Back on the airship, the vessel hovered over the ocean after leaving the Omega Ruins. It was a shock to see the entire island go from its colorfully, candy coated landscape to the original island it once was several hundred years ago, possibly causing some commotion for some who looked looked out to the island. Though the ruins were back to normal and Discord's tormented soul is finally set free, everyone was still busy searching for a way to stop Sin, and again, no results.

As the airship rested somewhere along the southern islands of Spira, gathering supplies for the next takeoff, Rainbow Dash laid on a cloud over the resting vessel as she went back to thinking. Unfortunately, there was still no solution. What she knew was that Sin was connected to her and Jet Stream. Both pegasi are dreams created by all the fayth, mostly the ones on Mt. Gagazet. Faust had created Sin, but what Faust really was only complicated matters as Sin was created by it, from what Celestia said with her final words. Something so powerful that only the Final Aeon could destroy, yet it always came back, where that Final Aeon would become the next Sin.

Rainbow groaned, her head hurting as she kept thinking, wishing for some answer to pop up. Sadly, nothing came, giving up for now as she flew back down into the airship. This was going to be a lot tougher than she thought. She headed down to the bridge to look around Spira some more, looking around for any other unknown spots Twilight or the others didn't know about. Thankfully, Cid wasn't around to constantly nag and pick on her, but seeing how he and Pinkie shared the same randomness, it was highly unlikely she would find any peace.

While boringly scoping around the world, Fluttershy walked in with some fruit she bought while she was in the closest town. "Hi, Rainbow. Find any new places?"

"Hmm? Oh, hey, Flutters." Rainbow stopped looking around and faced the summoner. "And no. For a world this big, I thought there'd be more...you know, places on these other islands scattered from the main stretch of land. I'm guessing Sin destroyed any of those islands in the past?"

"I think so." Fluttershy lowered the bags she carried on her back, setting them down on the ground between them. "I thought maybe we'd have lunch together and brainstorm a way to stop Sin."

"Well, my brain's fried...though, food is good." Rainbow pulled out a fresh apple from the bag and chomped on it, sating her empty stomach. "Is Cid anywhere around? I don't want him poking me with that dumb stick of his."

"He's busy working with the airship's engines to make sure they work fine. I don't think he'll...barge in on us again," Fluttershy said with a slight blush in embarrassment.

"Ugh. Good thing I didn't meet your dad. I'm sure he would have been constantly checking on us over and over every minute." The cyan pegasus finished her apple, tossing the core aside as she fished around for another fruit. Though, as she began thinking about family, Rainbow was a little bit curious about what happened to Fluttershy's mother, seeing her with Kindred when they were in the Farplane. "...So, uhh...Touchy subject I want to go on, but...What happened to your mom?"

"...Oh...Well, you did tell me about...what happened to your mother..." Fluttershy looked down at her hooves, her sadness apparent on her face as she remembered the horrible moment in her life. Rainbow didn't want her to tell her if it was too painful, but after everything they've been through, having their faith and hope known as lies was painful enough. "...I think you can guess what happened..."

"...Sin?" The summoner nodded her head.

"She was heading off to see her family where the Al Bhed were living at in that moment...Then, Sin destroyed the boat she was on...Nopony survived..." Rainbow wanted to punch herself in the face, making her marefriend miserable with recalling the loss of her mother. Fluttershy's loss was worse than hers, killed by the fiend that could never die, while her mother committed suicide because of Jet Stream's disappearance. "After hearing the bad news, my father became a summoner, wanting to end the pain and suffering everypony experienced when Sin shows up..."

"...Fluttershy..." Rainbow pulled Fluttershy in a comforting hug, feeling bad for the poor mare. "You didn't have to tell me...I'm sorry." She gently nuzzled her cheek, rubbing her back to calm the shivering mare. "At least my dad wasn't Sin at that time."

"Mhmm. It happened before I met him..." Fluttershy backed away a little, wiping her tears away. "But what happened to your mother was more sad than mine."

"Don't remind me..." Rainbow grabbed another apple and bit into it, this one more juicy than the last one as it accidentally squirted some on Fluttershy's muzzle. "Oops...Sorry."

Fluttershy brushed her hoof against her nose, but she didn't get most of the juice off her lips. "Did I get it all?"

"...Not really," Rainbow said, grinning a little as Fluttershy smirked. She didn't get it all on purpose, and the pegasus was willing to help. "Here. Let me get it." She leaned forward and planted a kiss on the yellow mare's lips. Fluttershy moaned a little, feeling Rainbow's tongue gently brush against her lips as she licked the apple juice that splashed on her muzzle. To her disappointment, Rainbow pulled away, licking her lips teasingly. "There. Much better."

Fluttershy cheeks flushed heavily, wanting more. "I-I think you missed a spot."

"Oh, did I? I better make sure I'm...thorough with cleaning the mess I made." Rainbow pulled Fluttershy closer and kissed her again, this time more passionate and intimate, the summoner squeaking at the sudden contact.

She instantly relaxed and kissed her lover back, shuddering in bliss as she felt Rainbow's tongue tease her lips. Her cheeks blushed deeper as she opened her mouth a little, allowing the cyan mare's slick organ inside and deepening their kiss. Fluttershy's heart pounded in her chest, feeling Rainbow's tongue gently coaxing hers to play with it. She pressed herself closer as she moaned, wanting to stay like this with her lover forever. Sadly, she needed air, pulling away as she panted, a thin line of their saliva separating from their parted lips.

"W-Wow..." Fluttershy stared at Rainbow with half-lidded eyes, feeling euphoric from the kiss.

"Hay yeah, wow." Rainbow gave the dazed pegasus a light peck on the lips, gently pressing her snout against hers. "We'll work on your lung capacity a little later so you can last a little longer when we make out. Playing blitzball and staying underwater while holding your breath can increase your stamina greatly. I once lasted a full hour underwater, while swimming laps, without coming up for air."

"M-Maybe I should...p-practice," Fluttershy stammered as her cheeks grew brighter.

"You'll get the hang of it. Just takes a lot of time and endur-" Rainbow was suddenly pushed back hard as a pole thrust into her chest, sending her slamming into the window of the cockpit.

Fluttershy leapt back in surprise as Cid had appeared out of nowhere, holding that same pole he used to separate them earlier. "Minimum...space...What of my warning did I say did you not hear, fruit loop!? This pole's distance! Ten feet!"

"Uncle Cid!" The stallion pet Fluttershy's mane, keeping the pole pressed against Rainbow Dash as she slid down the window.

"No need to thank me, buttercup. You good ol' Uncle Cid's got this covered." The summoner groaned, her uncle having ruined her private date with Rainbow Dash.

With the airship packed with supplies, the ship began continuing its cruise across the ocean. Rainbow Dash's eye twitched, occasionally looking at Cid as yet another moment with Fluttershy was ruined by his overprotective nature. She looked around the map again, grumbling to herself until she stumbled upon something interesting that caught her eye near the Calm Lands. Resting in the mountains was what looked like a temple fit for a fayth to rest in, its location surrounded by a large chasm where a rope bridge connected the small mass of land to the canyon.

"What's this place?" Rainbow asked.

"It's...a temple...Wait, where is it?" Twilight asked as she got a closer look at the map. "Near the Calm Lands?...Where exactly...?"

As Twilight pondered which pathway this hidden temple was from the geographical map of Spira, on the viewing feed, the others spotted a pink pegasus flying down from the top of the canyon and landing in front of the temple's doors. "Wait a minute! Is that Cadence!?" The pegasus looked around, revealing that it was indeed the summoner that tested Fluttershy back on the Mi'ihen Highroad and the road toward the Moonflow. "That is Cadence!"

"Who's Cadence?" Cid asked.

"A summoner we met on our journey," Fluttershy answered as they watched her enter the temple. "What's she doing there?"

"Let's find out." With the coordinates set out, Maud steered the airship toward the hidden temple.

The airship hovered near the cliff side where the temple could be accessed, the vessel too big to make a landing in the canyon. Rainbow noticed some pillars that used to hold a bridge located near the entrance to the vast plains from Bevelle. The supports were destroyed by something and had been that way for several years, no one bothering to repair it for others to access this hidden temple.

As they reached the canyon, they carefully crossed the rope bridge, surprisingly intact, making it to the temple. Rainbow Dash opened the doors, though instead of the interior looking decrepit from lack of use, it looked like it was recently renovated. The torches were lit with a pink flames, lighting up the abandoned temple with a warm glow, decorated with some plants and heart shaped ornaments.

"Wow. This looks like some sort of love den," Rainbow said.

"Love den!?" Pinkie asked, rubbing her hooves together with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She pulled out a table and a couple chairs from out of nowhere, placing some romantic decor on the table while planting Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy in the seats. The Al Bhed quickly ran behind a pillar and back to the table, wearing a waiter's uniform with a fake moustache, playing a romantic song on a violin she pulled out of her mane. "Time for these two to finally have a romantic moment. EVERYPONY ELSE OUT!"

Before Rainbow could yell at Pinkie for putting her and Fluttershy up on a rushed date, a powerful energy wave flew at them and shattered the table, sending both pegasi flying out of their seats and Pinkie fleeing for her life. Before the others could defend themselves from whatever is attacking them, a fast orange blur sped by all of them, and it was faster than Rainbow Dash. It knocked them all together in the center of the room, too fast to avoid. They weren't able to escape after being grouped up, becoming paralyzed as a green aura enveloped them.

Their attackers finally appeared in a triangle formation around them, three mares as tall as Spike surrounding them. Each of their faces were concealed by a red scarf connected to a cape that billowed behind them, though their eyes were visible underneath their long, differently styled manes. One of them was a yellow earth pony with a red mane, wearing a long pink bow. One was an orange pegasus with a wild and messy purple mane, her wings three times larger than a common pegasus's wings. And the last of the trio was a white unicorn with a light pink and fuchsia swirled mane, her horn twice as long and sharper than a normal unicorn's, the same green aura around her horn that was binding the party in place.

"Who dares enter this forbidden land!?" Cadence walked in from one of the adjacent rooms next to the door leading to the chamber of the fayth in the temple. The moment she spotted Fluttershy and her guardians, she stared at them in shock. "...Lady Fluttershy? And her guardians?" With a wave of her hoof, she commanded the three mares to back away, the unicorn's magic freezing them in place dispelling and freeing them. "What are you all doing here?"

"I think we should ask you the same thing, Lady Cadence," Fluttershy said, the group watching the three taller mares walking behind the pink summoner, standing stoic like soldiers.

"I made sure that passage leading here was destroyed..." She looked down at her hooves, then looked back up at her guests. "To think I could have murdered Kindred Heart's daughter, just to protect this place from her curious eyes."

"'Murdered?'" The group stared at Cadence in shock, unable to believe somepony as nice as her would be that willing to kill anyone. "...What are you talking about? What is this place?"

"...This place is known as Remiem Temple. This place was well known in the Calm Lands several hundred years ago...but Sin made this land lost to all of Spira one day. Once it attacked the Calm Lands, one of its attacks managed to reach what used to be a cavernous city, the temple spared while several lives were lost and the area closed off by the canyons to hide the devastation." Cadence bowed her head, as well as the three mares, all four of them shedding a tear. "I grew up here, along with these three aeons."

"Aeons?" Rainbow looked at the taller mares behind Cadence, all of them unable to believe they were aeons by how normal they seemed, the only difference being their height and longer appendages.

"Yes...Though they look like strong mares, they are only three young fillies. I was actually a witness to them becoming the fayth, their sacrifice heartbreaking to me as I had raised these three when they were orphaned from a terrible war in the Calm Lands." Cadence wiped away her moist eyes, looking at the door to the Chamber of the Fayth. A blue heart shaped barrier glowed in front of the door, preventing others from attempting to access the chamber. "It was...horrible...knowing just how cruel ponies can be when they seek power...Even from three fillies who are innocent to the pain of the world."

"But...if you're still here after several hundred years...?" Twilight questioned, only to realize Cadence had been hiding a secret similar to Star Swirl.

"I am unsent, unable to pass away after living through the pain I had witnessed." Cadence closed her eyes as spirits flew out from her body. "Remiem had suffered from Sin, a power struggle against two tribes who wanted to claim land, and even robbers who wish to steal everything that was sacred to this once known temple. The first two I was unable to prevent, but..." She looked down at her hooves again, the pink coat on her forelegs slowly turning a dark red, the scent of blood filling the air. "I was not going to let anypony hurt this land, or use these three fillies' power to their own misdeeds. Though it's not in my nature, I had to preserve this land from being tainted by the liars of Bevelle and those wishing to abuse their fayth's power..."

"...Were you...going to kill us?" Fluttershy asked.

"...How can I? When you are the one pony who just might end everypony's suffering?" The blood disappeared from Cadence's hooves as she called the spirits back in her body. "These three told me they felt the Final Summoning has been destroyed, Celestia slain and Sin's rebirth would finally end after a thousand long years...From the moment we fought using our aeons, Fluttershy, I knew you were the one pony I feel could very well stop this spiral of death. I'm sure you've used the Summoner's Soul to your advantage, taking care of your aeons like they were loyal pets as if they were your family."

Fluttershy nodded, pulling out the special stone Cadence had given her. "It has helped us in the past...My aeons were stronger than any others thanks to you." She put away the stone and pulled out her staff. "If you wish, I can send you and end your pain."

In an instant, the three mares immediately stood in front of Cadence in a threatening stance, protecting the unsent pegasus. "Girls, calm yourselves," she calmly said, the aeons hesitating slightly before they stood down and wilted, thinking they had upset her. "I know you three don't want me to go, but I'm not supposed to be among the living anymore..."

The three looked at Cadence, the earth pony unveiling her face wrapped by her scarf. On her cheeks were glowing symbols: on her left was a heart while on the right was a shield with an apple on the inside.

"We don't want ya to go to the Farplane," she said, sounding more like a young filly than a grown mare, her being able to speak surprising the party. "Ya'll deserve to be here."

The other two took their scarves off, both their left cheeks showing a similar heart like the earth pony aeon's. Though on their right, the insides of their shields were different: a music note in the unicorn's and a lightning bolt in the pegasus's.

"You don't want anypony else here after what Bevelle tried to do back then," the pegasus said, her voice just as young as the earth pony's. "After what that priest did to us that made us like this! I knew we shouldn't have trusted him and and those other stallions!"

"We know you didn't want us to become like this," the unicorn said, another young filly voice as she spoke. "Being forced to watch as...as Celestia did this to us...I'm glad she's dead, and we don't want anypony else here in our home...I don't want the same thing to happen again."

"I know, girls." Cadence pulled the three aeons into a group hug. "All of our pain will end soon...even yours. She's the one who will finally end everypony's suffering." The four mares looked at the group, though more specifically at Rainbow Dash. Cadence broke the hug as she stepped forward. "Before you send me, Fluttershy, I would like to have one more duel with you."

"Another duel?" The pink pegasus nodded.

"This will be your final test. As I had traveled to other temples and trained the other available aeons I was able to acquire, none of them are as powerful as my fillies: Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo." The three aeons stepped forward, prepared to fight as they await their summoner's/caretaker's command. "They are the Cutie Mark Crusaders, three powerful fillies with unique abilities and work together as one. If you can stop them with the aeons you have with you, then I will allow you to send me and gain the power to use these fillies. Out of every summoner I have met on my hundreds of years of traveling, you are the only one I can trust to take care of them until you beat Sin once and for all."

"...Ok." The guardians backed away to give the summoners room for the aeons to fight. Fluttershy summoned Valefor, the avian flying through the ceiling as it hovered beside the yellow pegasus. "Cadence, if I do beat you, I promise I will keep this place a secret and keep your girls safe, only using their power for my defense and to help others."

"I know. Thank you. Now, let's begin." The party of three aeons began casting spells on themselves to make their fight more troublesome for their opponent, increasing their speed and their defenses in both physical and magical spells.

The duel began as Valefor let out a screech, swooping down to attack them. Apple Bloom stood up and blocked the avian, holding it back and leaving it open to her teammates. Scootaloo flapped her wings and sped off around the room, beating Valefor with her hooves at a rapid pace, while Sweetie Belle cast a multitude of powerful spells. The aeon was able to break free from Apple Bloom's grip, pecking her hard in the face and flapping away, shooting a powerful sonic boom from its wings. The force of wind managed to disrupt Scootaloo's flight as she fell into Sweetie Belle, interrupting her spellcasting.

Valefor flipped her head and caused a glyph to appear before her, charging her energy beam and shooting into it to send out a barrage of explosive bolts down on the Cutie Mark Crusaders. As the smoke cleared, barely any of them took much damage as Apple Bloom stood before her comrades, a barricade of stone shielding them from the explosions. Taking the earth-made dome, the earth pony punched it into the avian, making Valefor shriek as it hit the wall, pinned back by the heavy piece of stone. She then manipulated the earth, shattering it to pieces by a stomp of her hoof and sending the several sharp shards deep in Valefor's body, defeating her and making it disappear.

Fluttershy was astonished at the power the three aeons had, working together as one and protecting each other from harm. Even if they were powerful summons, they had stamina to burn, and if she planned her strategies well, she could take them down by exhausting them of their mana and strength. She summoned Ifrit and continued, not wanting to yield and prove to Cadence she can keep her promise and defeat Sin when they find a way. As the battle kept going, Cadence began looking back on her memories, recollecting the moments where her happiness turned to sorrow and despair.

Cadence walked along the bridge leading to the temple, humming a little tune as she carried a few bags of groceries on her back. She looked around at the canyon walls, seeing ponies going about their business in the peaceful cavernous city of Remiem. Though many ponies that grew up in this city live in peace, some had unfortunately met the untimely demise of a war that happened recently, leaving some of the foals orphaned. The pegasus offered to take care of all of those who had lost their families, becoming a big sister to the colts and fillies she helped raise.

She walked along the inside of the caverns to where she lived, along with the dozens of foals playing games with each other like the siblings they became to each other. It was a struggle for her to take care of so many children, but she loved her job and the little ones looked up to her like they were her second mother. As she reached the kitchen, she spotted her three helpers and the first of three foals she took in: Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle.

"Cadence!" The three nearly tackled the pegasus over as she giggled, hugging them tightly.

"There you three are. I was about to get you girls. Want to help me make lunch for us?" The trio were highly eager to help as they bounced around her.

"Yeah! And maybe we'll get a cutie mark in cooking!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, making Cadence roll her eyes with their antics.

"Still no luck finding those special talents of yours, huh?" They shook their heads as the older mare laid out the food she got. "I'm sure you'll find something you're good at. Don't let your youth go to waste."

"Less talkin' and more cookin'!" Apple Bloom said, grabbing some fresh apples. "Oooh. Can we make apple pie tonight!?"

"Hmmm...Apple pie...I think there's enough apples to make a big enough one for everypony." Cadence began to think, making the fillies' anticipation heighten. "...Ok. Apple pie for dessert it is!"

"Yay!" they cheered as they helped prep the food.

Their happiness today would end up in horror as the entire canyon quaked violently, screams outside the caves alerting everyone inside of something. From the Calm Lands, a summoner was fighting Sin, and it shot a powerful beam at Remiem. As it struck, the whole place began to crumble as many ponies were unfortunate to get caught in the beam and disintegrate into nothing while others were crushed under the crumbling rocks and debris from the ceilings.

Cadence pulled Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo close to her as she cast a powerful barrier around them, shielding them all from the cave in of her home. Tears streamed down the mare's eyes as she heard the screams of the foals in the other room cry out for her help, only to hear nothing but the crumbling canyon city. After what felt like an eternity, the canyon ceased shaking, her magic keeping them safe, but leaving her guilty with the others lives she failed to save.

Keeping the three scared fillies close to her, she slowly pushed through the heavy rocks and broken bodies of the colts and fillies unfortunately buried from the catastrophic quake. After about an hour shoving her way out of the entrance to her home, the four ponies stared in horror as they heard nothing but silence. The only thing left standing was Remiem Temple, still intact, while the canyon city was nothing but rubble. She guided Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo inside the temple, their home left with nothing except for broken furniture and mangled bodies of their friends. She tried to stay strong for them, but when she entered the second available room in the temple, Cadence broke down and sobbed, losing everything and the colts and fillies she failed to protect.

Months passed after the horrible incident, their lives in despair as they tried to continue living peacefully in the temple they now call home. As Cadence was preparing breakfast for her and the three fillies she did save, she ended up buying more food than needed, an impulse from taking care of so many foals and feeding the several mouths she loved to feed. It hurt her and haunted her every single day, wishing none of this happened. As she was about to bring breakfast to the fillies, she heard the doors of the temple open, finding a few mysterious stallions walking in.

"Can I help you?" she asked, wondering if they were tavelers seeking refuge.

"Sorry. We didn't realize there would be anypony here," one of them said, the leader a priest and his subordinates wearing warrior monk armor and helmets, concealing their identities. "This place seemed empty, but there does seem to be some locals here after all."

"...I'm sorry to say this, but it is empty," Cadence sadly said. "We...suffered a traumatizing event a few months ago...There are only four of us left here in Remiem."

"...I see...I am sorry for your loss. Praise be to Faust." The stallions offered a prayer to the mare, though it didn't seem to lift her spirits. "Why have you not come to a safer place, like Bevelle for instance?"

"This place is my home. I can't leave it, no matter how quiet it is..." Cadence sighed. "If you need shelter, you're allowed to stay. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to feed my three fillies."

"Actually, miss, maybe there's a way we can help you." The mare froze as she looked at the priest. "We heard in Zanarkand, there was a powerful summoner who lives there who can grant wishes to those with a terrible past. She might be able to bring life back to your home, erase the tragedies that have befallen you and your girls."

She didn't notice the conniving grins on the stallions' faces as she looked at the room where the fillies were still sleeping in. She wanted Remiem to be lively again, everypony to be back from the dead, especially her children she couldn't save. Blinded by hope, she agreed and set off for Zanarkand the next day with her entourage, bringing Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo with them.

Being a reclusive city, Cadence had no knowledge of what Zanarkand was like or how dangerous it was. She was confused when she and the fillies saw the ruins of what used to be a grand city. They were protected by the warrior monks and priest, unaware of what they had planned for them. As soon as they reached the stadium, they were greeted by Celestia after dealing with her tests.

"None of you are summoners. Why are you here?" Celestia asked as she leered at the intruders.

"...A-Are you the summoner who can help me?" Cadence asked, receiving a strange look from the powerful summoner.

"...Help you? With what?" she questioned.

"These gentlecolts...they told me you could grant wishes to those with a tragic past. My home of Remiem was destroyed months ago, and many ponies have died...I-I wish...everypony didn't die in the horrible catastrophe." Cadence bowed her head, but heard dark chuckles come from the stallions.

"...Who said such foolish lies?" Celestia asked, confusing Cadence and the fillies.

"B-But they said-" Cadence yelped as the priest smacked her hard in the back of the head with his metal staff.

"Cadence!" The fillies tried to help their caretaker, only to be held back by the warrior monks. "Urgh! Let us go, you liars!"

Scootaloo was quickly silenced as one of them held a machina rifle against her head. The priest chuckled, grabbing Cadence's mane and pulling her head up forcefully.

"You are the most gullible pony in all of Spira. Nothing can bring back the dead. Not even a dead city." He kept a firm grip on Cadence's hair as he looked at Celestia. "Lady Celestia, make this mare a fayth so that I may wield the strongest aeon beneath your Final Aeon!"

As Cadence stopped seeing stars, hearing what the priest was trying to do to her, she looked at Celestia, who was actually grinning at the request. "Now that is something I can do." Her grin slowly melted into a frown as her aura examined the pegasus. "...Unfortunately, this mare does not have the power you seek. She is frail and weakhearted from her losses."

"What!?" The priest tossed Cadence aside, another monk holding her back before she could try to get away. "I came all this way to Zanarkand to receive a powerful aeon, and she is worthless!? I don't wish to fight Sin! I just want control of Spira!"

"Then there must be another sacrifice." Celestia looked over the other stallions, only finding them unsuitable to becoming a fayth. But as she looked at the three fillies, she grinned. "...And those three little fillies are perfect to become your desired fayth."

"The three brats?" The priest looked at the terrified fillies, his smirk growing wider, taking what he can after getting this far. "...Very well. Make it so, Lady Celestia."

"No! Don't hurt them!" Cadence shouted as she began struggling out of the stallion's grip on her. "Please! Just take me! Let them go!"

"Shut up!" One of the monks slammed the butt of his weapon into Cadence's head, silencing her complaints as the priest dragged Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo up to Celestia.

Celestia's eyes began glowing as her golden aura surrounded the scared fillies. Cadence was forced to watch as the fillies screamed in terror, their voices dying as they were molded together to form the fayth they were being turned into. As the light faded, the fayth statue was created: the three fillies were in a triangle formation, their forelegs outstretched to touch each other's hooves, a shield in the center of the statue with a heart inside of it. With Remiem Temple as Celestia's chosen location for the fayth, she teleported the stallions and distraught mare back to the temple, the statue of the fillies placed inside of the empty chamber inside the temple.

Cadence wept as she was lied to, betrayed by the stallions who promised to help her, and killed the last of her foals. She didn't hear their laughter or words, too lost in her sorrow to fight back. She was blindfolded and forced to move forward, being lead out the door and left to stand at the edge of the platform. Her wings were tied tightly to her sides, feeling the edge where the deep chasm lied at several hundred yards from where she stood, a fatal fall to anypony.

"Thanks for the new base for our world conquest, missy," the priest said. "We'll end your suffering. All you'll feel is a little pain, but it'll be swift. We'll take good care of our new slaves."

The monks held up their rifles and aimed them at the depressed pegasus. She heard several loud bangs, gasping as she felt a couple sharp pains strike her body, falling over the edge as she lost her strength from being shot by the traitors. She felt her life fade before she hit the ground, her tumbling body smacking the ground as the sharp rocks cut her bonds, her lifeless body in a crumbled heap in the darkness of the pit that was once Remiem.

After some time, she felt air return to her lungs, her eyes still blinded by the blindfold the monks put around her. She untied it and regained her sight, surprised she was alive, but the memory of what happened to her came flooding back like a tidal wave. Her sorrow crashed down on her, as well as something she had never felt in her entire life: anger, hatred, rage. Whatever wounds she was inflicted with earlier were gone as she looked up at where she fell.

Flapping her wings, she flew up and saw the state of Remiem Temple littered with machina weapons, her home defiled by the stallions that she trusted in her depression. She heard the sounds of some kind of party coming from inside, her ears twitching as her anger grew, recognizing a few of the voices of the stallions that killed her and turned her fillies into a fayth. She slammed the doors open, silencing the party as several more monks were with the priest, staring at the enraged mare in shock.

"W-What the...? How did you live!?" Cadence didn't answer, glaring daggers at the backstabbing, smug stallion. He stood up, no longer surprised by her survival. "I guess it doesn't matter, fiend. You won't survive once you see the power I've gained from those little fillies."

He then summoned the new aeons, an orange feather, a pink bow, and a green sphere appearing around the priest in a triangular formation with him in the center. A blast of earth erupted under the bow, the feather exploded into several, and the sphere burst into a bright light, revealing the now transformed fillies as the aeons they were. Obeying their summoner's will, they leapt forward to defend him, their eyes widening as the fillies saw Cadence as their opponent.

"...Girls..." Cadence saw the new looks they had, almost looking like adults. Their capes were something the mare knew all too well, as they were a symbol of their little club to find their cutie marks before losing everything. Their faces were masked with scarves, but she could see the pleading look in their eyes. They were forced to listen to a stallion that hurt them all and got her killed, having done terrible things under his control. "...You sick, twisted stallion...Look at what you did to them."

"I turned them into the most powerful weapons in all of Spira. Sooner or later, Bevelle will fall, and I will begin my conquest to control this world before Sin destroys it all." The corrupted priest thrust his hoof at her. "Kill her, this time for good!" A moment had passed, but the mares ignored him. "...I said KILL HER!" No response. The priest growled, pulling out a machina rifle and shoving Apple Bloom aside. "Worthless little brats! I'll kill her myself!"

Before he could pull the trigger, Scootaloo slammed the weapon out of his hoof with incredible speed, shocking the stallion before he was punched in the face by the pegasus. As he was flung back into the other monks, the three aeons glared angrily at them, tears running down their faces. They took down their scarves, revealing the heart shaped marks and individually unique shield marks on their cheeks, their faces glowing brightly as they unleashed their devastating combination attack.

The glow brightened as all of them, including Cadence, were now in a spacial realm. The stallions all tried to escape, only for a barrier to form around them, trapping them inside as an intangible prism surrounded their prison. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo flew up in the air, Cadence floating up with them as they hovered over the panicked monks and priest, forming a triangle with the pegasus mare in the middle. Sweetie Belle cast a protective barrier around all of them, a pink heart floating around the magical shield as Apple Bloom formed a powerful ball of energy in her hoof.

She threw it up at a ball of light above them, shooting down red, blue, and yellow lights into the aeons as a triangular beam began to form under their power. Cadence watched in awe as the white light grew brighter, seeing a pink heart form in the center. The fillies disappeared in the light as the triangle came together into an orb of light, shooting a powerful beam down on the scared stallions watching in horror. As soon as it touched the prism, it caused a massive chain reaction of explosions, their screams of agony quickly disappearing as they all suffered a very painful death. Cadence was spared from the blasts under her fillies' protection, the realm disappearing as they returned back to the inside of the temple.

With their summoner dead, no bodies remaining in the flurry of lights slowly fading away, the aeons began to fade away, each leaving behind a teardrop as it fell down their cheeks and dripped to the stone floor. Cadence slowly approached what she knew was an empty room they never used before this happened, she walked inside and saw the fayth statue that held the fillies' spirits. Tears fell down her face, her guilt weighing heavily in her heart as she put them in danger.

"Oh girls...I'm so sorry...It's all my fault..." Her tears fell on the glass dome, the illusions of the fillies appearing before her. They had tears rolling down their cheeks, happy to see Cadence again, but miserable at the fate that befell them. "Come here, girls."

The trio flew into Cadence, giving her the power to summon them at will. She exited the chamber and summoned Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, the four ponies hugging each other tightly as they were reunited in a teary embrace. They had each other, but with the fates given to them, they shouldn't have existed. Unable to trust anypony after being betrayed, they didn't want to suffer the same pain they had before.

Cadence sealed the Chamber of the Fayth with her magic, which could only be broken unless she disappears for good. Any of the foolish ponies who dared to enter their home would have faced death, either by Cadence's hooves or by the Cutie Mark Crusaders, especially those who hail from Bevelle, the city of deceit and con artists who only wish to seek power. To make her message known, Cadence even destroyed the bridge leading to Remiem, her home no longer a safe haven for travelers. They hoped that, one day, Spira will stop falling into chaos and somepony who is truly trustworthy will be allowed to be considered their friend, Cadence traveling across the world to challenge any who would be worthy, using the other aeons from the other temples and keeping her girls' aeons a secret from those who only seek their power.

Hearing the sound of Anima screeching in agony as the aeon disappeared brought Cadence out of her thoughts. She knew the Cutie mark Crusaders were capable of dealing with a fight on their own, though she knew they had their limits. The trio were growing exhausted as they had dealt with Fluttershy's other aeons: Ifrit was able to do a great amount of damage to them before Sweetie Belle killed it with a powerful Blizzaga spell, Odin matched them in speed even with the heavy armor he wore, bested by Apple Bloom's strength, and Shiva was able to counter the unicorn aeon's magical spells, quickly beaten by Scootaloo's superior speed. Anima did the most damage, being the most resilient along while being the most dangerous with her powerful, deadly blast of energy shot out from her eye.

The three of them were heavily exhausted, trying their hardest not to lose, but their strength was beginning to fade. They were completely out of mana to heal or use special abilities to take out their bigger opponents, and they had just unleashed their combined Overdrive on Anima. They wouldn't last long, and Fluttershy's aeons had grown stronger since the last time she fought her. The yellow pegasus had one last aeon left in her arsenal, summoning Bahamut to end the duel. The dragon aeon roared as it unleashed a barrage of dark orbs upon them, the attack exploding as they made contact with the fillies, the last of their strength gone as they were defeated.

They collapsed beside Cadence as they slowly began to disappear. They lost, but she knew they tried their hardest, Fluttershy a far superior summoner than she was. She patted each of them on the head, glad to have them fight at their strongest with their close bond for several hundred years. The aeons shed tears, knowing this will be the last time they will ever see her again. As they had finally left from their defeat, Cadence looked up at Fluttershy, bowing her head.

"You win. I am glad to have fought against you, Summoner Fluttershy." She lifted her head back up, a sad smile on her face as tears flowed down her cheeks. "You have surpassed my skills as a summoner. I've stayed my welcome in Spira for far too long...I'm ready to be sent now." Fluttershy nodded and stepped forward, performing the sending for the unsent mare, spirits beginning to fly out of her. "Girls...I'll see you soon...In the Farplane...Take care of them for me..."

Cadence disappeared as her restless soul was sent to the Farplane, freed of her guilt and pain, entrusting her home and fillies in Fluttershy's hooves. With the mare now gone, the barrier blocking the Chamber of the Fayth was no longer active, allowing access to the group. They entered the chamber and saw the fayth of the three aeons, only being fillies, but their friendship kept them inseparable and gave them incredible strength. Fluttershy prayed to the fayth, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo appearing before them.

"Ya'll bested us and won...But if Cadence trusts you...then we can too," Apple Bloom said, the trio already missing the pegasus.

"We didn't want to lose...It's just not fair," Scootaloo pouted.

"I'm sorry," the summoner apologized. "I'd like to ask you three something that may give us some ideas on how to beat Sin. Is there anything we can do to weaken Sin?"

"We don't know," Sweetie Belle answered. "We don't have as much contact with the other fayth. We always stayed with Cadence as she summoned us, staying as a family."

"But she said you guys have what it takes to stop all this," Scootaloo responded as she leered at them. "Beat that thing soon so we can see Cadence again, or else I'll kick all your plots to the moon!"

"Don't worry. We'll stop Sin. I promise." Holding true to her word, the fillies flew into Fluttershy, giving them their aeon.

With no other possible leads, the group headed out and left Remiem Temple. Making sure nopony else would ever stumble on this hidden land for others to defile it and misuse the Cutie Mark Crusaders, they blocked off the passage leading to the rope bridge with heavy boulders. Even though they couldn't find any help in Remiem, they at least eased another troubled soul by keeping the ruined city a secret from the rest of the world. The party had another resolve to stop Sin and end all of Spira's pain and suffering.

Down in the caverns of the stolen fayth, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash appeared in front of Yojimbo's statue, both mares a little irritated and tired as they and the rest of their friends spent countless hours killing fiends and taking the dropped Gil they left behind. The stallion appeared before them, but before he could speak, Rainbow through a massive bag of Gil at his hooves.

"Here's your stupid money," Rainbow said in annoyance. "Join us. Now."

"...Very well. You have met my quota. I am honored to-" Rainbow stomped her hooves, interrupting the fayth.

"JUST JOIN US ALREADY! WE HAD A LONG DAY!" the pegasus shouted.

Without another word, Yojimbo gave Fluttershy his power to summon him when needed, the bag of Gil disappearing along with him. "At least we have all the aeons we know about."

"I swear, if there is one more we don't know about, I am going to bang my head against the wall of the airship until I get a concussion! Let's get out of here and sleep." The two left the caverns, not wanting to be in this dangerous place any further and headed back to the airship, finding obtaining the cheap aeon nothing but an annoying chore as the stallion cared only about filling his pockets. Next Chapter: Chapter 48: Finding a Plan Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 49 Minutes