The disappearance of the Oracle was, perhaps, even more puzzling than her visit at my cabin the previous night. Had she simply followed me onto the train, she would still have to be found somewhere aboard—unless, of course, she has decided to leap out a window. The latter option hardly seemed likely. I walked up and down the train, checking every room and every single nook. By using the Oracle's little trinket itself as the catalyst, I attempted to trace the magical residue that her aura would undoubtedly have left behind. Yet while my room was flooded with this eerie energy, there was not the smallest sign of her presence anywhere else. I even tried speaking with the other travellers aboard, but of course, no pony saw the strange cloaked mare.

I watched closely as ponies too many to count left the train upon our arrival in Poneapolis. If the Oracle was yet here, this would have been her final opportunity to leave before the train turns for Canterlot. Standing there, eyeing the leaving passenger, I did not even realise that, apparently, every single one of them had left. It was not long before I, too, was asked to exit the train. All passage towards Canterlot was blocked, so they told me—that bringing the train any nearer was prohibited by the Princess herself. As if; my brother and his 'Princess' were still maintaining the lies about the Sun Princess' demise. With little proof of my royal duties, I was unable to convince them to take me further. Not even the promise of wealth could change their minds; these ponies were obviously dedicated in their loyalty to Canterlot, something that I would otherwise complement, but now only served to anger me.

In the end, I agreed to leave as well. As much as I despised sitting on that abominable train, I was less than excited to walk to the capital.

“We are cut off from all sides! Do you get that, O, Shining Armor? Do you understand a word of that? In case of an attack, we have no backup or allies! Do I really have to go over this again? ..sir.”

“No, Rainy Day, no. I perfectly understand. But we need to find Cadence first. She will know what to do.”

“Oh, will she now? How about you pull yourself together, hmm? There is this thing called 'independent decision making'? Are you capable of that, sir husband-of-the-Princess sir?”

“If you do not stop disrespecting my authority right now, I will have to relieve you of duty and get someone else in your place. Understood?”

“Sure! Send me away and put that chickenshit Loon Moon in charge! That would indeed prove to be an excellent decision, sir I-want-my-wife sir!”

“I am not telling you again, Sergeant. Stand down.”

“Cut the tough act! You are an incompetent coward! You have always been. And I am sick of having to clean up after your mistakes over and over again! Things have not been working well lately with your pwetty-Pwincess, I get it. We all get it. But we have an empire to defend! Celestia is dead, Shining! Do you not think it is time to pull your head out of the sand?!”

“With all due respect, General Shining Armor, the lady is right. The disappearance of your beloved is indeed troubling, but the activity along the border cannot, must not, go unchecked. The changelings are on the move.”

“What if she's dead, Thunderlane? First Celestia, now Cadence.”

“It is indeed a possibility, Shining Armor. Nonetheless we must prepare, as per the sergeant's suggestion. If the changelings come in force—unlike last time—then the entire empire is truly in danger. You must understand that, General.”

I could watch these three bicker on for hours. My brother and his appointed sergeant, the unicorn called Rainy Day, have never seen eye to eye. She was put in charge for her proven abilities and capabilities under extreme situations—a prime example of a hard-working, upstanding citizen, enlisting and subsequently rising. She and Shining Armor both knew that she was the best, and this gave her the leeway to criticise my brother at every turn. She considered him to be incompetent and unfit for duty. And she hated no pony more than Princess Cadence, the one she considered personally responsible for Shining Armor's position and power. Even I had many a falling out with her in the recent years as her opposition towards my brother grew. Still, I admired her courage, for indeed, her skills on the battlefield were unmatched. Unless, of course, if we take myself into the equation—but that is never a fair thing to do.

Stuck between my brother and the hot-headed sergeant as the unfortunate middle-stallion was Flight Lieutenant Thunderlane. I knew him from my childhood when Poneapolis was still the little town Ponyville. He seemed to be nothing more than a simple delinquent, a mere troublemaker, then. But he came through; in the end, his dedication made him choose the ultimate sacrifice a pegasus can make for the empire: the transformation into a Nightguard. His now cold-blooded and calculating attitude was in stark contrast with the colt he once was. This, in turn, made him renowned, and his calm, silent demeanour gained him recognition as the one Nightguard that always gets the job done, no matter the cost. Following the yet-unresolved murder of his superior, he stepped up as the Flight Lieutenant and sole commander of the entire Nightguard Squadron.

Between the insults spewing from Rainy Day's mouth and my brother's attempts at keeping his tears at bay, I finally revealed my presence in the high tower-room by knocking my hoof at the floor. Clearly, those two were so caught up in their petty argument that only the relieved sigh leaving Thunderlane's mouth assured me that walking in on Equestria's top soldiers and commanders undetected is not as easy as it felt.

“Observant as ever, big brother.” I jested, walking up to the three. “You should be listening to these two. There is indeed trouble brewing on the horizon.”

“What are you even talking about?” Shining Armor asked. “You only come and go, leaving the Palace for days on end and return as if nothing had happened. What is it that you do in your absence, sister?” He asked again, clearly frustrated.

“I need not explain myself to you. Suffice it to say, as the personal apprentice of the Princess, I must see to it that her, shall I call it, private loose ends, are settled. I owe her as much. And you—all of you—owe her the protection of the empire. The Sun Princess may be dead, but her legacy lives on.” I quickly eyed the other two over before turning towards my brother again. “Now then. I collect that Princess Cadence is gone. Is that correct?”

“She has disappeared indeed.” Thunderlane replied “She hasn't been seen today. We have searched the Palace, and she is nowhere to be found.” He looked away and paused for a brief moment before looking me in the eye again. “Nowhere, that is, where we can look.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“I am confident, Twilight Sparkle, that the Princess is inside the Chamber of Harmony. Perhaps she has found a way to open the doors, and is taking care of the Elements. Shining Armor, of course, believes otherwise.”

“She could be dead!” My brother cried out. “She could have been murdered! We must find out what exactly happened to her before we begin planning for an invasion. A most unlikely invasion, may I add.”

“Unlikely?!” Rainy Day burst. “We've received reports of changelings massing along the entire eastern border! What exactly do you think they're doing if not preparing for a full-scale attack? Are you willing to risk the empire on one pony's death?!”

“But it makes no sense! Princess Luna is there. And the changelings, they would never simply attack us head-on. If they wanted to take over, they would—”

“Go about it like last time?” Rainy Day interrupted her. “News-flash, General, their coup-attempts failed! Face it, they outnumber us a hundred to one, and it seems that their queen has finally figured that out! We need allies, and we need them right now!” She now turned to me, her eyes lit up. “The dragons! Has Fluttershy settled the deal yet? Contact her! I know you can, just—”

“They are not coming.” I shut her down. “No-one is coming to help us.” I turned towards my brother again. “And the changelings are planning an attack. You must prepare for that.”

“How would you know that, Twilight?” He asked.

“I was visited by the Oracle. She told me about a queen and her army. She spoke of fire and flames. She told me that everything would change.”

“The Oracle?! How can you—”

“I'll find your wife, don't you worry!”

I took a few steps back, along with a deep breath, before continuing.

“Shining Armor. Thunderlane. Rainy Day. Assemble all guards and soldiers. Issue a nation-wide alarm. Call all able-bodied stallions and mares. Equestria is going to war.”

I took one final look at the dead body of the Sun Princess as the doors of the Crystal Hallway once again opened at my will. Still as beautiful as she was when I first looked into her coffin. Still as pure as she was in her life. It felt as if everything good in this world died with her; that I was picking up the remains of a glorious future that never came to be. Cold grief filled my heart as I walked towards the Chamber of Harmony. Yet the closer I got, the terrible silence that always befell the Hallway, broken only by the sound of my hooves hitting the pristine crystal floor, was now disturbed by a strange murmur. It was a voice talking. A voice I recognised.

Precisely as Thunderlane predicted, Princess Cadence sat in the middle of the chamber with her back to the entrance. Her wings spread wide, her head lifting her closed eyes high, she seemed as though she were in a trance, swaying gently from side to side. She mumbled to herself, talking ever so silently, seemingly unaware of my presence. As I stood next to her, I could finally make out some her words.

“Yes.” She muttered. “It will be done. The stage is set.”

Looking away, I surveyed my surroundings. The spirit of Princess Celestia was nowhere to be found. I wondered whether something had happened to her in my absence or she was, perhaps, merely hiding.

“The murders are but an inconvenient consequence.” Cadence mumbled further. “Pinkamena tells me she will be dealt with in time.”

“Wake up, Cadence. Speak to me.”

The Bright Princess froze in place. Her eyes slowly opened before she stood up, turning to me.

“I presume you already know, Cadence.”

“I know more than you can fathom.” She said, her face devoid of expression. “Things that are hidden, hidden behind other things, the pages of a book, the words behind the ink, the breath behind the words, the soul behind the breath.”

“Very poetic, Princess.”

“Your breath is silent, Twilight Sparkle. Your soul hides behind it, afraid to reveal the treachery. Sin is a trembling thing, it lurks within the hearts of those who are the least suspicious.” She turned her head back, eyeing the Elements up and down. “It is no wonder that they weep as they do.”

“Are you suggesting that I am the cause of the Elements' malaise? No, Princess. I am their salvation. Only blood may wash off the filth. Now tell me, Cadence, why are you here? Who do you really serve?”

“Have you ever took the time to look around, Twilight?” She pointed towards the Crystal Hallway. “These statues and murals of those which look down from high above, their eternity stemming not of the undying vessel of a god, but the preserving stone that they are wrought into. Wrought by hooves and horn, not by nature's device, given life by the memory vividly engraved into our minds. One not born with such a gift must toil long and hard to attain it, and ultimately sacrifice himself to a cause that long outlives him, and which in turn will make him outlive himself.”

“You have a very specific imagery of 'one', it seems. Who exactly are you addressing here?”

“Your brother, Twilight. Your vigilant guardian, my sturdy shield. My Shining Armor.”

Listening to her words, it all finally fell into place. And for a while, I did not even feel anger. The revelation only left me curious.

“Your love for my brother truly is eternal—as are you yourself. But you are afraid, afraid of the time when he is no more. Hundreds and thousands of years after his death, you must still endure. And so you looked for a solution.”

“I elevated him, Twilight! He will be remembered for eternity, immortalised in the Hallway as the one who stood by my side as I ruled over the empire!”

“Elevated him? How exactly? By binding him to an empty hallway of heroes so high above as to be eternally forgotten? Time fades even legend, Cadence. Look around you and tell me, who do you see? Nothing but those faces carved in stone, never moving, never acting. A terracotta army of heroes facing a battle that will never come. Is this truly what you want for your beloved? Is this worth sacrificing everything for? Is he truly that precious to you?”

“I once swore to tear down the Sun for him if I had to. And now that I did, Twilight Sparkle, I feel no remorse. No shame. No pity.”

“What made you do it, Cadence? Why now?”

“I was asked.”

“Asked? By whom?”

“The words were spoken by a friend of yours. Pinkamena. Through her words, my mind was touched and filled with the light. I knew what I had to do.”

“What are you saying? Is Pinkamena behind all of this?”

“She is but an instrument. As am I. As are you. We are all pawns, Twilight Sparkle, and you will never find the real player.”

“You murdered Princess Celestia at the request of one you dare not even name, and after all this, you claim you did this out of love for my own brother. Your arrogance is boundless, Cadence. It is a shame it had to come to this.”

Silence once again fell upon the Chamber as we looked deep within the eyes of one another. I knew not, then, that this would be the last peaceful moment I will experience for a very long time. I wish I did; perhaps I would have cherished it more.

“So this is it, isn't it?” She asked.

“I am afraid so. I wish it did not have to end this way.”

I remember wiping a tear off my cheek before I stepped forward once. Almost at the same moment, the Bright Princess took one step backwards. She was afraid—Good, I thought. The added fear shall sweeten my revenge.

What followed in the next minute is not something that I am proud of. Not because of the blood I spilled, for I took great pleasure in every drop. No, I feel ashamed because it all transpired in the Chamber of Harmony. Amidst the torn feathers of broken wings still floating in the air around us, standing over her as I relentlessly battered her head into the pool of her own blood with my bare hooves, I realised, finally, what the Oracle's cryptic message meant. I stopped my assault and listened to the pained whining of Princess Celestia's murderer. With her ribs caved in, each breath she took sounded like coins bouncing in a tin can. The intermittent coughs amidst the rattling were music to my ears; she was still alive.

Yet more satisfying than the sounds of her suffering was the knowledge that she held the key to defeating the twisted Rarity. The Oracle said that I would find it inside behind the great doors. And so I did—inside Cadence herself. I touched my horn to hers and took what I needed.

As the tortured Cadence drew her last breath, I looked up to see the spirit of Celestia standing before me. She did not even look at me, staring instead silently at the corpse of the Bright Princess.

The guards outside dared not question the source of the blood on my hooves. I merely told them that Cadence lay dead inside the Chamber of Harmony, and left the door open for them. I would not be there when Shining Armor hears of the incident; I had another execution to see to.