Late Afternoon
December 25th, 71 BNM
Citadel, main hall

Hearth’s Warming Heath.
Even in the Citadel the holiday was celebrated. However, the air of imposing presence that was barely felt across the fortress didn’t completely vanish.
The main hall had been converted to a dining area for the guards, staff and even some of their families for those that had them to attend. A banquet was held in honour of the holiday, and in honour of the current state of advantage the Nationalists they allied with were in. The front doors were open, and the festivities and light music playing from some guards with their instruments echoed into the setting skies, winter’s early sunsets clear to behold now.
But the moment Siral had emerged, even just to walk through the hall to another room, the hall fell eerily silent, even before he came into view. His very presence seemed felt by all, even the visiting family members to a lesser extent. All except for his closest servants visiting.
Teal Quirt followed Siral, in her Unicorn form, she was not one for outward festivities, yet she seemed more at ease than any of the guards and visitors that seemed at attention, or in awe, as Siral briefly passed through the hall like a ghost.
Yet near the end of the hall, a Brown Alicorn stallion with blue wings couldn’t help but feel an air of apprehension in the hall as Siral and his 2nd passed. Gaudium felt the air itself still.
It wasn’t until the black wizard had passed up the stairwell to the upper levels with Teal Quirt, presumably to his offices, that the festivities resumed.
What was most disturbing was that this seemed utterly natural, nobody talked about the imposing self-silence that came with Siral’s entry and exit.
Casting his gaze around, politely excusing himself while the band played folk tunes in the hall, Gaudium noticed the others who were present.
Iena and Satio were still at the Trumanes for their reasons, and Odi-Viscer and Golmov were off doing whatever they wished. Unlike last year’s Hearth’s, one which Gaudium hadn’t been present for, this year was much more sombre, divisive.
And the only other Gaudium saw was acting her usual reserved self now, but he saw the look of trepidation, avoiding Siral’s vision, as he passed. Lady Ave-Dol had made herself scarce as the Wizard passed by.
Enough was enough.
Gaudium made to follow Lady Ave-Dol out the main doors, up to the outer castle rampart she’d clearly fled to for some air.

Citadel, Castle wall rampart

She heard him coming, as he flapped his blue wings to land beside her. She was transformed in her normal light blue and blond Alicorn form, her mind also trying to keep her inner self in check amidst what turmoil was constant. Turmoil Gaudium had picked up on long ago but only now had the motive to question her:
“Seems odd, how obedient they all are to him. Nopony ever seems to really say anything bad about him, not even jokingly. I know some ponies are close to saints, but everypony has something to poke fun at…”
Gaudium stared out at the lake as he pondered this aloud, while beside him, the normal looking light blue Alicorn stifled some hidden fretting as she flicked her blond mane aside. Lady Ave-Dol knew why they were obedient, she had seen enough, heard enough, be it hinted, or said to her face directly.
Siral had his means of influencing the mind, potions mostly, and one sip was all it took to place that connection he needed. She had been herself to never drink or eat anything unless she gathered it herself. It had become a paranoia she hid all too well.
But it hadn’t gone unnoticed by the insightful Brown Alicorn male, and tonight had been too blatant to ignore.
“And speaking of odd, I know mares can be concerned about their figure, but you haven’t eaten or drunk anything at all, even on this day of all days.”
“Well, like you said, I care about my figure.”
“Coming from one who can alter her appearance to some glowing feather maned form, and once lived out in nature alone? Spare me Ave-Dol.”
Gaudium grew concerned, but his tone was borderline accusatory, but in the most gentle of ways:
“What is troubling you? Is it Siral? Do not think I haven’t noticed you’ve been nervous and even flat out sad around him.”
Ave-Dol stared at the brown Alicorn before her, his light blue wings flexing ever so slightly as he waited for an answer.
“I’d rather not say Gaudium… It is nothing for you to be concerned about.”
“It is when it makes you deprive yourself for some reason. Please Ave-Dol, I care about you, the others all care about you in their own ways, they’ve noticed too.”
“They shouldn’t worry about me, I will be fine after some time…”
“4 months and you are still like this. Something is eating you, because you clearly are not eating much for yourself.”
Gaudium turned away, while Lady Ave-Dol wrestled with herself. If she told Gaudium, he would be targeted by Siral, and she would be as well before she could find any not swayed by Siral’s methods and turn them on him.
The brown Alicorn artisan murmured to her, back still turned: “When I came here, you took me under your wing before the others, helped me after my family was lost at Trottingham. Seems like a lifetime ago, 8 months… I was distant with them, I don’t want it to be the same with you…”
At Gaudium’s admittance, Ave-Dol’s heart nearly broke, as the brown Alicorn took her silence as a sign to leave. At the last moment, she let loose something:
“Gaudium, wait.”
The Alicorn turned to her, but she could only admit this much, even as her voice cracked slightly:
“I, I have my own secrets, but this is something I must deal with on my own. I wish I could tell you, truly I do, but I cannot. I won’t let you or the others get involved.”
“Involved in what?” Gaudium probed, to which Ave-Dol knew she’d said too much.
“Forgive me, this is my problem.” Ave-Dol quickly murmured, as she wandered off briskly without letting Gaudium even get a word in. Even as he teleported in front of her in a flash of blue, she simply brushed right by him, her wing flaring out to push him aside.
“Ave, wait!”
But she was gone, as Ave-Dol then suddenly teleported away in a flash of light blue before Gaudium’s eyes.
The Alicorn stallion stood there, stunned, puzzled, and saddened. Yet amongst it all, he was worried, as what was bothering Lady Ave-Dol was to do with him and the others.
And Siral was tied to it somehow. He knew something.

Evening
Citadel, Siral’s office

The black Unicorn scratched one of his many mosaic like scar marks on his neck as he looked over the map. Beside him, as his defacto second, Tea Quirt stood in her hybrid form, her scorpion claws pouring over the map of the Everfree forest on the board nearby.
The map Siral looked at showed Equestria’s mountain range around Tartarus, and another showed the maps of Tartarus itself. Oddly though, he had many drawn marks on it, yet a few circled areas with question marks on them.
“I don’t know what your game is Starswirl, but you won’t have that fortress to flock to for the archives or whatever it is before midsummer. Still, at least you’ve become predictable in your behaviour.”
Sitting back, Siral looked to another board, as a map of Everfree Forest and a small sketched image of the Salamander Chack, and a few dead end trails, vanished into the forest, marked with a large question mark.
“The failed exemplar’s disappearance into the Forest is something else however. He’s not dead, too skilled a warrior for that. Forget kindness, you should call him a champion of vanishing…”
“Do you have to speak as if I’m not here?” Teal Quirt asked, having stared at Siral oddly as he seemed unaware of her presence.
Shaking it off, Siral replied to the sceptical looking hybrid and former Unicorn:
“Sorry, I speak aloud, it helps me think better.”
“Wizards…” Teal murmured, as she used the notes Siral leant her to trace any signs of the Salamander in the forest.
Bending over the map of Tartarus, Starswirl was sure to chart out the plan of-:
“Siral!”
The Black Wizard nearly yelped as the maps went flying in shock, a blue flash appearing at the end of his office with an impatient call of his name.
Beside him, before the light even reached its peak, Teal acted instinctively, disappearing in a green flash from the room, the notepad dropping like a rock from where she stood to clatter to the ground. The visitor never even knew she had been there milliseconds before he arrived.
The Wizard stifled his heartbeat, staring at the slowly walking brown Alicorn with increasing irritation:
“Explain nearly shocking me into an early grave Gaudium, with haste…”
“Ave-Dol’s depressed state in past months.”
“Has she not told you it is her issue to work out?”
“Not when I heard it is about something you and she know, something that has to do with a risk to me and the 5 others.” Gaudium probed.
Siral was quiet, staring at the brown Alicorn before him, the very quick flash of suspicion in his eyes giving to a feigned look of concern, as he let Gaudium continue:
“You’ve changed Siral, and not in the good way. You’ve been gathering followers for the war cause, that’s fine. But they seem to revere you so strongly, are you hiding secrets from us?
As Gaudium finished, the Black Unicorn hung his head, admitting softly while wearing that mask of solemnity over his conniving state:
“I had hoped not to let this slip. It is a personal embarrassment, but also a risk to you all. If the enemy were to find out…”
“Find out what?”
With a sigh, Siral began. He’d rehearsed this, he’d prepared, and it was half the truth, as all the greatest lies were.
“The others, Ave-Dol included, are not as perfect beings as I would like. There is something in their creation, a flaw, and the right spell could bring all 6 down easier than even a normal mortal. As for the euphoric state of some of my followers, I admit, I have been, seeding their drinks with something meant for those 6. A cure, and when it came to my followers, I had to be certain in the least it did no harm whatever its outcome, success or not.”
“You were using them as tests?” Gaudium looked disgusted, to which Siral was desperate looking, coming around the desk as he seemed to plead to the younger Alicorn:
“Gaudium, I was desperate to protect those 6 and their lives. If I perfect this, they will be as much as I promised. But Lady Ave-Dol is paranoid, she knows I’m testing on food and drink in secret, and she won’t eat or drink unless she gets it herself. But in truth I have not once used it on her or the others, not even you. What the cure does is it uses body functions that inspire euphoria to spread itself, that is why those I test on more thoroughly appear enthusiastic, their servitude is already there, just made more blatant in their support.”
The brown Alicorn looked at the older Unicorn, a degree of understanding behind his red eyes. But the Unicorn pointed at Gaudium excitedly, as behind them the maps of Tartarus rolled themselves up and were shuffled out of view without Gaudium’s knowledge:
“But you, I was wishing to speak to you anyway about this. With your improvements, you’ll be one who has no weakness the others do right from the start. And with your creation, I can get the working cure from you for the others. I cannot get it soon any other way.”
Gaudium was hesitant, as he turned to face a bookshelf nearby, asking quietly:
“So, my improvements. You could get this cure from them.”
“Yes. It is much easier and faster to get it forged while the creation process goes, not after. Your enhancement can save the others from the one weakness they have in their bodies.”
Gaudium shuffled his hooves, turning to ask Siral: “So, Ave-Dol was nervous, because she didn’t like you testing on random food and drink? And her own weakness like you said?”
“She has always been sensitive, it is why I brought her here, to have that humbleness and sensitivity with the others that I lack. Too much in this case. But please do not tell her we had this discussion, or that you know.”
Gaudium saw Siral’s pleading look, as he gave a gentle smile to the Unicorn that had visited him in his off-site estate in Trottingham many times as Blackmane before he lost his family:
“Secrecy, very well. And, when can I start?”
“Pardon?” Siral asked, genuine confusion on his face now.
“I want to help with this cure, as soon as possible.” Gaudium’s said, staunch in his confidence.
Siral looked at Gaudium for a moment, his eyes wandering back to the hidden maps of Tartarus stashed away in his desk for now. Looking back at Gaudium, the Unicorn gave a thankful smile before remarking:
“Soon then, soon. Before the end of March, that much I promise you. For now, I only ask that we keep this between ourselves. I can handle Lady Ave-Dol, perhaps some time of leave, to clear her head. I can get the others to make themselves useful or scarce without her around all the time.”
Gaudium gave a small snort of thanks, but also of apology, as he saw Siral looking somewhat ashamed at this whole exchange:
“That is as much as I ask, and will do. I just wanted to know, I worry for her, the others too. We all don’t have much, you understand don’t you?”
“Perfectly Gaudium. Now run along now. And refrain from teleporting into my office as a surprise in future, for the sake of my health.”
Turning away, Siral paid no heed as the brown Alicorn vanished in a flash of blue light.
A small smile played on his face as he drew up around his desk, satisfied at how he handled the whole business of this. Yet out of the corner of his mind, his magic sensed her presence outside the office window.
“It is clear now Teal…”
A green flash materialised in the office, as the mixed centaur/scorpion/ape hybrid appeared before his desk. As she walked over to a nearby bookshelf, transforming back to her white Unicorn with blue/grey mane form, Teal Quirt replied back:
“He has never heard of doors, has he?”
“He’ll know in time.” Siral remarked. As she walked over to pick up her notebook on the salamander sightings, Teal then askes suspiciously:
“You seem to go easy on him though, for his antics and all.”
“When he is enhanced, that won’t be a problem anymore. He’ll be my finest work yet.”
“Oh, and what of all that tripe about his perfection improving the rest of us?” Teal Quirt asked, a hoof tapping slightly in her original form as she glanced at Siral, expecting an answer.
“Perfection only through capacity, not authority. If you are getting jealous, don’t. You will remain the dominant authority among them.”
Teal Quirt slightly bristled, as she replied with a gesture to her normal state’s horn:
“I lost my capacity before you enhanced me. I can’t be blamed for disliking being surpassed in power yet again.”
Siral narrowed his eyes, this feeling of inadequacy in terms of magic remained in Teal Quirt, even as she gained immense power through his work. The fact that she was not THE most powerful among the 6 so far, but not the weakest, didn’t help. But Teal Quirt buried this issue for now, as she continued:
“Anyway, what of Ave-Dol? You know she’s been trouble with her state, even if she hasn’t done anything. Don’t think the others haven’t noticed, I do because you make me aware of it.”
“And it will stay that way. If anypony shall be strongly altered once Gaudium is perfected it shall be her. But her bond with Gaudium is a problem, one I shall remedy with some well needed solitude for her.”
“If you imprison her in the catacombs somepony WILL notice.” Teal remarked, to which Siral tsked her sarcastically:
“Really, there is no need for such depraved thinking Teal. A little tactic of unknowing house arrest. I’m sure she has missed her old hovel in the wilderness, and a set of watchful eyes keeping tabs on her for us will blend in with the other wildlife she cherishes there.”
Up above them, on one of a few pedestals, a brown eagle stopped preening itself as it tilted its head down when Siral finished this sentence. Gazing up at the office ceiling, Teal Quirt gave a small nod in agreement, though she hid any thoughts of how she was feeling more and more outmatched in raw power against some of the others.
“I must ask Siral: Why exactly do you resort to mere birds as your watchful eyes across Equestria?”
At Teal’s odd question, Siral jabbed a hoof at her: “Why forge when nature provides useful enough beings to control?”
She said nothing more, but what it was that Siral said somehow carried a hidden meaning to her she was unsure of. That of control and of things useful enough.
Maybe when the day came for Tartarus to taste war she would show just how useful she was.
All the while however, if Siral could take pride in anything with Gaudium, if not what force of nature he’d mould the young Alicorn into, it was at how easily he played on the boy’s impressionable mind. Easygoing, easily distracted yet creative, and all too easily deceived.
As easy to shape as the clay that Alicorn loved to sculpt with. Siral was an architect of higher calibre and vision after all.

Same day
Early Evening
Baltimare, Trumane Castle
Kitchens

“I wanted that fruit platter out the door 3 minutes ago bull!”
“Yes sir, sorry sir!”
Staggering away from the oven of pastries he was checking over, the Minotaur grabbed the platter of fruit slices to quickly hand to a waiter pony that had come along. The main chef, a grizzled Unicorn stallion, whacked him over the head with a spatula as he passed:
“Just because you make mean dishes doesn’t mean you get a pass on being slow, work on it!”
“Don’t be slow, right.”
Satio exhaled, as he smelt the pies were nearly done from the main over, while a few of the other chefs brushed passed the rather portly Minotaur to hand other dishes out, whilst washer mares and stallions worked on the empty tableware that was brought back.
As one dish was brought forwards past Satio, he knew who it was for. Inside his chef cloak, the vials he had been given by Siral ‘for when the time came’ clicked together as he reached in. But he pulled out a small folded piece of paper instead, using his orange magic to quickly slip it under the plate as it went out past him.
With a small smile, the hidden agent of Siral continued to work the dinner shift for the Trumane’s Hearth feast.

Dining Hall

“And the fact was that they believed the dignitaries were there to pledge the service of their lord to them. But their faces when they revealed their lord knew and had stopped the sneak attack with ease was priceless…”
As the Earl of Humboldt recalled his experience during a small skirmish of no fighting last month, the table rose with laughter. As she looked around, joining in the laughter, Iena saw the food begin arriving.
Curiously, as one of a few ‘champions’ of the Nationalists that was invited, she saw a sandy red Alicorn, not a noblepony but a warrior, sat in a suit he appeared rather uncomfortable in. Aubelles, invited by the Trumanes, probably to flaunt a high profile guest.
But she didn’t need to read his mind with magic, she had her wiles and perception enough to see he really didn’t want to be here. She was the only one in this dinner she felt great pity for.
Beside her, Lord Trumane, his white coat groomed as well as his blue and black mane, spoke aloud to the gathering:
“Now that the desserts are here, once again, enjoy. Only the finest.”
Chatter increased as the dishes were handed out, whilst to the left of Lord Trumane, Lady Trumane, her groomed lilac mane flowing as the yellow Unicorn mare whispered into her husband’s ear, Iena hearing clearly:
“-Aubelles over there, disgruntled over his missing acquaintance, let me see what I can draw from him.”
As her fruit bowl was laid before her, Iena listened in an intrigued manner as Lady Trumane asked down the table:
“Aubelles, from what I hear an acquantence of yours, servant is he? The Salamander, is off on business. A shame he cannot attend.”
“Believe me Lady Trumane, he would be perhaps even more out of his depth than I feel right now. Such an honour it is to be among you all tonight of all nights, I doubt he could handle it as well as I am.”
Iena would have giggled aloud if she lacked self-control, she could tell Aubelles was really not enjoying this upper class atmosphere. In fact, his eyes conveyed a semi-joking consideration of suicide at how dull this was.
She grew up in nobility before she was ousted for being ignoble in her methods of persuasion and negotiating, but she sympathised. He wasn’t used to it.
Turning her head to her plate, she noticed the small note hidden beneath the fruit platter before her, and the faintest of orange glowing letter S’s visible on the corner. Stifling a smile, she quickly used some light green magic to tuck the slip into her dress.
Her note taking gone unnoticed, Iena turned to see Lord Trumane hovering a bowl of dipping crème to her, a polite look on his face as he offered:
“May I?”
“Certainly my lord…”
As she spoke, the faintest of green flashes came through her eyes, as Lord Trumane used his magic to drop some whipped cream onto her fruit platter. He was a work in progress, baby steps, so as to avoid arousing suspicion.
Playing him like a harp, it was a delicate process. Only when they grew close enough for the bed to call would her true powers be able to take hold unnoticed.
And all the while, she knew well that Lady Trumane was only subtly aware of this by her doing. With another glimmer of green in her eyes, one that flared in Lady Trumane’s eyes at the dinner table, the Lady’s view showed the Lord catering slightly to this younger mare, and a very faint twinge of dismay, even jealousy, began to simmer.
Again, a delicate work in progress.

Later Evening
Baltimare, Iena’s rented house

Having got off work, and the dinner having ended, the Pegasus mare had left under the guise of returning to her residence in Baltimare.
It was easy to get a reasonably well equipped house with Siral’s connections, and it doubled as Satio’s accommodations too, his public guise there as a personal servant, a trophy of sorts.
The curtains were drawn as the Hearth’s Warming Celebrations died down, while Satio had a large platter of the food stuff not served at the dinner for not being ‘perfect’ in appearance, such as pies or pastries that were even slightly under or overdone, fruits that were uneven in shape or just plain leftovers.
He was sat in his more shimmering orange bloblike form, as if his Minotaur body had tripled in weight and turned an orange jelly like form in content. Outside, the faint echoes of hymns and carols carried into the fireplace lit room as he hovered a small booklet in front of his face, a small storybook he’d taken an interest in.
Slithering behind the large sofa that accommodated him, Iena’s Siren ears flickered as she stroked a set of clawed fingers gently over Satio’s back, the gelatinous Minotaur shivering under her touch as he munched and read quietly:
“Any crumbs, you clean them up. My house after all.”
Gulping down the pie, as it was even slightly visible in his orange form as a vague shape that shrank in its absorption, Satio gave a small smile:
“Trust me, I won’t waste any of this.”
Sure enough, some crumbs spilt onto his torso from his mouth, but they too were absorbed into his body from the skin by his willpower.
Slithering around to sit beside him, Iena took the time to snuggle up beside him, remarking:
“This was nice, thanks for getting the night off on this night. Too bad you only get Sunday off this week.”
“It was worth it. We don’t get much time together here, I’m often in the kitchens when you’re not courting, and so on.” Satio replied, the large orange arm morphing in shape to a longer tendril like shape, drawing her close. She found his body to be remarkably dry, and warm, and he’d perfected absorbing what he wanted now, so she had no fears from his skin contact.
With a small smile gracing her serpentine, siren body, she turned to lay on his fattened torso, her fingers stroking his bulbous chin as she whispered in the night:
“So, Hearth’s Warming Heath, such a time of company to be had… But, I’m not sure we’re enjoying it enough tonight. I have a few ideas for that…”
Satio’s eyes widened slightly, as he asked with some trepidation: “Can I have some guesses first?”
“We play chess.”
“…Not my first guess.”
“Among other things to be done tonight.” Iena finished, slithering up his chest to plant a small kiss from her serpentine face on his bigger lips, before her magic began to summon a chessboard from the corner of the room.

Same Day
25th December, 72 BNM
Crystal Empire, main plaza square

The plaza was a hub of activity, the Crystal heart’s warmth spreading across the empire, the frigid tundra of the wastes to the north reduced to a pleasant winter’s chill on this night.
Looks of wonder were given by all who passed through the main square, before the palace of Queen Amore. Among the throngs of those admiring the crystal heart, was one who was not so pleased today, but knew he would be one day.
Staring at the Crystal Heart, pulsating in the main square like a real heart, a disguised Pegasus stallion couldn’t help but stare with some bitter longing at the artefact. What was once his, and rightfully should be his still.
Golmov seethed, the dragon hybrid restraining himself from seizing it where he stood right now. The black and yellow streaked mane of his metal grey coat gave nothing away of his true visage, be it dragon, or his true form.
“Someday, it will be mine again. Someday.”
He murmured under his breath, disappearing back into the throngs of the others who wandered about the crystal markets. Pausing mid stride, Golmov couldn’t help but feel a magical tingling in his mind.
He recognised dark magic, Siral used it. He was surprised somepony in the Empire was.
Turning his senses, he felt the dark magic, small and miniscule for now, coming from within the palace itself. From what he heard, the lord protector, and interim ruler whenever Queen Amore was out of the empire, Sombra, was known to use means Amore would not, loyal as he was to the Empire. Tales of his dark magic growing.
Still, it was no matter to Golmov. When the time came, he would burn like the others when he reclaimed his crystal heart.
After the Alicorns who humiliated him into giving it up were dead, namely that white Princess.
Still, if there was one consolation to Golmov’s visit, it was seeing the purity and peace of this Empire under a still pleasant Queen. He had darkened more of the Royalist rule by helping kill King Nova, that much was certain by Queen Aurora’s change in the months now passed.
He’d take what he could, for now.

Meanwhile, Late Evening/night
Nokotaford, Royal Palace entry plaza.
Nextdoor cathedral

The royal Hearth’s ball had ended, and there had been many Alicorns in attendance.
And with his search for the one that cursed him with no fur and a disfigured visage so long ago still out there, Odi-Viscer wasn’t going to miss this opportunity.
Sat among the stone gargoyles of a nextdoor cathedral, in his Earth Pony form, he spied on the exiting Alicorns, be they flying or driving away in carriages. All noble ponies.
None the one in the forest he met as a child that used him, turned him into something his own village threw out. He’d had his revenge on his village, now that just left the Alicorn himself.
The sketched from memory drawing of the Alicorn, colours in his own mind still, had yet to get a match, and none of the Alicorns below were using detectable appearance altering magic.
So he waited.
He did make himself useful for Siral however, as the Wizard told him to lightly spy on the royal family and Starswirl if he saw them.
There was no sign of the Wizard, but he did see the white and blue princess sisters bidding the guests farewell at the doors. Their mother remained inside, withdrawn and colder than the winter’s air.
Not much change from what he’d heard. And none of the Alicorns mattered to him, while the one who he wanted was out there still.
The being of wrath simply waited with the gargoyles, though his watch tonight would be in vain. What it would reveal was that his target was not Royalist.
Unbeknownst to him, the Alicorn was not even real, a disguise itself. But Siral wouldn’t let the deceived Earth Pony transformed know that, likely not ever.
Not while Odi could potentially be used as a last resort weapon against Alicorns under the guise of hunting the one he wanted. If all were targeted, it would guarantee the death of the one he wanted. Still, there was no need, or desire, for such trouble, yet.
The small loaf of bread Odi had beside him beckoned, as he took a nibble of it in his hoof, watching the leaving Alicorns one by one, memorising them.
He’d come to know some of their last moments personally, if Siral’s plans called for it. Odi didn’t want to kill any of them, just the one, he knew that much, he only cared about that much.

Author's Notes:

Next chapter is perspective of the sisters and Starswirl, but in this one, the setup and the deceit Siral goes to is shown, as well as the roles the others have.