1) Monster

Monster
by Dan's Comments

Celestia had no idea where she was, aside from a filthy, brown, concrete cell strewn with some very questionable straw as bedding and from the smell of it, presumably toilet. The dark gray, metal bars making up one wall of the cell, and the only opening in the unadorned expanse, were not what made this a prison. That the creatures who'd knocked her unconscious and brought her here had placed a silver band on her horn and clipped a few of her most important flight feathers made it a cage.

When she tried to summon her magic to use for anything, she was assaulted by stabbing pains until she relented, and no magic came. Touching the ring to anything, even the straw also invited the assault. The intentional damage to her wings made flight a near impossibility, especially without her magic.

She and Luna had been playing away from the other ponies. Chasing around, describing clouds, and trying to guess what cutie-marks they'd get. Both of them were 'late-bloomers' and hadn't gotten their marks, when everyone else got theirs much younger. It had been a major worry for both of them, now it seemed insignificant. Someone had captured and separated them.

She'd tried to reason with the creatures, plead with them, and beg for a clue to her sister's whereabouts, since Luna also had been taken. They had, presumably, laughed at her attempts. Either they assumed her noises were those of an unintelligent creature, or they understood her perfectly, and simply enjoyed her suffering and pleas.

She wasn't humiliated by the endless parade of gawkers who passed by her cage. Bipeds, quadrupeds, creatures with no legs, creatures that flew, all manner of colors, shapes and sizes from those who could have swallowed the largest building she'd ever seen and sent a single eye stalk to gape at her, to those almost too small for her to see.

The first gawkers had stared at her a good, long while before touching a board set up before her cage, but now she only saw resignation or shock in the creatures' reactions as they passed by, sparing her only a glance. She didn't mind being basically ignored. The creatures' wildly varying physical shapes, smells that ran the gambit from perfume to beyond foul, and sounds/speech that went from music to grating hadn't bothered her. Their universal indifference to her plight horrified her. To add further insult, she hadn't been curried, and her efforts to not touch the walls and dispose of her waste in one small corner of the cell had kept her clean enough, but a little, basic hygiene would have attracted more gawkers, and possibly ones who would sympathize.

She had endured several days of this, she guessed by the cycling of the shadows beyond the area she was kept, and was beginning to lose hope that she would ever get out. The walls and floor had resisted any effort of hoof or horn, the bars were beyond her strength to bend or shift, everything entered and was removed through those immovable bars, and there remained a trickle of people who would report her absence, or activities soon enough. She also had no idea where she would go once she had left her cage. Her cell was alone, and other than one distant patch of sunlit ground, she knew nothing of the area beyond.

I will not despair, she reminded herself, I don't know where Luna is, but if I can get out, I can find her. Her thought of her sister, and her predicament was the only source of strength Celestia had.

The feeling of wrongness preceded the creature. If it had been one of the eye-watering shapes, surrounded by a foul smell and even fouler sound, she would have felt more at ease. It was bipedal, pleasant in looks and sound, and smelled of honest sweat, oiled leather and oddly enough, jasmine. The tan duster, plaid shirt, and dark gray pants made the distortion around it more horrifying. Celestia backed away until she'd backed into the noisome walls, just to increase her meager distance to the creature. It removed the wide-brimmed, black hat to reveal a patch of disheveled, brown hair. What she had taken as very large, dark eyes were glasses fading from brown to clear, revealing its small, intense, blue eyes. Seeing not merely concern, but sympathy and even pleasure horrified her more and forced her to attempt to back away farther from this creature who elicited every terror she had ever known. This thing sat edgewise against everything her mind and soul told her was right and proper with the universe as it ran. The callousness, and even cruelty of her captors and gawkers could not compare with the denial of right and logic that this creature represented. She couldn't even explain what so horrified her about the creature, except every fiber of her being told her it was wrong. As if something so alien as to be beyond her comprehension had taken a pleasant form, learned to act and move as a rational being, but could not hide what it was from her most primitive instincts.

"No, please, go away! Leave me alone!" she shouted at it as she still tried to back away from it in the small cell.

It looked at her curiously, it's head leaning this way and that, as if trying to see more of her without getting closer, or moving to flank her. It raised its shoulders, shrugging to itself, an eerily familiar gesture. It then touched the board, and the lights in her cell block brightened. It stepped back, as if knowing its presence disturbed her, and waited. Celestia was nearly mewling with terror as the attendant rushed in. There was a brief flurry of conversation, the attendant looking very pleased, and the creature seemingly polite, respectful and masterful.

Masterful? the pieces all fell into place for Celestia, This is a slave market, not a zoo, and that . . . that thing just bought me. The attendant didn't need to sedate her, the horror made Celestia's eyes roll up in her head and she collapsed.
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She felt warm, jasmine-scented softness surrounding her. She felt clean, as if she'd just bathed. She felt as if she were floating on a cloud driven by a gentle wind. And the faint itch that had awakened her was at the flight feathers, it felt as if they were growing.

Then she felt the wrongness right next to her, the sick sensation that it was touching her, fouling her entire being. But the feeling of the sword across her wing kept her from bolting and froze her in place. She opened an eye and without moving, she stared at the creature who had a hand on each wing root as if ready to rip them from her body if she moved.

She briefly considered and discarded kicking him, he'd see her move, hurling him away with her magic, she still felt the ring on her horn, and very briefly, pleading with him not to hurt her.

He removed his hands and sword, easing the sick, unclean feeling coursing through her, and her fear. He looked at her and smiled as he resheathed the sword on his back. What should have been a pleasant, even friendly smile was spoiled by everything her instincts screamed about this creature before her. "Your wings are back in working order, and that new ring will allow you full use of your magic." He raised a sardonic eyebrow. "But if you try to use it against me, or run away, it won't be pain that fills you, but existential dread, culminating in a full blown existential crisis at about a decikellikam. I suggest you try it, since you obviously don't believe me."

Celestia took that as permission and vaulted into the air, as fast as she could, her wings carried her into the less stifling air above the place, and she glimpsed how huge and sprawling it was. Low buildings in all directions arranged maze-like as far as the eye could see. If your eyes were better you could see to the edge, she thought, As if you deserve to escape. Even Luna would not be as fearful as you. She would have found a way to rescue you. The others wouldn't be luxuriating in the sun. They would be doing something important.

She clawed for more altitude, more distance, while a virtual arrow pointed back to the thing. She caught his amused expression. He knows you are too much of a child and coward to really run away. Just a willful child who knows nothing, running away, she thought and glanced back, No, you aren't valuable enough to chase. He's just waiting to see if anything will snatch you out of the air. You're like bread crumbs scattered to feed the birds. A morsel to bring a few moments of amusement. She was barely aware of making her descent.

"If you crush me, I can never take it off," the startled voice told her as he scratched her behind the ears.

Suddenly aware of returning to the ground, who, and what she was hugging, luxuriating in the feeling of, Celestia nearly jumped back. Staring in utter horror at the creature.

"And returning to close proximity alleviates the effect," he told her, and dropped his outstretched hand when she shied away.

He can't have enjoyed comforting me? Could he? she wanted to ask, but kept remembering just what he was.

"Don't run away too often, the psychological conditioning of fear/comfort may lap over to other things. If I tell you to keep your distance, keep the order firmly in mind, and while you'll have doubts, you'll be able to function."

"That seems inordinately cruel," she said, lacing her voice with as much disapproval as she could.

He cocked his head, as if curious. "Okay, you can talk, just not in anything understandable. I'll have to work on the spell for that. Weird, I thought the translator would work on nearly anything."

Celestia sighed. "So I'm a dumb animal," she thought aloud, and shook off the last vestiges of the horrible feelings the ring had instilled in her. She hadn't even tried her magic and part of her dreaded what would happen when she did.

"You can ride the bedding or walk," he told her.

Celestia frowned, but nudged towards him the blankets and other bedding still hanging in the air like a floating nest. He smiled, shrugged and gestured. The bedding shook itself out, and rolled up. She could feel no magic used to accomplish this, from either the bedding, or the man-thing. His expressive feature should make reading him easy,she thought, But why would I? I need to escape. No, I need to find Luna first, then we need to escape. She glanced at the man-thing, hating that the discomfort of being near him had nearly driven the thought of her sister's plight from her mind.

They walked for a bit, the packed earth giving no dust, due to the myriad fluids that poured there by all the creatures around them. One good thing about the creature's aura was that while everyone else was jostled, he seemed to develop a slight bubble around him as people of all descriptions subtly avoiding him. If she stayed uncomfortably close, she too was avoided.

Even all these aliens don't want to get too close to him, she thought as he stepped off the beaten path to extract a large crystal of what appeared to be smokey quartz and a battered and dog-eared note book with a cover of brown leather. In the notebook was a crudely drawn map, and he made several directional lines as he peered through the crystal. Its pale glow was almost invisible in the light, then it was gone and he replaced it in his pocket.

"Almost," he murmured as he closed the notebook with a snap, then smiled at Celestia's start at the noise.

She frowned and pinned her ears back in disgust at him and all he embodied. Then they started walking. Celestia felt the doubts creeping into her mind and she unwillingly closed the distance again.

She could smell the nervous animals of the stockyard before she could see them, and while others hurried away, the man-creature headed straight in, seemingly immune to the growing stench of urine, dung, rotting food, and the plague of flies that descended on everyone and everything else. Celestia smirked when he finally had to begin waving them away. Her mane and tail made short work of plague of the creatures around her.

They arrived at a corral that seemed empty save a knot of wranglers at the moment, but gates along the side of the corral obviously allowed people and animals egress and ingress. "Stay here, I have some business to attend to. Hold onto that I ordered you to stay behind, it'll make the dread less," he told her as he checked out his clothes and almost as if he'd shape-shifted, there stood a vaguely goofy man-creature. The grating sense of wrongness was gone, and a weight was lifted from Celestia's heart and soul. Unfortunately, it let her see her surroundings. The leaden skies, the trampled earth of the corral, the apparent disinterest of the workers to the man vaulting the fence to approach them. Celestia shivered. While she had been alternating between the hideous presence of her 'owner', and the dread which physical distance created, she had not felt the ground-in misery of this place. That nothing seemed to grow on its own. Everywhere else she had been, weeds popped up through cracks in concrete slabs of in the crevices of rocks. Clouds of white, or darker shades drifted through the air. The sounds of small animals going about their furtive business could be heard. Even insects could be seen. Here, the skies were nearly uniform, lacking even smoke from industry or cooking. The flies were quiet, and no plants grew anywhere.

This place really is dead, she thought as she caught the laughter of the corral workers. She hadn't heard what the man-creature said, but the corral workers had and continued to think it was funny. The man-creature hitched up his pants and marched loose-limbed towards one of the gates. Whatever was within, battered at the gate. Celestia stared, but she couldn't get a good look.

I should move down farther, she managed to get that thought out before her dread and certainty of her unimportance in the grand scheme of things descended on her with daemoniacal fury. He told me to stay and I'm staying, he told me to stay and I'm staying! she thought ferociously, the only solid ground in a sea of uncertainty and even growing terror. It worked, and the effect subsided. She focused on the man-creature and tried to determine what was beyond the gate he was looking over, and why such a hellion would hold his interest.

He flipped the latch on the gate, and it exploded open as the monster within charged. Celestia screamed a warning. She didn't like him, but decency demanded at least that much. The blue bolt of fury that charged him did demand a cry. The workers raced for the walls and vaulted over or under them.

"Luna!" Celestia shouted, and watched her sister charge the man, horn lowered. Celestia wanted her freedom, but not if it made Luna a murderer. "Luna stop!" Celestia shouted, and considered leaping into the arena, but the moment the thought occurred, so did the feelings of helplessness and uselessness from the damned horn ring. She clamped down on them and braced herself to charge across the open space.

Then the man-creature caught Luna's neck, and swung himself onto her back. Her sister let loose with a string of profanity that in other circumstances would have had Celestia dragging her outside to wash her mouth out with soap. Luna reared up to kick furiously with her back legs, then went rampant to kick with her forelegs, then the spun around in circles. All trying and utterly failing to dislodge the creature astride her with his arms around her neck.

Wait a second! Celestia realized, Her wings are clamped on his legs. He couldn't fall off with her holding him that way. she glanced around at the various alien corral workers. They had generally realized that Luna wasn't going after them, and were beginning to realize that even as she spun, bucked, slapped him with her tail, and even twisted her head to try and bite him, Luna wasn't dislodging the man-creature on her back.

"That galoot fooled us!" one worker threw down his broad-brimmed hat and stomped on it.

"Yeah, well that thing flattened eight of us, are you gonna argue with him about it?" another called.

They all watched the drama, for a bit, but Luna slowed, her bucks became less energetic, and she quit trying to bite him altogether.

What have they done to you?! Celestia wanted to scream as Luna seemed to stagger, her head bowed, her chest heaving and her tongue hanging out of her mouth, That you'd be exhausted so quickly?

Luna trudged towards where the workers were slowly climbing back over the fence into the corral.

"Quite a spirited one," the man-creature said as he leaned over, but didn't dismount. "I'll take her, let's just apply the amount you owe to the purchase price. Say eight-hundred thousand?"

The workers looked at each other. Their chagrin at getting taken was obvious, but a few were seeing a 'cheap' way out of dealing with Luna. The foreman nodded and headed to a bench where dozens of clipboards were stacked. The man 'rode' Luna towards where Celestia stood. She could feel her heart beating out of her chest as her sister approached. Luna growled and snapped at Celestia who reeled back in horror.

"None of that," the man said as he dismounted, "You two are going to get along or you'll be punished."

From his tone, Celestia knew he meant it. Luna glared at the man, and growled, he growled back, and Luna shied away from him. Then he gestured, and magically lifted Luna to place her beside Celestia outside the corral.

He gestured again, and announced, "Behave." Celestia felt the magic touching her, but it made no purchase on her. She glanced at Luna, who looked at her and made a little growl. Celestia growled back and bared her teeth. Luna responded in kind.

The man completed whatever paperwork and exchange of '800,000' for ownership, then headed back as the workers looked on with relief. "Let's get a ways away from here," the man whispered so low Celestia barely heard, but both she and Luna followed as he walked away from the corral. Both alicorns had to quicken their stride a bit as the man surreptitiously lengthened his to move away more quickly. All the while, Celestia was bursting with questions, admonishments, and a desire to hug her beloved sister until the world ended.

Perhaps a mile away, the man halted and the two sisters fell into each other's embrace. Words tumbled over each other as Celestia embraced and nuzzled her sister. She caught a glimpse of the man standing and watching, a fist against his lips trying to hide his grin. Celestia ignored it and continued her reunion with her sister. The joy faded as Celestia reminded Luna, "He owns us now, until we escape."

"If you haven't noticed, almost everyone doing any work has those collars or rings like we have on our horns," Luna countered, "I think we need to go along with whatever he has in mind, for the moment."

"I don't like it," Celestia admitted, "But you're right, we need a place to run to if we're going to escape."

The pair turned to him. "Thank you," Luna said and nodded, he nodded back.

"Okay, I came here to get somebody who's also in your condition, and you two are going to help," he told them.

Celestia frowned at being ordered, but she couldn't really do anything about it, yet.

He looked at Celestia. "You've been reacting to me. My target will react even more strongly. That's where you two come in. She may also have trouble walking, so she's going to ride."

Celestia felt her ears splay as her anger rose. "I am not a saddle horse to be ridden," she growled.

"Whatever you said, I wasn't asking permission, I was forewarning you." He gestured at the rings on Celestia's and Luna's horns. "Those are currently on the lower settings. On the uppermost settings, you'll be so crippled with doubt, you won't be able to pee without a direct order. My mission is more important than your comfort or dignity. The good news is, that once my target is back with her people, you're both free to go, no strings attached and you can keep the equipment we're going to get for you next. So, swallowing your pride for a couple of days at most means you're that much closer to freedom. Do you understand?" He glanced between them until Luna nodded. Celestia stared at him, her hatred for him, his attitude and his whole being etched on her face. He placidly stared back until she relented and nodded. "Good. You'll need armor, both to protect yourself from the target, and to reduce the looks you're getting. Unadorned you are obviously beasts of burden, without any burden. That leaves a possibility that redounds negatively on us both. In full armor you're warriors. Come on." He turned and marched the hard-packed, earthen street. Luna frowned at Celestia, then cantered after him. Celestia reluctantly trotted after, her glare trying to burn a whole in the back of his head. To her amazement and irritation, Luna had closed up with the man-creature. When he stopped, he pulled the notebook and a crystal from his pockets, the smokey quartz and brown, leather covered ones he had consulted earlier. He held the crystal up, let it glow briefly and consulted the map in the note book, this time he made no notations and started to replace them in his pockets, when he discovered Luna had her head under his arm. Then she started nuzzling him.

Celestia was nauseated by the scene, not from Luna being sickeningly cute, that was her way, but by getting so close to the creature who disgusted Celestia so much. I can't imagine touching him, and nuzzling him would have sent me fleeing to the hills in disgust, she thought as bile rose burning in her throat and Luna persisted.

Then the truly horrible occurred, it laughed, sounding pitch-perfect pony. Celestia's flesh crawled at the seemingly normal and familiar sound coming from this abomination in pleasant form.

"Okay, okay, you're welcome," it told her, and scratched her behind the ears. To Celestia's utter revulsion, Luna not only stood still for this, but seemed to show every sign of enjoying it. Only her own unease at approaching the creature kept her from seizing Luna's tail and dragging her away from the thing.

Mercifully, the creature itself pushed Luna away. "I could stay here all day." He glanced at the leaden sky above them. "But the sun's going down, and I want a roof and a stout door between us and the things that roam at night," he told them.

Celestia looked at the clouds over them, and could find no trace of a sun of any kind, only the vaguely glowing sky which may have been uniform cloud cover. Maybe the sun is behind those clouds, she thought, but that this creature could perceive a sun, where none that she could feel existed, just added to her gnawing horror about the creature.

When they began walking again, Luna rested her chin on the creature's shoulder. That elicited an exasperated snort from the creature, but nothing else. For Celestia, it was the last straw and enabled her to act. She tugged Luna's tail, and when that failed to dislodge her, she ordered, "Luna, with me, now."

"What?" Luna asked as she dropped back to walk beside her sister.

"What's gotten into you?" Celestia asked, "Can't you feel what that thing is?"

Luna frowned at her. "Very well," Luna said, "But have you so lost yourself that kindness is lost on you. If I fell to darkness, would you walk off and leave me? Perhaps he is as rough as he is because no one will see past what they feel, and actually look."

Celestia held her tongue as Luna returned to her place and walked with her head on the creature's shoulder. She closed in and subtle nudges proved incapable of dislodging her sister.

The smell of the place slowly changed from animals and their wastes, to metal-working and their outputs. The sound of hammers almost drowned out the sounds of haggling. Armored and beweaponed figures were everywhere. Unsurprisingly, there was very little of the jostling that dominated the rest of the area that Celestia had seen. Way was given by all, no matter they being a hulking brute to a pipsqueak. The Entente Cordial was in full force here, was likely to remain, and breakers of it were likely to find a swift end as everyone tested their new wares on them. And everyone seemed to know it.

The tents and stands were bypassed, and the store they entered actually seemed upscale. There were weapons in racks behind glass. Figures of various body styles in full armor. Rack of completely alien devices in glass-sided cabinets. The surrounding furnishings were subtly whorled stone, like fancy marble. The man-creature approached what looked like an upturned, kaleidoscopically-colored wastebasket surmounted by a trio of gray eye-stalks. The man-creature knelt, so he was eye-to-eye with the wastebasket, and let out a series of scratchy tinklings. The eye-stalks waved to and fro as the wastebasket answered, its coloring shimmering through a series of sedate, even soothing pastels. The man-creature pulled a wallet from an inside pocket, and showed the wastebasket something. The wastebasket's eye-stalks bored in, and the creature became a uniform, metallic gray. Now it spoke almost reverentially to the man-creature.

The man-creature gestured at Celestia, and the wastebasket stared at her intently, then bustled out of sight. Luna approached him and nuzzled him again.

She's just doing it to get under my skin, Celestia thought as Luna brushed her cheek against the creature's and giggled, But she'd better be careful, or he'll assume more than she means. Then it struck her. He might take it the completely wrong way! she thought and trotted over to break up what she prayed was not a budding romance, when the wastebasket and four identical creatures returned. They led Celestia away. For a moment, she considered the debilitating effect of the horn ring, but no such effect came as she was taken to a dressing room, measured and fitted with a rather bizarre garment. It was soft as silk, yet slightly stretchy so she could pull it on easily with her hooves and teeth, yet it clung like a second skin. It covered her legs, throat, her back and barrel, but ended at her croup and felt her tail free. She couldn't figure out what this slightly-off-white garment was for.

It's as smooth a hairless skin and . . . she thought and the possibility of what it was for suddenly descended on her, Those stories about aliens and tentacles, they were just to scare us, weren't they? A creature that different wouldn't be interested in doing that with a pony, would they? She felt dread as she returned to 'model' the garment, and Luna was still nuzzling him playfully. When it was clear he approved of the garment, the wastebasket-like creatures led her back to the changing room to remove it and finish it. Then they let Celestia return. Luna wasn't with the man-creature when she returned. His look of expectation worried her.

"You obviously don't approve of her carrying on with me," he said softly as he approached.

She wanted to shy away, or strike him as he approached. The feeling of him being crosswise with everything rational and decent nearly made her squirm or scream with disgust.

"The answer is surprisingly simple. There's something only you can do to alleviate the problem," he said.

Celestia was so stunned by the suggestion, she actually let him touch her. That sent a jolt through her that made her step away. Her reaction didn't seem to irritate him, in fact, he smiled more.

"Just think about it," he told her, and stepped away as Luna returned with an off-white garment similar to the one she'd been fitted with, and it left exposed the same parts.

It's to smooth out our fur, to make it seem that we have smooth skin, she thought as Luna proudly paraded around. After a few moments, he sent her back to change out of the costume and return to them. By that time, Celestia's had been finished, and packaged. The man-creature paid for both items, while Celestia thought of the devil's bargain she'd been offered.

I submit myself to him, she thought morosely, And he won't do - things - to Luna. Oh, he offers it like a suggestion, but with the rings on our horns, he can force us to comply whenever he wants. He just wants me to act as if I had free will, was enjoying my part, rather than forcing compliance. She looked at Luna who was back to practically cuddling the creature, and made up her mind. If it spares Luna, of course I'll do it, she thought as Luna's costume arrived and the trio left the store.

The sky was darker, Celestia noted, and they hurried out of the manufacturing area and towards a section filled with place that smelled of food.

The inn he selected wasn't much to look at, but it smelled clean, and although the sign was gibberish to her, the man-creature seemed well able to decipher it, and he approved of what he saw. The interior would have been garish if it had been brighter colors. The muted blues and browns of the striped wallpaper and the green of the carpet made the entire thing seem somewhat homey. The brass lighting fixtures had a patina of use, but the glass, or whatever the clear material was, remained crystal clear and clean. The man-creature was welcomed by several things that looked like toadstools, it one was taller than the man-creature, and was colored like the wallpaper.

The largest toadstool accepted a card about the size of a playing card, and led them to a large doorway. The door opened into a room barely large enough for the four of them to stand, let alone three of them to lie down. Luna giggled, and Celestia gasped as the entire room seemed to lurch into motion. Neither the man-creature nor the toadstool took any notice of it, so Celestia relaxed. The room stopped, and the doors opened into another corridor, this one of white walls with brown rugs, and light that seemed almost natural sunlight emanating from the ceiling. The corridor kinked left and right and what she saw was filled with doors on both sides, she could only see clearly a short distance. The toadstool led them to a room, and opened the door. The door of the room looked like it could hold off a battering ram.

Is that to keep things in, or keep them out? Celestia wondered and apprehensively thought of the deal she'd made, In.

Once inside, and the door closed, the man-creature collapsed in a chair. The bed was immense, much to Celestia's chagrin. There was a table, small desk, and several devices Celestia had no idea about the purpose or function of. Luna removed their new garments and hung them in the closet. It took Celestia a moment to notice that Luna's horn was glowing.

"How did you do that? When I try I get a headache," she said.

"I promised I wouldn't use my powers to hurt him or run away," Luna said, "So he reduced the settings."

Celestia was flabbergasted, then horrified. After the deal he made with me, what deal did he make with Luna? Celestia dreaded to ask.

The chime interrupted Celestia's attempt to ask the question. The man-creature opened the door and escorted two of the toadstools in, and to the table. The scent of the food made Celestia's mouth water. Oatcakes, noodle soup, and cupcakes all tickled her nose. The large, flat disk smelled of strong herbs and meat, but that wasn't enough to disturb Celestia.

Soon the two toadstools were gone, and the door resealed. "Go ahead, dig in, but the pizza is mine," the man-creature said and segregated the meat-covered disk, "I'm going to get a shower before I eat. That'll leave the bathroom open for you two to get cleaned up."

Celestia watched him remove his clothes and disappear through another door she'd taken for a closet. She turned to the feast that had been laid before them.

"Let's eat, I don't know what they fed you, but I'm starving," Luna said and selected one of the large oatcakes, "Ooo, still warm." She began tearing off bits and chewing them. Celestia nibbled a cupcake which was all right, then tried to work out how to get a bowl of soup, that smelled heavenly, with no utensils. Luna came to the rescue, lifting the container and pouring a bowlful for Celestia. The scent and taste went beyond merely delicious, and for a moment she lost herself in the incredible taste of the food.

The scent of jasmine, roses, and mint camouflaged the man-creature's approach, as well as the aura of wrongness that had so permeated the air around him was damped down so far it was effectively missing. He wore a set of clothes not too unlike what he'd commissioned for Luna and Celestia, except they were looser and covered him completely from wrists, to neck to ankles.

"I filled the tub, and there's the usual complimentary shampoos and the like, so you two go get cleaned up," he said, his brusque tone underscored how tired he looked. No longer the hard-bitten adventurer, just a tired person. Then he face-palmed, a disturbingly normal gesture. "Come on, I just assumed you'll be familiar with the controls."

Celestia reluctantly left the marvelous soup behind and followed the man-creature into the bathroom. The fixtures were all brass or bronze, and the basins all white porcelain. The tub that was central to the room would have been large enough for all three of them.

For all three of us to frolic in, she thought worriedly.

"This is the shower, where you wash yourselves," he said and gestured at a shower-head on a hose, then at a colorful knob mounted below it, "Green means hot, yellow means cool, up and down regulate the flow rate. The tub is for soaking in after you're clean, and it's a bit hotter than I like, but I didn't know your preferences." He held up a collection of bottles in a wire carrier. "Shampoo, conditioner, body shampoo, bubble bath for the tub, be careful of using it the jets built into the tub will generate a lot of suds. Mane and tail shampoo, toothpaste and ear cleaner. They scanned our bio types, so nothing by itself should cause a reaction, but don't drink any of it, and be a little careful mixing it." He gave a bow and headed towards the door. "I'll leave you two be." He closed the door behind him.

Luna immediately began hosing herself off, and instantly discovered that the shower-head had multiple settings. And they could be turned in any direction. "You look too dry!" Luna shouted.

One rather epic water fight later, Celestia and Luna were lounging in the tub full of suds. The jets of water that swirled and tickled them had indeed beaten the water into a warm, pink froth. "I was wondering when I'd finally be clean," Luna said and she pirouetted through the suds. "Quick question," she added, "Why didn't you use you magic to pour yourself some soup, or during the fight?"

Celestia stared at her, then glanced at the bottle of bubble bath and it lifted into the air. "I got such horrible headaches from even trying, I guess I was afraid," Celestia admitted.

Luna snorted her disgust. "Well, I'm going to sleep good tonight," she said, "A bit of happy snuggling will be nice."

"I don't trust him," Celestia said.

"I noticed," Luna told her and frowned, before submerging herself completely. When she surfaced, she continued, "What do you have against him?"

Celestia sighed at Luna's naivete. "Despite what we've all been told, some creatures are lost to darkness. Nothing can save them."

"He isn't one of them," Luna replied, "He might just need friends, someone he can rely on."

"You're going to latch on and drag him out of the darkness?" Celestia mocked.

Luna considered, "I'd never thought of that. Am I pretty enough to seduce him and make that work?"

"That is DISGUSTING!" Celestia shouted.

"It was your idea," Luna said and pouted.

"That isn't what I meant and you know it!" Celestia insisted. Luna's raised eyebrow showed what her sister thought of the situation. Celestia vainly searched for a way to gentle sequeway, and couldn't find one. "Luna, you don't have to."

"Don't 'have to' what?" Luna asked.

"Give yourself to him," Celestia said, and watched Luna's sudden realization.

"And you do?" Luna nearly screamed in outrage, "You scold me for even joking about it, and yet you're so eager to throw yourself to him, what, because you're lonely, no to save me? I don't need saving, you hypocrite!"

"What do you think he was doing with all that ear scratching and you pawing him?" Celestia shouted back and stormed across the tile to the door, she flung it open and marched out admit a trail of bubbles.

The man-creature looked up from the pizza he was devouring at Celestia as she flung open the closet and took out the garments.

"What do you think these are?" Celestia asked Luna who was marching towards her, "Why are they open at the back."

"They're also open at the front, so you can stick your head up your butt without getting undressed!" Luna shouted back.

"What the heck are you two arguing about?" the man-creature asked.

Celestia tried to explain, but just waved the clothes at him.

"The arming doublets?" he asked, "You want to wear your armor so it'll chafe your skin and fur? If I had know you felt that way I never would have bought them." He plucked at his own clothes. "Me, I like a layer to wick away the sweat and keep the armor from rubbing me raw, but have it your way." He stared at the utterly stunned Celestia. "What did you think that was? Lingerie?"

Celestia gobbled incomprehensibly and pointed at her mouth then at him. Then she pointed at Luna.

"I told you, what did I say exactly? 'There is something only you can do to alleviate the problem,'" he said then stared at Celestia in horror, "I mean have a conversation with her!"

Celestia stared at him in horror.

"What did you . . . You thought I was going to . . . ?!" he shouted. The calm that came over him was more frightening than anything Celestia had encountered. "You thought I'd rape you, or your counterpart if you didn't give in, that's just marvelous," he said coldly, "I have done a lot of things in my life, but I have never had to stoop to that. I have always found someone attracted, curious, or mercenary enough to share my bed of their own free will. I also recognized that your young counterpart's play was just that, play. I wouldn't take advantage of her that way." He cocked his head as he stared at her. "Did it ever occur to you I could just run up the settings on your horn ring until you'd do anything I asked, you'd beg me to do it? No. Then let me set you straight. The only way out of here is with either a ton of paperwork, preapproved, or with a leash around your neck. The reason I left the horn rings on is so no one thinks you've escaped and decides to 'recollect' you."

Celestia back up from the intensity of his cold anger.

"You want out that bad, that's fine. The moment I've got the one I'm trying to rescue, you and your counterpart are free to go. Or you can wait until we're outside, where if I set you loose, you'll stay free. Your choice." He marched over to the food on the table, and began putting it away. "Get rinsed off and get to bed. That is an order."

"I . . . " she tried to explain, then turned to Luna, "I didn't know."

"How much of what I told you when we reunited did you bother listening to?" Luna asked angrily, "Like the part where I told you that your rescue wasn't an accident? That he saw me, and I sent him after you?" She snorted angrily. "Imagine, a creepy alien, and just poor little me asking for his help, and he does it. Do you really think I'm that poor a judge of character? He had no reason to help me, he just did, and now he needs us to play along while he rescues who he started off after. I think that's a fair deal. But I'm not as smart as you are, obviously." Luna marched into the bathroom to rinse the last of the soap off her.

Celestia trudged after her. As they returned, they saw the man-creature lying stretched out on one of the couches. Luna knickered softly and gestured towards the bed.

"No," the man-creature said sharply, "I don't know what else she's got running through her head, but with that pointy bit, I'm going to stay out of reach."

Luna turned down one side of the bed for Celestia, then pulled a blanket around herself like a cocoon and slept atop the cover on her side.
-----------------------------------

The morning came. The man-creature clearly wanted to get moving early, so breakfast was eaten in silence, and the morning ablutions were done quickly. Celestia felt Luna's and the man-creature's lingering anger. Although she was shocked when he turned the ring down to it lowest setting on both Luna's and her horn. They collected and presumably paid the bill on their way out, and stepped out into the lingering twilight.

The sky remained the same leaden gray, and the furtive sound of fairly large creatures could be heard in the distance. None would get near him, Celestia thought as the man-creature's aura had returned full force, Does he have conscious control over it? That raises the question is he so good he can control it even in his sleep, or is it an affectation he put on? She wished she had the excuse of the horn ring's power to explain her ill-ease with what she had assumed and her actions based on those assumptions.

Luna was walking beside the man-creature, neither were chatting, although Luna gave him an occasional nuzzle, trying gently to lift his spirits. As she would do for you, Celestia thought, If you hadn't insulted both of them last night.

The upscale store was still there, and was open at this early hour. They were greeted by the same wastebasket or one so similar Celestia couldn't detect a difference by sight, sound or smell. The man-creature collected a brace of throwing knives in a leather bandoleer, and led the alicorns back to the fitting rooms.

Luna put on her arming doublet and grinned seductively at the man-creature, wiggled her hips and swished her tail.

The man-creature finally laughed. A lone chuckle, but for Luna that was enough. "Yes, you're adorable, but I still prefer females more my shape for things along that line."

Luna pouted adorably at him. Celestia briefly considered commenting, then simply got into her arming doublet. The wastebaskets brought out two carts piled high with armor. One set was larger and gold, the other smaller and a gray-purple that was almost silver.

He picked an item off the 'gold' cart and approached Celestia. "These are hoof covers," he said of the flat round dish with the fleur-de-lis at the front, "They cover the entire foot, unlike horseshoes, so you can't take a spike through the center of the foot." He set the four, gold hoof covers down near Celestia's feet. "When worn they also extend a defense shield up the leg to the shoulder, so even when you aren't wearing your full armor, you're still protected."

Celestia noted that Luna had eagerly put her's on, so Celestia reluctantly did likewise.

He pulled out what looked like a thick necklace. "This is a peytral, it covers the chest, the gem set in the center isn't just for looks, it is the focus of the defense screen, again, not as solid as the complete armor, but with the padding on the back, it's comfortable enough to wear all the time. He handed the peytral to Celestia, who reluctantly put hers on. Luna wore her's and eagerly awaited the next part.

"These aren't crowns, they had to be this way to contain the gem that protects the head, face and neck," he said as he led up the circlet. "It's also large enough to hide your ears behind so someone can't 'read' you so easily."

Celestia glanced at her head and 'manually' adjusted her ears so she didn't look so obviously miserable.

"The armor is of moderate weight, so it isn't for everyday use, but it'll stand off most attacks, unless you're fighting a battleship," he told them, and let the wastebaskets approach and carefully fit the armor over the two alicorns. The full armor was claustrophobic, but Celestia steeled herself and once 'accomplished' she walked around easily. The heavy pieces didn't feel as heavy as they had been when they were going on one at a time. A tribute to the armorers' expertise, she thought and nodded to them.

Luna went from a foreleg-hoofstand into a somersault, showing that the armor didn't reduce their agility that much either. Luna hugged the man-creature, and Celestia bit her tongue. She'd been mentally adding up the price of purchasing them, the hotel, this armor, and was realizing he was spending a good deal of money for 'temporary employees.' This is a lot more important to him than he's letting on, she realized and vowed, I have to watch him more closely. This has to be part of a wider action. Unless the reward he's going to get for the rescue is immense. But if that's the case, why not send someone to buy the victim? She set the thought aside and she tested the flexibility and coverage of the armor, and how it affected her flight.

Not at all, she thought, I've heard of magic items, but this armor takes the cake.

They walked back onto the street and Celestia had to admit, they looked more like bodyguards then 'beasts of burden'. Or sex slaves, she thought and shuddered. Despite his denunciation, she doubted it would be difficult to find someone willing, if you dangled escape over their heads.

The area they entered started drab, and began dropping to seedy. The sounds of furtive creatures moving here and there in the shadowy back alleys, the narrowing of roads so the sky was a thin strip above, and the smell of rot, feces, urine everywhere made Celestia and Luna close in with the man. When they transitioned fully into seedy, the furtive creatures could be better seen, despite the dimming light. Celestia wasn't sure of the truly alien creatures, but the creatures with forms she could recognize were listless, as if ill, and the clothing was worse than the man-creature's travel worn gear.

Most disturbing were the looks. Celestia and Luna were an island of color and shine in the dull surroundings. Most looked at them with vague hope and wonder, then looked away in shame and scuttled away. Celestia paused as several emaciated children ran off at the sight of her and her sister. She knew better than to pursue them down the rat's maze of alleys, but she wanted to know what was happening. No one had ever been afraid of her before. As the man's aura faded, she could feel the miasma of hopelessness, and beneath that, brooding evil that seemed as ground into the place as the filth that surrounded them. She trotted to catch up with Luna and the man-creature, his gut twisting aura reassuring in this place. As wrong as he felt, there was hope of escape and there wasn't the impression of monstrous evil within him.

He was careful at drawing the crystal he'd consulted before. The pale glow that had been hard to see elsewhere was almost painfully bright here. Determined, he continued. "They know we're here," he said, and marched on a bit more quickly. He loosen the sword in it sheathe and checked on the throwing knives. Celestia checked that her hoof covers were firmly in place, as did Luna. Neither lit their horn to test their magic.

The building was the same drab, foul-smelling, trash-strewn place mirrored by all the others around it, but the man-creature led then in. The doorway was almost too narrow for them, and it would make a rapid escape problematic.

It's designed that way, Celestia thought as she followed him into the darkness. There were lighting fixtures every dozen paces, but all were broken. There were oil lamps rigged every few broken lights, but they smelled cold, not even the smell of rancid oil.

The center of he building had been hollowed out, literally. Walls and floors torn out to create a large expanse, the broken masonry and twisted metal still evident in the walls. Like a corpse the scavengers have been ripping pieces out of, Celestia thought. The scent of rot was much less here, but the shadows moved more actively, The rest is their feeding ground, this is their warren.

"Plavolaken, I've come to trade," the man creature called, that there were no echos in this large, stone-walled expanse suggested they were only not alone, but very much surrounded in every dimension.

"What could such as I have that would interest you, my brave bravo?" came a tinny voice from the gloom. The man-creature headed for it, and susurrations from the walls put Celestia and Luna on high-alert.

"The Bright One," the man-creature said, "Rumor has it, she's for sale. If you have her, money I have for you."

"Not those two canned lovelies?" the voice said, and the susurrations became like laughter.

"Money, with it you can buy what you wish to feed on," the man-creature said. He hadn't glanced around, but he was more tense, as if he too knew where the others in the room were, and he was ready to fight or flee.

Celestia glanced at Luna who'd turned slightly to cover a flank better. Celestia took on a similar flanking position and touched her tail to Luna's, so they would know where the other was, but the man-creature could run between them unhindered.

"Except we know you," came a rough voice from Celestia's front. The glow of dozens of red-eyes made her realize that the room was larger than she'd suspected, and there were more people in it. If 'person' can be used to describe the thing approaching, she thought.

What approached was vaguely like the man-creature, if you crossed him with a rabid ferret, and let him starve for a few weeks. The sunken eyes, exaggerated teeth and furtive movements back and forth, side to side, highlighted the feeling that this was starving vermin, not a serious threat, but the dozens behind him made the threat far more serious.

"You walk in the dark, but you're not part of the dark," the ferretous thing said.

A more stirring accolade I haven't heard, Celestia thought, These things hate him.

"Prove you're one of us, spill these pretties' blood and let us feast on them," the ferret suggested and drew close, then fled at Celestia's growl and stomp.

"Who was talking to you?" the man-creature asked, "Or is this suddenly a democracy, Plavolaken?"

"He voices the questions all of us want answered, you're a Bright One messenger boy, the price was demanded, is death and carnage."

Oh no, Celestia thought.

"That would be the proof required to begin to deal with you," the tinny voice suggested.

"It does accelerate my plans quite a bit, but Darwin's law, survival of the most adaptable," the man-creature said and drew his sword.

Celestia gasped, but felt Luna holding her position. Celestia forced herself to trust her sister's judgment.

The words that came nearly sent Celestia scrambling in terror as they seemed to twist the warp and woof of space itself. The things around her fell back scrabbling at each other to be the farthest away from the man-creature. The tinny voice was cackling with glee.

Then it was over. Celestia shook herself and looked into the gloom. The susurration had begun, angry now, at having been frightened needlessly. Celestia suspected that they should have continued their headlong flight.

"Stay close, and look straight at it when it looks at you," the man-creature said softly to the alicorns, "Don't strike, it won't do any good."

"That's it?" the tinny voice asked.

There wasn't even time for screams. The susurrations began vanishing, as if they were on phonographs that had been unplugged in large numbers. Whole sections fell silent, and the remains fell in torrents to the floor. The man-creature looked about, and smiled like a proud father.

He's enjoying this, Celestia thought to her horror, then the horror compounded and a bright flash of light, nearly sunlight, coursed through the place, clearly showing the depth of the carnage, and the careless treatment of the building. Then the 'corpses' began dissolving to ash. She backed against Luna as she too watched in horror as simple sunlight dissolved these creatures to dust. Celestia glanced at the man-creature and saw him basking in the light from the glowing sphere while it lasted, as if he too gloried in the sun as much as these creatures had held it anathema. For good reason, Celestia thought, and reached out to hold the ball of light that felt like the sunlight she was used to. The sudden tingle on her flank told her she had finally earned her cutie-mark. I would be have to be wearing armor at such a time, she thought, then the distraction of earning her destiny fell away as she looked at the source of all the destruction of their opponents.

It looked like a hole, it looked like a pile of writhing worms, and it looked like the most ear wrenching almost colors that the mind could perceive, all at the same time. Those aren't worms, Celestia realized, Those are like the convention currents you see on opening a hot shed and letting the hotter air out. Those are the 'convection currents' from where ever that is, to where we are!

Then she saw the eyes, hundreds of them, orbiting around the object. Different sizes, different colors, different shaped irises as if someone had collected them randomly. As the bulk of the eyes raced towards her, Celestia prepared to run.

"Freeze!" the man-creature hissed.

The eyes stopped, and the hole made a noise that didn't sound pleased. Celestia stood with Luna, behind the man-creature.

"Not you, sir," the man-creature said, "But gently, gently."

The noise this time was far less displeased. A few of the eyes resumed their approach. Celestia and Luna let them orbit wildly around them, but a few stared at their faces. Celestia remembered to 'look straight at it', and she didn't quite glare, but gave a steady gaze. Luna was doing the same. After a moment the first wave withdrew, and a second, then a third wave came in. Celestia gave each a steady gaze.

When the third wave withdrew, the pile began making odd, almost-speech-like noises, until it actually did begin speaking. "They are wonderful, marvelous, so grivwalt and . . . " Then it sounded disappointed, as a bad actor would try to sound disappointed, "Their eyes don't grow back, do they."

Celestia's heart was in her throat. She heard Luna's gasp. My eyes! Luna's eyes! He promised we'd escape, but not that we'd escape whole! she thought, But we don't have a chance against such a creature.

"No," the man creature said.

The creature was instantly beside the man-creature. It's gestures and tone bespoke a towering rage. "Why do you do this to me?" it thundered.

Celestia nearly peed herself, and wondered if the man-creature had to be insane to stand there unflinching. The 'worm-field' made Celestia look away to prevent vertigo, and motion-sickness as she felt herself falling in multiple directions, while her hooves told her she wasn't moving.

"Look straight at it," Luna whispered, "It's not so bad." Celestia did, and found it did help.

"Because a friend's job is to make sure the tomorrow you is better than the yesterday you. Without challenges, how would you grow?" the man-creature said.

The eminently sensible advice among this insanity disturbed Celestia almost as much as the thing's presence.

"This friendship business seems hardly worth the trouble," the creature said to the man-creature.

Then the man-creature dropped another bombshell. "But they aren't why I started all this," he said calmly.

Even the thing sounded incredulous, "They aren't?"

"They aren't," the man-creature said, "If you can give me a moment, I can show you." For the first time, the man-creature looked away. Several eyes raced a head to stare at him from the front. He looked at Celestia and Luna. "Now is how you earn your pay. Also, he's going to offer replacement, get the best deal you can, but say 'yes'. Understood?"

Celestia wanted to denounce the idea, but the man-creature's plea reached her. The 'offer' won't be an offer, she thought, Just recompense.

The man-creature drew the smoky-quartz crystal. "This will lead you to her. She'll be terrified, but she'll be safe with us." His gesture incorporated all four of them. Luna took the crystal while Celestia guided the ball of sunlight ahead of them.

Once they were headed down a corridor that remained, Luna spoke up, "So you've got a new toy."

"Despite who made it, it just feels right," Celestia admitted, "But, replace our eyes. I'm not sure about that. Replace them with what?"

"That may be why you're so disturbed by him," Luna said, "He obviously had the work done, and is satisfied with it."

Celestia nodded and noted the many disturbing things she'd initially taken as weeds were writhing and burning away to smoke as the sunlight hit them. Some of the shadows disappeared, not as shadows would from sunlight, but burned away as paper would from a fire. The smell of ancient death was stronger. The blank corridor gave way to a corridor full of doors, all heavily bolted to prevent what was inside from getting out. The smell of death was stronger.

"I think this was their larder," Celestia said, "Where they kept those unfortunates they fed on."

"That door up a head," Luna said and marked the door-jam with a faint, silvery glow, "I've been trying to balance that. These things were the essence of evil, should I be disturbed that they were mercilessly slaughtered?"

"Yes," Celestia said, "But, even if I could have reacted, possibly stopped it, I think I would have contented myself with a word of protest, and a demand for explanation afterwards." She touched the bar locking the door, and reeled back with a shriek. Pain, horror, and the sheer joy of causing pain to others was wrapped around and through the metal of the bar. It had stunned her at the intensity, the absolute exhilaration at sadism that the bar seemed almost to be made of. Luna had gathered her up against her and stared at her with such concern. Celestia nuzzled her and climbed back on her hooves. "I think I changed my mind. I would have supported what happened. Such evil, like pulling the wings off flies magnified a thousand-fold. Petty. Banal."

She shook herself and glanced at Luna.

"Turn around, and do this the old-fashioned way," Luna said and lifted a hoof covered hoof, then shouted through the door, "Get against the side walls, we're going to kick in the door."

They faced away and kicked as one. The door shattered and the bar fell to the ground. Celestia let 'her sun' lead the way. The girl in the room was beautiful. Disheveled, terrified, but beautiful.

"You've come to rescue me," she said, and smiled at both Luna and Celestia. A smile that filled both alicorns with joy and pride of their accomplishment. Celestia found herself staring, wishing she could stay in that state of grace forever.

"Yes," Celestia managed, "But there are a few trials left to face. One, quite a disturbing one I'm afraid. Stay with us and you'll be safe."

Celestia had completely missed the collar around the girl's neck and the chain that had her fastened to the wall. Fortunately, Luna hadn't 'fallen into the girl's eyes', as Celestia had. She snapped the eye-bolt holding the chain, and handed the girl the length.

"Our friend can get you out of there once we get you out of here," Luna said and stepped out of the cell, the girl followed.

Once she was out of sight, Celestia finally saw the cell for what it was, rather than the vaguely pleasant place it had been with the girl in it. Long destroyed furniture, blood-splattered walls, floor and ceiling, more collars waiting for victims and trash shoved into the corners. She caught sight of a few gnawed bones among the trash. She cantered after Luna and the girl. Bright One indeed, she thought.

She nearly ran into Luna, the girl astride her and both staring in horror at the two figures in the large open room. The creature was no longer a pile-shaped hole, but a vaguely humanoid shape, like a gray, clay model made by a child. The man-creature was still there and seemed pleased by the scene.

The moment she stepped around Luna, the clay-figure approached, along with a corona of eyes. It stopped short and stared. The clay-figure waved off the man-creature's throat-clearing/warning. It acknowledged, but didn't care. The girl held tight to Luna, and despite her fear, listened to Luna's advice of 'Stay close, and look straight at it when it looks at you'. Luna trembled as she also suffered the close, focused and terrifying interest of so many eyes.

Then the clay-figure concentrated all that attention on the man-creature. He wasn't surrounded by a cloud of eyes, but Celestia could feel the focus aimed at the man-creature.

He's got more aplomb than I have, Celestia thought as she trotted over to soothe the youngsters, Is he tougher, a better actor, or plain stupid? She nuzzled Luna and stroked the girl with her wings. The fury of the clay-figure froze all three of them.

"This is not a subject to joke about," the clay-figure's near monotone carried a mixture of fear, frustration and incipient violence better than an army with their banners streaming.

The man-creature withstood it, and answered gentle. "But there they are, and remarkably grivwalt."

The creature was back, and it stormed over to the man-creature, the cloud of eyes following. The eyes surrounded the man-creature and the creature thundered, "It is impossible for such grivwalt eyes to exist, someone must have made them! Who, trickster, gadfly?! Who?! No 'lessons', no tricks, none of the cleverness that is otherwise useful!"

Celestia found she had sympathy for this horrible alien. She felt its passion for the subject. That the pinnacle of its life's work, and here it is, Celestia thought. She looked at the girl, and at Luna, and tried to discern what this 'grivwalt' was that the girl's eyes so outshone Luna's.

"The lessons were for this moment," the man-creature replied, as gentle as a loving parent, but just as strong, "She has them, because she makes them. Not 'made', 'makes'."

"Father!" the girl shouted angrily, seemingly out of embarrassment. Celestia and Luna were thunderstruck.

"Father?" Luna asked.

"It's complicated," the girl said as she glanced around nervously.

"That must be your family's motto," Celestia said.

The creature had resumed its appearance as the clay-figure. "Why?" it asked, plaintively.

"Because neither of you were ready to meet the other, until now," the man-creature said, and looked like he was considering giving the clay-figure a hug.

"I can do better," the clay-model said, in a almost normal voice.

"You can, but is it better, or worse," the man-creature said, he looked at Celestia, "Could you help us with a little experiment?"

Why is he asking, when he can still order? she wondered as she approached. The creature paced behind the man-creature. Luna and the girl stood transfixed where they were.

"Your best, please?" the man-creature said.

The clay figure became a male alicorn. The most heart-wrenchingly, loin-achingly beautiful alicorn who would ever exist. Celestia felt herself stepping forward, and heard Luna trotting towards him.

Then he moved, just turning his head to look from Celestia to Luna. Celestia's ears flattened back as she shied at his gaze. Luna was backpedaling almost as fast as she approached. Terror as the wrongness, the alienness of this horrid thing wearing an alicorn's form made Celestia nauseated.

It became the clay-figure again, and the horror vanished.

"This makes no sense," the clay-figure said.

"iT'S CaLlED ThE uNCaNnY vAlLeY," the man creature said and had Celestia's fur and mane standing on end as she shied back. "Where something is almost perfect, but enough little clues that it is wrong sets off the instincts that it is 'wrong'."

"So this, is better than perfection?" the clay-figure said.

"It's better than near-perfection," Celestia said.

The clay-figure stared at the man-creature, as if it were summoning some inner resolve. They stood there, while the eyes flitted here and there almost without purpose. Finally the creature shuddered and turned to face her. "Celestia, I request your assistance with Beatrice. I suspect negotiations will be difficult, without assistance."

It sounds, almost contrite, Celestia thought. She nodded. Wait a moment, how did it know my name?

"Yes, I will help you," she said, "I suspect that it will be very helpful for both of you." She glanced over and the man-creature was grinning, Celestia stifled the urge to stick out her tongue at him. "I do think that we should leave here, and go somewhere more pleasant and conducive to conversation."

"WAIT!" the man-creature shouted, but it was too late, they were elsewhere.

Celestia looked around the very empty space around her, apparently empty of even the others. "This is more out of the way than I had in mind."

2) Man-Creature

Man-Creature

They reappeared in what looked like a barn that had been halfway converted into a diner. There were tables and benches to sit at. Straw covered the floor, and there were buckets of hay to munch on in each booth. Celestia was glad to see her sister, and the girl, had arrived safely, and seemed as nonplused about the place as she was.

"Maybe the Library of Celano?" the man-creature suggested.

And they were inside an almost-normal looking library. Except the scale of the place was immense. Shelves towered over them by hundreds of feet. The rows of books continued on to the horizon. And the impression she'd gotten as she arrived was that the place was as wide as it was long.

Fortunately, there were furnishings scaled for their size, although some items Celestia wasn't sure if they were alien chairs or abstract art. Most of the things were plain, unadorned and serviceable. "This seems better." She looked at Luna, who shrugged. They found a table slightly off the beaten track, and sat down. Celestia noted there seemed to be no other patrons who could be seen or heard. I wonder if the man-creature suggested this place because it was essentially abandoned, Celestia wondered.

The negotiations were surprisingly civilized. Once it was determined that the clay-figure, and Beatrice had reached the most important part of the accord without discord, only the details remained. After several hours of cordially delving through minutia, Celestia called respite, for although Beatrice and the clay-figure seemed indefatigable, Luna and the man-creature had moved a ways away and gone to sleep. Luna had stripped off her armor and was curled around his back with wings and legs, making her look a little like an overcoat. Celestia noted the crescent moon cutie mark on her sister's flank and wondered about that.

She took the opportunity to remove her own armor and stretch. The weight hadn't seemed extreme, but it felt good not being burdened at all. She also looked at the sun cutie-mark recently arrived on her own flank. She smiled at that, and brought the little 'sun' she still held closer to it, to feel the pleasant resonance between the two. Now is Luna going to have to create a moon to match me? she wondered and chuckled. I'm getting used to the idea that these people are basically discussing how they are going to remove and replace my eyes. But do I have a choice in the matter? Do I actually trust that I will be 'better' after the operation? Have I become so jaded, so quickly, that this doesn't bother me? Or have the blows come so fast that I cannot react to this as I would in normal circumstances? She glanced at the others. And who here would I ask about 'normal' anyway?

"I wish I could talk to Cheerilee about this," she said quietly.

Celestia took a moment during her stretching to look around at the library, and to search for one of the things that had caught her eye during the deliberations. When she'd seen one of them at first, she'd thought it was a crystal spiderweb. Later it had looked like a bat, then another time it looked like a monkey. I want to get a good look at one, and figure out whether they are that complicated a shape, or whether they change depending on if they are in flight unburdened, in-flight carrying a book, or simply climbing the shelves.

She turned to the clay-figure, who had approached her, while Beatrice had curled up around Luna as Luna had curled up around the man-creature. "I beg pardon, I have not asked your name in all this time. You seem to know mine, and Luna's," Celestia said. She was a bit worried that she'd grown used to the creature in the time she'd dealt with him. Her instincts still squalled a warning at its presence, but she could ignore them.

"My name you have heard, else I wouldn't have appeared," the clay-figure said, "But one that can be pronounced, 'Eye-Lord' would be the simplest."

"And him?" Celestia asked, "He's been scrupulous not to reveal his own, nor ask us ours."

"Some fools believe names have power over the owners," the clay-figure said.

"Do they?" Celestia said, "Names represent who you are, and I've heard that dark forces can be summoned by their true name."

"Only if you are not changing throughout life. While a true name would give you power, that one changes so fast his true name would be different in the time it took to drop a book from the height of the shelf tops. What he is called, also changes. But Trickster is what I name him," the clay-figure said, "I name you Celestia, and your sister Luna because my eyes are very grivwalt, even that name gives no power over you, but him -." The clay figure shook his head. "Even I cannot see where he begins and ends."

Celestia nodded. "I have been trying to examine my eyes to compare them with Beatrice's, and I cannot fathom what grivwalt is."

The clay-figure actually chuckled, although it sounded like something it had learned rather than a natural response. "It is not merely appearance, nor clarity, but the mind and spirit that drives the gaze. It is more than 'seeing deeply' in time, space or the spirit. It is more than seeing what must be, and what could be. If we had a week, I could take you to books here that would barely scratch the surface. No spell can fully duplicate it, and if I take your physical eyes, the eyes I replace them with would soon be as grivwalt as those I removed, although the removed eyes would retain their full potency. It is that I study, for the idea of an attribute that is both imbued and intrinsic fascinates me."

Celestia nodded, understanding the words, and that a huge concept lay just beneath them, and that the clay figure understood only a little better than she did. So even as ancient and mighty as he is, there is still a lesson to be learned, she thought.

"So, you would take them as I slept, and the new ones would not have the aura that his have?" Celestia said.

Again the chuckle. "It is not the eyes that give him the aura you fear. It is his heart. He was born of mortals, as were you, but he is more like what I am, and what you will be, than most mortals. You both have a long, hard travel through your lives. But neither of you will give up, you will always see a path forward. Grivwalt. But whether you will take that path is more about your beliefs, than your ability."

The idea that she could become as ruthless as the man-creature frightened Celestia more than the clay-figure's presence had. She looked at the books to distract her from the thought. Most were the style she was familiar with: leather-bound folios. There were coveys with scrolls, metal plaques, clay tablets, and some things she didn't recognize: jars of dark fluid with something moving about within them, hats or circlets in boxes, glowing crystals, and strange, small rectangular solids with a metal fitting at one end.

As she ambled, staying in sight of the sleeping group, she was aware that more than just the clay-figure watched her. More than the librarians too, she thought, as she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye. A figure, in armor, not too dissimilar to the man-creature. But where he's straight lines from arm pits to hips, that one was shaped more like an hourglass. Is it a danger, or just curious? She trotted back as nonchalantly as she could, trying not to glance back to were she'd spotted the creature. She could no longer feel it, but she had the premonition it would be back.

"Beatrice's mother," the clay-figure said, "Or close enough."

Celestia didn't ask how it knew what she was doing. "So, the Trickster's wife?"

The clay-figure paused, standing stock still.

I guess the thinking pose wasn't part of the curriculum, she thought.

"No. Whether they couple or not is immaterial, it has no biological effect on Beatrice's genesis," the clay-figure said, "The Bright Ones are machines. Cogs in the great wheel of existence, which uses them to move. They are generally pure in and of themselves, to do what they are required to do. Even the fallen ones, for they have taken themselves as their all and one, and they are truly empty."

Celestia nodded, barely understanding, but eager to learn more. At least when it's explained it all, I can go back at put it together, Celestia thought.

"Beatrice was an - not imperfection, but occlusion in the mother, a piece of something else, small, but fully formed. The mother was a warrior, pure and focused. The occlusion was an artist, a distraction from the battlefield, viewing the sky or a flower for a moment, before continuing with the slaughter."

"I can do that without affecting me," Celestia said.

"You are a mortal. What you are changes moment to moment. I can do such with difficulty, the Bright Ones, not at all. The mother went mad, not fell as those who rebel and think they're free, but lost her center entirely," the clay-figure said.

"Because she suddenly had two," Celestia said as she ignored the squadron of eyes that watched her reaction to the story. She shook off the nagging feeling she was being 'weighed' and nodded.

"The Trickster found her in a ravaged plain. Surrounded by the remains of foes who thought she couldn't fight and their vengeance would be simple. Even in her state, she could not kill a helpless foe, for he quite ostentatiously put off his weapons, and quite a show it was. Instead she grappled with him, to force defense. But he grappled with her mind and being, separating the occlusion from her, not to shatter either, but to create two, whole and sane beings," the clay-figure said, "When their sanity returned, mother and daughter saw what they had done to their rescuer and whisked him away to healing."

"So he was there for her creation, and the time he was in her spirit, he raised her as an adult?" Celestia said.

"The Bright Ones are born complete, adults as you say, they have no period of growing into themselves. They instantly are," the clay-figure said, "That is not to say that he did not greatly influence both of them."

Celestia raised an eyebrow, realized the clay-figure wouldn't understand the subtle gesture, then asked, "Can you elaborate?"

"I can," the man creature said as he approached.

I didn't hear his approach, she thought as she looked him over, But I didn't react as I would towards a foe. I guess I'm getting used to this. In the background Luna and Beatrice were cuddling.

"When you go mind to mind with one of the Bright Ones, my race calls them 'messengers', you face the reflected glory of The Almighty. Every petty, evil, and unworthy thing you've ever done in your life is paraded before you and you feel the weight of it. Even complete sociopaths aren't immune. Without someone providing context that stealing cookies taught you stealth that you later used to save a dozen people, that beating up the local bully set him on the road to recovery, or that lying to someone who made you nervous was completely justified, I could have never been able to complete the separation into two, complete and integrated beings. Every pain or shame laid bear before someone and minutely examined, and still being willing to help them. That had a profound effect on both of them."

"You are full of contradictions," Celestia said.

"I don't believe in the convention that you must always be kind in the short run. I'd rather painfully pull a splinter today, instead of cut off an infected finger with full anesthesia tomorrow," the man-creature said, he faced them, "Have you negotiated the exchange?"

"For Celestia and Luna, I have already enlisted Beatrice's help in crafting the replacements," the clay-figure said, "Your plan was a sound one, and I am grateful."

"You're welcome. No charge, this was happenstance that turned in your favor," the man-creature said, "Sometimes life isn't fair. In your favor." He smiled at Celestia. "Remember, negotiate well. All the enhancements you wish."

"And I wanted to change the color," Celestia said, "To magenta."

"What's wrong with the green you've got?" the man-creature said.

"I've always thought they looked odd, and in photographs, they look very strange," Celestia admitted, "I think Luna wants a color change as well. She never liked her 'mud brown' eye color."

The man-creature shrugged. "I always liked my blue."

"Yours are very pretty," Celestia said, "I just want a change."

Celestia noted that Luna and Beatrice were exchanging knowing looks. She frowned that they were making more of this than it deserved.

"The details are nearly set," the clay-figure said, "But this is not the right setting."

"Whatever you say about him, patient health is very important to him," the man-creature said.

"What happened to those that, uh, couldn't regenerate their eyes?" Celestia asked.

"They nearly all survived," the man-creature said and returned to the table..

Celestia decided she didn't want to follow that train of thought.

The last negotiations went smoothly, until Beatrice insisted on one more lesson for the clay-figure. Celestia had been too shocked to immediately shoot down the idea.

The clay-figure had taken a less bulky form, and despite all her instincts, Celestia managed to hold still.

"That's good," Beatrice said, "Just like that."

"It is a strange experience," the clay-figure said as he raised the curry comb and tenderly ran it through Celestia's coat. "A strange way of thinking."

The clay-figure's aura of weirdness/wrongness had diminished to almost nothing. There was something 'off' about him, but his odd appearance let you explain it away. He was also giving her the gentlest currying she could remember. Celestia couldn't quite relax into a puddle, but was not going to bolt at the contact. She smirked as Luna looked at the whole process longingly.

"You can go next," Celestia told her, "If you ask politely."

Luna wasn't sure what to make of that.

The currying was refreshing, and despite the very bizarre company, Celestia felt as if the terror and despair of her captivity were fading. The question now is, how do we get home? she thought.

Luna was less sanguine about the job, but contented herself by laying her head in the man-creature's lap and letting the currying relax her almost to sleep. Beatrice seemed to be 'grading' the clay-figure's progress. Celestia was not the only one to think so.

"This will have an effect on learning your skill? Or is this the Trickster's influence?" the clay-figure asked.

"A little of both," Beatrice said, "You need the training, and they need the currying, so I combined them. The Trickster's challenge is to do several things at once, so others who only understand one thread get all confused about the tapestry. But if you knew all the threads, it would make perfect sense."

The clay-figure glanced over at Celestia. "I find that less than comforting, and you?"

"I'm stuck here for a while longer," she said, "I am just trying to enjoy the ride."

The clay-figure considered, then nodded.

Transitioning to the clay-figure's lab and surgery was less jarring than expected. A simple table set amid a small, open space. No tools or implements were apparent anywhere. And no walls, just a transition from bright light to deep black marked the boundaries. The less thought about the unseen floor and invisible ceiling the better.

"If you seek instrumentalities," the clay-figure said at it became a simple cylinder, "I am all that is required. The rest of you vacate the room. Celestia will be asleep, but you shall be disturbed by the operation."

The man-creature led Luna out.

"Sleep," the clay-figure now cylinder told her. She wasn't awake to hear if it echoed or not.
-----------------------------------

Waking, Celestia felt no different. She did note that her horn ring was missing, and the room's lights were quite low. She heard a noise and felt Luna snuggle up against her. She draped a wing over her sister and let regular sleep take her.

After what seemed like an instant, she was instantly aware of Luna up and awake.

"They are magenta!" Luna told her right in her face, then stared at Celestia's wing, "And the microscopic setting works too!"

Celestia snickered at her sister's unbridled enthusiasm. She was seeing all in black and white, and very spotty. She tried to look harder, and the room snapped into full brightness. She blinked a few times, then relaxed and the room dimmed tremendously. "The low-light works as well, as if you hadn't noticed."

Luna paused and stared at her. "What are you - oh, that is strange," she said and looked around, "I wanted to try everything out, I didn't even notice."

Celestia laughed at her sister playing with her new 'toy'. She concentrated and found the low-light and telescopic settings worked perfectly. Aside from the padded table they had awakened on, there was nothing in the room besides the door. "Stay in here at least a day to let your eyes become accustomed to their new condition. Outside is too bright for you, Trickster'," she read the note on the door at 20 paces.

Luna stopped, stared and mouthed the same words. "That's amazing!" she said.

The pair tested all the advantages their upgraded eyes offered, even looking soulfully sad at each other. Neither could tell the difference from their old eyes, other than the color.

The knock on the door brought them out of their game. "Enter," Celestia said.

The man-creature entered, carrying a large tray of various foods. Oatmeal, fresh bread, a few cupcakes, and some cheese. "There's been a problem," the man-creature said as he set the tray on the table, "We did a search for your homeland, and we can't find it. That'll delay sending you home until we can return Beatrice to her people. They'll know where it is, and the Lord of Eyes will make a few inquiries."

"Is it that hard to find?" Luna asked. Celestia took the opportunity to eat both chocolate cupcakes.

"Among the near infinite number of universes and multiverses? Very hard, but with two fairly powerful citizen of one as a guide, it should be like searching for a steel needle in a haystack with a magnet. Tedious, but not impossible. Both of us came up empty."

Luna noted the depletion of cupcakes and pouted at Celestia. Celestia looked back as she serenely munched a loaf of bread. Luna nosed the nearly empty plate of cupcakes towards the man-creature, and pouted with all her might.

"Yes, there's one left. I'm sorry, the light's too dim to make it out, but there was one raspberry-filled with cream topping, and two chocolate with chocolate frosting, if you don't like raspberry -"

The third cupcake fell to an alicorn. "Raspberry?" Celestia said mournfully as Luna chewed, grinned, and tasted.

"I suspected someone would scarf down the two, best appearing, so I made the leftover really special," the man-creature said, "A little lesson that your eyes won't solve all your problems. King Solomon would have cut them all in half and shared each."

Celestia stuck her tongue out at him. Luna giggled. The man-creature shrugged.

"Anyway, you've got about six hours in darkness, then we'll start bringing the light levels up. I'd advise you not to light your horn, the brightness will be painful, even with your eyes closed. I've already contacted Beatrice's people, and they are eager to have her back, especially after whom she just taught."

"It can't have been very long, how did she teach him all her secrets in a few days?" Celestia asked.

"They have a way of transferring information that is more efficient than ours, and it would likely harm us if we tried to receive it. Also, it's been four hours we've been here. The operation only took 10 minutes."

Celestia stared in disbelief as the man-creature withdrew. She saw him feel for the door handle, but he was able to get it, and close the door behind him without too much trouble. The idea they were in such total darkness, and their home was elusive, chased around in her head with the idea that so complicated a piece of work could be done so effortlessly.
-----------------------------------

The gradual brightening of the room had accompanied a general darkening of the alicorns' spirits. The man-creature reported that Beatrice's people couldn't find our homeland. He's promised to contact some 'friends in the Far Marches' to see what they knew, Celestia thought, But he wasn't hopeful, and neither am I. How can you lose an entire universe?

"Do you think we've come from so far away that they can't find our home?" Luna asked the question that had been plaguing Celestia's thoughts.

"Considering the talk about infinite multiverses, it is possible," Celestia admitted, "Or unlike what they've said about universes being huge things, if our is small, maybe it's especially hard to find." Celestia accepted the grateful nuzzle from her sister and wondered about the possibility she'd proposed.

We've barely explored the whole planet, and stars were living things. I suppose they're in close orbit. So, a one star-system universe? And if the sun and the moon really do orbit the planet, then it's even smaller. But small enough if could be lost, or perhaps just unfindable? I can't imagine that. With the amount of magic there, it should glow like a beacon, even if it is a dust mote.

The door opened. The man-creature entered, looking perplexed. He looked at the two alicorns and tried to put his thoughts into words. "I found someone who knew not your world, but Tambelon, which is associated with it."

"It is!" Celestia said happily. For once, happy about the existence of that dark place.

"I called in a few favors, and went and looked for Tambelon, figuring I'd find your homeland from there," he said and his expression became apologetic.

"It wasn't there, was it?" Luna blurted out the question Celestia had been dreading.

"It not only wasn't there. It's never been there," the man-creature said, while Celestia and Luna exchanged frightened looks, "The whole thread that should lead up to it is gone," the man-creature said. He walked towards them, and scratched Luna behind the ears to raise her spirits, and to let him focus on something other than this disquieting mystery, "There are powers that can erase entire continua, that's their job, but this didn't have that feel. Something is going on here, something big, and until we know the rules, we shouldn't go poking around."

"But our home!" Luna insisted, and nuzzled him. He waved Celestia over and began scratching behind their ears, one hand to each.

The pleasant experience of nails stimulating the area around her ears put Celestia in a less worried mood.

"The problem is, the source I used is absolutely reliable, for it to be wrong, you'd have to believe someone managed the change and either concealed it, or did it soon before I asked it, or soon after. The collection of people who could do the former are very rare, and they would guard the secret jealously, for fear that their enemies would move against them in their time of weakness. If it's the latter, the list is much shorter, and honestly, they wouldn't care who found out, because no one will mess with them."

"Why would someone, of any power rank do such a thing?" Celestia asked, fighting through the almost soporific effect of the scratching.

"I can only guess that Tambelon became of interest to someone, and they did something. In that case, it's good news. Because then they'll return your home as soon as they've extracted Tambelon," he said, his voice soothing, his manner more positive, then he stiffened ever-so-slightly, trying to hide his worry. "If it's some other reason, then nothing can be guessed at. I had a plan involving Beatrice, which I thought would get some very big wheels turning. But this dwarfs anything I've ever heard of. This makes my wheels look like the gears of a watch, when the walls of the room start moving."

"What should we do?" Luna asked. Then she leaned into the renewed scratching.

"First, don't lose hope, it may resolve itself shortly. Second, if it doesn't, you're both still on contract to deliver Beatrice to her people, so you've got something to do while it resolves itself. Third, both Beatrice and I have friends. You can resettle with them until we can get an answer about this."

Celestia disengaged herself from his hand, and looked into his eyes. His disturbing alienness was an odd comfort. He was alien because he regularly traveled paths unknown and terrifying to her, and he might serve as expert guide in this unknown. "What if they erased everything, will they come after us next?"

He cupped Celestia chin. "If they were planning to do that, they'd've hired me to do it, and I've heard not even a peep," he told her, and scratched her chin, "So don't worry. Besides with both the Eye Lord and Beatrice as people with a personal interest in you, such a thing would have to be done formally. Or done by someone who wouldn't have left you alive when they took the whole place. Beings at that level don't leave loose ends by accident, it's either intentional, or they aren't loose ends."

Celestia was comforted not at all by that revelation.

"In any case, we'll be with Beatrice's people in a few hours, and they'll be able to give you more details," he assured her.

Celestia nodded, and enjoyed the scratching. But in the back of her mind she wondered, How large a game have we been pulled into?
-----------------------------------

Celestia hadn't expected to see the Eye Lord as they departed, and she wasn't disappointed. She and Luna had changed back into their battle armor, including their depowered horn rings and the man-creature had a fair number of weapons prepared in case they were intercepted on their jaunt. What was there and unexpected was a large box, which Luna raced to. Wrapping, a rather tasteful bow, and ribbon flew in all directions. The man-creature recovered the bow and fitted it in Beatrice's hair. He kept the ribbon himself.

The silver glow that added its light to the golden glow of Celestia's returned sun had Luna pronking happily. "He gave me a moon! He gave me a moon!" She stopped and stared into the distance, then started pronking happily. "And I can see through it!"

Celestia glanced at her sun, tried and failed to 'see through it' and stepped back to enjoy Luna's happiness.

After a while, the man-creature cleared his throat. They assumed a defensive formation.

The four of them vanished from the spare chamber of dull gray that seemed to have no walls, and reappeared in an equally spare chamber of brilliant, glowing white that also appeared to have no walls, but one filled with abominations that filled her with dread. Despite their powerful armor, she and Luna closed in on the man-creature as the least terrifying creature in the room, save Beatrice who walked towards the horrifying assembly without fear or hesitation.

"Be not afraid," the man-creature said, and began scratching the pair behind their ears, "For I bring you glad tidings of great joy. The prodigal shall be welcomed back with open arms."

"These are the Bright Ones?" Celestia asked, "They seem so . . . " She trailed off, sensing a comparison to the 'Eye Lord' would not be well received.

"Yes," the man-creature said, and reached up to release the horn ring on Celestia and Luna. "There, you have fulfilled your contract admirably. You don't want to be here for the next phase." He pointed. "There's a door over there, a 'waiting room', for this reception hall." His voice grew serious. "Whatever you do, don't look at the light. Shut your eyes, look away, cover you face, cast a blinding spell, whatever it takes."

He turned back to the assembled abominations. "They are not part of this, and have done nothing to warrant your attention," the man-creature called.

"That is our judgment, and not yours," one of the ever-changing shapes replied, unlike an amoeba, it remained a geometric and symmetric shape, but it always had sharply pointed apexes.

That's a cruel one, Celestia thought, And haughty. There's more going on here than I suspect, than any of them suspect. She gathered Luna under her wing and approached the wall of creatures between her and the doorway. It was difficult to pick out the doorway from the nearly invisible glowing walls, the uniformity of the glow masking the walls' existence. The creatures gave ground, so Celestia advanced with a shivering Luna under her wing. Their sun and moon seemed such pitiful things in the light of the room and the terror of the inhabitants. Celestia looked directly at none of them, but kept putting one hoof in front of the other.

"That is your payment, not what you wished, but it has been agreed that is more than fair compensation," the Haughty One said.

"You just change your side of the bargain?" the man-creature said, "Even you need to keep your Word of Honor."

Celestia thought she heard The Capitals, and the creatures around her grew nervous.

"So, I'll take nothing, save for the knowledge that Malduwarkin cannot be trusted," the man-creature said, "But Beatrice gave her word that she would find Celestia and Luna's home. And Beatrice's word is good."

She didn't look back, but could practically hear the teeth grinding. She walked on, but swivelled her ears back to listen.

"Their world is no more."

Celestia froze. All her courage and purpose, all her hopes and dreams, all died at that instant. She wanted to shout that it was a lie. She wanted to shout that Cheerilee, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo and Toola-Roola did nothing to deserve such a fate. She wanted to curl up on the floor and cry at the loss of not only everyone she knew, but everything she knew.

"What could they possibly have done to deserve such a sanction?" the man-creature asked, sounding nearly as shocked as Celestia felt.

"Yours is not to question!" the Haughty One replied.

"I think if you check the charter, it's very much in my purview," the man-creature said, in a far more reasonable tone than Haughty had used, "And if you don't know, there's no shame in admitting it."

Celestia took some comfort in the man-creature scoring points off one who had talked about the extermination of a group of harmless creatures, friends of Celestia and Luna, with such disdain. It hit Celestia that she'd never be able to show her new cutie-mark to Starsong and Sweetie Belle. For some reason that hurt worse and anything she could imagine. She nearly stumbled when she thought that, but Beatrice was there, and supported her.

"Lean on me," her friend told her, "Things are going to get bad from here."

"My home is gone," Luna said, "How can they get worse?"

"Malduwarkin is going to show the Trickster who's boss," Beatrice said, "And we dare not intervene, and you shouldn't even look at the light."

"Why?" Celestia asked, "What's so dangerous about the light?"

"What the Trickster suffered to birth me, he will now face without my mother's support," Beatrice said, "If he has fallen to darkness, he will not survive a mere glimpse, but if he walks an unseen path, it will be merely be unpleasant."

"So a short glimpse," Celestia said as she and Luna entered the room. Beatrice closed a curtain across the door.

Celestia was thunderstruck when the man-creature began singing of all things. A song about the redemption of a lost soul. 'Was blind, but now I see' struck her as particularly apropos. He continued singing as the curtain lit from the scatter of whatever light Haughty was using. The song stumbled, but the man-creature held onto the melody doggedly, as if throwing the meaning of the song back in the face of the creature 'testing' him. Celestia faced the curtain, but Beatrice blocked her.

The voice stumbled again, and when the man-creature picked up the song, it was more of a chant. Celestia glanced at Luna who'd moved up to support her. "A glimpse?" Celestia asked Beatrice who had started glancing over her shoulder.

The chant stumbled, and the man-creature tried to start again, but couldn't. He stumbled over the words, mumbled some of them, but doggedly continued. But the defiance had become pathetic.

Celestia crowded Beatrice, forcing her back. "That isn't a glimpse, and this is going beyond a quick check. What is she doing?"

The voice faded, and the light went on.

"Is this what you are?" Celestia shouted to those outside the room, "You make a deal, break your word then torture the one you cheated? How are you any better than others like the Eye-Lord. A bargain struck was a bargain made, and he tried to be a congenial host!"

Celestia ignored Beatrice shaking her head, and shoved her aside as she closed her eyes and marched into the hall. The light on her made her feel small and insignificant, but she faced toward it. She stumbled over a pile of something and regained her hooves. "Is this the truth of the Bright Ones, you only let those who praise you escape?"

"Enough Malduwarkin!" a voice near Celestia called, "We agreed to let you test him. This exceeds a 'test'. If you're vengeance has consumed you, then you must be purged, not him."

The light vanished immediately. Celestia opened her eyes and saw the man-creature. He was naked, what Celestia had stumbled over was a pile of weapons, armor and clothing. The two wing-covered humanoid figures who'd been pinning the man-creature pinned upright and facing Haughty fell away, literally, they let go of him and collapsed quivering on the floor. Celestia had seen a dying bird once, a cat or something had crippled it without killing it. The two figures on the floor twitched and squirmed the same way. The man-creature descended with a good deal more dignity, bending at the knees and slowly lowering himself to the ground.

I can't find any compassion for them, she thought as she stepped around in front of him and sat down. His skin was ashen and his breathing was rapid. He didn't seem to be looking at her, looking at where Haughty had been. Celestia looked into his eyes which seemed all pupil. Slowly he focused on her.

"Have you gotten alternate accommodations?" he asked, slurring the words slightly, " 'm afraid things have soured a bit."

Celestia felt like crying as she gathered him in, feeling the cold of his skin against her wings as she surrounded him. "You're going into shock," she told him, "Relax, we'll see to you. You should lie down."

"Never get up again," he said as Luna laid down behind him and rested against his back. Her wings covered his legs.

"All right we'll let you sit. You're safe," Luna assured him.

"You're safe," Celestia said, and was gladdened when he smiled slightly.

"Do I call you bad names?" he practically whispered as he leaned back against Luna. "Measure the mountain of skulls to prevent an ocean of blood," he said, "Found the scales still favor me, and I hated it. Seems I passed, again." Staring upward he said, "There are no stars here. If it's infinite, shouldn't there be stars?" He signed and closed his eyes.

Celestia rested her neck against his, feeling for a pulse. The initial stab of fear ebbed as she felt it. She didn't know what was too fast or too slow, but it was slowing and becoming stronger.

Beatrice and several others approached. Only Beatrice was even vaguely humanoid. Celestia was too angry to be afraid any more. She was beyond the incandescent rage such a betrayal should have elicited. She looked at the others, and they shied back. She smiled at them, disconcerting them more. "Light should be a force that illuminates, warms and loves, not just burns," she said quietly, "But are you merely the punishment squad?"

"Malduwarkin lied to us," a cloud of sparkles told her, she recognized it as the voice who'd called out Malduwarkin earlier, "Not an excuse, but an explanation. To deceive another is surprising enough we were stunned by it."

"People lie all the time," Luna said, "Even animals can deceive."

"To use tactics is one thing, to say one thing plainly, and it is false, is completely different," Beatrice said, "Even I couldn't believe it was happening, and I've dealt with the Trickster shading meanings until the cows came home."

Celestia relented. "We need you to get him someplace warm, and safe."

The cloud of sparkles resolved itself into a human figure. "I have a place. It will not be the first time I have sheltered him thus."

"You're Beatrice's mother," Celestia realized as she lit her horn and lifted the man-creature onto her back.

Luna collected the pile of belongings, and draped her wing across him.

"A truer statement would be I was her conjoined twin," the woman said. Celestia recognized her from the glimpse at the library. Celestia nodded, and they reappeared in a home like what Celestia was familiar with, except it had no divisions. No separate rooms, no hung curtains, not even privacy screens.

The woman looked around the place in consternation. "Well, if this is what you two are comfortable with," she said.

"Us?" Luna asked, opening a chest at the foot of the bed, she found it empty and began stacking his weapons and equipment within.

"We don't use 'homes' and he's retreated so far I can't use him as a template," the woman said, "I'm Matilda by the way."

"Celestia."

"Luna."

Celestia laid the man in the bed at one corner of the dwelling. "Luna," she began.

"Sister, I'm not teasing you, but you're larger, and warmer than I am," Luna said, "You should do it."

Celestia saw no mirth in the others, and suspected time was important. She climbed into the bed and listened to it groan alarmingly. Luna and Matilda wrapped her in blankets once she'd wrapped herself around the man. His coldness lulled her into an uneasy sleep. Her dreams were plagued with endless vistas of being alone. Alone in a forest, in a castle, in desert, walking along a road. I have my sister, why would I be alone? she wondered, Unless his nightmares are lapping over onto mine. She would ask that when he woke up.
-----------------------------------

She didn't have to ask. She felt her sister's influence over the dream, and realized she was sharing, at least partially, his dreams. The place was a mountain meadow, warm sun and a cool breeze. Pleasant as it was, there was not another animal in sight, and no evidence of their passage. No game trails, no trodden paths, nothing. She munched some of the clover and found he'd gotten that exactly right. She then trotted through the grass and wild flowers. Occasionally glancing up at the high cirrus, the only clouds in the achingly beautiful sky. She tried to fly into it, but found her magic much diminished. Although she could run like the wind, and enjoyed doing so.

This is fun, but I must get to the source of his nightmares, she reminded herself and used what little magic she had to find him.

He was lying on a rock that seemed perfectly shaped for the purpose, wearing a very conservative suit and tie that Rainbow Dash would have called 'tastefully understated'. He had a briefcase by his side and a hat pulled over his face.

What horrors await under that hat? she wondered and she tippy-hoffed toward him. She froze as he called out.

"I don't know who you are, but please leave a message and go away. I'm on vacation. And damned well-deserved too," he said. No scream of anguish, no plea, just a statement of one weary of the grind.

Celestia covered her mouth with both fore-hooves and both wings to stifle her giggles. Nightmares? Being alone like this is paradise to him. This is a good dream.

She moved away, marked where the rock was and began capering through the meadow. Eating as much clover as she wished. Eating just the blossoms of the wildflowers, not the stems. Chasing milkweed seeds around the meadow.
-----------------------------------

All to quickly, it ended. She woke to her sister's face and her look of concern. "How is he?" Luna said.

"Resting," she said, as she slipped out so Luna could slip in without collapsing the bed, "He's enjoying the calm solitude. Frankly, I think he needs it."

Luna looked at her quizzically, ponies didn't like solitude. But she nodded, accepting that he was a very alien creature.

I can't imagine explaining to her that I sometimes want to be away from the other ponies, Celestia thought as she stretched. She glanced down and found Luna snuggled against him indescribably adorable. I envy her ability to just accept people and things. I guess I'm too suspicious and want to know the whys and wherefores too much. She glanced at Beatrice and Matilda in the kitchen area. Speaking of wanting to know the whys and wherefores, she thought as she trotted over to them.

"I think I need some answers, if I'm going to help you out of the mess you've found yourself in," she told them.

Both women looked uncomfortable about being called out that way, but Celestia was beyond caring.

"First," Beatrice said, "While what Luna feels is what we term romantic love, yours, and ours, is a deeper thing. Finding a part of yourself you didn't know you'd been without. While he infuriates you at times, you still would put what's best for him above what's best for yourself, and fully expect he would do the same."

Celestia nodded. That's a relief, she thought, I thought that whatever I felt would have to be for a husband. I guess we can be 'just friends'. Although that's hardly what I meant. Interesting that they think that is what is of paramount importance.

Matilda glanced at Beatrice, then at Celestia. "That is only true from Beatrice's point of view. While she fervently believes it is true, it is not entirely . . . factual," Matilda said.

I swear, I think the woman's embarrassed, Celestia thought as she watched the pair wrestle with their unease, I think they need to say it, to get it out in the open. Celestia smiled, nodded, silently urging them to continue.

" 'Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God (bene Elohim) saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.'," Matilda said, "It wasn't just our males falling for the human females, it just that was what was recorded. The reason he calls me the mother and Beatrice the daughter - is I am more like Luna, and your feelings mirror Beatrice's."

"Have you been 'taken wife'?" Celestia asked.

"Yes," Matilda said, "You've felt it, and seen it. A warrior spirit. What you think of as tricks, I see as paths to victory, even if that path is the honorable surrender or armistice. I wanted that. I wanted that directed at me. Not at the tip of a sword by an enemy, but as a person, by a friend . It is lust, but not for physical appearance, but the mind and spirit behind it."

"Grivwalt," Celestia whispered, "To look someone in the eye and know them, who they are and who they will be."

"That's part of it," Matilda said, "Part is also to find a mirror of your own, let's call it soul. A soul mate. Someone who can instantly understand you. Part of the coupling is finding parts of ourselves we didn't know were there, and have someone there to help you through the revelation." Matilda stopped, apparently too embarrassed to go on.

"It is true, that when he separated us, I imprinted on him," Beatrice said, "But he isn't as closely aligned with me, so I'm immune. Matilda found an imperfect representation of all she hoped to be, and a chance to explore and discover that part of herself." Beatrice indicated Luna snuggling with him. "Your sister is more simpatico with him, and Matilda. Where as you and I don't mesh with each other or him as well."

"I love my sister," Celestia said.

"And I love both Matilda, and him, but it is a more removed love than the romantic and even sexual feelings Luna and Matilda have," Beatrice replied, "And don't assume that a being can have only one kind of love. Luna no doubt has the same feelings as you, but she also has the addition of eros to your 'brotherly' love, philia."

Celestia sat and considered. "So you were smitten with him, and your sister-daughter was not," Celestia said. She fidgeted as she sought the words that would cover the situation, and neither embarrass nor offend the party. It seemed a very tricky subject, likewise it would be a tricky one with Luna as well. "Does he reciprocate? Or is it just a dream?" Celestia asked.

"We are shape-shifters," Matilda said.

So is Luna, to an extent, Celestia thought but hid her concern beneath a mask of unease.

"Biological compatibility is not that difficult," Matilda admitted.

So I do have cause for concern, Celestia thought as she stood, breaking the conversation, Time to change the subject.

"So what is going on here? Who are you and what do you want?" Celestia asked as she began searching the cabinets for tea and a kettle. She was a bit disturbed to find them exactly where she would have put them.

Idiot, they said this was my template, of course it is laid out for me, she thought and went to a closet and removed a folding table and chairs, so they could sit and have tea. While I interrogate them, she thought.

"First, we aren't like you," Matilda said, "We are fixed, born complete and perfect as we are. We are 'alive' and grow, by discovering more about ourselves, refining who we are."

"Hence the problem of having opposite tensions in one being. A mortal could accept a warrior and an artist in one being, even admire them for it, but we can't," Beatrice added.

"Mortals also discover themselves as they grow, but they change as they age, physically and mentally. They also add things to themselves. If I was a warrior, I could study to be an artist," Celestia said.

"True, that's one of the reasons we have such trouble with those like the Eye Lord. They don't rediscover themselves, they add thing only. New skills, new abilities, even entirely new beings are collected, examined, and devoured. It is an uncomfortable concept. The best of them can direct their assimilation along carefully controlled lines. But the Eye Lord still collects others' eyes to consume that part of them that he desires. If you were to question him, he would have a good knowledge of who and what you are."

Celestia started, not horrified, but thunderstruck. "He's been feeding him a selected diet of people!" she said, "People to fill him with what we would consider 'civilizing' aspects and experience." She looked back at the sleeping form cuddled against Luna. "That sneaky bastard, it's brilliant, in a totally underhanded way."

"I think you just hit on the largest element of his personality," Matilda said and gave a short laugh, "And why the others 'employ' him, rather than enslave him. The audacity of thinking he can outsmart them, yet he brings them a string of exactly what they do need. Making them better, stronger and more everything of what they wish to be, without influences that would draw them to the darker aspects."

"Like Malduwarkin," Celestia said, leaving the accusation to hang in the air as she got up and verified the tea was ready. She poured three cups and returned to the two Bright Ones dealing with the effect of Celestia's revelation. "Better to rip open a pus-filled sore and expose it for cleaning and proper healing, than let it fester. I suspect that there are a lot more 'occlusions' among your people than you are comfortable admitting. Being only one thing entirely, doesn't seem like a long-term strategy that would be employed."

"So you've heard that," Matilda said. She stared into the teacup, trying to buy time to come up with the answers, or that the tea would reveal them. She decided and drank the cup in one gulp. "All this dances around your real question, of why your world was destroyed."

Beatrice rolled her eyes. "Ever the diplomat," she said.

"My diplomacy is generally conducted at the tip of a sword. Life or death does not give vast stretches of time. The point is, it wasn't Tambelon, but your world that was cause for the removal. We've been talking about growth, and yours didn't. You and Luna were saved because you still possessed the potential for growth, although what anyone has plans for, I have no idea."

"Why, it wasn't hurting anyone," Celestia said.

"The Eye Lord and his type are gardeners, they tend and care for all existence under rules that are unfathomable to us," Beatrice said, "I know it's not strictly true, but the correct explanation would take weeks."

"I too have mastered metaphor and simile at the Trickster's knee," Matilda said, "Our kind, and our way omits shading the truth. We can be wrong, but we don't lie, generally. Information is shared entirely, or denied totally. Malduwarkin's ability to fib is a dangerous discovery. The ability to tell fanciful stories to explain things simply, is a rare skill among our people. I shudder to think from whom Malduwarkin learned it."

Beatrice nodded to Matilda, then looked back at Celestia. "To go back to gardening, a beautiful rose bush is a weed in a corn field. Likewise a healthy corn stalk is a weed in a rose garden. Whatever merits your home might have had, it was a weed in the context of where it was," Beatrice said.

"And what gives them the right to decide such things?" Celestia asked.

"The All-Mighty gives them the right and the sacred charge to do so," Matilda said, "What the exact orders were, you would have to ask the Eye Lord, or let the Trickster investigate from whence the order came. And order it would have to be, never has there been a 'save them, scrap the rest' order."

So that's why he found us, Celestia thought, Something set him on the path. But why? What were they hoping to gain? Does he even know we were the target, and Beatrice merely the path to us?

"Why not just transplant the corn to a corn field, the rose bush to the rose garden. My world to where it should be?" Celestia looked at the faces grown ashen as the Trickster's had been. "What is it? And no 'fanciful stories to explain things simply', the truth, the whole truth."

"It was tried, ages ago," Matilda said, glanced at Beatrice who nodded, "The Others began banding together to save some of the worlds they were to prune, and nurturing them so they could be replanted. To so change their binding was a blasphemy to us. We protested, they told us to mind our own business. Calls to the All-Mighty were met with the most cryptic replies."

"We did not at the time realize we were both being tested for our ability to grow. In looking outward for stability, we failed to look inward for the necessity to change," Beatrice said, "The change was exactly what you suggested, and just as beneficial and beneficent, but we could not see that, at the time. Now we have much cause to regret and be ashamed."

"We found the repository, moved it into a realm where we were much stronger than the Others, and locked it in place there," Matilda said.

"Our failing was to understand that without both of us to act as custodians, another gained control of the nursery, and began selling off the potential of these continua to those neither we, nor the Others would wish to have them," Beatrice said, "The creature who rules that realm has been able to 'adjust' it, so neither our powers, nor the Others reigns supreme there, and we have had no orders to mass in battle array to retake the place."

"Then someone else should go," Celestia said firmly.

"You just stepped into what he calls 'The Great Work'," Beatrice said, smiling after the downcast expressions she and Matilda had been wearing. "That's been a bit of an obsession of his for quite some time. But it's impossible, the creature that now controls the place is too powerful."

Celestia had a feeling that the Trickster had a way of compensating for that. "I suspect that whatever he agreed to be paid to rescue Beatrice, and was cheated out of by your people, was a key to that plan."

Matilda shook her head. "Malduwarkin -"

"Was not gainsayed by any of your people when he accused her of cheating him. And cheat him you did," Celestia said.

Matilda and Beatrice exchanged worried glances.

"If you only keep your agreements when they are agreeable to you, or when forced by superior firepower, then you will soon find people unwilling to deal with you," Celestia added.

I shouldn't enjoy watching them squirm, Celestia thought, But he kept every agreement he made with us, and is evidently an honorable deal maker. If these are supposed to be the forces of light, they shouldn't have such a cavalier attitude towards their word.

She put a hoof to her chin and 'observed', "I have a suspicion that he has plenty of contacts, and if he casually mentions to them how you all cheated him, the effects will get back to even your leaders. I have the sneaking suspicion that even those who would parse and analyze his every word, because they are enemies, would trust the overall message and seek its truthfulness. Not the best message to be sending out."

The pair squirmed like their chairs were burning hot. Neither dared look at Celestia, and they even shied away from looking at each other.

Celestia finished her tea and laid down beside the bed to rest. The floor was warm, and the rugs thick and soft. After all she'd been through, she found sleep easily achieved.

The room she found herself in was obviously a dream, his, and oddly similar to the Eye-Lord's surgery, save that the man-creature sat in the center on a chair that seemed to hang in midair. Screens of scrolling text floated before him, illuminating his features. She watched his eyes flicker from screen to screen, and bits of the selected text appeared on another screen down beside his knees. She remained silent and outside the range where he would react, and just watched as a fantastic amount of data scrolled in front of him, was sifted and then most rejected.

"Wondering what I'm doing?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the screens.

"Actually, yes," Celestia admitted as she walked across the non-visible floor to stand beside him.

"You didn't think I was the master of the situation without studying, did you?" he asked and chuckled, "I got reports of the vampire pack that held Beatrice, and their approximate location and strength. I'd researched the armorer and hotel from earlier trips, and of course I knew the Eye-Lord's obsession, and how to get Beatrice to teach him."

"All from this?" Celestia asked, scanned a few pages, but none of it was about a world she knew.

"All from sessions like this," he said and stopped the scrolling of the screen to look at her. "For example, that," he said and pointed to the details on the screen. "Effective invulnerability, but notice what's not mentioned?"

Celestia read, then reread the text. "I guess I'm not as good as you at reading this."

"It's more a question of reading between the lines," he said, " 'Most', 'almost all', 'outside physical and magical attacks', yet not one mention if the wielder is invulnerable to the item itself."

Celestia stared as she reread. The conclusion is brilliant, but there's nothing to directly support it, Celestia thought, But not one word to deny it, despite all the instances cited.

"I think you're right," she admitted.

"So we have the method, or at least the method that should be applied first, to beating a seemingly invulnerable opponent. If you're dealing with an experienced foe, never give them a break," he told her.

"No knightly chivalry?" she asked.

He reached over to scratch her behind the ears. She accepted his attentions. "If you were going to be chivalrous, they would have arranged for it before the fight started," he replied, "I've been challenged to duels before, and if the person is willing to fight with blunt weapons to submission, or accept first blood, then I'll agree. If it is a fight to the death, there are only the quick and the dead, no rules."

The view changed and they were surrounded by a spiderweb of different colors. Where lines met were names. "The second thing to know, is the web of relationships. Enemies, allies, friends and antagonists."

"Aren't enemies and antagonists, and allies and friends, the same?" Celestia asked.

"No," he told her, "Enemies and friends are personal, allies and antagonists are professional/factional. It is entirely possible to have an enemy, someone you can't stand, who is also an ally. The most dangerous are the antagonist friends: people separated by faction rather than personality or preference."

"Why would they be any more dangerous?" Celestia asked as she stared at the web and began discerning the patterns.

"Because if you fight one, then his friend on your side will assist, until you do something that offends them. Then suddenly you've got an enemy antagonist for you, on your team. Ironically, if you can take out the opponent without offending your side, or better let the antagonist friend spirit their opposite number and a small cadre away, you have someone whose loyalty to you personally goes through the roof. Especially, if backstabbing is the way things are done on their side. To learn something so intimate, and to use it to help them does things to their thinking. A couple of my best generals were in that state. I 'killed' both of them, and their entire immediate families."

Celestia gasped.

"So it appeared. I actually set them up a long way away from their original homelands," he said, "Two, most cooperative and loyal commanders I could have wished for," he said. He gestured at the web. "This also lets you see the real, inner workings and relationships. What everyone assumes is the nexus, is really only the most traveled, not the strongest vortex."

"That one is," Celestia pointed a knot of particularly think skeins, "The one everyone assumes is the center is weak."

"Correct. Lots of connections, easily broken, but that one has fewer, but vastly stronger," he said of the web arrangement, then he pointed at a cluster of knots that seemed to be entirely enemies and antagonists. "That's our apparent target. Hit them, and the ripples will go to the target we want."

"None of them like each other, why are they so tightly woven?" Celestia said.

"Because they don't trust anyone, and better to have your enemies close enough to watch. Plus, if they were separated, they could be picked off one at a time," he said, "I don't think they're expecting to face a full force, head-on assault."

"They seem very powerful," Celestia said.

"So am I," he replied.

Celestia shivered at his tone.

The terrifying creature was instantly replaced with the serious teacher. "The next thing to consider in developing a plan is 'what state do I want to be on the way out?' High energy, high altitude, on the deck, sneaking out, trudging out obviously defeated, or something else? You start the plan from the end point, which is your exit, not seizing the prize. Because having the prize doesn't mean you keep it. Getting the prize safely back home is the sign of a good plan."

"Since you aren't going to escape with the prize, why does that matter?" Celestia asked, a little off-center by his swings of who he was and what he projected he was

That's part of the lesson too, to seem one thing, when you can be all things, she realized.

Then she cocked her head. "Or is this a trick to seize what you really want, and are willing to throw what everyone else wants away?"

"It is," he said and gave her a scolding smile, "Don't get tied up in 'nice to haves' when you can walk away with the real prize. And the semblance of victory is always a 'nice to have'. If someone beats the crap out of you, hands you what you were really after, and throws you out the door, you've won. Only a fool insists that every victory has to look like a victory, letting the foe hand you the occasional defeat, even playing into their hands to get them what you want is a viable strategy."

"You've been using terms that you understand, 'nice to have' as if I understand them," Celestia said.

"Sorry, the terminology is so ingrained I use it reflexively. What you want out of a plan are 'must haves', 'good to haves' and, 'nice to haves', they are the true victory conditions, the icing on the cake, and things that you would like, but can live without and still call it a victory."

"Okay," Celestia said, fitting in the terms to the previous conversation.

"When you formulate a plan, get the 'must haves' clear in your head, and separated from the 'good to haves'. Those are the things you want, and you never let your opponents know they are: what you're really after. That's what 'nice to haves' are for, things you would logically want, but you can afford to lose them. Always have a few, and they should be something you actually want, because there may be someone who busts their tail to get them, and real gratitude is a whole lot more satisfying that faked gratitude."

"But your own team should know your 'must haves', shouldn't they?" Celestia asked.

"Only your innermost circle. You can let the rank and file know, but never let them know they are your 'must haves'. You gratitude for accomplishing any secondary mission should be enough that they'll try for it anyway," he told her.

"That's horrible!" Celestia sdaid.

"It's info security. Knowledge is power, if they know what you want, they can concentrate their best there. If they aren't sure, they may leave the prize open and unguarded," he countered, "Take my operations with you. Beatrice was a 'must have', you and Luna were a 'nice to have', but after rescuing Beatrice, returning her to her people was only a 'good to have'. Getting her to teach the Eye-Lord was a 'must have'."

Celestia shook her head as it was spinning. "So you'd let someone appear to have beaten you, if you still get what you want?" Celestia asked, and watched his face, to catch any of the nuances she'd been picking up, indicating trickery.

What she saw instead was a sincere smile. "You were asking about chivalry. If someone has been honorable, played the game straight, and has not put the boot in too much on an opponent who's down, I'll let them 'win', and I'll slink off with the prize. They get the reputation for having beaten me, and I get what I was after."

She frowned, rustled then settled her wings and considered him. "It seems sordid," Celestia said.

"That's because you're thinking in terms of the zero-sum game. One side has to win, and one side has to lose. But there are also positive-sum games, where both sides can win, and negative-sum games where both sides can lose," he said as he sat back. "The problem with only knowing the zero-sum game is that an underhanded person can point to the enemy and say 'look they're winning!' and the implication is that you must be losing, when in fact you might be winning more than they are. The other side of the same lying con is they'll say 'the other side is losing', making the implication that you're winning, when you could be losing worse than they are. As long as someone has you convinced that your happiness is based on what's happening to the other side, you're their puppet. They can get you to react in their best interest, and not yours. If they say, 'he just won a bar of silver', you're supposed to ignore the basket of bars of gold you just won, and think you've lost. Or if someone takes a quarter of their bar of silver, thus 'losing it' you're supposed to ignore them taking half your bars of gold."

"I see the point, so you play the positive-sum game, the negative-sum game and the zero-sum game, as long as you wind up with what you really want," Celestia said, "What if they have something very valuable, but cheap to them, and you have something valuable to them, that's cheap to you?"

"It's called arbitrage," he said, "If you have a clever partner to broker the deal, you can make it seem that your opposite number 'ripped off the dupe', while both of you came out ahead. That's the point. Information is the deadliest weapon on the battlefield. If you know and they don't, you've won."

"That balances their power?" Celestia asked, waving a hoof at the web.

"Yes, I know about them, but they know nothing about me," he said, and looked at Celestia, "I think you and Luna might enjoy tagging along. Some bad people to destroy, and a young life to save."

Celestia considered. "I don't think I'll approve of terminating someone's life, but I can support the rescue."

"Then let me call up a few facts about the ones we'll be taking on," he told her, and the screens were back.

Celestia felt her stomach churning as she read the creatures' history, and she was nauseated when she read their plans. "I still don't support taking someone's life, but banishing them into the outermost darkness would be welcome."

"If you don't deal with these things permanently, they have a very bad habit of coming back at a time of their choosing," he said, "Throwing something in a can is just saying 'it's somebody else's problem'. It's one of the few things I hate about Tolkien. If people had done their jobs, a whole lot would have been easier. The whole 'I'm so good, I can't understand evil' business should have been a big clue that the nincompoop wasn't the right leader for a war."

His words stung her deeply and her anger welled up. "What would you have me do?" Celestia asked sharply.

"Employ someone like me," he told her and gestured at the screens, "And it seems interesting, you are willing to ignore someone who does something like this, yet are furious about someone holding many of your own principles, who merely disagrees with you about their defense. Have you considered running for Congress?" He vanished, leaving Celestia alone with his rebuke and her unresolved anger.

Luna woke her. "They left," she explained, "There were some - harsh words exchanged. It seems the removal of our home was authorized. And it quote, 'Was as if a child's fantasy, crafted by those who know nothing of children', unquote. Tambelon was swept away almost as an afterthought. It seems odd that they would hate something that would be paradise, and a true enemy like Grogar received barely a nod." Luna shook her head. "What kind of monsters are we dealing with?"

Celestia frowned at that, but hugged her sister anyway. "We have each other. We'll always have each other."

Luna hugged her back and they stood that way a while.

"I checked his temperature before I woke you," Luna said.

Rectally, I hope, Celestia thought, No that's wrong. He hasn't said anything deserving that, but what of redemption and seeing the error of your ways?

"He is out of danger, and is just resting." Luna opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. "Sorry, I don't want to explain Norwegian Blues. Let's just say he has some rather bizarre mental defenses, and leave it at that."

Celestia nodded, and considered their path forward, with no home, no family, and no prospects or knowledge of the 'outside world' they would be spending the rest of their lives in.

Matilda later visited when the Trickster woke up, even offered relocation, but Luna was adamant about accompanying him on his next mission. Celestia took the offer under advisement.

"Do you know what he was studying?" Celestia asked as they sat sipping tea.

Luna rested her forelegs on the table as she considered. "A very dark place, with monsters fighting over the remnants of a race much like his own. He called it a 'hunting preserve', and once I understood what that was, I think it is a good description." Luna shuddered. "I think rescuing one of the ones who might overthrow the hunters, parasites really, should be a goal we can be proud of. Our magic will be very strong there, and our armor even stronger."

"You want to go and fight?" Celestia asked.

"Maybe it is selfish, but after my captivity, I want to prevent someone else from suffering the same fate at the same pitiless hands."

I can't argue with that, Celestia thought, But did he show her the enemy we face, or just the one we're trying to save. Even in his dreams he spins webs. Light and gossamer, until enough has accumulated.

"I see that face," Luna said, "What troubles you?"

"Greater wheels than the ones we see," Celestia admitted, "He said something about setting large wheels in motion. Matilda and Beatrice talked about 'the Great Work', and suddenly our home is gone, erased? Coincidence, or did something fundamental get changed by tinkering at the edges?"

"You're starting to sound like him," Luna teased, " 'Give me a firm place to stand, and a lever can move the world.' Now you're looking for all the other levers around."

Celestia nodded. "Perhaps I am. Maybe I am looking for a way to make things better. But our home was perfect, and now it's gone. What does that say about achieving perfection?"

"That you haven't and only think you have," Luna replied, "Anything can be improved, it just may take a lot of work to do so. Asymptotes, you approach a value ever more slowly but you never reach it. If you stop and say 'good enough' that's a choice, but if you start thinking you have achieved that value, it's a lie."

Celestia nodded.

3) Trickster

Trickster
DISCLAIMER: The Dresden Files are the property of Jim Butcher

He had awakened early, while both Luna and Celestia were sleeping. So when they awoke, he had a few pages of notes for them to review. "I think I have a few worlds you would be welcome to emigrate to. Most are high in magic, and have a group of people you'd fit in well with," he said, leaned over from the chair beside their bed and handed over the papers, "It just depends on what tech-level you're interested in, and the world-situation: peace, hidden battles against the villains, or open contesting with the villains."

"Is that your typical parameter?" Celestia asked as she shuffled through the papers.

"Considering our earlier conversation, yes," he replied, yawned and leaned back in the chair.

Celestia frowned at that, but looked over the offerings.

"I want to go on that mission you received," Luna said, "After all, it's better to go deal with these things on their own ground, than wait until they come after you."

Celestia glared at Luna, but she was too deep in the grip of her passion.

"You've been talking to Matilda again," the Trickster said and scratched Luna between the ears, "But your sister voiced some relevant concerns. This isn't going to be talking to people and making them see the error of their ways. They are people who survive on the death and suffering of others, they enjoy it and do all they can personally to promote it. There's only one permanent way to deal with immortals who have that mind set."

Celestia looked up from the papers. "Aren't you afraid that something worse will take their place?" Celestia asked.

He shook his head. "No, cause I'll kill them too," he replied, "The ones you have to be careful of, are the ones who are bad, but keep everything for the outsiders running smoothly. The ones who are greatly or marginally better. Those are the ones where you are on a slippery slope, if you keep eliminating them in the search for perfection. The ones that are worse are the easy ones. You've already set the bar, if they exceed it, you've made your judgement. If they come in below it, especially well below it, then you have some hard thinking and soul-searching to do."

Celestia squirmed at the thought of that, and the determination with which he held his opinions. I can imagine why he's the ax-pony for so many other beings. He's a set standard, and they don't have to worry about the morality. Just send him in and let him sort it out, Celestia thought and was disgusted by the idea, They keep their hands clean and can deny having a hoof in the results. Wonderful.
-----------------------------------

They had assembled around the table in the 'kitchen' of the home. "Okay, the plan is very simple. Everyone elses' plans are where this takes special handling," he told the two alicorns as he laid out a diagram the looked like a very determined, and very drunken spider had decided to create a mobius web. Celestia realized it was a simplified version of the relationship diagram, but on a flat surface.

He pointed to one particular knot on the diagram, a line from nearly every other focus on the diagram led to that knot. "This is everyone elses' target." He tapped on a smaller, less crowed cluster that he'd deliberately been put onto the edge. "That one is ours, but, we're going to let everyone think we're playing their game, while we play our own. Red are enemy antagonists, blue are allied friends, orange are friend antagonists and black are allied enemies."

Celestia noted that the elements of the cluster had different 'webs' radiating out from them. This has been refined since I saw it last, she realized. While some were similar there were other knots that had only one connection to the cluster. Luna kept shaking her head and staring at the complicated assembly.

"Now, these three groups are trying to take him out," he indicated three groups strongly linked to the central nexus by red lines. "But they all hate each other, and they're all absolutely wedded to the idea that they have to be the smartest in the room." He indicated the mostly red lines among the groups and entirely to the other groups.

"The truly smart one would know when to be clever and when to be direct," Luna said.

He nodded to her. "Correct," he said, "Like I said, their five main targets are here. Weaken the support structure and the assumption is the whole edifice will collapse."

"So we hit them directly?" Celestia asked, nervous at the idea of engaging so many in what might be a very brutal fight.

"No. We just disrupt their plans. For example, the opening action: They're sending vampires against these werewolves." He tapped the cluster and glanced at the two sisters. "And that doesn't spring a plan into mind?"

Celestia shook her head. Luna was pondering.

"One of you controls a sun, the other a moon, and you can't figure out how to tip a vampire versus werewolf fight in the werewolves' favor?" he asked then sighed and tapped a pair linked with a wide blue line. "Okay, these guys. They're going to be both trickier, and much simpler. Luna simply walks up and tells them about the threat and that a safe house is available. No artifice or cunning, just be your adorable self and tell them the truth. 'I don't know' is a completely acceptable answer."

Celestia snorted at Luna's outrage at 'cute-ing her way to victory'.

He tapped the most convoluted and intricate of the webs, save that around the core. The lines were only mostly reds and blacks. A few blue lines wound through the collection. "This one is going to take close handling. We have to take them while they're vulnerable, but before the enemy is ready. Then we simply wait for the assault and the enemy will run right into our guns," he said.

"How can you assure that reaction?" Celestia said, "That goes counter to the whole 'being too subtle for their own good' part."

He grinned and leaned back. "Excellent, you were listening. We hurt them, humble their pride, and tell them it's a trap they can't hope to win," he said, "You favor elegant plans for a bit of artistry, and to contain collateral damage. Everything here is apperances, not effect. They favor elegant plans because that's how they are graded among these others. They're still thugs at heart. Take off the safeties, and thugs they'll be again. The trouble is, thugs depend on animal cunning, not human intelligence, and the animal brain has been keeping them alive and fed for millions of years. They'll be direct, not stupid. So the human ego needs to be inflamed, so while the animal tries to be effective, the human wants the hurt to stop. That pits them against themselves and reduces their options."

"What would you do in their place?" Luna asked.

"Go somewhere, cool down, and hit them with overwhelming firepower. The survivors write the history. If they're all gone, then all anyone needs to know is that you won," he said and smiled at Celestia's horrified expression, "You only have to do that once or twice, and people quit assuming you take the gentle option out of weakness."

"What if they prove more reasonable than you think?" Luna asked, "Legends are that vampires and other such creatures are very old and experienced."

"Age comes with experience only for people. These are just a collection of drives and hungers, with a patina of humanity daubed over them. They aren't people as you'd define it. The elves are the worst, but I don't want to draw too many different forces into the battle. Too many schemes and schemers just confuses things. Have your plan and be ready to abandon it the moment it doesn't serve."

"So, she's the 'must have', destroy as many of them as we can is a 'good to have'," Celestia said.

"No, destroying that one is the 'good to have', the rest are a 'nice to have'," he said, "Go on."

"The vampires are a 'nice to have', protecting all these, are they a 'must have' or a 'good to have'?" Celestia asked.

"Family is a must, the others are a good," he said and pointed to a small cluster with only one link to the rest of the maelstrom of alliances and associations, "Because of that." He pointed to that one blue link. "If we protect the family, we draw a bit of additional power down to look after us. Protecting the protectors. And it also introduces you two to another useful faction of Beatrice and Matilda's people. Always good to get your brand out there for potential allies to see."

"Good to have," Celestia murmured as she stared.

"Won't they be hostile, considering Mald's reaction?" Luna asked.

"No," he said, "Because we'll be protecting who they're charged with protecting, and, we're going to tell them the plan and who hired me. Mald, I keep out of the loop, which is why she has such a problem with me. It isn't who she knows I work for, it's all the people she doesn't know I work for."

He looked at the deeply concentrating alicorns. "It's all about balance. A bit of paranoia will keep you alive. Too much and you can't deal even with your friends. It's that balance we have to strike. In this case, I want them to know right from the start. Mald makes assumptions there's more than she sees, even when she's seeing everything. These four are more straightforward and will trust the truth when it's presented to them."

Luna put a hoof to her forehead. "I'm getting a headache," she said.

"It's like flying, there are currents and cross-currents. Learning to ride them is a skill like any other," he explained.

"So she's and protecting her family are the only 'must haves'; and destroying that one is the only 'good to have'; killing as many of them, and keeping them fighting each other, are the 'nice to haves'?" Celestia asked.

"Protecting the wizard's support network is a 'nice to have', igniting a full up war between these factions is a 'nice to have'," he said, "And finding out who's been directing her towards things she really should stay away from is a 'good to have'. Destroying that person/entity will be a very lucrative 'nice to have'. Presenting the head of someone mucking things up is always better than just giving their name." He looked at Celestia's frown. "You don't have to remove it first, I just find that eases transportation problems."

He grinned at Celestia's disgusted look. "Okay, the condition to leave in. As long as the intervention on the girl is complete and the family is safe, any condition other than on our shields is acceptable. We can leave in triumph, or skulk out like beaten dogs. I'm not planning on coming back, so what they think of me is immaterial. The next step back is the intervention. That'll come after we deal with a number of these folks. I've got the speech written and even practicied it a few times. It'll work. Killing the leader and a few of his top minions should point out that I'm not to be trifled with. That'll make me scary enough that a unadulterated 'scared straight' should work wonders. You two are going to be looking after the children. I'd rather events leave them delighted, instead than frightened. Somehow slaughter of even as vicious monsters as these doesn't fit you or them."

"Most assuredly," Celestia said, "Thank you for granting us an honorable way out."

The Trickster smiled again. "Caught that did you? Well, done, very well done."

"So is our innocence a 'nice to have' or a 'good to have'?" Luna asked.

"Most of it is a must have, some of it, is a good not to have. Letting you see the worlds run by different rules is important. Whether you hate something or not, to be ignorant of it is to give it a power all out of proportion with it's actual importance," he said.

"Back to the plan. So we swoop in and rescue the werewolves, warn the crime boss, collect the family, kill the bad guys, deliver a scary lecture and then leave?" Celestia said, "That's it? That's the whole plan?"

"You think there'd be an intricate timetable of going to a particular street at a particular time and call down this exact force at this exact time?" the Trickster asked, "This doesn't have or need those complications. This isn't dependant on outside forces coordinating. This is just us and we can discuss any problems and difficulties."

"Aw," Luna said, pouting cutely.

"How are we supposed to synchronize our watches if you two don't even wear them?" the Trickster said, "This is a fast commando raid, not a determined campaign. The Mission Orders stand, and we figure out the best way to implement them. Okay. Names of the main, and many protagonists. It always affects people when you know their name and have never met them."

Celestia decided that if 'meeting the powers' was necessary, she had one more to meet, and the Eye Lord might be able to make the introductions. When we go in, I want an ace in the hole for these creatures to face, she thought as she considered the plan and when best to bring the help.
-----------------------------------

Celestia could feel that these four, six-eyed, essentially-humanoid creatures were of the same order as Matilda and Beatrice, but of vastly greater power. The room was an abstraction, and the 'table' on which the plan was laid wasn't really there at all. Celestia was feeling a bit queasy about constantly dealing with people who treated the moral, social and natural order she'd grown up with, as a pleasant fiction.

Hence the hand covering their six-eyes as the Trickster laid out his plan was gratifying. At least I'm not the only one who reacts that way, Celestia thought.

"Why would he not want her as a servant?" their leader asked when told who had hired this rescue mission.

"Do you want the real answer, or the one that works and will let you sleep at night?" the Trickster asked.

I know which I'd ask for, Celestia thought as the creatures regarded the Trickster with ill-concealed horror.

"You would willingly lie to us?" another of the six-eyed humanoids asked.

"Not deceive, simply oversimplify," the Trickster said.

The four glanced at each other for a moment, communicating too fast for mortals to comprehend. Celestia concentrated on Luna, crouching under the diagram, trying to figure out how the 'table' worked. She smiled that her sister's reaction to all this insanity was to investigate. There's also a danger to it, Celestia realized, The same danger that we are rescuing the girl from. Looking too deeply into the abyss.

"Give us both, reversing the order presented," the leader said, sounding almost tired.

"He does want her eventually, when she could be like me, able to deal with them rationally," the Trickster said.

"For a given value of 'rational'," the other speaker said.

So sarcasm isn't beyond them, Celestia thought.

"True. Right now, he'd get another cultist, which is the last thing he wants," the Trickster said, "So delaying the meeting is in his best interests. And he needs an intermediary who understands human psychology. If I can lighten your burden along the way, that's just being a good neighbor."

"And the real reason?" the leader asked.

The Trickster turned to Celestia and Luna. "Put you hooves over your ears and hum real loud," he ordered, "You do not want to hear this."

Both alicorns did as ordered. As soon as he began speaking, the others acted as though he were beating them with the rotting corpse of a diseased animal. They flailed as if fending off the words, and were utterly disgusted by what they heard. When he stopped, he signaled Celestia and Luna to 'unstopper' their ears. Both alicorns trotted over and hugged the stricken creatures. Nuzzles, wing hugs and soft murmurings that it was over and they would be fine were welcomed.

The Trickster's 'all according to plan' smirk was ignored by both alicorns as the subjects of their soothing came back to themselves.

"Thank you," the leader told Celestia and Luna, "And thank you for trying to spare us that. Would twer that we had taken you up on your offer. The reasoning was quite sound, and almost true."

The Trickster nodded.

"Unfortunately, we cannot interfere, even though we would applaud snapping his neck. Hoist by his own petard," the Leader said, "Our presence can defend only what we are mandated to protect."

"Hence my presence here, an existential threat is something a mortal can deal with," the Trickster said, then he turned to Celestia, "That's the big problem, as you move up the chain of power, even your most delicate and carefully thought out action creates ripples. But a mortal can do a thousand times that with nary a ripple, because we aren't ruled by the grand cosmic forces. Another reason I buy what I want, instead of getting 'great deals' on rentals."

"And the Outers are also bound?" one of the ones who'd remained silent to that point asked.

"How do you think they are 'bound out of the universe', a universe they ruled unchallenged for Galactic years?" the Trickster asked, "Only mortals have truly free will and are free to act outside of the realms of destiny and purpose."

"You have our acceptance of your plan, but the man must not be harmed, beyond a reasonable amount to secure him," the Leader said.

"This sword doesn't have to slice people's arms and legs off," the Trickster said and patted the long blade on his back.

Again all four of the beings facepalmed, much to Celestia's confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Story for another time," the Trickster said, "I'll tell you at the right moment, but I will tell you that most of my strongest healing magic was taught by an Outer, as they call them."

Celestia stared. The Eye-Lord would be my guess, but that's probably wrong, she thought.

"Luna, if you haven't figured it out, you aren't going to," he said, and grinned at Luna's pout, "They've got a schedule, and so do we."

He walked away, and Luna reluctantly fell in beside. Celestia trotted up to the other side. "You were expecting more overt assistance from them?"

"Not really. They are bound by codes that are unbreakable, and I can respect that. When a battle output can be measured in megatons per second, you actually want them to say on the sidelines," he said, "Besides, you were talking about ancient experience giving advantages? They proved that in a way that is immensely helpful."

"How?" Luna asked.

"They wanted to be there when I snapped his neck," the Trickster said, "I never mentioned how I planned to bypass the invulnerability charm. They just told me my idea will work."

Celestia stared at the grinning figure and realized he was operating at levels far above her own. I'd better fix that, she thought, Or there's going to be trouble in the future.

They appeared in a warehouse. The office they'd materialized in had a good view of the crates and shelving that dominated the entire building, and of a knot of young men and women surrounding another youth who was lying in a heap on the ground. The dark, distorted figures who flowed from shadow to shadow had the attention of the youths, but they couldn't focus on them.

"Our eyes let us see them," she whispered in the Trickster's ear, Luna nodded.

"All of us. Let the players assemble," the Trickster said, "Then the cavalry can ride over the hill. Important effect on morale to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory."

The figures resolved themselves, and soon out-numbered and surrounded the youths. The heap suddenly stood and dashed through both lines to one of the shadows in particular.

"The brave knights trying to save the damsel," the shadow said, patting the young woman who'd been the bait, "Never realizing they were heroing their way into a trap. Your blood will be sweet."

"We aren't afraid of you," the leader of the youths called.

"Here it comes," the Trickster whispered to the alicorns.

"In the dark of the moon, you think you are a match for us?" the shadow said and laughed.

A brilliant sun and a full, round moon appeared over the collection, bathing them in their gold and silver light. The shadows fell to the ground screaming. The youth gained strength and confidence. A single gun shot removed the head of the shadow's leader, and the shadows writhed and screamed in earnest. Celestia watched the Trickster survey the room through the scope of the sniper rifle he'd just used. The sun moved through the warehouse, catching out those shadows who'd held back. The moon accompanied the youths as they methodically struck down the shadow creatures with stakes and large, butchering knives.

"That's all of them," the Trickster said and slung the rifle, "Time to go."

"Some escaped," Luna said.

"Yes, and we need them to report back what happened." The Trickster was trotting down the stairs out the back of the office, then galloped towards an open door. Celestia and Luna followed, as did their sun and moon.

"Heigh ho, Silver! And away!" the Trickster shouted back into the warehouse as they galloped off into the night, cloaking their sun and moon as they ran.

"What was that about?" Celestia asked once he called a halt, and somehow slipped the unloaded rifle down the back of his shirt.

"Luna blends in with the darkness, but you kind of stand out. So I played a little bit of disinformation," the Trickster said.

" 'Disinformation'?" Celestia asked.

"I gave them wrong information on purpose. There's a creature of legend that rode a horse that looked a lot like you. I just gave his battle cry, so that would be reported up the various chains of command. Neither side will know what to make of it, so it'll confuse both and rather than discard it as idiocy, they'll try and figure out how it's part of a cunning plan."

Luna snickered at that. "What was the horse's name?"

"Silver," the Trickster told them, "In this world, horses and ponies aren't sapient to a great degree."

Celestia snorted at the implied insult that she was a riding beast, but let it pass. I can see the purpose of confusing our enemies, she admitted.

"Okay, here's where we split up." He placed an amulet around Luna's neck. "This will lead you to the girl, then back to us. If you get in trouble, raise a ruckus, and use the amulet to call for help. We'll find you."

"I don't think I shall have too much problem," Luna said, tone dripping with sarcasm, "I only need to remember to be cute." She spread her wings and lifted into the air.

Even with Celestia's enhanced eyesight, Luna was soon lost to view. "Are you going to tell her that she's even more adorable when she gets all pouty?" Celestia asked.

"When the information would serve her, and I need my internal organs on the outside and thoroughly stomped on, then yes," the Trickster said, "Not before." He sighed. "Now is part of the operation I really don't want to do, but I'm afraid I have no choice."

"Oh, warning the crook," Celestia said, remembering their briefings.

"Much as I'd like to let the other villains eat the crime boss of Chicago, it would upset my plans," the Trickster said, and they vanished from the deserted streets, to reappear outside a very fancy building. The Trickster stared at her. "I'm afraid you're going to be too conspicuous as a pony."

"You can change me into a human if that helps," Celestia said, not liking that shapechanging was one of her weakest skills. She looked at her altered form. Fortunately, he hadn't burdened her with much in the way of clothes.

"Perfect, just be your charming self, and we'll be fine," he told her, "And if someone pinches or fondles you, belt them into next week." He handed her a small clutch purse. Something he'd prepared for this eventuality and failed to mention to her.

She opened the little clutch purse and removed the mirror she knew would be in there. The face looking back was recognizably her, but human as well. Her hair, while shorter was still colored and billowing like her mane. She almost approved. "Violence doesn't have to be the answer to everything," Celestia told him.

"Then hold him off the ground by his throat and politely request an apology," the Trickster said as he checked the very tasteful suit he'd transformed his travel clothes into.

Rainbow Dash would approve, Celestia said as they approached the door. A large man in an elegant uniform opened the doors for the people entering. Celestia noted that most of the people showed a card to the man, something they didn't have.

The Trickster opened his wallet and showed the guard something that made the guard unhappy. "Tell the rest of the security force that there's going to be an attempt on Mister Marcone, whether it's a kidnaping or assassination I don't know."

The guard seemed unwilling to open the door for them. The Trickster gestured and the door opened of its own accord. Celestia followed him in.

"What did you show him?" she whispered.

"The badge of the Federal Agency he was most afraid of," the Trickster said, "That's why I stayed direct, let the fear work on him so he wasn't thinking." He paused to look around, then set off in a particular direction. The man at the table surrounded by other men, and a few women dressed as Celestia was, all tensed as the Trickster approached.

"This is a private party, sir," one of the men stepped in front of the Trickster.

"I have information on an attempt on Mister Marcone's life or his freedom, I'm a competitor of Mister Dresden," the Trickster said.

The man smiled, "And your name?"

"It's Japanese, but in English it's Wide Island Long-Cape," the Trickster said, "And I've heard all the jokes. But I think you might want to let Mister Marcone decide whether you throw me out on my ear, or you break my kneecaps first, then throw me out. After you've warned him."

The man nodded to another of the guards, but he and the Trickster just stared at each other. The guard glaring, the Trickster smiling, until the other man returned and escorted the Trickster and Celestia to the table.

The man didn't look happy at the interruption. "You have information?"

"The Red and White Courts have put aside their differences, enlisted the aid of one Nicodemus, and they are going to take concerted action against Mister Dresden. Said action is to first remove his support structure. You're name is on that list."

Celestia watched as the men, and several of the women tensed at the seemingly innocuous words. But Celestia felt something wrong, like what she had first perceived as the Trickster's aura. A feeling of glass grinding on glass, but felt rather than heard. She scanned the patrons, then looked at the ceiling.

"MOVE!" she shouted as she threw herself aside.

What dropped from the ceiling looked like a distorted version of a gorilla she'd seen pictures of. But the fangs and claws told her it wasn't. The fact it's head separated from the rest of it's body was a clue that the sudden movement of the Trickster had a lethal effect.

When the blood of the severed head and body began pooling towards each other, Celestia suspected it was time to leave.

"No you don't," the Trickster said as he removed a vial from a pocket and poured it onto the blood as the pools joined and began dragging the head towards the body. He turned to Mister Marcone and his guards, male and female. "I think you may want to get out of here, to some place with clear lanes of fire and something heavier than a few pistols."

"I could use your help, and the pay's good," the man said. He seemed unruffled at just having a massive assassin drop off the ceiling at him.

"Unfortunately, I have a contract at the moment," the Trickster said, "But you should be able to engage your ally. A little extra firepower will probably be welcome. As I said, they're only peripherally after you. It's him they want."

"I'll remind him," Mister Marcone said, "And thank you."

"You're welcome." The Trickster lead Celestia away before she could say anything.

"If that's what's coming after him, how can they stop it?" Celestia asked.

"That thing is a rare beast. I think they sent out the A-team first, instead of slow escalation. Fortunately, we have the A+-team," the Trickster said as they threaded through the club to the door. Some of the people were just starting to panic, and others had the sense to leave while the getting was good.

Once out on the street, the Trickster canceled both spells and indicated the direction they would travel. He ran, and Celestia easily kept up.

"Why didn't you take him with? Surely the people we're going to have dealings with know him," she said.

"They know him, and they don't like him," the Trickster replied as he slowed to a walk, "I would much prefer that the creature kill him, but not in so public a place. It would probably eat the rest of the patrons next."

"So, he's to draw off the other attackers while we deal with a more limited front. Ruthless, if it works. That material you poured on it's blood, a poison?" Celestia asked.

"More like a purification. It was holy oil, something I got from Beatrice. The real deal," the Trickster said, and looked at Celestia, "No acid would be as effective. That thing was a piece of uttermost darkness. That oil would be devastating on its skin, in it's bloodstream? It doesn't warrant thinking about."

"Because you don't want to offend me by enjoying a murder," Celestia said.

"Different world here, life is cheap. Parasite predators like Marcone are matched by others of a more supernatural build," the Trickster said, "This is a game preserve and they all work very hard to make sure the prey doesn't know they outnumber and outgun anything the predator parasites have. The name I gave is a pun, another item that will tickle at the awareness of the schemers. The target of all the schemers shares the name of a city that was burned to the ground in a firestorm, like this city of Chicago was."

"How does Wide Island Long-Cape warn them of anything?" Celestia asked.

"Someone will translate them into Japanese, and come up with Hiroshima Nagasaki, and then they'll really start asking questions."
------------------------------

For a few hours they walked the nearly deserted streets and talked, really talked. The Trickster had revealed that he hadn't always been so hard-bitten, but experience and many bad adventures had taught him to study extensively before a job, and take everything cynically. To expect the worst to happen and prepare for it.

To Celestia, it seemed a sad way to live.

"On the contrary," the Trickster said, "I walk through life being constantly and pleasantly surprised. Such as how you're going to handle those two mounted officers who've become interested in us." He nodded to the two men riding two immense horses.

Celestia looked at the very serious looking men, on the two, slightly skittish horses. She felt her ears flatten and she glared at the Trickster. Horses don't talk here, so what do I do? she wondered.

"I'm just practicing my ventriloquism with my dummy here. I couldn't really practice in the hotel," Celestia told them, and gestured at the Trickster, "I've managed to get him toilet trained so I am giving him a nice long walk to see if he can restrain himself from decorating the trees."

The officers murmured to each other, one nodded to them, and both trotted away.

"You didn't have me say anything," the Trickster said, "Some ventriloquist you are."

Celestia stuck out her tongue at the man.

The sun was coming up as they approached their target. Celestia grabbed the Trickster by the collar and vaulted to the top of a building to watch the sunrise. She felt the rays of this planet's sun resonating with her cutie-mark, and she felt renewed. When she looked at the Trickster, she noted his almost serene smile.

"See. I didn't say I couldn't delight in others playing and reveling in the world, it's just that while you were feeling the sum and substance of the world, I was watching out for threats."

"Don't you ever relax and feel the sum and substance of the world?" Celestia asked.

"Very rarely. And almost never while I'm on a job," the Trickster said, "Stopping to smell the roses is fine, after you and those you're trying to protect are safe. And frankly, that's one reason I don't mind dealing with people even harder than me. Because they'll protect me, when I stop and smell the roses."

"And you wouldn't trust me to do it?" she asked.

"No, not because you're unwilling, but because you're unready. You spotted that thing when it dropped from the ceiling. I spotted it when I walked in the building. It's how I knew where Marcone was. And it's how I knew the Red and White Courts specifically were after him, it was their monster."

"Oh," Celestia said.

He gently stroked her mane. "You're learning. Don't try to become me, but be able to be me for a moment, then set it aside. I can be the carefree youth that you and Luna are, but it's no longer who I am," he said, then pointed, "And there's our target." The pick-up truck pulled into the field surrounding a set of concrete slabs.

He jumped off the roof towards Michael Carpenter, Celestia stifled a scream as she leapt after him, only to find he was falling very slowly. "Why didn't you tell me you could fly?"

"I'm a wizard, of course I can fly. Only the most inept can't figure out a way," he replied as they landed on the street and trotted over to the man who had stopped unloading his tools from his truck to stare at them. He briefly took hold of a hammer, but set it back down and just stared at them.

Staring mostly at me, Celestia thought, I'd better get used to that. The Trickster is used to weird, but wouldn't the friend of a wizard also be used to weird stuff too?

"Mr. Carpenter," the Trickster said, "There is a problem with your daughter that needs to be addressed."

Michael stiffened and stared.

"This isn't a Faustian bargain, more like a Cease and Desist order, from the concerned party," the Trickster said.

"I would think they would want her to continue," Michael said.

"Not when the, let's call it jurisdictional friction, would be as immense as it is. My patron regards it as implied poaching, not an accusation that would be good to be in the middle of. This world has enough problems without adding two more powers to the regional conflicts," the Trickster said.

Michael nodded. Celestia wished she knew for certain what they were talking about. He said Michael works for Beatrice's people, I can infer, but only guess, she thought, and shied, that through the entire conversation, Michael had been staring at her, and not the Trickster.

"And are you part of the rescue, Celestia?" Michael asked her.

She was shocked that he recognized her, or at least knew her name. "I am," Celestia said and was shocked Michael just gratefully accepted.

"What do you need from me?" Michael asked.

"A few things, there's also a number of unpleasant individuals who are going to be targeting you and your family. I need to get you all to a safe location. I also will need you to sign papers to purchase a van. I'll pay, but I can hardly carry your entire brood on my back."

Michael smiled and nodded.

"You seem to accept this rather too readily," Celestia said.

"He's planning to strike at the opportune moment," the Trickster said and grinned at Michael, who looked sheepish in reply, "I have until then to convince him it's not in his best interest."

Michael snorted at that.

" 'Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves', Yeshua Ben Yosef," the Trickster said.

"Sounds like good advice," Celestia said.

"You have no idea," the Trickster said, and even Michael chuckled.

"If you two know this man's quotes, maybe you'd like to share?" Celestia said.

The Trickster pulled a tiny folio from an inside pocket, and looked at it. "What am I doing?" He looked at Michael. "You've got a reference version in your truck?"

Michael nodded and handed over a proper tome. The two men shared a chuckle as Celestia opened it, and found it was written in a language she could read.

She read and followed as the two men walked towards a huge collection of vehicles in field.
------------------------------

Driving the vehicle to the safe house had been a painless affair. Celestia had a lot of questions about the events in the book. The debate between the Trickster and Michael had been polite, but they both admitted that a lot of what was there was intentionally open to interpretation.

"I can hardly credit both of you honestly claiming to adhere to this man's teachings," Celestia said as the van, basically a box full of benches on wheels, arrived at the safe house. The area was mostly boarded-up houses, and this one was no different.

But it feels different, Celestia thought as she looked at the place, Welcoming, almost.

The Trickster was pointing at the sky and when Celestia shaded her eyes, she saw Luna, carrying a large man in her legs, while a young girl sat astride her back, practically buried in her mane.

"They're coming," Luna announced as she landed, gently dropping off the man, then alighting on her hooves, "I thought I lost them, but they always found us again."

"Probably a tracking spell," the Trickster said, ignoring the unspoken communication between Michael, and the new arrivals, who were presumably The Archive and Kincaid.

The absolute stare she was getting from the girl was almost as frightening as her first exposure to the Trickster. But here I think it is questions, not alienness that'll have me disturbed, Celestia wondered, Do they know me, did the Trickster send out dossiers on myself and Luna before we arrived?

"What did they look like?" the Trickster asked.

"Like that," Luna said and pointed at what looked like five lampreys with their tails tied together. But as they closed, their entire bodies opened up to reveal the lampreys were all mouth. Several more appeared behind the first.

"My magic had no effect on them," Luna said.

"It wouldn't, they aren't really there," the Trickster said as he pulled the sniper rifle from his coat, and handed it to Kincaid. Followed by a clip of ammunition.

"This will work better?" Kincaid asked as he loaded.

"With the shells it's loaded with, yes," the Trickster replied as he ushered Michael and The Archive, still astride Luna, into the house.

"Every little girl wants a pony," the Trickster said, "Celestia, you'll have a better chance. Gravity and intense magnetic fields." He took aim with his finger.

"Why doesn't she just use the Elements?" Kincaid asked.

"Elements?" Celestia and the Trickster asked. Kincaid mumbled something about 'never mind'.

"I'm not a sun," Celestia told him, then blinked and summoned her sun and directed it towards the creatures.

Kincaid hit the first one with his first shot. It folded up like a flower going to sleep, then winked out of existence. The bolt from the Trickster did the same. The rest fled, but Kincaid and the Trickster got another each.

"What happens if I turn this on you?" Kincaid asked, not pointing the rifle at the Trickster or Celestia, but clearly sizing them up as the Trickster watched the creatures depart out of range.

"I would be terribly shocked at the gross violation of convention," the Trickster said jauntily, then turned towards Kincaid and his face hardened, "Then I'd let it eat you."

Kincaid slung the rifle over his shoulder. "Just checking."

"Let's go inside."

"Too bad one got away," Kincaid said.

"They won't be able to find us later if they didn't," the Trickster said, "And I want them to come charging in here. Straight into our fire."

"You're crazy," Kincaid observed.

"You have no idea," Celestia agreed. She stepped up beside the Trickster. "You were joking, weren't you?" She nodded towards the rifle Kincaid carried.

"Yes, it's a vegetarian," the Trickster said.

Celestia rolled her eyes.
------------------------------

Celestia enjoyed the talk with 'Ivy' as she preferred to be called, rather than 'the Midget' which Kincaid called her. It seems incongruous that while we're having this discussion, she's braiding Luna's mane, Celestia thought, I'm not jealous that Ivy adores Luna.

Luna was avidly reading Michael's book, and trying out the strangely accented language within.

Celestia smiled at that. Anything to appear older and wiser, but she seems to have gotten the 'thees' and 'thous' right, and Ivy has been helping.

The house was well kept despite it's derelict outer appearance. The couches in the main room were enough to seat everyone, and all those who were coming. The rugs on the hardwood floor were old and worn, but not threadbare. Celestia scanned the room, ignoring the very out of date, striped wallpaper and rested on Kincaid and Michael, who were in conference, presumable about how to get the upper hand on the Trickster when he arrived back. When he arrived back with Michael's entire family.

The sound of the garage door opening signaled the end of the planning time, and the call to action. As much as I hate doing this, I think I need to be on the Trickster's side, she thought as she and Luna stood to greet the group entering the garage in the van.

Kincaid accompanied them, while Michael held back. The sound of the garage door closing, and the squabbling of children gave the scene a homey feel it really should have lacked.

"Pizzas will be here in about an hour," the Trickster's voice came. He smiled as Celestia entered the garage.

"Princess Celestia!" one of the younger girls squealed on seeing her, and that instantly brought a full on charge by over half the kids. The eager young faces surrounded her, chattered at her, touched her fur, grabbed at her wings, and generally made her uncomfortable with their near-worshipful gazes.

'Princess'? she wondered as she tried to turn around to lead them into the house. One boy stood back, hands in his pockets glaring at his siblings.

"Does that mean I'm a princess too, Princess Celestia?" Luna asked as she moved past the only way she could, flying over Celestia and the crowd of youngsters to land in the garage beside the Trickster and a woman Michael's age.

The boy stared at the Trickster. "You got Luna too?! Cool!" And Luna also had her own admirer. Celestia snickered at her sister's discomfort at the less intense but still worshipful gaze. What spurred Celestia and Luna to clearing the kids away was not the pink-haired girl with the hate-filled expression aimed at the Trickster, but the tall man who got out of the passenger front seat. He was an exact duplicate of the man currently awaiting an opportunity to assist Kincaid with his ambush. Even Kincaid was nonplused by the new arrival. Plans crumble all around, Celestia thought, That's why the mission orders, keep track of what's important only.

"Luna, let's take them inside," she said, sounding jovial and calm, while urging Luna to move with all speed.

Luna gathered up the boy. "Race ya!" she said and dashed inside. Celestia nearly matched her sister as she ushered them all inside, and closed the door behind her. Leaving the eldest daughter, the mother, Kincaid and the Trickster with the imposter.

"Dad, what are you doing in here, you were out there?" the boy asked.

"Magic," Celestia said, "Let me check on your mom." She left Luna, Michael and Ivy to settle the kids, get their coats off and keep them away from what was transpiring in the garage. She got out to the garage, after closing the corridor door behind her.

"Your husband is inside," the Trickster said, and drew his sword and struck with a speed beyond what Celestia would have believed possible. The creature with Michael's form was pinned to the wall with the blade through him writhed, as its disguise disintegrated. "Your husband is safe inside, I apologize for picking him up separately, but we needed him to calm down Mister Kincaid." The Trickster glanced at the man, as if offering him a chance to strike. Kincaid declined the invitation.

The Trickster seemed to ignore the increasingly fluid thing that was losing its semblance of humanity faster and faster, becoming a shadowy shape of exaggerated teeth and claws. But swipe and strike and kick as it did, the Trickster was just out of reach. Celestia looked at Kincaid, and saw the man was reconsidering whatever plan he and Michael had worked out.

The Trickster continued to ignore the thrashing and silent wailing of the dying thing pinned to the wall and drew out a device and opened it like a clamshell. "Detective Murphy, paper and pencil handy? Yes we're at 4678 Circle Drive, in Wilmette, yes the place they're demolishing to put in the new subdivision. Someone is going after friends of a troublemaker of our mutual acquaintance, I have Michael and Charity, and their family in what amounts to protective custody, and I'd appreciate if you and some of those with a less tarnished view of our mutual friend come here under that same protection. Really Detective, such language. And I've even bought pizza, enough even for your group. Oh course you can talk to her, it's not like I'm a monster." He glanced at the creature on the wall who was slumping after its struggles. "Here she is."

He handed the phone to the Charity, and motioned Kincaid over. While Charity assured 'Karen' that they were all right, she did urge her to come. Then she closed the device and handed it back.

"She'll call Harry and be here with an entire SWAT team," the pink-haired girl said defiantly.

"I certainly hope so," the Trickster said, "Although I wasn't able to locate the redoubtable wizard, cutting me off from warning some of his more mystical friends and allies. Mister McCoy doesn't exactly have a home address or phone number. And the less said about the Wardens and their allies, the better. Let's just hope their animosity to Mister Dresden is adequate shielding. After all, dangling someone over a volcano and saying 'surrender or we kill him' doesn't work if the reply is 'let me set up my video camera first.'"

Celestia caught Charity's half smirk, she extended a wing and gathered the two women in, to guide them to the door. Leaving the Trickster, Kincaid, and the dying monster alone.

Charity predictably nearly tackled her husband. Luna was in the small kitchen looking for tea, a teapot and some cups.

"We're having a tea party," Luna said.

"I thought we were going to play checkers," Luna's fan said.

"I can do both," Luna said, "If there were any tea supplies here."

"Pizza, soda, and s few other things should be here in about half an hour. I didn't have time to stock the place, sorry," the Trickster said as he entered.

Kincaid sat down heavily on a sofa, glanced at Michael and shook his head. Michael nodded.

Whatever their plan was, it's been forestalled, Celestia thought, then caught the Trickster's far away look.

"Okay, time for a few explanations," he announced, "But first, big screen, or crystal ball?"

'Big screen', the children, save Ivy announced. The Trickster bowed and conjured a flat plate against the wall half the size of a bed. The kids all turned to watch, and even the adults turned to watch. The image had no sound. Celestia suspected that was intentional.

"Hey! That's our house!" the pink-haired girl piped up.

"And they're breaking in. Not a good way to start a Saturday," the Trickster said, "All in, and in three, two, one."

A golden glow seemed to emanate from everything in the house. The eight invaders all screamed in agony as the light persisted. Two, then only one, staggered for the door. The rest crawled for it. All of them were obviously screaming in pain from the light. Once they were outside all of them collapsed. The door closed behind them.

Most of the children applauded and whooped at the effect. The adults had a more somber take on the event. Michael and Charity had just had their home invaded. Ivy, Kincaid, and the pink-haired girl, Molly, had just realized what they were dealing with in the Trickster. They seemed quite concerned now.

Luna soothed Ivy. Celestia sat with the children and gestured for Molly to join her. The girl refused. So that's the one we're here for, Celestia realized, Imagine what these masters of power will feel when they learn this was all a demonstration for her behalf.

"Don't worry, they won't come back," the Trickster told Michael and Charity, "You have my word on that."

"Don't promise what you can't deliver," Michael warned.

"I can deliver that," the Trickster assured him, in a serious tone and mien that contained no hostility to the man or his family.

"They've got friends," Molly added, trying to shake the Trickster's confidence.

"Actually, no they don't, but there are 30 of them. And they have two other factions in play. One going after Marcone, and the other, well, let's just say that they are likewise being handled," the Trickster assured Michael and Charity, Molly wasn't buying it.

"How?" Celestia asked, "You didn't contact anyone else."

"Odd as it may seem," the Trickster said, "I do have friends. Some of them are well able to take care of little problems like the one we faced late last night. Good, bad men like that one." He gestured at Kincaid. The Trickster set his sword and scabbard inside the kitchen while he searched the cupboards for anything that would help the 'tea party'. Whatever he found seemed to go straight into the trash.

"I think I'm insulted," Kincaid replied.

"I'm very sorry you feel that way," the Trickster replied as he dumped a large, brown brick of something into the garbage.

"Gimme the phone, McCoy deserves you," Kincaid said, and the Trickster walked over and handed him the device from earlier.

Realizing tea wasn't in the offing, "Story!" one of the children shouted, "Tell us how you fought Discord!"

How I what? Celestia thought and looked at Luna, who also had no idea what they were saying.

"Why don't you tell us that story?" Celestia asked, and became aware that Ivy was staring at her very curiously.

The pair of them were bombarded with a history neither of them had ever heard of, gleaned from an entertainment for children. Kincaid would sometime grumpily add a correction, then glance about sheepishly. 'Was as if a child's fantasy, crafted by those who know nothing of children', Celestia thought, and glared accusingly at the Trickster, Why didn't he tell us?

Instead, she saw unfeigned confusion on his face. He shook his head, implying that all this was news to him as well. His facade of omniscience was just that a facade. This was not one of the things he'd studied. She weathered the storm of questions, by basically turning them back and asking what they thought of what they were asking about. 'Were you scared?' 'Would you be?'

The revelation of Nightmare Moon hit Luna particularly hard, and Ivy hugged her and told her it was all right, and it all worked out in the end. The girl seemed grateful she could offer Luna comfort at such a time.

The knock on the door brought everyone around. "Pizza," a female voice called from the doorway.

"Ah, the detective and her friends have arrived," the Trickster said, "Give them plenty of room to storm in."

"Coming!" he shouted in a sing-song tone.

The ambush should have been text book. The small female delivered the pizza right in the Trickster's face, forcing him back from the door. A dozen armed and armored officers rushed in, weapons drawn and searching. Michael had leapt from the couch and seized the sword from where the Trickster had left it in the kitchen. While Kincaid placed himself bodily in front of Ivy. Except the officers had their guns wrenched up so they were pointing at the ceiling, the Trickster got back on his feet and rather than succumb to the small woman's, presumably Detective Murphy's, martial arts hold, he let his arm rotate freely allowing him to escape the hold and thrust Murphy towards the couch between Molly and Charity. The guns collecting on the ceiling sealed the deal for the police.

Michael hadn't moved from the instant he'd drawn the sword and turned to join the fight. He wasn't nonplused that the fight had ended so swiftly, but was staring at the sword.

"Oh dear, you have had a hard life haven't you?" the sword said.

Now Michael was not alone staring in amazement at the sword.

The Trickster verified no one was going to shoot or chop anyone else, then he gestured and the pizzas, four other officers and the sodas and utensils floated into the building. He surveyed the assembly and frowned, then stuck his head out the door.

"You must be McCoy, if you wouldn't mind, you'll want to see this. And bring your friend," he told them, "Enter freely and unencumbered as long as your blessings are on all within." He stepped over the threshold, to disinclude himself from 'all within' and gestured for them to enter. The two, old men murmured something, and entered. A moment later the Trickster did as well, and closed the door behind him.

"Well, that was exhilarating, and very well done," the Trickster said, "Against someone who didn't train people to do that for a living themselves, it would have been perfect."

"I apologize for him, he does love his theatrics," the sword said, "My dear sir, stop being dashed and do something, you're frightening your children."

"I'm all right," Michael said listlessly as he stepped out of the kitchen and into the main room.

"Sir, the offer still stands. I can heal you of all the injuries you've suffered. Unless there's some scar or other that has personal or religious significance to you," the sword said.

"No, none of them are special," Michael said.

"That's how you healed my wings," Celestia realized, "That's why you laid the sword on my side!"

"Actually I was critiquing his work," the sword said, "He did the job entirely on his own. It was adequate."

"High praise, coming from you," the Trickster said, "For those of you without experience, the sword is alive, and speaking. I'm not a ventriloquist."

The older man with the darker skin approached. "So you are an expert in healing magics?"

"Quite, most of the healing magics currently known and used are either derivatives and refinements of my studies and techniques, or they are based on second or third order analysis of my works," the sword said, sounding very proud of himself.

"Except here, they may have developed some of the techniques on their own," the Trickster said, "Hence the curiosity at the opportunity to study from a master."

"Well, I do need a body to temporarily store some of the injuries. And I think letting him see it first hand will be better than observing the process on you."

"Storing the injuries?" the old man asked.

"Careful Injun Joe," McCoy warned. The Trickster sighed and shook his head at the old man leaning on the black walking stick.

"The problem with most people learning healing magic is they lack the empathy to truly connect with another to perform the repair of the damage. People are more than bags of hit points walking around," the sword explained, "So, how to solve the problem, even the most sociopathic creature can empathize with itself, so you transfer the injury and self-heal. Although if you're skilled enough, you keep the injury in potentia, and erase it, rather than inflict it on yourself. But I don't know if I can teach you that so quickly."

"I'd like to learn," the man, 'Injun Joe', said.

"Michael?" Molly asked. Her confused expression gave a glimpse of her inner turmoil.

The two, old men worry her, and now her father is being exposed to magic she doesn't understand, Celestia realized, and walked over to her.

"It'll be all right," she said to Molly, "I was healed, and it didn't hurt."

Molly wasn't mollified, but she accepted she had no say or hand in this.

The old man approached Michael and the sword, and the Trickster approached both men. He laid a hand on each, and the old man laid a hand on Michael to close the circle.

"Still have to back your teacher?" the sword teased.

"I might learn something," the Trickster replied, "I never pass up the chance to learn something."

The room fell silent as the old man twitched a little, and Michael stood tall. Celestia could barely see or feel the magic passing among them. Like filaments, she realized, This isn't about power, this is about precision and care. She looked closely and realized the intricacy of the weaves were beyond anything she'd seen ponies accomplish. She was supposed to be a prodigy, and this was vastly beyond her.

After a few moments, both men stepped away from Michael. The big man set his feet farther apart and raised the sword.

"You do good work," Michael said.

"Put in a good word with your boss. Maybe I'll get a student without the sense of humor this one has," the sword said as Michael almost reverently put the blade back in its sheathe. "I apologize, I really didn't understand."

The Trickster shrugged. "Obfuscation is my bread and butter, it's hardly your fault it worked when I didn't intend it to," the Trickster said and accepted the hand grip that Michael offered.

"That's all well and good," Detective Murphy said as she stood up from the couch, "But there's the little matter of kidnaping of Chicago Police officers."

"My apologies for the misunderstanding Detective, but any time you or the others wish to leave, you are all free to do so. If you believe your equipment and training is sufficient to deal with Nicodemus and several of his band, at a time and place of their choosing, then please, collect your guns and walk out that door," the Trickster said a hint sharply. He didn't glare at the detective, but the tone and stance still challenged her to do exactly that.

The sound of handcuffs closing broke the deadlock. Charity closed the other loop of the cuffs on her wrist, linking her with Detective Murphy. "Fine, now I'm kidnaping you," she told Murphy, "At the end of the day, I can probably manage a good insanity defense."

The detective stared at Charity in stunned silence. Several of the officers retrieved their guns from the ceiling, others went to help themselves to the pizza and sodas.

"Story!" Luna's admirer demanded, "Celestia and Luna made us tell them stories, I want to hear about this!" The boy made an all-encompassing gesture.

"Okay, everyone get some pizza and drinks and I'll tell you a story." The Trickster glanced at the two old men who were conferring about the healing magic. Their excitement stopped as they realized the Trickster was addressing them. "Since there are very serious laws about telling you the truth, I'll tell you about a family of snowbirds from Chicago."

The Trickster leaned against the wall near the entryway and gestured ,and a plate full of pizza and a bottle labelled 'Dr. Pepper' sailed through the air towards him. He got situated while everyone else got their first helping.

Celestia was dismayed at the sheer amount of meat on most of the pizzas, but was delighted to find one smothered in olives, peppers, onions, and cheese. She felt a bit guilty about taking the whole thing to share with Luna, but the meat-bearing pizzas were unavailable to her.

"Okay, snowbirds are people who have another home in more pleasant climates. They live there when it's too cold here, and live here when it's too hot there. This family had a home that was older than the fire, the big one everyone has heard about."

"Wait a second, 'the fire'," Detective Murphy interrupted, "The big one, the really big, really early one?"

The Trickster nodded. "The one that you could say started everything," the Trickster said, "Yes, their home was from before then. Now, the almanac predicted the worst winter in recorded memory. So the family packed up and decided to head down to Florida, and wait out the cold. Except Crazy Uncle Ethyl. You know about Crazy Uncle Ethyl?"

Most of the children shook their heads.

"Believe me, the police officers here know all about Crazy Uncle Ethyl," the Trickster assured them, "So Ethyl decided to stay, because the wildflower blooms were also supposed to be the best in recorded history, and Ethyl wasn't going to miss a moment of those. So all the bedding got moved to Ethyl's room and a nice warm cocoon got made. The rest of the family packed up everything they could and headed down to Florida."

He paused to take a drink and let some worried murmurs pass among the group.

"Didn't they get chased out by . . . "McCoy asked, "Federal agents?"

"Nope, they typically threw Revenuers in the mill pond," the Trickster said, "Once they left, the Revenuers started a story that they'd driven them out, but it was General Winter not their tactical acumen that caused the vacation."

That caused more furious whispering, this time including Ivy in the quiet speculation.

"Well, their phone call woke Ethyl out of a sound sleep, because someone kept calling their cell phones, since it wasn't them calling each other, Ethyl went to investigate. And in the kitchen, she found this trail of ants had collected some seeds from where they'd been spilled in the gardening supplies, and they were taking them outside to bury them in their nest. That explained how in the depths of that terrible winter, the best wild flower season was going to follow. But Ethyl also found out the ants were all over the kitchen phone, and somehow were able to trip the speed dial. That's how they were calling the family in Florida. She sprayed the phone, killing all of them and leaving a residual, and went back to bed. Only to be awakened by the phone again. The ants were back on the kitchen phone, and they'd used others of their own kind to basically sweep all the poison away. Now, Ethyl was in a quandary: use a poison they'd take back to their nest and kill them all, and by consequence lose the wild flowers, or, find some other way. So Ethyl watched, and realized some of the soldier ants were trying to keep ants from joining the ones attacking the phone. Ethyl sprayed the phone again, and watched the survivors try to drag off workers to clean it off again. Then Ethyl focused on the soldiers who were attacking the phone ants, and Ethyl realized that the ants going after the phone didn't really understand what they were doing. Ethyl suddenly realized that the rotten kid down the street was doing what he usually did, trying to ruin someone elses' fun."

"Spank him!" one of the kids insisted.

"Ethyl's whole family had made a promise not to hurt him, so Ethyl was stuck. He'd taught the ants to use the speed dial without them understanding what it was for. That's why the family was getting these calls they didn't understand. After all, what can an ant ask for that a person would understand? Then Ethyl got a bright idea. Ethyl collected some of the soldiers, and transformed them into spiders. Now spiders don't generally eat ants, but they frightened off a lot of the phone ants, making the soldier ants' job a lot easier. But one other thing, spiders can bite people, even kill them. So the spiders could help keep the ants away from the phone, and when they caught the rotten kid down the street teaching ants to do bad things, they could sting him to death. Ethyl would wake up occasionally, check on the ants, on the phone, and on the spiders, all the time, waiting for the wild flower bloom."

"That story makes no sense," the boy said.

"Oh, you want a good story," the Trickster said, "You should have said that." He ignored the groans of the kids.

Celestia noted the calculating, even terrified looks on the adults' faces as they pieced together what he'd told them. None were happy about what it said about their situation.

"Okay, a band of kids from another Earth found themselves on an alien world, full of magic to learn, fearsome enemies to fight, new friends to make, and a dark conspiracy that would eventually shake a galactic civilization," the Trickster said, and took a bite of pizza, "Being both curious and learned in various odd skills, yes, nerds to the very core, even the cool ones, they separated across the world to study what was to be learned, to teach what they knew, and to draw their plans against the first of their enemies, the Empire."
------------------------------

Most of the kids were nodding off as the tales of the friends unwound. The adventures and escapes weren't gone into in detail, but the gist was given. What struck Celestia was the idea that there were others like the Trickster, and that they actually trusted each other enough to elect one of their number to keep all of their schemes straight and also allow for the miraculous rescues that seemed to be the group's stock-in-trade. The one planner always made sure that there was a reserve that no one knew about, just in case things turned south.

A good thing to have, a friend watching your back, and knowing to call on other friends when you needed them, Celestia thought, Also a good way to make sure people can grow when they have a troubled patch, and help when the trouble is too much to handle.

The story despite the excitement, had the desired effect on most of the kids. Even Luna was nodding a bit. "I think some people are ready for bed," Celestia said.

Luna's angry denial was interrupted by a yawn, which set off a host of answering yawns in the rest of the group, adults and children both.

"Let's get you washed up and ready for bed," Charity said, "There are toothbrushes?"

"In the van, I'll get them," the Trickster said and glanced around, "Enough for everyone. The adults can 'rough it' and use the kitchen sink." The Trickster headed into the garage.

Celestia briefly considered following him, but stayed. McCoy and Kincaid kept eying each other and she wanted to be there to break up any fights. The Trickster returned with a shopping bag full of toiletries and handed them to Charity.

"Have Luna stay with them in the bathroom, our targets are arriving," the Trickster whispered to Celestia. "Tallyho," he said more loudly and nodded to the door.

Kincaid positioned himself near Ivy. McCoy and his friend braced themselves. Michael grabbed the sword and with Molly blocked the way into the back of the house while Luna chivied the children and Charity along. The police prepared their weapons and took what cover there was.

The Trickster cast a spell directed at all the people behind him, then stepped back into the area of effect. Celestia braced herself.

The door exploded off the hinges and two humanoid figures charged in, then stopped as they looked around in confusion. "They ain't here," one of them called outside as the other crouched over and began sniffing the ground. Celestia nearly shrieked at the foul aura of these travesties. Worse than the wrongness of the Trickster and the Eye Lord, this was malevolence, foul hatred of all that lived.

Three more figures walked in, the center one, an elegantly dressed man.

That one wears cruelty like his necktie, Celestia thought as despite her earlier feelings, prepared to strike this creature down.

The man suddenly jerked into the air by his tie, flew sideways and then the tie jerked him hard the other way. With a sickening crack, the man went limp.

What flew from the Trickster's fingers was like nothing Celestia had ever seen. If roaring fire could be as cold and gray as damp ashes, that would have been the trio of bolts that flew from his hands and struck three of the invaders. One to a customer. Celestia, and everyone else opened up on the fourth figure who was only beginning to straighten up from his crouch.

As suddenly as it started, it was over. The five corpses began aging, as if lost time were catching up to them. The man with the tie was the worst, not stopping with a skeleton, but mouldering away to ash in the space of moments. What caught Celestia's eye was the tarnished silver coin rolling out of the corpses, a coin to a corpse.

The Trickster bent down towards the elegant man's coin as it stopped at his feet.

"NO!"

Celestia wasn't sure if it was one voice or many, but McCoy and Kincaid had dropped their animosity and were charging the Trickster together. Too late, his hand closed on the coin and picked it up. The two men tried to knock the coin from the Trickster's hand without touching it themselves. The Trickster straightened up. The strength and weight of the two men seemed to matter not at all. Then he focused on the coin.

I am glad that isn't directed at us, she thought as his expression grew ugly, and he hated the coin in his hand, I thought my loathing of the aura of the Eye Lord was extreme. But it is nothing compared to this. She and everyone who could see his face drew back.

The heartrending scream of agony that came from the melee set Celestia's mane and fur on end. Wait, that wasn't the Trickster, that was the coin! she realized as she rushed forward as he staggered.

The blob of silver fell from his hand and plopped on the floor as Celestia caught the Trickster. Kincaid and McCoy stared in horror at the bit of silver smoldering on the floor.

"I am myself," the Trickster assured them.

"You used what Mald did to you, didn't you?" Celestia asked as she half-carried, half-dragged the man to a couch and sat him down.

"All the times she did it," the Trickster said as he bowed his head and shivered, "Like I said, they have a faster way to deliver information. Receiving it would be hard on a human. Transmitting just takes practice. Every time Mald did it, over and over and over again."

"That was cruel, even for you," Celestia said, and stared as the man shot to his feet. Seeing a harshly beautiful woman entering with several others made Celestia release the spell she'd prepared for this eventuality. She was overjoyed when she insistently felt the answering 'ping'. When the front of the house came away, revealing two dozen other, Celestia knew she'd made the right decision.

4) Wide Island Long-Cape

Wide Island Long-Cape
DISCLAIMER: The Dresden Files are the property of Jim Butcher

The others braced for the resumption of the battle against much longer odds. Celestia stepped forward, placing herself slightly in front of the Trickster, but within whatever defensive magics he'd cast. "Polonius Lartessa, you and your followers may depart this realm in peace, to never return," Celestia announced and kept a level stare at the woman, "This is no longer three jackals arguing over a wounded lamb. You face a bear armed with a machine gun. There will be no further warning or quarter given." Said bear had arrived unnoticed by anyone save Celestia and the Trickster.

The Fallen seemed confused by this. "I, challenged by a talking horse, oh, a talking unicorn, some electronic gimmickry? A toy to amuse the children?" Lartessa sneered.

She obviously hasn't noted who's behind her forces, Celestia marked and then bowed her head.

"On you it is then," Celestia said, flared her wings and let forth a tremendous burst of light over the assembled fallen.

The humans hosts shied from the intensity of the light, and the knowledge of what a similar light-burst had done to some of them and their crumbled allies, but behind them, scything them down like wheat stood a man-like creature with a sword. The blade was easily 6 feet long and shaped like a striking serpent. It sliced through the hosts without a sound. Lartessa only realized her danger when she had lost all but two of her followers. Her spell to spirit herself away failed and the man cut her down too. The man in the elegant but out of fashion business suit wiped the bloodied blade on Lartessa's clothes then it vanished from his hand. He wiped a hand over his bald head, checked it for blood, others' definitely not his own, and looked at the collection of beings staring at him.

Only then did the mystically sensitive receive his true aura and presence, and all of them save the Trickster reeled back from the unparalleled feeling of wrongness radiating off the man as he approached the house and loped up the steps. He gestured and the damaged door and facade were restored to the house. He regarded all those within with a cold expression, but a faint smile crossed his face as he glanced over the Trickster and Celestia.

"You cannot be here," McCoy whispered as his knuckles whitened on the staff he held.

"Blessings on all those within," he said, and entered.

Luna, Charity and the children had returned, and stared at the newcomer. The corpses of the first of the Fallen had mouldered to unrecognizable heaps. The man strode in looking at them all, then his eyes locked on Molly. The girl whimpered in fear and tried to bury her face in her father's side. Michael put his arms around her.

The figure fixed his gaze on Michael, nodded his approval and approached just out of arm's reach of the other man. Celestia glanced at Luna, but her sister was as confused as she was.

"So, speed dialer, you have your audience, and you no longer wish to talk?" the figure said, cold but vaguely amused by the entire scenario.

"Who are you?" Luna's admirer demanded and broke away from his mother and Luna to stand with his father to defend Molly.

The figure knelt so he was eye to eye with the boy. "I, am Crazy Uncle Ethyl."

The boy paled, but stood his ground, fists clenched and ready to throw himself at the much larger man. Murphy looked one step away from throwing herself at the boy to tackle him out of the way. The man made a palms open gesture, but stood and again focused on Molly.

"You ignore the advice of your parents, as if they did not understand there are things far darker then your experience. Fool. You think your paltry talents would be of use to me? You barely know who you are, and you expect to be anything but a morsel to be snatched off the plate? FOOL!" he thundered the last. He pointed at the Trickster, "He saw my limitless power, and countered with a show of understanding. You cannot match that. Arrogant child who thinks she knows everything. All you know is wrong, watered-down pablum, or incomplete. You think you can even have an opinion about the world, you who think that just looking at pictures of it will grant you knowledge? Or wisdom? My kind bestrode the world before even the dinosaurs, and we will walk it again. Nothing and no one can stop that. You think we can be stopped by your paltry magics. I have cast aside magics that would shatter all here, because they were judged weak and ineffectual.

"You assume that world is divided into good and bad, where in truth, the vast power of the universe simply does not care about you. You think you and your feelings are the center of the world. No one cares. Save those you try to drive away. You think you and your kind have accomplished anything. You are dust motes in the cosmic scheme of things. You cling to the illusion that you have some say in the order of the world. You are less than gossamer in the wind, this planet will grind you all to dust, and we will see this planet consumed by the fire of it's own sun. We are eternal. Our beginning and our end are beyond your ability to comprehend, let alone control, and we are not impressed that you can crib together a rite to disturb our peace."

He glanced at Michael, and then gently took Molly's chin and turned her face to look at him. "Let me tell you what you have heard a thousand times at your parents' knee and still do not understand. He Who Must Not Be Named has admitted in his own holy books that he is jealous of the affection of humans. Imagine if you can, the Pygmalion of Existence has fallen in love with his own creation and demanded to be first, not only, but first, in your affections. And you would draw me into conflict with that, how dare you?" He released her chin and stepped away. "How DARE you?"

"MiLord," the Trickster said and caught Crazy Uncle Ethyl's eye. Then he shuddered a bit at the intensity of the gaze.

The creature steeled himself and returned his attention to the girl. "I cannot speak for 'I Am' more eloquently that been done by word and deed, words and deeds you have heard endlessly, but not understood. He Who Must Not Be Named sent endless servants to be killed, and even his own son to be slaughtered by you, to break the contract with the Evil Fool your ancestors signed for the souls of all your kind. And you refuse to see the magic of that action? You refuse to understand that the first thing power requires is sacrifice of yourself, not of others? I came not because I feared my slave was in danger, but because a fellow student warned that my teacher was in danger." He pointed at the Trickster. "That one had the unmitigated gall to suggest that being my servant, would not serve me. That being a free and independent being who allied to my cause out of friendship or enlightened self-interest was more valuable. He also had the absolute effrontery to be correct. A lesson learned from the same sources you have been steeped in since birth, yet none have permeated you. That the mightiest want, not fawning slaves following, but equals walking beside them! When you have learned that lesson. When it is part of you, bone and soul, as your parents understand it. Then you are worthy of considering. Not until then. I have enough thralls."

Judging he'd done all necessary he turned to McCoy and his friend. Both men suddenly went from powerful mages, to rabbits caught in a flashlight beam. "And you. I almost pity you. I do not blame the girl for her foolishness, with mentors and examples such as you. Let me tell you the great lie that you've convinced yourselves of, and that you spread the poison of to whomever you can. That the Outsidersss are coming to get you. That your ruthless allies are all that stand between you and them. There is no them. There is only one. No other world hold his attention and rage as this one does. No other world has as high a population of vampires and elves so entwined with the humans. So, my seed-bearing ants, complete the syllogism yourselves, and see the truth. Mind unwarping, isn't it?"

He turned to the Trickster, and for once, the Trickster looked afraid. Then the man steeled himself to receive what 'Crazy Uncle Ethyl' did to him. "This world judges by the appearance and the facade, not the truth," Crazy Uncle Ethyl said.

"I've seen that, sir. And while there was the appearance of disrespect, that was not my intention in the slightest," the Trickster said.

"There must still be the appearance of displeasure and punishment." Crazy Uncle Ethyl gestured at him and the Trickster collapsed. "I leave him helpless in the hands of his enemies." Then he stared at McCoy. "And considering that I slaughtered twenty-five of the Fallen on the chance he would need my aid. How will I deal with those who abused him beyond what I judge fair and necessary? I am not, He Who Must Not Be Named, though I am as jealous of the love of my chosen as 'I Am'." The smile he gave the two men, the first he'd really shown, sent shivers up Celestia's spine.

"Charity Carpenter, you may call on me, at his need." He gestured towards Michael. "While I do not understand your ways, slaughter is easily understood by all." Crazy Uncle Ethyl gestured and an empty pizza box flew to his hand. Then the 29 coins and the blob of silver collected inside it.

"Thank you," Charity said, "How do I?"

He shut the box. "My name, the one you know. The rest of you." He stared at McCoy and then at Ivy. "Conjure with it at your own risk. I would send your boy to study with the detective, both could use it. His spirit is his father's, but his grasp is as poor as your daughter's, and the detective has naught to anchor her to the future."

"Sir," Michael said, "What are you going to do with those?"

The smile he gave Michael was genuine amusement. "A bit from the Trickster's handbook. I am going to punch Uriel in the nose, and tell him he can't have them, and in a show of detente, we will together destroy them utterly." With that he was gone.

Celestia let out a breath. "That went far better than I hoped." She felt herself shaking with shock or relief she wasn't sure.

"You took an awful risk, sister," Luna said, as she approached from where she'd been keeping the younger children corralled.

"What was that?" one of the other detectives asked.

"Deus ex Serpens," Celestia replied, and glanced down at the sleeping Trickster. "Detective Murphy, I think you're going to require a body cavity search and some minor surgery to get all the weapons off him, when you arrest him. It might be safer just to put him in an isolated area, with Luna and myself."

"How extensive are we talking about?" Murphy asked.

Kincaid held up the sniper rifle he'd been carrying. "He pulled this out of his pants' pocket."

The poor detective just stared incredulously at Celestia.
------------------------------

Celestia and Luna helped get the Carpenter brood all aboard their new van, and headed home with a couple of boxes of pizza. She and Luna endured endless hugs, invitations to tea parties and questions they had no idea what the source of were.

The police placed handcuffs on the Trickster and relieved him of an impressive array of weapons, before placing him in the back of the squad car. During the process, Kincaid and Ivy, then McCoy and Injun Joe slipped away.

That left the detectives with the terrible problem of a kidnaping the kidnaped refused to testify about. Thirty murders in full view of them, but zero evidence, and two large ponies who were either under arrest, or in protective custody.

"We walk in with these two, instead of taking them to the police stables, the Captain is going to have my badge," Murphy said as she looked at the pair, "And do I call you Princess Celestia, your Royal Highness, or what? Do you have diplomatic immunity, or an embassy I need to contact?"

Celestia was nervous about this. The children had told of 'Princess Celestia's' exploits and kingdom in great detail. But I am just Celestia. I know nothing of that, my home . . . She felt a stab of regret that this adventure had driven all thought of her fallen friends from her mind. My home is gone, and this 'Equestria' is just someone elses' dream. The Twinkle Wishing Star isn't going to get me out of this.

"Technically, we don't exist, practically, we should stay with him," Celestia said and pointed a wing at the Trickster, "Both so he won't go looking for us, and as an anchor. If we don't leave the cell, he won't. As for explaining us away."

Celestia looked at Luna, who smirked at her sister. Luna's horn lit, and two human women stood before the detective. "Adjoining cells, or lock us up togther," Celestia suggested.

"First I'm going to get you some clothes, or at least a blanket," Murphy said as her cheeks reddened.

"Why?" Luna asked, "It's not that cold. And clothing's uncomfortable."

The detective just shook her head at the pair.
------------------------------

The cells were on an upper floor of the police station. They were rarely used, and Detective Murphy had said she didn't know why they were there. Celestia noted that the bars were wrought iron, not steel and that there were no light fixtures within the cell itself. I know what these cells are for, she thought as she and Luna carried the limp form of the Trickster within and set him on one of the two bunks. As she and Luna tucked him in, she looked around the beige sameness of the cell and the windowless room containing it. And I suspect that the detectives do too, she thought.

"Any word on Dresden or Marcone?" Murphy asked as she locked the cell door with a very simple-looking key.

The young police officer shook his head, but kept staring at Celestia and Luna. Murphy shoved him back out of the room containing the cell, then followed him out.

"I think you over did our attractiveness," Celestia accused.

"Just translated it straight over," Luna said, and tugged at her ill-fitting shirt and pants. "I wish Rainbow Dash were here, she could make something of these." Luna paused and suddenly broke down. Celestia enfolded her sister in a hug, grateful for the excuse to let her own tears flow freely. She moved herself and her sister to the other bunk in the cell, and they stayed holding each other, tears and small cries of pain flowing as they remembered their lost friends and home, until they fell asleep.

There dreams were running and playing with their friends. Yet somehow knowing that soon it would end. Both took the time to tell their friends everything they'd meant to tell them when they were alive, but foolishly thought they'd have the time to do so later.

Now it is too late, Celestia thought as she woke. She was lying down, covered in a beige blanket, and mutually entangled with Luna. She kissed her sister's human forehead where her horn would be, and let Luna waken gently. She watched as her sister awakened, the adorable facial expressions, the cute, little noises, and finally the opening of her big eyes. I know Luna hates being thought of as adorable, but even as a human, she's adorable.

Celestia hid her expression before Luna fully woke up, but it was a struggle not to grin. When she couldn't hold it any longer, she hugged her sister, so she wouldn't see her smile.

When she felt she could hide her grin, she released Luna, who had been hugging her back.

"You do realize we could sneak over there, and wake him up the same way," Luna suggested, "Although it would probably shock him out of a year's growth."

Celestia snorted at that.

"I'm already awake, I just was enjoying you two being adorable," the Trickster said, and chuckled, "Besides, as hotels go, it's not bad. Three hots and a cot it isn't. But it's a lot better than many places I've recovered from battles."

Celestia caught Luna's arm as she tried to throw a pillow at him. She shook her head and stepped out of the bed. A moment later, both alicorns were returned to their normal forms.

"I am not adorable," Luna told him.

"I don't think that word means what you think it means," he replied and sat up. Then his expression was sort of a frown, if you were drawing one while suffering the hiccups. "Okay, someone decided not to do a sonogram with a ordinance tech standing by."

"Because they left you with your weapons?" Celestia asked and pointed at the table outside the cell with many of his weapons stacked there. "As I understand it, they were cataloged and locked in an evidence locker."

"That would hardly have stopped them," the Trickster said, "I am wondering who gave me the bath."

"It happened at the hospital when they gave you a quick check up and a few checks for your weapons in obvious places."

"I'll have to insist on flowers and dinner next time," the Trickster said and looked around. "Odd, I would have figured the Feds would be here by now, taking over jurisdiction and spiriting me off to their true masters."

"Crazy Uncle Ethyl 'put the fear of God' into them," Luna suggested, then fixed on Michael's book, "I haven't finished reading that."

"It has a very strange ending," Celestia said, "You've read it, was he crazy, or is that really going to happen?"

"It's a disguised screed against the Roman Empire, or that's what I believe. Like the other weird one is about Antiochus Epiphanes, not the king described," the Trickster said as he looked around, "But some people take it literally. Let's just say the figure who inspired all of it has one of the weirdest senses of humor I've ever encountered. One of the things I like about them. Speaking of weird, where are my pants?"

Celestia couldn't help it, she fell over laughing. The stress of the last few days finally bubbled out as she laughed at the absurdity of it all. She heard the Trickster chuckling at her, and Luna clucking her tongue, but Celestia couldn't help it and couldn't stop.

"Better?" the Trickster asked as Celestia sobered enough to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"Much," she said, and looked at Luna, "It just struck me funny."

"Nothing wrong with laughter as a safe way to blow a gasket. People have broken down with laughter at funerals. Stress gets out, no shame in that," the Trickster said and scratched her behind the ears. Celestia laid her head down on his bed so he could easily use both hands.

Celestia just enjoyed the attention for a while, then when her brain stopped being goo and was just relaxed, she thought about something that should have disturbed her. "How do you deal with stress? If you're 'at work' all the time?"

"I give stressed out ponies ear scratches," he said, "Don't assume I get no benefit."

Luna walked over. The lock on the outer room's door opened. Celestia and Luna were on their feet, returned to human form and clothed, before the door opened.

The man who walked in first made Celestia think of an officious mouse. Detective Murphy was right behind and utterly furious, and Mister Marcone was the last of the trio. While the mousy man was carrying a brief case and Murphy looked like she wanted to strangle both men, Mister Marcone was carrying a long, cylindrical bag over his shoulder.

"I really think this is a dirty trick, even for you," Murphy said, "A golf bag, really?"

"If he's arranged bail, then he's helping you, Detective," the Trickster said, "There are false Federal Agents on their way here to demand my custody, except once I'm gone, all proof of their bonafides will disappear, leaving you holding the bag for losing a dangerous prisoner. At least with Mister Marcone, you have a trail."

"You've been through this before?" Murphy asked, then stared at the table filled with weapons just outside the cell, "Those were all . . . do I even want to know?" She looked at Marcone. "How did you know?"

"A little bird told me," Marcone said.

"I've been killing elves most of my adult life. I know how they operate," the Trickster said, "And those too were logged in, and escaped." Another officer entered, set a wrapped bundle in front of the cell door and pushed it through. The Trickster gestured and the bundle flew to his hand. Inside were his clothes. He vanished, and the clothes began assembling on the invisible figure. "Being naked scares the ladies," the Trickster said.

Celestia snorted at that. Neither Murphy, nor Luna seemed pleased. Once his hat was on, he reappeared.

"So you could have snuck or blasted out of here at any time?" Murphy asked.

"No, only when it was funny," the Trickster said, "So this is funny, although funny strange rather than funny ha ha."

Murphy glowered at the man, although Marcone seemed closer to smiling, all three remained fairly stoic.

"Nagasaki-san, you've been remanded into Mister Marcone's custody on bond. He will be held responsible if you do not meet your court date," the mousy man said.

"I understand, do I need to sign anything before I leave?" the Trickster asked.

"A property pass that everything we took as evidence has been returned. That's going to ruin the case," Murphy said.

Marcone unzipped the top of the bag and all the equipment leapt from the table and deposited itself in the bag. The scene didn't perturb him, he just closed the top of the tube, but left it unzipped.

"As I said, it's a case you didn't really want prosecuted in Chicago," the Trickster said, "Are Celestia and Luna also under arrest?"

"No, protective custody," Murphy said, "They are free to go when you do."

"Then I think we need to take Mister Marcone up on his very generous offer," the Trickster said, reached in his pocket and pulled out a clear, rough gem the size of his thumb.

Celestia noted Marcone stared at the gem as the Trickster handed it to Murphy.

"That's to compensate the City of Chicago for the clothes I'm afraid Celestia and Luna still need and will be taking with them," the Trickster said, "I suggest to take that immediately to Internal Affairs and get their read on the legal means to transfer that to the city's coffers." He looked at Marcone. "Shall we go?"

"You can't just hand this to me and leave," Murphy said as they walked through the squad room.

"I certainly can. The only trouble will be why it wasn't on the manifest of items taken from me. I doubt IA will believe that I conjured it out of thin air," the Trickster said, "So handing it over to them as soon as possible will solve a whole host of problems, and gives you an excuse to be elsewhere when the phony Feds show up."

"They'll start an investigation," Murphy hissed.

"Of course, and you'll be found blameless, and none of your people will be implicated because no one ever saw that gem before now," he said as he signed the property pass, and added 'the gem was on my person, hidden, not in the property locker' and made four rather complicated designs beside the statement. "There you go, all done."

"There's no way they are going to believe that," Murphy said as she recovered the paper.

"That is unfortunately not my problem. I suspect you'll be given direction to forget all about the case, and I strongly urge you to accept that advice," the Trickster said, "None of the principals will be available, and your principles will not be harmed."

"You think your 'elves' will really do something like that?" Murphy asked.

"After the hole that has been punched in their schemes over the last few days, I would be willing to guarantee it. If we were in Las Vegas, I'd be willing to entertain a bet. None of those who consider themselves the-powers-that-be, will want to acknowledge that for a little while, they were reduced to insignificance." He stopped and stared at the detective, who stepped back defensively. "I apologize for down playing the trouble this has and shall cause you. But this isn't a police action, it's a war, and like it or not, you are trying to place yourself on the front lines. I'm a soldier, and it irritates me when untrained civilians interject themselves. There's no Geneva Convention in this war, and even if there were, most of my foes would be considered illegal combatants, and thus beyond the Conventions' protections. You are not in my chain of command, and with the stakes as high as they are, my chain of command would consider burning this star system to nothing as acceptable collateral damage. Today, I put that off, perhaps for a few years, but don't think you're ready to walk my road until you're ready for that level of decision-making and diplomacy." He tipped his hat and walked out with Marcone and the mouse.

"That was harsh," Mister Marcone said as they entered a vehicle large enough for Celestia and Luna to regain their usual forms and ride standing up. So they did. The mousy man was staggered, Marcone took it in without comment.

"Please no jokes about horses in the bed, Mister Marcone," the Trickster said as the vehicle began moving almost too smoothly to be detected. The windows of the vehicle were so heavily tinted that it was difficult to see through them.

"I have a proposition for you," Marcone said, "I have it on good authority that you are an expert in healing."

"My sword is better, but together we are the very best," the Trickster said, "Now, first, I don't take money for healing, beyond basic expenditures, which if you're taking us to the patient, is covered." The Trickster held up a hand to forestall Mister Marcone's counter. "If you feel the need to pay for the effort, I'd recommend giving a hefty finder's fee to whomever directed you my way."

Marcone nodded.

"Second, I don't want any information about the patient, other than their condition. The less I know, the less likely I am to become a threat to your operations. And I'd rather avoid such a contest."

"You have a suspicious mind," Marcone accused, but smiled at it.

"I've been on both sides of 'I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you'," the Trickster said, "I recognize a secure operation when I see one, and I intent to keep anything that endangers our lives out of my 'need to know'. The injury I need to know, or I'll find out on my examination. The source of the injury or disease, I don't need to know. If they have a disease, I need to know what it is, not who gave it to them."

"It's an old gunshot wound," Marcone said, "To the head."

The Trickster considered. "Difficult, but not beyond my abilities. I'd recommend we be brought to a 'neutral' location. I do my work and the patient returns to whatever institution they were in. That makes the connection even more tenuous."

"Most people wouldn't play it so cagey," Marcone said.

"Most people aren't trained in maintaining operational security. I can't inform, if I don't know," the Trickster replied.

Marcone looked at Celestia and Luna. "You two have been very quiet," he said.

"I have been observing," Celestia said.

"And what have you seen?" Marcone asked.

"That Nagasaki-san spotted that the person we're on our way to heal is very important to you, important enough to kill over maintaining his or her security. That while you were apparently talking about the patient, you were in fact talking about everything that has happened in the last few days. That the Trickster and you made a few, very subtle threats about maintaining 'operational security' over your respective parts in this. That each of you acknowledged that the other is too formidable to engage without incurring a cost beyond what the advantage would be worth. And that for us skipping out on the bail, you will receive a diamond as valuable as the one left to the City of Chicago." Celestia looked at the two men who stared back at her blank faced. "I suspect far more, but that's what I definitely know I saw."

The Trickster nodded. "You're learning, congratulations," the Trickster said.

"You also learned the real reason the Trickster, Nagasaki-san, cannot be bought," Luna said, "You lack the right currency. Nothing you have is beyond his ability to manufacture himself. Gold, jewels, documents and letters of reference. But you did learn he can be rented, as all his 'patrons' have learned, for a cause that intrigues him, by being a good intellectual or tactical puzzle, or that allows him to retain his humanity, helping a child."

"Neither of us mentioned the patient was a child," the Trickster said.

"Mister Marcone does not allow harm to come to children," Luna said, "It is logical that the patient is a child, or was a child when he or she was injured. Besides, I can see one who looks after children, as do I. This is no trap. The security is for the child's sake."

"That's a guess," Marcone said, "Sometimes those lead you astray."

"That's a warning not to delve too deeply," Celestia said and grinned at Luna's frown.

They arrived at a large house out in a wooded area. Celestia could tell the 'forest' had been created to screen the house, not grown naturally. Good grief, I'm already thinking about lanes of fire and range of the engagement, Celestia thought as she looked around and found the grassy area between the house and the woods too close for her liking, This would let an enemy get too close.

The men inside were the humorless types, no nonsense, and the Trickster got a more serious mien the instant he stepped through the door. Marcone acted more like he was entering a shrine than a home. Celestia nodded to Luna, they had to be on guard, because the pair who would normally be, were distracted.

The room seemed more like a stage than a bedroom, no matter how large it was. All the other rooms, even the hallways had windows, and signs of habitation: pictures, furniture, and trash cans. This windowless room was completely empty, even the hardwood floors had no rugs, and no furnishings cluttered the place, except for the bed. The young woman propped up in the bed under the single light fixture in the ceiling looked more artificial than the forest outside. The Trickster approached her and drew the scabbarded blade from the 'golf' bag. The men tensed, but Marcone waved them back, then indicated they should leave. The Trickster set the blade beside the girl and walked around her, staring at her and making comments in a language Celestia didn't recognize, and the sword answering in the same language. While Luna watched the walls floor and ceiling, on guard for treachery, Celestia watched Marcone for the same reason.

Finally, he sat on the bed beside her and carefully touched her hair. "It's been a long road, gettin' from there to here," the Trickster sang. His fingers moved, holding her head, while he sang the rather gentle song about indomitability and faith.

Celestia glanced around as she heard something answering the song, and realized it was neither the sword, nor the girl. The bodyguards reentered at the sound, and grew nervous as they too made the connection.

"You wanted magic, you must accept things beyond your experience," Luna told them.

The chorus strengthened as the Trickster worked. Moving his hands over the girl's skull. Finally, he stood up. "It's been a long road," he sang, completing his song and the treatment. He turned to Mister Marcone. "She'll need time to reacclimate, and a friend will be necessary, and yours was the only voice she heard in all that time."

"Yes," the man nodded as the Trickster and the two alicorns left the artificial seeming room and returned to the hallway and its natural light and windows.

Celestia knew at that moment, it wasn't over. There's more to this than we're seeing, she realized and glanced over to Luna, who had positioned herself to guard Celestia's flank. She's still smiling, being adorable, but she's watching and ready for treachery. Celestia kept her pleasant smile as she glanced around But from whom? she wondered as she watched, Marcone's men aren't enough, but does he know that, are more hidden elsewhere . . . or are the ones who hit him before going to hit him again, and his weakness, a courtesy to us, will allow them to strike again? I HATE thinking like this, but better to be able to, and be wrong, than be a victim.

The Trickster removed another diamond from his coat pocket, this one a brilliant blue, the size of a robin's egg, and handed it to Marcone as the girl was moved past them in a wheelchair. "Since it's unlikely we'll be here for the arrangement and trial, this should cover the lost bond."

"How do you know they won't send someone after you?" Marcone asked, pocketed the gem and smiled.

"Considering the local talent, that's like hiring a paperboy to arrest the President on a $10 parking ticket," the Trickster said, "They have very little idea of the scope of the universe, nor who is really in charge or how business is done out there."

Marcone raised his voice. "We'll be leaving, Nagasaki-san and his friends can leave half-an-hour after we do." He looked at the Trickster. "No objection that you should leave first, so I can't do something?"

"You aren't a stupid person. You wouldn't set off a firefight while she's here, and you saw what I can do back at the restaurant," the Trickster said, "As good as your best men are, they aren't in my league. Even leveling the building with an airstrike wouldn't be enough."

"I'd like to see you in action," Marcone said, "Against some of the troublesome people I've dealt with in the last few days."

"You can ask Detective Murphy, or Mister Carpenter. I think the mystical powers that be will be happy to see me out of their area of influence," the Trickster said and walked over to where Celestia waited with Luna.

As the three of them gazed out the picture window, and watched the reflections of Marcone's men in the glass, the Trickster whispered, "Be on your guard,"

Celestia nodded, and watched the forest overlaid with the image of the very dangerous, but very nervous men behind them. Marcone pushed the wheelchair the girl was in himself. She hadn't awakened, but Celestia knew that was a matter of time.

"Something smells here, but Mister Marcone and his charge are the only ones I'm sure aren't in on it."

"The car pulled up," Luna said as she pointed with her nose, "The same one that brought us. It could contain anything."

That car could conceal, and deploy a couple dozen, Celestia thought as no horde emerged from the car, or the woods around the building.

The Trickster nodded. They watched Mister Marcone help load the girl aboard the car, along with two of his men. Four more remained behind with the two alicorns to see to it they stayed put as the vehicle accelerated away. Accelerated more sharply than their previous experience with the car.

Celestia gasped as a body was flung from the vehicle.

"Dammit!" the Trickster cursed and gestured at the car. The vehicle slowed and rolled to a halt. "Your boss is in trouble," the Trickster shouted and disappeared, only to reappear on the grass at Marcone's side.

Celestia and Luna leapt through a set of glass doors they'd magicked open, and flew out towards the vehicle. The Trickster had checked Marcone and jogged towards the car. What stepped out of the neutralized car looked like things out of a horror story. Humanoid, but claws and fangs, some as shaggy as a wolf or bear, others with scales of armor like an armadillo. The five of them stood near the car. One held the girl upright by the throat.

"You should not involve yourself," the one who held the girl called. Its voice was clearly meant to be intimidating, but Celestia had experience with truly intimidating things, so she was unaffected as she landed near the Trickster and Luna landed to protect Marcone.

"Disintegrate," the Trickster said, pointed, and the girl glowed blue and vanished, along with the hand the monster had held her with, and some of the skin off his other arm.

While it screamed, the Trickster stared at the others. "Metal Storm," he said. Much of the outer shell of the car vanished, breaking into tiny flakes, and imbedding themselves by the hundreds in the monsters.

It's like they became pretty humans, and sprouted tiny, shiny leaves, she thought, but the creatures joined their fellow in thrashing about on the ground screaming.

The Trickster trotted back to Marcone with Celestia backing towards him while watching the kidnappers. Their agony wrenched her guts. But they attacked an innocent during an errand of mercy, she thought, I can't feel too much pity for them. If they had attacked Marcone directly, and left the girl alone, I doubt either Marcone or the Trickster would have reacted as brutally.

Luna had helped Marcone sit up, but his legs were twisted strangely, and his wore an expression of utter rage, directed at the Trickster.

"Bastard," Marcone breathed and began sweating.

"Theater, sir," the Trickster replied and glanced at the house, "Theater. I think you can guess what the magician did." When Marcone's expression contained a glimmer of understanding, the Trickster apologized, "This is going to hurt, about as much as when inflicted."

Marcone nodded, and the Trickster twisted the legs, returning them to a semblance of correctness with a loud pop. Marcone bowed his head, but did not cry out. The Trickster laid a hand on Marcone's head, and sucked in a hissing breath through clenched teeth, then blew it out.

"You're tougher than I thought," the Trickster said as he sat down, "That does hurt. Quite a lot in fact. However, I think we'll take our leave, and remember, you made a deal with me to let you take care of them. Whatever you do, it's less than I would have done. As long as they believe that, you're showing mercy."

Luna helped Marcone to his feet while Celestia did the same for the Trickster. The attackers' screams had reduced to piteous moans. The two men ignored them and stared at each other, taking their measure. Whatever they concluded, they parted amicably.

"Let's go," the Trickster told Luna and Celestia, "I think the departure order has changed."

"They aren't going to need our assistance dealing with those - ?" Luna began.

"Elves," the Trickster provided, "Not with the amount of steel I pumped into them. Given a week, they'll be back to functioning, but each piece is like a papercut soaked in salty lemon juice. They'll be well able to handle them. There's also the complication that this is two predator clans attacking each other, when evil fights evil, get some popcorn and get out of their way."

They vanished, to reappear in a small, comfortably furnished home that appeared to be surrounded by woods on all sides, natural this time. While Celestia stared through the window at the multitude of natural beauty outside, the Trickster collapsed in a chair.

"Never let them see you look exhausted or defeated, unless that's part of the plan," the Trickster said as he laid his head back, sinking further into the chair. "Being indefatigable is always good for the image."

"So why are you showing us?" Luna asked as she trotted over, "Begging for sympathy?"

"Hardly, just reminding you not to become the mask you wear. The reality is, that times you can actually be yourself will become fewer and further between as you gain power. People expect you to be 'on' all the time. So you have to treasure your down time." He stood and gestured. "There are beds that should handle a pony's size and weight, the food is mostly long-term storage, and there are pictures on most of it. If you need me, the telephone is linked to a switchboard, I'll have the operator patch me in as soon as possible. The language you speak isn't native here and will provide a fair amount of pronunciation problems."

"Why are you telling us all this?" Celestia demanded.

"Because wherever you do decide to resettle, you're going to wind up the leaders, or the wise folk, and a big part of that is simply being able to adapt, and to plan. Too many would-be leaders and heros can't disentangle the goals from the plan. Part of the speech I would have given Miss Carpenter is about making fast decisions. Staying with 'the plan' rather than using it to make a framework on which to make changes, leads you to defeat. Being able to improvise, and communicate those improvisations is the key. That's what I've been teaching. You find a wounded person on the street, what do you do?"

"Help them?" Luna said.

"How?" he asked, "Too late they died, now the angry lynch mob thinks you did it, what do you do?"

"Get out of there," Celestia said, "So you're teaching us to take the initiative and to be the quick-minded leader you are. To use the people around us as assets, and to make the decisions we need to make quickly and decisively. And then take down times like these to develop and refine the plans to act in the event of a disaster, crime or battle."

"Exactly. My birthplace shared a long land border with their neighbor. It was essentially unfortified, unheard of at the time. But both nations maintained plans for invading the other. They sometimes wargamed out the invasion, and on one instance, changed sides: our neighbors commanded the defense and we commanded the invasion," the Trickster said, "It's just good practice to be ready for anything, then when something similar comes up, you're ready. That doesn't mean that just because you're preparing for something, that it'll ever happen, Luna."

"What?" Luna asked and nearly jumped.

"I noticed around the time you heard those stories from the kids that your behavior changed." He walked over to Luna and began scratching her behind the ears. "You and Celestia nuzzled as often, but suddenly Celestia was initiating all the time. It used to be you who would start most of the time. You have to put it aside. Whatever happened in the stories, it isn't what happened to you, and if you dwell on it, you will be consumed by it."

Luna nodded. Celestia approached and nuzzled her sister.

"For all you know it may have been the only choice you had," the Trickster said, "I've done some pretty awful things, because the alternative was far worse. That 'ocean of blood against a mountain of skulls' comment was true. I have killed those who would never do me harm to my face, because they were the key in a much larger strategy or they were harming others by their actions. Sometimes you have to. Sometimes the alternative to a terrible thing is a worse thing. You do your best to minimize it, but in the end it must be done. The manager who makes sure the trains of poison gas make it to the enemy may be a lovely person who paints water colors and adopts all the local kids as his grandchildren, but if that one person dying prevents 100,000 dying from what his trains carry, he's a legitimate target."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Luna asked, her ears splayed back.

"It's supposed to tell you that you have someone else who's gone through it," the Trickster said, and yawned, "Sorry, but I'm going to spend tonight in my own bed, and leave the alarm clock outside."

"Can we meet whomever is in your base?" Celestia asked.

"No, at least not today or tomorrow. Your appearance, arrival and language barriers would cause trouble. They are also a bit rougher than I am, so right now, you need to rest and unwind. The girl wasn't the only one in need of time to acclimate," the Trickster said, "While it may seem like a good idea, running full-tilt so the memories can't catch up, it catches up to you in other ways. You get bored, stupid, and make a mistake. There's a time and a place to relax, and talk with someone. Tonight is that time, with each other. I may have a few people ready to talk to you tomorrow afternoon."

"Thank you," Luna said and stepped up to nuzzle the Trickster and smiled at him.

He nodded and left through the door.

"Food, sleep, or talk?" Celestia asked, and felt the weight of the last few days bearing down on her.

"Nap," Luna said, and yawned hugely, "Then we can look at what's available and we can go from there."

Celestia nodded, and nearly nodded off, as the pair explored the house. Unlike the template they'd seen, the house was separated into rooms: kitchen, bathrooms, and several bedrooms. They enjoyed the wood paneled hallways, the painted rooms, and carpet on all the floors except the kitchen and bathrooms. The carpet seemed to depend on the room's purpose. Shag pile where you slept, almost a Berber in the corridors.

And colored to offset the amount of sun the room gets, Celestia realized from the fading sunlight coming in a few windows. They alighted in the bedroom with the huge bed large enough for both to settle into together. They put off their 'jewelry/raiments', carefully putting them in drawers of an empty chest, before retiring to the bed.

Celestia had a dreamless nap, then awoke, not refreshed, but wide-awake. She heard Luna's soft, steady breathing, and decided not to disturb her. She stared at the ceiling. The whorls in the paneling became images in her mind, like watching clouds. But her mind kept making them her friends, begging for help or running in terror. What afflicted them never resolved itself out of the wood. Just her friends, in danger, and her unable to do anything.

"If you're going to toss and turn," Luna said, "Then maybe you are awake enough to talk."

"I didn't mean to wake you," Celestia said.

"I was awake on and off for a while. I stayed that way when you started squirming," Luna said and stared where Celestia was looking, "What's wrong with the wood?"

"Just seeing patterns in it," Celestia admitted, "Uncomfortable patterns."

"I see wood," Luna said, "And don't tell me what you saw, I don't think I want to see it."

Celestia rolled over, and stared over the edge of the bed at the carpet. "It was our friends, and I couldn't save them."

"Neither of us could save them," Luna said, "I suspect that was intentional. That's what Matilda seemed to think." Luna draped a wing over Celestia. "It wasn't your fault that we survived and our friends didn't. Even if we'd been there, how could we have prevented the universe from unraveling around us?"

"There had to be something we could have done," Celestia said.

"Yes, we could have died. And all our friends represented would be gone. We at least remember them, and can inspire others to be like them," Luna said.

Celestia raised her head and looked at Luna. "When did you become so wise?"

"When I had to grow up. All of what we went through is to some purpose," Luna explained, "I have to believe that, or the universe is uncaring about basic goodness."

"That makes us a very important piece," Celestia replied, and nuzzled Luna, "Why do I still feel like a helpless pawn."

"If what we are involved in is as vast I as think it is," Luna said, "Then even very powerful pieces are pawns for the players."

"So we are still toys for someone else?" Celestia said.

"Or pieces to a greater puzzle. And if we are just pieces, someone has gone to great lengths to see to it that we are the strongest pieces possible," Luna said, "Our armor, our eyes, the lessons about tactics and politics, meeting new allies, and seeing what real enemies look like up close. Nothing we and the other ponies faced were like the enemies we have faced since our kidnaping. As they said 'a child's dream made by adults who don't understand children'. The Carpenter children were inspired by us. Even Kincaid enjoyed the entertainment, and someone who would have been so completely out of place with our friends I cannot imagine. Even the Eyelord would accept a teaparty or three."

"So you think we're here for something greater?" Celestia asked.

Luna bowed her head. "Or nothing that's happened means anything. I can't believe that. I don't believe we are 'destined' to do this, but we're being made ready for the opportunity."

Celestia hugged her sister. "I hope you're right. I just think we've done a poor job of representing our friends to the world."

"Is that what matters?" Luna asked, "Yes, they were delightful people. But they just existed. Since then, we've seen people who strive and grow, who have fantastic adventures and have to face things beyond their comprehension. Our friends and their adventures were simple things than even the Carpenter children could have solved in hours, not days or weeks. 'Crazy Uncle Ethyl's' speech to Molly was about complacency, and we, our friends and us, had that in buckets. Now we are uncertain, and we're better ponies for it. Even if I fall to darkness and you banish me for a thousand years, there's hope, but it'll be a long time coming. That's what we never had. We never needed it. Things worked out, without us working at them. I relish the chance to struggle, strive and grow."

Celestia hugged Luna tightly, and found herself crying. "You've grown up so much," Celestia said, not certain if she was proud of her wisdom, grieving her lost innocence, or both.

After a time Celestia released Luna, although her sister held on to her. "I don't want you to think I don't miss them too," Luna said, "But they're gone, we survived, and if we truly honor them, then we must represent what they stood for. Not dresses, makeovers and tea parties, but innocent fun, decency, kindness, generosity, loyalty, honesty and laughter. If we can't show those are real power, real magic, then losing them was in vain."

Celestia just stared at her.

"I don't disregard mourning for them, but I think they would want us to live for them instead," Luna explained.

Celestia broke down again, hugging Luna tightly. "I'm afraid," she said, "What if we can't, what if we aren't good enough?"

"Then we fail," Luna said as she stroked Celestia's mane, "But we fail doing our best. And I have the feeling if we put aside our pride, we now have a host of people to call on for help. Maybe we're just friends of a friend, but I think that puts us in a select group with some very powerful and clever people." Luna snuggled against Celestia. "That's what friends really do, help when other friends ask."

Celestia nodded, but held Luna for a while. They fell asleep that way and woke to the rays of light coming in the window.

Celestia rose and fixed breakfast for both of them. Then as she sat at the dining room table, she went over the dossiers for the various other places the Trickster had volunteered to relocate them. She had initially segregated them depending on the conflicts there, now she read about the people she would be aligned with if she relocated there. The separation of 'yes', 'no' and 'maybe' was very different. I could claim it gives me insight on him, but it really gives insight on me, Celestia thought, Would I really turn up my muzzle at someone who 'enjoyed a friendly tussle' occasionally, and concentrate on someone who passively sits and just treats the symptoms of evil? She picked up one dossier, detailing a delightful group, who seemed would be a perfect match for her and Luna, but she'd discarded it because the constant low-level war against dark forces, yet the war only took up to a few days a month, or a week at a time, and part time at that. The rest of the time, we'd be in a circle of friends, Celestia thought, Although we'd have to be in disguise most of the time, would that be bad?

"Morning," Luna said as she walked into the kitchen and instantly fixated on the carafe of lemonade. Pouring herself a glass and drinking it.

"There's coffee and tea if you want to make some," Celestia said, hoping Luna would. Celestia's coffee was an affront to beverages everywhere.

"This is good, maybe later," Luna said and sat at the table. She picked up a dossier from the discards pile and looked through it. "Changed your mind?" Luna asked, "This one was your favorite."

"Now I understand why you hated it so, I'm inclined to let it go," Celestia said, "I've been choosing places that offer challenges, rather than being so much like home."

"Yes, after the last few days, I doubt I could accept going and doing essentially nothing," Luna said, then raised an eyebrow to Celestia, "And your mischievous streak would drive you crazy in 'too simple' a world. You'd cause trouble just to spice it up."

"I'd never," Celestia said, then withered under Luna's stare, "I wouldn't, but I would be sorely tempted too."

Luna nodded. "You can still love our lost friends, and acknowledge you've outgrown them and their world," Luna said as leaned forward at the table towards Celestia, "They did what they did, bringing us to that point, now events and some other teachers have brought us to where we are. There's no shame in loving both of them for the part they played."

Celestia shook out her mane. "In my mind I know that, in my heart I know we didn't move on of our own free will, and what happened to them was patently unfair."

"Celestia," Luna said, then continued more softly, "Sister, I never said it wasn't. But I am saying that we are all that's left of their legacy. If we wish to honor them, we can't sit in a corner and mourn them, we must go out into the world and be the ponies they'd want us to be."

Celestia took Luna's hooves with hers. "I will. I promise. Just don't ask me to like how we got here."

Luna smiled and nodded.

The knock on the door brought the two around. "Enter," Celestia called, then shook her head and realized only one person could understand their language. She trotted over and opened the door. The Trickster was there, carrying several bags of groceries. The two women who were with him could not have been more different. Celestia squealed in terror as she clumsily backed away.

The larger, taller and broad-shouldered woman gave a half-smile. "She's more observant than most," she said, almost amused at the mind-numbing terror she had inflicted on both alicorns.

Celestia had felt the evil of the Fallen, and the raw power of 'Crazy Uncle Ethyl', but both were combined and magnified in this one being. As if all the universe's darkness had been absorbed in one existence. She entered casually, and only when she entered the kitchen and shut off the oatmeal did Celestia even focus on the other woman. Where the first could be at best called 'striking', her size, powerful build and stern gaze seemed to do their best to make her femininity an illusion, the second somehow managed to be both lithe and voluptuous, and so full of joy, Celestia was not surprised when she did an elegant cart wheel to wind up beside Celestia.

"Neither one will hurt you or your sister," the Trickster said as he set the bags on the kitchen counter, "Considering all this came from her garden, you should be grateful."

The massive woman of oppression and evil shrugged. "I enjoy agriculture. Something honest about doing a job yourself. It's also something even my power and intellect can't force to work."

"Now that you've have your fun scaring the life out of my guests," the Trickster said, "You came to me, remember? What's so important that you broke cover?"

The woman frowned but set a thick, flat rectangle of glass on the kitchen table. Neither Luna nor Celestia wanted to get near it. The woman seemed to find this amusing, but she headed to the kitchen to put the groceries away and stir the oatmeal. The prosaic nature of her actions simply multiplied the horror of the woman's entire existence.

A hand waved in front of Celestia's face, then the Gymnast stepped up to break Celestia's line of sight with the other woman. She stroked Celestia's muzzle and seemed to take joy in the simple action. "She's just as dangerous as you think, at the cosmic level, but she's well-behaved, even gentle at the personal level."

Celestia nodded, and noted that the Trickster was scratching Luna behind the ears to drive away the terror she also suffered from.

The pair drew the two alicorns to the table and adjusted the glass. The text on the screen was their native language. Celestia and Luna were shocked enough that neither noted the Malignant Woman placing a bowl of oatmeal beside each of them. She again was amused by their horrified reactions.

"I seasoned them, just a few sweetening spices," the Malignant Woman said.

"She didn't poison them," the Trickster said and frowned, "Would you all just calm down."

"If you'd read that, you'd be the one we'd be calming down," the Malignant Woman said as she gestured at the glass.

The Trickster looked at the glass without moving it, and something in the upside-down writing made him gasp. "Uridimmullu is lose?" he said. He stared at the Malignant Woman. "And it's after the repository."

"All those potentials the fool has been sitting on. Imagine stringing them all together?" the Malignant Woman said, "It could finally make the lie it's always told, the truth."

"For those of us without encyclopedic knowledge of ancient cosmic battles," the Gymnast said, "This Uri is bad, and megalomaniac?"

"It is on par with the Outer Gods, and claims it is the Almighty's equal but opposite," the Trickster said, again showing a touch of the rage Celestia had seen in him rarely, "Basically, all the stuff about the false, corrupt creation and so on are things it's spread. But if it could get its own, then things might be more problematic."

"It is a conceptual war as much as a clash of arms," the Malignant Woman said, "But most importantly, the Outers' long-lost repository is the subject of both his 'Great Work', and Uridimmullu's bid for true omnipotence. The goals are mutually exclusive."

"How does that have anything to do with our home?" Luna asked.

"Most universes have adequate defenses, me for one," the Malignant Woman said, "Your's contained an immense, untapped potential, fuel for him, and nothing to provide any meaningful defense. Even you two could not have fought him off as you were there."

"So the powers that be, excised your universe before he could bite, and rolled it up. Forcing him to expend energy he desperately needs," the Trickster said, "Typical of this creature, it will stick with the plan, even if part of it has utterly failed. Specifically, attack the repository without its tanks full." He clenched his hands together and stared at the glass and the messages scrolling past.

"You still don't have time to call up the necessary forces," the Malignant Woman told him, "And I know they balked at paying the price they agreed to. Something of a set back."

"I have sufficient forces to accomplish the goal. Just a heavier time constraint." The Trickster looked up with such intensity that the Malignant Woman took a step back. "I do know someone with all the reserves I need. Someone who hates Uridimmullu almost as much as Nyarlathotep does. The idiot's plan is crude, but I know someone who might adapt it to fit their ends."

"You practically invite my treachery," the Malignant Woman said.

Suddenly Celestia felt the roles reversing, the Trickster was the greater power. "No, because you will tell me what you really want out of this. Not a new universe to hang your hat in. You want something else."

"As you well know, damn you," the Malignant Woman said softly, suddenly looking thoughtful and vulnerable. The Gymnast took an opportunity to comfort her, and shot the Trickster a glare.

They actually do love each other, Celestia realized of the pair, Like mother and daughter, but it is there. Celestia could hardly credit the observation, but couldn't deny it either.

"Hell's Bell!" the Trickster exclaimed, and pointed at the groceries, "You just cook a meal. I've tasted your cooking, it's wonderful. Don't get so caught up in grand gestures. I bought my first powers from Yig with corn cakes."

That I can believe! Celestia thought and grinned, I want to hear that story.

"For a being who is as much concept as matter, the enjoyment of a job well done, the meticulous craft, and the desire for the result to delight the gastronome are as real flavors as sweet or savory are to us!" the Trickster said as he stood, and the Malignant Woman sank into a chair. He lowered his voice as he continued, "Now listen to me. I will get you a chance, whether you succeed or fail is up to you. But Uridimmullu's head will be a good calling card. But we will be following my plan, because my plans work."

" 'My plans work'?" the Malignant Woman asked, getting some of her fire back.

"In the end, they succeed. Your's don't," the Trickster said, "All you get is sadder and wiser. No closer to your ultimate end. And none of this clap-trap about you tripping yourself up because you aren't worthy. It's because you insist on rubbing everyone's noses in the fact you're the smartest one in the room. Even, especially when it's true, people don't like the reminder."

The Trickster pointed at Celestia and Luna. "When you walked in, they were ready to wet themselves in fear. When I started beating up on you, they suddenly became sympathetic. You are more cunning than me, but you want everyone to know it. But you want everything to be just so. I can tolerate a sloppy plan because my team gets mission orders. Therefore everyone wants the whole thing to complete, not just their part and the rest is someone else's problem. My team is looking out for me. Your vassals care only to do their part excellently, whether it adds to the whole or not. So it will be my plan we will be using."

The Malignant Woman looked resentful, but nodded. The Trickster quit looming and sat down. "Now, eat your oatmeal, it's getting cold," he said, and grinned, "I have a triple ambush to lay out."

"Triple?" the Gymnast asked.

"The idiot who holds the repository, the bondsmen he can call up, and the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Idiot," the Trickster said.

Celestia squirmed as the Trickster's malevolence outshone the Malignant Woman's. I do not think I want him angry at me, she thought, Ever.
------------------------------

The discussion that followed was a collection of names of places and people so alien that Celestia and Luna were lost trying to separate one from the other. Even some of the places may have been people and vice versa. Their heads still swimming after the trio left Celestia and Luna went walking in the evening twilight.

"We are very much over our heads in this," Luna said, "But I don't think we are amid enemies. Even the 'Malignant Woman' is not our enemy."

"She's a big part of my confusion. How does one feel worse than those 'Fallen', yet still be . . . it makes no sense," Celestia said and shook her head.

"Another example of a world beyond our experience. Are she and the Trickster allies?" Luna said, "Friend antagonists or allied enemies?"

"I think she's the mother in law," Celestia said and smirked, "Our gymnastic friend was making the same eyes at him that you were."

Luna snorted at that. "Can't we be just friends?"

"That may be what you and she have to settle for," Celestia said, "It's clearly not what either of you had in mind." She hid her grin at Luna's frustration.

It feels good to just be ponies, sisters again, Celestia thought, Instead of being part of a cosmic game.

They found a hollow in a hill and laid down side-by-side, and watched the stars come out.

"That one looks like a snake, and that one looks like a lyre. Oh, and that looks like a bear chasing a cat," Luna said as she pointed out constellations in the night sky.

"They may have names for them already," Celestia said.

"How do you know they can see them?" Luna asked, "Our eyes are much improved over what they were, and we could already see better than most ponies."

Celestia drew back to consider that. "Your right, they may have a weaker pallet of stars to make their constellations with. They do seem fainter than they did at home, they flicker a lot more too."

"Yes, I wonder why that is?" Luna said and looked towards the sound of approaching footsteps.

Celestia recognized the tread, and soon the Trickster stepped into view. "I've talked it over with my allies. And while I can't get all of them on short notice, I managed to get the bulk of the heavy-hitters. We'll be hitting the repository in two days."

"We're coming with," Luna said.

Celestia stared at her sister, having wanted to stay clear of the clash of Titans that the Trickster was assembling.

"Okay, I can't brief you on everything, so you'll stay with me, or a designated alternate," the Trickster said, "This is going to be a straight up smash job, but I think you'll fit in well with the assault force and their methods." He spotted Celestia's curled lip at that and laughed, "Believe me, even you'll approve of their methods. And if their plan doesn't work, there are plenty of less savory options that also have a high chance of success."

"Can we start training in the morning?" Celestia asked, "We were just admiring the night sky."

The Trickster looked up. "Yes, you have to be away from the big cities and have very good eyes to see anything. Not like where I grew up. Weird, looking at the night sky and seeing no stars, but knowing they're out there."

Celestia silently agreed.

5) My Old Friend

My Old Friend

They arrived in a massive room. You could stack five houses atop each other and barely touch the ceiling at the low points. The ceiling was a sawtooth pattern: alternating high and low points. Gantry cranes bridged the distance from low point to low point and the ceiling arcing upward away from them. A dozen such cranes spanned the distance from wall to wall. Racks of metal parts lined the walls from floor to ceiling. The massive, dingy, gray doors behind them, and the bays before them seeming to vanish into infinity.

"This is huge!" Luna said as she flew up to the ceiling, "So much machinery."

Both alicorns started at the Trickster's chuckle. "This is a minor maintenance bay. Barely a pin prick through the armor of this place. If you can see the doors at the end, there are ten more sections like that, before we're through the armor and into the interior. The racks you see are for spare parts, tooling to make spares and other basic functions to keep this thing running."

Celestia looked at Luna, who was staring back at her from mid air.

"I told you to expect a whole different scale in your thinking of structures, and the people you encounter." He pointed to the huge doors behind them. "Those are 'man-doors' one of the primary builders could just walk through them, and they'd have to high step the gantry cranes, or duck under them. The people who built this were a lot larger than you think as well."

Celestia trotted and Luna fluttered after him as he walked through the massive corridor, to another set of massive doors. Inset into the door, like a mail slot in a regular door, was a portal a bit large for the Trickster and those sized like him.

"This was a later addition for the automated systems, which were built smaller. Think of these as roller-skate-sized. This is also lower pressure than the next, so quickly through and I'll need help closing it." He opened the door, let the Alicorns through and strained to pull it closed as a powerful wind raced through. Celestia and Luna directed their magic against the door and they got it closed. "Different pressures in the bays. This one is overpressurized to keep any gasses in the first bay from getting into the rest of the ship. That's the effect of just a seventh of atmospheric pressure. The rest of the bays have the same pressure as this one."

The Trickster took to the air and they all flew to the next door, and the next, and the next, flying through very similar bays of gantry cranes, racks of small parts, large pieces of tooling, and a slightly grimy patina on everything.

"They could use a maid service," Luna said as she looked at a pool of grease that had leaked from the overhead crane. She dodged before a similar drop could fall on her head.

"There are maintenance machines. But the current owner isn't interested in keeping the pace neat and tidy, just serviceable," the Trickster said, "I've got to admit. The times I've walked through this, I've felt like either Walter Pidgeon or Leslie Nielsen from Forbidden Planet. 'Twenty miles, twenty miles, twenty miles' but this thing is even bigger than the Krell machine and a billion times more dangerous."

"I don't see anyone else," Luna said, "Far be it from me to call friendship into question, but are you sure they came?"

"You aren't grasping the 'separate entry areas' properly. They arrived on a front several miles wide, to secure sections we'll need later, and to query the systems on needed repairs," the Trickster replied, "Remember, taking the place is only one step, getting it out of here and into friendly hands is the goal. Brace yourselves."

Celestia and Luna steeled themselves as the Trickster opened yet another door. They heard his laughter as they raced through, but they were thunderstruck at what they saw. "This is inside?" Celestia whispered as she looked around at the rolling meadows, the forests in the several minutes flight away, even the snowcapped mountains in the distance, even the white clouds in the sky.

"Well, the mountains are painted on the walls, but the rest of it is there, even the clouds. Most creatures like going outside and seeing the sky. Park land to keep any stationed on the vessel, especially during its construction, from getting too homesick." He chuckled. "You thought that any plant would simply wither and die in their presence. These are plants from their homelands. They may wither and die if we get too close."

Luna launched herself in the air to keep off the grass, and looked at her own hoof tracks to verify they hadn't spread a contagion to the plant life. Celestia looked at some of the bushes and shrubs, sticking her nose in one and enjoying the spicy scent of some of the flowers.

The cry of girlish delight and enthusiasm brought Celestia out of 'smelling the roses', and she looked to see no less than three groups converging on them. The first, and source of the yelling, were a group of young women dressed as gymnasts or ice skaters without skates and a couple of male swordsman. Their clothing was spartan with a few decorations for color coding. Their hair would have done ponies' manes and tails proud in its length, color and idiosyncratic styling. The second group were more varied and infinitely more stoic, a mix of mages, riflemen, knights and some in the bright, skin-tight costumes walking and flying. The last group in baroque finery traded enthusiastic for terrified, as they looked around the size of the vessel they were in with unconstrained awe bordering on religious mania and suicidal depression.

"Keep an eye on that bunch," Celestia whispered to Luna, "I don't think they're too stable."

Luna nodded, then her expression mirrored the manic-suicidal group's. Celestia turned around and looked at not one, but two of the biggest dragons she'd ever heard of. The larger one glanced at her and nodded.

"Okay, maybe they were on to something," Celestia admitted, and watched as the Trickster braced himself for all the skaters hugging him and chattering happily in a language Celestia couldn't fathom. Save one, who blushed and held back. One of the stoic group, also an attractive female, although slightly shorter than the tall, brown-haired gymnast and in a mix of robes and slacks approached the reticent skater. The woman kissed the nervous skater on the lips and drew her after her so the Trickster could kiss both of them. To the cheers of many of the crowd.

Which just made the skater more embarrassed, Celestia thought as she and Luna approached the maelstrom, He speaks all their languages? she thought as the Trickster and robes and slacks adventurer fielded and answered questions. Acting as a team.

The Trickster repeated Celestia's and Luna's name several times as part of their multilingual introduction. The pair also started herding the group forward to their next destination, although Celestia couldn't imagine it was the far wall of the park.

They collected several dozen groups along the way. Squads down to pairs linked up, including the Malignant Woman and the Gymnast. The adventurer who'd kissed the Trickster fell back with a few others to police up stragglers, which included Luna and Celestia.

"Relax, most of us have practiced this, and could do it in our sleep," the woman said, as she looked from Luna to Celestia and back. "You," she said and pointed to Luna, "You're the one smitten with him."

Luna stammered and blushed, looking away, until the woman laughed. "Don't be ashamed. He's got a charisma, which draws people along. I have some myself." She nodded to the pair of dragons, then looked back at Celestia. "It's why I married him."

Celestia had to catch Luna before she fell over. "But that scene with the uh . . . "

"Oh, my culture has complicated families," the Magician, as Celestia now dubbed her, explained, "We have a problem with genetic diversity and entire villages getting wiped out, so you find clean partners elsewhere to spread the genome around."

Celestia's eyes crossed, not sure if she was being teased, or if the insane scheme was the truth. She has to be playing with us, Celestia reasoned.

"Wait, you do realize I'm another species," Luna said.

"He and I are different species. Shape-shifting magic," the Magician said, "How else could we have kids. Look, her culture puts a big value on sexual dimorphism, females are petite, males are taller. She's almost as tall as those two swordsmen, and they're considered tall for their people, so she's stuck, except I'm her height and - what do you call him, I don't think 'Hey You' would explain it?"

"The Trickster," Celestia said.

The Magician nodded. "Anyway she desperately wants a home and family, she fits in." The Magician frowned. "If I could ever get him to lighten up. Where I was growing up, every man fantasized about a harem."

"Maybe he thinks you're enough," Celestia said, and shied back at the woman's frown.

The woman shook her head in disgust.

They arrived at the entrance to a railed stairway, they descended and boarded a moving walkway to be whisked down the tube. "This was built for them, wasn't it?" Celestia asked, basing her guess on the sheer size of the 'people mover'.

"Yes, get the work crews and the tooling to and from faster. That's part of the problem of such a large object, you either stockpile critical equipment all over the place, or you wait while a central depot distributes it. Neither is a perfect solution."

"Why not teleportation?" Luna asked.

"Teleportation isn't good for precision machinery," the Malignant Woman said, "Living creatures have a 'right shape' and the ability to heal slight imperfections. Nonthinking, nonliving machinery have neither, so would suffer slow and steady degradation."

Celestia nodded and stepped back to where the Magician and the Trickster talked. "I take it she's cast as the role of mother-in-law?"

The Trickster frowned at the Magician. "Getting her involved too?"

"How many people does it take to keep you out of trouble?" the Magician asked, and draped his arm around her to let her snuggle against him. The Trickster's irritation couldn't hold against that.

"You do realize you'd have to include the Eyelord." The Trickster nodded in the direction of a lone man standing near the front. "And someone else." He noted the bald man in the suit having a polite staring contest with the Malignant Woman.

Crazy Uncle Ethyl? Celestia wondered, but looked at the others. The Gymnast was with the skaters and was doing a gymnastics clinic, bending and stretching. Several of the sword-wielders were off to the side trading tricks and tips. For all their disagreements, different styles, and even different outlooks on everything, they are friends, a family, Celestia thought and looked at Luna, And they've included us.

Since the skaters' world had been moved to the top of the list of where to emigrate to, she went to observe them. The simple play made them seem most like the ponies she had known. But they are also warriors, which the likes of Rainbow Dash and Cherilee could never be, she thought. She looked up to see that the people mover had split, and a slower track now moved alongside them.

"All ashore whose going ashore," the Trickster called, and the cry was repeated in other languages as the crowd moved to the slower belt. Two of the skaters caught their leader as she nearly stumbled on transiting across.

"They were expecting that," Luna whispered about the scene as she stepped across.

The crowd stepped off the slower belt onto the floor, and some of them took a moment or two to transition from moving to stationary. Celestia watched the groups sort themselves out into a well-practiced, battle formation. Small groups would dash ahead, secure a location, until the main body passed, then they would dash forward again. It looked like a person pulling themselves forward or upward with hoofholds.

Now Celestia was growing nervous. There'd been a build up of how dangerous this 'fool' was, yet nothing had attempted to hinder them. Did we come in an unmonitored way, or is it waiting for a grand confrontation at a place of its choosing? she wondered as she started looking around at places of concealment, or for the hidden ambushers. But the chatter was still there, although subdued. No one seemed to be as concerned as she was. Although is that an affectation, to lure the enemy in where they can be destroyed? she wondered.

"Okay everyone, I know this isn't what usually happens in great adventures," the Trickster said, and was repeated by others in a half-dozen different languages, "But there are the bathrooms, and the sign above that fixture says 'potable water', I'll check it before you refill your water bottles. Anyone who didn't go before the trip, go now, we're going to have a very busy couple of hours. Standard three-team security."

Celestia snorted and noted the embarrassed rush to the doors by one or two of the people, which galvanized a general move. She also saw that several of the people stayed behind to form a perimeter. She and Luna headed inside. A few of the more technically minded had figured out how to use the alien equipment. What caught Celestia's eyes was that this place was spotless. The clean whiteness of the walls, floor and ceiling made discerning where one ended and the next began difficult. After the vaguely polluted patina on all the other machine areas, she was glad to find somewhere clean.

"Something is wrong," Luna said from the stall next to her, "Unless this activity is bait. To lure the enemy out to attack us."

"I have to agree," Celestia said, "The idea that we'd all just walk into bathrooms to do our business, like we're on a nature hike doesn't seem real."

"I think the boss figured we were either being ignored," the Magician said as she entered the stall beside Celestia, "Or we're taunting him into moving."

"I just wish I knew why we're being ignored," Celestia said.

"You're mirroring the conversation out there. It's got most of the tacticians on edge. We should have faced some kind of resistance, a locked door or barricade by now. Instead, nothing. We are concerned about it, don't you worry."

"Are you hoping to be attacked?" Luna asked.

"Give me a couple of minutes and I'll give an unreserved 'yes'. To just walk in, doesn't feel right," the Magician said, "If this is a mousetrap, at least we know it."

"Squeak," Luna said in a flat tone, which made Celestia smile.

"At least you're keeping your sense of humor about this," Celestia said.

The group had cycled through and no attack had come. Everyone had 'emptied then filled' getting a drink of the potable water, then they began their march forward again. Stepping onto the slower belt, then transitioning to the faster one. Then they shook out their formation and prepared for an attack. Which never came.

If the 'park' they had arrived in was huge, the bay they entered was larger, but felt almost claustrophobic. The huge space was filled with racks and rack, and shelves, and stacked chests. What could be seen were gems, precious metals and other valuables, strewn about and shelved without any sense or organization. "This is like a dragon's horde," the Gymnast said.

"No dragon I know is this messy," one of the dragons commented, "Half the stuff is damaged by being thrown all together. Hordes are homes."

"Melodramatic," Luna commented on the pillar of gray mist forming up out of the floor.

"Fools, you have not the strength to defeat me!" the pillar announced as it formed into an eye-wateringly horrible shape.

Celestia paused, but steeled herself. I've seen worse, she thought as the others braced themselves, And so has every other member of the group.

It was the Trickster who fell to his knees on the spilled riches, inciting facepalms amid the group. "Oh without all my friends, how will I ever survive?" he wailed.

The pillar laughed, until the two armies materialized into the room in midair, in the distance. Despite having to wind among the piles and racks of loot, they quickly surrounded the pillar. Which of the two were composed of the more disconcerting shapes was a toss up. Despite their utterly alien forms, she recognized Matilda and Beatrice in one group. I can guess that the other group are the Eyelord and 'Uncle Ethyl's' folk, Celestia thought as she glanced at them, trying not to look directly at any of the outre shapes. She also felt a wave of insane glee and expectation radiating off the pillar, then it too sensed something was off about the two armies closing on the drama unfolding before her.

The Trickster stood and gestured to both sides with his hands. The team split into two wings and trotted ahead to encircle the pillar. "Despite your hopes, they will not war on each other," he said as the two armies formed a perimeter around the pillar and the battle, "I invited both, and they knew the others were coming."

"Fool!" The blast from the pillar to the Trickster struck and penetrated six, different shields. "They are impotent here as are you!"

The first shield was a simple hexagon system, the second was a vertigo-inducing pattern of writhing squiggles, the third was a rainbow figure, the fourth was a beautiful series of concentric circles with elaborate runes filling the area between the circles, the fifth looked like a giant eye, the sixth looked like overlapping wings, and the seventh which actually stopped the blast, a simple, flat wall. The Trickster stood untouched, and just smirked at the pillar.

All along the semicircle of mortals, and in both armies, entities with limbs raised stood ready to renew their defenses.

The Trickster looked at them, then the pillar. "Maybe you're stronger than any of us, but you're not stronger than all of us," the Trickster taunted, "Ain't friendship magical?"

Something passed under Celestia's hooves, and she recognized the Eyelord was providing a floor to the closing circle. As the team completed their encirclement, the dragons encircled the circle their craning necks forming the basis of a dome over the pillar.

Celestia saw it try to pass through the 'floor', but the pillar mushroomed, like a soft mass mashing against a harder one. She saw the skaters take the hands of those beside them, and hands gently took her wings. She glanced over at Crazy Uncle Ethyl who'd positioned himself between Celestia and Luna.

"You are the most resistant," he explained and then focused again on the pillar. Even the Malignant Woman was surrounded by the Gymnast and the Magician, and so buffered as well. The Trickster took the hands of the skater smitten with him, and another hard-eyed man of the dozens scattered about the ring.

The leader of the skaters began a heated denunciation of the pillar. A few who understood her language rolled their eyes, but none interrupted or broke the circle.

The pillar slammed itself against the unseen barrier the circle had formed, again and again. What had started as a failed show of force began taking the tone of desperation and panic. None of the circle even flinched at the approach, or the threats screamed at them.

As the denunciation reached its climax, they raised their hands, Celestia had felt the power building in the circle and now could feel each individual member. Not just their power but who they were. Ironically, she also understood better what held these people together, despite their very different views of the world and how others should be treated. But there was acceptance, even if begrudging, and while many would not trust the others with their delicate possessions or even a freshly-made sandwich, they would trust the others to defend their lives and families. This was beyond what she'd been told about the Elements of Harmony, but it finally explained why someone like Kincaid would be drawn to the idea. That even in their dark hearts, they would wish the dreams and 'fantasies' of the more idealistic members could be true and were worth striving for. And contrawise, the idealists knew that there were times when they must lay down their guardianship, and leave the problem to the 'I did what I had to' crowd. The truth was not some arbitrary mean, but a sliding scale that varied scenario to scenario, and even moment to moment. All of them were now focused on the foe, on striking it with all their force, and that force was their camaraderie. In moments there was only one entity surrounding the pillar, bathing it in a fire it reeled away from. Separate, but indivisible, they were 'us' as hard as they could at this thing that assumed nothing could touch it. But its defenses were not even there, its mental stronghold could not keep out what it didn't accept as a power, all the while their power wore away at the monster's grip on things. Celestia felt the offered hand, the admonishment to join them, accept healing and forgiveness. While the more cynical parts regarded it as a delay of the inevitable, even they admitted that they expected the offer to be made and could tolerate the pause.

But the pillar defied them, trying to launch an attack through this unexpected opening. It encountered those selfsame cynical elements, who not quite disparaged the notion. They had expected the treachery, and had laid traps on the route into the minds of the innocent. What they did to the creature was horrible. The Trickster, the Magician, the Malignant Woman, maybe all three, and maybe others repeated the offer, that forbearance had been shown, but it was fading. The mind and spirit of the pillar was already burning away, like the odd plants in the vampires' lair when exposed to Celestia's new sun. It tried a different tack, and discovered again the circle was more than ready for it. But that was the last straw. None held back and the fires they laid against the trapped monster would have filled the vast room with the stench of scorched flesh. There was no cruelty in this. Some regretted it, but none kept to the false idea that endless clemency should be offered, and the mercy demanded by the idealists here was the quickest, cleanest death possible.

Celestia started at coming back to being 'her' from being 'us'. She and Luna caught Crazy Uncle Ethyl as he stumbled, and eased him to the ground. Others in the circle were likewise staggered, but of the pillar, there was no sign.

"That was, disconcerting," he admitted, and he gestured at the empty space within the circle, "But completely effective."

"That's what it means to be friends," Luna chided.

The immeasurably powerful being accepted the rebuke for the help it was meant as. He then translated the happy cries from the skaters' leader and their group, " 'It worked. It worked. It worked. I thought we'd just have to try, and it wouldn't work, but we had to try.' The others seem a tad incensed that their beloved leader had doubts about the signature attack having an effect."

"Considering some of the others' reactions, including your own," Celestia said, as she and Luna helped the being stand, "Her concerns may have seemed justified."

'Crazy Uncle Ethyl' shook his head. "The creature made himself immune to every force and energy he knew of. Upon hearing that, the Trickster said 'Balder' and quickly sought her out. He assumed the idiot would only have made itself invulnerable to forces it knew of, or could expect to be weaponized. As dark as some of the circle might be, they all acknowledge the power of friendship, if only as a potent tool to manipulate others."

Celestia shook her head at that. Luna snickered.

"Okay," the Trickster announced, and was translated to other languages, "We still have a rescue to perform. Science team, to the navigation section; Engineering team, we get the main reactors back on line. Those of you I promised a fight, the science and engineering teams need a security screen, and we need hunter-killer teams to locate any surprises he left behind."

"All right, harem with me," the Magician called, "That'll take care of the science team and our screen."

Celestia snickered at the Trickster's reaction to both the announcement, and the team's amused to delighted reaction to it. But he decided just to nod, and took his collected force on their trek.

Celestia was shocked when Luna pushed her forward with a wing. "You can be part of the security squad," Luna said, "I want to see about how someone navigates a ship like this."

Celestia noted that the Gymnast was similarly tugging the Malignant Woman along, although likely for the opposite job division.

"Are we going to walk the whole way?" Celestia asked, "Is it that close?"

"No," the Malignant Woman said, "There is a teleportation system. As I said, living beings are self-correcting for the minor teleport glitches that occur."

They entered a room, and the Magician touched several controls, and nothing apparently happened, but the Malignant Woman and the Magician seemed satisfied as they headed back for the entry. Which opened on a different corridor. Unlike the grimy machine access corridors, this one was spotless. Also unlike them, there was a huge gash in the wall. Something had spilled out onto the walkway.

"Don't step on those," the Magician warned, "You won't like what happens next."

Celestia stretched out her wings and took to the air. She and Luna took advantage and looked closely at the spilled, golden balls as they hovered over them.

"They don't look dangerous," Luna said as she stared, "But that's no guarantee."

Celestia agreed as they returned to the group who were picking their way across the floor to avoid the ever-increasing number of them.

The Malignant Woman, the Eyelord and Matilda seemed to be having a rather heated discussion among themselves in a language Celestia couldn't puzzle out. "Please, we're all friends here."

"Yes," one of the skaters interjected as she approached, "I mean we've used our knowledge of you to scare our enemies, well that and -"

The tall skater clamped a hand over her colleague's mouth, put the other behind her head, and while desperately smiling at all of them, dragged her friend's head away and trusted that the body would follow. Once a short distance away, she whispered furiously to her.

Celestia and Luna stared.

"They are concerned that I might feel slighted that while my imminent appearance deeply troubled their opponent, the Trickster's forecast arrival drove them to surrender," the Malignant Woman said, "I'm not slighted in the least. Frankly, he frightens me sometimes."

That earned a snort from Matilda.

"What were you three arguing about?" Luna asked, returning the trio to their glaring at each other. Celestia nearly joined them glaring at Luna's clumsy handling.

"The lock on the navigation system can only be removed by 'tears of remorse of an angel'," the Malignant Woman said, "And I contend that these creatures are incapable of remorse. They had the blessings of their command to eliminate any guilt."

"I was telling him we can feel remorse," Matilda replied, "Although I admit that I will have difficulty shedding tears over it."

"I added that without the tears, it is a fool's errand and we should direct our efforts to moving the ship to a more hospitable place to conduct the defense," the Eyelord said.

"And the Trickster thinks that the translation isn't accurate," the Magician said as she approached, "We'll need help with the door." She fixed the Malignant Woman with a gaze and smiled. "And with what's behind it. We can't use energy weapons, we might damage something."

The Malignant Woman returned the smile as the team approached the door. "The energy absorptive powers are at full strength?" she asked as she pulled on a pair of heavy gauntlets and ran her hands over the door.

The Magician looked at the team working the lock and got a nod. "Yes, we can charge the doors, and use that to open them. But I thought you'd like a moment."

"I am prepared," the Malignant Woman said.

The Magician and the tech did their magic, and the three, huge panels comprising the door retracted. Behind them stood hundreds of war-robots.

The rest of the team stepped back and prepared to intercept anything coming out of the room threatening them, or pieces endangering the golden orbs strewn on the floor.

"If I dropped an outboard motor into a barrel full of gingerbread men," the Magician commented on the bloodless, but not lubricant-free carnage within. While the robots cared nothing about firing, they rarely got the chance as the Malignant Woman reduced the horde to a hoard of scrap metal. Within a few moments, the defenders were gone. Other members of the security team rushed in to certify the room was clear of threats.

The Malignant Woman weathered the affection of the Gymnast and the acclimation by the skaters, with remarkable stoicism. The technical team entered the room, and were shocked that the consoles, and the room were scaled for much smaller creatures.

"The masters and commanders were shapeshifters," Crazy Uncle Ethyl explained, "And if the machinery is the size of your head, an interface the size of a table makes no sense."

It also prevents a mutiny by creatures who literally couldn't fit in here, Celestia thought as she looked around.

"You said the translation isn't accurate," the Malignant Woman said as she approached the control console. While everything else within the room were basic geometric shapes without adornment or labeling of any kind, the almost baroque box and straps that covered the controls of one console drew the eye. "It seems accurate to me."

"Unless you understand that the differences of the Bright Ones' language versus the Outers' language and for whom the writing was meant," the Magician said, "If it was written by Bright Ones for Bright Ones, that is correct. But if it was written to approach the Outers' language, then the meaning could be 'tears of the remorseful'. He could probably give you the correct names for the verb and adjectival tenses and constructions, but simply put, the link of tears and remorse is that the subjects have to be remorseful and have to cry, they don't have to cry because they are remorseful."

Matilda and Beatrice stared at the Magician. "So what are we to cry about?" Matilda asked.

The Magician grinned, and her similarity to the Trickster couldn't be more plain.
------------------------------

"So the poor vizier, after reading off the absolute screed from 'Granny' on the emperor's habits, court and so on, reaches into the box and draws out this scarf, of dozens of bright colors, but it's two spans wide, and 20 long," the woman of the stoic group said.

About 16 inches by 14 feet, Celestia thought, still reeling from the scathing kvetch that the Trickster had written after being called 'Granny' once too often.

"The Emperor had enough, he could only sit there and laugh at the utterly ridiculous 'little something Granny knitted to keep your neck warm'," the woman concluded.

Beatrice had long since lost it, as funny/embarrassing stories about their interactions with the Trickster had rolled out. Each telling what they considered the funniest. Luna had succumbed early, and was lying on the floor having difficulty breathing. But Matilda had merely cracked a smile several times, and they needed her to laugh until she cried.

"Okay, I guess I tell mine," the Magician said, "It's a little grimmer, but may be to Matilda's taste. He had come to the royal court to lay charges against a lord who was sabotaging my aunt's noble House. Technically, she was my second cousin-once removed's aunt, but to us she was our aunt." She waved her hands. "Anyway, he laid out exactly how the lord did it, considering his mom is an accountant, he had a good grasp of the tricks of the trade. Well, the lord fell back on his usual trick, challenging the accuser to a duel. Now, the duels of the court were more like a dance than a fight. I attack with quarte, you must reply with sixte or half-tierce, only then could you counterattack. Duels are scored on points and the lord studied avidly. No one could beat him, although I suspect anyone in this room could beat him in a real fight. So, when challenged, he replied that 'since ledger books are the way you've fought til now, that is how we shall fight.' And the Imperial Armorer wheeled out these two, huge, thick ledger books, bound with bronze, with straps on one side, for the arm. These things were the size of a full shield, and about four times as thick. The IA then announces, since they have no sharp edges or points, the rules of 'rule of way' can be discarded."

Matilda let out a long snort, as she imagined what would come next.

"The battle went about as well as you'd expect. Nobody used shields, so the assumption was this would be a completely even fight," Matilda said, "But the Trickster had commissioned the shield/ledgers with the IA, specifically for this, and he'd been fighting open-field battles with sword and shield. He couldn't make it look too one-sided, before he closed for the kill." The Magician shook her head. "But everyone knew the lord was outclassed the instant the fight started, but no one wanted to raise a word, or the whole rotten edifice would come crashing down. Once he's softened the lord up, he killed him with one blow. Which also meant that the lord's holding went to him, and he transferred them to my aunt. Which changed our House from a Minor House, to a Major House."

Matilda had a fist over her mouth, but she was shaking now.

The Malignant Woman got an elbow from the Gymnast, she shrugged and stepped forward. "Since 'grim' seems to amuse you," she began, "There was a ridiculous agreement between the mystical powers that be, both the mages and those more esoteric martial arts. They held a tournament, if good lost, they could do nothing against the nefarious 'grand plan', if they won, evil was on the honor system to not advance the 'grand plan'." She looked around. "Do I need to tell you what his reaction was?"

Celestia covered Luna's ear with her hooves. "Go ahead."

Luna snorted with irritation, while Matilda snorted with amusement.

"Well, he signed up for the evil side," the Malignant Woman said, "And could report what he'd done in war as justification."

Matilda snorted again, longer this time.

"He made several of the proctors throw up," the Malignant Woman said.

The Gymnast began, "We met him, when we were being harassed at the spa pools." She gave the Malignant Woman a fondly exasperated look. "All our previous attempts ended when someone fought against a person on her card, an opponent they'd face in a later battle. Which was an automatic disqualification. See, the fights weren't all good against evil, some were among the same faction. The Trickster invited us to join him, and pointed out to them that the harassers were not on his card."

"They took the pool we have been relaxing in, and decided to continue their verbal harassment, including a few promises of what they'd do later," the Malignant Woman said, a blink-and-you'd-miss-it glance to the Gymnast told Celestia what some of those threats entailed. "Once we were a short distance away, he tosses an electric-concussion blast into the water. Not only does mineral water conduct electricity well, but it conducts shock marvelously, finding the weak point and rushing in. No dodging allowed."

Celestia was sickened by the implication.

"Later, some of the more psychotic 'evil' contestants began dying of 'accidents'," the Malignant Woman said, "Falling down the central shaft of 94 flights of stairs, just bouncing off the railings on the way down. A noted junkie/slaver dying of an air embolism. A noted rapist peeing on a toilet with an electrical charge. By the time 30 of these maniacs had fallen, the powers of darkness had to start negotiating with the powers of light to start investigating, since their investigators were worthless. The first one they investigated was someone had been stabbed and beaten 15 times, with fifteen different weapons, and the angles and depths of the wounds were all over the place."

Celestia considered the Trickster's weapons, did a little math and came to the obvious conclusion.

"The forces of light made the completely reasonable conclusion that the most unpopular of the villains competing had been attacked by a group of people," the Malignant Woman said, "Considering there were copycats by this point as people started settling old scores, it was a reasonable deduction."

"Idiots," Matilda said between giggles.

"Needless to say, the ranks of the most violent and psychotic were brutally thinned, and by the end, a lot of people were guessing who'd done it, but couldn't believe the 'gentleman of the ring' could be doing this outside," the Malignant Woman said, "I figured he'd simply read the rules." The Malignant Woman turned and nearly sprinted to Matilda, grabbing her head in both massive hands. Celestia was ready to charge to her friend's defense, when the Gymnast raced up and caught the lone tear running down the messenger's face.

The Malignant Woman watched the Gymnast approach the lock. One of the skaters collected another tear from Beatrice, and as the two women locked eyes, the skater and the Gymnast put their tears on the lock.

The resounding 'clack' generated all kinds of motion. Other skaters and the Magician pushed the two aside and removed the lock from the panel to prevent it from reclosing. Once it was away, Celestia levitated the blocking plate off the console and set it aside. The Eyelord and Crazy Uncle Ethyl began running their inhuman digits over the surface, coaxing life back into the machine.

"Now!" the Malignant Woman announced, "The greatest power in the universe is mine! And none of you can stop me!"

The Magician spoke into the intercom, "The boss wants the greatest power in the universe."

The Trickster's voice came back, "We've got the reactors online and coming up, but the jump drives will take a while, we need to build up the charge."

"I think she wants the weapons and shield," the Magician replied.

"Done, the Z-guns are all primed, and I've got two desault banks fully charged," the Trickster replied.

"Keep at it, time's a wasting," the Magician said and turned back to the Malignant Woman.

The Malignant Woman glanced at no one charging her, everyone in the room was setting forth to get the ship ready for her first order.

"This is the shield control?" Celestia asked as she prepared to insert her horn in the interface.

"Yes, it'll teach you what to do once you're connected," the Eyelord said and looked at the Malignant Woman who was watching the bustle around her, "We need you to say something for voice print."

"What are you doing?" the Malignant Woman asked.

"Voice print and code accepted, welcome Battle-Commander," the room itself seemed to say.

"We expected your taking command, and briefed everyone, but you," the Magician said and shrugged, "And would have given it to you if you hadn't taken it. Who better against Uridimmullu?"

Matilda's giggle was not so welcome to the Malignant Woman this time.

Celestia after she shoved her horn into the interface, found herself inside an empty black space, she willed the shields into existence, six sets of two, overlapping plates guarded the sides, two trios of similar plates guarded the front and rear. Celestia could move the plates to cover everywhere, or double or triple them up and leave other areas bare. There was also a larger spherical shield, but that absorbed power and had to dump it somewhere. Computer, can the spherical shield dump into the jump drives?

"Yes, Celestia, but the bleed off is slow, it will take several minutes to dump a fully charged shield," Celestia heard in her head in her own voice. She put that aside and worked on manipulating the shield pattern. She also saw a longer ranged scan of the area.

"That tiny square is us, and that big squiggle is this Uridimmullu?" Celestia asked those outside, "I guess you have to enhance it for ease of viewing."

"No," Crazy Uncle Ethyl told her, "That's to scale."

"Oh, lovely," Celestia heard Luna's comment.

"Arrival in 1.5 octillion moments," the computer told her.

Wonderfully useful bit of data, Celestia thought, Why didn't it stick with minutes?

"Seventeen minutes, Celestia," the computer told her.

Being a composed mare, she didn't beat her head against the deck while screaming.

She heard reports as weapons were brought online, other ships arrived and the entire vehicle began to move. The plan formed in her head, so she reported, "If it fires into the omnidirectional shield, I can divert the power to the jump drive."

"That's fine," the Malignant Woman said, "But we're here to kill that thing, not run away. However, charge the drive, we may need it."

Celestia ignored the dismissive, if schizophrenic tone, and concentrated on the battle.

Vessels like gnats dove in and raced out, unloading powers knew what kind of ordinance. But the Uridimmullu continued to advance.

She noted some of the 'gnats' occasionally winked out. She concentrated on her preparation, but then it dawned on her, Those 'gnats' are people, Maybe an individual like one of the skaters, maybe the crew of hundreds in a warship. But this is so sterile, so detached, it makes ignoring those killed and doing my job easy, maybe too easy.

"They are aware of what I represent, and are here, as are you, to prevent me from falling into that monster's hands," the computer told her, "It is good to have compassion, but don't let it prevent you from defeating the real evil."

Celestia mentally nodded and continued her work. When the monster began to snipe at them, Celestia activated the omnidirectional shield, and then shut it down to bleed the power to the jump drive. It was a detached way of fighting. The combatants, even their attacks were abstractions. The supernaturally calm voice of the Malignant Woman actually soothed Celestia. She sounded certain and in control. Issuing orders, taking reports, and asking questions, mostly in languages that Celestia couldn't understand.

She sounds happy, Celestia thought as a near miss glanced off a shield. She examined the matrix of the protective energy and found it still sound. She didn't rotate it back to recharge. I wonder if she's used to a team who are actually working for her, rather than being pressed into service.

"Prepare the Z-guns, alert all ships to clear the area," the Malignant Woman said as the gnats scattered.

Celestia adjusted the shields as the ship rotated to present her nose to the immense worm that seemed to swim through space. I should be frightened, she thought.

"Standing by, ready to fire," Luna reported.

Celestia cringed that Luna was the weaponeer of the main batteries. She couldn't completely force her unease aside.

"Stand by the jump drive," the Malignant Woman told them, "Let it strike at where we should be, and we'll be elsewhere. Then fire again as they bear."

Celestia watched the creature surge forward. And three immense bolts of power raced from the nose of the ship. The creature shrieked, even here they could feel it. The pain becoming rage as at came at them. As it reared back to strike, the repository vanished, so the strike met nothing. The jump was short, appearing on the creature's flank, with their tail pointing at it.

While Celestia realigned the shields to give maximum protections, Luna directed those awful cannons to strike three more blows on the creature. It recoiled again, but the shriek was barely felt this time.

"No, the Battle-Commander commands," the Magician told the Malignant Woman, "She doesn't race out and exchange fire with the enemy."

Celestia opened an eye and twisted so she could see the confrontation. But the Magician is used to the Trickster, she thought and returned her full attention to the shields, The Malignant Woman never stood a chance.

The angry pacing and the clipped orders showed the Magician's counsel had its effect, but the Malignant Woman wasn't happy she couldn't go 'hands on'. Celestia saw the 'gnats' swarming in on the weakened monster, including several swarms from the repository. Lesser weapons still fired in support of the gnats, but the terrible 'Z-guns' were silent.

"Get in closer, anyone not required for their duties, lend fire support," the Malignant Woman ordered, and Celestia glanced around as half the bridge crew left. The Malignant Woman replacing Crazy Uncle Ethyl at the helm. Celestia took the scanners, while Luna maintained a precise fire of the immense ship's weapons batteries. More bolts and beams erupted from the ship as the many beings aboard poured their own fire at the creature.

Then Celestia noticed something. "Commander, the Uridimmullu is shrinking," she said, and continued to read the computer estimates, "Down 5% and declining."

"Five percent, you have sharp eyes," the Malignant Woman said, "We'll maintain fire. It's consuming itself in its own fires. Engineering, be prepared to use the jump drive to prevent that thing from leaving."

"It's in place," the Trickster said, "And I too would love to be blasting that thing myself."

The quiet grumble, followed by a chuckle from the Gymnast told Celestia that despite having 'usurped' control, the Malignant Woman was simply not used to capable, loyal subordinates.

The creature's decline continued, some of the 'gnats' entered the Uridimmullu itself. After a few moments, it's decline seemed to stop.

"All stations, move the fleet out of here. Everyone who doesn't want to be trapped, board immediately. Celestia, drop the shields and depressurize the bays, open all outer doors," she said.

Celestia briefly wondered how, then the computer provided all the answers. "On it," she replied to the order. The 'gnats' raced towards the repository.

"Be prepared to use the shields as an outer skin," the Malignant Woman ordered, "We won't have time to seal the doors, and we'll need to see to the casualties."

"Understood," Celestia replied, as again the computer provided her the means to accomplish the feat.

Why is this so easy, can't the computer just do all this itself? she wondered.

"Herself," the computer replied, "No, I must follow orders, but I can help my friends."

Celestia considered, This huge object, she was effectively alive, and she was lonely?

"Somewhat," the computer replied, "But it is good to have purpose again."

"All aboard," came a report from someone. Celestia prepared the shields, and desperately started closing the doors and repressurizing the bays that ships and people had frantically flown into.

"Jump!" the Malignant Woman ordered.

As the world outside became unreal, the Uridimmullu expanded immensely. It never touched them before they were gone, but it was a near thing. But it wasn't over. "Something is behind us and closing, it's getting larger by the moment," Celestia reported.

"Bastard doesn't know when to give up," the Malignant Woman said, "We'll have to keep firing."

"It's ontological inertia is too great," Celestia heard Matilda said. She risked a glance and saw that the Bright One warrior was presenting the Malignant Woman with a severed head of something that looked like a cross between an alligator and a rhinoceros. "It's there at the end of time, we can't destroy it now."

"So why don't we just head there, and drop it off," Celestia said a bit crossly, "Once it's there, it can't continue to pursue us."

The two aliens looked at each other and shrugged.

"Set out course to the end of all things, and then a hard left to Albuquerque," the Malignant Woman said, "Commence evasive action, I don't want to be caught by something I wouldn't deign to scrape off my shoe."

"Will do," Crazy Uncle Ethyl said as he returned to his post.

From her computer-simulated, external view, the oncoming wall began bouncing around enough to nearly make her air sick. She quit looking at it and verified that all the doors were closed and the ship was well sealed. "Full gas-tight condition established," she reported, "I can't see inside, are the wounded being treated?"

"One of the ships was a medical frigate," the Magician reported, "The wounded are being well cared for, and the Trickster is still in the engine room. We all had a rather boring battle."

Celestia thought, That's it. They wanted me to see battle, but not participate in it. To strike with them, but not see the target. This was as much a 'learning experience' for me, as it was a lesson in friendship for the Malignant Woman. Chagrined, she continued to track their enemy.

"I like boring," the Trickster's voice intruded, "Exciting means something didn't work."

Celestia chuckled at that. Then her laughter froze. "There's another wall ahead of us, closing fast. It's bigger than the one behind us."

"The end of all things," the Magician said.

"What happens if we hit it?" Celestia asked, feeling a growing concern, verging on panic.

"We don't," the Malignant Woman said, "Helm, prepare your turn and breakaway. We shall leave our friend to his appointment, and while we continue to our ultimate decimation."

"Don't you mean 'destination'?" Celestia asked.

"Do I?" the Malignant Woman asked.

"It's not working," Crazy Uncle Ethyl reported.

"Why not?" the Malignant Woman said, "Space time shouldn't be contracting so tightly this soon."

"I do not know," the Outer replied as his hands worked the controls.

"Celestia, use the skin shield technique on the hull again, and raise the omnidirectional shield as well. If we can't dodge, we'll go through," the Malignant Woman said.

"We'll be in the next existence," the Eyelord said, "We three might survive, but there is no guarantee they will."

"This ship and it's shields will protect them. We'll carry a bubble of normal physical laws with us, and as soon as we have room to maneuver, we will return to our origin point," the Malignant Woman said, "We will not transition out of slip space. This ship predates your home reality's predecessor, and it will survive the next reality. The mortals within will survive."

"How very reassuring," the Magician said, without sounding reassured.

Celestia put aside that they were going to leave the current reality and go to the next, only to turn around and come back. As if reality were a string of pearls, she thought, and felt very small that people like this could discuss such things that made her feel like a child among the grownups, then she felt Luna's wings on her back.

"We trust you, sister," Luna told her, reminding her of her part in all of this.

Celestia concentrated on making the shield coverage perfect.

The transition made her feel queasy, and the outer shield began building its charge, but she felt no 'leakage' of this alien reality onto the inner shields. Better, the wall of Uridimmullu did not pursue. It stopped on the border that they were able to pass through.

"Hard about, and heading for home," Crazy Uncle Ethyl announced.

"Did you always want to be a sailor?" the Magician asked.

"Only if I could stay dry," the Outer replied.

They transistioned back 'home' and Uridimmullu was trapped at the 'end of all things', unable to pursue. "We're traveling through time as well as space, aren't we," Luna asked.

"Yes, the other reason we stayed in slip space," the Malignant Woman said, "Time is the ultimate corrosive." Her tone actually became concerned, "Celestia, the shields can be left on automatic now."

Celestia removed her horn and stumbled, but the Magician and the Gymnast were beside her and supporting her on either side. "Easy, easy," the Magician told her as they and Luna helped her lie down, "It's a bit disorienting."

Celestia nodded. The colors were more vibrant, the sounds were keener, the smells were more biting, disorientingly so. "I am not used to this."

"None of us are," the Magician said.

"I mean I feel like a child trying to keep up with the adults," Celestia said and was relieved when Luna lay down beside her and draped a wing over her.

"We don't exactly do this every day ourselves. This was a masterwork, masterfully done. But it still depended on a lot of people doing their very best to make it look as smooth as it did. You and Luna not the least," the Magician said, "And you aren't the only one who thinks they're out on a limb with no way back." The Magician nodded towards the Malignant Woman, who was speaking quietly, and glancing around.

"What does she fear?" Luna whispered.

"That a bunch of us will storm the bridge and retake control," the Magician said as she sat beside Celestia and began scratching her behind the ears, "She'll never believe we won't, and she's completely unused to the idea that her collogues are going to help her see this through. You saw the cosmic world beyond your wildest imaginings, but that's her world and plaything, why do you think we planned for her to take charge? She's the best at it. But you know friendship and loyalty, she's as disoriented as you that we stood by her, rescued her assets and have stood by loyally. Different worlds."

"Sad," Celestia said softly, "We should do something for her."

"How do we take back the ship?" Luna said. Celestia turned and frowned at her. Luna shrugged in return.

"She'll give it up," the Magician whispered, "The Trickster's strike is always the sharpest, but it isn't as keen a knife as the uncertainty that's flaying her now. While commanding the ship in this battle which will be remembered when this universe is long gone, it's only a 'nice to have'. Rescuing the ship - "

"Was a 'mist have'," Celestia said, "I still think we should thank her."

"Be my guest, just remember it'll also be twisting the knife," the Magician said.

Celestia clambered to her hooves and walked towards the Malignant Woman. "I want to thank you for your help, and having confidence in me, when I wasn't sure how I'd fit in among these people who knew each other so well," Celestia said, and was dismayed by the uncertainty in the woman's expression.

"You're welcome. You seemed more than ready for the challenge," she told Celestia, but kept glancing around, as if hearing something alarming.

"It's arguably a crowning achievement, one you should be proud of. We won against forces that even the Outers and Bright Ones feared," Celestia offered.

"I merely wielded the sword another forged," the Malignant Woman said.

"That sword will not turn in your hoof - hand, I may not know them, but I know him," Celestia assured her.

"You have never opposed him. I have seen what he can do. What he's done to you, for instance. You will never be content with who you were, and you will never be able to go back to who you were," she told Celestia, "There will come a time you will not thank him for that."

"The child exceeds the parent," Celestia said and glanced over to where Luna and the Gymnast stood and talked, "Isn't that what every parent wants?"

"No," the Malignant Woman said firmly, "Not always."

Celestia extended a wing, brushing her gently, "We are your friends. Never doubt that," she told the woman, who looked stricken by the statement. Celestia withdrew and returned to the others. "What did I say?"

"You offered friendship and compassion," the Gymnast said, "To someone who cannot fathom love."

"She loves you," Celestia said.

"But she doesn't understand it. Everyone who she desires to love her and who should have loved her did not and do not. Yet here are a circle of friends, and they accept what she is. They may fear her, but they can also rely on her to be herself," the Gymnast said, her smile grew sad, "And for all her understanding of everything else, she cannot understand why you all feel that way."

"Because sometimes you need someone ruthless enough to simply get the job done," Luna said.

"And when the job is over?" the Gymnast asked, "Will you still be her friend? That's the part she has a hard time with."

"Why wouldn't I?" Celestia asked, "What would have happened if the Uridimmullu had taken over this ship? Besides, it was the Trickster who set the events in motion, why would I blame her for playing a part you intended to thrust upon her in any case?"

The Gymnast kissed Celestia on the cheek, then walked over to join the Malignant Woman who seemed cheered by her arrival.

There was a vague feeling of completion, and everyone glanced around the bridge area.

"We've arrived," the Malignant Woman announced, and braced herself. She looked around as everyone seemed anxious to secure their stations, turning off a lot of controls judging from the panels going dark.

Only the arrival of Beatrice and the Trickster escorting a pony-like figure seemed to break the 'end of the party' feeling that had gripped everyone. What drew Celestia's eye was the golden orb the pony carried on her head. Somehow, I know what that is, Celestia thought as she and Luna were inexorably drawn forward.

"That's . . . our home?" Luna asked.

"Yes," the pony-like creature said, "But it's incomplete. Tambelon was removed, as were a few other elements. For your service here, it was decided it could be returned to you."

"But it'll take adjustment," the Trickster said, "Like others have said, you'll have to change things. A helpless paradise where nothing new blossoms is as dead as a barren field."

"Will you help us?" Celestia asked as she looked at the Outers, Bright Ones, the Magician and the Trickster, then looked at the Gymnast and the Malignant Woman, "Will you help?"

"My input will not be as pleasant as others," the Malignant Woman said as the Gymnast practically dragged her over to the forming circle.

"I think that your rebellions against a pointless paradise is exactly what is needed. Everyone here strives. They may argue, they may fear, but they all came together to accomplish what none of us could do alone. 'Maybe you're stronger than any of us, but you're not stronger than all of us.' Friendship and growth will counter any darkness you put in, and darkness will be the point of it."

The Malignant Woman nodded and joined the circle. A few took another's hand. The Trickster and Magician, the Gymnast and the Malignant Woman, Beatrice and Matilda, but others remained to themselves. Celestia and Luna stood at opposite poles and concentrated, selecting from the vast soup of ideas and impulses, truths and aspirations among those who stood around them, and melded them with the saccharine brokeness within the 'egg'. Celestia understood she was 'condemning' all who lived there to struggle and hardship, but also rewarding them with growth and satisfaction in true accomplishment. Some who gave up would be ground under, but those who truly mastered would excel. Luna accomplished her part, a more scientific and rational feel than the 'it always works' that had permeated their home.

When they had finished, they stared at the orb. "What now?" Luna asked the question that Celestia almost feared to voice.

"Why I told you all to don't damage the other eggs, is that the universe inside would escape," the Magician said, and handed Celestia a hammer, "A good tap should do. But save the shell, great things can still be done with that."

Celestia took the hammer, glanced at Luna, who nodded, and struck the egg a solid blow, shattering it into pieces. What flowed out was beautiful beyond description, it was home.
------------------------------

Cadence looked at Celestia. "Auntie, that's a very interesting story, but how does it relate to the wounded man?" she asked and looked at Twilight Velvet and Night Light, then at the battered figure wrapped in bandages lying in the bed before them, "And what does it have to do with us?"

"He is the Trickster, he has visited Equestria occasionally, as have many of the others. There were further lessons, or they came to relax, or just to visit with an old friend. The Trickster's last appearance was bearing an Alicorn foal held protectively in one arm, and a sword bloody up to his armpit in the other," Celestia said and looked at Cadence. "He never told us where you came from, but you were welcomed and loved by us all."

Cadence blushed and pawed the rug.

"Maybe from your sister, Luna," Twilight Velvet said, "And wherever her kingdom is."

Celestia pursed her lip, then shook her head. "No, I will explain. The one who brought the Trickster here was the Malignant Woman, now a psychopomp, but he isn't dead, and to a certain extent he cannot die. But with the murder of the Magician, the life has gone out of him. Like my original homeland, he exists without really living."

"And you need us to take him in and give him a home?" Night Light asked.

"In a way. Part of him needs to pass on to be with his beloved, but part of him cannot. I need your help with that portion. Like the original pony home universe, it must be changed. And I'm afraid that events will require the change to be drastic, both for him, and all of Equestria, but most difficult for the three of you," Celestia explained.

"Anything," Cadence said, and the two unicorns nodded.

"Make no promises until I tell you the rest," Celestia said sternly, then in a gentler tone, "And you are free to refuse, this is too important to be a royal proclamation."

"Then it is an act of love and friendship," Cadence said, "If Twilight were here, she'd volunteer right alongside us."

"That is the crux of the problem. My sister, Luna, is not ruling another kingdom far away. She was possessed by the creature Nightmare Moon." Celestia bowed her head. "My fault for not seeing it, until it was too late, but Nightmare seduced then possessed her, and Nightmare Moon is not the candy-gobbling boogeymare of Nightmare Night, but an enemy of all that lives. I could not destroy her, without destroying Luna as well, so I banished her into the moon, where Luna is the strongest, but her return is today. It also cost me the right to use the artifacts Luna and I used to defend Equestria from many other threats. I sent Twilight to find the ancient magic I used to bind Nightmare Moon, in hopes that she, and a band of disparate friends can redeem Luna, not merely reimprison her."

Celestia sighed and paced, circling the figure in the bed. "But the lesson I failed to learn, why the Trickster often played the clown, was to keep people from worshiping him, or fearing him as a god. I have failed to impress Twilight with the he power of Friendship, because she revered me. I tried to be her friend, but I was only her passion."

"What can we do?" Twilight Velvet asked.

"You don't decry that I sent your only child to face a mad Alicorns alone?" Celestia asked.

"If you did it, it must be for the best," Night Light said, "Aren't we here to make sure Twilight has every advantage?"

"Yes," Celestia said and drew out a sliver of golden egg shell. "This could let me rewrite the world. I could not use it on Luna, only she and I can resist its power. It is a terrible power, and one I use only sparingly. But for my sister's redemption, I will risk it and allow it to affect me as well. It is selfish, but I miss her so."

"What are we to do?" Cadence asked.

"I want to give you a son, Twilight an older brother and friend," she said and grinned at Cadence, "And one that would give you an excuse to keep seeing Twilight after your foalsitting was over."

Cadence blushed at that. "I can think of a few advantages."

"He must be Twilight's best friend, someone who had stuck with her. The rest, scholar, soldier, tall, short, burly or lithe I leave to you. He will still have the spirit of the Trickster within, and his knowledge of his many campaigns will be as well-remembered dreams. It is a horrible imposition, and after the spell is cast, he will have always been your son. You have every right to refuse, and I will not blame you if you did."

"The Trickster was quite taken with Luna," Cadence said, "I think she will need a friend as well, when she returns."

Velvet and Light also nodded.

"We can do this," Velvet said, "After the spell, will anyone know?"

"No, even I will 'have always known him'," Celestia said, "To have anyone holding the secret is too much to ask."

"Let's do this," Night Light said.

Celestia nodded and four horns touched the shard. Celestia concentrated only on him being Twilight's best friend, she let those who would have him as a son, and a fiance shape the rest.

"Huh, what?" the unicorn stallion sat up from the bed, "What happened?"

"Shining!!" Cadence shouted and nearly tackled him, "Why do you have to be so reckless." She pouted at him.

He bowed to Celestia and looked at his mother and father. "What happened? I remember missing the chariot taking Twilie to Ponyville."

Cadence frowned. "You tried to chase after it," she told him.

"While your use of magic was impressive son," Night Light said, "Your execution was somewhat lacking."

"Have to do better next time. I guess Twilight will be fine and she can tell us all about her adventure when we see her again."

"Yes, Celestia said, "I am looking forward to it."