, Princess Celestia isn't the sort to just go gently into this good night."

"She's not dead, is she?"

"Nope," replied Wight, "I just locked her in a self-contained spatial distortion, where she'll be out of the way. I'm not interested in killing her after all. This is just a temporary measure to ensure that she's out of the way while I run my experiment. After I'm done here, she'll just be able to go back to running Equestria like usual, I'm sure."

"Sure..." said Kombu dubiously, "What about the sentries?"

"Still there, for now," said Wight, "Princess Celestia told them not to move unless they heard something unusual." He jerked his head to the massive pair of doors that marked the throne room's main entrance. The seams along the walls and floors as well as between the doors themselves, were filled with jagged, white, vaguely crystalline substance that almost made it look as though the doors had been frozen shut. "Once Celestia was inside, I sealed the entrance and established a spacial isolation so that no sound could get out of here. It even drew in all the glass fragments from the broken windows so that there's no evidence visible from outside the throne room. As you no doubt observed when you entered, anypony looking in from the outside will see nothing amiss.

"Of course, I'm sure that it's only a matter of time until the Guards realize that the lack of any unusual sounds or any sound at all from the throne room is unusual in and of itself, as well as the fact that it's been over an hour since Princess Celestia came in here and she hasn't yet come back out. Then they will try the doors, find them unable to be opened and will go to fetch Princess Luna. That's when the clock really starts ticking."

"Surely, if you handled Celestia, Princess Luna will be a minor obstacle at best," Kombu pointed out.

Wight sighed and groaned. "Yes, but since I will be busy raising the focus and deploying the array, it would be hassle to deal with Princess Luna at the same time. It's bad enough that I'm going to have to unseal the space so that the distortion caused by the isolation doesn't interfere with the array's deployment, which is going to make enough noise to wake the entire city. If we want everything to be ready in time, I can't really afford a distraction from our resident Lady of the Night."

"How long until you can raise the focus?" asked Kombu, using his magic to help Wight clear a space in the center of the throne room.

"It's already being raised," said Wight, "Bringing it up through several-hundred feet of rock and crystals takes time. The real ruckus is going to start once it reaches the lower levels of the Palace."

"It sounds as though things are going to get...chaotic," said Kombu, glancing to one side of the throne room, where, if one looked out through the windows, one would be able to see the hedge maze and a particular statue contained within, "Are you certain Discord's seal won't break?"

"I don't think it should," said Wight with a shrug, "I mean, it didn't actually start deteriorating until Celestia sealed her sister into the moon, severing her connection to the Elements of Harmony in the process, and, even then, it took over a thousand years for it to actually break. With the current Element Bearers fully empowered, there shouldn't be any issues with the seal.

"Besides, I used some of my Dark Matter to place his statue in stasis and isolate it from the reality of the world. Even if the seal is compromised, he won't be able to escape even when all hay breaks loose...probably...maybe...hopefully...if he's in a good mood." Wight sighed and shrugged. "In all honesty, I think Discord might just want to sit back and watch. After all, this is right up his alley, I think."

"You're actually gambling on that?" asked Kobu incredulously.

"It's chaos...there's only so much you can do," replied Wight helplessly, "Pretty much the only thing I can do is gamble."

"That is a most troubling notion," said Kombu, "I'm so glad I brought it up."

"Such is the way of the world...or, at least, Discord's little corner of it," said Wight, "Now help me open up the floor. I'm going to need a solid platform once the focus arrives."

"All right," said Kombu nervously as he watched Wight's horn uncoil. White sparks flew up from the floor, inscribing a large, perfect circle. With a grunt, Kombu applied his magic and bent to the task of helping.

"So...why are we taking the train?" asked Spike, looking around at the station, "I mean, considerinng the fate of the world is riding on this and we need to get to Canterlot pronto, I don't think it would be too hard for the Princess to spring for some pegasus chariots."

Technically, there was no train scheduled to leave this time. Fortunately, there was a locomotive stopping over for the night. It had originally been due to set out for Manehattan the following morning, but Twilight, with a little persuasive assistance from Arkenstone, had been able to convince the conductor to set the train on the route for Canterlot. They would pass Shining Armor's train on the way down. Twilight hoped her brother would be quick to get his train turned around so that he could follow them up.

"It would be faster," said Twilight, "But there are a couple of problems with that."

"Namely Flash Spark and Perlin Bluestreak," commented Dawn as he fluttered his wings slightly, "With those two in Mo-Wight Shade's stable, approaching Canterlot from the skies would be far too risky. Firefly and I could probably hold them off, but it could expose the ponies in the chariots to serious risk."

"Besides," continued Twilight, "Given the way this ruse was set up, I think Morning Star...er...Wight Shade...wasn't expecting us to figure everything out so quickly. He was playing for time, time we can take to make sure we have the best advantage against him."

"Trains come and go from Canterlot all the time," added Arkenstone, "Unless Wight Shade or somepony working for him has memorized the schedules, another train amongst those would hardly be considered amiss."

"Question," said Applejack, raising a hoof like she a filly in a classroom, "What are we gonna do when we actually get to Canterlot?"

"Come on, AJ!" said Rainbow, pulling an excited loop over the group as they waited on the platform, "It's obvious what we're supposed to do. We face down this jerk and blast him with the Elements! One rainbow to the face and...POOF!...problem solved."

"That's nice and all, but just how do we know where this feller's gonna be?" asked Applejack, "Ah mean, we ain't gotta clue 'bout where he is or where that freaky contraption of his is."

The wind was taken out of Rainbow's sails and she sagged, dropping down to the platform with a disappointed "Oh..."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," said Rarity, "I am sure that there must be some clues as to where that lout is hiding. If I remember what Princess Celestia told Twilight in her letter correctly, that Flash Spark brute exited Canterlot by blowing out a hole in the ground. Surely that might be a route to locating his lair."

"Maybe," said Twilight, frowning, "But we're operating under the assumption that Wight let Flash Spark out that way to make it look like he was escaping, which means that, if he allowed Flash Spark to get out that way, it would probably be because Wight doesn't feel that he can be threatened by ponies investigating that way."

"Oh, you girls are all getting too worked up about this," said Pinkie breezily, "Figuring out what that meanie's up to will be easy as pie."

"What are you talking about?" asked Twilight.

Grinning from ear to ear, Pinkie giggled. "Well...we know that Shady is trying to make that...thingamabob...right?"

"That's right," said Twilight, her ears picking up, "According to what Princess Celestia and I have figured out, Morning Star is finishing an array that's based off one of the old works of Starswirl the Bearded. Just like the one Morning Star built, his array consisted of five foci built around the circumference of Equestria in a perfect circle. The final piece of the array is at the circle's center, which is in..." Twilight's voice trailed off as she figured it out.

"Canterlot, right?" asked Firefly.

"Not just Canterlot, but the point in Canterlot that lies at the center of the array, the center of Equestria," said Twilight, "The Royal Palace! I don't believe it! This entire time, Morning Star was building his the final focus of his array right beneath the throne room." She smacked her hoof against her forehead as she realized that she'd overlooked an obvious fact.

"In other words, we know exactly where he will put the final phase of his plan into effect," said Dawn, "That's good."

"It also means the Princesses and everypony at the Palace are in danger," said Twilight, "We need to move fast." She went to see what she could do to help the engineers prep the train for departure.

A few minutes later, the train pulled out of Ponyville's station. At Twilight's urging, the conductors and engineers stoked the engine and pushed the locomotive as hard as they dared. They had only needed to take one passenger car with them, which minimized the weight, allowing the train to move faster over the rails. However, that only made things trickier for the conductors. Being faster and lighter certainly allowed the train to cover ground more quickly, but it also meant that there was less weight holding the train to the rails. They had to be extra careful to slow down enough for every twist and turn on the winding route leading up the mountains to Canterlot, all while trying to cut as much time from the journey as possible. The staff believed that it was possible, but that didn't change the fact that it was a risky endeavor.

The passengers did their best to catch some sleep as they waited for the train to make its journey. Thanks to the circumstances and the rattling of the train itself, their sleep was a restless one. Sometime in the night, they passed the train Shining Armor and his hoofpicked Guards were taking down, but Shining wouldn't be able to return to Canterlot until he reached Ponyville's station and got the train turned around.

Despite their anxiety over the urgency of the situation, the travelers managed to drop off to sleep, expecting to be awoken by the rising sun.

Dawn lifted his head up and blinked, looking around the compartment he was sharing with Fluttershy. Her wing was like a comforting blanket draped over his shoulders as they rested and the feel of her chest rising and falling as he leaned against it filled him with a sense of reassurance. Her presence had helped him to relax and finally get some rest after the events of a most troublesome day. Feeling well rested, he carefully slipped out from under her wing and descended to the floor of the compartment.

Stretching his wings, Dawn looked around, noting his surroundings. I guess I didn't sleep all that long, he thought, noticing how dark it was. If anything, it seemed even darker now than it had when he had gone to bed.

Opening the door, Dawn stepped out of the compartment and into the hallway, looking up and down the sleeper car that formed the only car of their train, apart from the tender car and the locomotive itself. The hall stretched down the center of the car, dividing it into two halves, with doors on either side leading to additional compartments where the others were sleeping. Up towards the end of the car, the hallway opened out into something resembling a common area, where the car's occupants could mingle. Beyond that was the door leading to the rest of the train.

Dawn headed for that common area now, looking around for any signs that anypony else was awake. However, all was quiet. Reaching the common area, he spied the single table that occupied one side, surrounded by a padded bench. The table was piled with food and snacks. In their haste to depart, they had ultimately decided to leave the dining car behind at the station. However, Pinkie Pie, the clever mare that she was, had foreseen that they would get hungry on their journey and had brought food for everypony, even picking out aa few snacks that served Dawn's peculiar pallet.

Deciding to ignore the food for now, Dawn instead made his way to the windows on one side of the car, trying to remember which side was against the mountain. Pulling back the curtains, his eyes widened as he realized that the world was shrouded in darkness. Has so little time really passed? he wondered. Though he'd hardly considered his internal clock to be precisely accurate, he could generally trust it well enough to infer the time of day without having to check outside. Right now, he felt as though it were morning, but the sky outside was as dark as the deepest night of the new moon, which wasn't scheduled for a few more weeks.

Looking up, Dawn noticed the other reason it was so dark outside. The stars are gone! The sky was a single sheet of continuous black. The moon hadn't entered it's darkest phase; it was gone completely. "What in the world?"

Trembling slightly, Dawn turned around to check the clock and see what time it was. His trembling increased when he saw what the clock said. It was about seven in the morning, a bit later than he usually woke up. This time of year, the sun should already be well above the horizon.

Swallowing and trying to get his nerves under control, Dawn stepped away from the window and tried to think of what to do. Given the circumstances, there probably wasn't anything he could do at the moment. Whatever was going on with the sky had something to do with the Princesses in Canterlot, an issue they could not address until they actually reached the city itself. However, he wondered just what the current state of the sky meant.

I guess I need to talk to the pony who would know the most about this subject, thought Dawn as he made his way to the compartment that was being shared by Twilight, Arkenstone and Spike.

Carefully, Dawn slid the door open and peeked in. Spike lay snoring on one of the bunks, curled up in a scaled ball, his wings tightly curled up against his body. On the other side of the room, Arkenstone and Twilight slept together, Twilight having gone to sleep in Arkenstone's arms, her head tucked carefully underneath his chin so that she wouldn't jab him with her horn if either of them shifted in the night.

There was a faint rustle of linens and Arkenstone lifted his head clear of the bedding, his muzzle orienting in Dawn's direction, his ears standing upright on his head.

"Something's wrong," said Dawn, his voice barely a whisper. He knew that Arkenstone would be able to hear him.

The beige stallion's ears flicked forward, then backwards slightly in acknowledgement. Moving slowly and carefully, Arkenstone began to disentangle himself from Twilight so that he could climb out of bed. It took a minute, but soon Arkenstone was out in the hallway with Dawn, closing the door to the compartment behind him.

"What's the matter?" asked Arkenstone, his ears swiveling as he listened to the cues in the environment around them.

Dawn described the state of the sky and the utter darkness enshrouding the world. The revelation made Arkenstone's eyes open, his pale white orbs almost shining in the darkness.

"That sounds...unsettling," he said finally, "From what you described, it would seem that something happened to Princess Celestia if she hasn't raised the sun."

"What about Princess Luna?" asked Dawn.

"It sounds as though she might not be aware of her sister's incapacitation," suggested Arkenstone, "From what you described, it seems the situation is that Princess Luna lowered the moon and extinguished the stars, but is not aware that her sister was unable to raise the sun, thus our current situation."

"What should we do?" asked Dawn.

Arkenstone merely shrugged. "What can we do, besides wait? We are unable to do anything about the situation until we get to Canterlot."

"Should we tell the others?"

"Let them sleep," said Arkenstone, "They had enough difficulty getting to sleep as it is. There's no need to disturb them unduly. Let them wake when they wake and we'll work out a strategy when we get to Canterlot."

"So...something happened to Princess Celestia," mused Dawn, looking pensively towards the window once again.

"And not so long after Flash Spark's 'escape,'" added Arkenstone grimly, "Twilight was upset when we went to bed because she never received a response to the letter she sent to Celestia. We were expecting some sort of reply. An extended silence like this is...unsettling."

Dawn nodded and shivered. It was rare for him to feel so completely helpless. In a situation like this, the skills of the Gale King that he'd worked so long and hard to master were useless. They could not lift the darkness that smothered the land, he couldn't miraculously replace the sun in the sky. All he could do was sit and wait with everypony else and hope there was something they could do when they actually got where they were going.

About an hour later, the other passengers began filtering into the common area of the sleeper car. Fluttershy and Applejack were first, the two of them used to early mornings. They'd both slept in much later than usual, a consequence of the unnatural darkness and the restless night before.

Rainbow Dash and Firefly weren't far behind. Firefly had actually been awake for some time, but had simply settled for observing things in silence until Rainbow had woken up, having come to the same conclusions that Dawn and Arkenstone had.

Behind them came Pinkie, looking as cheerful and chipper as ever, despite the dire straits they found themselves in. Despite her upbeat behavior, everypony could see that even she was looking a little strained.

Finally, Twilight and Rarity left their cars, the former carrying a still napping Spike on her back. Twilight was horrified to find out about the state of the sky and began to babble ceaselessly about all the possible catastrophes that could happen if something wasn't done about the absence of both the sun and the moon. Though Arkenstone did his best to calm her down, everypony felt the sense of panic that seemed to hover in the air. With what they knew about Wight Shade and what he was planning to do, it seemed that this could very well be the first portent of the end of the world that Wight's experiments threatened to unleash.

The air felt cold, which was understandable, given that there was no sun to recoup the heat that had been lost over the course of the night. What should have been a warm, early summer day was infused with a chilling cold more comparable to that of the early spring...and it would only get colder if something did not change.

Fortunately, that change happened a couple of hours later. It was gradual at first. The passengers didn't notice right away because they were far too engrossed in their discussion about what they would do when they got to Canterlot. However, when Spike glanced out the window again, he realized the eastern horizon was getting lighter. His words called everypony over to the window and they watched in fascinated silence (save for Arkenstone, for obvious reasons) as the sun crested the horizon. Moving much more rapidly than normal, the orb ascended upwards into the sky, quickly approaching its zenith before it finally settled into the proper position for that time of day. The watchers fancied that it actually slid back and forth a little before settling into its final position, as though the morning of utter darkness had never happened.

"What the hay does that mean?" asked Spike warily, eyeing the sun as though he expected it to plummet back below the horizon and leave them all in utter darkness yet again.

"Good news," said Twilight hopefully, "Maybe it means whatever happened with Princess Celestia is over and the problem's been taken care of."

"Well, Ah sure hope that's the case," said Applejack.

"Aw, it's a pain in the neck to come all this way and not have anything to do," grumbled Rainbow Dash, settling back into her seat.

"It would be better than dealing with whatever insanity this Wight Shade fellow might have been setting into motion," countered Rarity tartly, "I would much rather be told that there's nothing we need to do and be sent on our way than contend with the one who set that...beast on us."

Dawn raised an eyebrow, wondering if the "beast" Rarity had been referring to was Flash Spark...or maybe Perlin Bluestreak, who Rarity had had unpleasant dealings with in the past.

Twilight said nothing, instead keeping one eye anxiously on Spike, desperately hoping to see the signs of an incoming letter from him. However, the young dragon remained unbothered by any signs of an incendiary missive. That's not a good sign.

There was nothing they could do but wait fitfully as the train continued its climb. It was well into the afternoon when they finally pulled into the station, having lost a great deal of time due to the hours of darkness in the morning. The conductor and engineers had been forced to slow the train down to a speed much lower than normal traveling speed to compensate for the pitch darkness making it virtually impossible to see the curves and turns in the track until they were nearly right in front of the train itself. They'd been able to speed up once they'd gotten light again, but the damage had been done.

When they reached Canterlot, rather than wait for a platform at the station or a place to be arranged at the rail yard, the passengers disembarked as soon as the train stopped and made their way to the station on hoof and wing, trying to get a feel for the situation the city was in as they looked around. The answer they quickly received when they got to the station was chaos. Due to the late arrival of the sun and the utter blackness that had preceded it, departures and arrivals had been severely delayed, throwing the schedule into disarray. The station was packed by nervous and impatient ponies, many eager to be somewhere else, but unable to go anywhere until things were cleared up, which was taking an irritably long time indeed.

In the station, the group found one of the Guards tasked with keeping the place in some semblance of order, a daunting task under circumstances like these. His eyes widened and Twilight saw a note of panic in them as they approached. Clearly he thought they were another party of disgruntled travelers coming to demand that he do something about things he had no control over.

"Excuse me," said Rarity, coming forward to speak for the group, affecting her politest, most charming tone as she gave the beleaguered stallion a relaxed smile, "If you could provide us with directions, we need to speak with the Princesses at the earliest possible opportunity."

The Guard opened his mouth to respond, most likely about to say that the Princesses were too busy to deal with complaints, but stopped short when he looked over their group and recognized at least a few of their faces, Twilight's in particular. His expression of frustration and nervousness was replaced with one of relief. "Oh! It's you. I apologize for not recognizing you sooner, Dame Rarity." He bowed politely to Rarity, who giggled at his formality.

"Can you tell us what the situation is?" asked Twilight, coming up to stand next to her friend.

"Some of it," said the Guard, "Princess Luna is encamped in the central plaza with her Guard and all the members of the Royal Guard she could muster."

"Encamped?" asked Twilight, her eyes widening and her ears going upright, "Why on earth would she be camping out in the city? Why isn't she at the Palace? Where's Princess Celestia?"

"The Palace is...unsafe..." said the Guard hesitantly, "...that's all I know really. As for Princess Celestia...nopony has seen her since last night."

Twilight and her friends all felt a chill run down their spines at those words.

"I suppose we'd best go see Princess Luna then," suggested Dawn softly, "She should have more detailed knowledge of the situation."

The others nodded and they politely thanked the Guard for his help. Pinkie Pie even gave him a small cupcake to help cheer him up after what had already been a long day for the poor stallion, prompting an elated smile from him as they took their leave.

As they made their way through the streets of Canterlot, the group was able to make out even more signs of unrest. Though it was well into the afternoon, many businesses were already closed and shuttered. The streets were sparsely populated, with ponies ducking their heads and moving quickly as they went about their business. Twilight didn't exactly begrudge them. Canterlot had been through some pretty unsettling events recently, what with the attack on the Royal Palace by Elderflower's mercenaries, followed shortly by an attempted uprising by the Noble Court. It seemed that the continuous disturbances had made the inhabitants somewhat skittish of anything unusual. Even with the sun back where it was supposed to be in the sky, they were still anxious until they were absolutely certain that everything had returned to normal.

However, the light traffic did have the advantage of making the journey to Canterlot's central plaza relatively quick and easy. The plaza was the center of Canterlot's mercantile district, ringed by high-class shops and restaurants, normally packed to the brim with bustling ponies exploring the wares being offered or relaxing by the fountains and sculptures that seemed to sprout in the center like a grove of trees in the middle of a park, dominated by large sculpture depicting a rearing Celestia, standing on a fountain pedestal, from which water streamed out continuously, giving the impression that the Princess' sculpture was standing at the headwaters of some mountain spring. Celestia had once confided to Twilight that she considered the sculpture embarrassing and that the sculptor had exaggerated the fullness of her flanks. Later, Luna had once secretly confided in Twilight that, after a thousand years of apparently enjoying more cakes than had been good for her, the sculptor had actually been exaggerating the thinness of Celestia's flanks. Twilight, very wisely, had decided to keep her own opinions on the matter to herself.

Today, the plaza was not a bustling marketplace. However, instead of being deserted, it was packed to the brim with ponies. But these were not jittery civilians. Instead, the place was filled with stone-faced Guards as they checked armor and weapons, relayed and responded to orders. Tarps and tents had been set up, Twilight could actually see a group in the process of setting up a hospital tent, not unlike the one that had been erected in Ponyville after Terra Heart's attack.

At the plaza's center, amongst the sculptures and at the base of the Princess Celestia fountain was a tent that was clearly for the Guard commanders. Breaking into a brisk trot, Twilight led her friends towards it. A few Guards moved to impede their progress, but they either stopped or were stopped by their fellows when they recognized Twilight and her friends. The two stallions standing watch on either side of the tent flaps quickly saluted and opened the flaps for Twilight and her group as they went in.

Inside the tent, they found Princess Luna staring down at a table, covered with what looked like a map of Canterlot as she and several ranking members of the Royal Guard moved pins and little flags around the map.

Luna looked up when Twilight and the others entered, her face going from surprise to relief when she saw who was there. "Ah! Twilight Sparkle. Thank goodness you've come."

"What happened?" asked Twilight as she approached the table, her friends doing their best to find places behind her as two Guard officers sidled to make room for her between them, "Why was it so dark this morning? Where's Princess Celestia?"

"The darkness this morning was my fault," said Luna, looking a bit sheepish, "I was underground at the time, exploring the path made by that lout, Flash Spark. I lowered the moon and extinguished the stars at the appropriate time, but wasn't aware that my sister hadn't raised the sun in their place until a runner from aboveground came and told me."

She sighed and looked at the tent wall. Had it not been there, she would have been staring up the street that led straight to the Royal Palace. "As for my sister, I do not know what happened to her. A pair of Guards said she went into the throne room, saying that something was amiss. She told the Guards to report to me if they heard something unusual. But they heard nothing all night long. When morning came and the sun failed to rise, they realized that something was severely wrong and came to find me."

She turned her gaze back to Twilight. "That is where you find us now. My sister is nowhere to be found and the Royal Palace has been overtaken, most likely by Wight Shade. It seems that the final phase of his plan is about to begin."

Author's Notes:

Now almost all the players are in place, the final battle can begin.

Next chapter: Flash Spark is back...and he's brought friends.

Aerial Dominance

Chapter 29: Aerial Dominance

"I was afraid of that," said Twilight grimly as she listened to Luna's dire pronouncement, "We figured that Wight Shade must be up to something." There were too many odd things about Flash Spark's escape and his coming to Ponyville. The unsettling silence and lack of any correspondence from Celestia after that had only made that all the more clear, along with the late rising of the sun. Luna's words were just the final nail in the coffin of Twilight's hopes that matters might have been resolved already.

"At least the Cult Solar has been dealt with already," said Dawn dourly from behind her, "They would probably be having a field day with this." Standing beside him, Fluttershy leaned down to nuzzle her son and try and sweeten his temper.

"That I don't doubt," said Luna, "The fact is, despite my sister's work, there are probably still plenty of members of the Cult on the loose. They might gain a little grounnd after an event like this. However, we can't afford to worry about that now, not with such serious matters demanding our more immediate attention."

Dawn nodded and carefully stepped to stand next to Twilight. He had to rear up to get a proper view of the table and its contents. On either side of him and Twilight, Arkenstone and Firefly also came to the table, apologizing softly to the Guards they displaced as they too looked down at the map (or rather, Twilight and Firefly looked down at the map).

"Why does it look like you're preparing to lay siege to the Royal Palace?" asked Firefly.

"When I heard what had happened, I returned to the surface immediately," said Luna, "My next order was for a complete evacuation of the Palace, all the residents, servants, and Guards. If Wight Shade is truly as dangerous as my sister says, and I don't doubt that he is, I don't want anypony in the vicinity when we have to confront him."

"That is probably wise," said Arkenstone soberly, "Though it might give him the opportunity to fortify his position, it's better leaving dozens of potential hostages and equine shields within his reach. Though, if he made no effort to stop your evacuation, it may be that he does not feel that he needs them."

The tent flaps flew open and a familiar orange and yellow mare, decked out in a blue and gold flight suit, came in at a hurried clip. Spitfire paused as she took in the new arrivals arrayed around the table before smiling a little. However, the smile fell from her face as she quickly made her way to the table, forcing yet another officer of the Royal Guard out of his place.

An orange stallion with a blue mane, standing beside Princess Luna, whispered into the ear of one of his subordinates, who quickly began to usher the rest of the Guard officers out of the tent, leaving room for the rest of Twilight's friends to crowd around the table and get a view of the map.

"I'll brief them later," said Flash Sentry, smiling politely at them.

"It's good to see everypony here," said Spitfire.

"When did you get here?" asked Arkenstone.

"A little after midnight," said Spitfire, "I've got the team keeping the skies around the Palace clear and on the lookout for trouble."

"From the look on your face, trouble is exactly what you spotted," said Firefly.

Spitfire nodded. "It looks like Wight Shade had some kind of illusion up. A few minutes ago, the Palace looked like it always did. Then, the next second, it looked like somepony had started up a thunderstorm inside the throne room. There were windows busted and cracked walls. We didn't want to get too close until we knew what we were dealing with, but Estelle said she saw scorch marks and a giant hole in the middle of the floor."

"That's not good," muttered Rainbow.

"Given what you described, I'm guessing that Princess Celestia confronted and fought Wight Shade in the throne room," said Arkenstone, "Given the fact that she was apparently in no condition to raise the sun this morning, I think it is safe to assume that she was not the victor."

"Oh no!" whispered Twilight, paling as she looked over at Arkenstone, "Do you think she's...?"

"I cannot say," said Arkenstone, "We don't know any details about the situation in the Palace."

"When I raised the sun, I could still feel the presence of my sister's bond to it," said Luna, "If she were dead, the bond would have been severed. So I know that she is alive. We can assume that she has been incapacitated in some fashion."

"Well, with those concerns out of the way, we should get down to brass tacks," said Spitfire, "What do we do now?"

"The answer is obvious," replied Luna, "The ultimate purpose of every fighter here, every Knight and every Guard, is to get the Elements of Harmony into a position where they can be used against Wight Shade. If my sister, with all the power she has at her disposal, was unable to defeat him, then it is likely that no amount of brute force shall be enough. The Elements of Harmony are likely the only tools capable of actually doing harm to that stallion."

"That's what I thought," said Twilight, smiling as she used her magic to open her saddlebags. From them, she removed five necklaces and one tiara, which she levitated onto the table. "It's a good thing Princess Celestia put them in my custody. I'd hate to think about how hard it would be to fight through the Palace to get them if Wight Shade has taken the place over."

"Agreed," said Luna, "However, we must be careful about getting you into the Palace. I have no doubt that Wight Shade has conjured or created all manner of obstacles to waylay you and keep you from disrupting his labors."

"Well...I don't know if all that'll be needed," said Spitfire, "The throne room is a wreck, but the Palace looks untouched otherwise."

Just as she finished speaking, there was a distant rumble and the ground beneath their hooves began to shake. Disturbed, everypony rushed out of the tent to look at the Palace as, to their horror, it quivered and shook, vibrating in place. Windows shattered and walls crumbled as spires of strange, off-white material that looked vaguely crystalline thrust out through the walls. From the windows, what looked like vines began to grow, though they looked an unnatural, sickly, pinkish color, sprouting thorns and weaving into a curtain of brambles around every opening, covering every window and wrapping tightly around and over every door, blocking every point of entry.

"You just had to say that, didn't you," muttered Firefly, glancing sidelong at Spitfire, who merely gaped at the spectacle.

"Getting the girls in may be a taller order than we thought," said Flash Sentry, shuffling nervously.

"Yes," agreed Luna, "Let us hope we can get them in at all."

"I see you've raised the defenses," said Kombu, looking up at the windows, which were now covered by a barricade of pink brambles. Up close, they looked dirty, their pink marred by blemishes of brown and black, as though they were afflicted by some sort of blight, though Kombu knew that they were not even organic.

"I don't want to make them too strong," said Wight as he paced around the perimeter of the hole they had opened in the throne room floor. Of to the side was the disk of solid marble they had cut out to make it, having been cut, moved, and settled without so much as cracking it.

"The stronger the vault, the more precious the treasure inside is thought to be," mused Kombu.

"Something like that," said Wight, "Though this is indeed a most precious treasure to me. After all, it is the labor of my entire life."

The Palace began to rumble again. Pieces of debris clattered as they skittered across the floor. From within the whole, Kombu saw something large ascending. The structure was like a broad cone, terminating in a round dome that was inset with what looked like a large, polished stone. The stone reminded Kombu of an opal as it shimmered with colorful fires, although they were colors that he couldn't put any words to. Looking at them for too long made his eyes ache and he had to avert his gaze.

As the object reached the level of the throne room's floor, it seemed to bend and warp in on itself, vanishing into thin air as it pushed up. A flicker of light drew Kombu's eyes upward and his jaw dropped as he saw the object seeming to warp out of thin air up above, now descending from the empty ceiling above, even as the rest of it continued to vanish at floor level, pushing up. It reminded him of watching a mirage in the desert. The unnatural sight made his stomach churn and made him briefly struggle to tell up from down. Unable to take any more, he closed his eyes and wrenched his head away from the sight before it caused him to throw up.

Finally, the rumbling abated and Kombu could open his eyes again. The array's central focus now hung from above, seeming suspended to a fixed point in mid-air like a stalactite of polished crystal. Aside from the varicolored fire of indescribable hues that shimmered at its rounded end, its length was dominated by swirling clouds of mist. In gaps between that mist, he fancied he could see something that looked like...land...like a view of the world seen from directly above. He grew so lost in trying to discern the details of what he was seeing that it wasn't until Wight coughed politely that Kombu forced his eyes away from it.

"Now that the focus is in position, would you be so kind as to help me fix the floor?" asked Wight with a wry smile as he gestured at the heavy disk of marble resting off to one side.

"O-of course," said Kombu. Between the two of them, they were able to lever the disk back into the space where it had been cut out. It had been cut out of the floor so that the edges sloped inwards, allowing it to slide right back into place. Under Wight's direction, they also made sure to turn the disk until the lines of all the tiles lined back up, only the faintest seam indicating that the piece of floor had been removed at all.

"Now everything should be ready," said Wight, smirking at their handiwork, "I'd paint a target on it, but that's a little obvious, don't you think?"

"I suppose..." said Kombu nervously, "Are you sure this will work?"

"I am certain that the components will function as they are supposed to," said Wight, "The input should also be drawn into the focus as well, even if they direct it at me. As for whether or not it will actually work out the way I want it to..." He shrugged. "...It looks good on paper."

"That's not very encouraging," said Kombu.

"On the bright side, if it turns out that I goofed, we won't have to worry about the destruction of the world," said Wight, "This close to the origin, we'll be consumed before we've even realized it."

"What a cheery thought," said Kombu sourly, "If I didn't have so much faith in your skill, I would be reconsidering my position as your friend and ally in this endeavor."

"I certainly hope that I can reward your faith in me," said Wight with a cheerful grin. He glanced at the doors to the throne room. "Is Perlin in position?"

"Yes, he's waiting in the main entry hall, per your instructions," said Kombu. "He's still rather upset about your deception in Ponyville."

"That is understandable," said Wight, "Fortunately, there is no more need for deception, at least so far as his instructions are concerned. You've told him to mind his tongue, correct?"

"Yes," replied Kombu, "Though I'm not entirely sure that such instructions will be followed. Perlin has been unusually willful regarding his contract lately."

"Also understandable, I suppose," said Wight, "But I don't believe he knows enough to jeopardize the array's activation."

"What about your other assets?" asked Kombu.

"They are nearly ready," replied Wight, "I think they should fulfill their purpose nicely. I'll have to be careful though. They aren't nearly as durable as Flash Spark is."

In spite of himself, Kombu shivered. Wight Shade hadn't so much as flinched at the idea of making use of the hundreds of imprisoned cultists, nobles, and their soldiers that had been sequestered in the Palace dungeons and the caverns beneath them. The evacuation ordered by Princess Luna had been so sudden and unexpected that the Guards had all but forgotten about the prisoners in their haste to escape. It was a cruel case of abandonment, however worthy the ponies imprisoned were of their punishment. Wight found it somewhat ironic that, after leaving the Cult Solar behind, he'd found one last use for its members when all was said and done.

"So...how do we get through this?" asked Spitfire, glaring at the nearly impenetrable barrier of brambles crossing over the Royal Palace's main gate.

Shortly after the Royal Palace's...transformation...Twilight and her friends, along with the accompanying Knights and every member of the Royal Guard currently available mustered to get to the Palace gates as quickly as possible. Much to her consternation, Princess Luna had been forced to remain behind, Flash Sentry, the Knights, and Twilight all pointing out that, if anything happened to her, then there would be nopony left to raise the sun or the moon. Cadance might have been capable of taking over once she returned from the Crystal Empire, where she'd been presiding over the Hearts and Hooves Day celebrations of her subjects. But that was a very big maybe as she had never attempted to move the celestial bodies with her magic before and it might be weeks before they managed to assemble enough capable unicorns to do the job instead.

"Um...give me a minute," said Twilight, studying the barrier and comparing it with the knowledge of Dark Matter that she had gained over the course of her studies. She thought she recognized the material they were composed of. Said material was nearly indestructible, of course. However, from what she remembered, the shape was actually a product of the material's reaction with the world's natural ambient magnetic field that produced those long, vine-like shapes and wickedly-sharp points. Depending on the properties of the ambient magical fields around them, the shape could be altered or their growth could be redirected.

"Let me work out a spell for this," said Twilight, "It's going to take a few minutes."

The group currently stood in the outer courtyard. Twilight and four of her fellow Element Bearers were out in front, their Elements at the ready. Behind them was arrayed an extensive formation of the Royal Guard. Above them, pegasi, including the Wonderbolts, hovered protectively. Rainbow Dash, clad in her own mithril flight suit was with them, having convinced her teacher that she was needed to help keep the sky covered. Firefly had agreed, albeit reluctantly, which spoke volumes for how serious and desperate the situation was. Firefly hovered alongside Rainbow, while Arkenstone stood close to Twilight and her group on the ground.

Dawn was also with the fliers, casting a wary eye about as he looked for any signs of trouble. Their job was to make sure that Twilight and her group made it to Morning Star and that the Elements of Harmony were allowed to do their thing. Since said group included his mother, Dawn was especially motivated to see to their safety. As he continued to watch for trouble, his ears twitched as he picked up the faint sound of buzzing, a sound that he was familiar with and not very fond of.

"We might not have a few minutes," said Dawn nervously.

"Relax," said Rainbow, "If it's just Flash Spark, we can at least keep him away, no problem."

"I don't think that it's just Flash Spark," said Firefly, her normally composed voice dropping to a horrified whisper as she looked upwards at the source of the gradually increasing noise.

Once again, the sound filling the air seemed to hum into their ears and make their bones vibrate. Spitfire, anticipating another fight with Flash Spark, had once again equipped the Wonderbolts with earplugs. She'd also brought enough for the Guard pegasi to use. The noise was painful, but not debilitatingly so.

As the noise reached fever pitch, they saw him. Flash Spark rose from behind one of the Palace's towers, his bladed tail lashing the air. To their surprise, Flash Spark's armor was sporting its horn, which only seemed to appear when Wight Shade brought the insectile stallion under his direct control. That worried Dawn enough, on its own, wondering just how dangerous Flash Spark's Dark Matter was when it was under the control of a pony who truly knew how to use it.

However, those worries dwindled as they were replaced by the horror of what came behind Flash Spark. From behind another of the towers came another pony, clad in similar insect-like armor, with wings buzzing. A second rose up from behind the Palace's sloped roofs. A third appeared, then a fourth, then more... Soon, white-clad ponies were streaming out from behind every part of the Palace, assembling behind Flash Spark in a massive swarm that filled the sky above the Palace, all of them looking down at the Wonderbolts and Guardsmares.

"Yeah," said Rainbow, her voice emerging as a strangled squeak, barely audible over the collective hum of so many wings, "that's pretty bad."

"There must be hundreds," whispered Spitfire, "Where did he get them all?"

It was Flash Sentry who answered, his voice absolutely horrified. "The prisoners...the cultists, the nobles...they were left behind when the Palace was evacuated."

Dawn edged forward, his eyes narrowing as he strained to get a better look at the ponies arrayed behind Flash Spark. Unlike Flash Spark, their armor was not wholly opaque. Instead, it sheathed their bodies, looking like misty glass, actually allowing him to discern details of the ponies held within. He saw the colors of their coats, muted by the layer of armor over them. Behind the domed, eyepieces, he could see eyes that were wide with terror. These ponies were clearly not wearing this armor willingly. Just as with Flash Spark, their head sported horns, whether the pony encased within the armor was pegasus, unicorn, or earth pony. Dawn's eyes widened again when he picked out a familiar form amongst the ponies hovering there. Blenheim, Applejack's uncle and a member of the Cult Solar, was amongst the swarm.

"They're shields," said Firefly, "He wants us to hold back to avoid hurting them."

"If they're even half as dangerous as Flash Spark, that's gonna be a job and a half...at least," said Spitfire nervously.

Before they had set out, Dawn had noted that Ouranos was nowhere to be seen. Spitfire explained that she was having him keep clear of the fight. The Wonderbolts were the only ponies with the training to fight alongside her when she and her friend merged to unleash their full power. Under those circumstances, Spitfire's magic generated incredible heat, gradually raising the temperature of their surroundings until ponies and other creatures in her vicinity would start passing out from sheer heat exhaustion. The Wonderbolts had been trained to create isolated pockets of stable air to keep the heat of her flames at bay. Unfortunately, the Guard Pegasi were not trained in that skill.

When Dawn had expressed his concerns about her fighting with such a handicap, Spitfire had merely given him a cheerful wink and said, "Don't worry so much kiddo. If I was wholly dependent on Ouranos for my power, I would never have been made a Knight to begin with."

That confidence was nowhere to be found now and Dawn suspected that Spitfire was wishing she hadn't asked her friend to keep well away. Ouranos was supposed to be a force to be reckoned with on his own, but Spitfire had been anticipating a pitched battle in the Palace interior, where his flames might blaze out of control in confined quarters and nearby allies if they weren't careful.

"I hope Twilight finishes that spell fast," said Rainbow, swallowing hard, "'Cause here they come!"

Indeed, Flash Spark and the humming swarm behind him surged forward, cresting over the Palace like a wave and washing down from the sky in a literal deluge of chitinous fury. Dawn immediately surged forward, feeling the Wonderbolts and ponies of the Royal Guard following along with him. At this point, their primary goal was to keep the swarm off of Twilight as she figured out the spell needed to break through the barricade over the Palace gates.

Kicking out with his hind legs, Dawn swept his wings forward, lunging to throw the force of his entire body into the motion and extending his wings until the tips of his primaries stretched out past either side of his head, pointing straight at Flash Spark, his primary target.

A roaring blast of concentrated air went barreling straight at Flash Spark, who came to an abrupt halt. Dawn saw his wings pause for an instant, the veins lining them shifting configuration before they began to buzz again. He felt, rather than heard the change in the vibrations produced by the wings. However, rather than the spherical wave that Flash had produced in their previous battle, he instead somehow shaped the vibrations-not the air being vibrated, but the vibrations themselves-into a disk between him and Dawn. The cannon blast of compressed air launched by the Forward Wing Strike hit the disk shaped mass of vibrations dissipated harmlessly.

Flash Spark attacked next. This disk of vibrations in front of him began to extend towards Dawn, forming an elongated cone. Along its path, Dawn could feel the air it touched become dead, numb to his senses. He shot upwards above the cone and darted to attack directly from above. This time, instead of using a blast of air, Dawn instead began to produce vibrations of his own, the humming between his feathers burst into crackling arcs of electricity as he swept his wings through circular motions, accumulating the power before jabbing out with the outermost primary of his right wing, launching a bolt of lightning like a spear straight at Flash Spark's back.

The bolt slammed between Flash Spark's wings, sending arcs of energy skittering across his body. The electricity didn't seem to actually bother the armored stallion, but Dawn could feel the disruptive vibrations produced by his wings fading as the electricity arced across them. Dawn suspected that the buzz produced by the electricity itself was disrupting the precise frequency produced by Flash Spark's wings and canceling out its effects.

Dawn maintained the flow of lightning he sent streaming down his wing and through the air into Flash Spark's body. With his other wing, he executed a series of smaller circular motions, carefully accumulating more power into a separate point, even as he continued to generate the electricity he was sending constantly into Flash Spark. This was the most complex trick he'd ever tried to pull off as he condensed the electricity around his left wing and molded it into the air, forming stable plasma and continuing to collect and build its power. He kept it up and it grew and grew in potency. Dawn kept it confined to same small space, concentrating its power even more with each passing second. When he felt that it reached the absolute limit of what he could hold, Dawn kicked off the air, diving straight down at Flash Spark, twisting his body to bring the powerful bolt of pure plasma to bear in a point blank strike.

It was almost too much for him. The task of maintaining a constant stream of lighting while building up a separate charge on his opposite wing, while still remaining aloft and in control stretched Dawn's skills to their absolute limit. Acting automatically, he let his mind and body relax as he moved, calling forth an image of a white blade extending from his feathers as he slashed downwards at Flash Spark.

The bolt of plasma elongated and made an eerie whistling noise, cutting through the air in a manner similar to the vacuum blades Dawn could create. He aimed for the base of Flash Spark's wing. As he did, the motion forced him to retract his right wing and end the stream of lightning. Through his wind-sense, he could feel Flash Spark's wing once again moving to alter the shape of the vibrations it generated, forming them into something that resembled a blade extending out from the wing Dawn had targeted. Even as it did so, Dawn both felt and saw the other wing stop and then start again, the tone of the buzz it generated changing slightly.

Flash Spark's body twisted, bringing around the blade of shaped vibrations and swinging it to counter the blade of plasma extending off of Dawn's own wing. The two attacks collided with an angry-sounding buzzing crack. The collision between the two actually bounced Dawn away and he went tumbling through the air. As he righted himself, he saw a familiar flash of yellow and immediately kicked out to one side with his hooves, skipping to the side as a sonic lance screeched past him.

If Dawn had been uncertain before, he no longer was now. Wight Shade was most definitely the one pulling the puppet strings for Flash Spark. It showed in how refined Flash Spark's moves were, how much control he had. Flash Spark had shown no skill at shaping the vibrations his wings produced or being able to use separate wings for separate tasks. Wight Shade, however, knew the full extent of what the Dark Matter he had merged with Flash Spark's flesh was capable of and exploited that knowledge to its fullest.

If that is the case, thought Dawn, then what happens if I damage or destroy the mechanism of Wight Shade's control? HIs eyes focused on the horn extending out of Flash Spark's forehead. If that only appeared when Wight assumed control of him, then it stood to reason that Wight's control over Flash Spark would be broken if the horn was...not that having Flash Spark back in control of that monstrous body was a good thing. But it at least fell into the category of...less-bad.

Dawn frowned, but was forced to focus on keeping away from the strange vibrations given formed by one of Flash Spark's wings, while the other fired another sonic lance at him.

Nearby, Rainbow Dash wanted to help Dawn fight Flash Spark, but she was fully occupied as a trio of armored ponies swarmed in on her at once. One of them closed in with her, extending a foreleg annd swinging it at her in a slashing arc. Hearing the faint whistling that accompanied it as Rainbow ducked underneath the swipe, she realized that the ends of these ponies' hooves were razor sharp. Like Flash Spark, they also sported bladed tails that ended in wicked-looking stingers. However, within the armor, Rainbow could also see the trapped ponies' normal tails.

Still, that little detail was mostly unimportant as Rainbow dipped and dodged through several attacks as her attackers swarmed her from above and below. Kicking out with her rear hooves, she bucked one in the stomach, even as she lashed out with a punch, catching another one in the side of the head. The pain shooting up her hooves made Rainbow grimace. Just like Flash Spark's armor, the material encasing these ponies was as hard, if not harder than steel.

Worse still, just like Flash Spark, these ponies sported insectile wings that gave them almost complete freedom of movement in the air. All around her, she could see the signs of a hard fought battle. The Wonderbolts engaged their opponents freely, their superior training and light, mithril mail flight suits giving them a high level of mobility that allowed them to engage several opponents at once, using hit and run tactics to avoid being cornered. The pegasi of the Royal Guard weren't anywhere as mobile as the Wonderbolts, but they made up for it with solid group tactics, breaking into teams of four and covering one another's blind spots, allowing them to fend off attackers that converged on them from all directions.

Distracted, Rainbow nearly took a hoof to the head, but barely managed to pull back away from the attack. The bladed edge of the hoof being swung at her actually scraped against the mail over Rainbow's cheek. To her relief, it held. However, the force of the blow left the spot feeling sore. Rainbow figured she'd have a bruise to show for the near miss.

"Back off!" Soarin's shout heralded his descent from above as he dropped down, slamming both of his hind hooves into the spot between the buzzing wings of Rainbow's attacker, sending him tumbling downwards before he regained control and began to return to the fight.

"You okay, Dashie?" asked Soarin', coming to hover behind Rainbow so that they were now back-to-back.

"I'll be fine," said Rainbow, "It's just a graze."

Soarin' grunted and used a foreleg to parry a punch thrown his way before catching the pony throwing it with an uppercut. "You notice anything odd about these girls?"

"Besides the obvious, I assume," teased Rainbow with a roll of her eyes.

"I'm talking about how they fight," said Soarin', looking around, "Are you not seeing what I'm not seeing?"

It took Rainbow a moment to catch on to what he was talking about. Being dive-bombed by a pair of attackers didn't help her concentration. "None of those screaming laser things," she said after a moment.

"Yeah," agreed Soarin', "Also, it's kinda hard to tell with the ear plugs, but I don't think they're making the same buzz that Flash Spark is. It isn't painful. If anything, I think it may be drowning out his wings' effects."

"That'd be something," said Rainbow, ducking a bladed tail, "What do you think it means?"

"Well...I'm guessing that, when it came to arming these ponies up, Morning Star or Wight Shade, or whatever it is he wants to be called right now, didn't give these girls the full package. I think they're sporting a more basic version." Using his stomach muscles, Soarin' pulled up his hind legs and threw his body into a backflip, kicking in an arc over their heads and smacking the skull of a mare who'd tried to get the drop on them.

"Well...that's a relief," said Rainbow dryly, "Notice something else?"

"What is it?" asked Soarin'.

"We figured the ponies in the armor aren't exactly volunteers, right?" said Rainbow, "That means they're not the ones in control of what they're doing."

"That's true," agreed Soarin', "Wight Shade can't be controlling this many ponies directly...at least, I hope he can't be."

"So maybe if we figure out how he's controlling them, we can break them out of it," said Rainbow, "Even if we can't break them out of that armor."

Looking around, Rainbow had already spied another thing that all of their attackers had in common. "It's the horns," she said.

"Yeah," agreed Soarin', "So if we can do something about those horns, maybe we can break them out from under Wight's control."

"That sounds like a good plan," said Rainbow, "The problem is how we're gonna bust those things up. They're probably just as hard as the rest of that armor." She winced at the thought. Her hooves already ached from pounding against that unyielding substance. She was lucky that the ponies behind that armor weren't so heavy that they weren't knocked away by her blows or she was sure that her hooves would have shattered by now. As it was, the ponies she hit merely bounced away only to come back and press their attack endlessly.

During their first fight with Flash Spark, Rainbow and those who'd fought with him had worked out how to damage him, in spite of his powerful armor. While it seemed to be nearly indestructible, the flesh beneath it was not. They'd worked to strike in such ways that the joints of his armor were driven into the flesh beneath, turning the material's strength and hardness against the pony under its protection. According to Dawn and Firefly, that weakness had apparently been rectified by Wight, who'd apparently modified the flesh beneath Flash Spark's armor. From the looks of things, the rest of Wight Shade's army wasn't so equipped as the ponies beneath that armor looked much the same as they would have without it. The same tactic would probably work here.

The problem was that, even if such a tactic promised to be effective, there was no way in Tartarus that Rainbow would be willing to use it. Given what Flash Sentry had said about the ponies left behind in the Palace, these ponies were the imprisoned cultists, nobles, and their loyal cronies who'd earned their place in the dungeons and prisons with their crimes. But she didn't think that the Equestrian code of law would ever come up with a punishment as cruel as this. However, bad the ponies beneath that armor might have been, they didn't deserve to be pounded until they hacked up blood for being forced into a battle where they had no control of their bodies.

Rainbow's thoughts were interrupted by a shrieking noise and an ear-splitting hum that made her bones rattle. Beside her, Soarin' let out a cry of surprise and pain, flinching from the sudden onslaught of sound and took a punch to the gut from a knife-edged hoof employed by an attacker who'd taken advantage of his momentary distraction. Fortunately, his flight suit took the blow and kept him from being disemboweled. An ebony form tumbled past Rainbow's vision, followed by a screaming streak of yellow that left her blinking.

Dawn lashed out with a forehoof, pushing off the air itself to change the direction of his spin and tumble, getting him just barely out of the way of the sonic lance Flash Spark had fired at him. The lance continued on past him, where a stallion of the Royal Guard was deadlocked against a mare trapped in armor. The lance sliced clean through both of them, cutting them in two. Blood sprayed in all directions as both of the mortally injured ponies cried out in agony, the pieces of their severed bodies dropping down towards the unforgiving ground below.

"That bastard!" screamed Rainbow, whirling to glare at Flash Spark, who was buzzing towards them now. Though he flew straight and in perfect control, there seemed to be a lopsided quality to his flight, as his two wings appeared to be buzzing at different frequencies.

Soarin' grimaced, but held his tongue, making sure that he restrained Rainbow with a hoof on her shoulder. Nothing good would come from her charging in a fit of rage. She'd be cut to pieces before she could get anywhere close, not that she could do anything if she did get in close. He was angry too. it was clear that Wight Shade cared nothing about the ponies he was using to shield himself and considered them disposable tools.

"Careful," warned Dawn, coming to hover next to them, "He's much more dangerous now than when Flash Spark is actually in control." An armor-clad attacker dropped in on them from above, but Dawn's wing blurred and a cannon blast of compressed air slammed into her and sent her into an uncontrolled spin until her armored body smashed into the wall of one of the Palace's towers.

"We need to take out their horns," said Rainbow, glancing at Dawn, "You got any ideas?"

Dawn looked back at her and his eyes narrowed slightly. "Maybe...Where is your teacher?"

Blinking, Rainbow looked around for Firefly. She spotted her teacher amongst a swarm of nearly fifty attacking ponies...all by herself. Firefly was still flying normally, but moved with a dancer's grace, effortlessly avoiding every strike that came her way, often using the bodies of attacking ponies to change the direction of her flight in unpredictable ways, causing two or more of her attackers to slam together. She moved about the battle zone, drawing attackers off of Royal Guards and Wonderbolts alike as they all focused on the much more difficult target she presented and kept them from getting swamped by the sheer number of enemies.

"Looks like she's doing just fine," said Rainbow.

"Look out!" shouted Soarin', suddenly bulling into her body from the side. At the edges of her vision, Rainbow could see Dawn blurring into motion as well. There was another shriek as Flash Spark fired another sonic lance at Dawn.

Dawn, however, sensed that something was different about this attack. At the same time that Flash Spark fired the lance, his other wing actively shaped the vibrations it produced, just as it had before. Only, this time, it shaped those vibrations into a lance not unlike the one being fired off the first wing. This lance was almost completely invisible to the naked eye. Dawn could barely perceive it with his gaze, marking out a faint blurring, matching the buzzing motion of the wing itself. Through the wind, he felt the change in the vibration's shape, felt the two different lances extend until they intersected a short distance away from where Dawn, Soarin', and Rainbow Dash had been hovering. When they met, Dawn's wind-sense was beset with the feeling of the air somehow cracking and breaking at the point of contact, as though it were a solid object.

Black lines, resembling cracks, appeared on the shining yellow of the sonic lance. In an instant, it shattered like glass, bursting into countless flechettes of yellow light, shooting off in every direction. Dawn had to dance and whirl to escape them, barely managing to avoid injury. He winced as he felt the edge of one of those shards of light clip a primary and slice part of it away completely. Two more shaved hairs off his mane. Yet another punched a hole clean through the hairs of his tail.

Other ponies in their vicinity, both enemy and ally, were not so lucky. Screams of pain and fear momentarily drowned out the buzz of insect wings as the scattered shards of Flash Spark's sonic lance pierced through flesh, bone, and Dark Matter armor with contemptuous ease, punching holes through wings and barrels. Blood sprayed out from half a dozen wounds where the flechettes had cut into critical arteries and veins. Nearly a dozen ponies began to drop from the sky.

"Soarin'!" screamed Rainbow, her voice cracking with hysteria as Dawn looked over at them. Rainbow had been successfully knocked clear of the attack and had been lucky enough to escape injury. Soarin'...hadn't. Dawn could see a hole that went clean through his mithril mail on one side of his back. Another had punched through the flesh of his haunch. From the gurgling noise escaping Soarin's throat, along with the blood bubbling up in his mouth, Dawn feared that his lung had been hit.

"No!" yelled Rainbow, desperately throwing her arms around Soarin' to keep him from dropping. All around the pair, more enemies came rushing in like a swarm of bees on the attack. Rainbow, in no position to retaliate, could only close her eyes and steel herself, hoping that her mail would absorb the worst of the blows.

Dawn flickered into position directly above her, vanishing so quickly that another sonic lance from Flash Spark speared right through the afterimage he left behind. The ebony colt's wings became indistinct blurs as he swept them out in several quick swipes in succession. Hammer blows of compressed air slammed into the attacking ponies knocking them away.

Flash Spark came rushing in to press his own attack, but Dawn wasn't having any of that. Turning about, Dawn swept his wings in exaggerated circles, as though they were joined by a bar that ran across his shoulders, a buzz of his own canceling out the sound of Flash Spark's wings. The buzz grew in volume, becoming arcs of lightning that trailed behind his wings as they continued to circle. Despite the fact that Flash Spark was closing in, Dawn continued to calmly prepare his attack, gathering his power.

Anger blazed in the colt's heart as his mind pictured the ponies that had been hurt by that last attack, including Soarin', somepony Dawn considered a friend, somepony he'd confided in and even turned to for advice. He let that feeling flow into the motion of his wings, building his power. The lightning crackled, fed by his angry feelings, threatening to burn his own feathers and scorch his own flesh. But Dawn relaxed by feeding his anger into it, keeping the power circulating ceaselessly, even as it built with each passing second. Working gradually, he reduced its area of circulation, concentrating its power and merging it with the air that was being swept up in his wings.

Flash Spark fired another sonic lance, but Dawn dodged without even thinking about it, barely moving his body at all so that the lance passed right over his shoulder, missing by mere millimeters. Flash swept the lance downward, aiming to cut Dawn's wing right off. But the colt rapidly slipped to the side without breaking his technique.

As Flash Spark closed in, Dawn turned sideways towards him, narrowing the rotation of his wings and sweeping them into tighter and tighter circles. As his side was facing the charging Flash Spark, the rotation of his wings closed until they were no longer moving in circles at all. Instead, Dawn lunged sideways, snapping out the wing facing Flash Spark so that the outermost primary was pointed right at the insectile stallion. As he did so, Dawn put the full force of his body behind the motion, feeding all the energy he'd built up into the air and lightning, merging them together into a spear of white-hot plasma that launched out from his wingtip and thrust at Flash Spark. Dawn let all of his anger flow into the attack, leaving him feeling calm and relaxed, his mind pleasantly blank as the spear of his rage flew at Flash Spark, filled with his intent to pierce into the stallion.

Flash Spark spun in place, using the wing that produced those disruptive vibrations to create an humming shield between him and the oncoming lance. But Dawn's attack seemed to punch through it, the vibrations fragmenting and cracking like glass. The lance thrust onward and burrowed into his side, punching through that white armor, burning into the flesh beneath it, and out the other side, leaving a hole as wide as one of Dawn's hooves through the middle of his barrel.

No sound escaped from Flash Spark's mouth, not so much as a grunt of pain. For a moment, the stallion hung suspended by his wings, like a puppet on its strings, spinning in place. Smoke poured from the hole Dawn's attack had punched through his body.

Momentarily suspending his full attention from Flash Spark, Dawn returned his attention to Rainbow Dash and Soarin'. The two of them had lost a fair bit of altitude as Rainbow was pulled down by the stallion's weight, too busy being distraught by his condition to devote her strength to keeping them aloft. The attackers Dawn had knocked away a few seconds ago were already returning. Dawn moved to rush to their aid...

A thunderous clap filled the air and the sky flared white and blue. Firefly, her wings transfigured into blazing constructs of light came streaking in. She twisted her body and her wings burst into streams of light that launched out at the swarming attackers like a barrage of spears, smashing through their armor and pounding into the vulnerable flesh beneath. Strangled cries of pain filled the air as several ponies dropped from the sky, their wings broken. Others were smashed into, or even through, the Palace towers and ramparts. A brief silence seemed to settle over that small section of the sky as Firefly came to a stop by Rainbow and Soarin', with Dawn coming in to hover a little behind her.

"Get him down to the medics," said Firefly, pointing down to where the Royal Guard unicorns and earth ponies had assembled in the courtyard. Already, the Guard medics were tending a dozen pegasi from their own ranks. A pair of blue and gold figures were also visible on the stretchers.

As Rainbow rushed to get Soarin' down to the stretchers, Dawn gave Firefly an angry look. She responded with a glare of her own. "Don't you start. I understand these ponies are victims, but they were imprisoned for a reason. If it comes down to saving their lives or yours, I'm damn well going to save yours, even if it means killing them. I know it's bad, but you've got to make the hard decisions at some point."

With a sigh, Dawn sagged. "I suppose you're right...but..."

"Hey," said Firefly, "I wish there was another way, but I can't figure one out."

"Their horns," said Rainbow, flying back up to join them.

"You shouldn't even be up here at all," said Firefly, glaring at Rainbow, "You weren't ready last night and you certainly aren't anymore ready today. You should be down there with your friends so that you can head right in once Twilight Sparkle breaches the gates."

"I'm a Wonderbolt," said Rainbow firmly, "So until Twilight breaks through, this is where I belong."

Firefly opened her mouth to scold her impetuous protege when Dawn cut her off. "You mentioned their horns, I had the same idea."

"What's this about horns?" asked Firefly, looking annoyed at being interrupted.

Dawn gestured to the armored ponies around them, many of whom were once again closing in to attack. They all sported horns on their heads, whether they were unicorns or not. "Flash Spark's horn only appeared when Wight Shade assumed direct control of him. Presumably that means that the horns are how Wight Shade assumes control over all of these ponies. If we remove their horns, then they might not be enemies anymore."

Firefly looked around at the ponies hovering around them. "You might have something there," she said, "It's just speculation, but it's better than nothing. Let me test it out."

"Can we even break those things?" asked Rainbow.

"Firefly can," said Dawn, "After all, she can break through their armor easily enough."

"You could probably do it too, kiddo," said Firefly, "But you haven't mastered the technique well enough to hit such a small target yet. Just leave it to me."

Spreading her wings out, they once again burst into light, transforming into wings of pure light and energy that made the air around her hum. She shot off into the sky, becoming a streak of light, zipping around faster than the eyes could track. She zeroed in on one of the enemy ponies and charged straight in at the armored stallion. He noticed her approach at the last second and began to reverse direction. But Firefly was already on him. One of her shining feathers seemed to transform, thinning out and elongating until a long, slender blade extended out as Firefly swung the wing at her target. The edge of the blade hit the pony's horn. There was a brief pause as it made contact. For a moment it looked as though the blade wouldn't penetrate the Dark Matter. But then it suddenly accelerated, slicing through the horn like a hot knife through butter.

The severed horn went spinning through the air, whilst the stump it left behind glowed red hot after the passage of Firefly's attack. The pony who'd just been hit froze in place, his body hanging in the exact pose it had been in when Firefly's attack had connected, as though his armor had locked in place and kept him from moving. For a moment, Dawn and the others feared that he would resume attacking after a second. But then...a crack formed in the stallion's armor. It lengthened, branched out, spreading all across his body. His wings froze in place and his body began to fall. As it fell, the armor began to peel away, flaking off and revealing the earth pony underneath.

As he fell, the pony let out a bloodcurdling scream and began to flail his limbs wildly as he plummeted towards a messy end down below.

"Oh stop screaming you big baby," snapped Firefly as she came up along side him, rapping him sharply on the head. Somehow, the blow seemed to knock the stallion unconscious instantly, allowing Firefly to catch his limp body and lower him to the ground. Dawn and Rainbow followed, fending off other attacks as they went.

"Well that worked," said Dawn as they settled onto the ground.

"Bit of a problem though," Rainbow pointed out as Firefly settled the stallion on the grass.

"Playing catch-the-cultist is gonna get old after a while," admitted Firefly.

"Why don't you leave that to us."

The three of them looked up to see a familiar pony approaching them. "Hey, Shining Armor," said Rainbow with a grin, "Finally caught up to us, huh?"

"Yep," said Shining, returning her grin, "If you can keep the battle directly above this space, me and the other unicorns can work on catching them."

"I think we can manage that," said Firefly, "This isn't gonna be easy or fast though, not with so many of them."

"It doesn't matter," declared Rainbow, "Let's do it!"

"Hey!" shouted Firefly as her student shot up into the sky. Firefly took off after her, muttering under her breath. "Stupid...reckless...I swear, she's just like me when I was her age."

Dawn chuckled and moved to follow them. However, he paused as a familiar buzz rattled his bones. Looking up, he saw Flash Spark, who, until recently, had been hanging limply from his wings with a hole through his barrel, descend on Rainbow, his wings blurring and the air around one of them beginning to shimmer. Through the other, he felt that strange disruptive vibration beginning to build again. He's going to do it again! thought the colt in horror, recognizing the preparatory steps to that burst of sonic shrapnel Flash Spark had launched at them briefly.

Firefly saw Flash Spark too. Already, her wings had blazed into light once again and she charged at him headlong. At the last second, Flash Spark changed his action, shaping his vibrations instead into a disk-like shield that he held between him and Firefly. She slammed bodily into it and rebounded, blood streaming form her nose and mouth as her wings of light shattered like they were made of glass, leaving behind her normal pegasus wings.

"Look out!" shouted Dawn, rushing towards Rainbow, who had seemed oblivious to Flash Spark's approach.

Dawn's words prompted Rainbow to look around and see the insectile stallion coming for her. Though he'd abandoned attacking with the disruptive vibrations from his left wing in order to block Firefly, his right wing still launched a sonic lance straight at Rainbow. Dawn's warning was barely enough for her to twist out of the attack's path, narrowly missing it slicing right across her throat by a few centimeters.

Her eyes narrowed in anger as she glared at the approaching Flash Spark. Even after he'd been banished from Ponyville, he'd continued to cause trouble. He'd embraced the enhancements that Wight Shade had offered, menaced her friends, terrorized the ponies close to her. And now, he'd hurt Soarin' too. How badly, Rainbow couldn't say, but the fact that Soarin' was hurt at all was enough. That Flash Spark was currently under Wight Shade's complete control didn't matter. He'd have done it, perhaps even gleefully, if he were acting of his own volition. Rainbow intended to put him down...permanently.

Author's Notes:

Once again, it's always an interesting challenge to describe phenomena that defy possibility, such as the idea that vibrations can be shaped like an object. When you have the same characters fighting again and again, it gets to be a bit of a pin to figure out how to write the fight scene so that its sufficiently different from the previous ones.

Next chapter: Rainbow Dash graduates.

Running the Gauntlet

Chapter 30: Running the Gauntlet

Rainbow's conviction was firm. She had to put an end to Flash Spark, that much was clear.

But how? Her hooves couldn't make a dent in that Dark Matter armor. From what Dawn had told her and what she'd seen of the aftermath of his last attack on Ponyville, simply trying to touch him was dangerous. Only Dawn or Firefly had ever been able to actually break through that defense...

That was it then...If she could use the technique Firefly had used, the technique Firefly had been teaching her, Rainbow could hurt Flash Spark. She could smash through that armor. But she'd had no success in using it. Firefly had told her to look for her Wings of the Heart, the image that existed in the depths of her being that embodied her love of the sky. Suddenly, her mind went back to the previous evening, where she and Soarin' were lounging on a cloud, quietly talking. She remembered his words. "When you're out there flying, you practically shine."

That was right. It wasn't about anger. It was about doing what she loved most. And what Rainbow Dash loved most was flying. She loved the feeling of the wind flowing over her feathers, ruffling through her mane. She loved that sense of fear and elation that accompanied a challenging stunt, the sense of accomplishment that accompanied her performing one of her Sonic Rainbooms, the feeling of punching through the essence of the sky itself until it broke around her with a crash of thunder and the world was washed away by colored light...

The anger was still there, but it was sidelined by a much more powerful feeling that hummed through Rainbow's veins. She felt, rather than saw Flash Spark launching another sonic lance at her. Without thinking, Rainbow gracefully rolled out of the way. She barely noticed when Dawn moved in, bombarding Flash Spark with hammer-blasts of air that burst against the shield of shaped vibrations that Flash Spark held between them. She barely sensed the two of them enter into a pitched battle, tangling fiercely as they danced across the sky, exchanging blasts of lightning and shrieking beams of yellow light freely. Instead, Rainbow sank deep within herself, letting her body go slack as she focused on the feeling Soarin's words had stirred in her.

Firefly had once told her that this technique's true power was born of love, love of the sky, love of flying. Rainbow latched onto that love. In her mind, she saw a picture taking form, an image of a pair of wings that were not the ones she was familiar with, but yet still unquestionably hers. They were there before her mind's eye, ruffling, flexing, stretching, eager to break out of the confines of her mind and greet the sky.

But how do I get them out? she wondered. She thought back to her earliest lessons with Firefly and what Firefly had told her. The wings were an image formed from her love for the sky. Projecting that image out was what unicorns did. She had to project that image out through her pegasus magic they way a unicorn might cast a very basic spell. But that wasn't all she needed.

That's right, a medium! Just like with earth pony magic, the wings needed a medium to bring them out into the world. There was only one medium Rainbow could ever think to use, the perfect medium for a pegasus, the one that had been with her since the day she was born...or rather, the two. Her wings, her flesh and blood wings would serve as the medium to bring the Wings of the Heart out into the world and make that image into reality.

Reflexively, Rainbow extended her wings out as far as she could reach. She fixed the image into her mind and focused on sending it out through her wings, reaching with her magic as Firefly had taught her, extending the image of those wings before her mind's eye as she did so.

There was a clap of thunder and a blaze of varicolored light washing across the sky like a miniature Sonic Rainboom. The battle ground to a halt as everypony, even those attacking under the control of Wight Shade's Dark Matter, froze in place and turned to stare at the spectacle. Even Firefly, busy as she was carving the horns off of the armored ponies she was attacking, paused to examine Rainbow's actions.

"Well...I'll be..." she said, grinning triumphantly at what she saw, "I never thought she'd do it under these circumstances. That's my girl!"

Rainbow's wings were transfigured. Their span had easily increased by five times. Like Firefly's, they were detached, hovering in the air a scant few inches from her shoulders, where they'd been fixed before in their previous state. However, they moved as though they were still attached to her body. Having expanded in size, her wings still perfectly resembled those of a regular pegasus' in shape, with each primary, secondary, and even the coverts all rendered faithfully. However, each feather looked as though it had been shaped out of solid light. Their glowing colors matched those in Rainbow's mane, starting with the dark-violet along each wing's leading edge, with each successive line of feathers behind it a different color and terminating with a line of bright-red along her primaries and secondaries.

Panting for breath, Rainbow looked at her handiwork. Her wings were glorious, shining brightly. She could feel them, even though they no longer seemed to be flesh and blood, or even physically connected to her body for that matter. In fact, she felt them even more clearly than she'd felt her normal wings, felt every feather of hardened light as though it was a pure extension of her will. She could feel and move them in ways that she'd never been able to with her normal wings. More importantly, she felt incredibly light, as though her body weighed nothing.

Narrowing her eyes, she turned and favored Flash Spark with a triumphant smirk. It's time to show you what these babies can do... She paused even as she thought that. ....Um...hang on...what can these babies do?

Flash Spark, it seemed, was not willing to give Rainbow the time she needed to figure it out. Instead, he surged towards her, rushing past Dawn, whose attention had been stolen by Rainbow's new wings. It took the colt a second to realize that he'd allowed Flash Spark to slip past him and he took up pursuit, launching a blast of compressed air at Flash Spark to try and knock him off course. However, Flash Spark nimbly bounced out of the attack's way, spinning about, even as he came around. From one of his wings, that disruptive vibration, shaped like a broad blade, stretched out at Dawn, aiming for the air under his wings. Dawn responded by kicking down with all four hooves and shooting up over the arc of Flash Spark's swing. Shooting forward, Dawn positioned himself above Flash Spark and snapped both his wings straight down, launching twin spears of lightning off of his extended primaries.

Both bolts erupted into sparks against Flash Spark's armor, jolting him slightly and disrupting his flight, giving Dawn the chance to follow up with another blast of compressed air, this one slamming Flash Spark straight down.

Rainbow watched the fight, her will to attack wavering as she realized she had no idea what to do. She'd gotten a few glimpses of what Firefly could do with her wings, but had never thought about how to actually do any of that herself. All of her training had been mostly focused on simply reaching this point. How she could put her wings to use was something Rainbow had always known would be taught to her later.

"You had to pick the worst time for us to start your next lessons," said Firefly in a wry tone as she drifted down, her wings once again in their normal state, so that she could hover directly above and behind Rainbow. Reaching down, she gently rested a hoof between Rainbow's shoulders, the gentle pressure giving the younger mare a feeling of relief.

"What do I do?" asked Rainbow, not looking away from Dawn and Flash Spark's fight. All around them, the other ponies that Wight Shade had essentially enslaved buzzed about. But Firefly's attacks had allowed her to thin their numbers, allowing the Wonderbolts and Royal Guards to keep them away.

"You can feel them clearly, right?" asked Firefly, "Like they're a perfect extension of your will. That's because they are. Those wings come from your heart and mind, a pure manifestation of your magic."

"What do I do to get them to work like yours?" asked Rainbow.

"You can't," said Firefly, "Each pair of wings is different. Yours will work differently from mine. But, like I said, they come from within you. If you listen, they will tell you what they can do."

Rainbow frowned. Firefly's words seemed like more philosophical mumbo-jumbo. But, then again, it had been similar philosophical mumbo-jumbo that Rainbow had had to understand in order to get her wings in the first place. She supposed that was more than enough reason to listen to Firefly now.

"Close your eyes," said Firefly, "Take a deep breath. Feel your wings. Think about how they feel and what they do. You'll find the answer."

Closing her eyes, Rainbow did as Firefly bid her, relaxing her body and mind, giving herself up entirely to the sensation of those wings. She felt the power humming through them, building every time she flexed them, almost feeling like massive springs coiling. She knew that, with but a thought, those wings could send her shooting through the skies, hitting the speed necessary to produce a Sonic Rainboom with hardly any effort.

The Rainboom! That's it! The revelation hit Rainbow's mind like a runaway train. The power of her wings felt almost literally explosive. If she could use their power, maybe she could make her enemies feel what it was like to be hit with the full power of a Sonic Rainboom explosion. Rainbow had never before considered using the Sonic Rainboom as a weapon. It was a stunt she performed through tremendous effort. Of course, there was almost no way to finely control when and where the Rainboom was produced, or how the energy it unleashed was directed...at least, not the way Rainbow Dash normally did it.

Let's give it a try, she thought. "Dawn!" she shouted, her voice prompting Dawn to look at her, even as he skipped out of the way of a sonic lance, "Switch with me."

The colt met her eyes for a second. She saw hesitation there. However, Dawn relented and nodded his agreement to her strategy, skipping aside and leaving Rainbow with a clear path to Flash Spark.

Almost immediately, the insectile stallion noticed her and began to turn towards her. But to Rainbow, he might as well have not been moving at all. An explosive clap rocked the sky and she covered the distance between them in an instant, moving so quickly that, with her wings on either side of her, she seemed like a streak of light. Before Flash Spark could even react, she was right in front of him, scant inches separating the two of them.

"Try this one for size," said Rainbow. She turned her body and thrust one of her great, shining wings straight at him.

The wing seemed to dissolve into a torrent of feathers, the blazing swirl of color reminding Rainbow of a blast from the Elements of Harmony. There was a low boom, followed by a second one and two shockwaves of coruscating color burst out in succession as the attack seemed to produce two Sonic Rainbooms, one right after the other, before it slammed right into Flash Spark's chest. He hadn't even gotten the chance to react. Rainbow's wing impacted with a force that rocked the sky around her, releasing a third shockwave that sent everypony in the vicinity tumbling. Through the her contact with him, Rainbow could feel Flash Spark's armor buckle, but not break before he was launched backwards through the sky tumbling end over end as he tried to regain control of his flight.

It didn't break, thought Rainbow as she pulled her wing back. She'd felt Flash Spark's armor give a little from the sheer force of her impact. But she didn't feel it break the way it did when Firefly or Dawn, when he was using one of his most powerful techniques, hit him.

When she had first learned martial arts, Rainbow had always been taught to never attack with her wings. Using them as weapons threatened them with injury if they hit something the wrong way or clashed against something too hard. On top of that, it made them targets. Unless the wings were armed with weapons, like wingblades, the primary strategy of an unarmed pegasus was to keep them clear of the fight and out of danger so that a pegasus could use her mobility to its fullest effect.

Using her wings now went against years of martial arts training. An attack like that went against the grain for her. Just as learning the Wings of Light had required Rainbow to essentially unlearn the way she'd normally flown, it seemed that learning how to use them in battle would require her to unlearn many of the basic principles of fighting she'd been taught since she was a filly.

Once again, she felt Firefly's hoof come to rest between her shoulder blades. "Not bad for your first try," said the older mare, "But you're still green when it comes to fighting like this."

"What do I do?" asked Rainbow, "He didn't break when I hit him and I hit him pretty hard."

"It takes more than just force," replied Firefly, "It's about letting everything go and putting it all into your strike. You have to put your heart and soul into it."

"Ugh," grumbled Rainbow, "That sounds like another one of those 'simple but hard' things you keep telling me about."

She could practically hear the grin in Firefly's voice. "That's because it is," she said, "It's one of the most potent principles in martial arts and one of the most difficult to master. Dawn can do it, but not easily. He's only just begun how to really figure it out. It took me a lot of time to master. I'd been through countless battles by that point and had come to close to death nearly a dozen times. You want to do the same thing, but don't have the experience to truly feel how to put yourself into a battle."

"So I should just give up?" asked Rainbow.

Firefly sighed behind her, the older mare's breath stirring the strands of Rainbow's mane against her back. "There might be a way," she said, "But we've only got one chance at this. This is your first time using the Wings of Light, you're not gonna last much longer and, once you run out of juice, it's going to be a few hours before you can even get off the ground again. Let's make it count.

Grimacing, Rainbow nodded. In the distance, she could see Flash Spark's tumble come to a halt as he finally managed to regain control of his flight. A second later, he was charging straight back in.

"Remember the exercise we did back when you first started?" asked Firefly.

"You mean using just my magic to get off the ground?" asked Rainbow.

"That's the one. We're going to do something similar to that," said Firefly, "Right now, I want you to stop worrying about anything else and listen to my voice. Don't bother with anything else around you. Don't even think about Flash Spark."

Rainbow slowly inhaled, holding her breath for a little before letting it out, sending all of her stray thoughts and worries out along with it. "Okay."

"Good," said Firefly, "Now I want you to relax your body and just breathe." Her voice took on a strong, steady cadence, its gentle sound lulling Rainbow into a relaxed state. "Now, feel your power gathering at the core of your body. Let it gather in your gut with every breath you take. Build it up further and further. Feel the energy build inside you..."

Flash Spark continued to charge in. As he approached, the tone of the buzz produced by his right wing began to climb sharply in pitch as light began to gather at the front of his wing. With an earsplitting shriek, he launched a sonic lance straight at Rainbow's chest. Rainbow didn't even consciously feel it as Firefly shifted the pressure she applied with her hoof, guiding Rainbow to one side just enough that the lance missed them by inches.

"When I tell you to strike, I want you to guide the power in your core out through your wing. You're going to put your entire body into it, just as you would when you're punching. Let the flow of power guide the movement of your body so that you can release it all. Put everything into this attack..."

Flash Spark closed in again. Firefly could see the faint blurring in the air produced by his left wing that marked those strange disruptive vibrations that could somehow be shaped as though they were a solid object. At the same time, she heard the shriek of his right wing as he prepared another sonic lance. It seemed that he was going to make another go at that that sonic shrapnel attack that had nearly killed Soarin' earlier. Gently, she leaned forward, putting a little extra pressure against Rainbow's back. The slight cue urged the two of them forward, bringing Rainbow into striking range.

"Now strike!" snapped Firefly abruptly.

Rainbow's body moved automatically, as though the movement had been ingrained in her on an instinctual level. She twisted, swinging her right wing with her entire body, using her spine as a fulcrum as she threw all her weight into the attack. Once again, her wing seemed melt into a torrent of rainbow-colored feathers that charged straight for Flash Spark. However, instead of producing miniature Rainbooms, a single point of light seemed to gather at the very tip of her wing as it lanced straight for her target. It glowed with the ferocity of a miniature prismatic star, shining brighter as it surged forward until it made contact with Rainbow's target. She couldn't quite put into words how she knew exactly where it was, but she knew precisely where she needed to aim.

That miniature star slammed into the base of Flash Spark's horn.

Then the Rainboom came. A thunderous crash and a ring of color burst out at the very point of impact. Through her wing, Rainbow could feel Flash Spark's horn crack, then shatter entirely. The Dark Matter encasing his head fragmented and scattered. The blow snapped his neck to one side with a sickening crack and sent his body spinning away like a rag-doll. For the first time since the fight had started, a shriek of pure agony escaped Flash Spark as he once again tumbled through the sky.

"Nice," said Firefly grimly, "I think you got him."

Rainbow panted hard, sweat slicking down her mane. Her body had felt so light before. But now it felt like lead. A fog clouded her mind, making her feel like closing her eyes and lying down for a little.

"Time for you to head back down and join your friends," said Firefly, "You're not in any shape to keep fighting and they're going to need you more now."

"O...okay," said Rainbow, slumping. A few armored ponies swarmed down towards them, trying to take advantage of Rainbow's exhaustion. However, Dawn arrived, slamming them off course with blasts of wind.

"I'll take her down," said Dawn, moving to support Rainbow and guiding her back towards the ground.

"Fine by me," said Firefly with a chuckle as she turned to survey the battle. The Wonderbolts were doing a good job keeping the enemy occupied and the Royal Guards were still mostly in good order. Spitfire flashed across the upper reaches of the fight, hitting enemies with fiery punches. Unfortunately, it seemed there wasn't anything she could do to actually damage that armor. It fell to Firefly to bring their enemies down.

Putting her hooves to her lips, Firefly blew a piercing whistle that carried over the omnipresent buzz of so many insectile wings. Recognizing the signal from below, Spitfire saw Firefly waving her down and quickly swooped down, dodging several swings from bladed hooves and bucking away an attacker who tried to come up behind her.

"What's up?" she asked, coming to hover in front of Firefly.

"We've figured out how to take these fools down," said Firefly, "I can break their horns and that seems to destroy their armor. Shining Armor and the Royal Guard are set to catch anypony who falls down after we do it." She gestured down at the Royal Guard formation below. "I think you know what we need to do."

Spitfire gave her friend and former mentor a confident smile. "I think I do," she said. Looking up, she roared in her best parade ground voice, "WONDERBOLTS!!! ROUND 'EM UP!!!"

It only took a few additional signals with her wings and feathers for Spitfire to indicate where she wanted the enemy ponies to be herded. However, once they got the message, they moved quickly, using their agility and speed to knock their armored attackers in the direction of the sky that Spitfire was indicating. As they did, Firefly took deep breaths, gathering her strength to make one last push and bring this fight to an end. There were stiill countless ponies in the sky who needed to be dealt with. It was a daunting task, even for a Celestial Knight. But Firefly had absolute faith in her ability to get the job done.

Supported by Dawn, Rainbow Dash drifted in for a landing next to her friends, who swarmed her with excitement and concern.

"That was super awesome!" exclaimed Pinkie, bouncing in wide circles around Rainbow and Dawn as the colt propped the cerulean mare up, "That's gotta be the best stunt you've ever pulled. I can't wait to see you use it in your next Wonderbolts show!"

Rainbow let out a small, faint snort of laughter. "Thanks Pinkie," she said. Her wings flickered, then vanished in a burst of glittering motes, leaving behind her flesh and blood wings once more.

"Ah gotta say, that's one 'o the best things Ah've seen ya do, sugarcube," said Applejack as she moved to take Dawn's place holding Rainbow up, "But ya look plum tuckered out. Are ya gonna be up to stormin' the castle with us?"

"I kinda have to be," said Rainbow weakly, "We need all the Elements there, after all."

"Are you sure you're going to be all right?" asked Fluttershy as she came over to stand next to Dawn, absently rubbing one of her wings across his back, as though trying to confirm that he was there and unharmed.

"I'll manage," said Rainbow, "I'm not going to be getting off the ground anytime soon, but I can stick with you girls."

"If you're sure," said Rarity, "I have to say, that was one of the most spectacular things I've seen in my lifetime. It certainly trumps your Sonic Rainboom. And you managed to give that Flash Spark cad what for by the look of things."

"I don't feel all that good about it," said Rainbow dourly, "It doesn't really feel like I did it."

"But you did do it," said Pinkie, grinning and bouncing, "You hit him with your wing and he went 'boom!'"

"Well yeah," agreed Rainbow, "But I wouldn't have been able to do it if Firefly hadn't been helping me. It almost felt as though she was using me to fight, like she was steering my body or something."

"I think she used a sort of suggestion with you," said Dawn, "She put you in the proper frame of mind to carry out your attack, but you don't have the experience to do that and actually attack, so Firefly guided you into action. It says a great deal that you were able to do it at all, even with her help, and on your first time no less. I believe that's an accomplishment you can take pride in."

Rainbow blushed and looked away from Dawn. Coming from a colt who'd studied the martial arts much more deeply than Rainbow ever had, that was quite the compliment indeed. "Thanks kiddo."

A crackling and sparking noise, accompanied by a violet flash called Rainbow's attention to the one pony who hadn't come over to talk to her. Twilight Sparkle stood resolutely before the Palace gates, the entirety of her attention focused on the task at hoof. Her horn sparked and shimmered and faint flares of her magic blossomed amongst the thorny vines of unnatural material that crossed in front of the gates.

"How's it going?" asked Rainbow.

"I honestly couldn't tell you," said Rarity with a shrug, "She hasn't said a word since she started. I don't think the fact a small war started above us even made her blink."

"She's really working hard," added Fluttershy softly.

Seeing the sweat matting Twilight's coat, Rainbow had to agree with Twilight's assessment. "So...how much longer is this gonna take?"

"As I said, we have no i-" Rarity's voice was cut off by a creaking groan from the Palace gates, accompanied by an unearthly jingle that made their bones rattle. Twilight's magical aura, looking a little more pale, sickly almost, seemed to merge with the vines and twist. Abruptly, the vines crossing over the center of the gates began to twist in on themselves, their forms running like paint that had been splashed with water and swirling around a drain. The effect spread until it affected the vines over the entirety of the gates, all of them swirling in towards the center and disappearing at a single point. Finally, they were gone. Twilight's magic, its normal color now, pressed up against the gates and pushed them inwards, revealing the way inside the Palace.

"Ah guess she's done now," said Applejack flatly.

Relaxing, Twilight sighed in relief and wiped her brow before turning to regard her friends. "I'm sorry that took so long. The materials those vines were made out of was harder to figure out than I thought." She paused, taking in Rainbow's exhausted state, "What in Equestria happened to you?"

Giving Twilight a deadpan stare, Rainbow simply pointed a hoof up at the battle that was still raging overhead.

"Oh..." said Twilight, grinning sheepishly and rubbing the back of her head.

"Well, there ain't anythin' to be gained by settin' here and coolin' our hooves," said Applejack, hoisting Rainbow Dash onto her back with only a faint sound of protest from the tired pegasus, "Let's get this thing done so we can scamper on home."

"Quite," agreed Rarity with a nod, a gesture Pinkie and Fluttershy emulated, the former with an uncharacteristically serious look on her face.

"Wait!" said Dawn, holding up a hoof, his body tensing. He could sense something from within the Palace, something familiar. Now that he could use his wind-sense to expand his awareness into the Palace itself, he could feel the faint traces of another pony up ahead.

"What is it?" asked Fluttershy, looking at her son in confusion.

"There's-" Dawn's mouth clamped shut and the others joined him, yelling in pain, desperately covering their ears as a piercing buzz washed over them and everyponny in their vicinity.

"What the hay?" snapped Rainbow, less affected than the others, thanks to the earplugs she was wearing. Despite that, she could still feel the buzz rattling the all the bones in her body. She knew this sound all too well. Only Flash Spark could do this, but the sound was much more intense than it usually was. She looked in the direction that Flash Spark had been knocked and her eyes widened. There he was, speeding in on the attack.

His movements were different though. Flash Spark's flight was erratic, looping and turning back on itself on several occasions, reminding Rainbow of an actual insect. As he got closer, she was able to notice a few details about him that were different than before. Her attack had done more than simply break off his horn. It had stripped off the armor around his face. However, unlike the armor of the trapped ponies that formed the bulk of Wight Shade's defense force, Flash Spark's armor had either bonded with or replaced his skin. As a consequence, the left side of his face looked completely burned away. Even from this distance, she could clearly see his one exposed eye, which had previously been hidden behind a compound lens, rolling in it socket without any lids. Whatever flesh had been beneath his cheek and jaw had been stripped away, leaving stark, white bone. The hideous sight made Rainbow want to heave.

Flash Spark's exposed eye finally fixed on her, which made a terrified shudder run down Rainbow's spine. "RAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIINBOOOOOOOW!!!" His voice was a hoarse scream as he bore down on her. As he did, the buzzing of his wings rose sharply in pitch as he plunged through the outer fringes of the aerial battle still taking place. Light gathered around both his wings. However, rather than two sonic lances aiming for her, Flash Spark's wings seemed to burst with lances of yellow light in all directions, swinging about erratically and cutting through anything in their path. At least one pony of the Royal Guard wasn't quick enough at getting out of the way and went tumbling away, streaming blood and nursing an amputated foreleg.

"Get inside!" said Dawn, tensing and spreading his wings, preparing to launch himself upwards to meet Flash Spark.

"Dawn!" exclaimed Fluttershy, reaching for her son.

Before Dawn could even leave the ground, a blue and gold streak, wreathed by orange and yellow flames cut across Flash Spark's path. Spitfire whipped around and punched with her right forehoof, catching the unarmored section of Flash Spark's face with a punch that exploded, drawing an agonized scream from the twisted former pegasus and knocking him away.

"Go!" shouted Spitfire, "Dawn, go with them!"

Dawn hesitated, but Fluttershy gently brushed her wing over his back, which seemed to be all the prompting that Dawn needed to join them. Keeping next to his mother, he joined Twilight and the others as they rushed inside. Following behind them came what remained of the Royal Guard's ground forces. Most of the unicorns were occupied either catching the falling ponies knocked out of the sky by Firefly, or as medics attending the wounded. The majority of the ponies following behind Twilight's group were earth ponies. As they streamed through the gate, two squads took up a guard position in the rear, making sure that nopony or nothing followed them through the gates.

Twilight and her group, charging headlong into the Palace interior, barely made it halfway through the entry hall before the figure of a pony dropped down from above to land soundlessly on the red carpet that ran down the middle of the entryway.

"Hello," said Perlin Bluestreak with a polite smile as he half-spread his grayish-blue wings, the light from above glinting off their faintly metallic-looking surfaces, "I've been asked to keep you from going any farther. I suggest you stop right there."

"I thought you were planning to renegotiate the terms of your contract," observed Dawn as he stepped to the front of the group, his own wings spreading slightly.

"I planned on it," said Perlin, "But, as it turns out, my contract is nearly at its end in any case. I decided to simply see things through to their logical conclusion."

"Even if it means the end of the world?" asked Dawn, "Even when it could result in Coco's death?"

Perlin flinched visibly, his wings faltering. Then Dawn was directly in front of him, scant inches away, his wings blurring as he launched the Forward Wing Strike from point-blank range, slamming Perlin with a powerful burst of compressed air that tore up the carpet and ground the marble tiles beneath it into dust. Perlin barely managed to interpose his wings between himself and the attack in time. Dawn had adjusted his aim slightly so that the attack was aimed upwards at an angle, taking advantage of his shorter stature to get Perlin off the floor and out of the way.

"Go!" shouted Dawn, "I'll hold him here!"

Twilight and her friends, joined by Arkenstone, sprinted on ahead, their hearts pounding as they passed beneath Perlin. Dawn was already shooting up to meet the young stallion head on. Behind the girls and the Knight, the ponies of the Royal Guard surged forward to join them, but were brought up short when Perlin swung one wing. The feathers of his wing seemed to detach, then vanish into thin air. Dawn felt those same, barely perceptible, seams that the feathers cut into the air itself before vanishing into them. Immediately, he spread out his awareness, looking for the feathers' exit points. He expected at least some of them to appear in his immediate vicinity. But instead, all of the feathers emerged in the air directly above the floor, right in front of where the Royal Guards were heading. Moving faster than the eye could track, those feathers sliced deep gouges in the marble floor, throwing up chunks of stone and strips of carpet before withdrawing back through the seams they arrived through and returning to Perlin's wing.

"Sorry," said Perlin, with no hint of an actual apology in his tone, "But it's bad enough that I let those seven through. My employer has always been flexible with my actions, but I think having those girls stumble in to interrupt him would be bad enough. Even a pony as gracious as he is would probably have my hide if I let the Royal Guard burst in on him."

I wonder if that's really the case, thought Dawn, his eyes narrowing. He was no expert on deceit, but he could tell that there was something off about what Perlin had both said and done. After all, if he could send his feathers to any point without having to move them through the intervening space, then why not have them emerge in front of Twilight and the others and cut them off as well? It either spoke to limitations in Perlin's abilities that Dawn was unaware of...which, given the rather unknown scope of the capabilities of Perlin's wings was well within the realm of possibility, or Perlin had opted not to stop Twilight and the others and let them through. The question regarding the latter was...why?

Still, such questions were a secondary concern. Dawn would have to trust Arkenstone to look after Twilight, Fluttershy, and the rest of the girls. Right now, it would take all of Dawn's attention, dedication, and skill to fight Perlin, who now sported wings formed from Dark Matter. Dawn was sure that the abilities that Perlin had already shown with those wings was merely the beginning of what they were capable of. Certainly, they were most likely even more durable than the mithril wings he had sported before, given how easily Perlin had used them to deflect Flash Spark's sonic lances the previous night. Assuming it could be done at all, it would take the highest level of Dawn's skill to break through Perlin's defense.

Steeling himself, Dawn prepared for what was likely to be the most difficult fight of his life.

"What happened?" asked Twilight, her head beginning to turn as she risked a glance back.

"Keep going," said Arkenstone firmly, "Perlin cut off the Royal Guard. I think we're on our own for the time being."

Glancing sideways at her friend, Pinkie did her best to give Fluttershy an encouraging grin. "It'll be okay," she said, "I'm sure Dawn will be okay. Perlin's not a bad pony...well...he is a bad pony...but he's not a bad bad pony."

"What in tarnation are ya talkin' 'bout?" asked Applejack, raising an eyebrow and giving Pinkie a dubious look.

"I think I get what she's talking about," said Rainbow, her voice wavering a little as Applejack's gallop jostled her slightly, "I mean...Perlin's...crazy...there's no two ways about it. But he's never really given me a bad feeling like some of the really bad ponies we've dealt with lately."

Rainbow considered herself rather experienced in that respect. She recalled the utter hate and loathing that filled her whenever she thought about Meadowlark, the overprivileged mare who had spearheaded the tribalist takeover of Cloudsdale and had gleefully arranged for Rainbow's "execution" over Rainbow defying and attacking her during their school years and for Rainbow's "crime" of siding with earth ponies and unicorns by deciding to live in Ponyville. Meadowlark and the ponies who'd supported her had been the absolute worst scum Rainbow had ever dealt with. Perlin had been their lackey, but had never been invested in their rhetoric. To him, a fight to the death was a game, something for him to indulge in. He didn't seem to mind whether it was his life or his opponent's that was taken in the end. While she couldn't accept the extremes that Perlin took it to, she could understand the competitive spirit that seemed to drive him, a warped variant of her own.

"Well...I can admit that I certainly don't appreciate him, but he's nice enough for a pony as dangerous as he is," said Rarity, thinking back to her encounter with Perlin, when she had inadvertently brought him back to her boutique after running into him in town. Ironically, he had been trying to avoid confrontation at that time, merely passing through Ponyville on his way to Canterlot. Rarity had ended up making him the black coat that had become his trademark to help hide his mithril wings. While Perlin had been quite firm in making sure that she made no attempt to hinder him or summon help, he had also avoided any undue violence, not even threatening her to make him the garment, but merely requesting politely. He had left a strange and unsettling impression, but not an utterly hateful one. Rarity knew that she would much rather have Perlin's business again before she entertained the likes of Camellia, Flaxseed's ex-fillyfriend.

I suppose it must also count for something that Coco seems to have fallen for him, Rarity thought, deciding to keep her mouth shut about that particular detail.

"Thank you," said Fluttershy, the smile on her face equal parts grateful and wry as she noted that, in their attempt to encourage her about Dawn's prospects, they had inadvertently steered the conversation in the direction of Dawn's opponent, "I'm sure that Dawn will be fine."

"He's gotten much stronger since I first met him," said Arkenstone softly, "You aren't wrong to believe in him."

Fluttershy's smile grew a little.

"All right," said Twilight, "Just a little further-urk!" Her voice terminated in a grunt as Arkenstone, who'd been running shoulder-to-shoulder with her, abruptly lurched to the side and shoved Twilight up against the wall. Twilight hit the unyielding stone surface with a pained grunt and an impact she was sure would leave bruises later. She turned her head to scold her coltfriend, but froze when she saw a small, black object falling right where she had been standing.

The small cylinder hit the ground and exploded in a burst of smoke that filled the hallway. In the same instant, Arkenstone's tail lashed and something blurred through the air in front of him. The cloud of smoke split in two, opening up the space in front of them. The blade Arkenstone had wielded cleaved through the marble in front of him and created a gust that moved the smoke cloud down the hallway and away from the group before it could even fully disperse.

As the smoke rolled out of the way, it revealed a black-garbed earth pony, standing just barely off to the side of where Arkenstone's blade had bitten into the floor.

"Phew," said Swift Stride, grinning impishly as he wiped his forehead in mock relief, "Just missed me."

"You!" snarled Arkenstone, stepping forward to interpose himself between Swift and the girls, "What are you doing here?"

"You really have to ask?" said Swift skeptically, "I'm here to kill your fillyfriend. I told you before, she's a threat. Now she's heading right for the center of Morning Star's operation. She might as well be gift-wrapping herself for him." His smile faded and his eyes opened wide enough for his audience to see the icy-blue orbs hidden behind his almost perpetual squint. "Don't you get it? This is what he wants. This is the mother of all traps and you're actually walking her right into it."

"Even if you're right," said Twilight, "The only thing that can stop him is the Elements of Harmony. We've already seen that even Celestia's power can't stop him."

"And you think he'll just sit back and let you use the Elements?" demanded Swift, "You'll never get the chance to use them."

"This is not up for debate," said Arkenstone, his voice emerging as a rumble that everypony felt through their hooves. The stones of the Palace itself seemed to quiver, then grate against each other as Arkenstone inhaled deeply. Abruptly, everypony in the vicinity felt a strange sensation of the world shifting, as though it were tilting in the direction of the beige stallion.

"Either stand aside or I will cut you down," said Arkenstone.

"Not happening," said Swift, his tone of voice just as determined as Arkenstone's was.

"So be it," said Arkenstone.

No more words were exchanged. Instead, his tail lashed again and over a dozen blades seemed to materialize directly in front of him, slashing in all directions, carving up the walls, floor, and ceiling of the hallway as they sliced their way towards Swift Stride. As they slashed, the rubble from the Palace scattered around them was kicked up into the air and also became blades, filling the entire space between Arkenstone and Swift with black and gold as a veritable wall of swords rushed towards Swift, leaving him with no space to slip through.

Swift produced another cylinder and idly tossed it into the air, where it exploded, the shockwave of its release shattering the advancing blades and blowing out the walls on either side. Arkenstone surged forward, the dust thrown up by the explosion swirling around him and merging together to form plates of black armor, more of the dust forming into swords, which launched themselves at Swift with blinding speed.

"Whoops!" exclaimed Swift, falling back from the onslaught. He reached into his sleeve and produced a small orb, which he tossed casually in Arkenstone's direction. Arkenstone didn't even flinch. Instead, one of his blades sliced the orb in half. Something that appeared to be smoke came from each half of the orb, but that was split as well, all of it flowing around Arkenstone without touching his body.

Arkenstone surged forward, his armor completing itself as he advanced on Swift.

Behind them, Twilight watched the exchange with a nervous expression. She didn't like the idea of Arkenstone fighting Swift again, especially considering how Swift had defeated Arkenstone the first time. She shivered and silently begged her coltfriend not to die. She wished she could watch over him, but there was still too much to do.

"We need to move," she said, looking over her shoulder at her friends.

"Um...Darling..." said Rarity, "I'm afraid the path ahead is well and truly blocked.

Twilight smirked at her friend. "It's time to show you one of the benefits of growing up in the Palace. This way!" With that, she turned and led her friends back along the hall a short distance, retracing their steps.

Twilight stopped at a rather unremarkable door, or as unremarkable as a door in the Royal Palace could look at least. Pushing it open, she led the group into a janitor's closet. At the back of the closet was another door, this one leading to a servants' corridor that ran mostly parallel to the ones outside.

Her friends were silent as Twilight led them through. On several occasions, they passed intersections leading to different sections of the Palace. The hallways were well-lit, with lights spaced out every few meters. However, the corridor shared none of the royal aesthetic that the more public sections of the Palace did, being devoid of decorations, leaving nothing but a plain expanse of white stone on all sides, unmarked, save for the lights and the unassuming doors at regular intervals.

"My word," said Rarity, "I had no idea all this was here."

"Princess Celestia showed them to me a long time ago," said Twilight, "This is how the maids, butlers, and other servants get around. Nobles, dignitaries, and the upper crust would get twitchy if they saw ponies carrying cleaning supplies out where anypony could see them. This is so the servants can get their work done quickly and easily."

"Oooh! It's like having a bunch of secret passageways," squealed Pinkie as she hopped along behind Twilight, "Imagine all the surprise parties and pranking you could do."

Her friends could only chuckle, though Twilight had a premonition of the disaster that would someday result from showing the secret network of passageways that ran throughout the Palace to Pinkie Pie. All the same, she continued to lead them down, taking the occasional turn to reach a different hallway until they arrived at a particular door, this one at the very end of the hallway.

"This door opens up into the throne room," said Twilight, lowering her voice to a whisper, "Wight Shade should be expecting an attack from the front, but this door opens up at the back of the room. We can take him by surprise."

Pinkie grinned and opened her mouth wide, but froze before she could utter a sound as her friends all directed angry stares at her. "Right," she whispered sheepishly, "Sorry...but I love surprises."

"Well..." said Rainbow, sliding carefully off of Applejack's back and testing her leg strength, carefully shifting on her hooves, "...let's give that jerk one hay of a surprise to remember us by."

"Darn tootin'," agreed Applejack.

Twilight nodded. Her horn sparkled and the saddlebags she was wearing opened up. Out floated the Elements of Harmony, which she quickly levitated to their respective bearers before setting the golden tiara and its purple starburst jewel onto her head. "Okay...we're all set. Let's do this."

Her horn flared and she launched a telekinetic bolt, blasting the door off its hinges and sending it smashing to the floor. Immediately, she broke into a gallop, charging into the room, rushing past the ruined remains of Celestia's throne and right to the edge of the dais. There was the central focus of the array, hanging from the air beneath the ceiling like a strange stalactite, its form shimmering with myriad colors and patterns. Standing on the floor directly beneath it was Wight Shade, staring calmly at the doors.

Twilight's friends came up to stand next to her, flanking her on either side, their eyes stern and focused upon the stallion in front of them. The Elements began to glow as the group prepared to unleash their power.

Wight blinked and slowly turned around to look at the group, apparently only just realizing they were there. "Oh..." he said, "I wasn't expecting you to come in that way. Silly me."

"Wight Shade," said Twilight in a firm, commanding tone, "This is the end. You've lost."

"Have I now?" asked Wight, smiling and raising an eyebrow, "What do I have to fear from the Elements of Harmony?"

"You're about to find out," said Twilight, her eyes narrowing.

Wight tilted his head, looking slightly bemused. "If you say so. By all means, you are welcome to try." What looked like white pustules flared up on his shoulders before bursting into six wings of white feathers, shining in the light streaming in through the shattered window. The light seemed to enter those feathers before being refracted and exiting in a riot of strange colors that scattered around the room.

The alien sight made Twilight's stomach lurch. However, she swallowed down her nausea and squared her shoulders. This was it. The light from the Elements rose to block out nearly everything else, bursting forth in a swirling rainbow of power that arched above them like a rearing serpent before striking down towards Wight Shade. Wight waited for the attack patiently, his wings unmoving.

The Royal Palace was rocked to its very foundations by the released power, the light of the Elements washing out the throne room in its entirety.

Author's Notes:

I hope Rainbow's version of the Wings of Light was up to snuff. It was a bit tricky to show her using the technique for the first time. Now we enter into the final phases of the story.

Next chapter: The battle rages.

Double Duels

Chapter 31: Double Duels

In the skies above the Royal Palace, the Wonderbolts and the Royal Guard were slowly beginning to corral the armored ponies that Wight had marshaled against them, grouping them together so that Firefly could break the horns that controlled their armor, sending them plummeting down to the ground below, where Shining Armor and the unicorns of the Royal Guard were waiting to catch them.

However, that job was made more difficult by the presence of Flash Spark. The stallion's mind appeared to be completely broken by this point. He screamed madly, spewing a dark-brown ichor from his mouth, his one visible eye rolling violently. A shrill scream rose from his wings constantly and flares of yellow light lashed out wildly in every direction. In its own way, this was even more dangerous than his precise, deadly attacks had been earlier, when he was still under Wight Shade's control. There was no predicting where Flash Spark's sonic lances would strike next or who they would cut into. A couple of Royal Guards had been cut down, along with a half-dozen armored ponies that were supposed to be Flash Spark's allies.

"Dammit!" yelled Spitfire, rushing in and unleashing a flurry of blows, the air in front of her hooves lighting on fire as she struck and pummeled Flash Spark, trying her hardest to concentrate her punches on the left side of his face, where the armor had been stripped away by Rainbow Dash's attack earlier, "Go down already, you bastard!"

Flash Spark's response was to scream. On the right side of his head, where the armor was mostly undamaged, a strip over his mouth peeled away, forming a single, pointed pincer that lashed out at Spitfire's head. She barely managed to duck it. Flash Spark surged forward, striking with pincer, hooves, and occasionally dropping his haunches to lash it her from below with his bladed tail. The ferocity of the wild assault drove Spitfire back.

"Move!"

The sharp order prompted Spitfire to react immediately as she felt somepony taking up a position behind her. Her nerves hummed at the sense of the power emanating from that figure. Taking the first opening she saw, Spitfire dodged to the side, wincing as the barbed edges of the stinger at the tip of Flash Spark's tail scraped against her mithril flight suit.

Behind where Spitfire had been was Firefly. The instant Spitfire was out of the way Firefly snapped her wings out to their full spread. They blazed brilliantly, transforming into shining constructs of light hovering just off to either side of Firefly's body. The sight immediately drew Flash Spark's attention and his fight with Spitfire was completely forgotten. With a wordless scream, he lunged forward, the sound coming out of his throat eclipsed by the shrieking of his wings as still more sonic lances speared out from them, many of them slicing straight for Firefly.

However, she wasn't there anymore. In fact, she surged forward, becoming a streak of light and closing right in to within inches of Flash Spark's face, her eyes meeting his, her glare piercing through the haze of madness that had completely enshrouded Flash Spark's mind. The one realization that finally made its way through was clear an concise. I'm going to die.

"You're an eyesore," said Firefly coldly.

She twisted her body so that she was now sideways, her wings pointing straight up and down. The wing on the top began to shine all the more brilliantly, its feathers merging together until it was nothing more than a single crescent of blazing light. Firefly charged forward, slashing with her topside wing as she did so. The curved blade of light cleaved straight through Flash Spark's armor, carving through the flesh beneath it and splitting the stallion from snout to rump as Firefly shot past beneath him.

"Got lost," she snarled, glaring back as the two halves of Flash Spark's body fell away from each other. No blood emerged from either side of his body. Instead, she could see the layout of his muscles and organs as clearly as if she were staring at an anatomy sculpture in a doctor's office. Slowly at first, cracks began to spread across both halves of his body. Then pieces broke off. Bit by bit, what remained of the stallion once known as Flash Spark crumbled away into nothingness.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish," said Firefly with a dismissive grunt. Turning, she regarded the remaining attackers with steely eyes. "Everypony stand back!" she shouted, "I'm putting an end to this now."

Down below, Shining Armor and his unicorns tensed, waiting as the armored ponies, with their protection flaking off and their horns shattered, began to fall like spring rain.

Everyone's attention was on the sky and the spectacle taking place there that they completely failed to notice a single young earth pony mare quietly slip through the Palace courtyard, deftly dodging the eyes of the Royal Guard, who were on alert for attack from above. Coco Pommel even managed to slip past the ponies standing guard at the Palace gates.

She shouldn't even be here; that much was clear to Coco. She had no place in all of this madness. By all rights, she should be back in Ponyville, minding the Carousel Boutique and waiting for Rarity's return. But she couldn't just stay there. Even if it wasn't her place, here in Canterlot was where she needed to be.

Because he's here, she thought grimly. She understood well enough just who Perlin Bluestreak served. She knew she could find him. To that end, when Shining Armor and his detachment of the Royal Guard had reached Ponyville, she'd stowed away on their train whilst they frantically moved the engine and the caboose around in order to get it ready to head back to Canterlot straight away. Between all the hubbub caused by the sun's delayed rising and the urgency of their mission, Shining and his ponies hadn't even bothered to check the train cars over and Coco had gotten to Canterlot without being seen.

Quietly, she crept up to the doors and peered inside, wondering how hard she would have to search before she found the young stallion she was looking for.

The answer, it turned out, was not very hard at all. Perlin and Dawn battled fiercely in the main entryway, with the bulk of the Royal Guard unable to advance until Perlin was taken care of. Coco watched the two fighters dance through the air with breathtaking grace and speed. Dawn's movements were sharp and sudden. He would be in one position one second, then another the next, often moving so quickly that he seemed to vanish and reappear, or even occupy two places at once. Perlin wasn't as speedy in overall movement. But his wings were blurs as he fended off powerful blasts of compressed air that shattered stone, crushing it down into powder.

Dawn switched to his deadliest move, slashing the feathers of his wings through the air like knives, sending crescent shaped waves whistling towards Perlin. The vacuum blades of the Gale King were far sharper than any material blade. Even Perlin's previous pair of mithril wings had been powerless against them. However, the Dark Matter of Perlin's new set of wings blocked those blades just as easily as they had everything else.

I thought as much, thought Dawn. He lashed out with an arc of crackling electricity that stretched out from his outermost primary like a whip. Perlin swept out his own wing and batted it away just as effortlessly as he had everything else.

Now it was Perlin's turn to attack. The feathers of one wing detached as Perlin swung the appendage. The feathers vanished through seams in the air that appeared around Dawn, causing a single attack to become several that came at the ebony colt from all directions.

Dawn could feel the seams form in the air and sensed the feathers before they even arrived. He frowned as he danced and twisted, spinning his body about to escape over a dozen slashes from every direction. In a sense, Perlin's original set of mithril wings had been more dangerous. The wired feathers Perlin had commanded with those wings had been so thin and sharp that they cut through the air without the slightest disturbance, even as they were so swift as to be nearly invisible to the naked eye. As a consequence, those feathers had been all but invisible to Dawn's wind-sense. He'd been forced to learn to read Perlin's movements and how the young stallion controlled the feathers through those.

In contrast, the wings of Dark Matter had the capacity to move freely through space, the change in orientation allowing them to attack from a bewildering number of angles without having to travel through the intervening space between Perlin and his opponent. But the seams in the air that Perlin sent his feathers through were detectable through Dawn's wind-sense, allowing him to anticipate their attacks. Furthermore, Dawn noticed that the timing and arcs of the feathers' motion was tied to the movement of Perlin's wing, even when they were detached. For all that the improved durability of his wings seemed like an impressive tradeoff, Dawn couldn't quite shake the feeling that Perlin's previous set of wings had been more formidable weapons overall.

Of course, he thought, it could be that he hasn't fully mastered or explored their capabilities yet. Given how little time he's had them, that's a strong possibility. If that was the case, then Dawn figured he had the advantage. If Perlin was still struggling to master an unfamiliar weapon, then he couldn't fight at his full strength. The only thing left then, was to find a way to get past the Dark Matter and strike at Perlin directly.

There's only one technique that will work, thought Dawn, pursing his lips. He'd managed it in his fights with Flash Spark, but he couldn't claim that he'd fully mastered the technique. It was still too new and unfamiliar that Dawn couldn't quite do it at will, only with considerable preparation of his self could he properly unleash that powerfully destructive, white wind.

The corners of Dawn's lips curled up in a small smile. I guess we stand on more equal ground than I first thought.

"You seem pleased by something," observed Perlin in a cheerful tone as he charged in close, swinging his wing at Dawn. Dawn felt the feathers harden and sharpen as Perlin swung them. He also sensed the feathers detach from the opposite wing as Perlin swung it around back as a counterweight to his attack. The seams in the air appeared behind Dawn's neck. Ideally, he would be caught between pulling his head back to avoid having his throat slip and ducking down avoid having the detached feathers cut through his spinal cord. However, Dawn relaxed his body and, with circling movements of his wings, flowed almost like liquid from between the strikes before reversing direction and charging in. One wing blurred and he launched a concussive blast of air, aiming straight for Perlin's chest.

More seams in the air appeared between Dawn and Perlin, these ones arranged so that the detached feathers emerged in a circular formation, like the spokes of a wheel, the quills pointing inwards, forming a shield between Perlin and Dawn's attack. The blast scattered and the recoil forced Dawn away. As he stopped his backward motion, Dawn answered Perlin's remark. "I just felt that the circumstances of this battle are quite appropriate for the two of us," he said, "I think we are both feeling our limitations and lack of experience."

Now Perlin smiled as well. "When you put it that way, that is quite appropriate," he said with a chuckle, "Shall we explore our limitations then and try to make up the gaps of our experience?"

"I suppose we must," said Dawn with a shrug.

Perlin's smile widened and his eyes narrowed. "I remember telling you once that fighting was different from any other form of competition. The winner devours the loser. In battle, it is eat or be eaten. That said..." His wings flared out, feathers detaching themselves once again. "...do not disappoint me."

"I have no wish to disappoint you," replied Dawn blithely as he spread out his own wings, relaxing his mind and body and letting conscious thought fade away. As he did, he let his awareness bleed out fully into the air around him. Shimmering white began to gather along the tips of his feathers as Dawn's magic charged the air around him with electricity, even as he molded it into something that seemed solid.

Perlin charged in. All the feathers of his right wing detached and slipped away into seams in the air. Instead of coming at Dawn from different directions, they instead emerged by Perlin's left wing, seeming to join with the feathers of that wing until it was now nearly double its own size. As Perlin swung it, the feathers of his wing seemed to shine, drawing light from the air around them, making it dark by comparison.

Perlin's shimmering wing met the hammer-blow of white, shining wind that Dawn fired, the two attacks colliding to release a shockwave of pure white that washed across the Palace entryway and blow everypony watching them off their hooves.

On the periphery of his awareness, Arkenstone could sense the vibrations caused by Dawn's battle with Perlin. However, Arkenstone was preoccupied with his own fight at the moment. He surged forward, swords shaped by his magic passing through the dust in the air around him slashing ahead of him at the elusive opponent, who always seemed to dance out of their way at just the right moment.

Swift Stride was a conundrum. One moment, he moved as though his body weighed nothing at all, sometimes skipping off the air itself to change direction to avoid an attack. At other times, he fell to the floor as though he might have weighed tons. Yet his hooves barely even clicked whenever they hit the marble tiles.

I thought that was the case, thought Arkenstone, His control is perfect. He seems wild and uncoordinated. But the truth is that there isn't an iota of wasted energy.

Every once and a while, in the midst of one of his dodges, Swift would occasionally seem to produce small cylinders or spheres. Sometimes, he would gently lob them in Arkenstone's direction. At others, he would hurl them like bullets. Not taking any chances, Arkenstone cut them all down. Some exploded. Others flooded the corridor with gas. Others scattered powder or strange liquids about. Arkenstone cut through all of them, the perfect motion of his slashes splitting the contents within the bombs along with their housing. After losing so quickly and utterly to Swift in their last fight, Arkenstone was not going to allow a single particle of any of the compounds Swift carried to make contact with him.

All told, the battle was going well. Arkenstone had lasted much longer than he had during their previous fight. He hadn't been taken off guard by a single one of Swift's array of poisions, acids, and explosives...

...Now if only Swift would just shut up.

"You're letting her play right into his hooves," said Swift, his infuriating grin not faltering in the slightest as he made his despicable pronouncement, "The only way to ensure that he doesn't use her to complete his work is to kill her."

Arkenstone snorted and lunged forward, wrapping his fetlock around the handle of one of his blades. The other blades in the air merged with it, forming a gigantic sword. In the hallway, there should have been no room to swing it, but Arkenstone swung it anyway, cleaving through the walls on either side of him, sending fragments of stone and more dust hurtling through the air. As they did so, his power crackled and flowed through them, transforming them into blades.

Swift danced and dodged, the trailing ends of his white sash moved like they were additional limbs, swatting at the flats of blades, knocking them aside so that they bit into the walls, floor, or ceiling. However, that only seemed to make Swift's situation worse as the chunks of marble knocked loose became swords in their own right. Arkenstone's power infected everything that it touched, transforming it into a blade. Even as Swift Stride dodged the blades coming at him through the air, he was beset by the inescapable sense that the Palace around him was becoming a single mass of blades for Arkenstone to command against him.

Knight of the Dancing Blades indeed, thought Swift wryly, Though I suppose this is an appropriate skill for one who also carries the moniker of the Relentless as well. Even if his individual attacks amount to nothing, his power spreads until the entire battlefield is his blade and there is no escaping its strike. Despite this, Swift's smile didn't falter as he evaded yet more blades carving through the air at him. Despite the sheer volume of razor-edged death that Arkenstone was swinging at him, Swift had yet to suffer a single scratch.

Cartwheeling away from yet another series of strikes that carved up the floor and walls, Swift tossed out another black cylinder. Arkenstone's blade sliced into it and the transparent liquid splattered all across the floor. Let's see how he handles a mobility denial attack, thought Swift, That solution has an extremely low friction coefficient. It's more slippery than ice. If he could undermine Arkenstone's stance, the source of an earth pony's power, he could disrupt Arkenstone's attack. Even if Arkenstone refused to fall for the trick and stopped his advance, Swift would still have disrupted his momentum and been able to shift to take a more offensive approach.

To his surprise, Arkenstone stepped forward, stepping straight down without the slightest sign of hesitation, though his sharp ears were certain to have picked up the sound of the liquid spreading in front of him. However, as Arkenstone's hoof came down, the liquid underneath seemed to skitter away from it, as though it possessed a mind of its own and was terrified of the approaching stallion. Arkenstone's armored hoof slammed into the marble floor with enough force to leave an imprint in it and send cracks spreading from the point of impact. The force also drove back the liquid in front of him, forcing it to flow away from him.

"Impressive," said Swift out loud, his smile vanishing for the first time and his eyes widening enough to reveal their ice-blue irises, "Even if you never fully traveled down the path of the mountain root, you learned the basics well enough."

"Stand firm and root yourself upon the earth and all that would impede you shall be as the dust," recited Arkenstone, as though recalling a memory from very long ago.

"Very true," agreed Swift, "At this rate, it looks as though my tricks are useless. You aren't listening to a thing I say. I guess it's time for my last resort, the best trick, the best lie I have."

"Your deceptions will no longer work on me," said Arkenstone calmly, "There is no lie you can tell that I will fall for."

"That depends," replied Swift, "Sometimes, a pony doesn't have to fall for a lie for it to serve its purpose."

Those words actually gave Arkenstone pause. His blades hesitated for the slightest fraction of a second as he considered Swift's words and wondered what he meant by them. That hesitation was all the time that Swift needed. The black-garbed stallion landed on all four hooves and charged at Arkenstone. However, instead of producing another bomb or weapon, Swift simply planted all four hooves solidly upon the earth and leaned forward to slam his shoulder directly into Arkenstone's chest.

The bladed edges of Arkenstone's armor crumbled on contact, not even etching the flesh or so much as slicing the cloth over it. In the space of less than a second, cracks spread across the entire breadth of Arkenstone's armor and it exploded off of him, filling the hallway with shrapnel that tore through the walls, ceiling, and floor as though they were made of paper. With his helm no longer covering his head, Arkenstone's face was revealed, his sightless eyes wide, the featureless white orbs staring at Swift in complete shock.

Swift twitched and vanished, moving backwards rapidly as swords sprouted out from all the surfaces around him, their points and edges piercing through the afterimage he left behind and screeching as they ground against one another. The trailing ends of his sash didn't escape the attack completely and were shredded by the omnidirectional barrage of blades.

Arkenstone stepped through the wall of his own blades, their forms dissolving into dust and swirling around to form his armor once more. "So that's your greatest lie," said Arkenstone grimly, "I feared as much."

"You saw through it already?" mused Swift, raising an eyebrow.

"It is said that the true indicator of mastery is the ability to do great things in small ways," said Arkenstone, "You move as though you have complete control over your body's density and specific gravity, which is amongst the highest tier skills of the Mountain Root. Yet you can do it with such grace and ease that it is barely noticeable. Even Terra Heart couldn't manage such delicate control."

"That's because Terra Heart was a boneheaded brute," replied Swift, his grin returning, "His only concern about the Mountain Root was how he could use it to smash things he didn't like. He got very good at the smashing, but he really was little more than a novice."

"Whereas you are a true master," observed Arkenstone, "easily on par with Granny Smith in her prime...if not better."

"I'm flattered," said Swift with a chuckle.

It made sense to Arkenstone. Swift's endless emphasis on his skill and ability as a liar, his projection of his identity as a liar, his reliance on gadgets, the hidden weapons, and the dirty tricks; all of it served as a veil for his true strength, his complete mastery of the Mountain Root. It seemed he truly was the strongest of the seven Knights of the Celestial Order.

As Arkenstone moved to form new blades and attack...he paused. No...It's true that he's a master of the Mountain Root, perhaps even a greater master than Granny Smith. But he still has his weapons. It's not that he dispensed with them to utilize his true strength, it's that he still has them to use in conjunction with that strength. Arkenstone shivered at the realization that ran through him. Between his strength and all the tools at his disposal, his options for both attack and defense are virtually infinite.

Indeed, rather than dispensing with his persona as a liar, Swift Stride instead enhanced that persona with the revelation of his true strength. If Arkenstone allowed himself to get wrapped up in a straightforward battle of strength, Swift would use the opening to attack with one of the cunning devices he had at his disposal. There was no telling how many he had left or if he had some means of retrieving more if he ran out. There was no telling what form those attacks would take, what Arkenstone would have to defend against.

Though nothing about Swift Stride had actually changed, to Arkenstone's senses, he seemed even more monstrously powerful than before. In Arkenstone's own mind, he felt as though he could perceive the true form of Swift's power, which hovered all around him in the form of an all-encompassing mask that hid infinite possibilities behind its unflinching exterior. Powerful martial artists possessed what was referred to as a Raiment, the act of cloaking oneself in one's own power and unleashing their full strength. Arkenstone's was his armor. Spitfire's was her ultimate fighting form, merged with her phoenix companion. Firefly's was unleashing her Wings of Light so that they lit up the whole sky. Swift Stride too possessed a Raiment. However, his was not visible in the form that the others' were. Instead, it seemed that it was born and given form by the uncertainties within the minds of his opponents.

Arkenstone took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as his blades oriented on Swift Stride. He would have to pierce through that mask of uncertainty and strike the pony beneath. He was up against opponent who wielded doubt and confusion as shield and sword, wielding both with peerless mastery.

Swift noticed Arkenstone's hesitation and his grin faded into a gentler smile. It looks as though he's got it figured out, he thought, He's not so foolish as to fall for my biggest trick that easily. He understands what he's really up against. He might win this yet.

From the ceiling, a single fragment of shattered marble dropped to the floor. It landed with a tiny click. However, that minuscule sound was enough to serve as the signal for the two combatants. Their bodies blurred and surged towards each other. They met with a crash that made the entire Palace shake and quiver. What remained of the walls, ceiling, and floor all shattered and the two of them plunged downward into the Palace's depths and the Crystal Caverns below, their blows shaking the entire mountain.

The collision of their respective attacks knocked Perlin and Dawn away from each other. Dawn flipped over backward and kicked out with his hooves, using the motion to halt and reverse his movement, sending him surging directly at Perlin again before he could recover. Perlin looked up to see Dawn almost directly on top of him, the edge of one wing shining white with a blade of charged air and vacuum, an attack that defied all logic, aimed straight for Perlin's head.

Rather than try to meet his attack, Perlin swung one wing backwards and tumbled back in the same motion, falling into a seam he had cut through the air. A second seam opened directly above and behind Dawn and Perlin tumbled back out, still facing the same way he had been when he'd gone in, but swinging one wing behind him in the same motion that had cut open the seam in the first place. The other wing was already devoid of feathers, which emerged in the space all around Dawn, hemming him in from every direction.

Dawn swept one wing around in a broad arc, twisting to put the force of his entire body behind the motion. The feathers were scattered and Perlin sent tumbling as a white tornado filled the space, its top punching up through the roof of the Palace entryway, even as its base ripped through the carpet and marble below. The staunch Royal Guards, who had been waiting for the chance to try and slip by Perlin instead found themselves scattered.

Coco shrieked and clung tightly to one of the open doors, the winds threatening to send her flying.

Perlin slammed into a wall, managing to interpose his wing between him and the solid stone. The wall cracked and shattered from the force of his impact. Bracing his hooves against it, Perlin pushed off of the wall and shot straight towards Dawn, who became visible once again as the winds dissipated. As Perlin charged in, several feathers seemed to stream off of both his wings, vanishing into the space behind him. He closed in with Dawn, thrusting forward with both wings, pointing his leading primaries like spears at Dawn's body.

Dawn's body almost seemed to merge with the air itself as the ebony colt flowed almost effortlessly around Perlin's attack, easily slipping past the thrust of Perlin's wings and emerging off to one side, one wing already raised to strike. However, Dawn was instead forced to dodge sharply out of the way as the feathers that had disappeared in Perlin's wake emerged from the space directly behind Dawn, launching out of thin air like darts. Dawn avoided them and the feathers narrowly missed cutting into Perlin's own body.

Dawn's dodge took him up above Perlin, who was already moving into his next attack. Rolling his body, Perlin swept one wing up in an arcing cut, aiming at splitting Dawn in two. He had to angle his body to avoid being cut by the detached feathers he had launched, but Perlin managed that without any difficulty. As he swung the wing, it once again seemed to leech the light out of the space around it, leaving a trail of darkness as it moved. The feathers gleamed with the captured light and seemed to elongate.

The air beneath Dawn's upraised wing also glowed, crackling with electricity as Dawn molded and concentrated its power. Twisting his wing, he set the white wind to spinning before thrusting down at Perlin's attacking wing, unleashing a pointed lance of whirling power that met Perlin's attack with matchless fury. The two blows collided and yet another shockwave exploded outward, throwing the two fighters away from each other yet again.

Down below, Coco Pommel whimpered as she pressed her body down to the floor. It was like being caught in a massive wild storm. Every exchange of blows sent powerful wind surging through the entryway. Glass scattered and jagged fragments of stone buzzed through the air like wasps. Thunder cracked and roared, deafening in this confined space. Several times already, she had been knocked off her hooves and fallen hard. It was all Coco could do to keep from fainting from fear. The last time she had experienced a feeling like this was back in Manehattan, when a rogue hurricane had blown over the city. The fighting between these two colts-No!-these two young stallions was like being at the center of a natural disaster. It was a miracle that the walls were still standing after they clashed with one another.

Forcing her eyes open, Coco had to fight through the tears that welled up as a consequence of the powerful winds washing over her face. Her vision blurring, she tried to get a fix on the reason she had come here. Perlin was there, once again struggling to right himself after being sent tumbling by his last exchange with Dawn. He swept his head around, fixing his eyes on his target, completely failing to notice Coco's presence down below, all of his attention focused on a single pony. As he did so, even with her hampered vision, it was impossible for Coco to miss the wild grin that graced Perlin's face. It was an expression she'd seen him wear before, when he'd been tearing through a small army of mares-at-arms like they were so much tissue paper.

He's happy, she realized. Part of her was frightened, but another part of her was relieved. However much she had come to believe otherwise, part of Coco had always been afraid that Perlin derived pleasure from the act of killing, that he'd smiled so broadly back then because he was enjoying the act of ending all those lives. But now, it was here, plain as day. What Perlin relished was not the act of killing, but the fight, a battle he could stake his life on. He was up against an opponent he couldn't cut down with the greatest of ease and that fact thrilled him.

Moving carefully, afraid she might end up getting tossed about again if she let down her guard, Coco looked around for Perlin's opponent. Like Perlin, Dawn was trying to recover his stability after their last clash. When she saw it, Coco was amazed at the almost vacant look on Dawn's face. It almost seemed as though he wasn't thinking of anything at all. Instead, he looked almost impassively at Perlin, as though their fight didn't matter at all. However, the faint upward turn on the corners of Dawn's mouth told a different story. He's enjoying this too.

Up above, Perlin and Dawn hurtled at one another again. Dawn's mind was almost completely blank. His body moved as though it had a mind of its own, reacting automatically to Perlin's attacks and counterattacking without the slightest hesitation. Instead, Dawn's consciousness was consumed with the act of imagining, projecting the whole of his will into every strike, every move he made, creating an image in his mind and then applying that image to what he created with his power.

Concussive blasts of compressed air turned pure white, becoming shining columns that lanced out and pulverized whatever was in front of them. Whirling tornados stabbed out like spears, their swirling forms blazing with light. Shining crescent-shaped blades cleaved through any impediment. As his consciousness faded, the boundaries between the distinct techniques of the Gale King crumbled way, leaving behind only a shining wind that served as a pure extension of his will.

Perlin's situation was little different. The more this battle dragged on, the more enraptured he became. His wings glowed. At the same time, the space in their vicinity seemed to darken, as though their luminance was drawn from the ambient light around them. When he attacked or defended, that light merged with the Dark Matter of his feathers to transform their quality into something between matter and energy. He hadn't even been aware that his new wings had this quality. Instead, it was something that emerged as he pushed himself to his limits, not even thinking, but instead moving as he felt he needed to in response to Dawn's attacks.

Their wings becoming blurs, the two of them exchanged over a dozen blows in the space of a second before passing by one another. Dawn, still facing away from Perlin, sent his body into a tight roll, pulling in the air around him and setting it to spinning in a large whirlwind. He bucked out with his hind legs, using his forelegs to brace against the air in front of him. The buck turned that mass of whirling air into a powerful tornado that rushed straight at Perlin, who was turning around to come at Dawn again.

Several of Perlin's secondaries detached from both his wings, disappearing into the seams they cut in the air before reemerging in front of Perlin's body, arrayed like the spokes of a pair of wheels, spinning in opposite directions. They hovered between Perlin and the incoming tornado like a pair of shields, a nimbus of darkness forming around them as the feathers themselves glowed. The first spinning formation scattered as Dawn's tornado slammed into it. However, the second formation successfully stopped Dawn's attack and dispersed it, the feathers of that second wheel scattering as well.

Perlin looked up as the winds dispersed and found his face mere inches away from Dawn's. Dawn had actually allowed himself to be drawn into his own tornado and had ridden the currents of air he'd created to close in on Perlin without him realizing it. Even more importantly, Dawn had used the act of riding the tornado to increase the speed his body was moving at, accelerating as he made his approach. Now that he was this close in, he let all of that motion flow into his wing, turning it into an ebony blur as he swung it in a sweeping arc at Perlin's body. The air he drove in front of it crackled and began to shine white, thundering at Perlin's unguarded flank like a massive hammer.

Perlin's eyes widened as the attack approached. His wing was out of position to block the strike. Not even thinking, he reacted automatically, thrusting his entire wing through the spatial rift his Dark Matter created. The wing bent sharply, seeming to refract like light through a prism, as it emerged to interpose itself in the path of Dawn's strike. Dawn's blow struck the wing with an explosive roar that made the entire Palace shudder. Perlin's feathers bent slightly, then shattered as though they were made of glass, his primaries disintegrating along with many of his coverts. The blow translated itself back through the rift Perlin's wing had cut and Perlin's body was knocked back by the recoil, his wing withdrawing back to its original position and orientation.

Not even thinking, Perlin swept out his opposite wing and cut open another rift, this one swallowing his entire body. He reappeared on Dawn's opposite side and slightly behind the colt, already using the momentum of his own tumble to add to the speed of his strike as he swept his wing at Dawn's spine. The remaining feathers of his damaged wing had already detached and emerged both above and below the plane of his undamaged wing's strike, forming a sequence of three slashes that carved through the air like a set of claws.

Dawn's eyes didn't even register the abrupt change in Perlin's position. Instead he allowed the force of his previous blow to carry his body into a full rotation that spun him in place. As he did, he whirled his opposite wing in a broad, circular motion, drawing the air in around it and charging it, forming it into a white shield between him and Perlin's attack. Perlin's feathers bit into the shield, which held for a brief instant before they managed to carve their way through. However, Dawn used the pause his shield had given him to skip away, out of the attack's range. As he did so, he turned his body again, using his other wing to launch another pillar of white wind at Perlin, who folded his wings in front of him, the feathers once again glowing as they drew in the light around them. They met Dawn's attack with a thundering crash and Perlin was sent tumbling yet again.

Down below, just as Coco was sure that the cacophony above her was about to make her eardrums burst, the level of the noise dropped abruptly, as though the battle had suddenly moved far away. The winds that whipped and dragged at her body, threatening to tear her off the floor and send her tumbling across the entryway also dissipated. Coco found herself lying in a bubble of peace in the midst of all the chaos that swallowed the battlefield. Looking up, she gaped as she saw a single pink wing hovering protectively over her. Her eyes traced it until she saw the pegasus it was attached to.

Firefly's eyes were fixed on the battle above, but, as though she sensed Coco's gaze, she turned to look down at the young mare, a kind smile playing on her lips. “You’ve got a lot of guts forcing yourself into this, young lady,” she said.

Trembling, Coco managed to force herself to stand up. “Th-thank you.”

“Don’t worry,” said Firefly, lowering the wing she’d been holding over Coco so that it now rested over the younger mare’s back like a comforting blanket, “I can see you’re worried about the fight. Are you worried about a certain young stallion in particular?”

Blushing, Coco nodded.

Firefly raised an eyebrow. “So you’re the one he came to town to visit. He’s an interesting boy, that much is for sure. I can see why, despite the manure he seems to up to his shoulder in, everypony ends up cutting him so much slack.” She directed her gaze back up to the battle. “They make a good pair, those two.”

“Wha-what do you mean?” asked Coco as she followed Firefly’s gaze.

“Perlin has a bit more experience, that much is clear,” said Firefly, “But he and Dawn are really close to each other in ability. Neither of them was half this good last night, when they were fighting against Flash Spark. But now that they’re going against each other, the clash is serving to draw out their latent potential.”

Coco blinked. “Is that why they look so happy now?”

Firefly chuckled, the strands of her mane dancing as the shockwave of another attack washed over them. “So you noticed that.”

“I’ve seen Perlin smile like that before,” said Coco, her eyes flicking back and forth as she tried to follow the exchange of blows, “It frightened me before. But I think I understand it better now.”

“I think I get what you mean,” said Firefly, "That's a terrifying face to have in the midst of battle, especially when your opponents are weaker than you are. But against an equal...it's exhilarating."

Coco found herself nodding. Now that Firefly had somehow used her wing to distance the younger mare from the cacophony and turmoil of the battle, she was able to watch it more intently. Both Perlin and Dawn still moved faster than she could ever hope to follow. But she did the best she could. Every once and a while, she caught the exchange of blows, white wind shattering against a glowing wing radiating darkness, feathers emerging out of nowhere to strike without warning that were evaded with ease. As the battle pressed on, Coco noticed something she hadn't realized before. With how hard they were exerting themselves, Dawn and Perlin should have been wearing each other down. However, instead, inexplicably, the two of them were moving faster still.

The cavern rocked and the crystals around Arkenstone and Swift Stride shattered. Had he the attention to spare, Arkenstone would have lamented the destruction of such breathtaking natural beauty. Down here in this cavern were the works of nature, artistry sculpted from millennia, if not aeons of geological and magical processes, all broken in an instant. Unfortunately, Arkenstone did not have the attention to spare on the damage being done to the caverns. The whole of his will was to live out this fight and somehow find victory...however difficult an achievement that would be.

A slam of Arkenstone's armored hoof brought the crystal shards bouncing up from the floor. His magic rushed through them and they transformed into massive swords that lanced out at Swift. Swift twisted his body, the tattered ends of his sash moving as though they were his own limbs, swatting the blades away from him. Swift pulled a small sphere out of his clothes and held it in the curl of his fetlock. Clenching, he cracked the surface of the sphere before whipping it in Arkenstone's direction. The orb broke open as it left Swift's grip, its powdery contents rushing across the space between them.

Arkenstone heard the crack and could even sense the faint disturbance caused by minute particles rushing through the air at high velocity. Reacting instantly, he twisted his body to bring about the interlocking plates of his armor to intercept the powder. It impacted with enough force to make a faint sizzling noise on Arkenstone's armor, reminding him of the fierce sandstorms of Saddle Arabia. Whatever that power had been, Swift had projected it with enough force that the fine particles would penetrate through skin and into the flesh beneath.

Using his turn, Arkenstone lashed out with his tail, the armor extending along its length to form a segmented, bladed whip, similar to the weapons wielded by Flash Spark and the other ponies that had been encased in Wight Shade's Dark Matter. Swift ducked beneath the attack as the tip of the whiplike weapon pierced the space where his head had been only an instant before. Shifting his weight forward, Swift turned his duck into a roll that brought him directly towards Arkenstone. Swift reached his opponent just as his hooves came back under him, allowing him to come out of his roll and push directly off of the ground, adding his roll's momentum and enhancing further it by bracing against the earth, unleashing a powerful upwards strike that threatened to send Arkenstone flying.

His shoulder slammed into Arkenstone's armor, which cracked, then shattered, under the force of the attack. However, Swift felt nothing behind that armor, no flesh or bone, nothing to be knocked away. He immediately realized what had happened. Arkenstone had shed his armor and stepped away from the line of attack, leaving it behind like an empty shell. His movement carried him into the space the armor had occupied, leaving him surrounded with the shattered fragments.

Arkenstone was standing a short distance away, his body currently unprotected. However, that was the least of Swift's concern as the fragments of the broken armor that surrounded him dissolved into black dust that whirled about his body like a miniature hurricane, merging back into swords that circled around the black-clad stallion, slicing inward in a circular formation, hemming him in from all directions and threatening to shred him to pieces. The blades moved with the speed and power of Swift's own attack, having absorbed the energy of his blow and now redirecting it towards him.

Something slipped out of the sleeve of Swift's foreleg and he flicked it to one side of him. The bomb exploded, the force of the blast smashing many of the blades, especially on Swift's left side. However, rather than trying to escape through that opening, he rode the force of the explosion, allowing it to send him hurtling through the swords on his right. He didn't even grunt as the edges of a few of the blades cut through his clothing and bit into the flesh beneath it. He accepted the pain and allowed his momentum to carry him clear of the blades before they could cut too deeply into him. Rolling in midair, Swift turned sideways so that he hit the nearby wall with all four of his hooves, pushing off so that he could come flying at Arkenstone like an arrow. A slender, triangular blade emerged from the sleeve of his right foreleg that he leveled at Arkenstone as he approached, aiming for the arteries on the beige stallion's neck.

Black dust converged on the space between Swift and Arkenstone, merging together. Swift's blade glanced off the shield that formed. Swift's first impulse was to continue with the motion, transitioning from a stab to hammering his shoulder into the shield to try and break through it with the Mountain Root's power. His instincts warned him of the danger at the last second and he instead twisted his body wildly, barely managing to yank his haunches out of the way before Arkenstone's shield exploded into a literal wall of blades that threatened to perforate Swift's body. Arkenstone bulled into his own construct, which broke back down into black dust once again to swirl around his body and reform as his armor.

He's gotten better at doing that, mused Swift as he landed and rolled, allowing the roll to carry him away from Arkenstone's armored body. The last time they had fought, there had been a minor, but definite delay in Arkenstone creating his armor that could leave him open to attack. However, it appeared that their last battle had taught Arkenstone to combine attack and defense and transition into forming his armor more quickly, as well as doing a better job at covering the openings that process could create.

Swift also liked the trick Arkenstone had pulled on him with the empty armor. "You're almost starting to think like me," he said wryly, grinning widely.

"The essence of growth is using the experience of your defeat to improve yourself," said Arkenstone as he turned to face Swift once more, "I took what I learned form our last battle and used it to make myself stronger."

"That's good," said Swift, "I might make a decent liar out of you yet."

"I would much rather that you didn't," grumbled Arkenstone, advancing. More blades appeared in the air around him and leapt forward to slash at Swift from a variety of directions. Swift lurched sideways then abruptly twisted so that the action turned into a fall that carried him clear of Arkenstone's blades, hitting the ground and transitioning into a roll so efficiently that his body didn't even make a sound of impact. He came out of the roll and pushed off the floor, leaping into the air in a jump that carried him directly over Arkenstone.

As he did so, Swift left several small containers bouncing in his wake. After a brief delay, they exploded, flooding the air with white mist. Arkenstone extended his forehoof, curling his fetlock around the handle of the sword closest to his body. He moved to swing it, even as the other swords he'd created merged with the one he gripped, transforming it into a much larger blade that he swept downwards. The slash cleaved straight through the mist, parting it to either side of him.

Swift hit the ground behind Arkenstone and bounced into another leap, this one carrying him to one of the few unbroken crystal formations that projected out from the wall. There, he perched daintily, his trademark grin still in place as he leered down at Arkenstone with his icy blue eyes.

"You're not going to hit me with poison or acid that easily," remarked Arkenstone as he faced Swift, still holding the massive sword he'd used to part the mist.

That got a wry cackle out of Swift. "Aww, I'd never waste a perfectly good poison on you pal. After all, the last time we fought, I took you out with a whiff of perfume. How pathetic do you have to be to fall for that?"

Arkenstone canted his head at the taunt. He wasn't so insecure that Swift's words could damage his pride. He fully admitted to losing to Swift Stride's trick last time. He'd even found the technique an admirable application of earth pony magic derived from his own techniques. He also knew that Swift couldn't possibly think so little of him that those words would stir any kind of rage or insecurity in Arkenstone.

It could be said that Swift Stride used every resource at his disposal to fight, that much Arkenstone could discern. Amongst those resources would naturally be Swift's voice. He spoke frequently, throwing out taunts and warnings in equal measure, often deliberately giving away the nature of his next attack. However, such warnings were often lies, an attempt to catch his opponent by having him prepare for the wrong thing. At the same time, many of the things he said were pointless, empty, meaningless, having no real application to the battle at hoof.

It could say that Swift Stride never said anything uselessly...by which it was meant anything he spoke might be useless by design and, thus, useful in its uselessness. Such awareness led a wary opponent's thoughts around in circles until his head ached from trying to find hidden meaning that might not even be there. Arkenstone shuddered, once again feeling that sensation of his opponent donning an all-encompassing mask that hid limitless possibilities.

Swift shrugged at his opponent's hesitation. "By the way, do you know how caves like this form?"

"Water," said Arkenstone.

"True enough," agreed Swift, idly tapping the crystal he was standing on, "These beauties may grow from magic, but the caves come from water. It seeps down through the rock and dissolves some of it. The rock that's more easily dissolved flows away and leaves behind openings between the kinds of rock that's not so easily eroded. That's the basic gist of it."

"Your point?" asked Arkenstone. Underneath his armor, his eyebrow went up.

"These caverns are amazing," said Swift, grinning broadly as he threw out an arm to encompass the cave around them, "They've grown this way over thousands of years and, even now, they're still changing. Its an environment that's always evolving and always will, so long as the water continues to flow through them."

"Again...your point?" asked Arkenstone, feeling a hint of frustration, frustration that was spurred by the feeling of dread, the feeling that he'd missed a critical hint in Swift Stride's words.

"My point is that these caves are growing because water is still flowing through them," said Swift, "That continuous change brings about instabilities that may lead entire caverns to collapse if they're...disturbed...the right way." He sat back on his haunches and raised both his forehooves, displaying the three black orbs he held in each of them. "Now, if I scatter these beauties, what do you want to bet that this whole chunk of mountain is going to come right down on your head?"

Swallowing hard, Arkenstone tensed. True to his word, Swift scattered the bombs into the air, aiming for points all around the cavern.

Arkenstone's sword broke into several smaller blades once again, disappearing as they accelerated to cut all the bombs in two before they could reach their target point. As he struck, Arkenstone once again felt that faint stirring of dread.

"Sorry," said Swift, his grin getting progressively wider, "I lied."

Instead of exploding into fire and smoke, the sliced bombs instead burst out into mist that filled the caverns.

"I figured you'd probably catch them," said Swift as the mist began filling the space below him, surrounding Arkenstone from all sides, "So I used poison instead. That batch is very nasty. One whiff and your lungs will rot in seconds."

Arkenstone had already recalled his swords. Now he merged them together into a much larger blade once again. Turning it so that the edges faced up and down, he swung it around his body, spinning in a full circle as he did so, turning the flat of the blade into an enormous fan and generating a burst of wind that scattered the mist away from him. Some of it roiled and washed over Swift, who didn't even flinch as it washed over his body.

"Sorry," said Swift, "I was lying about lying. That wasn't poison. It's not much of anything really, just some water vapor."

Arkenstone hefted his sword and tensed, readying himself to strike. He wondered why Swift had bothered with such a pointless attack...or an attack that only seemed pointless. His ears twitched as the sound of the condensed water dripping off of stalactites and crystals from above splattered against his armor.

Tensing, Arkenstone swung and hurled the massive sword at Swift, who leapt off his crystalline perch just as the blade slammed home into it, shattering it and scattering the crystal shards. Arkenstone used the bridge of scent his blade had forged with the crystal by impact to turn the crystal's shards into blades of their own, which leapt in pursuit of Swift.

Swift twisted over and lobbed more black orbs into the path of the pursuing blades, which cut them apart to release another cloud of water vapor that obscured Swift from sight. Seeing as he could not see in the first place, it struck Arkenstone as a pointless concealment. He could still smell Swift's scent and feel his exact position from the vibrations of his hooves striking the cavern's floor and walls. He whipped his tail, scattering dried pine needles into the air. His nose easily locked onto their fragrant scent and his magic went pulsing through the chains that scent forged, transforming the needles into blades that lanced out towards Swift Stride.

Swift, who'd apparently thought that his mist had been enough to cover his position, barely managed to escape the unexpected attack as the blades Arkenstone created from his needles arrowed in from a different angle than the blades Arkenstone had formed from the crystal debris of his earlier attack, positioned so that they meshed together like the teeth of a pair of gears, leaving no opening for escape. More importantly, Swift had pressed himself back against the cavern wall, cutting off any other routes of escape he might normally have had.

Swift produced another bomb, this one a small cylinder that he threw to the ground directly in front of him. This bomb exploded in a more conventional manner, the shockwave it released shattering the attacking blades into fragments. A fair few of those fragments still made their way through the explosion, slashing through Swift's clothes and even scratching his body. On top of that, standing so close to his own explosion did its own share of damage. Arkenstone could detect the whiff of singed hair in the air, suspecting that Swift's mane might be slightly less spiky after this.

On top of that, the explosion threw up a cloud of dust, a result that made Arkenstone smile. In his desperation, Swift Stride had only added to his opponent's power. Surging forward, Arkenstone charged straight through the cloud of dust, passing beneath a couple of streams of falling water as he did so. Swift's bomb had apparently cracked the ceiling, opening up some hidden underground watercourse, or possibly an aquifer, over their heads. Pursing his lips, Arkenstone realized he would have to be a bit more cautious. If things continued on like this, Swift's lie about bringing the cavern down on their heads might very well become a reality.

His power crackled through the dust, transforming it into blades that he arrayed on either side of him as he closed in on Swift. Swift met Arkenstone's charge by darting forward himself, shifting his motion off to one side to come at Arkenstone at an oblique angle. Arkenstone immediately shifted the trajectories of his blades, aiming to carve Swift to pieces before he could close in.

At the last second, Swift seemed to trip, the unexpected movement sending him tumbling to the side and out of the path of Arkenstone's blades, which clipped a few hairs from Swift's foxlike tail. Swift's fall became a roll that carried him around to the point of Arkenstone's haunches. Arkenstone shifted, preparing to take the blow and use the opportunity to get a strike of his own in...when his ears picked up the faint click of something pressed against the frog of forehoof that Swift raised to strike. Swift was holding another bomb and was going to slam it directly into Arkenstone's armor, apparently planning to use the force of the strike to enhance the destructive power of the explosion.

He'll blow his arm off! thought Arkenstone frantically as his blades disintegrated back into dust and swirled to meet the threat, thickening the armor over his haunch and also forming a shield over that. Just as Swift's hoof, and the bomb it carried, made contact with the shield, Arkenstone came to a realization. Wait! He's a master of the Mountain Root. Such a master could easily withstand the force of such a simple explosion, even at such close range. In fact, if Swift reinforced his body, his hoof especially, he could essentially use the impact to direct and shape the explosion, not merely enhancing its power, but directing it all into a single point...a single point that could potentially punch through all Arkenstone's layers of defense, especially with the additional force of a strike from the Mountain Root behind it.

The bomb went off. But, to Arkenstone's surprise, what resulted was not a fierce, condensed explosion that burned through his shield and armor, but another burst of water vapor that filled the air around both stallions. Had it been poison, Arkenstone would have no hope of escaping its effects at this range. He'd sacrificed his blades for defense and had rendered himself vulnerable. However, Swift obviously wouldn't use poison at this distance either, since he would be affected as well.

Frowning in confusion, Arkenstone went on the attack. The center of his shield dissolved into a large blade that thrust out at Swift, who barely managed to avoid the attack. Even though he did so, the edge of the sword nicked his face, leaving a small line of blood there. All things considered, Swift Stride was looking worse for wear after taking so many injuries...however small and inconsequential as they might have been.

For his part, though he was breathing hard after exerting his magic so much, Arkenstone was still uninjured. His head hurt though. Trying to keep his awareness up to avoid being caught be Swift's lies was mentally draining. Arkenstone supposed he could just as easily stop listening altogether. But that carried risks of its own. Swift's skill at deception wasn't so easily overcome.

"Sheesh," muttered Swift, "This is taking awhile. If we keep this up then..."

Abruptly, something shifted. Arkenstone and Swift were suddenly beset by the feeling of being two places at once. Their lungs and sinuses felt as though they were packed with solid concrete and the feeling washed over them, leaving them with a lurching sense of nausea that left both of them stumbling. The effect was so profound that Arkenstone nearly lost his armor.

"What was that?" he gasped as the feeling passed. Neither of them felt that lurching, sickening sensation anymore. However, they did feel as though something else were there, a sensation of some transparent material being pressed up against their skin, past their fur, wrapping up their whole bodies.

"I think that means Wight Shade's array is up an running," said Swift, his smile no longer visible, "It probably means that our time is up as well."

Author's Notes:

This chapter was a lot of fun to write.

Next chapter: Twilight Sparkle gets dangerous.

The Power of Harmony

Chapter 32: The Power of Harmony

Twilight Sparkle stumbled a little. Using the Elements of Harmony was tiring work. The feeling of tapping into a force far greater than herself or any other pony...or all ponies together...was incredibly overwhelming. It always made her feel that she was at the utter mercy of an otherworldly power that only moderately acclimated to her will, but otherwise exercised itself as though it were merely acting through her. She supposed that was the power of Harmony in a nutshell. It existed outside of themselves and they were only able to tap it because it saw fit for them to do so.

The sound of somepony falling to the floor beside her reached her ears and Twilight looked over frantically, fearing that one of her friends had been hurt. To her relief, it was only Rainbow Dash slumping to the ground in complete exhaustion, her wings limp and her eyes drooping. Otherwise, she was completely uninjured.

"Hey," said Rainbow, her voice slurred and sleepy, "Diiid we do it..."

"I think...so..." Twilight's voice trailed off as she looked back out over the throne room, becoming little more than a horrified squeak as the light now faded to reveal the results of the Elements' power.

The rainbow of light created by the Elements of Harmony wound up and down the central focus of the array, coiling and spiraling like a massive prismatic helix. As Twilight watched the power of Harmony, which had purged the darkness from Nightmare Moon's heart and even struck down Discord, was pulled inwards towards the surface of the focus and then, finally, through the surface, where the rainbow continued to swirl and undulate from within.

Wight Shade stood beneath the array, unfazed by Harmony's power, having seemingly been left completely untouched. "Well," he said after a moment's pause, "it worked."

"What did you do?" demanded Twilight, stepping forward. She froze in place as a humming sensation filled the room, making the blood in her veins and even her very bones hum in sympathy. Above Wight's head, the focus pulsed once, its form seeming to double, then triple outwards. The swirling rainbow within dissolved into white light before fragmenting into colors that looked completely alien to Twilight's eyes. The focus pulsed again and released a wave of...something...that washed out across the throne room and the world beyond.

Twilight felt crushed from without and solidified within, as though her body had become a completely solid object surrounded by an all-encompassing outside force that threatened to crush her into a bloody pulp. She couldn't breathe, as her lungs and sinuses felt like they were packed with cement. Her eyes burned and she felt something wet start trickling down her cheeks. Twilight wasn't sure whether the sensation was tears or blood. The sensation dragged on and on and on...

And then it was gone. Though it seemed to have gone on for an eternity, Twilight realized that less than a second had actually passed before the sensation had faded. Things almost felt normal...almost. However, Twilight felt a faint, clinging sensation on her skin, as though her body was wrapped in some weightless, transparent material.

Wight had also turned his attention up to the array, smiling contentedly, the smile of a pony who had achieved a lifelong ambition and had found it to be everything he could have ever hoped for. His expression was warm and serene, utterly at peace with what he saw.

"What did you do?" demanded Twilight again, her eyes narrowing into a glare. Her body seemed a bit afraid to move and fought her for a moment, but she managed to take an angry step in Wight's direction.

"I activated the array," said Wight before hesitating, "Or...rather...perhaps it is more accurate to say that you activated the array."

"What?" gasped Twilight, her eyes going wide with horror.

"You aren't familiar with the theory behind my design," said Wight calmly, his eyes still glued to the strange, stalactite-like formation hanging over his head, "I told you the basic gist of it, as has Celestia. However, none of the particulars were written down in the archive you inherited from me. Suffice to say, my approach to opening a way beyond the world is a bit different from any other that has been taken."

"Really," said Twilight, her voice skeptical. Beside her, she could hear her friends shifting uncomfortably, unsure of what to do. A straightforward fight was out of the question. Should they use the Elements again?

"What is the typical method used to open a way?" asked Wight with the air of a professor quizzing a promising student.

"Usually, a way is opened by focusing an enormous amount of magical energy into a single point and rupturing the texture of reality," said Twilight, "The edges of the opening rapidly absorb the energy and matter of its surroundings and the opening expands explosively, becoming impossible to contain with typical magic...or, at least, containing such an opening would require power of an order of magnitude greater than what was used to originally create the opening in the first place." Given that said openings required an enormous quantity of magical power to be made in the first place, it meant that the energy to contain it would be all but impossible to muster. Like a chemical reaction going out of control, the rift would expand at an exponential rate until it consumed everything around it. The only reliable way to stop such a rift from swallowing the entire world would be to use the Elements of Harmony, which essentially "corrected" the rift out of existence.

"That is correct," replied Wight, "That is the orthodox manner of opening a way beyond the world...insomuch that any manner of doing so could truly be called orthodox, what with so little research being done into the subject, for good reason of course...As you might guess, my method is a bit...different.

"The purpose of my array, the reason it was so large and so complex that its design had to encompass the whole of Equestria, was that it was meant to simulate the existential workings of a whole plane of existence, a whole world, if you want a simpler way of putting it."

"You created an entire world?" asked Twilight, tilting her head as she tried to wrestle with the concept.

"Not in a literal sense, mind you," said Wight, "You might call it an intangible simulacrum of this world, one that occupies the same space and time as the world we actually live in. The initial activation of the array, the exterior foci, served to impress this template upon the fabric of our reality.

"Imagine our plane of reality as a plane in the more literal sense, like a sheet of paper. That's probably the best metaphor for this process, though not the most precisely accurate one. Activating the exterior foci, which, as you'll recall, I did some weeks ago, essentially laid a second sheet of paper over the first. Laid one on top of another, two sheets of paper held equally flat would be indistinguishable.

"In its original state, this template of an alternate dimension is an inert existence. It is merely there. That is because, even though the template for its existence is in place, the critical component giving it actual existence is missing...a most powerful, fundamental creative force, the essence of life and living itself...a force that you and your friends most conveniently provided for me."

"The Elements of Harmony!" gasped Twilight, "It wasn't that you didn't think they couldn't harm you. You actually needed them in order to complete your work."

"That is correct," said Wight, "A long time ago, I had determined that the Elements of Harmony were the critical tool to completing my work. I thought long and hard about how to access and apply them. The easiest way was, of course, to trick you and your friends into believing I was an all-powerful foe who could only be defeated by such a force. That is why I arranged things in such a manner."

"Arranged things..." Twilight thought over what Wight had meant, her mind trying to piece together the events of the past two days and figure out what he meant.

Wight had initially pretended that Flash Spark had escaped the restraints placed on him and that Flash Spark had blasted his way out of Canterlot to make his way to Ponyville. However, the fact that Wight had then used his power to actively send Flash Spark to Ponyville via teleportation (or whatever that strange method of translocation was called), as well as the fact that Wight had recalled Flash when he was in danger of being defeated by Dawn, Perlin, and Firefly, had given away that Wight Shade still had full control over his pawn. That had allowed Twilight and her friends to realize that Wight had deliberately staged Flash's "escape" to distract from something he was doing in Canterlot. They had immediately set out because of that realization...

Except that...if Wight Shade had really been trying to hide the fact that Flash Spark was still under his control, he needn't have bothered to teleport Flash to Ponyville or even retrieve Flash when he was about to die. After all, Wight had shown that he could have just as easily outfitted hundreds of ponies with similar, if somewhat inferior, armor and use them as living weapons to protect his new stronghold. Given the timeframe involved, it would have probably even given Wight a larger window of opportunity if he had simply let Flash fly all the way to Ponyville, because it would have taken everypony longer to realize the truth.

But instead, he had sent Flash, via that teleportation method he used. Doing so called attention directly to the fact that Wight Shade was still very much in control of Flash's actions...in other words, he'd done it deliberately. Wight Shade had wanted to be found out and, just as he both predicted and wanted, the Elements of Harmony were mustered and brought to Canterlot to be used against him.

We've been dancing on the frog of his hoof the entire time, thought Twilight, her body quivering with horror.

"Now," said Wight, "Returning to my lecture...you'll recall the metaphor of the stacked sheets of paper. Applying the Elements of Harmony as a catalyst essentially brought the dimensional template created by the array into a definite existence. Those sheets of paper now have definitive definitions distinct from one another, so imagine bending the sheet on top away from the sheet on the bottom. The separate existences can no longer occupy the same space. As a consequence, they will naturally repel one another..."

"...and create a space where none existed before," finished Twilight, the final pieces of Wight's explanation clicking together into her head, "The point of separation between the two dimensions becomes a space in the fabric of reality and a way beyond the world will open."

"Indeed," said Wight with a pleased smile, clearly impressed that Twilight had grasped the basis of his theory, "And because the opening was created without rupturing the fabric of reality, it should be containable. All I need do is maintain the separation between dimensions and the distance between them will determine the size of the rift that forms."

"That's...actually viable..." said Twilight, cupping her chin thoughtfully. It was a completely radical approach to the concept. Of course, given that research on the subject, much less practical experimentation on it, was completely forbidden, the whole idea counted as radical in and of itself. Very few theories had been formulated on how to safely open a way beyond the world and practically none had been tested. Wight's idea of using his Dark Matter, which was made by actualizing an entire world's worth of unique physical laws and using it to give birth to matter that would not exist in this world otherwise to form a conceptual "world" based on the matter he'd created was the most novel approach that Twilight had ever heard. Given what she'd learned about the array now, Twilight could actually conceive that it might actually open a stable way beyond the world, one that wouldn't swallow everything until it consumed the world in its entirety...

Despite that realization, Twilight's fur was still steeped in a cold sweat, her legs shivering. There were still far too many unknown variables. Even though the theories for the reason for the rifts' instability focused on the fact that a rupture in the fabric of reality was naturally prone to expanding from its initial size, that was probably only part of the reason such rifts expanded so quickly out of control. There was what actually lay beyond that rift, where everything that was swallowed by it actually went. There was no way of knowing the environment of wherever that rift opened to, whether it was a place where ponies could actually survive. Wight Shade had staked all his work on the belief that it was a way that would ultimately lead him to the Akashic Records. But there was no evidence supporting that notion whatsoever. Wight's efforts were the ultimate example of reaching blindly in hopes of reaching the end that he desired. Though he referred to his work as an experiment, his methods weren't scientific in the slightest. It was the ultimate shot in the dark.

What lay beyond the rift he was attempting to create, whether a pony could even survive there, whether the environment beyond the world would have any effects on Equestria itself if it were opened, whether such a method of opening a way beyond the world was as stable as Wight Shade truly believed; all of these concerns were completely ignored by Wight in favor of accomplishing his goal, which amounted to little more than simply seeing if it could be done.

"You have to stop," said Twilight, "There's way too much that could go wrong."

"You're quite correct that there are plenty of gaps in my knowledge," admitted Wight with an indifferent shrug, "However, the best way to fill those gaps will be to go through with my experiment. Even if I can't manage to pass through the opening this time, I'll have gained critical data on how to better execute it in the future. It will also give me some knowledge about what lies beyond and how to achieve my ultimate goal. It's win-win really."

"Not even close," said Twilight, "You're threatening the entirety of Equestria, if not the whole world to satisfy your curiosity. We could all die before you could get any answers and it would all be for nothing."

"Still...at least I tried," said Wight. He gave Twilight a surprisingly sober look. "I'm a bit disappointed in you at the moment. You should know all too well that I've been through this little song and dance with Celestia as well. Do you earnestly believe that you can talk me down at this juncture when I was willing to court Celestia's wrath before I'd even started work on this project? You should know by now that I have no intention of ever stopping my work, no matter what arguments you present. That being the case, there is only one option truly open to you. If you wish for me to stop...then you will have to be the ones who stop me."

"Much as Ah hate to admit it, he's right, Sugarcube," said Applejack, stepping forward to stand next to Twilight, "We ain't gonna get anywhere by talkin'. We're gonna have to take 'im down."

"As much as I agree with the sentiment of the idea," said Rarity, coming up on Twilight's other side, "Does anypony have any notion as to the method?"

"Th-the Elements didn't work," said Fluttershy timidly, still hiding slightly behind the others, "A-and I don't think we...we'll have much luck if we try to fight him...not that I really want to fight him."

"Maybe the Elements didn't work because he's standing underneath the big crystal thingy," said Pinkie Pie, bouncing eagerly, "I bet, if we can get him out of there, we'll be able to blast him for real and everything'll be hunky dory."

"That's right," said Rainbow, forcing herself up onto her hooves, "Let's get him out into the open and give him some Harmony to the face." She lifted a hoof to step up and take action on her words, but stumbled slightly and groaned before beginning to sway, barely able to remain upright. Fluttershy had to come up next to her and support Rainbow so that she could stay standing.

During his lecture and listening to the girls' conversation, Wight's wings had pulled themselves back into his body, leaving him resembling a regular unicorn once more. He listened impassively, clearly untroubled by the fact that they were preparing to attack him directly. "As interesting as it would be to see if you could make good on your threats," he said, "I'm afraid that I'll have decline actively fighting you. As formidable as you six are, I imagine that it would actually be within the realm of possibility for you to completely exceed my expectations and succeed. Also...I need to move on to the final steps of my project, which means that I have no more need for five of you. Because of that...I'm afraid I will have to have you girls exit the stage now."

"What-?" asked Twilight, wondering, with a growing sickening feeling in her gut, what Wight meant about not needing five of them. However, she didn't even get a chance to phrase her question before Wight's horn began to unravel, uncurling into a ribbon-like helix that tapered into a small point.

Light that wasn't light flared out from the base of the "horn," where it met Wight's forehead. Twilight's ears picked up a low sound, like a large balloon bursting and felt some sort of pressure off to one side of her. She looked over and gaped as Applejack and Rainbow Dash were blown off their hooves and slammed into the wall at the back of the throne room. The two of them dropped to the floor, unmoving.

"No!" Twilight whipped her head around to face Wight again, her mind whirling as she tried to comprehend what had happened. There had been no signs of a spell, no aura, no structure, nothing that would indicate the presence of unicorn magic. She couldn't even begin to understand the nature of how Wight had struck down her friends. She could see the power forming at the base of his horn again. Wight was going to launch another attack.

Where? Is he going after me next? Glancing off to her other side, Twilight could see that Rarity was lowering her horn, the blue aura of her magic already gathering at the tip as she prepared to attack...presumably.

Twilight's thought process really kicked off and everything around her seemed to slow down. Think! Wight attacked Rainbow and Applejack because they were the most aggressive and prone to attack. That means he's responding to Rarity right now because she's going to use some form of offensive magic. She's his target. But how does his magic work? I couldn't detect any spell or understand what the actual mode of attack his magic took was.

She thought back to all her studying of Dark Matter. The matter Wight Shade created behaved according to its own physical and magical laws. Presumably, his horn was composed of Dark Matter as well, which meant that it didn't abide by the laws of magic as typical unicorns understood them. Rather, its effect was produced as a result of an alien magical form interfering with the laws of magic and physics of the mundane world. Doing so produced a result that would be Wight's equivalent to a spell. What I need to do is determine the nature of that interference and how it affects the mundane world. From there, I can determine the nature of his attack. Rather than trying to block his magic, I need to counter the interference it produces.

Twilight's mind was running at lightning speed as she put the pieces together. There's no line of attack. The effect appears at the target point instantaneously. So the magic is spatial in nature, rather than a projectile. Wight's magic takes effect at the target point and bypasses the space between it and him. From how it blew away Rainbow Dash and Applejack, it must be a shockwave produced by using a spatial distortion.

Traditional barrier magic would be useless against such an attack because the spell never actually passed through the barrier itself. Twilight realized that it was better to think of it as a form of teleportation. What she needed was to cancel out its effect at the point of arrival by stabilizing the space at the point of attack.

Her horn glowed and Twilight looked carefully, trying to figure out the point where Wight's attack would emerge from. There! Right in front of Rarity's chest, if he means to blast her back against the wall like he did Rainbow and Applejack.

Violet light blossomed out from the space in front of Rarity's chest, where Twilight had determined the point of attack was going to be. As the beginnings of Twilight's spell took shape, she saw something in the area her magic was covering begin to twist in on itself. She immediately fixed upon that point. It was within the effect of her spell. I can make it!

Rarity grunted as a much softer sound, still sounding like a bursting balloon, filled the air. She was pushed back a few meters, but remained on her hooves. However, the dazed look on her face told Twilight she'd been stunned. Twilight had failed to cancel out Wight's magic completely. But she'd been able to counter it somewhat. If I can get a better fix on his target point, I can do it!

"Remarkable!" exclaimed Wight, a wide smile on his face, "Celestia was utterly helpless against that, so much so she couldn't even bring herself to keep fighting after I'd hit her twice. You actually managed to discern its nature and devise an effective counter after seeing it only once. I knew you were a magnificent mage."

"Thanks," deadpanned Twilight, glaring at Wight. Rarity was still recovering from the near miss of his last attack. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were with Rainbow and Applejack, trying to get the stricken mares back up onto their hooves. It seemed to be a losing battle. Applejack was barely responding to Pinkie and Rainbow was out like a light. Even the glancing blow that she had suffered appeared to have left Rarity struggling to function.

"It seems things are going as planned," said Wight, "I just need to cut down on a few distractions." The base of his horn flared again.

"No!" shouted Twilight. This time, she started with a detection spell, one derived from spells used to detect incoming teleports. It was an ad-hoc application of a spell, but one that would hopefully give her a better idea of Wight's target point. Beneath that, she prepared the spatial stabilizing magic she'd used last time.

Her detection spell went off. It wasn't a teleport, but some form of spatial contortion was occurring. The spell wasn't able to recognize the effect, but it did give Twilight the location. She immediately cast the stabilization spell at the point, which was right next to Pinkie's barrel. This time, the pop sounded like a tiny bubble bursting and a slight flinch was the only sign that Pinkie had even noticed it.

Wight attacked again, aiming to completely incapacitate Rarity before she could recover. Once again, Twilight was able to detect the distortion. Now that she had an idea of how to find it, her timing and spacing were perfect. There was a tiny flash of violet light right above Rarity's head and no sound at all. Twilight had managed to cancel out the effect perfectly.

"My," said Wight, sounding genuinely impressed, "You truly are a magnificent pony. You are, quite possibly, the single most brilliant mind in all of Equestria. It appears that Swift Stride's assessment of you was correct."

"Huh?" Twilight blinked, wondering what Wight meant by that. However, she was forced to concentrate on the task at hoof as Wight launched another series of attacks, aiming for both Rarity and Pinkie Pie, along with one that appeared to be aimed at keeping Applejack down.

Twilight had her hooves full detecting and blocking those effects. As she did so, she desperately tried to figure out a way to turn the situation around. Being able to defend her friends was all well and good, but that was only a temporary solution to their problem. If Wight switched to another form of attack, there was no way that Twilight would be able to figure it out in time to keep his first blow from landing. Rainbow and Applejack had been essentially sacrificed to allow Twilight to figure out the one attack that Wight Shade was using. If he switched to another one, Twilight knew for sure that another of her friends wouldn't be getting up.

I need to go on the offensive, she thought. She remembered Celestia's description of her fight with Morning Star, back when he'd been banished. The wings that Wight had produced earlier would automatically deflect any incoming attack that she sent and were even capable of turning her own magic back on her in a different form. Regular attack spells, even the more powerful forms of battle magic that Twilight had learned would have no hope of penetrating that defense. If she wanted to win, she had to get creative.

So I use magic that isn't battle magic as battle magic, thought Twilight, moreover, she realized that she could use the same approach that Wight did for his attack. What she needed was not typical battle magic, however advanced, but a way of using magic to strike at Wight, however indirectly.

She fixed on a point by his left ear. She tried to work out the calculations in her mind for a teleport spell. However, as soon as she did, she felt her detection spell falter. She only barely got it up in time to deflect another space-warping attack aimed at Pinkie. I can't keep up my defense and attack at the same time! I need some way to protect my friends without having to worry about... Her thoughts came to a screeching halt as she realized she did have a way.

Twilight took advantage of a lull in Wight's attacks to shift her magic from her horn to the golden ring concealed partway up its length. The gold band with silvery etchings shimmered into existence. Twilight began channeling her magic into it immediately, already knowing what she wanted to do. Channeled through the ring, the magic became actualized, transformed into physical substance.

Bone-white plates appeared across her body as the barding she summoned came into being. Rather than overlapping plates, her armor appeared as separate plates of white across her body. This wasn't a typical battle, so there was no need for typical armor. Instead, Twilight shaped it to assist her with the magic she was currently using. The champron and criniere merged seamlessly around the golden tiara she wore on her head.

Wight paused in his onslaught and cocked his head. "Ah...that is quite beautiful. Which, considering that I don't have much of an eye for aesthetics, probably isn't saying much on my part."

Smiling grimly, Twilight narrowed her eyes, hoping that she'd done everything correctly. She'd find out in a second when Wight attacked again, assuming he didn't change up his method. It didn't seem he was truly interested in fighting her with everything he had at his disposal. Celestia had said that Wight didn't have much of a head for actual battle, preferring to simply rely on his magic and the unique properties of his Dark Matter. If he hadn't changed methods of attack, it was probably because he wasn't all that interested in actually beating down her friends any more than he already had.

True to form, Wight attacked again, relying on the same spell he'd been using the whole time. There was a faint burst of silver fire off to one side of Rarity, who cringed away from it, accompanied by a tiny popping sound. Twilight's smile widened. She'd done it. The actualized magic that formed her armor was, in fact, the combination of the detection and cancelation spells she'd been using before. The armor was those spells given form. They would react to any spatial dislocation within a certain radius of Twilight and cancel it out. With her friends now protected, it was time for her to go on the attack.

Once again, Twilight fixed on that point by Wight's left ear. It was time to turn his own trick back against him, using it her way. Working quickly, she cast a modified version of her teleportation spell, teleporting the the air away from a small space directly by Wight's ears. The air she teleported away, she teleported back into a cone over the very space she vacated it from. The vacuum she'd created when she'd teleported the air away drew the air from the surrounding area into the empty space with a loud crack, not unlike thunder. At the same time, the cone she'd made from the teleported air served to focus the direction of the vibrations, from the explosive noise, sending them rushing straight down Wight's ear.

Wight's head lurched sideways so hard that it actually blurred in Twilight's vision. His crimson eyes widened in surprise as he recovered and looked up at her. She returned his flummoxed expression with a smile and tried another spell.

Twilight had once used gravity magic when she and Spike were looking for the Crystal Heart that King Sombra had hidden. Back then, Twilight had simply used it to make the long climb up a flight of stairs much easier. However, that application of the spell had merely been switching up and down. But what would happen if, instead of a vector, she made "down" into a single point? Adding to that, she worked in a transmutation spell, using it to up the quantity of hydrogen in the area of its effect.

The point Twilight designated was directly in front of Wight's chest. Adding to that, she raised her strongest shield spell and shaped it into conical construct so that the open end was pointing towards her opponent. There was a sparking flash of light that filled the room, followed by an enormous burst of heat and force that completely blasted away the floor in its vicinity. A blazing wave of fire slammed into Wight, blasted past him and blew a line all the way down the length of the throne room and out the doors, blowing all the way through the walls on the other side, until it blasted its way out through the side of the Palace.

"Uh..." said Twilight, her eyes wide and her lips peeled back in a terrified grin, "Whoops! I didn't figure for how much power a fusion reaction of that size would release. I really hope nopony was outside there."

"I don't believe anypony was."

Twilight's heart stopped for a moment as Wight Shade's voice reached her ears. The blast from her attack had blown away the floor, peeling it back until the sections of the Palace that ran underneath the throne room were visible through the gap she'd opened. Now that the light was fading, she could see a mass of white feathers hovering over that gap. Slowly, the feathers peeled back into six distinct wings, revealing Wight still hovering there, completely unharmed.

"You never cease to amaze me, Twilight Sparkle," said Wight, "I was already quite impressed that you could defend against my magic, something that not even Celestia could manage. But you also managed to attack as well. That might have hurt even me if I hadn't defended in time. Fortunately, the auto-response function of my wings is very quick." As if to emphasize his point, his wings flapped, then shifted, rotating on his back as though they were mounted on a turntable, rather than coming right out of his shoulders. "I don't wish to do unnecessary damage, but it appears that I will have to take this fight much more seriously if I want to move on with my work."

"Pinkie Pie! Rarity! Fluttershy!" shouted Twilight, not daring to take her eyes off of Wight, "Get Rainbow and Applejack out of here!"

"B-but wha-what about you?" asked Fluttershy, quivering.

"I'll keep fighting," said Twilight, "But it's going to be hard if all of you are still here. Get Rainbow and Applejack out and help them recover so that we can use the Elements."

"Be careful, darling," said Rarity as she used her magic to lift the unconscious Rainbow Dash. Beside her. Fluttershy was helping Pinkie to settle Applejack onto the pink pony's back.

Twilight grimaced, focusing all of her attention onto Wight, waiting for his next attack, expecting him to hit just as her friends were trying to get away. However, he instead waited patiently for her friends to escape out through the servants' entrance they'd come in through. "Why?"

"I have no interest in attacking those who are not going to attack me...unless it actually serves my purposes," said Wight with a shrug, "Though it's probably arbitrary of me, considering the possible consequences of this project, it would seem that even I balk at the idea of attacking a mare guarding two lives." Wight seemed as perplexed by this as Twilight was.

"What does that mean?" asked Twilight. Replaying the last few minutes of the fight back over her mind, she immediately noticed that, for all the attacks Wight had directed at her friends, there was one pony in specific his spells had never tried to touch.

"It's immaterial at this point anyway," said Wight with a shrug, "Shall we continue?"

Twilight frowned and gulped. Wight had been playing around before. If he was about to get serious, she couldn't afford to wait for one of his spells to go off in order to analyze it. He'd knock her out with the first hit otherwise. She had to figure out what he was up to before he'd even launched his attack and have a counter in place. Her first step was to recall all the research she'd performed on Wight's archive, all the Dark Matter he'd created, up to the point where he'd been banished, its functions, its effects, and the interference it created in the mundane world.

From there, she'd have to hypothesize for the Dark Matter he'd developed in the time since he'd been banished, since none of that would be in the archives. She'd have to build a working model of his magic and how it affected the world, how he used it, what phenomena it could produce...

There was very little time. Wight's horn was already changing its shape again, going from a helix pattern to wind in on itself and form a series of looping rings over his head, like a textbook drawing of an atom. In the center of that formation, a spark of white light appeared before flaring out.

There was a burst of indescribable sound and the space between Wight and Twilight seemed to contort in on itself. Twilight's horn lit up and a burst of violet energy flared from within the center of the contortion, the whole thing burst out in a soundless explosion. As if that had been some sort of signal, the two of them burst into furious activity.

Wight's wings snapped down in a powerful flap that sent him hurtling at Twilight like an arrow. Twilight's arcanasteel ring blazed with silver fire. Plates of silvery-gray appeared, hovering in the air over her shoulders, their narrow, overlapping shapes like the feathers of a pair of wings. Their surface was blurred slightly, as thought they were sheathed in crystal. Wight Shade closed in, his wings already lashing out at Twilight. The hovering plates separated and moved to intercept the incoming wings, intercepting them with a series of loud rings, keeping them at bay.

The armor around the back of Twilight's head shifted, the gap where her champron met the criniere shifting to give more room. A second horn, sparkling amethyst in color, sprouted up from the back of her head, off to the side of her poll. A third one, a deep magenta hue, emerged from the other. All three of the horns Twilight was currently sporting burst into a dazzling array of colors. Right in front of her, Wight's horn shifted its configuration again, twisting constantly, forming a series of bizarre and grotesque shapes, almost perfectly matching time with the burst of light from Twilight's horns.

All around them, the marble walls of the Royal Palace cracked, then shattered. Holes appeared so quickly that the sections of wall they'd erased simply seemed to cease to exist. Columns bent in on themselves and vanished, tearing free from the ceiling and floor with great, cracking sounds. Only the crystal focus at the center of the room remained unaffected, the great, rounded stalactite, with the Rainbow of Harmony still swirling within it continued to pulse calmly.

The space between and around them was filled with soundless, lightless explosions, reality itself bending and warping as their battle ascended to a plane beyond that of mundane reality. Twilight called upon every ounce of her training under Arkenstone, working desperately to keep up with the sequence of Wight Shade's attacks and intercept them before he could complete them. In terms of fighting ability, she was clearly superior. Her mind was working at incredible speed, despite the terrifying intensity of the situation. She'd maximized her skill at streamlining the casting time for her spells, formulating even the most complex ones in mere fractions of a second. Furthermore, she was using her armor of actualized magic to supplement her abilities, building it in concert with her magic to better counter Wight's magic and adapt to his moves. By all rights, she had every advantage in the world. She should have been able to win...

Instead, she found herself locked in an endless stalemate. Every time she countered one of Wight's spells, he immediately shifted to another one that she was forced to decipher and counter without skipping a beat. It was like fighting against an opponent who used a completely different set of rules and, whenever it suited him, he could change to a another, different, set of rules completely at will. Because of that, even with all her ability and skill, Twilight found herself lagging perpetually behind Wight Shade by a single step, always doing her best just to keep up as his magic elevated their duel into greater and stranger heights, to the point that Twilight no longer had the words to describe the effects of his magic and was forced to simply shift her own and shape it as best she could to generate the effects that would counter it. She strained her mind to its utmost limit, not relying on spells anymore so much as directly shaping magic to generate whatever effects she needed.

I have to do more than this, she thought. Only the fact that he had no formal training in battle magic and very little experience in combat was keeping Wight from overwhelming her completely. If this kept up, she would be the one to break first. That much was clear to Twilight. Her repertoire of spells was all but exhausted. What she needed was more than new spells or new types of attack and defense. She needed a completely new form of magic, one that Wight wasn't able to defend against. She had to create a form of magic, a type of magic that had never existed before...

Though she should have been at her limits, her reserves depleted, Twilight's magical energy surged. Her eyes blazed completely white. On top of her head, the starburst of the Element of Magic blazed with violet fire. At that moment, Twilight's mind went completely blank. The armor, actualized through her arcanasteel ring, evaporated as the portion of Twilight's focus dedicated to maintaining it vanished. Her whole body began to glow and levitate off the ground, the light of Magic filling the air around her.

In the hallway behind the servants' entrance, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all noticed that their Elements were beginning to shine as well. Even the ones worn by the unconscious Rainbow Dash and Applejack were glowing. They all felt the urge to immediately go to their friend's side and lend her their power.

The light around Twilight seemed to solidify, then shattered as Wight Shade's wings collided with it. The light vanished from Twilight's eyes and the Element of Magic at the same time, leaving her exactly as she was, alone and unguarded as Wight's wings surrounded her from all sides.

"Truly magnificent, but poorly timed," said Wight, "I'm afraid I can't give you the time to do that."

His wings closed in, wrapping around behind Twilight, the feathers that formed them seeming to multiply until they completely cut off the world around her. In fact, they seemed less like wings and more like masses of endlessly multiplying feathers swirling endlessly around, even cutting off her view of Wight himself as they moved to completely encompass her. Her last glimpse of Wight Shade showed her his horn contorting itself yet again, a different light shining through it from where the base met his forehead.

Twilight felt her awareness fading, as though she was sinking slowly into a stupor, her world going from white to black. She no longer had any thoughts to spare about the battle, her friends, Arkenstone, Dawn, Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Equestria. In fact, she no longer had any thoughts at all. Then...everything went away.

"Too bad, Twilight Sparkle. I win."

Author's Notes:

This was probably the single most difficult fight scene to write for me. How do you describe something that is ultimately supposed to beggar description? By the end of the scene, I was practically approaching a Lovecraftian mode of thought and was trying to make what Wight was doing and what Twilight was doing to stop him come off as weird and unnatural as possible.

Next chapter: The duels' end.

Resignation

Chapter 33: Resignation

"So you mean to end this fight?" asked Arkenstone.

"That's right," replied Swift, "After all, I have your fillyfriend to kill before she can make things even worse. If we don't stop her, Wight will finish his project in no time. If we do, it at least gives us some more time to work with."

"That's all you're doing..." spat Arkenstone, "...buying time? You're going to end Twilight's life over possiblies and maybes."

"More like the strong inkling of a definite something," replied Swift with a cackle and a grin, "But I don't like the way you all showed up just after Wight wiped the floor with Princess Celestia and set up the big...glowy...thingy in the throne room. You're playing right into his hooves."

"That's enough," snarled Arkenstone, advancing, his armored greaves clanking harshly against the stone of the cavern floor, "I am through bandying words with you."

"Good enough," said Swift, "I'm through buying time anyway."

Buying time...? Arkenstone didn't like the sound of that. He paused, silence descending on the cavern, save for the pattering of water across his armor as the vapor released by Swift's mist condensed on the stalactites above and rained back down. The air within the cavern was heavy with moisture, the humidity making the air feel thick syrupy.

"Funny thing about dust," said Swift, "It gets everywhere and sticks to everything. When a breeze blows, it all dances about. But if it's too wet, it can't get off the ground."

Shocked, Arkenstone finally realized Swift's real aim with all the water vapor he'd filled the cavern with. He hadn't simply been throwing off Arkenstone's guard. He'd been aiming to cut Arkenstone off from the most powerful tool in his arsenal, the dust, from which he could forge both armor and blades and mold them freely, depending on his needs. Swift had deliberately led the battle down into the already damp caves and then done everything he could to increase the humidity until it was practically raining.

While the moisture had no effect on the armor that Arkenstone currently wore, or the blades he currently wielded, if they were broken, he wouldn't be able to raise the dust if it was weighed down by water. He'd be left with the blades he could form from the pine needles he carried and whatever he could fashion from the fragments and debris of their battle, most of it too heavy for him to finely control.

"So now what?" asked Swift, "Your most powerful weapon's been sealed and I have complete control of this fight. You should just give up."

"Never," replied Arkenstone. The blades he'd been wielding moved towards him and then seeped back into his armor, dissolving into black streams that flowed through his barding, reinforcing it. The edges it wore were sharper and stronger. Even Swift wouldn't be able to break them with all the strength of the Mountain Root at his disposal. Arkenstone molded the plates into layers, allowing them to completely dissipate any impact without breaking. He would have to forgo using the technique of Reap What you Sow to turn the power of Swift's blows back against him. But, in exchange, he would have the overall strength to go completely hoof to hoof with a master of the Mountain Root.

"So you're abandoning your weapons and focusing on defense...?" Swift's squinty eyes opened a little wider. "No...you're concentrating your offense into one point and turning your whole body into a single weapon. Not a bad way to approach this. Let's see where it gets you."

The two of them went still. Swift had frozen with his right hoof lifted just barely off the ground, poised to probably reach for one of the infernal devices he had secreted within his clothing. Arkenstone was rooted in place, all four of his hooves so firmly set in the ground that it was cracked around them. The only sound was the continued pattering of the water as it rained down from above.

Nearby, a single jutting crystal that had been damaged over the course of the battle cracked. A tiny fragment, barely a sliver, dropped down. It hit the cavern floor with the tiniest, most imperceptible of clicks.

Both their ears heard it. As if by unspoken agreement, the two stallions surged forward simultaneously, charging each other down. Swift's right hoof had already darted into the folds of his sash and pulled out a small, black cylinder, which he thrust out ahead of him as he charged down Arkenstone.

In return, Arkenstone slammed his right forehoof into the ground, along with his hind hooves. His left forehoof, he raised and thrust out at Swift. As he did so, the armor over it flowed forward, becoming a sword that Arkenstone thrust straight at Swift's chest. Swift met Arkenstone's attack head on, slamming the bomb he held in his hoof against Arkenstone's attacking foreleg. The bomb was a real one, not a bluff filled with water or poison. The sound of the explosion filled the cavern as the space between the two stallions filled with fire and smoke. The explosion blossomed out in all directions, but Swift's hoof, reinforced by the power of the Mountain Root, was an indomitable barrier that pushed the explosion's force almost entirely in one direction, straight against the bomb's point of contact with Arkenstone. As such, Swift was almost completely untouched by the explosion, it's force instead driving straight into Arkenstone's arm with a crunching noise as the layered plates of armor shattered. The explosion also forced Arkenstone's thrust to the side. The sword's point scraped just under Swift's eye as it slid past.

Black fragments falling from his armor, Arkenstone retreated. Cracks ran up the length of the sword he'd wielded and it ended up crumbling to pieces. Rather than swirling through the air, those pieces fell to the floor and dissolved into the water running along the ground. The breaking halted a short way up past his fetlock. Arkenstone was glad that the armor over his face hid his grimace as he shifted it to cover what Swift's bomb had broken away.

"Normally I'd be happy to chip away at your armor 'til you've got nothing left," said Swift with a grin, "But I want to finish this fight right away."

Moving almost casually, Swift stepped forward, raising his forehoof once again. This time, there was nothing in it. Arkenstone lunged in, aiming to run his opponent through before Swift could produce another weapon. He shaped another blade, this one over his right forehoof and drove it forward. However, Swift intercepted it with his raised hoof quite easily. To Arkenstone's horror, he felt the weapon jerk and felt that feeling run through the entirety of his armor.

"I certainly didn't get away from this fight unscathed," said Swift as he almost casually curled his fetlock around Arkenstone's armored one, seemingly unbothered by the edge of the blade he was curling it around. In fact, Arkenstone felt the edges crumbling like dried mud. "But what if that's the entire point?"

Behind the plate of his champron, Arkenstone's eyes shot open. He remembered Swift throwing himself through the blades and even blowing himself up to escape Arkenstone's attacks. He'd hurt himself in the process, with his own bombs, no less. But he didn't need to, Arkenstone realized. Swift could have used the Mountain Root to strengthen his body and shrug off those explosions with no difficulty. It was probably the main reason he could be so confident whilst carrying so many dangerous devices. Yet he'd allowed himself to be injured. But why?

"You fight with scent," said Swift, his grin taking on a savage quality, "But I've shown that I can fight with it too. When you absorbed the dust my bombs raised into your armor, it carried more than dust. It had hairs from my coat and mane, bits of clothing I've worn for years, even little tiny bits of my skin and blood. In other words...your armor has countless little pieces of me in it right now...all carrying my scent."

Arkenstone felt the meaning of Swift's words all too clearly. He hadn't noticed them before, but a shivering pulse of Swift's magic moved through his body that was impossible to ignore, if only because it's presence was magnified by the presence of a million tiny impurities that suddenly appeared to Arkenstone's senses. In response to Swift's magic, they began to grow and change, opening cracks, causing chips of his armor to fall away.

Swift Stride thrust down with all three legs he was standing on, channeling the force of the movement up into his body as he leaned towards Arkenstone, forcing it out through the foreleg he used to grip Arkenstone's armor. Every plate of Arkenstone's armor shattered to pieces, scattering across the cavern and dissolving into wet dust on the floor and walls. His beige coat revealed, Arkenstone stepped back...or he should have. Instead, he moved forward. Even before Swift had completed his attack, Arkenstone's tail had already lashed, flicking a single pine needle into the air. As his armor dissolved around him, Arkenstone lunged at Swift, sending a blade moving so fast that it might as well have been invisible.

Something exploded between them and Arkenstone's nose filled with the soothing scent of lavender...

It almost seemed that the ponies of the Royal Guard in the Palace entryway had forgotten their purpose. Though Dawn and Perlin were fully engrossed in their battle, it seemed to have never crossed the minds of the Guards that now might have been the time to make for the Palace interior to help the Element Bearers. Instead, they stood enthralled as pure-white winds clashed against wings of silvery blue.

Perlin's attacks seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at once. Feathers disappeared from his wings, only to reappear in another place, moving in different directions. At times, his entire body seemed to vanish as the pegasus performed what should have been an impossible feat and teleported to evade attacks or gain an advantageous position, Perlin having unconsciously realized that he could take advantage of the same quality of his wings that allowed him to send his feathers out.

Dawn moved so quickly and abruptly that he might as well have been teleporting. At times, he even appeared to be in two, or even three, places at once. More than once, their audience saw Perlin's feathers slice into Dawn's body, only for it to vanish as they realized that only his afterimage had been cut. The air around his wings practically blazed with light and Dawn's body seemed more like a shadow between them.

Dawn had never felt this exhilarated before. Everything around him was so chaotic, so tempestuous...and yet...so clear. He felt Perlin through the wind. He could see the damp spots on Perlin's coat, where the young stallion's sweat had left its mark. He could hear each beat of Perlin's wings. He felt Perlin's every breath and breathed with him. The two of them danced through the air, separate beings, each with his own thoughts, feelings and objectives, yet moving in perfect synch with one another, as though the two of them were one.

Dawn's fur was matted with sweat as well. Despite that, he didn't feel tired in the slightest. In fact, the more they fought, the more he felt he could do. It was as if his battle with Perlin was calling him to push harder, move faster, and refine his technique further. It was a world of difference from his terrifying ordeal against Terra Heart, where he'd been scrabbling with everything he had just to survive and strike back. Here, in this razor-thin space between life and death, Dawn had never felt more alive.

Several feathers emerged from rifts all around Dawn, their slashes trying to cut off his path of escape. Dawn's body moved fluidly, slipping between them, his dodge carrying him above Perlin's back. Perlin whirled to intercept Dawn, but was forced to defend instead when Dawn sent a white column hammering down at him, the force of the blow driving Perlin straight down to the floor. The blast slammed into the entryway floor, then through it, driving into the mountain below, punching a hole straight down through the caverns.

However, Perlin was not there. Instead, he emerged from a seam in the air, appearing right behind Dawn, sweeping his wings forward so that they crossed in front of him before sweeping them back in a double slash, like a massive pair of jagged shears. Dawn ducked forward, actually rolling into the air, barely managing to pull his hindquarters out of the way. As it was, Perlin's feathers nicked the very tip of Dawn's tail. As Dawn rolled, he snapped his wings out. He swept them in a small circular pattern, a hum building in the air around him before Dawn swept his wings down past his underbelly, which was actually facing Perlin ending with a jabbing motion that thrust his outermost primaries in Perlin's direction like the blades of a pair of spears. Blazing lances of concentrated plasma shot out from his feathers. Perlin immediately brought his wings back in front of himself, their glow seeming to drain the light from Dawn's own attack as it slammed into him. One of the lances was blocked completely, shattering into a burst of fiery sparks that scattered through the air. The other hit Perlin's damaged wing. Though it too was mostly blocked, sparks and arcs of energy flowed through the broken gaps in Perlin's feathers and spattered against his right side. Electricity jolted Perlin's body and burns blossomed where the plasma landed, its heat scorching away the hairs of his coat and blistering black the flesh beneath.

Perlin screamed in agony, his entire body lurching as he rolled hard, trying to throw off the remnants of the plasma before it did any more damage. The electricity that accompanied it made his muscles spasm and threw off his coordination. As it was, Perlin barely noticed Dawn complete his roll and kick out his hooves, reversing his direction and sending him hurtling a Perlin like a bullet. Perlin barely had the presence of mind to raise his undamaged left wing to block as Dawn slammed a burst of white wind into it like a powerful hammer. Unable to fully control his actions, Perlin hadn't been able to charge his wing with that shimmering quality that turned its nature into something between matter and energy. Before the awesome power of the white wind that Dawn commanded, the Dark Matter feathers cracked, then shattered as the blow hammered through.

The force of the attack drove Perlin to the floor again. He was barely able to get his right wing into position as he hit, letting it take the brunt of the force, which kept him from breaking anything. The force of impact still drove the breath from Perlin's lungs and his body left his control for a second. All Perlin could do was simply lay there, struggling to draw in his next breath.

He heard the click of hooves on the floor next to him and then felt a tiny, but intense heat directly over his neck. Dawn stood over him, his vivid turquoise eyes and their eerie, catlike pupils impassive. Dawn had reached out with one wing, resting his leading primary just over Perlin's throat. At the very tip of Dawn's feather was a tiny spark of plasma, minuscule in size, yet burning with enough intensity to make the hairs of Perlin's coat smoke with its mere proximity.

"It would seem that I won this round," said Dawn calmly. He felt slightly dazed. Coming back from that mysterious state of mind, beyond the reach of rationality, where the barriers between thought and action broke down, was still a disorienting experience for him. He felt as though everything around him was in something of a haze.

"Is that so?" asked Perlin with a smirk. He'd noticed Dawn's addled state himself. Perlin was definitely in worse shape. But he was recovering fairly quickly.

Right now, he wasn't sure if he could pull out the full potential of the Dark Matter his wings were composed of. He'd achieved that in the fight by immersing himself in the flow of battle, feeling his wings, feeling their capabilities and following through with those feelings as he fought. He would have liked more time to explore the strange qualities of his wings, but now was not the time for that. Instead, he called upon the most basic ability they possessed. From the wing he was laying on, he detached a single feather, one of the few undamaged ones he possessed.

Though Dawn was still feeling a bit detached, he felt the seam forming in the air just behind his head. He jerked to the side. His ear was nicked by the feather that flew past it like a dart. The motion pulled Dawn's wing, and the deadly spark it carried, clear of Perlin's throat. Perlin wasted no time in rolling onto his hooves and surging up. He wielded his wings like a pair of massive blades, slashing them straight at Dawn.

Dawn fell back before the sudden onslaught. His surprise was so complete at Perlin's unexpected attack that he was unable to calm his mind and return to the thoughtless state where he could marshal a power that could actually match Perlin's Dark Matter. Instead, he retaliated by drawing a wing in towards his side, pulling as much air as he could towards him before using a forward sweep of the wing to thrust that air at Perlin in a powerful, hammering gust.

Perlin's wings easily deflected and scattered the blast. But the damage they had taken from Dawn's previous attacks left gaps in their otherwise impenetrable defense. Dawn's gust was broken into countless small projectiles of air, several of which found their way through the gaps in Perlin's feathers and punched into his chest and barrel. Perlin felt something snap and a sharp pain shot through him, adding itself to the litany of complaints his body was already lodging with his brain. Perlin ignored it and drove forward, determined to press the attack and see the battle to its ultimate conclusion.

"STOP!"

The unexpected voice cut through Perlin's thoughts of fighting and winning, bringing his very consciousness to a screeching halt as he froze in place, his mind reeling on the fact that he would hear her voice, that she would even be here.

Coco Pommel stepped out from under the protective shroud of Firefly's wing and trotted towards the combatants, tears streaming from her eyes. "You have to stop this," she said, her gaze fixed on Perlin, "You can't end it this way."

"This is battle," said Perlin, his voice flat, "I have no intention of doing things halfway, whether in winning or losing."

"You're just making excuses," said Coco, "That's enough. Please don't do this...don't leave me."

"I can't..." said Perlin, his voice hitching, "I've done too much...there's no way I can turn my back on what I've done, what I've helped...This...this is the ending I deserve."

"N-no it isn't," said Coco, a whimper making its way into her voice.

"You asked me to grow up," said Perlin softly, "to take responsibility for the things I've done, for the things I do." His eyes turned back to Dawn, who had settled and was watching the exchange quietly. "This is how I choose to do it."

With that, he abandoned his conversation with Coco and turned back to Dawn, surging forward to charge at the ebony colt. However, Dawn had not been idle with the opening afforded to him by Coco's sudden interruption. Instead, he had taken the opportunity to even out his breathing, relax his body and mind, and quiet his thoughts. He sank down into that calm, thoughtless state he had spent most of the battle in, letting his consciousness spread all around him. It was even easier now than it had ever been before. He knew, before Perlin had even started moving, that the young stallion was going to shift back to an attack and Dawn was ready for him.

Dawn simply raised up his right wing, sweeping all the air on that side of him into a motion, bringing it up and over his head so that he could drive it down at Perlin as the young stallion charged in. As he did so, his feathers hummed and crackled and the air that Dawn was wielding began to buzz and glow. As he brought his wing around in its arcing motion, it brought with it a white, shining wind that inscribed a crescent above Dawn as he brought it swinging down at his opponent. Perlin, his mind too preoccupied by Coco, her words, and his feelings, was unprepared when he saw Dawn's wing descend.

"NO!" Coco threw herself at Perlin and Dawn. She'd started moving even before the two warriors had. She'd seen in Perlin's eyes what he was about to do and she didn't even pause to think about her own safety as she thrust herself between them.

Dawn had sensed Coco's approach and was trying to divert the force of his blow to the side. However, even with his extended awareness, he'd been too focused on Perlin to react properly. The attack would probably only graze Coco, but that would be enough to rend her flesh and pulverize her bones.

Coco felt a pair of arms wrap around her and something soft and warm rest over her back. Perlin had completely abandoned his attack and had instead turned to catch Coco as she leapt at him, wrapping his wings around her and turning so that they, along with his body, were interposed between her and Dawn's attack.

The shining wind Dawn wielded glanced off Perlin's wings, stripping off even more of his feathers, practically ripping them out of his flesh so that they left trails of blood through the air. The force of the blow, glancing though it was, sent Perlin and Coco flying. They hit the floor hard, at a shallow angle. Perlin's wings, still wrapped around Coco, deflected the impact and sent them skipping off like a stone across the surface of a pond. They hit the wall of the Palace entryway with enough force to make the entire construct shudder, sending dust and debris flying through the air, blocking them completely from view.

Dawn gaped, all thoughts of maintaining his inner peace and continuing the fight vanishing as fear gripped him. "Coco!" The fight forgotten, he bounded towards the cloud of dust, his eyes searching for any sign that Coco was all right. He might have worried about Perlin as well, but, as far as Dawn was concerned, any fate Perlin suffered was the ultimate outcome of their duel and was something he was prepared to accept. Coco, who he'd come to see as something of a sister (whether an older or younger one was up for debate), was his true concern at the moment.

A sweep of his wing drove away the cloud of dust and Dawn saw Perlin there, his body actually embedded in the wall. His left wing seemed to have taken the brunt of the impact, but Dawn could see that Perlin hadn't escaped unscathed. One of his hind legs was bent at an unpleasant looking angle and the burn marks from Dawn's plasma were still clearly visible. However, Dawn's gaze immediately went to the young mare Perlin had wrapped in his arms and wings.

For a moment, Coco was still, her eyes clenched shut, her face pressed to the base of Perlin's neck. Dawn felt his heart skip a beat. Did I kill her? Then he saw her twitch. Her eyes fluttered, then slowly opened and she pulled her face away enough to begin looking up at Perlin. Dawn felt his knees go weak with relief when he saw that she was moving and, apparently, not in any pain.

"A-are you all right?" asked Perlin carefully, tilting his head to look down at Coco. He'd hit it against something. His left eye was glazed and framed by a small stream of blood flowing from a cut above it.

"I'm fine," said Coco.

"Are you crazy?" he asked, a hint of anger finding its way into his voice, "What were you thinking, throwing yourself into the middle of that? You could have been killed."

"You would have been killed," said Coco softly.

"That was my decision," said Perlin, "I wanted to see this fight through to the end..."

"Is that what you really wanted?" asked Coco, gazing up at Perlin with an uncharacteristically serious expression, "You wanted to die...?"

"I..." Perlin seemed to have difficulty expressing himself. He averted his hawklike eyes away from Coco. "It's...I've done a lot of thinking, especially about the things we talked about, about the ponies I've hurt, the problems I've caused. There's no way I can make up for that. I can't just...make things 'right.' Because of that...I'm not the kind of pony who should be with you-ow!" His diatribe was cut off by a pained yelp as Coco thumped a hoof against his chest.

"Stop that!" she said firmly, her eyes tearing up. Despite her tears, Coco's expression was resolute. "Just giving up like that...fighting to the death, just so you don't have to face what you've done...that's just another kind of running away. That's not going to solve anything. It's not going to make up for anything you've done. It's not going to bring back anypony you've killed. It's not growing up and taking responsibility at all.

"If you really want to grow up, you have to live. You have to face the things you've done and accept you can't change them. It's what you do afterwards that matters." Sniffling, Coco pressed her face against Perlin's neck again. "I understand that it's hard. But I don't want you to die. Isn't that reason enough?"

Perlin blinked and looked down at Coco, his eyes wide. His heart was thudding alarmingly, its beat actually sending pangs of pain through his injured ribs. But that didn't matter to him. Coco's words were like the sunlight cutting through fog. Slowly, he began to tighten his hold on her.

Dawn coughed politely, drawing Perlin's attention to him. "In all honesty," he said, "This is probably the most I've ever enjoyed myself, especially in the heat of battle. You've shown me something that I would have never realized otherwise.

"It would be a shame to let it end here. Because of that, I would like it if we could meet and fight again...especially sometime when the fate of the world isn't at stake. Perhaps that might be enough to convince you to continue living as well."

Perlin smiled. It was a softer smile than the one he usually wore, nothing like the slightly manic look of the young stallion who lost himself to the throes of battle. Instead, Perlin's smile was laden with relief and gratitude. "I suppose you two aren't going to give me much of a choice in the matter."

Dawn smiled back. "Take it from a pony who has lived a difficult life, one that has often left me contemplating whether it was worth living on to see the next day. At my lowest, I sometimes pondered the idea of letting everything end, of giving up..."

Perlin swallowed. "And...?"

"And I realized something," said Dawn. He approached Perlin. Firefly joined him and, together, the two of them carefully began to pry Perlin and Coco out of the crater the'd left in the wall so that they could gently lower the pair to the floor.

"I realized that death was easy," continued Dawn, "So very easy...It's so easy that it can happen completely by accident, as simple as getting out of bed the wrong way. Look the wrong direction, go right instead of left, and it's all over. Even if that never happens to you, even if you never end up dying in battle or as a consequence of some horrific disaster, death will still be there at the end of everything. In a sense, it's the one option that never has any conditions or time limits. It's always available and it is never retracted."

"That doesn't sound very encouraging," said Perlin.

"It may not be encouraging, but it is easy," replied Dawn, "Dying is very easy, and the chance will always be there. Knowing that, I realized that it was so easy, I could do it anytime. And if I could do it anytime, would it really hurt all that much to put it off a little longer and to try and see if things might change for the better. After all, if they don't, then death is still there...always. You can die anytime. So, in the meantime, why not live a little longer?"

"And that worked?" asked Perlin, his eyes wide. He still held tightly to Coco, as though he was almost afraid she would disappear if he let her go. For her part, Coco didn't seem to be in any particular hurry to separate herself from the young stallion and probably wouldn't until it was time for his injuries to be seen to.

"For a time," said Dawn, "It's a rather morbid approach to staving off suicide, but it worked for a little while, stalling on the idea of dying to see if things would get better. That train of thought won't last forever."

"What did you do?" asked Perlin.

"I found something better," said Dawn, beaming, "I found things that I never thought I would get to have. I found a home, a family...love..." He blushed and looked away, eliciting giggles from Coco and Firefly. "...I found things worth living for, things that made it so that death didn't have to be something I kept putting off. But those things, the life I have now...all of the that would have disappeared if I'd chosen death, if I'd given up. Once you truly choose it, death is the only option and there is no going back. If you'd ended up dying against me today, all of this..." He waved a hoof to encompass Perlin and Coco. "...would have ended. There would be nothing left after that."

Perlin stared silently at Dawn for a moment. Finally, he let out a morose chuckle and looked away. "How did you get to be so philosophical, kid?"

Dawn smirked. "You tend to do a lot of thinking, living by yourself in the wilderness for a year."

"That makes sense," said Perlin. He let out a sigh that became a pained grunt as the exhalation stung his injured ribs. "You win...I guess. I give up. I'll try to live a little longer." He smiled down at Coco. "I guess I've found something that makes it worthwhile."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Dawn.

The floor beneath their hooves shuddered and then jolted. Startled, Dawn's eyes shot up to the way his mother and her friends had taken further into the Palace. He felt something down there, something alien. He'd been so engrossed in his fight with Perlin, he'd failed to notice the strange pulsing, dislocating feeling that had washed over the battlefield for a brief instant. Now that he recalled it, he realized that the very thing they had come to stop might well have happened. His gut churned and Dawn realized that the day wasn't over yet. Just because he had won his fight, it didn't mean that the threat presented by Wight Shade had vanished. He needed to see this all the way through to the end.

"I need to go," said Dawn, setting off toward the throne room.

"Be careful," said Firefly.

Her words made Dawn pause and turn to look her over. He realized that Firefly had not moved to join him. She gave the colt an apologetic smile. "I'm spent," she said, "I used myself up out there. I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help in a fight. It's one of those things that happens when you get to be my age. I'll stay back and look after these two." She jerked her head at Coco and Perlin. "Honestly, I'm amazed you've still got so much energy left."

Dawn nodded and turned to gallop down the hallway. Behind him, he could hear and feel the Royal Guards moving to take charge of the situation. Firefly turned to address them, apparently dictating instructions for Perlin's treatment. Then they were out of the range of Dawn's wind-sense and he had to focus all of his attention on what lay ahead.

The feathered masses of Wight Shade's wings had completely detached themselves from his back as the feathers swirled about Twilight Sparkle like a cyclone. As they spun through the air, they caught the light coming in through the windows and refracted it into an alien spectrum of colors that no words could possibly describe. The swirling maelstrom of feathers extended upwards and downwards, reaching both the floor and ceiling until it was a massive, whirling column. Then, gradually, the feathers seemed to merge together, their individual shapes melting and melding together until the column was now a single, solid, spinning object. Then, slowly, the spinning halted and Wight looked upon the fruit of his labors.

The column of off-white looked like a cloudy mass of crystal. If one looked closely enough, the texture of the surface was still clearly that of feathers, as though their shapes had been etched into the surface with a tiny pick. Though it was hazy, it wasn't completely opaque. The view of what lay on the other side of the crystal column was blocked. But within it, one could see the dark shadow of what was clearly a unicorn contained within.

Wight took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then he wiped his arm across his forehead.

"It looks like that fight made you sweat," observed Kombu as the chartreuse stallion carefully picked his way over from where he'd been hiding, outside the main entrance of the throne room, "I didn't even know that body of yours could sweat."

"She certainly put me through my paces," said Wight, "Right there, at the end, she very nearly had me. If I hadn't taken that opportunity to stop her, she'd have won. She was on the verge of creating an entirely new magic."

"A spell to counter Dark Matter?" asked Kombu skeptically.

Wight shook his head. "Not a new spell, but an entirely new magic, just as I was forced to redevelop my magic after rebuilding my body from Dark Matter, she would have invented a new magic, beholden to a completely different set of rules from what unicorns know. It would have been to magic itself what my Dark Matter is to physical substance."

"Incredible," breathed Kombu, casting a shocked gaze at the figure of the imprisoned unicorn.

"Fortunately, in order to do so, she'd completely abandoned all attempts at defense and offense and left herself open at a critical moment," said Wight, "which was quite fortunate, as it turned out, as I suspect she might have beaten me without any new magic, the way things were going."

"Really?" inquired Kombu, raising an eyebrow.

Wight nodded. "She understands my Dark Matter and its nature better than anypony, including you. Over the course of our little fight, she accomplished many feats I would have deemed impossible, had she not pulled them off right in front of my face. It's safe to say that Twilight Sparkle most certainly deserves her renown as a mage."

"What have you done with her then?" asked Kombu.

"Now that I've captured her, I'm linking her mind to the control matrix for the array. From there, I will have her work out the final calculations to execute the array's full activation. Once that is completed, I will initiate dimensional separation." He chuckled. "Thanks to Twilight Sparkle, work that I had anticipated taking several more weeks will be complete in less than an hour."

"Are you sure that there will be no risk to her hijacking control of the array's matrix?" asked Kombu, "You've put her in the perfect position to do that."

"I'm monitoring her thought-process," said Wight nonchalantly, "I've built in a compulsion that will drive her mind to work out the calculations. If she consciously tries to take control of that process and use that to circumvent my own control over the array, she could theoretically do that. However, as long as I maintain an active awareness of her thought-process, she won't be able to get away with it."

The expression on his face was positively giddy. "It's amazing," he said breathlessly, "In a few moments, everything I've worked for, all the years I've spent, all the efforts, hiding and misdirection will finally bear fruit. At last...it's time."

Kombu swallowed and shuffled awkwardly. He wished he could share his teacher's enthusiasm. After all, even if he had complete faith in Morning-No!-Wight Shade's brilliance, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had just abetted the end of the world as he knew it. More importantly, after the uproar Wight had caused, Kombu doubted that there was any way he would escape unscathed, even if Wight was completely successful. Odds were that Kombu would not be escaping back to his life of luxury as the pony managing his nominal ward's estates. If he were lucky, he might be able to escape imprisonment, possibly long enough to escape Equestria itself. The Knights, the Element Bearers, even the Princesses would probably have enough on their hooves in the aftermath to not worry about him. However, Kombu knew that they would come after him eventually.

But worrying about that would come later. Right now, what was important was focusing on accomplishing Wight's goals for the present. The array wasn't running just yet. Even if the accomplishment of Wight's goals was minutes away, those were minutes where things could still be derailed if they were careless.

"So..." rumbled a deep voice, trembling with rage, "...does this mean that this was the root of everything I believed?"

Looking over to the throne room doors, Wight and Kombu saw the voice's source, a large, dark brown earth pony, his coat the color of freshly-turned earth. Sprouting from his neck was a ragged mane that, normally, would have been the color of newly grown wheat. However, its color was dulled and streaked with filth. Terra Heart had once had a truly magnificent physique, looking like he had been carved from the side of a mountain. His muscles, smooth and taut, had looked like steel cables beneath his skin. However, now he looked thin an wiry. His skin was folded in spots and his stomach sagged. It almost looked as though he'd gained decades of age in the few months he'd been imprisoned. His gray eyes were shot through with red and dark shadows beneath them suggested sleepless nights. He was a far cry from the almost perfect specimen of an earth pony he'd once been. But his figure was imposing nonetheless and his rage was a palpable force throughout the room.

Wight blinked and rolled his eyes up in thought for a moment before regarding Terra again. "Oh! I'd forgotten all about you. That's curious, I thought you would have been amongst the recruits for my little air force." He tilted his head to one side. "It must have been because you weren't housed with the general prisoners." As usual, there was no taunt in Wight's tone. He spoke as though he were simply having trouble recalling a memory of an unimportant event.

"Are you really him?" demanded Terra, "Are you really our Holy Father, the Supreme Pontiff?”

Wight shrugged indifferently. A second later, patches of pink began to spread across his coat, like new skin suddenly growing over his body. After a few seconds, the familiar form of Morning Star stood before Terra, looking just as he had the last time that Terra had seen him. "In the flesh," he said, "Though there's a bit more to it. I doubt that matters to you, though."

"Everything I did, it was for the good of Equestria, for the good of ponykind," Terra snarled as he advanced. A single step from his hoof made the floor jump. It seemed that, despite his emaciated state, his magic was just as potent as ever. "I fought with the whole of my body and soul because I believed our cause was just, because I believed that Princess Celestia had blessed us, because I believed that Nightmare Moon and her ilk were a poison upon this world.

"Then I came to Ponyville and I found one of Princess Celestia's personal champions there, one who fought me and called everything I had fought for false. When I met Princess Celestia herself, she scorned me and gave me nothing but disgust for all that I had done in her name. I languished in her dungeon whilst her niece tried incessantly to pry knowledge of the Order from me. I refused to answer any of her queries because I still held hope that this was just another test of my faith, that Princess Celestia was testing my resolve..."

Terra waved a hoof, his gesture encompassing the throne room and all it contained. "Are you telling me that it was all a lie?"

Wight stood there, his expression impassive, raising an eyebrow. When he saw that Terra seemed to truly expect an answer from him, Wight spoke. "Yep. Pretty much."

The angry rumble that escaped from Terra's snout set the floor to shaking. Small chunks of stone that littered around the throne room, fragments of the previous battles, danced and bounced about. The palpable feeling of Terra's rage doubled and the entire room became heavy beneath the weight of his killing intent.

Kombu let out a frightened whimper and shrank back from the powerful earth pony warrior, one who was said to have mastered the Mountain Root. Beneath his hooves, he felt the floor tip, as though he were in danger of sliding across the marble and landing right at Terra's hooves. He scrabbled backwards, but that did not lessen the feeling that he was about to plummet to a very nasty demise.

"All of it..." demanded Terra, "Was it all lies?"

Wight blinked in confusion. "What? Are you asking for an actual percentage of lies to truth or something...That's just silly-wait! Hold on." Once again, he turned his eyes upwards in thought. "That's a bit tricky to answer. I tried to use the truth as much as possible, since I wasn't very good a lying when I started this. Naturally, that didn't go very far, because there wasn't much truth to go on to begin with.

"I mean...you could consider the previous works and directives of the Order that I drew upon as truth, sort of...I was building off what they said. That said, I did lie quite a bit. I lied when I couldn't sufficiently stretch the truth to suit my needs. I lied whenever it was convenient for me and I had a reasonable hope of pulling it off without getting it caught. I lied especially hard when it came to justifying the foci for the array as temples. I even went so far as to doctor the 'ancient texts' I 'found' so that I could show anypony who was curious just how I had 'discovered' the array's design. I was actually disappointed that nopony ever asked to see them. I'd put a lot of work into that after all."

The low rumble emanating from Terra reached fever-pitch. The floor beneath his hooves cracked and he abruptly sank a solid inch, as though he'd gained several tons of weight in less than a second. His eyes narrowed and his muscles, thin and atrophied though they were, tensed like springs as he sank into a crouch.

The motion roused Wight from his introspection and his mutterings ceased as he saw that Terra was preparing to attack. "I really wouldn't advise that," said Wight calmly, clearly unbothered by Terra's killing intent, "As skilled as you are in the ways of the Mountain Root, you don't have any hope of doing me any harm. I suggest you be on your way...perhaps find something productive to do with your life. I no longer have any need for your loyalty after all."

If Wight's words were meant to calm Terra's rage, they were severely ill-considered. Instead, it was like trying to douse an open flame with a stream of lamp oil. Terra let out an outraged roar. In an instant, he was within arm's reach of Wight, looking as though he'd crossed the distance between them in a single step. However, the sequence of impacting sounds against the floor and the cratered hoofsteps left in Terra's wake said otherwise. Terra slammed all four of his hooves simultaneously into the floor and leaned forward to strike...

...Only to be cut off by a flash of white that crossed his vision. In an instant, a single white wing sprouted from Wight's left shoulder and slashed across in front of him. The feathers carved through Terra's flesh with frightening ease. Even though it was strengthened with all the power he could muster as a practitioner of the Mountain Root, Terra's flesh parted easily. His hindquarters were sent flying off to the side of the throne room, while his front half went tumbling just past Wight Shade's left side, both halves of his body leaving a bloody trail as they went.

Though he felt the life ebbing from his body, Terra was determined not to let Wight off without landing at least one blow. Terra slammed his forehooves into the floor and pushed off, ignoring pain and his faltering physical strength, fueling his actions purely with his magic and will, pushing himself far beyond the limits of what even the greatest of earth ponies should have been capable of in his current state.

With just his forelegs, Terra was able to launch the remaining half of his body into the air in a leap that carried him over Wight so that he would descend upon Wight's back like a falling boulder, his hooves outstretched to deliver his absolute final blow.

In an instant, five more white wings burst out of Wight's back, all angling upward, their feathers splayed out and piercing through Terra's flesh as though it were paper. For a second, Terra hung suspended from the countless feathers pierced through him, his hooves mere inches away from Wight's spine. Then the wings disappeared into a flurry of blurs, slicing Terra's body to pieces and scattering the dismembered parts across the room so completely that not even a single drop of blood landed on Wight's body.

Wight Shade stood there, one hoof slightly upraised, his mouth hanging open as though he'd been intending to say something else to Terra before he attacked. "Um..." His eyes traced the path of Terra's line of attack, trying to figure out what had just happened. "Uh..." He looked overhead where Terra had been about to crush him only seconds earlier. "Well..." He cast his eyes about the room, taking in the spectacle of the scattered chunks of flesh and globules of blood, as well as the severed set of hindquarters lying off to one side of the room. "...Never mind then. Now that I think about it, I don't think he was ever really one for listening. I always had to work really hard to get through to him when he was in one of his moods. I guess it's a good thing I upgraded the auto-defense function of my wings. I didn't even see what he did."

"You!?"

Wight's eyes snapped back to the main doors of the throne room as yet another visitor arrived. The ebony colt stared at Wight Shade with wide eyes, fully displaying their turquoise color and slit-shaped pupils. Dawn Lightwing stood there, aghast at what he saw.

Author's Notes:

And there goes Terra. I suspect he will not be missed...by the audience at least. That was the main reason this story sports the gore tag. The story of Perlin's redemption isn't exactly over yet. Unfortunately, that would be a sidestory epic in and of itself, so, at best, you might get a highlights reel in the next story (and yes, there is a next story).

Next chapter: Twilight Sparkle chats with a very special guest.

Inside and Out

Chapter 34: Inside and Out

"Where am I?"

Twilight blinked and looked around. It took her a moment to realize that she was having trouble thinking. The back of her mind was working furiously, numbers and equations, accompanied by symbols and information dredged up from her memories dancing through her thoughts continuously. Twilight's impulse was to lose herself in and analyze the information that was flowing through her consciousness. However, she realized that something was compelling at least part of her mind to focus on the constant stream of knowledge.

"What was I doing?" She blinked again and realized that she didn't feel anything. No...that wasn't quite right. She didn't have eyes or eyelids to blink. She didn't actually feel anything at all. Her mind was sending reflexive signals to body parts that didn't exist in this space.

If they don't exist then...am I dead?

No. That didn't feel quite right. Twilight didn't exactly feel alive, but she was sure that she wasn't dead either. If that was the case, then her mind was currently segregated from her physical functions. In this space, if it could even be considered a space in the normal sense, she existed purely as a being of intellect. Here, she had only her mind. Her body, her horn, even her magic were beyond her reach right now.

What am I doing here?

Recalling her most recent memories was an uphill battle. Twilight had to battle through the loss of focus caused by the constant deluge of information running through her mind as it worked through calculations and deciphered information automatically. Finally, she was able to piece together the sequence of events that had led her here. She remembered Wight Shade, she remembered fighting him. She remembered losing...

Wight Shade captured me then.

Now it all made sense. Her current state, the busy state of her mind as it was flooded with information concerning Dark Matter, the fact that it was working furiously of its own volition, without her conscious input; Wight had captured her and had apparently linked her mind to his array. He was having her run the numbers for the final steps leading up to its full activation. He was using her knowledge and her mental capabilities to speed the process along.

Swift Stride warned me that Wight Shade would probably do this, she thought bitterly, He was even willing to kill me to stop this. He was right all along.

"Maybe," said a taunting voice, one that sent shivers down Twilight's nonexistent spine. It was a voice she remembered all too well, from one of the most difficult crises she had faced since taking up the Element of Magic. "For a given value of 'right,' of course," continued the voice, "That stallion has always been clever about finding ways to make an answer the 'right' one."

With a sound of snapping fingers and a pop, there he was. His figure was an asymmetrical hodgepodge of mismatched parts, from dragon to pony to goat to eagle and so on. The gleefully amused look in his yellow eyes and his low, cackling chuckles made the hairs of Twilight's coat (again, nonexistent) stand on end. "Discord."

"In the flesh...or not," said the draconequus with a shrug, "Technically, I'm still imprisoned by the stasis field that he put around my body. Of course, he's operating on the idea that he can isolate me from the chaos he is unleashing by treating chaos as a particular energy value. He figures that if he can maintain my immediate surroundings in a constant, static state, he can keep me from getting out."

"And can he?" asked Twilight.

Discord raised an eyebrow and gave Twilight a flat look. "You know, Twilight Sparkle, it's much easier to converse with you as a pony, not some disembodied intellect. Why don't you give yourself...something...a body...I don't know."

"My mind is the only thing in here!" she snapped.

"Then how are you talking to me?" deadpanned Discord, "I mean, you don't have a mouth...or lungs...or vocal chords...or a throat to keep them in. But you're talking to me now."

"That's-" Twilight cut herself off as she thought about the situation. Again, it was difficult to remain focused with the flood of information always threatening to overwhelm her mind. But she began to reason through her predicament. Even before Discord had posed the question to her, her mind had generated sensations from body parts that did not exist in this space. It was all in her mind, which meant that her current state here was all in her mind as well.

Concentrating, Twilight remembered her body, the feel of her limbs, the blood flowing through her veins, the muscles and the skin over them. It took her a moment, but soon she was actually standing there as herself, as a unicorn, not merely as a disembodied mass of consciousness.

"Much better," said Discord, looking her over and smirking approvingly, "It's so much nicer to have somepony to talk to instead of just somebrain."

"Back to what you were talking about earlier," said Twilight, "Can you get out?"

"Maybe," said Discord, "Chaos is not some kind of energy that I can be isolated from. It's a status of existence and my link to it is hardly effected by such silly notions as physical space and time. Given what that stallion is doing, I'll probably have a hard time staying imprisoned, even if I want to."

"You want to?" asked Twilight, "I thought you'd love to get out. After all Wight's careful planning and organization, you should throw it all into shambles."

"I'd considered that," said Discord, scratching his chin idly with one eagle-clawed hand, "But then I looked at his ultimate aim. That stallion is pushing the limits of reality itself, delving past the bounds of what could ever be considered sane or safe. He's taking us to a point where the laws that govern the world and reality will break down, unleashing even I don't know what on the world. It's practically the ultimate kind of chaos. What more could I want?"

"You mean you want him to succeed?" demanded Twilight.

"Maybe," said Discord with taunting grin, "It would be fairly amusing to see him trip over his hooves and watch everything he worked for crumble to the ground as well. Either way, I'll get what I want out of this affair if I just sit back and watch. You ponies are amazing that way. You do realize that I get most of my strength from your kind, don't you."

"Strength?" asked Twilight.

"Of course," said Discord, "You ponies are half-chaos by nature. Most sapient beings are. You couldn't survive without it after all. It's the driving force behind innovation, that spark that goads you to try new things, and the switch that causes you to realize possibilities that you'd never considered before. Your precious Elements of Harmony wouldn't work without it."

"But the Elements of Harmony imprisoned you," protested Twilight.

"Because I represent an extreme," replied Discord, now idly considering his lion paw, "I'm chaos all the way. Harmony isn't about enforcing order over chaos or anything else. It's all about balancing opposing forces, maintaining equilibrium, like trying to balance on a high-wire in the middle of an earthquake."

"Thanks for that cheerful image," grumbled Twilight.

"Let me put it this way," said Discord, leering at the lavender mare, "You were perfectly happy and content with your life as Celestia's perfect little student. You could read your books day in and day out. You learned your lessons, mastered your spells and so on...You were perfectly content with your status in life and had no need to branch out. Your life was perfectly orderly. That being the case, what in the world compelled you to go out and make friends?"

"That's easy," said Twilight, "I found out about Nightmare Moon's return and Celestia sent me to Ponyville-"

"-to make some friends," finished Discord, cutting her off, "not to prepare for the return of her wayward sister, not to find the Elements of Harmony, but to oversee the preparations for her little festival and 'make some friends.'"

"But she did that be-" began Twilight, only to be cut off by Discord as he spoke again.

"But you certainly had no interest in that. You wanted to prepare for Nightmare Moon's arrival anyway. You didn't want to bother with all the ponies who approached you, who spoke to you, who tried to get to know you. You wanted to shove them all to the side as quickly as possible and get back to what was important."

"Yes...but..." Twilight struggled to answer him. After all, that wasn't as important as what happened afterwards; the challenges they'd endured as they made their way through the treacherous Everfree to the Castle of the Royal Sisters to uncover the Elements, how those challenges had brought them together. Those things had forged a bond between her and the ponies that she would consider her friends.

"But that's not quite the case," said Discord, as though he'd read her mind, "After all, they were able assistants to help you along your way. But that wasn't what was important. Defeating poor little Luna was. Those ponies were just stepping stones, boxes on a checklist. Why did they matter to you?" His smile widened. "It's because of that spark of chaos that led you to do something you'd never even considered before. You ended up embracing the idea of friendship, something you should have had no time for."

"That's..." Twilight sighed. She supposed Discord had a point. "What are you getting at anyway."

"Me...I'm just passing the time," said Discord, abruptly throwing himself back and resting the back of his head on his folded arms, reclining in empty space, "The show can't start until you finish Wight Shade's calculations for him, so I'm just staying occupied."

An angry snort burst out of Twilight's nostrils. However, she thought about it and realized that she might've had a chance here. "Of course," she said, "I figured you might say that."

"Hmm?" Discord raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever else I can say about you," said Twilight, wearing a smirk of her own now, "At least I can say you're consistent."

"Consistent!" barked Discord, sitting upright and glaring at Twilight, "I am the Lord of Chaos and Disharmony. I am never consistent!"

"But never being consistent makes you consistently inconsistent," said Twilight, taking her turn to taunt Discord.

"I-" Discord froze, his mouth working silently for a moment, one finger raised as though he were going to deliver an important point. Then he began to vigorously shake his head. "No! Oh nonononoonono Miss Sparkle. Don't you dare try to logic-bomb me!"

"Why not?" asked Twilight slyly, "It's true, isn't it?"

"Enough of that! I'm not going to help you and that's that!" replied Discord stubbornly, folding his arms and pouting like a foal angry that he'd been denied a treat. The sight made Twilight giggle.

The sound of her laugh caused Discord to drop his disgruntled expression and look at her in confusion. "And just what is it that you find so funny?"

"Just that you don't seem like such a terrible creature," said Twilight after she recovered from her bout of good humor, "It almost makes me think we could be friends."

That clearly surprised Discord and he actually spent a moment goggling at her. Finally, he let out a sigh. "I honestly don't know why I'm doing this. I'm probably going to regret it and miss out on the most chaotic thing I've seen in ages. But I suppose this existence would be much poorer without ponies like you in it."

He leaned down and gently tapped her forehead at the base of her horn. "You have everything you need to get out of this little predicament right here. You just have to finish what you started when you were captured."

"That's it?" asked Twilight.

"It's not so easy," said Discord, "I'm sure you've noticed that your mind is a little busy right now. If you want to stop your enemy's work, you're going to have to finish it and then take control of it. But he isn't going to let you and he's watching to make sure that you don't try to."

"Then I can't," said Twilight.

"Not by yourself," said Discord, "Something is going to have to happen to distract Wight Shade, to draw his attention completely so that he has none left to focus on you. You're going to have to take advantage of that opportunity to take control of his Dark Matter." He gave Twilight a taunting grin. "Come now Twilight Sparkle, surely it isn't asking so much to suggest that you have faith in your friends."

He pulled back. "But why quibble? This is going to be a lovely show and I simply must have the best seat in the house to see how it all turns out. Ta ta." With a snap of his fingers, he vanished with another pop, leaving Twilight alone.

Grumbling about draconequi who thought too highly of themselves, Twilight turned her thoughts inward to analyze the stream of information passing through her mind. As she suspected, it all pertained to Wight Shade's Dark Matter, particularly the Dark Matter his array was composed of. This is it, she realized, If I can analyze this information, I can work out how to stop the array. Then it's just a matter of putting it to work. But to do that, I need to come up with magic that will let me actually take control.

It wasn't going to be a easy. A substantial portion of her mind was already forcefully occupied by the calculations needed to activate the array. Twilight would be forced to use what was left of her cognitive abilities to develop the new magic she needed to turn things around.

Dawn Lightwing could only stare. It wasn’t the scattered remains of Terra Heart that held his attention, nor the unfamiliar unicorn cowering off to one side of the throne room, nor was it the column and the hazy figure of a unicorn imprisoned within. It wasn’t even the massive stalactite of polished crystal that seemed to hang from nothing in the center of the large, open room. No. What held Dawn’s complete and total attention was the pony standing in front of him, the pink unicorn with a mane going through shades of orange and yellow, the color of the sky at sunrise.

“You?” gasped Dawn.

Wight Shade looked around in confusion, apparently not realizing that Dawn was focused on him. “Me?” he asked tentatively, gesturing to himself.

“You don’t look like Wight Shade,” said Dawn, his eyes narrowing.

It took Wight a moment to process Dawn’s words. Then he blinked and looked down, having forgotten that he’d changed his appearance. “Oh! Right. Of course. I’d forgotten that I’d done this for Terra’s sake. These are the colors I had as Morning Star.” He blinked for a moment and stared at Dawn again, tilting his head to one side with a quizzical expression, as though he was trying to recover a half-forgotten memory. “That’s right. I’d forgotten that we’ve met already. You’ve gotten so big since the first time I saw you.”

Dawn pursed his lips. "You were lacking a horn back then. I think I remember it just being a stump."

Wight bobbed his head in acknowledgment. "So it was. That was back before I'd figured out that I could supply myself with this," he gestured to the off-white horn, sheathed in what looked like crystal that he now sported, "I was still working on developing the theory for that." As he spoke, his coat, mane, and tail seemed to glaze over and flake off, as though it were snakeskin. The flakes left behind his brown coat and off-white mane, leaving him the colors of Wight Shade once more.

"So you were with the Cult Solar, even then?" asked Dawn.

"Technically, I was the Cult Solar back then," said Wight, "As I told Celestia a few weeks back, the Order was practically extinct when I found out about them. I figured that revitalizing them would give me the helpers I needed to finish the array in a reasonable period of time. Back when we met in that village, I was forced to do much of my own recruiting. Your arrival actually proved fortuitous to me."

Dawn's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You lied and told everypony I was a monster. You insisted that I was the one behind every misfortune in their lives."

"Yes," agreed Wight, "Even though I didn't have much practice as a liar back then, even I knew how effective repetition could be. Isn't it amazing how it works? Even if it's a lie, even if nopony believes you, if you say something often enough...ponies will ultimately begin to be swayed."

Dawn stalked forward. "You made my life a misery," he said, "And you did it solely for the sake of your project."

"True," said Wight, "I'm grateful for your assistance in that respect, however unwitting and unwilling it was. If it's any consolation, it's Terra Heart whose remains are currently scattered around the room. I think that, this time, assuming nopony else comes and tries the same thing I did, the Cult Solar will die off for real this time."

"That is hardly encouraging," said Dawn, "You still have to answer for your crimes and you need to be stopped."

Wight sighed and looked down. "I tire of this conversation. So stop me already."

Dawn vanished. His hooves kicked off the floor and he arrowed down the length of the room, heading straight for Wight. At the last second, Dawn's instincts screamed that he was in danger. He kicked out in front of him, bringing his charge to an abrupt halt. As he did so, he channeled all his forward momentum into his wings, sweeping them forward, drawing the air around him and turning it into a powerful blast that rushed towards the unicorn in front of him.

Wight's wings had already burst from his back again and blurred to intercept Dawn's attack. Had Dawn not checked his rush, the wings would have intercepted him as well. As it was, the feathers of three of the wings seem to dissolve into a swirling cloud without any real form. The burst of compressed air slammed into them and then scattered. The remaining three wings lashed out at Dawn, seeming to expand and extend across the distance between them. Dawn skipped sideways as one slashed downwards at him, then darted upwards so that the second cut through the air below him. The third aimed to catch him as he went upwards, but Dawn kicked out and twisted, sending his body into a roll that just barely carried him over the arc of the wing's swing. As he did, he whipped one wing out, spreading the feathers out and holding it like it was a large blade. He swept it across, seemingly drawing a line in the air in front of him.

The crescent-shaped blade of air whistled faintly as hit headed straight for Wight Shade's head. However, once again, one of Wight's wings swept up and intercepted the blade, which seemed to simply vanish against the feathers without touching them.

Wight's eyes darted about, trying to track Dawn's movements. As it was, the colt was moving far too fast for him to actually see. Were it not for the automatic responses built into Wight's wings, Dawn would have killed him with the first strike. "Very interesting," said Wight as the wings on his right side whipped out to intercept another blast of air, "I'm impressed that he can press my defenses this hard. He's certainly faring better than Terra Heart did."

Dawn's attacks seemed to come at him from all sides, the colt a black blur as he rushed about the room, launching blasts of wind, vacuum blades, and even bolts of lightning from every conceivable angle. Wight's wings were a blur of motion as they whipped about his body, fending off those attacks and not letting a single one through.

So it seems he isn't going to let this end easily, thought Dawn, Those wings far surpass my reflexes. The only option I have is to use the same skill I used against Perlin and Flash Spark.

As he moved, Dawn closed his eyes, letting his body move automatically. He abandoned attacking for the moment, simply letting himself dodge whenever he sensed Wight's wings going on the attack. He took as deep a breath as he could under the circumstances and let his mind go blank. He let the anger he felt at facing the stallion who had been the ultimate author of most of the misery he'd suffered throughout his life bleed away from his thoughts. His anger would give his attacks power, but he couldn't let it control him.

"I don't think so," said Wight abruptly. His horn uncoiled into a helix. There was a flash from the base, channeled up through the center of the helix.

Dawn's instincts screamed a warning at him again. There was no disturbance in the air, nothing to indicate an attack was coming. He knew where all of Wight's wings were, so there was nothing that could presently hit him. All the same, Dawn felt as though he was in severe danger. However, he had no notion of how to evade the attack. His ears filled with a sound like a large balloon collapsing. His lungs briefly felt as though they were packed with cement and it was as though his body was seized in a minotaur's massive fist and squeezed tightly. Dawn was briefly beset by the feeling of being squeezed out of his position like toothpaste from a tube and slammed into a wall.

The fall to the floor was just short enough that he didn't have time to recover and catch himself, and just far enough to be painful in its own right. Collapsing onto his stomach, his entire body trembling, Dawn gasped for breath, feeling faint trickles of blood running from his nose and ears, the latter of which rang incessantly.

"I got to watch your battle with Perlin," said Wight, "You impressed me a great deal. Performing magic that surpasses physical laws is supposed to be the purview of unicorns. I suppose, since magic is ultimately magic whoever uses it, it is within the capability of even pegasi and earth ponies to do the same in their own way. I never imagined that you would invoke a force that could harm Dark Matter I tailored for combat."

Looking up, Dawn could see Wight Shade approaching. Though his vision was swimming too much to make out Wight's expression, Dawn imagined it was something approaching pleased interest in the subject before him.

"Perlin impressed me as well," Wight said, "By the end of that fight, he was finding uses for his wings that surpassed my original design for them. I suppose that is how it goes for warriors like you. I find it endlessly fascinating that ponies like you and him can continually exceed my expectations to such an extent.

"It disappoints me to dispose of such an interesting subject. However, you are a little too dangerous to be allowed to interfere with my work. It's too bad, Dawn Lightwing. I originally had no intention of killing you. But, for the sake of my work, you need to die."

Wight's wings rushed in, their feathers driving forward like daggers, aiming to burry themselves into the colt's flesh. Still reeling from Wight's magical assault earlier, Dawn's body nonetheless reacted automatically. His hooves kicked off the floor and, sweeping his wings downward in a tight arc, Dawn shot upward just as Wight's feathers pierced the floor where he'd been lying.

Once he was off the ground, Dawn shot forward, the course of his flight taking him directly above Wight's back. As he did so, he snapped his wings downward, launching several bolts of lightning off his feathers, aiming, not for Wight, but the ground around him. Though Wight's wings whirled about to protect the stallion from attack, only a few of Dawn's bolts were apparently determined to be dangerous enough to actively deflect. Even those were simply batted off to the side slightly. However, when they struck the floor, they exploded, launching shards of marble everywhere and, more importantly, filling the air with several claps of thunder that assailed Wight from all directions.

Though Wight's vision and hearing were cut off by the flash and boom of the attack, his wings continued to work flawlessly, swatting down any fragments of marble that came near him and keeping his body untouched. Wight blinked and smiled. Ordinary ponies would have found themselves reeling in pain from the cacophony of the thunder and blinded by the light. However, Wight's eyes and ears, along with the rest of his body, were Dark Matter as well. They were different from the durable, inorganic Dark Matter that formed his wings, but they were considerably tougher than the physiology of a normal pony. This kind of attack, utilizing the ambient effects of another attack, wouldn't disable him so easily.

Wight also knew that Dawn had to be aware of that on some level. Dawn hadn't been aiming to beat Wight with that attack, but distract him. Wight knew that Dawn was aiming to try and summon that shining wind that had proved so effective against Perlin and Flash Spark. This amounted to little more than an attempt to buy time.

Up above, Dawn was indeed attempting to once again clear his mind and enter that thoughtless state that allowed him to unleash his full power. However, even as he took a deep breath, it was driven from his lungs by another magical assault, this one making Dawn feel as though he was being turned inside out and pulled at from a variety of directions. Whatever the spell's nature was, it drove him up against the throne room's ceiling with enough force to make his spine pop before he ended up dropping down again. Spreading his wings, Dawn barely managed to abate his fall. At the last second, he threw himself clumsily aside to avoid being slashed by Wight's wings. The dodge sent him skidding across the floor and coming to a stop against the wall again.

"Quite persistent," said Wight as he approached.

Groaning, Dawn struggled to his hooves, preparing to take off again. However, Wight's helix-shaped horn flashed again, the unknown magic blowing the colt off his hooves and slamming his head into the wall hard enough that Dawn saw stars. Squirming weakly, Dawn tried to get up again, but Wight's next magical assault drove him down against the floor.

Trembling, Dawn's legs bent as he tried to get them underneath him again. However, they ultimately refused to obey him, instead pushing and sliding on the cracked and broken marble. The only thing Dawn's body seemed to want to do now was get as far away from Wight Shade as equinely possible.

"Ah...finally..." said Wight, "I'm very impressed. It only took two hits for Princess Celestia to unconsciously give up on fighting me. You should be proud that it took twice as many blows for you.

"Normally I would deem this a sufficient outcome and leave you there. But you have proven time and again that you are far more formidable than I could possibly predict. So I will finish you off here." Wight's wings rose up, poising to strike down at Dawn...

...Only for one of them to blur across Wight's side to swat a small object that was flying at him. It exploded violently, flooding the air with fire and smoke. Dawn momentarily forgotten, Wight Shade turned to regard the source of the weapon that he'd just blocked. "Ah...I figured that you would be here sooner or later."

Simply lifting his head hurt. But Dawn raised it anyway, trying to see what Wight was seeing. Swift Stride stood at the entrance of the throne room, looking bruised, battered, and cut. His clothing was tattered and torn and his worst injury was a long gash running down his left flank, drops of blood soaking into his clothes and then dribbling onto the floor.

Swift grinned, though said smile was shaky and weak. "I'm not a pony to disappoint," he said blithely, "I was planning on killing Twilight Sparkle before you could use her, but that plan looks like a wash now."

"I'd like to thank you for that," said Wight, "The idea hadn't even occurred to me until the first time you'd tried to kill her. I'm monitoring her work even now and what she's accomplishing in minutes what would have taken me hours on my own."

Dawn blinked. It was for a fraction of a second, but he'd noticed the barest upturn of Swift's lips, a sign of him grinning even wider than before, before he'd stopped the change and kept his normal expression. Wight hadn't noticed, mostly because Swift's default expression was typically a grin of some sort. What is he planning?

"That so?" said Swift, "Well...it looks like it's back to Plan B then, killing you before you can finish up."

"That's going to be difficult for you," said Wight. His horn was coiling back up into its normal configuration. "Your fight with Arkenstone has clearly left you worse for wear. I don't think you're in any position to challenge me. Besides, it's not as though any of your explosives or poisons could harm me. My current body doesn't react to mundane toxins."

"You might be right," said Swift, "But if memory serves, I managed to one-up your Dark Matter once before."

"Those were explosives improvised from my Dark Matter itself," countered Wight, spreading his wings, "You used them to damage the focus of my array. Granted, it was an impressive feat, but without those resources, you don't have the means to harm me."

Swift chuckled dryly. "You mean you thought that I only helped myself to enough of your leftover broken parts to pull off that one trick." He held up another object in his hoof. This one was a cylinder, off-white in color, a shade matching Wight's horn actually. "I took all that I could carry and I spent the past few weeks working on making a few bombs specifically for you."

Wight's eyes narrowed. For the first time since Dawn had ever seen him, he saw something approaching genuine frustration in Wight's expression.

"Catch!" shouted Swift, lobbing the cylinder at Wight.

Wight's wings reacted instantly, curving forward to intersect in front of him, forming a solid, curved wall of feathers between him and the approaching bomb. The projectile smacked into Wight's feathers. The stallion behind them tensed, preparing for the blast...only for nothing to happen. The bomb didn't go off, but instead dropped to the floor with a small clatter.

"Sorry, but I lied," said Swift with a cackle, "I hope you're not too attached to that focus of yours, 'cause it's about to go boom!"

Even as Wight had prepared to defend himself, Swift had waited until Wight's view of him had been cut off thrown a second white cylinder, this time aiming for the array's central focus, hanging, unprotected in the center of the throne room.

"No!" shouted Wight, displaying genuine shock and surprise for once. Spinning about, he focused on the cylinder. In less than a second, his horn uncoiled again. There was another flash and the cylinder seemed to suck in on itself, disappearing in mid air. There was a brief instant of silence, then a low, muffled exploding noise. Colorless light flashed out from the point where the bomb had disappeared. Dawn was blown up against the wall, cringing and groaning as the shockwave washed over him. Even Wight was driven back, his hooves skidding across the floor.

The explosion had barely faded when Swift spoke again. "Sorry, but I was lying about lying," he said, "I learned some pretty useful things about your Dark Matter, how to fashion bombs...and how to delay the explosion."

Wight's eyes immediately went to the bomb resting near his hooves, his eyes going wide, a note of panic in them. Light blazed out from his uncoiled horn yet again. However, the bomb was already in the process of exploding. Far faster than the stallion himself could react, Wight's wings crossed in front of him, creating a barrier between him and the explosion, even as his magic tried to remove the source from existence.

This much closer to him and with Wight being delayed in his reaction, the bomb's explosion blew him off his hooves. Dawn could see the feathers of his wings scattering through the air, many of them broken and shattered, as though they were made of glass. Knocked backwards, Wight's wings worked furiously to try and right him. However, one of them was almost completely broken, a shattered stump trailing fragments of feathers as it flapped awkwardly through the air. Another one looked as though it were a glass sculpture that had been struck by a hard object, for all that it was still moving. Black cracks criss-crossed the feathery surface, displacing pieces of some feathers. The remaining four wings seemed whole and undamaged.

As Wight landed, Dawn saw something else that surprised him. The fur beneath Wight's nose was damp, some sort of clear liquid draining out. Dawn wondered if that was what passed for blood in Wight Shade's body.

Landing on his hooves, Wight went skidding back back, his hooves pushing through the broken parts of the floor, making him stumble slightly. Barely managing to remain upright, he looked up at Swift with a grimace. "That hurt," he said.

Swift didn't answer him because he was already on the move. The distance between him and Wight vanished in an instantly. However, even as Swift reached Wight, the unicorn's wings were already blurring into motion, two crossing to intercept Swift's hoof before it could touch their master, whilst the other two struck at him from either side. Swift jumped, flipping over and to the right, his flip carrying him over the wing on that side. Even as he did so, Swift scattered several small spheres in his wake. One of the wings that had been defending Wight whipped outward, knocking the spheres away, scattering them into the air around the two combatants. The orbs burst like firecrackers, filling the air with flashing sparks of light and noise.

Swift's hooves had barely touched the ground when he sank down so low that his belly was nearly scraping the cracked and broken marble. Somehow maintaining his absurdly low posture, he launched himself back at Wight, the movement coming so quickly that even a well-trained martial artist would have been completely off-guard by its abruptness and logic-defying appearance.

Wight Shade was no martial artist. Nor, it seemed, did he need to be one. His wings reacted automatically even as Wight turned his head, looking for Swift's location. They were already blocking Swift's strike as the black-garbed earth pony drove upwards from his low position, thrusting his shoulder at Wight's barrel. One of Wight's wings seemed to shrink in size so that it could move in close, intercepting Swift's blow. There was a clap of noise and the force of the blocked attack managed to actually lift Wight's hooves clear of the floor again.

Turning about, Wight reared up, all four of his undamaged wings thrusting down at Swift, trying to spear him with their feathers. Swift went from his upward attack into a downward roll that carried him past the wings' point of attack, barely escaping as they smashed the floor where he'd been standing. As his roll carried him onto his back, Swift kicked upwards with all four of his hooves, driving them towards Wight's chest. This time, it was the two damaged wings that moved to intercept the strikes, the impact actually driving Wight back further.

Two of Wight's wings flapped to keep him airborne and moving as he fell back from Swift Stride's onslaught. Swift followed, pressing the offensive, always keeping his body low to the ground, whether on his hooves or on his back, striking upward, bracing himself against the earth to deliver the full force of his strength into even the most awkward-looking blows. Swift's movements were halting, awkward looking, and unpredictable. He would seem to stumble one way then lurch another. His strikes hurtled upwards at Wight's chest and belly from below, a position where, if Wight had been a pegasus or an alicorn, his wings could have been hard-pressed to shield him.

However, Wight's defense did not falter. His wings were white blurs around his body, intercepting each strike and striking in return with just as much force. However strong he was, Swift apparently didn't trust his strength to ward off the wings' blows and focused on evading them instead. The wings bent and articulated in ways that the wings of pegasi and alicorns could not, often moving as though they were simply masses of feathers, lacking any kind of bone or muscle structure, allowing Wight to defend parts of his body that would normally be left completely vulnerable. What was more, even though Wight's eyes moved frantically, betraying that he was utterly unable to keep up with the pace of the exchange, his wings, nonetheless, continued to defend him flawlessly. The mysterious magical intelligence that controlled them worked more swiftly than even Wight Shade's own mind and senses could. The battle, it seemed, was a complete stalemate.

Then Wight's uncoiled horn flared again. The air filled with that hollow, bursting noise and Swift's body was blown backwards. Dawn, who'd been feeling a vague sense of hope as the battle continued once again felt despair creeping back into his gut. Even Swift Stride can't figure out a way to fight him. Then, to Dawn's surprise, Swift turned his backwards tumble into an arcing flip that allowed him to land on his hooves once again.

However, even as Swift landed, Wight's horn flared again. This time, Dawn sensed something else. He felt the tugging sensation of the world tilting towards Swift, the ground beneath him actually creaking. He wasn't sure what Swift had done, but the stallion had assuredly done something. Swift's body seemed to tense and he crouched slightly. That bursting noise sounded again...

To Dawn's eyes, Swift's form seemed to double, triple even, the kind of sight that generally occurred only when a pony's eyes were failing. It was also similar to how Dawn and other ponies, even Swift Stride himself, sometimes left afterimages if they moved quickly and abruptly enough. However, this was no illusion due speed, nor was it a sign of Dawn's own eyes going bad. Rather, it was as though the space around and within Swift Stride had distorted briefly. It lasted only an instant and then Swift looked normal once again. He sagged slightly and coughed.

He defended! thought Dawn in shock, It doesn't seem that there's a way to evade the attack, but he managed to find a way to abate its force somehow. A trickle of blood leaked out of Swift's nose. It looks like he wasn't completely successful. But that means that defense is possible.

The trembling feeling that had suffused Dawn's body began to quiet and he felt his muscles relax. The revelation that there might be a way to block or deflect Wight's seemingly impossible magical attacks had apparently been enough to convince the Dawn's unconscious instincts that battle was still possible, that there might be a way to win this fight.

"Truly remarkable," said Wight with a smile, "I hadn't though it possible to block my magic in that manner. Do you think you could manage it again?"

"If it's all the same, I'd rather not find out," said Swift grimly. Though he was still smiling, it was clear to everypony observing that he was not in the best of shape. The blood continued to drip down from the gash that he'd received from Arkenstone. His legs trembled, clearly having trouble holding him up.

"Unfortunate then," said Wight. His horn flared again.

Dawn heard Swift's intake of breath and only felt the beginnings of the stallion drawing upon the earth's power before Wight's spell hit. This time, Swift was driven straight down into the ground, clearly not blocking the spell even half as well as he had the last time. Wight didn't mince words, instead attacking again...and again...and again...and again... His horn flared repeatedly, each time, his spell driving Swift down into floor harder and harder. The marble cracked and groaned, then broke and sagged, as Swift sank down into a crater that grew deeper with each successive blow before Wight's spell slammed him through the floor completely and Swift fell down into one of the corridors running beneath the throne room.

Even then, Wight did not let up. His horn continued to flare again and again, the hollow bursting noise sounding out from below the floor as he hit Swift over and over again, clearly taking even fewer chances than he had with Dawn, methodically doing absolutely everything in his power to ensure that Swift Stride did not get up again.

Dawn was only vaguely aware of this. Realizing that this was his chance, he had calmed his breathing and had begun to empty his mind, doing his best to completely relax himself. Right now, while Wight Shade was distracted by Swift Stride, was the best time for him to try and rally himself to attack.

An ordinary attack wouldn't do. Wight Shade's wings, even the ones that were heavily damaged, could ward off even the mightiest blows of the Gale King's more mundane techniques. As for the damaged wings, Dawn hadn't failed to notice that they were beginning to repair themselves. During that furious exchange with Swift Stride, those wings had continued to shed the broken pieces of feathers until only the undamaged ones remained. Then, the feathers began to replenish themselves, the wings slowly growing back to their previous span. Their speed and precision was uncanny, allowing them to defend from attack even when Wight Shade couldn't follow it, even if he wasn't aware of it. What Dawn needed was a force that would pierce through that defense and strike the stallion beneath it.

Even as he realized this, Dawn knew that he would have only one chance. His own body wasn't in much better shape than Swift's had been when Wight had started pummeling him. Dawn's energy was mostly spent, his fights with Flash Spark and Perlin Bluestreak having drained his reserves. Fighting Wight Shade only a few minutes earlier hadn't helped. The brief reprieve offered by Swift Stride's interference hadn't been nearly enough for Dawn to replenish his depleted reserves. On top of that, his body was battered, both inside and out. Even as he tried to calm his mind and prepare, his body protested, sending Dawn incessant reports about pains in everything from his bones to his inner organs. Even the breath in his lungs rasped dryly, stinging his throat.

Enough of that! Dawn thought crossly at his own body, Even if you hurt, you're still in working order! You can quit after the important work is done. Even as he thought that, Dawn winced at his own foolishness. Scolding his own body wouldn't help in the slightest. What mattered was accepting the pain and acknowledging that, but not letting it distract from what he needed to do. Determined, Dawn continued to sink deeper into a thoughtless state, letting his own feelings of pain flow through him, accepting them as the consequence of his battle and moving on.

Everything hinged on his next strike. And he needed to make that strike before Wight Shade turned his attention away from grinding Swift Stride into a bloody pulp.

Fluttershy squeaked and ducked her head against Rarity's side, trembling as the corridor rattled. It was dark back here, the lamps that had once provided illumination having burned out or broken over the course of the several battles that were apparently taking place in the throne room beyond.

"What should we do?" asked Rarity, looking around at their assembled group. Pinkie Pie was no longer smiling, an uncharacteristically nervous expression decorating her face as her eyes continually flicked to the door that led to the throne room. Applejack was conscious again, but her eyes were glazed and unfocused, barely managing to roll in Rarity's direction when she spoke. Rainbow Dash remained silent and unmoving.

"I don't know," said Pinkie, "But I have a bad feeling. I think something bad happened to Twilight."

"I feel it too," said Fluttershy, nervously glancing at the door, "But what should we do? We came back here because Twilight needed to fight without us being in the way. If something...if she's...what can we do without her?"

"I'm afraid I haven't the slightest notion," admitted Rarity, "We're in sorry shape as it is. I don't believe that we are in any position to help or hinder Twilight."

"But..." said Pinkie, pausing as the throne room rumbled again, "...it sounds like somepony is still fighting over there."

"Yes...but if we go, we might only get in their way," countered Rarity, "Rainbow is the only trained fighter amongst us and, as we can all see, she's not in any shape to be doing anything." Looking around at the battered group, Rarity gritted her teeth. "Oh dash it all!" she shouted in frustration, "We're the Elements of Harmony. We're supposed to be the ones Equestria looks to when all hope is lost. How can we be cowering back here and praying that somepony else succeeds where we've failed?"

Fluttershy nodded. As frightened as she was, she too felt a great deal of frustration at their predicament. She had never once enjoyed the risks they had taken while facing down threats like Nightmare Moon and Discord. Even the thought of facing them again was enough to give Fluttershy nightmares at times, along with the fear of what monstrous forces they would have to face down in the future. It wasn't just the scary things themselves that frightened her, but the thought that so many ponies, their lives and happiness, rode on the shoulders of a cowardly, weak-willed mare like her, a pegasus who could barely fly competently. She was no great warrior, no mighty hero. She was just an ordinary, very frightened pony. If there was anything that could have been said to have been truly extraordinary about her, it was how extraordinarily scared she could be.

In fact, much of that could be applied to the group as a whole. Rarity was a seamstress, a dressmaker. She had no business fighting or facing down apocalyptic threats. Applejack was a farmer who, for all that she had a buck that could split a tree in two, was more content tending her orchards than she would ever be wandering hither and yon on adventures. Pinkie Pie's life revolved around parties, making other ponies happy and their lives richer. It was completely at odds with the idea of a fighter, struggling against mighty foes. Even Twilight Sparkle, the pony who led them, was a scholar, rather than a warrior. She was more at home rooting out tomes from the dustiest shelves of her library than she was adventuring. Of all of them, only Rainbow Dash truly had a hero's inclination and she was fixed on doing that through the Wonderbolts.

In a sense, none of them belonged here. Despite that, here they were. However, now they were simply hunkered down and waiting for the noise to stop, having no idea what was going on on the other side of that door. Wight Shade's array could have started up already. The end of the world might very well have already begun whilst they sat and waited. The only thing that Fluttershy did know for sure was that somepony had taken up the battle.

She felt a strange, comforting warmth seep into her skin from the wight around her neck. Looking down, Fluttershy gazed at the Element of Kindness that she wore. The pink butterfly gem was glowing faintly. Seeing it lit like that somehow seemed to ease her fear and slowly rebuild her courage. Looking over, she noticed that Rarity's Element was glowing as well. So was Pinkie's. Even Applejack and Rainbow's Elements were beginning to shine as well.

Another thunderous boom echoed from the other side of the door and Fluttershy was struck by inexplicable knowledge. She couldn't say how. Maybe it was the Element's power, but she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Dawn was out there and he was fighting. That realization snuffed out the remainder of her fear ruthlessly. Fluttershy stood up, her expression firm and determined. There was no way she would cower back here while her son was out there, fighting the very pony that she and her friends had come to stop. Several times already, Fluttershy had found herself waiting at home while Dawn was out fighting some kind of battle in some other place, putting his life at risk for the sake of other ponies.

Not this time, she thought, I'm not leaving Dawn alone this time.

"Fluttershy? What is it?" asked Pinkie, looking at her quizzically.

"We need to go," said Fluttershy, "I'm not sure what we can do, but we can't keep hiding back here."

"I was just getting the same feeling," admitted Rarity. Beside her, Pinkie nodded in agreement.

Abruptly, the Elements around their necks flared brilliantly, the light of their power filling the hallway and washing away the darkness. The warmth that had been seeping into Fluttershy increased and she felt herself slowly growing hotter and hotter, until she was certain that she was about to burst into flames. The warmth filled her all the way to her core, washing away tiredness and fatigue. She felt fresh as a daisy, as though she'd just come off of a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast. Her fear was gone and she felt ready for anything.

"Ugh...wow..." Looking over, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie saw both Applejack and Rainbow Dash getting to their hooves, the two of them looking fully awake, as though they'd never been blown away by that powerful magic Wight Shade wielded.

"Dashie!" shouted Pinkie, immediately tackling the cerulean pegasus, "You're okay!"

"I feel better than okay, Pinkie," said Rainbow with a laugh, "I feel totally awesome."

"Ah'm feelin' a good bit better mahself," said Applejack, looking herself over, "Ah guess these Elements are good fer more than just decoration."

"I should say so," agreed Rarity.

Fluttershy looked around at her friends. "We know what we need to do, right?"

"I think so..." said Rainbow hesitantly, gazing down at the lightning bolt of her own Element, "Twilight...I think we need to get to her...right?"

Fluttershy nodded. "We need to hurry. I think Dawn is out there, fighting."

"Dawn!" shouted Rainbow, her eyes going wide, "No kidding then."

"Ah sure as hay ain't gonna protest," said Applejack, tipping her hat, "But why do ya think we can use the Elements on that Wight Shade feller again. Ah don't think they're gonna do much."

Fluttershy stared pensively down at her Element for a second. "Because...I don't think we're supposed to use them on Wight Shade. I think we need to use them on Twilight. At least, that's what I feel we need to do."

"Landsakes," said Applejack, "Ah hope yer right 'bout that. The last thing Ah wanna do is put Twi in stone for a thousand years."

"If it's any consolation, I don't believe the Elements work quite that way," said Rarity, "The Elements are more like a tool, one that has different uses, depending on the situation. I think Fluttershy is right about us needing to use them on Twilight."

"Well let's not waste anymore time!" said Pinkie, her upbeat demeanor returning with a vigor, "Let's got find Twilight and share all the love and friendship we've got!"

"You said it!" agreed Rainbow with a gusto.

The others nodded in agreement, heading for the door. Much to their surprise, it was Fluttershy who led the way.

Author's Notes:

Next chapter: The end...

The End

Chapter 35: The End

Dawn Lightwing breathed in deeply, letting his chest swell as he drew in as much air as he could inhale comfortably before letting it out slowly. His body was quiet, the pains plaguing him earlier not bothering him now. His tiredness was still there, but it too hovered off to the side, like faint wisps of cloud swirling around his vision. There it would remain until he'd reached his limit. Only when he had done all that he could would Dawn be content to rest...whatever the results might be.

His concerns, his worries about the outcome, the question of whether he could succeed or not, were all immaterial to him now. He would do all that he could and whatever came would come. Fear hummed through his veins and Dawn paid it heed, but, at the same time, simply let it run its course, not letting it control him. Rather, he allowed it to illuminate the danger that threatened him. The source of that fear was the single unicorn stallion standing, looking placidly down at a hole in the floor, his eyes searching for the tiniest sign of life.

Wight Shade tilted his head from one side to the other, carefully scrutinizing the prone figure down below. The unmoving form of Swift Stride was still visible at the bottom, but had not moved for at least the two whole minutes that Wight had been observing him after finally letting up on the magical assault that had slammed the black-garbed earth pony down through the throne room's floor.

"It's amazing," he mused, "I pounded him continuously until I was fairly certain I'd killed him half a dozen times. Yet, I still don't feel safe taking my eyes off him. A liar is a frightening creature. He makes you doubt your own perceptions, making you unable to trust even the evidence of your own senses. He robs you of your certainty and you view all with suspicion and trouble yourself over every minor decision."

From where he'd been cowering against the wall since Terra Heart had come into the room, Kombu finally peeled himself away to join his teacher at the hole. Looking down, Kombu lit his horn, a faint, sparkling trail of magic reaching down through the hole in the floor, reaching for the stallion below. Kombu frowned for a moment. "His heart has ceased beating. I don't detect any signs of life. I do believe he is dead."

Wight pursed his lips. "I wonder...still...there's no point in delaying. Even if he did somehow miraculously cheat death and even managed to fool your examination, there should be nothing more he can do. I checked and there is no further hint of my Dark Matter on his person. He must have used up most of what he stole in order to work out how it could be used and to make the two bombs that he did have. I'm impressed with his ingenuity though."

Finally, Wight stepped away from the hole, looking up at the crystalline column that stood at the end of the throne room, where Celestia's throne itself had once stood and the shadowy figure of the unicorn held within. "Things are progressing even faster than I could have hoped. Twilight Sparkle is being surprisingly cooperative in there. I'd anticipated her doing what she could to delay the process, but she seems to even be helping it along."

"Most likely because she still hopes to hijack the control matrix," Kombu pointed out, "She would want to fully learn the array's function in order to safely dismantle it."

"That is quite true," agreed Wight, "But she won't succeed so long as I can continue to monitor her. It would seem that victory is at hoof."

"Huzzah for you then."

It was not Kombu who'd spoken, but another voice, this one coming, yet again, from the room's main entrance and the shattered remains of the large doors that once barred it. Looking over, Wight saw the familiar beige figure of Arkenstone, standing resolute, just outside the room itself.

"I'm beginning to understand what the Day Court must be like for Celestia," said Wight with a chuckle and a sigh, "ponies coming in, one after the other. Who else is after you, my dear stallion?"

"No one, I think," said Arkenstone, "...or perhaps not. Spitfire is still able to fight, though she hasn't brought Ouranos with her. Firefly has worn herself out apparently. Perhaps Luna might make one last effort to interfere."

"Ah well...I'll just have to take it as it comes," said Wight, "I suppose you are here to entreat me to stop this foolishness as well."

"I don't believe you have any intention of listening, so I will save my breath," replied Arkenstone, "I will let my actions speak instead."

"As I figured," said Wight, gesturing to Kombu that he should stand back. Kombu once again shrank up agains the wall, eager to be out of the way of the fight that was about to break out.

"I saw your mark on Swift Stride earlier," said Wight, "I figured that the two of you had a falling out over what to do about Twilight Sparkle. He wanted to kill her. Naturally, you would object. I did figure that you would be a bit more battered after a fight against an opponent of his caliber."

Arkenstone snorted and slowly shook his head, chuckling wryly. "You've gravely underestimated him...as have I...again..."

"What do you mean?" asked Wight, raising a curious eyebrow.

"I think you'll understand shortly," replied Arkenstone.

Arkenstone's tail flicked sharply, actually producing a faint cracking sound. Several pine needles scattered into the air, transforming into an array of swords arranged in the air around him. Those swords leapt into motion, charging at Wight like a flight of arrows. The air screamed as dozens of razor edges cut through it. The lowest ones raised a trail of dust in their wake, scattering shards of debris as they rushed towards their target.

Wight's wings appeared in an instant, their forms already blurring to intercept the blades. The wings and the flying swords joined with an echoing crash, followed by several explosions. Swords were swatted aside to slam into the floor around Wight, throwing up dust and more debris, all but completely obscuring his form as he waited passively for Arkenstone's onslaught to end.

However, Arkenstone wasn't content to bombard Wight from a distance. Instead, the blind stallion surged forward, charging across the floor. His movement wasn't as fast as Terra's or Swift's had been. But, as he moved, he seemed to draw in the dust his attack had raised, which swirled around him, turning black, merging together into plates of black armor, edged with gold. As Arkenstone's initial barrage ended, he came through in its wake, drawing in all the dust that Wight's defense had raised, not just to form more armor, but blades as well, blades that moved as an extension of Arkenstone's will, many of them larger than he was, slashing at Wight from a variety of angles.

Again, Wight Shade's wings moved to his defense, parrying the blades with incredible ease. Wight remained where he was, his eyes focused placidly on Arkenstone, watching with casual carelessness as his wings did the fighting for him. Arkenstone pressed the attack, closing in. One of the wings, having just fended off an incoming sword swung around to strike at Arkenstone himself.

Arkenstone actually leaned towards the attack. The plate over his shoulder seemed to swell in size as it met the incoming wing, which smashed into it with a shattering crash. To Wight's shock and surprise, the plate seemed to ripple, the ripple running across Arkenstone's body so that it emerged from the other side, the armor there suddenly sprouting blades that arced around at Wight, moving even faster than his previous ones.

One of Wight's wings was already there, interposing itself into the blades' path. However, to Wight's complete surprise, the blades only halted for a short instant before punching through the mass of feathers that had blocked nearly everything else that had been thrown at them so far. As a last resort, two of Wight's other wings beat furiously, lifting him up off the ground and out of harm's way. The blades barely missed piercing his chest.

"How in the world did you manage that?" asked Wight, sounding more curious and intrigued than alarmed.

"Singularity of intent," replied Arkenstone, "If I strike, I focus all of my Self into the strike, putting every ounce of intention that I have. In the same way, if I defend, I focus my all into defending against the strike. My armor becomes a shield that cannot be shattered and my blades become capable of cutting all."

From where he cowered off to the side, Kombu stared in awe at Arkenstone, his mind recalling the name of the technique that Perlin Bluestreak's father had gone to great lengths to ensure the colt he'd tried to fashion into a living weapon learned. "The All-Cutting Blade," he whispered.

Arkenstone's words didn't go unheard by Dawn either, who, as he listened, realized that Arkenstone's words were actually meant for him. The All-Cutting Blade, conceptually, was capable of cutting through anything, as its name suggested. Properly mastered, there was no substance that could withstand it. Theoretically, fully-mastered, it would even be capable of cleaving through abstract entities that could not be cut...entities like Discord, who was living manifestation of chaos, untouchable by normal means...Or Dark Matter, a substance that existed according to its own laws, all but untouchable by the forces of the mundane world...normally.

More importantly, Arkenstone was demonstrating that, in fully mastering the All-Cutting Blade, its application was not merely limited to offense. By applying the singularity of his intent, he could enhance his defense as well, withstanding Wight's wings, which had shattered almost anything they struck with almost contemptuous ease. The Blade could be a Shield, freely applicable to battle in whatever form its wielder required.

More importantly, Dawn didn't miss the hidden meaning in Arkenstone's words. Thanks to the efforts of both Swift Stride and Arkenstone, Dawn was now all but forgotten by Wight Shade, who had focused his attention on much more immediate threats. This was Dawn's chance, perhaps the last one he would ever have. He would have to put everything into this strike, all his remaining strength, all his will, the very essence of his Self. He would have to ensure it was a blow that Wight could not block or avoid. Arkenstone held Wight's attention, but that might only be a momentary arrangement. Wight Shade's Dark Matter exceeded their understanding. If Wight realized what Arkenstone and Dawn were doing, he would simply switch methods to one that they were not able to counter so readily.

His extremely brief lecture over, Arkenstone surged forward, his blades leading. Wight's wings turned him sideways so that the three on his left side were facing towards Arkenstone. The wings spun about the point where they joined with Wight's flesh, spinning like a three-point pinwheel and deflecting the first of Arkenstone's blades. As Arkenstone closed in, the blades returned to him as he raised up his hoof and curled it about the handle of one of them. The others merged with it, causing it to lengthen and thicken until it was a single sword, twice as long as his body and easily half as wide. Closing the distance between them, Arkenstone surged forward, bringing down the sword with all the strength his body and magic could muster.

Even Wight, uninitiated as he was in the martial arts, could feel the intense killing intent behind the sword, focused so intensely along the edge that it practically buzzed, even to Wight's unrefined senses. The three wings of his left side moved automatically to intercept the blade, trying to catch it on its sides, away from the edge. However, Arkenstone's downward swing would not be dissuaded. His swing was perfect, directed straight downwards at Wight's body. One of Wight's wings tried to interpose itself, only to be cut clean through as the sword continued its descent.

The wings on Wight's right side flapped frantically, carrying him out of the way just in time. The sword split through the air right in front of his nose before carving a line in the floor and through the wall on one side. Even as he escaped the blow, Wight's wings spun him about like a top so that the wings could slash at Arkenstone.

Even as Arkenstone turned to meet the attack, his massive sword crumbled back into dust and reformed as a large, broad shield, catching all three of the wings as they delivered their blow. The shield stopped the wings and shattered in the process. The fragments transformed into blades, which scattered in all directions, ripping apart everything between the two fighters. Wight's wings whirled desperately, trying to block the attack. However, Arkenstone's attack carried the force of Wight's previous strike in addition to his own. The wings's feathers broke, shattered, or were even sliced clean through by the deadly hail of bladed shrapnel.

Wight's horn uncoiled yet again, spinning itself into a shape like a clock-spring just above Wight's forehead. The blades that punched through Wight's wings bent abruptly and then vanished, as though disappearing around the curve of a bend in the air that had not been there before, their forms twisting like a mirage or seeming to suddenly thin out to a paper's width before vanishing.

This wasn't lost upon Dawn, who continued to observe, even as he drew deeper into himself to ready for his strike. Arkenstone's offense was overwhelming Wight's wings and forcing Wight to use his magic defensively. The wings' auto-defense function wasn't able to keep up with the course of battle and now Wight's magic was picking up the slack.

More importantly, this meant that Wight himself was now an active participant in the fight, rather than a passive observer. Until now, he had been content to let his wings do the fighting on their own. Acting automatically, their reflexes surpassed his own, allowing Wight to simply sit back and let them do their thing, chiming in with his offensive magic at his leisure. Now he was forced to concentrate on the battle, following it with his own senses, concentrating even harder if he wanted to actually keep up with what was going on. Wight was no martial artist. The fight was moving at a speed that no ordinary pony could hope to follow in order to pick out all the attacks and defenses being employed. Wight Shade wasn't even a battle mage. There was no way his senses, however acute they might have been, could have kept up with the battle's pace.

His response indicated that he was also probably using his magic, whether internally or externally, to make up the difference, possibly altering his perception of time to allow him to follow Arkenstone's attacks. But such an action required more attention, more concentration. And all of that was being focused on Arkenstone. Little by little, Arkenstone was drawing all of Wight's senses into the battle, capturing his full attention until Wight would have none to spare for anything else going on.

Dawn knew his opportunity was approaching.

"All right...now what?" Rainbow Dash blinked as she stared up at the white, crystalline column with strange, feathery etchings on its surface. Through it's smoky interior, she could make out the shadow of Twilight Sparkle being held within.

Rainbow, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack were all arrayed around the column. At first, they had spotted the fight going on beyond the column and beyond the hanging projection of the array's central focus. However, their Elements called to them, pulling them back towards Twilight's prison. If the Elements themselves knew what needed to be done, they weren't sharing that information with the girls. Instead, the pulsed quietly, as though waiting, gathering their strength.

To Fluttershy, the feeling was almost like having a living animal draped around her neck. Having worked with all sorts of animals, including predators, Fluttershy was fully familiar of that vague feeling of tension. She'd seen it in the cats she'd taken care of, hunting mice in the wild, of manticores in the Everfree, even in the timberwolves that had nearly killed her before Dawn had come into her life; that feeling of an animal tensing, right before striking. The Elements were like springs, coiling, gathering all that potential within themselves until the time came to release it, a time that was near at hoof.

When it came, Fluttershy knew it would only be an instant. They would have to time it perfectly or they would fail and the world would likely end.

"What do we do?" asked Rarity nervously.

"Wait," said Fluttershy, focusing all of her attention on Twilight's form, "We'll know..."

Wight's wings looked worse for wear. Their forms were tattered, broken and cut feathers streaming off continuously. While the feathers replenished themselves, Arkenstone's blades seemed to cleave through them just as quickly. Both the swords and the wings were practically indistinguishable to the naked eye now, white and black blurs flickering through the air between Wight and Arkenstone. Occasionally, a sword or a wing would strike marble and scatter fragments of it into the air. If any of these were heading in Wight's direction, Arkenstone's magic surged through them, transforming them into blades, increasing the speed and force with which they flew, adding to his onslaught.

Wight continued to defend stubbornly. His horn remained in its flat coil over his head. Blades that managed to force their way through his wings bent sharply and vanished. As Dawn watched, he noticed that something strange was happening with Wight's eyes. It was as though Wight suddenly sported extra irises. One was practically sitting next to his original one, but others hovered on the edges of the whites.

Wight was using the qualities of the Dark Matter that made up his own body to enhance his senses and follow Arkenstone's attacks. Whilst the organic matter it was composed of emulated the flesh and blood of a normal pony to some extent, it too was matter that abided according to its own laws. His nerves, when pressed, thickened and intensified, making blue lines appear under his coat, like veins spreading across his skin. In this enhanced state, he felt and saw the world around him much more keenly. At the same time, he was able to feely adjust his sensory input to keep from being overstimulated, keeping him from being harmed by that tactic as well.

As he and Arkenstone continued to trade blows, Wight looked for an opening to take the offensive. He saw a few such opportunities in the space of a hoofful of seconds, but hesitated each time. He was not a fighter. Making a critical decision in the midst of combat and taking a risk to gain the upper hoof were alien actions. Wight had always fought with the comforting knowledge that his Dark Matter made him superior by a sufficient margin that he needed no such skills. Being in battle with an opponent who could press him to this extent was a discomforting experience for him.

Finally, Wight decided to take his chances. Instead of keeping his horn in its flat coil, it extended out into a helix shape and flared. Arkenstone froze in place, his swords braced against Wight's wings, holding them off. For a second, it seemed that nothing happened. Then Arkenstone's armor twisted and warped around him, bending in impossible ways, almost looking as though it had turned rubbery and elastic. It pulled away from him in every conceivable direction, pulling back from his skin. Had Arkenstone not had his blades up, fending off Wight's wings, he would have been in a position to be cut down that very instant.

Something snapped and Arkenstone's armor finally broke, shattering back into dust around him. Beneath it, Arkenstone's fur was matted with sweat and his skin beneath it was pale. Both Dawn and Wight could see his strain plainly. Though Arkenstone had weathered Wight's magical assault the best of all the ponies that had been targeted by it, it was plain that holding it off had been a difficult effort for him.

The dust swirled back around, immediately reforming Arkenstone's armor. Wight attempted to press his advantage, but Arkenstone immediately redoubled his offensive, even risking thinning his armor by adding to the number of blades he was wielding. With a grimace, Wight drew his horn back into its flat spiral over his head.

How is he this strong? wondered Wight. Having seen the state that Swift Stride had been in, Wight had assumed that the fight between the two Celestial Knights had been vicious indeed. But Arkenstone seemed much fresher for the ordeal, though his late arrival suggested he had not been the winner. It's almost as though he'd gotten the opportunity to rest up after his fight against Swift Stride. But he wasn't nearly far enough behind for that to be the case. If anything, I think he arrived a few minutes before he revealed himself and observed the end of my fight with Swift Stride. How does he have the wherewithal to press me this hard?

Wight wanted to ask, but figured that this was a query that Arkenstone would not be so willing to answer.

As for Arkenstone, though his attacks were even more furious and intense than before, he was all too aware of his approaching limits. In spite of his apparent vigor, he was in nowhere near as good a shape as he seemed. Much to his irritation, he had Swift Stride to thank for being able to go as far as he already had. Once again, Swift had turned Arkenstone's own style of magic against him. The last bomb Swift had used in their fight had been filled with the scent of lavender, the aroma of which was frequently used to calm and soothe ponies in aromatherapy treatments. Swift had used the scent as a channel for his magic, sending it straight through to Arkenstone's brain in a tactic that Arkenstone had been specifically avoiding falling to during earlier stages of their fight.

Doing so had put Arkenstone to sleep almost immediately, dropping him like a sack of bricks. In that state, Swift would have easily been able to finish him off. Instead, Swift had left Arkenstone unharmed and headed for the throne room. If anything, the two or so minutes that Arkenstone had been asleep had been some of the most restful he'd ever experienced. He'd awakened, feeling as though he'd slept much longer, having managed to recover a substantial amount of the stamina and energy he'd lost in his fight with Swift. Without it, Arkenstone wouldn't have been able to press Wight nearly as hard as he already had.

If I hadn't fought with him, perhaps Swift would have been able to end this fight on his own, thought Arkenstone dourly. Though, if that were truly the case, Swift wouldn't have bothered with threatening Twilight. All Arkenstone knew was that, at the moment, he was able to push Wight's limits. But that wouldn't last forever. For all that he held something of an advantage over Wight, Arkenstone couldn't seem to find the opening to administer a decisive blow. It looks as though I'm going to have to leave that to him in the end, he thought.

As Wight backed down from the onslaught of swords that hammered at his wings and threatened his body continuously, Arkenstone felt his own strength and stamina reaching their limit. Even if he drew in the power of the earth to extend himself to his fullest, putting everything into his assault would drive even the most proficient practitioner of earth pony magic to their absolute limits. It's time...I hope Dawn's ready.

Abruptly, Arkenstone abandoned all defense, shedding his armor completely. Instead, his swords both multiplied and lengthened, surging forward like a tidal wave of razor edges, completely filling the space between him and Wight. They crashed over Wight Shade like a breaking wave, moving so swiftly that it was impossible to track a single one's movement to a normal pony's perception.

Wight's eyes rolled wildly in their sockets, spinning so quickly that their myriad irises and pupils appeared as red and black blurs, the unnatural motion not resembling that of a normal pony's eyes at all. His wings blurred even faster, but they were unable to full stem off the onslaught. Broken feathers filled the air like a cloud around him. The flat coil of his horn tightened until it resembled a single flat disk with a spiral groove etched into its surface, looking like a unicorn's horn had been mashed down and flattened into a plane. The swords that hammered their way past his wings once again bent or thinned out of existence before they could reach him.

Finally, Wight's wings shattered completely, the feathers exploding away from him, running all the way down to his shoulders. Funny, he thought, The last time this happened, I was faking. But now it's happened for real.

The swords rushed in, clearly hungry for his flesh. Wight's horn began to spin in place, its motion make the spiral grove that decorated its surface seem to wind inwards on itself. The barrage of Arkenstone's swords twisted and vanished, as though they were being drawn into a vortex around Wight, disappearing in almost invisible, spiral lines in the air around him.

Arkenstone sagged, gasping for breath as the last of his swords vanished into the mysterious vortex of Wight Shade's defense. He was spent, having thrown everything he had into that last attack. His entire body felt numb and even the earth itself felt distant to his hooves, though he was standing right on top of it. Silence descended on the throne room, punctuated only by the occasional clack of falling masonry. Wight's eyes returned to normal and the blue lines lacing his coat faded away. His horn elongated before recoiling back into the shape of a regular unicorn's horn.

Wight opened his mouth to speak. What he intended to say would never be known because, in that instant, the one pony he had completely forgotten about appeared behind him. The ebony form of Dawn flickered in right behind Wight, crossing the distance between the stallion and his resting place in an instant. Dawn's wing was shining white, every feather standing out starkly as he held it out, arrayed like a large blade.

Wight barely had time to begin glancing backward at the incoming attack, his eyes going wide as he realized what was happening. However, it was nowhere near enough as Dawn rolled his body to put all his strength and weight behind the motion as he swung the wing downwards. The feathers cut a white line through space itself, seeming to disconnect everything on either side when viewed from head on. From the side, it was a crescent of pure white that sliced outward, its edge sinking, unhindered, into Wight Shade's flesh as Dawn's attack struck home.

Abruptly, the girls' Elements flared brilliantly. Their eyes widened as they realized what it meant.

"Now!" shouted Fluttershy.

They wasted no time. A beam of colored light lanced out from their Elements like a quintet of brightly-colored spears, stabbing through the column to reach the figure of Twilight Sparkle concealed within. Her shadow immediately blazed violet to match the light of the incoming beams, all of them melting into a swirling rainbow as they came together, washing over and around Twilight furiously. The column exploded in a blaze of rainbow light, the sound of something shattering accompanying it.

Dawn put everything he had into that attack, all of his strength and magic, all of his will and intention, focusing everything into his intention to cut Wight. There was nothing else to think about, neither attack nor defense. All that mattered was this one strike.

Wight did nothing, could do nothing. The blade cut into his flesh and then cleaved through it with frightening ease. It swept through and past him, carving a line on the floor and wall that intersected with the one that Arkenstone's sword had left earlier. With a groan, the wall crumbled away, leaving them with a view of the open air beyond. Wight's body was split in two, both halves falling away from each other, as Wight's crimson eyes stared at the colt who had finally managed to bring him down.

Dawn's hooves hit the floor, most of his momentum spent on launching the attack. However, his legs buckled as he landed, sending him into a sprawling roll as what inertia remained sent him tumbling. He came to a stop, laying on his side, gasping for breath. He felt dazed and tired, ready to fall asleep at any second. Luckily, he didn't feel the strange empty, disconnected feeling he'd had at the end of his fight against Terra Heart. Back then, Dawn had been so sapped of strength that he hadn't even been able to think coherently about his surroundings. Hopefully that means I won't require another magic transfusion, he thought, wincing at the idea of spending another few weeks feeling hobbled and helpless.

The two pieces of Wight Shade's body hit the ground, his eyes still locked with Dawn's. The colt was thankful that he'd had that chance. It was ironic that a lesson he'd once learned during a snowball fight of all things had finally helped him bring Wight down. A pony is at their most vulnerable when they are assured of victory. Wight Shade, feeling that he'd weathered all that Arkenstone could throw at him, had abandoned his defenses. His wings had been destroyed. At that moment, the one pony he'd forgotten had attacked and, finally, succeeded where everyone else, even Princess Celestia herself had failed.

A twitch of motion from Wight's corpse drew Dawn's attention. Looking over, Dawn's eyes widened as he saw that Wight's body was beginning to move. No! That's not possible! To Dawn's horror, Wight Shade's body turned a ghostly white that washed over his coat, mane and tail, the two halves suddenly dissolving into some kind of stringlike substance, as though his body had been woven from thread that was unravelling. The strings spiraled into the air, weaving about themselves, yet never tangling until both halves of Wight's body had completely unravelled.

To Dawn's growing horror, those threads spiraled downward, weaving together, forming legs first, then his body, gradually rewinding back into the form of a pony from the bottom up. Finally, Wight Shade stood there, his whole body a deathly pale color for a few seconds, even his eyes turning a ghostly white, before his original colors washed over him once more.

"Well done," said Wight, an earnest smile on his face, "I have never been pressed that hard in all my life. Granted, I haven't been in all that many fights, but you have done better than I'd ever thought possible."

"H-how?" asked Dawn, stunned by this reversal of their fortunes.

"My body is composed of flesh and blood," said Wight, "But not the same kind of flesh and blood that normal ponies have. It is an organic Dark Matter that I created. Creating inorganic matter was actually much easier for me. Organic matter is more complex and, at first, my body was continually breaking down.

"Fortunately, my friend and former student..." He gestured to Kombu, who began to step away from the wall once again. "...was able to help me improve the design of my organic matter. He was the one who designed Perlin's mithril wings, by the way. The improvements actually emerged as a byproduct of the work we went through to provide Perlin with his new wings.

"Naturally, because my Dark Matter flesh is different from mundane flesh, it has different qualities. My internal organs are actually more like a viscous mass than distinct body parts. By altering their arrangement, I was able to avoid fatal damage, even though I'd been cut in half. I was then able to reconstitute myself using the quality of those particular forms of Dark Matter had that drew them together, even if separated. Of course, doing so was actually a very intensive process, especially when you'd caught me off-guard like that. It took all my skill to carry it out before your blow actually killed me."

"This is so unfair," grumbled Dawn.

"Such is the way of the world," replied Wight, "I created my Dark Matter to make the world more unfair in my favor."

Dawn tried to get up, but his body refused to obey him. This time, it wasn't fear, just sheer exhaustion. His attempts to move manifested only in a tired twitch.

"In any case, it would seem that this fight is over." Wight tilted his head as he regarded Dawn. "I was right to believe that you would exceed my expectations yet again. It disappoints me to have to kill you at this juncture...but it's apparently going to be necessary to ensure there is absolutely no more interference." His horn began to uncoil once again. "Farewell, Dawn Lightwing. You made things truly interesting for me." A light began to shine up through the center of the helix.

Sudddenly, Wight froze. The light coming from his horn died like the flame of a candle being snuffed out. His eyes went wide. A cracking noise echoed through the room. Its source was not the broken walls or the crumbling floor. Instead, it came from Wight's body itself. Looking down, Wight saw a black line running up the length of his foreleg. "What's this now? I thought I'd fixed this problem."

The crack lengthened, spreading further up his foreleg, branching out. Wight's eyes narrowed as he regarded it. He seemed to be concentrating, trying to repair the damage. But the crack only grew even more. More cracks formed on his other legs. The first foreleg affected actually began to crumble, pieces breaking off and disintegrating into dust.

"Oh...I see..." said Wight, suddenly relaxing. He chuckled and smiled at Dawn. "I guess you won after all."

"What?" asked Dawn, blinking.

"Maybe that wasn't your intention, but by forcing me to bend the entirety of my attention to surviving your attack, you gave Twilight Sparkle the opening she needed to take over the control matrix for my array. She's also apparently learned how to manipulate or, at least, break apart my Dark Matter, as evidenced by this." He lifted his crumbling leg to emphasize the point. "In fact, she'll probably start dismantling my array any second now."

As if in response to Wight's words, a giant crack appeared in central focus a short ways behind him. Then, just like Wight's own body, it too began to crumble away into nothingness. Looking back and seeing it disappear, Wight let out a tired sigh. "It seems that it's over for real this time."

"You're taking this awfully well for a stallion who just had his life's work destroyed," said Dawn.

Wight shrugged and chuckled. "Oh well. I told Celestia and Twilight and anypony else who tried to talk me down that they were perfectly within their rights to try and stop me. It would be petty of me to begrudge the fact that they succeeded. Very few ponies meet their end having completely satisfied their ambitions and meeting all the goals they set out to do in their lives. I came farther than most." His body was beginning to crumble faster now.

"I didn't think she would kill you," said Dawn.

"I can't help but admire her brilliance," admitted Wight, "I completely underestimated her. Come to think of it, I underestimated all of you...especially that Swift Stride. It would seem that I fell for his lies once again."

"His lies?" mused Dawn, thinking back. He remembered stumbling upon Swift's first attempt to kill Twilight and the words the black-garbed stallion had spoken. Both Dawn and Firefly had mused that Swift's true interest didn't lie with killing Twilight, but that it was a lie of some sort. For what reason and for who had been a mystery...until now.

I see, thought Dawn, He went through with that farce because he wanted to give Wight Shade the idea of connecting Twilight Sparkle to his array. In doing so, he actually placed Twilight in the perfect position to ultimately destroy the array if she got the chance. Everything else revolved around breaking Wight's attention away from her so that she could follow through. A magnificent deception indeed.

Wight's body was almost completely gone by now. The focus of the array behind him had crumbled away into nothing. Behind it was what remained of the column where he'd imprisoned Twilight Sparkle, a brilliant light, like the sun in miniature, blazing away from within.

"I suppose as ways to die go, this one isn't so unpleasant," said Wight with a chuckle, the breaking of his body reaching his neck, "Farewell, Dawn Lightwing. You made things truly interesting for me in the end."

With that, Wight's head and horn crumbled away into dust that seemed to blow away in the early summer breeze that drifted in through the holes Dawn and Arkenstone had opened up in the wall. Silence descended upon the throne room once more.

Nearby, Dawn heard slow, heavy hoofsteps. Looking over, he saw that Arkenstone was laboriously making his way towards Dawn. His breath came in deep, gasping pants as he made his way over. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I got run over by a train," replied Dawn, "And you...?"

"I feel wrung out like a towel," replied Arkenstone. He turned his head and his unseeing eyes towards the column. "Swift Stride is never going to let me live this down. I fell for his tricks again."

"Is he alive?" asked Dawn.

"I'm sure of it," replied Arkenstone, "I can still smell him down through that hole, but his body is gone and there isn't a whiff of death coming from where he was."

"Impossible!" objected Kombu, "I checked his vital signs myself! That stallion was as dead as-eep!" He realized that he'd gotten the attention of both Dawn and Arkenstone.

"We will deal with you later," said Arkenstone grimly, his nose twitching as he sniffed in Kombu's direction, "For your own good, I suggest you stay put. If you make me go through the trouble of hunting you down later, I will find you and I will cut off all four of your legs to make sure you can't go anywhere. Is that understood?"

Kombu let out an inarticulate squeak and sank down to the floor.

Snorting lightly, Arkenstone turned and regarded the light shining from the dais where Celestia's throne had been. "Shall we find out what Twilight is up to?"

"I'm not in any condition to go there under my own power," replied Dawn tiredly.

He heard the sound of rustling wings and a set of hooves touching down lightly next to him. "Don't worry," said Fluttershy, her voice barely a whisper, "I'll take you."

Dawn was feeling so tired that he barely noticed her wrap him up in her arms and hold him close as she began to fly across the throne room towards the light. Nor did he notice the thunder of countless hooves as Shining Armor came rushing in through the main entrance, as many of the Royal Guard as could be spared following on his heels. Arkenstone went to meet them, their voices fading into muffled whispers to Dawn's tired mind.

Fluttershy set down on the dais, settling onto her haunches so that she could hold her son, hugging him tightly, but gently, as she turned her eyes to the shimmering sphere of light that now blazed where the column that had imprisoned Twilight had once been.

"Now where am I?" mused Twilight, looking around. Her body was still present, which either meant that she had retained the awareness to rebuild her form in this intellectual space or she was in a different realm altogether, with her body along for the ride.

The last thing she remembered was feeling Wight Shade's awareness falter. She'd felt his mind turn away from her completely. In that moment, Twilight had leapt upon the chance. The calculations for the array had been a hair's breadth from completion, but she'd managed to figure out how to take control of the array itself and bring it to a halt. From there, she'd felt the power of her friends flow into her as she worked out the magic she needed to bring down the array and Wight Shade with it. She'd felt the power of her own magic surge within her and, in that moment, she'd been in complete control of everything. She'd felt the different foci of the array arranged in the large circle around Equestria, before she'd dismantled them. Then she'd turned her attention to the central focus and Wight himself.

By then, she'd completely worked out how to use her magic to defeat his Dark Matter, ironically using the very information he'd been pumping into her mind ever since she'd been imprisoned by him. She'd discerned the keys that held Wight's body together and used them to dismantle him, right as he'd been about to kill Dawn and Arkenstone. It had been a near thing, but she'd succeeded.

And then darkness had swept over her...not the darkness of unconsciousness, but genuine "who turned off the lights" darkness. Though her hooves felt as though she was standing on something solid, Twilight could not shake the sensation that she was floating through empty space. Though there was no source of light to be found, she could see herself clearly.

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting for any sign of what to do, light suddenly appeared. Images hanging in space drifted outwards from that point of light, forming a hallway of pictures leading down into the light. As Twilight looked at one of the images, she was shocked to see her friends and herself at the celebration in Ponyville, following their saving Princess Luna. Looking to another, she saw her friends fighting over the extra Grand Galloping Gala ticket Princess Celestia had sent her.

"These are my memories," Twilight realized. For a moment, the crisis she had been involved in was forgotten as she skipped from one memory to another, gleefully recalling happy moments from her time with her friends. Here was a memory from her first Winter Wrap-Up. There was her dealing with Applejack's stubborn pride during Applebuck Season. The memories came one after another, warming Twilight's heart.

After a short time, she remembered where she was...or rather, where she should have been. "That's right? Why am I here in the first place? Where am I?"

"I believe I can answer those questions."

A gasp escaped Twilight whirled towards the voice, her eyes going wide and tears spilling out. "Princess Celestia!"

"Hello, Twilight Sparkle," said Celestia, stepping out from amongst the drifting memories.

A gleeful Twilight rushed to her mentor and embraced her enthusiastically. "I was so worried!" said Twilight, a sob working its way into her voice, "We didn't know what happened to you."

"I know and I'm sorry that I worried you," said Celestia, gently nuzzling her student's mane, "I fell to Wight Shade's power and was unable to stop him. You and your friends were forced to contend with the consequences of the mistake I made many years ago. I'm glad that you succeeded."

"Y-you're...you're not dead, are you?" asked Twilight.

"No," said Celestia with a shake of her head, "I am very much alive. I suspect you have the power to help me get out of Wight Shade's prison, once you return."

"You said you could explain," said Twilight, "What is this place?"

"This place is many things," said Celestia, "But, most importantly, it is you, the sum total of your life, your experiences, your identity. You've seen your memories here and they have shown you the source of your joy and strength."

"But what does it mean?" asked Twilight.

"In order to defeat Wight Shade, you drew upon the strength of your friends and your faith in them to create a completely new kind of magic," explained Celestia, "Not merely a new spell, but a new kind of magic entirely. When you did so, you reached the pinnacle of your power." She wiped away a proud tear. "I had always thought that you would reach this point some day. I never thought it would be like this. Things rarely go the way we plan."

"I'm not sure I understand," said Twilight.

"You will," replied Celestia, "When you return to your friends, you will see the results of your hard work and your bond with them..."

The light from which the images of Twilight's memory streamed suddenly increased in brightness, spreading out to swallow up everything.

Author's Notes:

Next chapter: The beginning...

The Beginning

Chapter 36: The Beginning

The large sphere of light slowly began to drop towards the dais. The ponies watching it all took an involuntary step back. Even to the non-unicorns, the magical power humming through the air was impossible to not notice. There was an enormous amount of energy contained within that sphere. If it were to let loose all at once, it would probably destroy what remained of the Royal Palace and take out a good chuck of Canterlot and the mountain it rested on in an instant.

Nearby, closer to the walls the air seemed to twist in on itself. The warping feeling unsettled all the ponies nearby it. Fearing some kind of attack from an unknown source, the stallions and mares of the Royal Guard, with Shining Armor in the lead, turned to face the distortion. Something white seemed to blossom out of that space and drop to the floor with a thud.

"Oof!" gasped Princess Celestia as she dropped to the floor. She had definitely seen better days; bruised, battered, and bleeding from her fight against Wight Shade. "I guess Twilight doesn't quite have a perfect grasp on that magic yet," she said, "Otherwise I certainly hope she would have been more gentle about getting me out of there."

"Princess!" exclaimed Shining Armor, coming forward to examine here, "Are you all right?"

"I will be," said Celestia, giving her Captain of the Royal Guard a tired smile, "I'm sorry to have worried you. How is Luna?"

"She'll be doing better, now that she knows you're safe," said Shining with a sigh of relief. Already, one of his subordinates was preparing a scroll for Shining to make his report on to send to Luna via Spike.

At the dais, the sphere touched down to the floor. It suddenly brightened exponentially, nearly blinding everypony who was watching it. Then the orb cracked and shattered as though it were made of glass, fragments of magic flying everywhere. The ponies nearest to it braced for an explosion, but were only met with a light tickling sensation as the shards of light passed harmlessly through their bodies.

Standing there, at the center of where the light had been stood none other than Twilight Sparkle, standing tall and proud, the new additions to her drawing everypony's attention as a pair of wings with lavender feathers flared out from her back dramatically.

"Twilight!" shouted Pinkie, seemingly ignoring the presence of Twilight's wings in her eagerness to tackle her friend to the floor with a hug, "We were all so worried about you! I'm super-duper-ultral-glad that you're okay!"

"I'm glad too, Pinkie," said Twilight, laughing as she returned the hug. Suddenly she noticed that the rest of her friends were staring at her with mouths hanging open. "Um...what?"

"Twilight," said Rarity, "Um...darling...don't take this the wrong way...but...you're an alicorn."

Letting go of Pinkie and getting back on her hooves, Twilight laughed. "Very funny Rarity. Don't be silly. Of course I'm not an..." She paused as her wings twitched. Looking back over her shoulder, Twilight saw the feathered appendages growing out from her shoulders and her eyes went wide. "Eeek! What the hay are those doing there?" Screeching in surprise, Twilight spun a full circle as she frantically tried to get a proper view of her wings.

Laughing lightly, Celestia limped up and smiled down at her. "Be at ease, my dear Twilight. I told you that you would see the results when you returned."

Twilight stopped and blinked up at her mentor. "So...you mean...I'm an...alicorn?"

"That you are," said Celestia warmly.

"All right!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, now taking her own opportunity to swoop in for a hug, "A new flying buddy!"

"Um..." Fluttershy raised a tentative hoof, still using her other foreleg to hold Dawn against her, "...Does this mean that Twilight is a Princess now?"

"Huh?" Twilight gaped at Fluttershy. She thought over Fluttershy's question before looking at Celestia. "Does it?"

"As a matter of fact, it does," said Celestia, smiling widely, "Congratulations, Princess Twilight." Her limbs still shaking from her confinement and the damage she'd taken from Wight Shade, Celestia sank into a bow before Twilight. One by one, each of Twilight's friends followed suit, along with Shining Armor and the members of the Royal Guard arrayed behind him.

Twilight watched them all, a strange feeling rising up in her stomach. It wasn't a completely pleasant feeling either. That feeling became even worse when she saw two members of the crowd around her in particular bow.

Dawn had finally been released from his mother's embrace so that she could bow properly. Though he barely had the strength to stand, Dawn tried to mimic her movements, lowering himself as far as he dared before he determined that dipping down any farther would dump him unceremoniously on the floor. Beside him, Arkenstone likewise sank into a bow.

"Please! Stop it! If I'm going to be a Princess, then it won't be like this," said Twilight. Walking over to where Dawn and Arkenstone were, she gently helped the colt back up. "Look at you. You can barely stand. Don't do this." She looked from Dawn to Arkenstone. "I owe this to you two. If you hadn't been there and distracted Wight, I would have never managed it. Please don't bow to me." She turned to her friends next. "And what kind of Princess would I be if you girls had to bow to me? Please get up, all of you."

Twilight's friends looked to one another and got to their hooves. Fluttershy once again took Dawn in her arms and held him close as she watched Twilight gently berate the Guards, including her brother, into rising.

"Please," said Twilight, tears coming from her eyes, "Please don't shut me out."

"I couldn't shut you out, even if I tried," said Arkenstone, gently nuzzling into her neck.

"This doesn't change anything," Twilight said softly, returning his gesture, "I still love you and I still want to be with you."

"I know," said Arkenstone, "Things have changed, but the most important thing hasn't. You are still you, Twilight Sparkle, the mare I fell for."

"I'm glad," whispered Twilight.

"It looks like everything is going to be all right," said Fluttershy as she rested her chin on the top of Dawn's head, "You, Arkenstone, Twilight; you saved everypony."

When Dawn failed to answer, Fluttershy looked down in worried confusion, only to break into a radiant smile at the sight of her son, who'd fallen asleep in her arms.

"I think we all could do with some rest," said Celestia, "After that, we can worry about cleaning up the mess Wight Shade made of things. Let's head out. I need to reassure my sister."

Fixing the damage done by Wight Shade would not be an easy task, nor a quick one. Though he had died, much of the Dark Matter he had created remained behind, including that which he'd used to fortify the Royal Palace. In many parts of the building, that Dark Matter was all that was holding the Palace up. Twilight could dismantle the Dark Matter, but would have to do it little by little as the engineer corps of the Royal Guard reinforced damaged sections and marked them off for reconstruction.

The prisoners were another concern. Now that the Dark Matter they'd been imprisoned in had been stripped away, they had to be returned to their confinement before they thought about using all the chaos of the situation to escape. Fortunately, they were even more drained by the fight than the ponies of the Royal Guard had been.

To the relief of Celestia, Luna, and Twilight, the casualties of the battle were limited. However, they weren't nonexistent. Several ponies of the Royal Guard had been killed or critically injured, some of them ending up maimed for life. Their families would have to be notified and consoled. Some of the prisoners who had been impressed into Wight's fighting force had been killed as well. However, compared to what Wight had planned and how things could have gone, the toll was very light indeed.

In the days that followed, things proceeded at a feverish pace. Celestia had immediately set out to reassure the populace that a terrible threat had been averted and that the danger had passed.

There was still plenty to be taken care of. Besides helping the injured and repairing the damage to the Palace and Canterlot, plans were also in the works for Twilight's official coronation, as well as the celebration to follow. Pinkie Pie threw herself into the thick of things, bringing all her party planning skills to bear.

All of Twilight's friends returned to Ponyville to reassure their friends and family before coming back to help with everything, though Twilight and Spike remained in Canterlot to assist with the reconstruction. The only other pony of their group who stayed behind was Rainbow Dash, partly because the Wonderbolts were still in Canterlot, but mostly because there was one particular pony she didn't want to leave hanging...

"How are you feeling?" asked Rainbow Dash as she settled next to Soarin's cot.

Soarin' coughed a little before looking up at her. "Well, they patched up my lung just fine. I have to breathe into this weird doohickey a few times every day. The doctors say it's to keep me from developing pneumonia. It's gonna take a little while before I get my wind back up to performance level, but I'll be fine."

"Good," said Rainbow, "Firefly says I've pretty much finished learning the Wings of Light. All I need is to get used to using them. I'll finish up my Wonderbolts training and we'll be ready to go."

"The rate my healing is going, I'll probably be back up to speed by around then," said Soarin' with a grin, "It looks like I get to win my bet with Spitfire after all."

Snorting, Rainbow gave Soarin' a reproachful look that made him shrink back. In the past, such a look would have been accompanied by a good natured whack to the back of the head. But instead, Rainbow sighed and bent down to nuzzle her coltfriend.

"Geez," she said, "What would I do without you, you big, blue goof?"

With a wheezing chuckle, Soarin' captured her lips with his. "I don't know," he said when they parted, "But I'm glad we don't have to find out."

"So you're back," observed Flaxseed as he watched Rarity buzz about her workroom, gathering up a bolt of fabric here before nabbing a roll of ribbon there. One by one, each of the items that she'd picked were sorted into different suitcases to be loaded up for the return trip to Canterlot.

"Indeed," said Rarity, pausing only a second to give him a reassuring smile, "I, for one, am glad that this whole wretched business has come to a close. Once the rest of Equestria learns how the Cult Solar were just pawns for Wight Shade's scheme, that should put an end to that problem as well."

"One can only hope," said Flaxseed with a wan smile, "But I wouldn't count on it going away completely. The Cult Solar managed to endure a thousand years after Princess Celestia denounced them. Ponies don't like being told they're wrong, even when it's the Princess saying so. They'll ignore the truth, especially if they find it inconvenient. I don't think we've heard the last of the Cult Solar."

"Probably not," said Rarity, pausing in her preparations to come over and gently nuzzle Flaxseed, "But, while there's breath in my body, I'll make absolutely certain that they never do anything to you."

Her affection made Flaxseed blush. "Thank you," he whispered.

"Would you like to come to Canterlot with me?" asked Rarity, her request surprising him with its suddenness, "The coronation will be a large, messy affair, but we can keep out of the thick of things very easily. Princess Celestia also has some smaller, more private ceremonies planned."

"Um..." Flaxseed sweated a little. Canterlot was a city, crowded, with ponies all around. All the same, if he never worked up the nerve to set out beyond the Carousel Boutique or beyond the boundaries of Ponyville, he would never truly be free of the Cult Solar, even if the shadows of their members never darkened his doorstep again. His fear, as it was right now, was not the rational response to danger, but a poison that tainted his soul until he was afraid to do anything. Poison like that needed to be drained. But draining poison was not a comfortable experience in the least.

"I'll go," he said finally, "I can't promise that I won't hide in one of the rooms until everything is over, but I'll go."

"That's good," said Rarity, her eyes twinkling, "With Coco up there already, I was afraid you might get lonely here, by yourself. It's a weight off my mind."

"Well then," said Flaxseed, "I'd better start packing..."

"Oooh!" squealed Pinkie Pie as she bounced madly around the room, looking into drawers and opening up closets, "I'll need hats and streamers and cakes and streamers and punch and streamers and music and streamers and all kinds of snacks and streamers...oh and did I mention streamers?"

Mayweather rolled her eyes, fighting to keep from breaking down laughing at Pinkie's antics. "Yeah, I think you might have mentioned streamers. I think you've packed enough that you'll be able to mummify the entire population of Canterlot with streamers. The Palace is going to look like ground zero at an exploded confetti factory."

Pinkie gasped hard enough to lift her hooves off the ground. "You're right! How could I get so carried away I forgot the confetti? Thanks Mayweather!"

Mayweather planted a hoof against her face, even as she chuckled dryly. That's so Pinkie... "I think you got confetti already," she said instead, "Come on. We need to get the stuff you did remember to the station so that it gets there all right. The way you're carrying on, we're gonna need at least three trains to get it all to Canterlot."

"You're totally right," said Pinkie, nodding with so much energy that her head became a blur.

A half an hour later, they'd managed to haul the boxes out of Pinkie's secret party-planning room. Mayweather was still astounded by the fact that Pinkie had somehow excavated out an entire space underneath Sugarcube Corner, one apparently large enough to hold a small city's worth of party supplies. It helped that her preternatural skill at stowing things away gave the impression that the room and all the storage spaces within it were bigger on the inside (but, then again, knowing Pinkie, they might well have been).

Mayweather stood at the counter, panting for breath while Pinkie rushed off to fetch a cart to carry everything. Mayweather was grateful that her friend wasn't going to suggest that they try hauling all the party supplies over to the station without a cart, though she thought that Pinkie might have half a mind to.

With a clink, a glass was placed next to her. Looking up, Mayweather saw Cup Cake filling the glass from a pitcher of lemonade. "You looked thirsty," the older mare explained with a warm smile.

"Thanks," said Mayweather, taking the cup and draining it gratefully, "I should probably make Pinkie sit down and drink some. She's been working twice as hard as I have."

"It might be a good idea," said Cup Cake, her smile faltering a little, "Pinkie always seems to have so much energy that it can be hard to tell when she's pushing herself too hard until she hits her limit. You're good for her."

"Me!?" exclaimed Mayweather, her eyes widening in surprise.

Cup Cake nodded. "I think Pinkie needs somepony like you, someone to keep her grounded, give her life a little sense of calm. Her friends are nice...but they're just as wild as she is in some ways."

Thinking about the myriad ways Pinkie Pie's closest friends could behave made Mayweather nod in comprehension.

Cup Cake continued. "It makes me glad that Pinkie has someone like you for a special somepony."

Mayweather had just refilled her glass and taken another sip. Cup Cake's words made her sputter and spray her drink across the counter. Coughing a second to clear her throat, Mayweather regained enough self control to gape at her employer. "M-me...her special somepony?"

Cup Cake surprised Mayweather again with a confused look. "You aren't? You two had gotten so close that I'd thought you were..."

Mayweather thought it over. She could see where Cup Cake's assumption could come from. After all, she'd been on the receiving end of plenty of warm hugs and gentle nuzzles, sometimes even a quick kiss on the cheek. But Pinkie Pie was so openly affectionate that it was hard for Mayweather to say that what was between them could actually be special. Though she'd genuinely been attracted to the pink party mare for some time now, Mayweather wasn't certain that Pinkie would ever see her as anything other than a former cultist in need of rehabilitation.

"If you're uncertain, I suppose you'll have to ask her," said Cup Cake with a wink, "But I'm fairly sure that Pinkie feels that way about you."

Later, after Mayweather had ensured that Pinkie was properly hydrated, the two of them made their way towards the train station, hauling the cart full of party supplies behind them. As they pulled the cart, Mayweather looked over at Pinkie and blushed nervously. "Pinkie?" she asked.

"Yeah?" asked Pinkie, looking back at Mayweather, her beautiful blue eyes making Mayweather's heart dance.

"Are we...am I...are we special someponies?" she asked.

Pinkie Pie came to a halt so abruptly that the tug on the harness nearly yanked Mayweather off her hooves. "Pinkie?" Looking over, Mayweather could see Pinkie staring at her in shock.

Oh no! I've blown it! thought Mayweather, desperately hoping there was some way to salvage the situation. If they couldn't be special someponies, they could still be friends. Sure, things might be awkward for a while, but...

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you didn't know Ithoughtyoualreadyknewwewerespecialsomeponiesandjustdidn'tsayanythingIguessIforgottoaskwenevergooutonfancydatesItotallymissedthatcanyoueverforgivemeIpromisetomakeituptoyouassoonas-" Pinkie's rapid-fire tirade came to a halt when Mayweather placed a hoof over her mouth.

"Pinkie," said Mayweather, smiling much more happily now, "Just stop."

Her mouth still plugged, Pinkie nodded. Mayweather could feel that Pinkie wasn't trying to talk around the hoof in her mouth anymore.

"Now...take a deep breath," said Mayweather, lowering her hoof.

Pinkie complied.

"Now..." said Mayweather, her smile getting wider, "Just say yes."

Nodding eagerly Pinkie nearly shouted, "Yes!"

"Much better," said Mayweather, "I'm sorry I didn't understand you well enough to realize it. I'm glad to be special someponies with you."

"So am I," said Pinkie excitedly. Then she paused and thought for a second, tapping her chin. "But I did forget something really important."

"What?" asked Mayweather.

"This!" Before Mayweather could inquire as to what "this" was, Pinkie had slipped out of her harness so that she could throw her arms around Mayweather and pull her into a passionate kiss. Mayweather squealed, first in surprise, then pleasure as the kiss continued.

Whatever else, thought Mayweather cheerfully, even as she rolled her eyes at her fillyfriend's over-the-top enthusiasm, being with this mare will never be boring.

"Ya think this one's gonna cut it?" asked Applejack, hefting the barrel onto her haunches.

"I'm fairly certain," said Red River with a chuckle, "Rainbow Dash did rate that barrel the highest."

"Ya've got a point there," agreed Applejack with a titter, "Rainbow may be a tad obsessive 'bout cider, but she knows a good one when she tastes it."

"Personally, I think you could go with any of them," Red pointed out, "Having a few different blends might be something those city slickers would appreciate."

"Ha!" barked Applejack, "Now yer startin' to sound like a country stallion."

"I learned from the best, didn't I," said Red with a chuckle before he kissed her, "What about the other ingredients?"

"All the apples are loaded," said Applejack, "Ah even brought some 'o the wintersilk apples Twi put under that spell 'o her's. Ah don't think they're much good fer bakin' though."

"Too much juice," said Red as he nodded in agreement. He might not have been much good at baking or cooking himself, but he did remember Applejack's lessons about what apples were good for what purpose. It helped him when he was listing what apples went into what baked goods whenever he ran the stall in town.

"Eeyup," agreed Applejack, "They're mighty good on their own, so maybe those hoity toity Canterlot types'll like them straight."

"Maybe," said Red, though he had his doubts. Even if wintersilk apples, raw and unprocessed, were rejected by the Canterlot elite, they would probably be liked well enough among their friends and the ponies coming from Ponyville to join in the festivities. Everypony from the little town had been invited after all, many of them having come to be at least casual acquaintances, if not friends, with Twilight during her time living there. The presence of so many "country bumpkins" was sure to raise the hackles of the snobbiest members of the Canterlot elite (at least, the few who remained after the Noble Court had been essentially gutted), but with the newly-minted Princess Twilight throwing her support behind the idea, they would just have to lump it.

The two of them finished loading up their cart and Applejack hitched herself in to begin pulling it. Red walked by her side. He'd recovered enough to manage an easy walking pace, but not enough to help her pull. With the last of Terra Heart's magic out of his system, the doctors at the hospital had promised that Red's recovery would accelerate as he put himself through his own rehabilitative training.

He didn't mind though. Now that his wandering days were done, Red had decided that it was perfectly fine to take his time as he regained his strength. That time would be well spent building a new life with the mare beside him.

Twilight yawned as she trotted into Palace quarters that Celestia had given her and Arkenstone. As the door swung shut behind her, the stallion, who was lounging on the couch, lifted his head up, withdrawing his hoof from the book he'd been reading.

"Long day?" asked Arkenstone, slipping off the couch to greet her.

"Very," replied Twilight, "Every kind of Dark Matter has to be dealt with differently. I'm still sorting through all the information I acquired when I took over Wight Shade's array. It's going to be years before I learn everything about his work. Fortunately, the Dark Matter he infested the Palace with is fairly basic. It's just a pain in the plot to remove."

The two of them exchanged a quick kiss before Arkenstone led Twilight back to the couch. Letting her spread out along the cushions, the stallion moved above her as Twilight spread out her wings. Arkenstone began by pressing his hooves into Twilight's neck, moving them slowly and carefully, massaging away the stress she'd accumulated over the course of the day.

"How is planning going for the coronation?" he asked.

A heavy sigh escaping from the mare below him told Arkenstone nearly as much as her words when she spoke. "It's a nightmare," she replied, "I'm so glad that Pinkie is taking over when she gets back with her party supplies. Otherwise I'd just as soon have Celestia notify the country with an editorial in the Equestrian Times and be done with it."

"That might not go over well with the aristocrats," said Arkenstone with a chuckle. Despite his humor, it was a notable point. Even if the Noble Court had been dismantled by Celestia, Canterlot was still occupied by a swarm of ponies belonging to Equestria's upper-class, representing everything from old-money fops to wealthy business tycoons. Though the nobles were mostly gone, there were still plenty of snobby ponies left from the creme-de-la-creme of the Canterlot elite.

"Those prodigiously pompous ponies can kiss my righteously regal royal rump," replied Twilight with a snort, "The only reason I want to go along with this at all is because Celestia's asking me to."

That drew a snort from Arkenstone's nose before he leaned down and pressed his lips against Twilight's neck, making her squeal and squirm a little before he pulled away and resumed massaging her muscles, moving down to the space where her wings met her shoulders and gently pressing into the muscles that had formed there. Those muscles were especially sensitive to his touch. Before she'd become an alicorn, Twilight had never had those muscles and bones there before. The wings bombarded her with strange sensations she'd never felt before as she struggled to learn how to control limbs that pegasi spent their entire lives with. In between tending to Soarin', Rainbow Dash had given Twilight all the lessons she could, with both Firefly and Spitfire to provide their own input. Still, Twilight felt she was a ways away from actually being able to fly. All her attempts so far had barely managed to get her into the air and she struggled with the basics of flight that most pegasi learned before they even had their cutie marks.

Still, if there was one upside to having to learn how to deal with wings after never having them before, it was having Arkenstone tend to them at the end of the day, using his hooves to knead the muscles and gently press against her joints. The pleasurable feelings made Twilight sigh and melt against the couch cushions, her stallion seeming to draw the stress of her day up through her spine and push it out through her wings with his hooves. By the time he'd moved on down her spine, Twilight lay nearly catatonic beneath him.

"You are the best," she groaned as Arkenstone worked his hooves in slow circles along her barrel.

"Thank you," replied the stallion with a chuckle, feeling for knots in Twilight's muscles, "Have you given any thought to what you're going to do after your coronation?"

"Go back to Ponyville," replied Twilight sleepily, "run the library, spend time with my friends, maybe save the world a few more times..." she giggled at that last one, "...I'm not going to force myself to change my life just because I have a pair of wings now."

"Life will always change," said Arkenstone, a slight chiding tone in his voice, "You didn't want your life to change before Celestia sent you to Ponyville in the first place."

"Maybe I will do something different someday," replied Twilight, "Maybe something more princess-like. But I'll do it on my terms, not because it's what everypony expects me to do, now that I'm an alicorn. Besides..." She turned her head so that she could fix one eye, which twinkled with mischief, on Arkenstone, "...I'll be wanting to stay close to my teacher."

Arkenstone raised an eyebrow. "Your teacher?"

"I may have wings now, but that's not the only thing that's changed," said Twilight, "Being an alicorn means I have earth pony nature too. I need to learn how to actually do earth pony magic. You're the pony I want to have teach me about that."

Arkenstone's hooves had worked their way down to her haunches now, gently massaging her cutie marks. Had it been anypony but her coltfriend (or a professional masseuse), Twilight would have declared that said pony was being much too forward. However, the fact that it was Arkenstone's hooves on her haunches only made her quiver pleasantly. "Are you sure you want me to teach you?" he asked in a sly tone, "I'd have thought that your friends, maybe Applejack or Pinkie Pie-"

It took a little bit of coaxing to wake up the muscles that Arkenstone's treatment had thoroughly relaxed, but Twilight managed it, rolling over, throwing Arkenstone's hooves off of her hindquarters as she did so. The stallion was too well-balanced to be knocked over by the motion, so he came to rest with his hooves on either side of her as Twilight rolled onto her back beneath him, her violet eyes glaring playfully up at his closed lids.

"I want you," she replied, her voice emerging as a husky purr, "I want to stay with you and learn from you." Her forelegs found their way around his neck, slowly pulling Arkenstone down towards her.

"Is that an order from my Princess then?" asked Arkenstone.

Twilight paused, suddenly lost in thought for a brief moment. "That's right, I'm a Princess now," she realized, "That means you're my Knight too."

"I've always been your Knight," replied Arkenstone, "Celestia may be my liege, but you are the lady who rules my heart."

"If I'm your lady, then I suppose I'll need to give you a token of my affection," said Twilight, pulling Arkenstone down towards her again.

"I gladly accept it," said Arkenstone, his breath tickling Twilight's lips before they connected with his. They held each other tightly moaning as they kissed deeply and passionately, their tongues dancing and mingling, hooves wandering...

Neither of them noticed the door open, nor the click of claws on the floor as a certain dragon came into the room.

"Oh come on!" shouted Spike, throwing up his hands in exasperation, "Save it for the bedroom, you two!"

The pair jumped apart like startled deer, Twilight squeaking in surprise as Arkenstone actually tumbled off the couch. "Spike!" she scolded sharply, "You shouldn't just barge in on ponies like that!"

"You shouldn't be having a heavy make-out session right in front of the only door to the rest of the Palace," retorted Spike sourly, "I hope you two remember that the library is a public building during business hours or you're gonna be arrested for public indecency if you get carried away on the main floor and somepony walks in on you."

Twilight looked over at Arkenstone and saw his shoulders quaking. "It's not funny," she grumbled.

Arkenstone managed to contain his mirth before smiling at Twilight. "But he has a point," he said.

Letting out a sigh, Twilight did her best to calm down and relax. She was flustered, but the one who'd walked in on her and Arkenstone was family at least. It could have been worse. She had to concede that Arkenstone was right about Spike being right. The young dragon did have a point.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," said Spike, not waiting for her reply, "I'm gonna go see about what's for dinner." He gave Twilight a smirk as he headed for the door. "If you two end up going all the way on that couch, I'm gonna torch it before I sit on it again."

"Spike!" protested Twilight, going read again. The little dragon was out the door and gone before she could scold him properly. Beside her, Arkenstone laughed heartily, not even stopping when her extended wing swatted him on the back of the head.

"Now, I expect all of you to be on your best behavior," said Fluttershy sternly as she looked out over her animal friends, "Sparkler promised me that she would come and feed you every day, since she's staying behind anyway. I don't want to hear that any of you gave her any trouble. Do you understand?"

The animals around her nodded vigorously. Standing at Fluttershy's hooves, Angel Bunny surveyed them with folded arms and a stern glare, like a general looking over his troops, clearly intent on doing his part to keep them in line.

"Looks like you've got everything in hoof over here," joked Caramel as he came down from their bedroom, the few belongings they needed for the trip back to Canterlot packed in the saddlebags slung over his back.

Smiling, Fluttershy nodded at the animals, signaling that they were free to disperse as she turned to exchange a nuzzle with her coltfriend. "Is Dawn packed?"

"He had everything ready to go this morning before he left for school," replied Caramel, "His saddlebags are in his room. We can take them when we go to pick him up."

"How long until we leave?" asked Fluttershy.

"Our train leaves about an hour after we get Dawn," replied Caramel, "So we've got a little time yet." To illustrate his point, he set the saddlebags aside on the living room table.

Fluttershy siddled up next to him and began to nuzzle under his chin. Caramel reciprocated, leaning against her before slowly wrapping a foreleg around her shoulders and pulling her up against him. Fluttershy turned her head up to face his, while Caramel turned his face downwards to bring their lips together in a lingering kiss.

"I'm glad you made it home," he said softly as Fluttershy's affections moved down to his neck.

"I'm glad too," she said in reply.

"By the way, have you told Dawn yet?"

Fluttershy paused, her smile faltering. "Not yet," she replied, "I figured I'd wait until the time is right."

"If you wait too long, he won't have to be told to figure it out," replied Caramel.

"I know," said Fluttershy with a giggle, "But I know when I want to tell him. It's not too far away."

"Oh," said Caramel, grinning slyly, "You're waiting for that, huh?"

"That's right," cooed Fluttershy, "I thought it might make for a wonderful birthday present."

"It'll certainly be a surprise for him, I'm sure," said Caramel with a chuckle.

"Are you ready for the trip to Canterlot?" asked Scootaloo eagerly, bouncing on her hooves as she and the others headed out for recess. Despite the fact that all of Ponyville had been invited for the coronation and the associated celebration, Cheerilee had said that it was no excuse to curtail lessons until it was time to leave. Students who protested were told that she could simply treat the whole affair as a school trip, complete with an extensive lecture about Princess Celestia's thousand year tenure as sole Princess of Equestria while the adults partied, which quickly silenced those protests.

Dawn didn't mind all that much, having come to enjoy school and only wishing that he hadn't ended up skipping out on it so often. Luckily, the damage done by his fight with Wight Shade had been fairly easy to heal, otherwise he might have missed more of it while he recovered.

"I packed before I headed out this morning," said Dawn, surveying the new schoolyard. Reconstruction was nearly complete and only the school's bell tower still needed to be finished. It had been deemed complete enough that Cheerilee could move her students back into a proper classroom, rather than a tent out in the fields. All around town, ponies were moving back into newly restored or reconstructed homes, many of them better than before, thanks to a fresh injection of bits from the Royal Relief Fund, as Celestia had come to refer to the monetary assets she had seized from the rebellious members of the Noble Court.

"I'm so excited!" squealed Sweetie Belle, "It's like going up for Hearth's Warming all over again and we get to have a Princess of our very own."

The rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders stifled snorts at the sound of Sweetie describing Twilight as though she were a pet cat Celestia had bought for the town. Blushing at her outburst, Sweetie hunkered down in embarrassment, but relaxed as Rumble draped a wing across her back.

Looking over, Dawn noticed that Apple Bloom was uncharacteristically silent. "Is something wrong?" he asked, "You look pale."

Though she'd found a bit of humorous relief in Sweetie's outburst, Bloom had quickly waxed back into a melancholy mood as she stared at the ground. "Ah'm scared," she said.

"Of what?" asked an incredulous Scootaloo, gaping openly at her friend. The bad guy had been stopped, the world had been saved. Even the Cult Solar and those stupid nobles had been scratched off the to-do list. What else was there to be afraid of?

"It's just that...ya know...what if we ain't gettin' a new Princess?"

"Huh?" Now all of Bloom's friends were staring at her incredulously.

"Ah mean, what if Twilight can't come back to Ponyville?" asked Bloom nervously, "What if she has to stay in Canterlot to do her...Princess stuff? What if...?"

Scootaloo blinked and put the pieces together. "Oh," she said softly, "I get it. What if Spike has to stay up in Canterlot too?"

Bloom nodded.

"I wouldn't worry," said Rumble, "Twilight's so happy here that I don't think she'd stay in Canterlot even if they tried to make her." He thought over his words for a second. "Not that I think that anypony is going to try and keep her in Canterlot."

"Certainly not Princess Celestia," Dawn pointed out.

"Even if she does stay there, do you think Spike would?" added Sweetie Belle, "He loves it in Ponyville."

"Ah guess yer right," said Bloom with a sigh, "Y'all must think Ah'm such a silly pony fer worryin' 'bout somethin' like that."

Scootaloo thought about all the times Dawn had gone off on some life-risking endeavor, those nights spent wondering if he would come back alive or in one piece. "Nah, I don't think so," she said, "I can understand being scared that your special somepony...or somedragon might not come back."

Dawn wrapped his wing around Scootaloo's back and pulled her up against his side so that he could nuzzle her cheek.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Hey," she said with a giggle, "It's okay. You've always had good reasons for doing it. I'm just glad it's all over."

"Maybe, maybe not," said Dawn with a shrug, "I somehow doubt that things will ever be that peaceful."

"You're probably right," said Scootaloo, "But who knows, the next time you end up going off on some adventure, maybe I'll be able to come with you."

"Maybe you will," Dawn agreed as he nuzzled her mane.

"Ah don't know what yer worried about," said Bloom, "Ah mean, that cult and those nobles ain't a problem anymore."

"Perhaps not," agreed Dawn, "But I wouldn't count on everything being over. Besides, who knows when a crisis of a different kind will require my attention."

"Are you planning on being some kind of superhero?" inquired Sweetie, canting her head.

Thinking about Arkenstone and Spitfire and the hopes they had for him, Dawn pursed his lips. "Something like that..."

Once school had gotten out for the day, the Crusaders joined their respective families for the train trip to Canterlot. During the course of the journey, they chattered excitedly, forced Dawn to recount the story of the battles throughout the Palace, and asked Twilight's fellow Element bearers about their part in the whole affair. They played games, shared snacks, and generally did what they could to wile away the hours until they reached Canterlot.

They arrived to find the city bustling with activity. The residents of Ponyville had been the only non-Canterlotian ponies invited to the coronation and the celebration afterwards en-masse, but invitations had gone off to other important ponies throughout the nation. On top of that, the news that a new Princess had emerged from the chaos that had engulfed Canterlot had already spread across Equestria and everypony who could manage the journey was streaming in to the capital to see the coronation themselves. Fortunately, there was plenty of lodging available, luxury accommodations even, as Celestia and her organizers were happy to house ponies in the manors and mansions that formerly belonged to the Noble Court, which were now Crown property until further notice.

Naturally, Twilight's closest friends and their families, along with a few select others, were invited to stay in the Palace, now that repairs had opened up the guest quarters (fortunately mostly undamaged during the conflict). As soon as they got off the train, Shining Armor and Cadance, along with a detachment of the Royal Guard, whisked them away through the crowds to the Palace, expertly parting the way through the sea of ponies.

"How are you doing?" asked Shining as he fell back to walk alongside Dawn.

"Fine," replied the colt, "I've already recovered my magic and none of my injuries hurt anymore."

"Good to hear," said Shining, "You fought well. I know I don't really have to say it, but I wanted you to know."

"Thank you," said Dawn, his cheeks coloring a little at Shining's praise, "I was glad that I was able to help in the end. I was afraid that the fight against Wight Shade...or Morning Star...would be far beyond my comprehension and I would be forced to simply stand aside and watch while somepony else tried to save the world."

"That's how I feel every time Twilight and her friends have to go off and save us from world-threatening evils," said Shining, bobbing his head in acknowledgment to Fluttershy, who was trotting alongside her son, "I think it's how your mother feels whenever you have to go off somewhere too." Fluttershy didn't say anything, but she did nod in agreement with Shining's words. He chuckled dryly. "In your case, you shouldn't have to try to shoulder everything on your own. You're still a kid after all. I was Captain of the Royal Guard, so I have less of an excuse."

"Was?" Dawn's eyes widened as he looked up at Shining.

"Yep," replied Shining, "As of yesterday afternoon, I officially retired. Flash Sentry is taking over as the new Captain. You're officially speaking to the Prince Consort of the Crystal Empire now. Once this whole mess is over, Cadance and I are moving to the Crystal Empire permanently."

"Congratulations," said Dawn, before pausing to consider his words, "That is...if congratulations are the proper response to this. I'm not sure how you feel about giving up your place as Captain."

Shining shrugged. "On one hoof, I am kinda sore about it. It was pretty much written in stone after the thrashing Perlin gave us at the train station last year. I've just been holding onto the spot 'til now because it's a bad idea to switch leaders in the middle of a crisis unless said leader is completely incompetent, which I am not, no matter what some ponies might say.

"On the other hoof, I'm glad to be out of it. The Noble Court might be a thing of the past, but being Captain means you still have to deal with all kinds of political jockeying from other ponies, not to mention the other branches of the Guard. On top of that, you get to be that special pony who soaks up most of the blame when things go wrong. Don't get me wrong. I loved the job and I was proud to do my duty, but I'm glad to be out of it. Flash Sentry will do a good job. I know that much."

They had reached the Palace by this point. Servants were waiting there to take charge of their luggage and deliver it to their quarters. In the meantime, Shining began to lead them down a set of hallways that Dawn had become rather familiar with in his last visit.

"Why are we heading to the throne room?" he asked.

"Well, the coronation is for the benefit of everypony," said Shining, "Princess Celestia pretty much has to have it if Twilight's gonna officially be made Princess. But that's pretty much the only thing the coronation is for. Princess Celestia has a few other things she wants to wrap up before we get on with the big show."

Twilight shifted nervously as she waited on the dais. Shiny should be back with the others any moment now.

"Are you really that worried?" asked Arkenstone, who stood beside her, "It's not as though it's a public ceremony."

"I know," said Twilight, "But I can't help but feel that this is where the really important stuff is going to happen, especially..." She looked over at their "guest," who waited quietly between Spitfire and Firefly, both mares keeping one eye each constantly trained on him. They stood at the foot of the dais, also watching the doors out of the throne room.

"Also," added Twilight, shifted her eyes sideways to look at the broad, couch-like throne that Celestia was lounging on, "I can't get used to the change in decor."

Celestia tittered. "What?" she asked, "I can't change my throne? It always struck me as silly. Every time I want to change things up in here, ponies act as though I'm undermining some kind of sacred tradition, as though I haven't changed my throne at least five times in the last thousand years."

But you're the only one who would actually remember that, Twilight thought in her most deadpan mental voice.

"Besides," continued Celestia, "I think it's only natural to have some say in where I rest my rump for six hours out of nearly every day."

Luna, who stood on the throne's other side, giggled. "All that resting of your rump and consuming of cakes is playing havoc with your figure, dear sister."

"Luna!" protested Celestia,

"I disagree," said Arkenstone with a yawn, "I find your figure to be as captivating as it was the first day we met."

"Very funny," said Celestia, completely unfazed by the joke, as even Twilight stifled a giggle.

The doors swung open to admit their guests. Shining Armor and Cadance were the first ones into the room, followed by Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack, along with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Behind them came the members of the Apple Family, including Ditzy and Dinky, along with Thunderlane, Cloud Chaser, and Flitter. Red River and Storm Front accompanied them as well.

Apple Bloom's eyes surveyed the vast room, taking in everything, until they came to rest on a young, purple dragon who was sitting at the foot of the dais. "Spike!" she shouted, rushing forward.

"Hey!" Spike shouted back, smiling and opening his arms as he braced himself with his tail. It was a good thing he did, otherwise he would have been bowled over when Bloom tackled him in an enthusiastic hug.

"Apple Bloom!" scolded Applejack, "Ya can't do that in front 'o the Princess!"

Celestia laughed. "I don't mind, Applejack. This wasn't meant to be a fully formal affair. There's no need to worry." She smiled fondly at the little dragon she had once helped to raise as he hugged his fillyfriend, his wings fluttering with barely contained excitement. "Besides, we need to wait for one more pony before we start. She should be here any-"

"I made it!" shouted Rainbow Dash, coming in for a landing just outside the doors. In the process, she actually skidded across the polished floors and out of sight before she managed to abate her momentum and double back at a gallop, wisely not trying to take flight again as she bounded into the room. "Am I late? Did I miss anything?"

"You're just in time," said Celestia. She looked to the two members of the Royal Guard who flanked either side of the entrance and nodded at them. The two Guards began to swing the massive, newly-carved doors shut, leaving Celestia and her audience alone.

"Now then," said Celestia, "We're ready to begin. There are several matters to address before we carry on with the preparations for Twilight's coronation. This is a relatively informal ceremony, but it is no less official. First off, I'll start with the awards."

"Awards?" asked Fluttershy, her eyes going wide.

Celestia nodded at Fluttershy. "Yes. After all, there are ponies here whose deeds we need to honor and recognize. However, I am aware that none of you are keen to endure the public scrutiny that would accompany a public ceremony, so I'm keeping this a private affair.

"First things first...Storm Front, Red River; please step forward."

The two mercenary stallions did as they were bid, slipping past the others in their group to stand in front of the dais, bowing low before Celestia, who nodded to them, silently bidding them to rise.

"The two of you put your lives on the line in facing Terra Heart, a skilled practitioner of the Mountain Root and a truly superior opponent. You went above and beyond the requirements of your assignment and endured injuries that you will carry with you for the remainder of your lives. For your service, I am honoring you both with the Silver Star for distinguished service." Beside her, Luna lifted up a small, elegantly decorated box in her magic and opened it. Inside were a pair of of star-shaped medals, cast in silver, hanging from gray ribbons. Celestia's magic plucked the medals out of their resting places and floated them down to Red and Storm, draping the ribbons around their necks.

"It is an honor," said Red as he and Storm bowed to the Royal Sisters. The Silver Star was an award for military achievements, for ponies who risked their lives in combat in the service of others, particularly in the process of protecting other ponies. It was generally awarded to members of the Guard. Red and Storm, who had been under Shining Armor's employ when they had gone to Ponyville, technically satisfied the requirements for the award.

"Also," continued Celestia, "I understand that you have both given up your mercenary work. While I am pleased that you've managed to find new employment, I still wish to provide you with a modest pension, as a thanks for your service."

The stallions bowed again and retreated.

"Next," said Celestia, "Scootaloo and Rumble; come forward."

The aforementioned foals exchanged a nervous glance. Rumble, clad in his pale-green shirt, was gently nudged forward by Flitter. Scootaloo, who was wearing her shimmersilk scarf, was getting the same treatment from her mother and Rainbow Dash.

The two of them stopped at the throne, briefly at a loss for what to do, before deciding to imitate Red and Storm. They bowed awkwardly.

"In all honesty, you don't need to do that," said Celestia, "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. After all, I want to thank you for what you've done as well.

"Though you are both young and inexperienced, you nonetheless did what you felt was necessary to help the ponies you cared about, even though doing so put you at tremendous risk of life and limb. You faced down foes that many adult ponies would have balked at and helped Arkenstone to successfully rescue Twilight, as well as dismantle Baron Elderflower's plot to undermine our nation. Arkenstone has told me that he might not have succeeded had the two of you not been there to help him and two very dangerous ponies are in our custody, thanks to your work."

The two young pegasi blushed profusely at the praise Celestia was heaping on them. "But we still got grounded for it," Scootaloo muttered rebelliously, earning a snort of laughter from her mother.

Though Celestia's smile twitched, just barely avoiding breaking into a full grin, she continued serenely. "In honor of your efforts and in recognition of your achievement, I will be granting you the second-most distinguished medal available to civilians. I hereby present to you both the Half Moon Medal of Merit."

The Moon-Series of medals had been created by Celestia and Luna shortly after the latter's return from the moon. The Medals were silver and cast in the shape of the moon during three of its most prominent phases, the prestige of the medal matching the amount of the moon displayed. First came the Crescent Moon, followed by the Half Moon, and finally, the Full Moon, which had yet to be awarded even once since the awards had been created.

Now Luna held up the same box as before. But, this time, when it opened, the two half moon-shaped medals rested where the silver stars once had. They hung from a pair of deep-blue ribbons as Celestia lifted them out of the box and levitated them down to Scootaloo and Rumble, hanging them from their necks. Though Celestia had dismissed the need for formality, they nonetheless bowed before scampering back to their families, where they were met with hugs, nuzzles, and proud expressions.

"Next up," said Celestia, continuing on with the proceedings, "Dame Fluttershy, Dame Rarity, Dame Applejack, Dame Pinkie Pie, and Dame Rainbow Dash; please approach."

The five girls came forward, trading looks as they arrayed themselves at the foot of the dais. At a nod from Twilight, they stood proud and tall, recognizing that there was no need for them to bow. Twilight herself trotted down the dais to stand with them.

"Once again," said Celestia, looking them over, "I find myself in your debt. The six of you have saved Equestria yet again. Twilight has her alicornhood, but I want to reward the rest of you as well." She sighed. "After you saved us all from Discord, I knighted you, believing that it was an appropriate way to honor your actions. After dealing with the machinations of the Noble Court, I now realize that I may have done you a disservice by doing so. This time, I have decided to honor you the same way that Luna and I honor our Knights when they perform a great service to us.

"I hereby grant you a Royal Boon, a favor you are free to ask of me or my sister. It will always be available, so there is no need for you to use it now. All you need do is ask and, if it is within our power and within reason, it shall be granted to you."

"Wow," said Applejack, taking off her stetson and holding it to her chest, "A favor from the Princess herself."

"Though I speak somewhat presumptuously, I advise you not to use it frivolously," counseled Luna.

The Element Bearers nodded at her and fell back, with Twilight returning to the dais to stand between Arkenstone and Celestia.

"Now then," said Celestia, "I ask that Flaxseed come forward."

Flaxseed had been hiding at the back of the group. Only when Rarity stepped back and gently nudged him did he proceed to move forward. She accompanied him, holding slightly back and pressing her shoulder against his barrel to help comfort him. Flaxseed gazed nervously up at Celestia, before flicking his eyes over to Luna, who gave him a smile and an encouraging nod. Though he was shaking with nerves, his eyes remained their normal, almond hue as he waited for Celestia to speak.

She considered him silently for a moment, her smile fading into a sad, apologetic look. "You have endured great hardship and suffered for many years. You bear scars upon both your body and heart that will never fully heal and the memories of your experiences shall always be with you. Worse still, it was done by ponies who claimed to act in my name, who believed they were executing my will. That they acted in willful ignorance of my true feelings and that I have publicly expressed disapproval of their actions does not change that. You suffered as a consequence of my negligence and my unwillingness to act. For that, I apologize." She lowered her head until it hung below the level of her throne, closing her eyes.

"I d-don't really feel that it's y-your fault, Princess," said Flaxseed, "You can't be everywhere and some ponies will never change their minds. I suffered...but...though it may be indirectly because of my hardships, I ended up finding happiness as well." He looked back to smile at Rarity, who smiled back and nuzzled against his neck.

"I am glad," said Celestia, her smile returning. She raised her head. "Nonetheless, your forbearance deserves recognition. For that, I award you the Crescent Moon of Merit...and one other thing..."

From her side, Celestia levitated a rolled up parchment and floated it down towards Flaxseed. When it reached him, the parchment unrolled, allowing Flaxseed to see what it contained.

"This is a Royal Certification for Accounting, the equivalent to a diploma from any trade school in Equestria with regards to your chosen profession. You are hereby officially licensed as an accountant and free to work where you please."

Tears streamed down Flaxseed's face. It was clear that he appreciated this gift even more than the medal that Luna draped from his neck. Rarity smiled and leaned against him, remembering that one of Flaxseed's greatest regrets was that his fugitive status had kept him from being able to attend trade school and become a real accountant, despite the fact that she had seen first-hoof that he had the necessary skill to be one.

"Th-thank you so much, Your Majesty," said Flaxseed, his voice nearly a whisper.

"I must thank you for enduring so long," said Celestia equally softly, "You've earned this."

Dipping his head politely and taking the certification in his magic, Flaxseed and Rarity made their way back to the group.

"There is one last award to be given out," said Celestia, "Dawn Lightwing, come forth."

Dawn walked up to stand at the base to dais, looking expectantly up at Celestia, who smiled warmly down at him.

"Dawn, like Flaxseed, you have endured a great deal of hardship over the course of your life. Once again, much of it was done in my name and as a consequence of my own negligence. My apologies will never make up for what you have endured and I can't give back the time you've lost because of it." She sighed.

"Princess," said Dawn, "You know that I do not hold you responsible for what I suffered. Though I may have endured great pain and hardship, I did emerge stronger because of it. And, because one of the ponies you favored kindly took me in, offered me a home, a family, and her love. I am happier than I would have ever thought possible. I do not regard the time I spent on the run as a waste."

"I'm glad," said Celestia, "On top of that, you have performed great services for your friends and this nation, not merely once, but several times. You helped to free Cloudsdale from the grip of a tribalist insurrection that might have caused severe bloodshed. You traveled far from home to rescue a mare trapped in the stronghold of one of the members of the Noble Court. You faced down assassins like Willow, Shade Steel, and Terra Heart, protecting your friends and family as you did so. Finally, you were the one who struck the decisive blow against Wight Shade, which allowed us to win the day and finally put an end to his schemes, once and for all. All of Equestria-No!-the entire world owes you a great debt."

Dawn lowered his head, vibrant spots of red standing out on his cheeks as she spoke. Bashfully, he scraped a forehoof against the floor, trying not to look up at Princess Celestia anymore. "Um...well..." Behind him, he could hear his friends and even his mother giggling at his embarrassment.

Even Celestia was trying to hide her growing smile behind her hoof. It took her a moment, but she managed to get her expression back under control. "In honor of your achievements and the great service you have provided, it is my pleasure to present to you the Full Moon Medal of Merit."

A gasp escaped the ponies behind him and even from Twilight at her place by Celestia's throne. Luna held up the box once again and opened it, revealing the silver disk of a full moon hanging from a dark-purple ribbon. Celestia levitated it down and draped the ribbon over Dawn's neck.

When Dawn bowed his head to her, Celestia lifted a hoof, stopping him before he could go back to the group. "There is more," she said, "I have consulted with my Knights and learned the details of your battles. They have not failed to notice the progress you have made. Thus, it is my pleasure to honor you as a full master of the Gale King, the first so recognized in over a century."

Dawn froze in place, his eyes wide, gaping in shock. "I can't be a master," he protested, "I'm not anywhere near good enough. I still have so much left to learn."

"Indeed," said Arkenstone with a chuckle, "Did you think that you ever wouldn't have more to learn? True mastery is the realization that you never stop learning, never stop growing. You've shown that you understand this even better than ponies several times your own age."

From where she was standing, Spitfire spoke up. "What you have accomplished is leagues beyond even what your Master was capable of. Don't go selling yourself short, kiddo."

"It is my understanding," said Celestia, "That many of my current Knights have their eyes on you as a future member of their Order. Do you have any intention of joining."

"I may," said Dawn, "But not yet...I would like to spend my time as a foal, and as a son, a little longer."

"As is your right," said Celestia, "You will join them when you are ready. I look forward to that day."

Dawn bowed again and turned to head back to his mother's side. This time, Celestia said and did nothing to stop him.

"Now then," said Celestia, "The pleasant part of this affair is over. It is time to turn our attention to the less-pleasant duties." She nodded to Shining and Cadance. "For this, I require the input of just a few of you, so Shining and Cadance will see the rest of you to your quarters."

According to her instructions, the Element Bearers remained, along with Dawn. The rest of the group was escorted out, leaving them alone with Celestia, Luna, their Knights, and Perlin Bluestreak.

"Perlin Bluestreak; please come forward."

For Perlin, it was technically less coming forward than coming in from the side as he walked to the red carpet that had been laid over the floor to stand before the dais and directly below Celestia's throne, looking up at her as she looked down at him. There was no warm, caring smile gracing her features now. There was only the stern look of a ruler about to dispense judgment.

"Regarding you current fate, I have not yet made a final decision," said Celestia, "The reason I have not yet issued your sentence is because I wish to take the testimony of the ponies who came here today, so that I might have what I need to come to a final decision.

"As it stands, you have committed severe crimes against Equestria. You have aided, abetted, and participated in treasonous activities in numerous locales. The list of your crimes is extensive and there is much hardship that might have been avoided had you not been there."

Perlin bowed his head as Celestia spoke, plainly accepting her words.

"However," continued Celestia, "I have come to understand that your circumstances are complex and that you are not wholly beyond redemption..."

"Well?" asked Celestia, looking to Twilight, "What do you think?"

Twilight examined Perlin through the sheet of one-way glass that divided him from them. Cadance was in the room with him, the two of them talking quietly, though their voices could be heard clearly by the two ponies listening in.

"I can dismantle the Dark Matter his wings are made of," said Twilight, "But I can't restore his original wings. In a sense, those are long gone. Their structure and that of the bones and muscles they've been attached too has been altered too much, first by giving him wings of mithril, then by giving him his current set. Maybe I could manage something of an approximation, but I'd probably end up doing more harm than good. I'm not a doctor of pegasus biology after all."

"I see..." said Celestia glumly, "...I had hoped that, at the very least, being able to render him relatively harmless by divesting him of his main weapons would be an option. That would make it less necessary to resort to extreme methods."

"Well...I could simply aim for a form of Dark Matter that's more inert and couldn't be weaponized the way his current wings can," said Twilight, tapping her chin, "But it would take me a little while to come up with something."

"It's better than nothing," said Celestia.

"Um...I...I don't think you should do that," said a pony in a quiet voice, almost a whisper from behind the two princesses. Turning around, they saw Coco Pommel standing there, watching them as they discussed Perlin's fate. She had faded into the background so naturally that they'd momentarily forgotten she was there at all.

"Why would you say that?" asked Celestia as she watched Coco carefully.

The young mare shied away from being under the gaze of Princess Celestia at first, but then managed to rally and state her case. "I think...I think Perlin's wings are too important to him. He...He chose those wings...Not like his last ones."

"You mean the mithril ones, right?" asked Twilight.

Coco nodded in response. "His father wanted to make him a weapon. He wanted Perlin to kill you someday..." She looked specifically at Celestia as she said that. "...Perlin decided he didn't want to and killed his father. But he didn't really know how to live after that...so he did the only thing he'd been raised to."

"He fought," said Twilight, frowning and looking at Perlin through the glass again. It was the same story she'd heard from Rainbow Dash. Rainbow had phrased it differently, that Perlin was a mercenary largely for his own amusement, that he cared little for killing or dying, so long as he had the chance to put his skills to use. She hadn't really looked at it from the angle Coco was using. Perlin fought because that had been what he'd been raised to do. He hadn't been raised to tell right from wrong or about the reasons behind conflict. He'd taken control of his own life when he'd killed his father. But then he'd immediately defaulted back to the one thing he knew how to do above all else...

Celestia sighed. "I wish that reassured me. However, it makes me fear that, regardless of what we do, Perlin will be a threat to himself and others."

"I...I think he can change!" said Coco, speaking more loudly this time, "He already is changing. He just needs to be taught a better way, something better to use his wings for!"

"I agree with Coco," said Cadance, making Twilight jump. She hadn't even realized that Cadance had left the interrogation room. Perlin was still sitting there, idly tapping a forehoof against the table as he stared at the window. The sight of his hawklike eyes, seemingly watching her, despite the fact that Twilight knew he couldn't see through the glass, made her shiver.

"You do?" said Celestia.

Cadance nodded. "Perlin's beginning to understand what he's done better and I think that Coco is helping him understand that he needs to change the way he lives his life. What's more, taking his wings away, or even rendering them harmless, would do irreparable damage to him. Whether mithril or Dark Matter, they are too integral to Perlin's sense of identity for him to come through losing them unscathed."

"So you believe that he can be trusted to change for the better?" asked Celestia.

"I do," said Cadance, before she smiled at Coco, "And it's entirely thanks to you."

"M-me?" gasped Coco, blushing furiously.

Cadance nodded and giggled. "When he realized that he cared about you and that he wanted you to be happy, that's when he started to question the way he'd been living. So long as he has his feelings for you, I think we can keep him from going astray."

"What do you recommend then?" asked Celestia.

"Well..." Cadance tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Thus, I have decided that you will atone for your crimes through service," said Princess Celestia. After recalling that past conversation, she had listened to the stories of the ponies who had encountered Perlin personally. She'd listened to Rainbow Dash and Rarity recall their experiences and then heard Dawn's account of the encounters he'd had with Perlin.

"Service?" Perlin tilted his head. "You mean community service? Am I going to be spending my time picking up litter in the park or something?"

"Nothing so tame as that," said Celestia, maintaining her stern tone, though a faint twitch of her lips betrayed her amusement at his words, "You will be sent out as an agent of the Crown to settle problems that the Royal Guard cannot handle."

"So...like your Knights then?" inquired Perlin.

"Somewhat," said Celestia, "You will not have the authority or the autonomy that they do and you will be carefully observed to ensure that you are performing your duties properly. Make no mistake. I have no intention of using you as an assassin or a mere blunt instrument. You will be required to avoid using lethal force to the fullest extent of your ability and if I am ever led to believe that you did not do everything in your power to avoid killing in a situation, then I will have Twilight render your wings harmless."

Perlin bowed his head.

"This is not a permanent arrangement," said Celestia, giving the young stallion the first smile she'd ever shown him, "When Luna and I have ascertained that you have properly atoned for your crimes, you will be free to leave our service. It will be up to you, then, to decide what you wish to do with your life. However, I hope that you will have a better understanding of what you would like to do."

Perlin bowed his head in acknowledgment.

Turning to the rest of her audience, Celestia asked, "Does anypony have anything to say about this? Do you agree with this judgment?"

"It doesn't seem like such a bad arrangement," said Dawn, smirking slightly as he came up to stand next to Perlin, "At least you will still have opportunities and reasons to fight."

"Yes...but..." Perlin looked over at Dawn, who merely smiled at him.

"If you find the right reasons to put your skills to use, I think she will have fewer problems," said Dawn before he lowered his head so that he could look around Perlin and his guards, "Isn't that right, Coco?"

Coco Pommel hesitantly stepped out from behind the base of a shattered column she'd been hiding behind. "Y-yes," she said very quietly, a small smile on her face.

As Perlin turned to face her, Spitfire, Firefly, and Dawn stepped away so that Coco could walk up to him. She raised a hoof and gently pressed it to his cheek. "I think it would be good for you. I never wanted to take away something so important to who you are."

Perlin leaned into her touch, pressing up against her hoof. "I don't want to frighten you though," he said, "You're afraid..."

"I am," said Coco, "But...if you learn to use your wings the right way...I don't think I'll have anything to fear anymore." She moved in a little closer. "When you're ready, come to Ponyville." Leaning in, she planted a quick kiss on his lips. "I'll wait for you there. Okay?"

"Okay," said Perlin.

The two of them moved forward enough that they could press their necks up against each other. Perlin's wings unfolded and slowly moved forward to brush over Coco's back. She twitched at the contact at first, prompting Perlin to pull his wings back.

"No," she whispered into his ear, "It's okay."

Finally, Perlin's wings wrapped around her and held her a little tighter.

"Well," said Dawn with a satisfied smile as he moved to trade nuzzles with his mother, "That's about as happy an ending as we can manage."

"I agree," said Fluttershy, smiling as she watched Perlin and Coco hold one another.

Celestia let out a relieved sigh as she closed the door to her room behind her. Her horn glowed, her magic already hard at work unfastening the pieces of her regalia and setting them aside.

"A little award ceremony was really that stressful, huh?" teased a voice from a pile of cushions over by the fireplace.

"It went well enough," said Celestia, "I'm just glad that there were no objections to Perlin's sentence."

Swift Stride stretched...and winced with a grunt as he tried to settle into a position more comfortable than the one he was already in. For once, his black garment and white sash were nowhere to be seen. It was to his benefit that only Celestia could see him now, as his body looked like one massive bruise, mottled shades of purple, blue, and black beneath the hairs of his coat. Fortunately, the healers had said that he would make a full recovery...eventually. Their healing magic had been stymied by Swift's own magic, which he was using to literally hold his body together at almost a cellular level. Wight Shade's salvo of magical attacks had injured him in ways that the doctors couldn't even properly diagnose and this was the only way that Swift was able to ensure that he would recover without any complications.

Making her way to the fireplace, Celestia summoned a couple of mugs and began to prepare some hot chocolate for the both of them. She was happy to have Swift spend his recovery in her room, where she could keep an eye on him herself.

"I'm sorry, by the way," said Swift as he gingerly took the proffered mug in his hooves.

"You apologized before you even put your plan in motion," Celestia pointed out, "And it worked out nearly perfectly." She sighed and shook her head. "Though, true to your words, I was not happy about it. I am glad that you did not lie to me."

"I never could," admitted Swift with a shrug, And I never want to.

"There is something I am curious about," said Celestia, "If I had forbidden it...would you have still tried to 'kill' Twilight?"

"Yep," said Swift without the slightest inkling of hesitation.

"Even if it meant losing your Knighthood for real and suffering the consequences of my wrath?" pressed Celestia.

Swift's squinty eyes opened wide enough for Celestia to see his ice-blue irises as he gave her a completely sober look. "I still would have done what I did. I also would have accepted the consequences afterwards."

For a long moment, the silence hovered between them. They both took the opportunity to get in a few sips of their cocoa before Celestia sighed. "Thank you," she said.

Swift chuckled. "We do crazy things for the ones we love. Though I think I'm gonna steer clear of Arkenstone for a while. I get the feeling he's still pretty sore with me."

"That would probably be wise," said Celestia with a giggle of her own, "Naturally, I've restored your full status as a Knight, though I think I'll hold off the official announcement of that fact for a little while yet. I do believe Arkenstone realized what you were up to though."

"You think that's gonna convince him to hold back?" asked Swift, "If I were in his position, I probably wouldn't. No need to cause him any more stress. For now, I think it's enough for him to know that I won't be threatening his fillyfriend again."

"That is true," agreed Celestia. She smiled warmly at Swift.

"If you don't mind," said Swift, giving Celestia a strangely serious look, "I have a question of my own."

"And what is that?" asked Celestia.

"Does Twilight Sparkle know that you knew what I was going to do?" asked Swift his eyes widening out of their habitual squint.

"I think she may have surmised that I was in on your little trick," said Celestia. "But I do not know for certain. She has not asked."

"If she asks...what will you do?"

Celestia stared pensively down into her mug. "I will tell her the truth. I will answer her honestly and accept the consequences, just as you would have had you chosen to act without my approval. I have hope that she understands what you did, even if she does not like or approve of it and, in turn, understands why I trusted you to act as you did. But if she chooses not to, that is her right and I couldn't necessarily say that she is wrong."

Celestia looked up from her mug and smiled at Swift. "For now, just rest and focus on getting better. I know that it is going to take you a while and I don't want you going anywhere until you've fully recovered." She giggled yet again. "If anything, I suppose I should be grateful to Wight Shade for the chance to keep you here for a decent period of time."

Swift chuckled and raised his mug to her in a salute. "All things considered...there's no place I would rather be."

Twilight Sparkle's coronation was about as loud and flashy as such an event could be expected to be. By the time it started, ponies had flocked over from across all of Equestria to see the country's newest Princess with their own eyes. On top of that, delegations from foreign nations, from Saddle Arabia, Minos, Pachydermia, Yakyakistan, Guoxia, and even a few griffon aeries, attended as well.

Ponies lined the streets as Twilight was paraded through them on an elaborate carriage. She did her level best to remain calm, keep a polite grin on her face, and wave to the ponies cheering for her as she passed. Though her actual actions during the ceremony were minimal, nothing could fully convince Twilight that she wouldn't embarrass herself or Celestia and Luna in some way. Fortunately, she had not been required to make a flyby or she was fairly certain that the only direction she might have ended up flying was down. Rainbow Dash had been coaching her, but Twilight figured it would be a few weeks before she felt confident enough to put on a public display.

If anypony took issue with Twilight's rise, they were apparently unable to make themselves heard over the cheers of everypony else. Twilight's eyes had roved over the crowd and, though she'd seen a fair few jealous or underwhelmed ponies, she hadn't seen anypony glaring at her with outright hatred or resentment, which made her feel a little better.

Luckily, the reception afterwards was a more intimate and private affair...for a given definition of "intimate" and "private." The guest-list included nearly the entire population of Ponyville, along with a select list of ponies that had been approved by Twilight herself, ponies she could trust to handle interacting with her neighbors and friends without their noses turning skywards. Fortunately, she no longer had to worry about offending anypony from the Noble Court. The rest of the Canterlot elite consisted largely of wealthy business ponies and others from similar walks of life who Twilight didn't need to worry about offending. With all the guests being so familiar with her, Twilight felt free to cut loose and enjoy herself, indulging in all the activities a proper Pinkie Pie Party provided.

Even the ponies who weren't invited to the reception were still able to enjoy themselves. Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Pinkie had made arrangements for all the ponies visiting the coronation. Booths and stalls lined the streets, offering all kinds of food or fun activities. The bars were open, offering special deals to celebrate Equestria's new Princess. The restaurants were filled up. Canterlot was swept up in a festival of celebration.

Naturally, the party ran on late into the night. As the sun set and the moon rose, the attendees found that Pinkie had another surprise for them, a fireworks show, accompanied by a performance from the Wonderbolts, including Rainbow Dash. Even after the performance ended, Pinkie's fireworks continued to fill the sky with light, color, and sound. However, some ponies had enjoyed themselves enough and decided to call it a night. One particular group of such ponies watched the last of the fireworks from a balcony in the Palace guest quarters.

"It certainly is beautiful," said Fluttershy as she leaned up against Caramel. Beside them, Dawn had reared up to rest his forehooves on the balcony railing as the three of them watched the conclusion of Pinkie's show.

"You can say that again," agreed Caramel, "Pinkie sure nows how to end things on a high note." Looking over, he saw that Fluttershy's eyelids were drooping. Dawn was in a similar condition. Neither of them was overly accustomed to late nights. Caramel himself wasn't much of a night owl either. But he at least had more experience than the other two.

As she yawned, Fluttershy began to nuzzle against Caramel's neck, already looking forward to going to bed. She would have probably gone much sooner, but had decided to enjoy Pinkie's fireworks to the end, both for the sake of her friend and because the noise would have kept her from getting much sleep while the fireworks were still going off.

"By the way," said Caramel, beginning to fidget a little, "There's something I'd like to ask you."

"Yes?" Fluttershy pulled away just enough to get a look at Caramel's face. The sight of those teal eyes, however sleepy they might have been, made Caramel's heartbeat accelerate.

"I've been thinking about this for a while," said Caramel nervously, "Ever since Hearth's Warming." Both his and Fluttershy's cheeks colored as they recalled that night. "I've never been so happy as I've been with you...both of you..." He gave Dawn a meaningful look as Dawn's eyes, which glowed slightly in the low light, fixed on him. "I've realized just how much I've loved living with you, being a family. I wanted to ask this for a while now..."

Caramel turned to face Fluttershy fully, producing a small box in his hoof. A sharp gasp escaped Fluttershy as she realized just what must be within that box.

"Fluttershy...will you marry me?" asked Caramel, opening the box to reveal a necklace, a horseshoe crafted from lapis lazuli, hanging from a gold chain.

Fluttershy's hooves went to her mouth as she stared, wide-eyed, at the necklace, tears beginning to form. She hesitated for a second, glancing over her shoulder at Dawn, who smiled widely and nodded. Turning back to Caramel, she gave her answer. "Yes!"

Grinning like a fool, Caramel lifted the necklace out of its box and draped it over Fluttershy's neck. As soon as his hooves lowered, Fluttershy threw her arms around him, pulling him close and kissing him passionately. Above them, the sky lit up once again as Pinkie's show entered its finale. Dawn soon joined in the embrace and the three of them huddled together on the balcony, their weariness forgotten in the excitement of the moment.

Author's Notes:

This chapter ended up being a lot longer than I'd intended when I started writing it. However, I didn't see any place where I really wanted to break it down. As the second-to-last chapter in the story, I figured that it wasn't that big of a deal.

Next chapter: An epilogue...

Epilogue

Chapter 37: Epilogue

Dawn stretched his wings, feeling the joints where they met his shoulders pop as he strained to spread his feathers out as far as he could. He reveled in the warmth of the late afternoon sun as it seeped into them. After a decent training session with Scootaloo, just basking in the sun helped relax his body and muscles. Even the cloud he was lying on felt blissfully warm. He only wished Scootaloo could be there to share it with him. But she seemed to have something she needed to take care of and had left as soon as they finished their training session.

Since Twilight's coronation, everypony had returned to Ponyville. The days had taken on a peaceful, regular pattern. Dawn attended school with his friends, trained with Scootaloo in the morning and afternoon, worked at the tea shop on the weekends, spent the evening with his mother and father. Scootaloo's birthday, then her friends' came and went, Dawn enjoying them thoroughly. Though he maintained his awareness and kept a watch for any sign of danger, there had been no problems from the remnants of the Cult Solar or anypony affiliated with the Noble Court. Even having a new Princess living in Ponyville hadn't changed things much. Aside from sporting a pair of wings, Twilight lived much the same way as she always had, though Arkenstone now lived in the library with her and Spike.

These quiet and peaceful days were a welcome change from the past year of trials Dawn had gone through, to say nothing of the years before it. That year he had spent in the Everfree Forest and the years before, when he'd been on the run, moving from town to town to escape ponies hunting him, all seemed so much like distant dreams. The memories had a strange, unreal quality that unnerved him at times.

It's amazing to think that things have changed so much...that I've changed so much. Dawn smiled at the thought. If things were radically different from how they were before, then he was grateful for the change. He was happy now. Though Scootaloo and the others still bothered him about crusading for his cutie mark, Dawn didn't feel any rush to fill the space on his flank just yet. Such things would come in their own time and he was content to wait until then. Arkenstone had already promised him a full-time position at the teahouse when he graduated from school, though such an occasion was still a couple of years away.

Checking the position of the sun, Dawn decided that, even though it was still early, he might as well head home. Normally, he and Scootaloo would hang out with their friends and fellow Crusaders after school before parting ways for the day. But, for some reason, everypony had had something they needed to do or take care of right away. So he and Scootaloo had skipped straight to their training before she had needed to go off and do something as well.

Even taking his time, Dawn still reached his home fairly early. He took a brief moment to look down on it from above as he circled in for a landing. Already, he could see the shadows of ponies and animals moving through the windows. Strange...it looks like there's more than just Mom and Dad. Are we having company over for dinner?

Looking at the house next door, where the griffon mercenaries who had previously been Fluttershy's bodyguards lived, he noted that the windows were dark and there was no sign of anything going on in there. Skan and Zhan might not have been employed to protect Fluttershy any longer (now that Flash Spark was no longer an issue), but they had settled in Ponyville, explaining that they planned on starting a family of their own, even signing on to the Weather Team. Zhan had recovered well from the injuries she'd received during her fight with Flash Spark. However, the arm that had been injured in that battle would be stiff and unresponsive for the rest of her life, not that she would allow it to slow her down all that much. That there were no signs of activity in their home wasn't an ominous omen of any kind, but it did strike Dawn as odd.

Landing in front of the door to the cottage, Dawn perked up his ears, listening for what was going on inside. The sounds coming through the door seemed quieter than they should have been, as though the ponies behind it were doing their best to avoid making any noise. Relaxing and calming his mind, Dawn allowed his awareness to seep out through the air around him, spreading and moving through the cracks around the door, letting him get a feel for what was going on inside the house. To his surprise, he sensed several ponies on the other side of the door. Once upon a time, the realization would have alarmed him and Dawn's first thought would have been to expect an attack. However, he realized that the sensations of these ponies were familiar to him. His friends were in there, as well as Fluttershy, Caramel, along with other ponies from all over town. He hadn't thought the cottage had room for so many ponies.

Curious as to why so many ponies were visiting, Dawn pushed open the door.

"SURPRISE!!!" shouted several voices at once, the sensation washing over him like a tangible force. Again, the past Dawn might have retreated several meters to assess the situation and prepare for an attack. But Dawn, as he was now, had already sensed a complete absence of hostility and the only force the collective shout carried was the weight of the overwhelming enthusiasm of the ponies doing the shouting. He could see them now, assembled in the living room so that all of them had a clear view of the door, all of them with happy grins on their faces.

Something fluttering caught Dawn's eye and he looked up to see a banner strung along the wall above them. His eyes widened as he read out the message spelled out in letters, painted the same turquoise as his eyes.

"Happy birthday, Dawn!" shouted Scootaloo as she bounded forward to hug him tightly. Dawn was too floored to return the embrace, staring blankly up at the banner.

"But..." he said quietly, looking from one pony to another, "...it's not my birthday. At least...I don't think it is. I don't know when it is."

"That's okay," squealed Pinkie as she bounced over to them, an ear-to-ear grin on her face, "Just because you don't know when your birthday is doesn't mean you can't have one. Everypony needs a birthday because that's when we all get to tell you how happy we are that you're here."

"Pinkie's right," said Fluttershy, also walking up. Scootaloo still hadn't let go of Dawn, but she did shift over a little to give Fluttershy enough room to hug him as well. Leaning down, she spoke softly into Dawn's ear. "I always tell you I love you, but I want a special day to show you just how important you are to everypony, just how glad we all are that you were born into this world. This is a special day for us and you."

For a moment, Dawn said nothing. Then, finally, he tilted his head so that he could return Fluttershy's tender nuzzle. "Thank you," he said, "I really am glad that I was born, that I got to meet all of you."

Fluttershy kissed Dawn's cheek and he turned to look at Scootaloo just in time to catch the filly's kiss on his lips. Dawn flinched in surprise, then simply leaned into the kiss and returned it as best he could Finally, Scootaloo let go and backed up. Dawn's eyes swept across his assembled friends. Aside from Fluttershy, Caramel and Pinkie Pie; Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle were all there. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Spike, and Rumble were there too, along with Rumble's family. Red River and Storm Front stood off to one side, along with Skan and Zhan. Arkenstone pressed himself up against Twilight as his muzzle pointed vaguely in Dawn's direction. Ditzy and Dinky stood next to Big Macintosh, who was wearing one of the largest smiles that Dawn had ever seen on the red stallion's normally impassive face. Lyra and Bon Bon were there, wearing identical grins. Ms. Cheerilee, was there too. Suddenly, Dawn had an idea as to why she hadn't assigned any homework tonight, even though it was a school night.

All of them were looking at Dawn with warm smiles and happy expressions. The entire room seemed filled with their affection.

"Do you know what today is?" asked Fluttershy, looking down expectantly at her son.

Dawn's ears flicked as he rolled his eyes upward, searching for an answer. "...Wednesday?"

A wave of giggles and chortles washed around the room, his mother joining in freely. "Actually, I meant something else," she said, "It's been a full year to the day since we first met back in the forest. Do you remember?"

"I do," said Dawn, his eyes widening.

"I'll never forget that day for as long as I live," said Fluttershy, pulling Dawn close and hugging him against her, "That was the day we first met, the first time I ever laid eyes on you. We might not know your actual birthday; but, for me, that was the day that you were born to me. So I decided, if you're going to have a birthday, it would be today."

"Thank you," said Dawn again, tears leaking out of his eyes, "Thank you so much. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too," said Fluttershy, wrapping Dawn in the cocoon of her wings, "Happy birthday."

As mother and son cuddled together, the surrounding ponies broke into raucous cheers.

The party lasted well into the evening. After Dawn's arrival, Pinkie and Fluttershy brought out blankets and set up for dinner in the yard outside the house. Caramel, with some help, produced a hefty dinner to feed everypony. Naturally, Pinkie Pie brought the birthday cake, of which, Dawn had a small piece. The sun was down and the moon well into the sky by the time Scootaloo and Melon, the last guests to leave, headed for home. Dawn helped Fluttershy and Caramel to fold the blankets and bring in the dishes for washing. Fortunately, they had the foresight to use paper plates for most of the food, so there was minimal washing that needed to be done. Dawn helped with what he could and was stifling yawns by the time they finished.

Despite the relatively late hour, his eyes seemed to want to stay open. So he instead curled up on the couch between Fluttershy and Caramel, content to snuggle with them until he finally fell asleep.

"Did you have fun?" asked Fluttershy as she wrapped a wing around him and drew the colt tight against her side.

"I did," said Dawn, giving her a small, but genuine smile.

"It sounds like you enjoyed all the presents," Caramel pointed out.

Dawn had received presents from almost everypony. Many of them were small things, things that he appreciated all the same. Arkenstone, working with Twilight and Spike, had created a new blend of tea for him. Coco and Rarity had collaborated to produce a scarf and sweater that Dawn could wear during the fall and winter months. Bon Bon and Caramel had worked to invent new candies that Dawn could enjoy without feeling too woozy. Scootaloo had given Dawn another picture to put up in his room, a picture of the two of them standing together during Twilight's coronation, both proudly wearing the medals that Princess Celestia had bestowed on them.

Strangely, though Dawn had only really noticed it in a peripheral sense, the one pony he had not received a present from was the one currently cuddling against his side. He didn't really feel that he needed any kind of present from his mother. Her words affirming their affection for one another and explaining the reason she had picked this day as his birthday had seemed like more than enough of a present for him.

"Dawn," said Fluttershy, almost as though she'd read his thoughts, "I haven't given you my present yet."

"I don't need one," said Dawn, resting his head on her forelegs.

"I know," she said, "But it's a very special present, one that I've been wanting to tell you about for a while now."

"What is it?" asked Dawn, blinking and looking up at her. Her choice of words confused him a little.

"Well...I hope you'll see it as a present," said Fluttershy, her cheeks turning pink, "I think you will."

Dawn remained silent, waiting for Fluttershy to explain. She blushed a little bit harder and seemed to dither for a moment before finally speaking.

"Dawn...?"

"Yes?"

"How do you feel about being a big brother?"

To Be Concluded...

Author's Notes:

And so the longest, busiest story in the series comes to a close. I called this epilogue both a chapter and an epilogue because I wanted to clarify that, though this is an epilogue to this story, it is not an epilogue to the series as a whole. Though, if I wasn't up to continuing, this would probably be as good a point to leave off as any.

Naturally, there are plenty of loose threads lying around; questions concerning Dawn's biological parents, his future career, and, of course, his cutie mark. Those questions will be answered in the next and final story in the Savage Skies series, which, by and large, will serve as something of an extended epilogue for the series as a whole. Right now, I'm still in the process of writing it and it is developing its own distinct arcs and, once again, growing a bit larger than I originally intended. However, its focus should be somewhat narrower, because I mostly want to use it to bring Dawn's story to a satisfactory conclusion. The conclusion of other characters' stories will be brought up peripherally, but the next story won't focus on them.

As for Dawn's cutie mark...actually, I've been dropping hints for what kind of cutie mark he'll get as far back as the first story. Actually, I didn't actually figure out what his cutie mark would be until I was well into the series, but realized that his character had been writing itself from the very beginning, yet another example of how characters grow and take on lives of their own if you write them well enough. Good luck figuring it out.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has been reading and enjoying my series, including all of you who have been pointing out flaws and the occasional plot-hole. I'd also like to give special thanks to MysteryAlabaster who made a serious effort to proofread my work, despite my overall incompetence with working with an actual proofreader. I may have ended up moving ahead without him, but I'm grateful for the work that he was able to do all the same. Maybe next time...

Once again, thank you everyone and...hopefully...you won't have to wait as long for the next story.

Coming up: The conclusion of the Savage Skies series...title pending.

Icefire

Icefire

The northern territories of Equestria were known for their inhospitality. This far north, the terrain was broken and rocky. Few earth ponies settled here and, as a consequence, the power of their magic did not seep into the land, making it difficult to cultivate and grow. Small communities formed here and there, where conditions allowed, but they were organized around other trades, such as mining and logging. To make matters worse, the weather was almost constantly inclement. The storms that frequently blew down from the lands even further to the north were full of ice, snow, and fury. Tradition and history held that Equestria's first settlers had come through these lands. Tradition and legend also held that these storms were, in fact, the product of the Windigoes that supposedly still infested the lands that the three tribes had originally hailed from.

The storms were bitter cold, filling the air with so much snow and ice as to turn everything even just a few feet in front of one's eyes completely white. At the same time, fierce winds hurled the precipitation about, sending it blasting into anypony who wandered these climes with enough force to feel like a thousand stinging razors every second. Storms like this one could cut off the small, isolated communities that clung to life out here for weeks, burying passes and cutting off trails. Avalanches were commonplace and more than a few lives had been lost to them in the past few years. Few pegasi dared to try and work with the weather out here, as the storms were vicious and unforgiving. A mistake was liable to cost an overambitious weatherpony her life.

Conditions being what they were, travel during a storm like this was foolhardy to attempt without a party of companions to help battle the conditions and clear the way. Attempting to travel the mountains in this weather alone was nothing short of suicidal. Despite that, the pony who currently stood in the winds, the hem of his cloak flapping about wildly, was anything but suicidal.

The cloaked pony moved with surprising ease, despite the conditions. The snow was deep enough for his legs to sink up to the knees, but he seemed to walk over it as though his body weighed nothing. Every time he took a step, faint lines of ice seemed to spread out from his hooves in a web across the snow, forming a platform that spread out his weight and kept him from sinking into the snow. Rather than try and force his way into the wind directly, he instead walked in a direction to carry himself at an angle to the flow of the wind, before tacking back to start the process over. With such methods, he was able to travel a surprising distance in a relatively short amount of time.

After several hours, the traveler paused, reaching for something under his cloak. Drawing his hoof back out, he held up a strangely simple-looking device. It was a thin cord. One end was tied in a loop that allowed him to easily slip his hoof through it so that he could hold it up. The other end was tied around a single shard of nearly-clear crystal. Despite the shrieking wind that rushed all around him and continually made his coat flap in the breeze, the crystal dangled on the end of its cord as though the air was still. The crystal turned slowly as it hung. Then, like the needle of a compass, it spun so that one tip was pointing in a particular direction, almost directly ahead of the traveler. The tip that was doing the pointing appeared to contain what looked like smoke, starting out gray further up, and turning completely black at the tip.

"Not much farther then," muttered the traveler, stowing his tool away. Even as he did so, he hummed contemplatively. "The source is moving...which means...someone is carrying it."

He started walking again. To most observers, there would have been little difference compared to how he'd been walking before. But the most keen eyed ponies and those who knew the traveler well would have been able to tell that his steps were just slightly more hurried than before.

"Keep digging, you mutts!" shouted a gruff-voiced stallion. He looked over his workforce with an angry, impatient eye. This is taking too long.

An angry growl arose to meet his order. Diamond dogs did not appreciate being talked down to. Still, they regarded the stallion who watched them work with enough fear to not outright rebel. The generous helping of gems that he'd brought with him had helped to quell their rebelliousness.

Topaz snorted, his gray-blue eyes surveying the laboring dogs as they hauled dirt and stones out of the mineshaft, which stretched downward into the darkness, well out of sight. Diamond dogs didn't like digging like this. When they dug, their tunnels tended to meander, twisting about in random directions, ascending or descending as needed. Despite that, their tunnels never seemed to be under any threat of collapse. Their wanderings often took them around natural faults that could spell death for ordinary miners. And, no matter how random their subterranean wanderings seemed to be, they always seemed to manage to find what they needed.

Digging purposefully straight down was an almost foreign concept to them. Diamond dogs hated pits. A rigid, straight shaft, plunging down to what seemed to be no end was a waste of their strength and their skill. Still, the stallion demanded that they dig downwards and so dig they did. It was hard work. Digging at an angle made it easy to cart dirt and rubble out of the way. Digging down meant they had to rig up a pulley and haul the stone up by the bucketful. It slowed their progress considerably.

Topaz didn't like slow progress. His grayish-blue eyes trembled as he anxiously counted each bucketful of loose rocks that was hauled up out of the pit. Shifting uncomfortably, the faint light from the torches around the mineshaft caused his dark-gray coat to shimmer, looking as though his body were sheathed in crystal. The light also threw his cutie mark, a shard of blue-white crystal in the shape of a shield, into stark relief.

Anxiously, Topaz checked the pouch that he carried at his side, resisting the impulse to look inside of it. Touching the object within would have potentially deadly consequences, consequences he remembered his friend suffering when she had tried to pick up the item contained within. They'd managed to save her by severing her foreleg at the elbow. The severed portion had been completely consumed by growths of ebony crystals that had pushed their way out from under her skin, ripping it to bloody shreds before crumbling away. Before they'd managed to cut the leg off, she'd been screaming in agony, practically doomed to the slowest, most terrifyingly painful death imaginable.

Please wait just a little longer, Your Majesty, he thought nervously. We've nearly uncovered your new vessel. He knew that such thoughts were pointless. His king despised delay for any reason. Topaz's only hope was that he wouldn't feel that the delay was too long.

After all...King Sombra hated to be kept waiting.

The two dogs that stood watch at the tunnel entrance were hulking specimens, the type that diamond dogs usually employed as their enforcers and defenders. Their large, muscular bodies were covered in heavy, iron armor. Molding designs of metal came naturally to them and the armor was good and strong. Despite the stereotypes that dogged them (Ha!), diamond dogs were a long way from stupid. If anything that could be counted as a fault to their intellect, it was their single-minded focus that drove them to pursue gems. Because of that focus, though they possessed the skill and knowledge that would permit them to smelt iron into steel, thus making their tools and weapons lighter, stronger, and longer lasting, diamond dogs simply lacked the interest to do so. Their powerful bodies did not mind the bulk of the iron armor and they bore it with ease.

The two of them also carried spears, spears that they had wielded plenty of times before in the past, for it was not uncommon for a tunnel to open up into the lair of some fearsome subterranean beast. These dogs were experienced fighters, having faced numerous foes with dauntless courage. So it was, when the traveler appeared in the tunnel mouth, like a wraith seeming to materialize out of the heavy snow, they did not flinch or cry out, but instead leveled their spears at the unwelcome visitor.

"Apologies for the unheralded arrival," said the traveler. "I've come to speak to Topaz. Would you be so kind as to convey me to him?"

One of the guards curled his lips back. "Gem pony say visitors not wanted. You not wanted pony. Go away or I make pony-skin coat."

The hood the traveler wore concealed his movements somewhat, so it only shifted slightly as the pony beneath canted his head. "Well, that's unfortunate. In that case, I ask that you step aside so that I can find him myself."

"We not warn you again, pony," growled the dog, already lunging forward with his spear, aiming for the traveler's chest.

There was a blaze of pale-purple light from beneath the traveler's cowl. A wave of magic washed out from him and over the two attacking diamond dogs. In an instant, they froze in place, their spears halting mere inches away from him with a crackling sound. They were now covered in a clear sheath of ice, so perfectly transparent so as to be nearly invisible. They had been frozen with such speed that neither of them had realized what was happening.

A light-blue hoof reached up and swept the hood back to reveal the traveler's face, elegant and effeminate in appearance. Swept back, the hood revealed a flowing, silvery-blue mane. With a sigh, Arcana Lulamoon undid the clasp of his cloak, lifting it up in his magic and draping it over the shaft of the spear held by the guard on his left. "Look after that, will you."

Removing the cloak revealed a slender body, almost delicate in appearance. Even up close, it was difficult to see Arcana as a stallion. His body and build were often compared to the fashion model, Fleur De Lis, or even Princess Celestia herself, though Arcana was thinner and leaner than either of them, his ribs visible on his sides with each step he took as he walked farther into the tunnel.

I need to remember to break them out before I go, he thought. The freezing had been so swift as to be nearly instantaneous, giving water no time to crystalize, preserving the frozen diamond dogs both inside and out so that they could be easily thawed with no ill effects.

As Arcana walked, he came to forks where the tunnel split. Every time he did so, he paused and held up the crystal on its cord, letting it guide his way. Sometimes it wasn't all that helpful, as it might occasionally point at a random wall, a consequence of the tunnels winding around seemingly at random. Still, even then, Arcana was confident in his choices, simply by virtue that the crystal's orientation informed him that at the very least, he was headed in the right direction so long as he was moving downwards. His journey took him deeper and deeper into the bowels of the earth.

As he went along, Arcana found himself frowning. Aside from the two guards at the entrance, he hadn't encountered a single diamond dog. It wasn't unheard of to wander their tunnels and encounter but a few of them, given how extensive such labyrinthine systems could be. Diamond dogs would mine out one tunnel and move on to another once they had stripped the first of its gems. However, Arcana could see gems lining the walls of this tunnel, untouched. The dogs should still be here, working to dig them out.

His ears perked up as he heard the clanging of metal against stone, the echo of tools carrying up the tunnel. I must in the right neighborhood. Granted, the tunnels could echo and distort sound, making it seem to come from almost any direction. However, Arcana simply used his crystal to guide him, the pitch-black point clearing up any confusion that might have resulted.

At length, Arcana's journey carried him through the tunnels until they opened up into a massive cavern. Looking up, Arcana picked out stalactites high above on the ceiling, indicating that this was a natural opening in the rocks, though the smooth, worked look of the walls showed that the diamond dogs had worked hard to enlarge the cavern well beyond its natural limits. In the cavern center, he could see the source of the commotion that he'd been following for the past two hours.

Diamond dogs worked furiously, pushing carts filled with stone away from a large pit that they'd opened in the center of the cavern. More loads of rubble were hauled up in buckets suspended from pulleys. The dogs worked with impressive industry and coordination, moving the rubble away and returning for more just as the next bucket came up the line to fill it. Looking around the edge of the shaft, Arcana could see his target standing on a ledge that allowed him to look over and straight down the deep pit.

Breaking into a trot, Arcana moved through the cavern. As he did, his approach caught the attention of one of the working dogs, who immediately barked out a warning. At once, several armed and armored dogs, not unlike the guards up at the tunnel mouth, swarmed out of a nearby tunnel, moving to intercept him with their spears raised.

Arcana's horn blazed into life, sending a wave of his magic washing across the floor. The dogs yelped as their feet slipped out from under them, their heavy armor bearing them down as their balance was lost on the sheet of nearly frictionless ice that had formed out of nowhere. Arcana's trot transitioned into a smooth glide as he slid across his ice with the ease of a professional skater. The commotion attracted the attention of the crystal stallion that had been watching the diamond dogs' work.

"Hello Topaz," said Arcana congenially as he stepped off his ice layer and onto the stone a short distance away from his target, "I've finally caught up with you."

Topaz snorted and backed away, his faltering steps carrying to the edge of the ledge so that his hindquarters were practically hanging out in space over a drop into the seemingly infinite depths. His eyes bulged in their sockets and the veins on his neck bulged, standing out beneath his coat. "Y-you...!"

Arcana nodded, taking a careful step back. "It's over Topaz. Sombra's power is about to be broken. He will never return."

"Of course he will!" snapped Topaz. "Nopony can stop his return. King Sombra will always return!"

"He will not," replied Arcana. "I have seen to it. That thing you carry is the absolute last remnant of him. All the rest has been destroyed."

"Then I am his last chance," said Topaz. "It falls to me to complete his resurrection. I sh-shall not fail him."

"There is no need for this," said Arcana. "Sombra will not return. Without that last piece, he cannot return."

"You don't know that! Nopony knows that!" exclaimed Topaz. "King Sombra's cunning is without peer. He is always ready. He always has a way. This time, I will be that way!"

He hefted the sack that he'd been holding in one hoof. "You cannot comprehend our King's brilliance. You only think you've succeeded. But he will have another way. He always has another way. I will bring him back from the brink and he will know that it was me who saved him."

"Boss!"

A dog's shout from the pit drew the attention of both stallions downwards and they found themselves staring down into the pit. Diamond dogs were swarming up out of it, their claws sinking into solid stone like it was clay, allowing them to climb without the need of ladders. For a moment, the shaft looked like an anthill that had been kicked, with dogs piling out of it in a panicked rush.

"We go no further!" shouted the first dog who'd escaped from the pit, his fur singed and blackened. "Too hot!"

"Death down there!" shouted another dog. "Fire and shadow!"

"Uh oh," said Arcana.

A low, guttural growl rumbled up the shaft, carrying enough force behind it to make the entire chamber shake. Small stones began to fall from the ceiling and Arcana looked up warily, worried about how much stress the cavern could take before it caved in on itself. A wave of heat, making the air ripple visibly, blossomed out of the shaft, followed by flickering orange and yellow light, making Arcana think of magma rising up from the inside of a volcano.

The ground shook with the sound of an incredible impact, followed by another. Accompanying was the scrape of rocks against something hard, getting louder with each successive repetition as something hauled itself up a tunnel barely wide enough to handle its bulk.

"Wha-what is this?" gasped Topaz, shrinking back from the hole.

"You have no idea, do you," muttered Arcana, "just what you've unleashed."

The tremors grew stronger with every second as the source drew closer and closer to the entrance to the shaft. Arcana turned to Topaz. "Give me the remnant," he said. "Let me destroy it and then destroy that thing. Don't be a fool."

Topaz blinked and glared at Arcana. "Never! I will carry out my king's will!"

"Then I will take it from you," said Arcana, lowering his horn.

Topaz backed up, his retreat taking him to the edge of the pit. However, he jumped forward with a cry of surprise and pain as another wave of heat bloomed upwards, accompanied by a jet of flames that seemed wreathed with darkness that was more shadow than smoke. Arcana momentarily forgot about his objective, the entirety of his attention taken by the entity that the diamond dogs had excavated. A massive, black arm, terminating in a five-fingered hand, extended out from the pit. The fingers ended with hooked claws that sank into the stone as the hand came down on the cavern floor, anchoring it in place so that massive arm could haul up the creature that it was attached to. As its muscles clenched, tongues of flame billowed out around it, the heat it emitted driving both ponies back away.

A second arm joined the first, then the tops of a pair of massive, bat-like wings. Following it came the horned head, shoulders, then the torso, the waist, and finally, the legs and feet. Now free of the mineshaft, the creature reared up on its hind legs, standing upright like a minotaur, but of much greater stature. The horns on the head curled like a ram's. Its skin, if it could indeed be called skin, was broken and cracked, orange and red light shining through the cracks. A mane of flame stretched out from its neck, running partway along its slightly hunched back. More flames issued in spurts and gouts across its body, both fire and smoke seeming to enshroud the creature like a cloak. As the panicking diamond dog had described it, it appeared to be an entity of shadow and fire.

Something like this should not exist outside the pits of Tartarus, thought Arcana grimly. Sombra...just what madness drove you to seek out this monstrosity?

"What is it?" gasped Topaz, his eyes bulging out of his head as he stared aghast at the monster.

"Something that I have only heard of in rumors amongst the darkest whispers...a demon remnant from an earlier phase of the world...a Balrog." Arcana was stepping back himself, shivers of fear shuddering down his spine.

Only now noticing the ponies, the monstrous creature turned its head, regarding them with fiery, glowing eyes. It snorted, then seemed to inhale before lowering itself into a crouch, planting its hands against the ground in a more animalistic posture as it roared at them. The roar was accompanied by a blast of heat that washed over them like the onslaught of a volcanic explosion. Arcana tensed, glancing sidelong at Topaz, who'd been reduced to a quivering mess by the creature's roar.

I'll worry about him later, thought Arcana. There's no way I can allow this thing to reach the surface.

The Balrog surged forward, lunging straight for them, its clawed hands outstretched. Arcana's horn blazed, the pale-purple color of his magic washing blue, then white, as a jet of energy slammed into the center of the fiery demon's chest. It exploded outward with a burst of cold, sucking all the heat out of the air, even from the very flames the Balrog itself exuded. At the center of that chill, a white light blazed and a column of energy blew the monster back, slamming it against the cavern wall. The creature let out an angry roar, seeming more surprised than injured by the blow. Nonetheless, Arcana strode forward, a wave of cold billowing out around him as a point of white light formed at the tip of his horn.

“There is nothing for you here, wretched beast of a forgotten age,” intoned Arcana. “The world has forgotten your ilk and it would not do to remind them that you still dwell in the darkest depths. Your time is done. Return to the shadows and sleep once more. Sleep until the passing of this age…the passing of all ages…sleep until the end of all things.”

"You fool!" screamed Topaz. "You cannot win against a beast like that."

Arcana whipped his head around and blasted a beam of his magic at Topaz. In an instant, the crystal stallion was frozen in place, his hooves anchored firmly to the ground by sheathes of ice.

"Be silent," said Arcana. "I will deal with you later."

He turned around to face the Balrog once more. However, he froze when he felt a shiver of wrongness wash over him. Whipping his head around to look back at Topaz once more, Arcana saw the satchel Topaz was carrying bulge and pull against the ties that held it to the stallion, seeming to strain to reach the demon that had emerged from the pits.

Topaz's eyes widened and he turned his head to bite down on the ties, pulling at them, undoing them.

"Don't!" shouted Arcana.

Topaz didn't answer, but instead continued. The ties came undone and the satchel was freed, hurling away from Topaz and flying straight towards the Balrog. The demon watched with uncomprehending eyes as the satchel burst into flame simply from the residual heat of the flames. The fires burned away the cloth, revealing the remnants of a unicorn's horn, slightly curved and washed with blood-red color at the tip.

The horn of Sombra, thought Arcana. Just as I feared.

The tip of the horn stabbed right into the center of the Balrog's forehead. The demon froze in place, as though time had stopped for it. Then the horn began to sink into the monster's head, inch by inch. The Balrog roared and clawed at its head with its hands. However, its efforts failed to dislodge the horn as it sank all the way in. Then the Balrog collapsed down onto all fours, its clawed fingers carving gouges int the solid stone of the cavern floor.

Arcana moved to attack while the creature was immobilized, but froze when he perceived movement at the edges of his vision. Turning he saw diamond dogs clustering at the entrances to half a dozen tunnels, watching everything with terrified attention. "Fly, you fools!" he shouted. He emphasized his point with bolts of magic from his horn. The flashing light drove the dogs back and erected barriers of ice over the tunnel entrances. Lastly, Arcana turned his attention to Topaz, who was still locked in place. A thought broke the icy bonds that held the crystal stallion. "Get out while you can!" yelled Arcana.

Topaz said nothing and did not move to heed Arcana's orders. Instead he stumbled back until his rump hit the wall and he pressed his body up against it, his eyes not seeing Arcana, but looking past him at the trembling Balrog.

Realizing that it was futile to try and convince Topaz to leave, Arcana returned his attention to the monster, trying to figure out what was going on. Is Sombra trying to assimilate it? Is that what his followers meant when they talked about a vessel? That's ridiculous. This creature is older than the world itself. There is no way a mere pony could overcome something that old and powerful.

Then the Balrog lurched, its motions convulsive and random. Cracking noises filled the cavern as its body began to contort and twist, seeming to fold in on itself in fits and starts. Its fingers curled back at an unnatural angle before clenching in, then merging with the hand. The arms and legs bent at random directions as they thinned and drew inwards. The horns curled even further to jab into the monster's skull before seeming to simply sink into the sides of its head entirely. The Balrog's lower jaw jutted outward, and then was joined by its snout.

It was sickening to watch. Every movement put into Arcana's mind the image of bones breaking, then being forcefully reset into new shapes. Bit by bit, the Balrog's form had changed. Bipedal no more, it rose up on four legs, now bearing a body that was unmistakably equine in shape. The creature could not be called a pony, for it had the stature and bearing matching that of the Princesses. Instead, it was clearly a shape belonging to a horse, like the houyhnhnms of Saddle Arabia. Its skin still cracked and bled orange and yellow light, looking like partially cooled lava. More flames burned at its fetlocks and billowed out to wash across its body at random. Its mane of flames still burned brightly, running up the demonic stallion's neck. It still bore the same bat-like wings it had in its previous form.

With a metallic, grating noise, accompanied by the crackle of flames, a broad, flat, horn, like the blade of a massive sword, broke through the skin of the creature's forehead, its faint curve resembling a scimitar. Its surface glowed red-hot, like metal heated in a forge. Bursting from the creature's rear, a tail formed from several individual strands of fire burst outward, lashing the air like a whip of many thongs, cracking loudly and releasing a flash of flame and heat as it did so.

That's right, thought Arcana, the few materials that describe Balrogs refer to them as wielding swords and whips of flame. But... Something troubled him. The Balrog hadn't produced those weapons before. Perhaps it just hadn't gotten around to it before Sombra's horn had attacked it. However, its animalistic behavior suggested that the thought of using its weapons hadn't even occurred to it.

The monster's eyes opened. Instead of the fiery pinpoints of light that had been the creature's original eyes, it instead regarded Arcana with blood-red eyes, highlighted by a blazing sclera or orange and yellow. Shadowy smoke stretched out from the corners of those eyes. The creature's gaze landed on Arcana with the full force of unbridled malice.

"King Sombra, I presume," said Arcana cooly.

"Knave," replied the former overlord of the Crystal Empire. The opening of his mouth to speak revealed pointed teeth, supplemented by a pair of impressive-looking canines.

"I'm impressed," admitted Arcana, tilting his head as he regarded his foe. "That demon was ancient beyond imagination. It should have been impossible to subjugate it to your will."

Sombra threw back his head and laughed. It was a booming sound that rocked the cavern and fanned the flames of his mane. "Yes," he said, his voice rumbling like the bowels of a volcano, "it was old indeed, as old as you described. It hails from an age before an age and many ages yet before our own age. It is older than the world itself, hailing from beyond its boundaries. I do not pretend to understand how it came to be but...

"As you said, it is old...old and senile. Its undying form could only wait in the depths of the earth as age after age passed and the world was made anew, time slowly stripping away the vestiges of its will until only bestial instinct driven by ancient malice remained, bound by a vessel of savage power. With that, subjecting it to my will was a simple matter.”

So that’s how it was, mused Arcana. There was an air of truth to Somba’s words. The Balrog’s actions had been born of unrestrained and unguided malice. It hadn’t drawn its weapons because it no longer had the mind to wield them. It was a bundle of violence and nothing more.

"That makes sense, I guess," said Arcana. "I have to admit, I am impressed. You truly are fearsome in your new form. One could only imagine the havoc you could wreak if you were allowed to run free."

"Allowed?" Sombra arched one eyebrow. "You speak as though you have the power to stay me."

"M-master..."

Sombra and Arcana turned their attention to Topaz as her crept forward, having sunk into a crouch halfway between bowing and crawling as he moved forward to face the fiery tyrant. "Your resurrection is complete, at last."

"Yes," said Sombra, his voice emerging as an angry snarl. "One only imagines what foolishness delayed you. You expect a reward, I suppose."

"N-no! Of course not!" exclaimed the stallion, lowering himself further to the ground. "I only ask that you spare this foolish servant's life and forgive his ineptitude. I apologize with all of my heart and soul for not working harder and faster to restore you to your full glory."

The corners of Sombra's fiery mouth curled up. It was not a friendly smile and certainly not a forgiving smile. It was a cruel smile, the smile of a creature that delighted in the pain and fear of others. "Forgive...I think I shall forgive you," he said, somehow managing to inject the deep, basso rumble of his voice with a taunting tone. "I might be compelled to forgive you, assuming you accept penance for your failings."

"A-anything!" wailed Topaz.

"Then burn!" Sombra roared. The glowing horn of his head blazed, tongues of flame merging with waves of shadow-smoke, merging together before spewing forth in a torrent, rushing to consume the unfortunate stallion, the one responsible for Sombra's own return from the brink.

The torrent of shadow and fire broke over a bulwark of ice that rose up from the cavern floor, forming a sloped barrier between it and the target of Sombra's ire. The ice hissed and sizzled as the heat melted it, turning it into steam. The black ribbons of shadow-smoke scattered into wisps and the fire was consumed by the steam. Topaz shrank away from the barrier, flummoxed by his own survival.

"Not much of one for gratitude, are you?" asked Arcana, stepping forward, wearing a taunting smile of his own.

"Gratitude..." rumbled Sombra. "Gratitude is the most foolish of sentiments. It convinces your inferiors that they have intrinsic value, that they do more than simply exist to serve a purpose. Gratitude incites complacency and disrespect. I am not beholden to a tool for doing the job it was made for. All the ponies of the Crystal Empire are my slaves. They are made to serve me."

His blazing gaze, accompanied by that seemingly bottomless malice landed upon Arcana. "You who would stand in my way and deny my right to rule are merely an eyesore before me. BEGONE!!"

With a sound that merged an equine whinny and the Balrog's original bestial roar, Sombra reared up before charging forward, lowering the broad blade of his horn, charging straight for Arcana, flames and shadows rising around it as he plunged the weapon straight into Arcana's chest. Arcana's body cracked, fragmented, and then shattered, bursting into shards of ice that exploded outward like shrapnel. Sombra had propelled his horn into a mirror of ice. The chilling shards cut into his skin and imbedded themselves into his body, freezing the area around him, causing frost to form over Sombra's body wherever he was struck.

Sombra pulled his head upward, bellowing in pain. His flames billowed with a roar of their own, their intensity increasing and washing over his body, melting the frost and leaving behind a number of glowing, angry lacerations that joined with the cracks that had already formed across his skin, like the surface of partially cooled lava.

Sombra whipped his head around, seeking his enemy. Arcana stood off to one side. Not moving from where he stood, Sombra whipped his tail at Arcana. The lashing thongs of flames released a thunderous crack. Arcana's image shattered yet again as the whips split another plane of ice, once again sending a hail of icy shrapnel at Sombra's body. Sombra's flames roared up and the ice melted before it could come into contact with him again.

"I see," snarled Sombra, casting his head about. Here Arcana stood, in yet another position. However, Sombra looked in another direction and saw another Arcana. Still more were appearing with alarming speed. "An ice user...You have impressive skill. However, mere ice is not sufficient to quench my flames."

Sombra's horn blazed brighter still. A wave of flame roared out in directions, washing over Arcana's images, melting them, then evaporating them into steam with an angry hissing sound. The flames and shadows died away, revealing Arcana once more. He still stood, the white light at the tip of his horn glowing brightly.

Sombra snorted derisively, his nostrils blowing out clouds of sparks and ash. He reared up, fanning those massive, bat-like wings, sending a wave of fiery sparks and smoke at Arcana. However, Arcana stood unfazed. The sparks vanished, going out as though they’d crossed an invisible line that erased them from existence. Glistening blue and white sparks formed in the air around Arcana, congealing together into massive shards of ice that then hurled themselves at Sombra like spears. The shards cut through the smoke, embers, and ash, their interiors blazing white as they seemed to chill the air around them. They did not strike Sombra directly, but instead embedded themselves in the earth around him. Abruptly, the shards exploded outward in a blizzard of branching ice blades, filling the space between them, including Sombra, with bitter-cold, razor-sharp death.

Sombra lowered his head, spinning in place. The curved blade of his horn and the fiery thongs of his whiplike tail smashed through the forest of icy blades, shattering them to pieces, turning them into a cloud of steam. Then the steam was consumed by shadow-smoke as Sombra charged out with a roar, beating his wings to gain speed as he bore down on Arcana. His flames billowed and flared. Sombra fell on the slender unicorn like a tidal wave of fire and darkness.

A slender blade of ice extended straight out of Arcana’s horn. Tilting his head, he used it to intercept the downward slash of Sombra’s own horn, the two blades meeting with a flash of light. To Sombra’s shock, the flames of his horn were extinguished and the recoil of the impact forced him back, though Arcana had not budged and inch.

“IMPOSSIBLE!” roared Sombra. “Your weapon is just ice! It cannot stand up to fire and steel.”

Arcana favored Sombra with a wry smile. “Ice is a funny thing. Ponies have the impression that it’s weak. However, that weakness is born from how slow it usually forms in nature. Air is trapped between the crystals, forcing them apart, weakening their bonds. However, if ice is formed fast enough, without allowing air to get between the crystals, its bonding strength is easily three-times that of steel.”

Arcana whipped his head around, using the ice blade jutting out from his horn to cut a downward diagonal slash through the air. A line of white whipped out along the path of the cut, rushing straight forward and biting into Sombra’s chest. The tyrant roared in pain. The fire along the line that had been cut into his chest had been snuffed out and more was extinguished still as webs of frost crawled out from the edges of the wound.

Sombra reeled back. His flames billowed once more and the ice spreading from the edges of the wound burned away. The fire in his chest reignited and the cut that Arcana had made now shown bright yellow and orange, joining the other wounds he’d acquired earlier. Arcana noted the that the injuries he'd inflicted hadn't seemed to do much harm to Sombra. Instead, they simply appeared to become a part of his body. The pain they caused was fleeting, but they seemed to lack any debilitating quality.

"Pitiful foal," growled Sombra. "Is this the best you can manage?"

"Not quite," replied Arcana pacing in an arcing circle, which Sombra matched, the two of them stalking around one another.

"For all your foolish determination, I admit that you have merit as a battle mage." His lips curled upward and he bared his pointed teeth in a fearsome grin. "Join me. Having a mage of your abilities will prove most useful once I reclaim my throne."

Arcana smirked, raising an eyebrow at Sombra. "Why would I do that...so I can bask in the warmth of your 'gratitude?'" He glanced over at Topaz, still hunkered behind the ice formation that was protecting him. "If it's all the same, I believe I'll make due with your enmity. It would seem to not carry much in the way of additional risk."

Sombra chuckled darkly, a rumbling sound that made the cavern shudder. "But, had you accepted, you'd at least live a little longer."

Now it was Arcana's turn to chuckle. "Actually, I don't think I need to worry about that. You will not be reclaiming your ill-gotten throne. You will not leave this place. I would go so far as to say that it will be your tomb, if there was going to be anything left of you to bury."

"FOOL!" roared Sombra, rearing up again, flames billowing across his body in a fantastic display. A wave of sheer terror washed out from him, a tangible force in its own right. However, the aura of fear washed over Arcana like a wave breaking across stone, leaving him unfazed.

"With my new vessel, I have gained unmatched power!" he shouted, returning to all fours. "This ancient power, ageless beyond all reason, places me on par with the Princesses themselves!"

"With all due respect to the Balrog," said Arcana, "I think you're overselling its power a little. Demons are not like dragons. They do not accumulate strength with age. In fact, as you've so helpfully pointed out earlier, this one actually degraded over time. Though that only really applies to its mind and will, the fact of the matter is that its own power remains unchanged, regardless of how many ages have passed."

Sombra paused, regarding Arcana with a surprised expression, as though the slender stallion had made a critical point. Then, his lips curled back and he began to chuckle. The chuckle rose in power and volume until it became a mighty, roaring laugh that shook the earth and made small stones rain from the cavern ceiling above. Arcana glanced up nervously, seeing cracks spreading across the ceiling.

"Pathetic, shortsighted, imbecilic fool," taunted Sombra, leering at Arcana. "You believe that I intended to rely merely upon the Balrog's power. I have said that this is a vessel, did I not? It is a vessel of darkness and malice, the perfect vessel for my power. Though those foolish mares and their little dragon friend disrupted my return, they don't know the true extent of my brilliance. I scattered shards of my power far and wide across the North. I could have been reborn from any of them, given a suitable vessel like this one. However, now that I am reborn, I can call them back to me. Combined with this vessel, my black magic will be taken to new heights and my power rise exponentially, until even the Princesses, in the full might of their magic, could not hope to stand against me."

"Oh...so that was your plan," said Arcana, canting his head.

Sombra threw back his head and yelled, "Shards of my soul! Return to me!"

The crystal that Arcana had been using to guide him to the final piece of King Sombra suddenly leaped against its tether, straining to reach Sombra. Arcana let go of it, allowing it to fly and pierce its way into Sombra's flesh. Arcana's eyebrows went up as the crystal was absorbed and Sombra's presence and power increased by a noticeable margin. The shadows of his body grew deeper, which made the flames stand out all the more starkly and seem to burn all the more fiercely.

Sombra smiled, his baleful gaze focusing on Arcana. However, to his surprise, Arcana made no effort to hinder him, no effort to strike before the missing pieces of Sombra's power could regather. Instead, Arcana waited. So did Sombra. They both waited.
...
...
...
...And they waited some more...
...
...
...
...They were still waiting...
...
...
...

..."Where are they?" rumbled Sombra. "Where are my crystals? They should have been impossible to destroy."

"I'm afraid they're gone," replied Arcana, smiling once again. "I must admit, it was a masterstroke, incarnating them using the Crystal Empire's own crystals as a focus. Even high-level purification magic would only break them into smaller pieces, or grind them into dust, and then still finer dust. Only something with the power to manipulate the fabric of reality itself, like the Elements of Harmony, could possibly undo and erase them and, of course, you made so many that anypony wielding the Elements would be hard-pressed to track them all down...or even most of them."

"Then where are they?" demanded Sombra. "What have you done?"

Arcana's smile widened. "I have been very busy, tracking down all those little pieces of your power. I am probably currently the only pony in the world who could truly destroy them."

"You?" retorted Sombra. "You are nothing more than a piddling ice mage. Your magic is pathetically weak. Mere frozen water cannot compete against my darkness."

"On that, we are in agreement," replied Arcana.

"Then, since you understand your doom, I shall bring it upon you!"

Sombra lowered his bladed horn, an orb of fire and black shadow-smoke congealing together at its tip, which he then launched, not at Arcana, but at the cavern floor he was standing on. The bolt slammed home into the floor, launching shards of molten stone, laced with black power, in all directions.

The shrapnel struck Arcana in several places and his skin seemed to crack, break, and then flake off. However, to Sombra's surprise, the fragments of stone launched by his attack had not actually penetrated Arcana's body, but had instead seemed to have lodged themselves into a paper-thin layer of ice that had spread across his body, all of it falling away to leave Arcana untouched.

The white light at the tip of Arcana's horn flared up once again. A wave of cold rushed out from him, spreading across the floor, leaving a layer of rime in its wake as it burst across Sombra. Icy vines seemed to crawl up his legs, threatening to bind them in place. Sombra strained against them, only to find that they were much stronger than they appeared. With a growl, his flames surged across his body once more. The ice began to melt, then shattered at last as he applied his strength to their against their now-weakened forms.

Charging forward, Sombra broke into a gallop, the steps of his hooves making the floor shudder with each bound as he closed in on Arcana. A jet of fire and darkness erupted out of his horn, looking like ribbons of flame and shadow entwining together as the torrent surged towards Arcana.

A circular plane of ice, its surface polished to perfection, seemed to blossom out of thin air between Arcana and Sombra. The surging torrent of flame and shadow scattered across its surface, washing out in every direction, but leaving Arcana untouched. Sombra, charging behind his magical attack, bulled through the barrier with brute force, splitting it apart with the curved blade of his horn, directing a slash at Arcana behind it.

However, Arcana was already gone. Instead, he was sweeping around to one side of Sombra, gliding across the ground over a thin layer of ice, skating with grace and speed. Still sliding along under his own momentum, Arcana turned his body so that he was sliding sideways while facing Sombra. The white light at the tip of his horn blazed even brighter and three massive pillars of ice erupted from the ground, catching Sombra between them, and holding him in place. The thongs of his whiplike tail cracked loudly, shattering two of the pillars, even as his horn carved through a third.

Turning in place, Sombra spread his wings and took to the air, rising up, almost high enough to scrape his horn against the ceiling. It crashed through a few stalactites, dropping them to smash into the floor. Bolts of fire and shadow descended from above, raining down completely at random. Where they landed, fire exploded outward, seeming to catch and burn on the stone itself, as though it were covered in oil.

Arcana slid to a stop, looking around himself. The heat in the chamber was rising to incredible heights. Fire roared on every side. Beneath the flames, he could see the shadow clinging to rock, like oil. In fact, he thought, unless I miss my guess, the shadow is acting as oil for the fire. How novel.

The fire was closing in from all sides. The entrances, which had been blocked by ice before, were now closed off by walls of flame. Arcana frowned, looking at the fires with trepidation. If he wasn't careful, burning to death would be the least of his worries. Sombra could just wait until the fire consumed all the oxygen in the cavern and simply asphyxiate him. And I'm guessing that breathing is not an issue that troubles his new form, he mused. After all, the Balrog had dwelt in an airless chamber beneath the earth for uncounted ages. It was highly unlikely that there had been much in the way of air down there either.

Lavender light licked up the length of Arcana's horn and a shimmering done of light spread around him. Looking around, he spied Topaz, still hunkered in the only other safe haven amongst the flames. Targeting the crystal stallion with his horn, Arcana tagged him with a spell that covered Topaz in a shimmering dome similar to his own. This will buy us some time, he thought. The domes purified the air in the immediate vicinity, rendering it breathable, even if the air outside their boundaries was positively toxic. It was one of the more advanced...and draining... spells in Arcana's repertoire. I suppose I should put an end to this soon.

The floor leaped beneath him as Sombra dropped back down, landing without even a token effort to slow his fall. In his new body, that was hardly a concern. He stood a short distance away, just far enough that he couldn't cleave Arcana's body with his horn without taking at least two steps first.

"I have had my fill of this farce," declared Sombra. "I had hoped that you might show me something more interesting to pass the time. But all that I have seen is more of the same. Ice magic is pitiful, especially pitting it against me as I am now. No matter how much ice you produce, I will melt it. You cannot freeze me."

Arcana actually laughed. The response confused Sombra, who actually took an uncertain step backwards, the flames issuing from his body guttering slightly. "Well, I admit that I was getting a little tired of playing 'wait and see' with you. If, by this point, no more shards of your power have arrived, then I think I can safely say that I got them all."

Sombra bared his fangs again, fiery light welling up in his throat like the flames of a furnace. "I don't know what you did to seal them away. There is no way to eliminate them. Break them to pieces and the pieces will come to me. Grind them to dust and the dust will heed my call."

"And yet they haven't," said Arcana. "I'm afraid you're mistaken about what I have done, just as you are mistaken about my magic. You actually disappoint me. For all that you are a heartless, unfeeling tyrant, thriving upon cruelty and malice, you are truly a brilliant mage. In Equestria, there are perhaps only one or two other ponies with your aptitude for the arcane arts. So I'm shocked that you would make such a basic oversight."

"What oversight?" rumbled Sombra.

"About my magic," replied Arcana. "Assuming that my ice is born from the Water domain, that it is merely frozen water; that is the mistake of a first-year student in magic school, not one of the greatest mages in the world's history."

"Then what is your magic, oh great conjurer?" demanded Sombra.

"I shall give you an object demonstration," said Arcana. The white light that had danced at the tip of his horn suddenly blazed brightly.

In an instant, the flames burning throughout the cavern were snuffed out. The heat vanished. Even the flames that formed Sombra's mane and burned across his body were extinguished. Though his skin was still lit from beneath through cracks, like a crust over lava, the sparks and tongues of fire that rose up into the open air were snuffed out nearly instantly. A wave of frost spread across the floors and the walls, covering everything, even crawling up Sombra's legs. Sombra growled and the heat within him blazed brighter, but the frost merely continued to spread across his body, until it was washed with blue and white that clashed harshly with the orange, yellow, and red that bled out from the cracks in his skin.

"I can't thank you enough for making this so easy for me," said Arcana cheerfully, the light at the tip of his horn blazing like a miniature sun.

"What have you done?" demanded Sombra.

"I used my ice magic," replied Arcana. "As I told you before, mistaking my ice for something from the Water domain of spells is a beginner's mistake. True Ice magic is actually born from the Fire domain.

"Let me give you a lecture on basic physics. Cold is not an energy in and of itself, rather it is the result of removing heat from the environment. In other words, cold is born from the absence of heat. I freeze things by using my magic to draw the heat out of them. Now, since you're such an astute mage, I will pose you a question. The heat that I drew out of everything, from the air, from the earth, from your own flames...where do you think it is now?"

Sombra did not need to speak, as his eyes answered for him. They focused immediately on the shining light on the tip of Arcana's horn; white light, completely different in color from Arcana's normal magic.

"Correct," said Arcana, grinning. "Now...allow me to show you what I intend to do with all that heat you've so helpfully provided me with."

The shimmering, pale-purple of Arcana's magic flowed up his horn, mixing into the tiny sun formed from all the heat he'd drawn in over the course of the fight. It flared up brighter still, then washed a pale, icy blue, almost like it was ice made light. Then Arcana leveled his horn at Sombra. A loud crack, not unlike the sound made by Sombra's whip-tail, echoed through the cavern as Arcana fired all that pent up energy straight into Sombra's chest. The blast stretched out like a lance formed from pure ice, punching straight through Sombra's body and out the other side before dissipating into the air in scattered motes that flitted about like very fine snow.

"There," said Arcana in a satisfied tone, stepping back to admire his handiwork.

The light from the flames within Sombra had gone out at the point of contact. Blue and white was spreading across the point of impact in the center of his chest. Instead of washing across his skin like the frost had earlier, it was instead washing through his skin and everything underneath it.

"Wha-" Sombra's voice, which had once been a powerful baritone that made the earth quake from its own force, now barely sounded like anything more than a strangled whisper. "What have you done?"

"I've finished this fight," replied Arcana.

Sombra raised a foreleg, perhaps intending to step forward and attack, maybe bring the edge of his bladed horn down on Arcana's head and split it in two. However, the leg simply shuddered haltingly and then locked into place. Already, the freezing process was visible as it ran down the appendage. It also ran upwards, locking Sombra's neck into place.

"You don't have much longer, so I shall make it brief," said Arcana. "I'm sure that you've heard of the limit to how cold things can get, the so-called Absolute Zero, where molecular motion ceases entirely. It is considered by some to be an impassible threshold. After all, while negatives can be applied to economics, in thermodynamics, it should be impossible to go lower than zero.

"However, by using my magic, I've devised a means to convert heat, to invert its energy value, change a positive into a negative, so to speak. Doing so creates an actual 'cold energy' that would not normally exist in nature. Then, by applying enough of this energy, I've actually found that reducing a target's temperature below Absolute Zero is actually quite a simple task, although I need a great deal of it. Past that threshold, I discovered a miraculous phenomenon. Matter does not merely stop...it ceases to exist altogether. It does not break up into smaller pieces, it vanishes from the material plane. True Destruction is what I call it; the Law of Conservation completely violated."

Sombra no longer had the mobility to open his mouth. But his eyes widened fractionally, the brows making cracking noises as they strained against their frozen state. At this point, their light was the only light still emitting from his body. A strangled gurgle, supplemented by more cracking sounds issued up his throat, but that was the extent to which he could vocalize his horror.

Arcana continued. "Under normal circumstances, it's an extremely draining spell. Depending on the conditions, it can take me over an hour to muster enough energy to cast it. I can supplement its power by drawing heat in from the environment, but I normally have to produce nearly all of the thermal energy needed to to produce the desired effect, combined with the spell to actually invert the energy values, casting it just once can leave me immobilized for the better part of a week.

"Which is where your flames came in. You tossed about your fire with such reckless abandon, that I was left with a wealth of energy with which to fuel my spell. Consequently, this time, it hardly took any effort at all. The cold has locked your body in its present state, which means you won't be seeding your soul across the landscape. I'm afraid that it's the end for you, King Sombra...this time, for good.”

Topaz crept out from behind the ice barrier that Arcana had used to protect him. So too did the diamond dogs begin to creep out from the mouths of the tunnels, surveying the scene before them with wonder. The cavern was coated with frost and ice, which caught the light from the torches the dogs carried, filling the air with dancing motes as the light caught off minuscule bits of ice drifting through the air.

The centerpiece of the tableau was unquestionably the figure of King Sombra. His body had been overtaken entirely, frozen inside and out, an icy sculpture of a monster that had once been a pony. Curious, the dogs and even Topaz crept closer.

They jumped back as a loud crack resounded through the room, the sound of something large and solid breaking apart. Bit by Sombra’s body broke apart, even large pieces seeming to drift through the air, rather than fall straight down, disintegrating into nothingness until, finally, nothing remained of the tyrant or the demonic body he had made from himself.

“Y-y-y-you d-destroyed him,” stammered Topaz, staring in shock at the space where Sombra’s frozen form had been only a few moments ago.

“Completely this time,” replied Arcana. “There is no chance of his return. He has finally been banished from the world to see what awaits him beyond the veil of the living. He is not coming back.”

“N-n-no…” whimpered Topaz, sinking to the floor. “It…it can’t be…” He shuddered and lowered his head to his forelegs.

Arcana looked over at Topaz with a faint frown. Rather than anger or disappointment, it was a look of sadness and pity.

“He’ll come back,” said Topaz, his voice suddenly firm. “He always comes back. He’ll be back and…when he does…” He groaned buried his face in his forelegs, sobbing pitifully.

Arcana sighed. “Let us depart from this place,” he said. “We should not intrude on the diamond dogs any longer.” He paused and blinked. “That reminds me…I need to thaw out that pair at the entrance before I go…”

“And so the last member of the Cult of Sombra is in custody,” said Shining Armor, running a hoof through his blue mane as he looked down from the dais at Arcana. “And, if your report is to be believed, Sombra himself is finally no more.” The walls of the Crystal Palace rose up around them. Arcana had traveled back to the Crystal Empire, with Topaz in tow, to give his report to its rulers. Cadance was seated next to her husband, in the throne of the Princess, somewhat larger and grander than Shining’s own chair, given his slightly lesser status as Prince Consort.

“You doubt my veracity?” inquired Arcana, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course not,” said Cadance, eying him warily. It wasn’t that she expected him to lie. He wasn’t Swift Stride after all. “I’m just worried. You’re certain that every last piece of Sombra is gone.”

“Absolutely,” said Arcana with unfaltering confidence. “The greatest risk was that Sombra would foresee the possibility of his own defeat and keep one small shard of his soul in reserve in some remote place, untouched while the rest were summoned. However, he was not nearly so discriminating.”

“How do you know that?” asked Shining, his eyes narrowing.

“Sundering himself the way he did when the Elements of Harmony defeated him was an act of desperation,” explained Arcana. “I studied his journals and his secret writings. He was…uncomfortable with the idea of sundering his soul unless it was absolutely necessary. Thus, one of his highest priorities after returning would be reclaiming the scattered portions of his soul. Without them, he would feel subtly incomplete, a constant sense of irritation, like having a splinter buried beneath your skin but being powerless to remove it. Thus, once he felt secure in his new vessel, he called all of them to him. But, by that point, the only piece left was the single tiny fragment I’d used to guide my way to him.”

Cadance lowered her head with a sigh. “So it is finished then,” she said, though there was a lingering trace of uncertainty in her tone.

Shining looked down at the floor at the base of his throne. "So... a Balrog, hmm? I'd always thought they were legends."

"So did I," said Arcana. "I don't believe even Celestia or Luna have ever seen one. All the old lore concerning them dates back to the time of Starswirl the Bearded, if not earlier, for he never seemed to concern himself with them. Nopony really seems to know where the stories came from."

"It's scary to think that they really exist," noted Shining.

"That is the only troubling loose end of this matter," said Arcana. "Sombra wrote about the one that the diamond dogs unearthed for Topaz in his journal, but he never wrote how it came to pass that he learned its location."

"That is troubling," said Shining. "But his source is likely long gone, since it came from the days before the Crystal Empire itself was banished into shadow."

"So we can hope," said Cadance softly.

“How is Topaz doing?” asked Arcana.

“He’s a wreck,” said Shining. “I’m honestly debating what to do about him. He came the closest that anypony has to truly succeeding in putting Sombra back on the throne. Even without the majority of his soul, if he came here wielding a Balrog’s power and even a portion of his native magic, I don’t think even I could have kept him out for long.”

“Even if my aunts or the Elements came to our aid, it would have been a difficult battle,” said Cadance.

“The Elements of Harmony might have had an easy time of it, if they had the chance to use their power,” said Arcana. “However, with the Balrog’s flesh, if it could be called flesh in the sense that we understand it, he had an excess of brute force to bring to bear.”

“So victory would have been certain, but the cost was likely to be high,” said Shining. “That’s why I don’t think I can forgive Topaz for being willing to bring that upon us.”

“I wouldn’t call him willing,” said Arcana. “He’s a victim of Sombra’s reign, just like the rest of his comrades. I would rather you help them if you could.”

“Victims?” asked Shining.

Arcana nodded. “In many ways, it was one of Sombra’s best means of control, cunning in its sheer simplicity. There was no great spellcraft at work, no subtle enchantments, no commands imbedded in the subconscious. All it was…was simple fear.”

“Fear…” Shining eyed Arcana skeptically. “You’re saying that fear of Sombra would compel ponies to help him. Wouldn’t they fear his return and avoid it?”

Arcana shook his head. “Think back to just a bit earlier in our conversation. Even after you heard my report and all the details concerning the mission, you still have considerable doubt in your hearts that the threat of Sombra is removed from the world. Sombra was remarkably clever in that regard, having laid down contingencies within contingencies.

“Now imagine living under his hoof, having that sense of fear being driven into you constantly; fear of failure. They had been conditioned to regard Sombra’s brilliance as beyond their comprehension, that his return would be a matter of course and, if they did not do their part to abet it, they would be left to face his wrath for their inaction, wrath that he’d probably visited on their friends and families often enough to imbed it firmly in their minds that their only hope lay in securing leniency through serving him faithfully. That is the essence of Sombra’s control that was at work with Topaz and the others. What they require is not punishment…but treatment for their trauma.”

He gave Cadance a plaintive look. “They need compassion and love. They need somepony to show them that there is a world after Sombra, that they need not live in fear of his shadow and that they are free.”

For a moment, Shining and Cadance were silent. Then, Shining spoke. “I’m surprised, Arcana. I wasn’t expecting you to get so passionate about this.”

Arcana shook his head. “Ever since the Crystal Empire returned, I’ve been hunting the shards of Sombra far and wide across the North. I've seen firsthoof just how powerful his influence can be, how potent and personal. After Topaz succeeded in merging a portion of him with the Balrog, Sombra intended to dispose of him, like a cheap tool that had fulfilled its purpose. I would rather that the ponies he victimized worst of all were not treated like criminals."

Shining and Cadance looked at one another, almost an entire unspoken conversation passing between them before they returned their attention to Arcana. "We'll do it" said Cadance.

"Thank you," said Arcana, bowing his head.

"One last thing," said Shining, looking at Arcana, his eyes narrowed in scrutiny, "are you upset with us about something?"

"Upset?" Arcana blinked. "No...I don't think I should be. Why do you ask?"

"Well...don't take this the wrong way, but you've been scowling at us ever since you came in here."

"Oh...that..." Arcana scrunched and contorted his face. "I think I get what you mean. My fight with Sombra was the most serious thing I've done in a while and my first real battle in over a year. It's been a while since I've but my 'game face' on, as it were and I'm afraid...the muscles are stuck."

Abruptly, shimmering dimples of pink magic appeared on Arcana's cheeks, matching the color of the light that enshrouded Cadance's horn. A second later, her magic pulled and Arcana yelped as his cheeks were stretched out to almost ridiculous lengths. Finally, Cadance released them, and they snapped back in place. Arcana's natural expression, a slightly vacant one, was back in place.

"There, much better," said Cadance with a titter.

"Thank you for your assistance, Princess," said Arcana sardonically.

"What do you intend to do now?" asked Shining.

"For now, rest," replied Arcana. "My task is complete. Then...I think I shall go to check on my sister. From what I've heard, she's been making fine progress with her apprenticeship under Sunset Shimmer."

"That's good to hear," said Cadance. "Farewell, Arcana Lulamoon. May your paths be untroubled."

"And may your rule be shadowed by darkness no longer," replied Arcana with a small smile of his own before he turned to depart.

Author's Notes:

And so concludes another bonus chapter from the A Knight's Tale series. I wrote this one coming off a bit of a Tolkien kick, having recently finished re-watching the Hobbit movies, the Lord of the Rings movies, while reading the books and even finally forcing my way through The Silmarillion after several previously aborted attempts. So yeah, I had Balrogs on the brain when I wrote this chapter, particularly because the Balrog was one of the best parts of the Fellowship movie and one of the parts I love watching over and over again. So I figured a fun thing to do would be to combine King Sombra with a Balrog and turn it into an epic boss battle.

All things considered...I think it went rather well.

In other news, the reason I'm releasing this now is to also inform my readers that the next and final story in the Savage Skies series has now been submitted and is waiting for the cue to update. Barring an unforeseen circumstances, it should be up in an hour at most, so look forward to it.