Sipping from a cup of tea, Twilight Sparkle leaned back in her chair as she held the cup in the air with her magic. Next to the floating cup was a set of papers she was reviewing. The recent changes to Equestria had her working overtime. With the fall of Serenade only a few years prior, the rebuilding effort of Equestrian was extensive. New organizations and balances had been put in place to try and prevent another incident like Serenade’s reign from ever happening again.

To top this off, she had communication with the nation of Ectra of the Sirens which had recently opened its economy and resources to Equestria. It had taken a toll on Twilight’s mental health, as convincing the population to have trust in sirens was no easy feat. However, Kiz’ angelic voice and ability to sway others to her reasoning proved most effective in that aspect. Kiz was the kind of creature that could convince any to follow her, and with her working side by side with Twilight, the princess of Equestrian was certain that she would establish a stable relationship with Ectra in a matter of months.

With her eyes focusing on the small text in front of her, Twilight levitated a pair of glasses to her eyes. There was no denying it, she was growing older by the day, and extended time trying to examine small text had started to cost her the ability to read it without corrective lenses. One day she knew she’d likely have to wear glasses everywhere, and then she would look just like her human counterpart. The thought made her laugh internally.

Taking another sip, Twilight looked over a letter from Kiz’ scribe, Golden.

Twilight Sparkle of Equestria,

We hope this letter finds you well. We know that you remain vigilant after Serenade’s fall, and appreciate your desire to work with us in bridging a relationship between our two nations during these trying and stressful times. Understand our skepticism and hesitation, however, as many of our kind are not so easy to trust. For centuries sirens have been seen as outcasts and been the subject of destruction and elimination.

That being said, it has been a tiresome endeavor to convince our council of elders to permit a trade route between our two nations, but they have finally accepted with a small island outside of Dragon Scar to be our trade-off point. I have enclosed a map with the location of said island.

Given our location and distance apart though, this will not be an easy feat, as Dragon Scar stands between our two nations. We have considered this and to aid you have enlisted the help of several dragons who have trade agreements with us to be your relay. They have set up an encampment on this island where a few of our merchants will be stationed as well.

As for how your kind will make it past Dragon Scar, we have also secured a caravan route for you with some moderate protection. Dragons will fly you past most of the area, but we would still advise sending some kind of military provisions to protect goods going through this area as Dragon Scar is still unpredictable.

We hope this will satisfy your desire to establish trade between our two nations for the time being, as we can not spare too much in the way of resources for this endeavor.

Moving onto your next request, I am afraid we still will have to decline your request for tourism and visitation to Ectra by Equestrian citizens who have no royal business here for some time. Please understand that our nation has been guarded for centuries and many of our secrets have been protected even from our own kind who sit in the lower rings of our society.

The rampant racism that our kind has faced throughout time has made many here somewhat untrusting and it will be some time before our elders can be convinced to allow outsiders into our land. Do not fret though, I am certain that a day will come where our nations will be able to intermingle freely, especially under your leadership. I apologize if this arrangement comes off as unfair as you have so graciously promised to allow all sirens of Ectra complete visitation and even a path to citizenship into Equestrian, but my superiors are not so trusting.

Patience is a virtue, and it is one that we sirens know all too well. A time will come where your dream will be a reality, as your impact has already changed the minds of many here, myself included. Her majesty, Kiz speaks highly of you, and she has intuition that can sense greatness when she sees it.

Please take care of yourself and continue your tireless efforts, good princess. You have given hope to many, and we can not thank you enough. I eagerly await your response so that we may make arrangements for our first trades. Some of the finest alcohols in the world are made here in Ectra, and I have enclosed a sample for you in the package that accompanied this letter.

Stay in touch,

Golden

Looking at a small neatly wrapped purple gift box, Twilight noted the gold ribbon that was expertly tied. Amazing that such an elegant package managed to make it from Dragon Scar all the way to Equestria while staying in such pristine condition. Then again, there was little that came from Ectra that didn’t amaze Twilight.

Removing the ribbon carefully, she opened the box and peered at the expensive-looking bottle inside. It had been sitting atop of a lovely satin pillow, red in color and the bottle itself looked hoof-made with attention to every detail carefully paid. The bottle was shaped similarly to the siren form that Twilight had come to know, but accentuating the most beautiful features they held. It was perhaps the most exquisite and lovely bottle she had ever held. She knew that Rarity would rave over it.

Magicking her desk drawer open, Twilight retrieved a familiar whiskey glass that she had received from Cinder as a gift some time ago. Carefully she poured at least two shots worth into the glass and observed the interesting blue liquid. Holding it in her hoof, she held it just under her snout when a knock came to her office door.

The mare let out a sigh as she removed her glasses and set them on her table before clearing her throat.

“Come on in,” she instructed.

The finely crafted door opened abruptly and a slovenly looking Starlight Glimmer stood at the doorway huffing and puffing. Twilight blinked and leaned in with interest. “Starlight, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Princess Twilight, there has been a breach in security…” Starlight straightened herself up and stood tall.

Tilting her head, Twilight gently swirled the liquor in her glass. “What kind of breach? What part of the castle?”

“The forbidden archives…” Starlight frowned.

“What was taken?” Twilight asked.

“Perhaps it’s best you see for yourself…” Starlight gestured with her hoof for the mare to follow.

Twilight came to a stand and stepped away from her desk before turning back and grabbing the glass. She quickly gulped the drink down. It wasn’t how she hoped to savor it, but it was about as divine as she imagined. Setting the glass down, she wiped her lips with her hoof and followed Starlight.

Stepping into the archives, Twilight was astounded. She blinked a few times and stared in awe as all eight of the shelves within the archives had been ransacked. Virtually everything had been violated. Parchment covered the floor and tomes were scattered all over in a chaotic mess.

Eight guards were investigating the scene and conversing with each other on possible inferences as to what had occurred.

Approaching one of the guards, he gave a salute to the princess who gestured for him to be at ease. “What happened here?”

He pointed to the entrance with an armored hoof. “Two guards were stationed out front, but one of them went to the lavatory for a brief moment. When he came back, he relieved the other one to go as well, so there was never a moment where the door was unguarded.”

“If the door was guarded the entire time, then how did anypony get in here? The room is protected by an anti-teleportation barrier, so magic is out of the question…” Starlight blinked.

Twilight looked back at the door. It was large and sturdy and if anyone were inside the room, then the guards definitely would not have seen them after they were already inside. The guard said that there was never a window for anyone to get in, but was that really true?

Stepping close to the door, Twilight placed a hoof upon it and considered the possibilities.

“So maybe they snuck in here prior to that and were already waiting in here?” Another guard suggested.

Starlight shook her head. “Impossible. This room is guarded at all times and there is no other entrance. Only the royal family and their guard escorts are permitted in this room…”

Twilight nodded in understanding after she contemplated it all. “So that means that the perp came right through the door then.”

“What? Are you suggesting that they just… walked right in?” Starlight raised a brow in confusion.

“Absolutely.” Twilight nodded.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit too simple?” Starlight questioned.

Walking to the center of the room, Twilight examined the shelves that had been looted. “Why go through complicated measures when a simple solution can be achieved, right?”

“Fair enough, but have you forgotten that it wouldn’t have been possible for anypony to just walk in here right past the guards?” Starlight reminded with a hoof raised.

“What if it wasn’t anypony though?” Twilight’s horn glowed gently as she scanned the room for any abnormalities.

“I don’t follow…” One of the guards stated.

Picking up a distant trace of magic that was foreign to the room, Twilight scanned her mind for what the spell reminded her of. Within a few seconds, she recognized it as a soundproof barrier.

“You said that there was a brief moment where the guards were separated, right?” Twilight asked.

The guard in charge of the investigation shrugged. “What’s your point?”

“What if the guard was the one who entered the room while the other second guard went to the bathroom? Don’t you find it odd that he suggested the other go to the bathroom right after him?” Twilight asked.

“Why though?” Starlight asked.

Twilight tapped her chin in thought. “Well, would anything seem abnormal about a guard coming into this room? Or being near it for that matter…”

“I suppose not, but there’s a hole in your logic… He was standing at the door when the second guard returned. It would have taken more than the five-minute interval to do this…” Starlight reminded, “not to mention, how would he manage to get out without being noticed? I mean if he took anything, he would have a hard time smuggling it out, don’t you think?”

“This room has had a soundproofing spell cast upon it… Meaning anyone who came in would have plenty of time to look for whatever they were trying to find. I have a feeling that they were looking for a specific item… Something small enough to take with them without being noticed…” Twilight pointed out.

Laughing, Starlight approached her friend and placed a hoof upon her shoulder. Her reasoning skills were top-notch, but she was missing a large hole in her logic that Starlight would have to mend.

“See that sort of proves the guard couldn’t have done it then… Both of them were pegasi, so neither could do magic…” Starlight grinned.

A smirk came to Twilight’s face as she shook her head in disagreement. “On the contrary, I think it would be entirely possible… If the guard wasn’t a pegasus at all…”

“But how could a unicorn hide their horn and make convincing fake wings? Even transmogrify spells of an advanced nature would not hold long enough or be convincing enough to close examination…” Starlight blinked.

“What if they didn’t need a spell?” Twilight said.

“Who could do something like that?” Starlight rolled her eyes.

Twilight met her gaze with a serious one of her own. “Can you think of no one?”

There was a brief silence between the two. “Arax…”

Twilight nodded. “Arax.”

“And he is familiar with the castle layout too… His ability to transform means he could have masqueraded as one of the two guards and snuck in…” Starlight pieced it together.

Twilight raised a hoof. “And the first guard hadn’t actually come back yet. So he was in this room while both were standing their post outside…”

“So how did he escape?” Starlight asked.

“Relay teleportation. While the room is protected from being teleported into, a relay teleport spell could work when inside the room if one had a teleportation tablet attuned to another area…” Twilight replied.

Sitting down, Starlight crossed her hooves. “So, he sneaks in undetected… Steals whatever archives he’s after and teleports out… Right under our noses. We wouldn’t even notice him in the castle…”

“Precisely.” Twilight nodded.

“Why though? What’s he hope to gain? Serenade is locked in the high-security prison in the deepest layers of this castle… Why bother stealing some tomes? He didn’t strike me as somepony who particularly enjoyed working for her, so why be up to something when she’s out of the picture?” Starlight asked.

Frowning, Twilight came to a stand. “Perhaps your affection for the changeling makes you blind to his real loyalty. I think it’s clear that he bears more loyalty to that demon than you know. For whatever reason, she holds power over him. Still, she is in the dungeon, so why come here…?”

“We could go ask her?” Starlight suggested.

“Not a bad idea.” Twilight smirked.

“The guards checked on her this morning, she was just sitting silently in her cell as always. The girl rarely speaks, but occasionally she gets up and moves around restlessly.” Starlight gestured toward the door.

Twilight wondered what kind of madness a pony could be driven to if they could not even sleep when kept in a cell no larger than eight feet by eight feet. Serenade was a demon that evolved past eating, sleeping, and drinking. All she could do is sit there and pace back in forth in that tiny cell. Whatever sanity she had left, likely was lost.

It had been perhaps a good eight months since Twilight entered the lowest prison of the castle. This new layer was constructed shortly after their apprehension of Serenade Dazzle. They had held her in a private cell in the regular prison chambers prior while it was being constructed, however, that proved quite challenging as barrier spells had to be placed around her regularly.

Guards worked in groups of eight to maintain a barrier spell around her around the clock, and the work was quite tiring. It was because of this that Twilight approved expedited construction work to be done and tripled the team building the new accommodations.

The new prison chamber was built with walls that would dampen magic and specifically hold demonic energy inside. Within her cell, Serenade’s siren powers and her demonic abilities were completely nullified. All she could do is wait her days out until she lost any and all sense of sanity.

Originally, they debated on executing her like they did her sister, however as it was pointed out that executing Adagio was what had caused her sudden desire to conquer Equestria, and the nation’s new relationship with Ectra, it was decided to keep her alive.

At some point in the late future, Twilight had also hoped to study the creature and learn more about combating demons when the appropriate tools were available. For now, though, such a venture was deemed too dangerous.

Making their way down the final set of stairs, Twilight and Starlight stood in front of the two guards protecting the entrance. They nodded and were allowed to pass where two more guards stood in front of Serenade’s cell.

Clearing her throat, Twilight spoke sternly to the guards. “Leave us. Stand outside while we converse with the siren.”

Without protest, the two guards bowed their heads and exited the room, shutting the door behind them.

Starlight and Twilight approached the cell where the siren sat leaned against the wall. Her mane was a haggard mess, and she used it to conceal her left eye which had been severely damaged in her battle with Glitch. It turned out that even her incredible healing abilities could not recover damage by the enchanted Siren’s Bane. Her face and chest would remain disfigured forever.

Starlight caught a glimpse of the scar on her chest where the spear had impaled her, only narrowly missing her heart.

Twilight sat down in front of the cell and spoke directly to the demon. “Serenade Dazzle… Do you know why we’re here?”

The siren grinned mischievously. “I haven’t the slightest clue, oh great and powerful princess…”

Twilight instantly could tell that she was mocking her, but ignored it.

“Arax came to this castle and raided our archives… We want to know why he would do something like that…” Twilight began.

Serenade shrugged. “How should I know? I’ve been in this cell for years now. How are you certain that he’s not working with your kind to plot something, hm?”

“You know something…” Twilight replied.

“And even if I did, what do you propose to do about it? Torture me until I talk? Please, you can’t even begin to imagine the things I’ve already endured… There’s no torture you can do that can affect me…” Serenade rambled.

“We can give it a try and see about that…” Twilight threatened.

Serenade shook her head and clicked her tongue playfully. “Oh, Twilight… You think so small… You’re not even asking the right questions, and that’s making this a lot less fun.”

“What do you mean?” Starlight interrupted.

Her gaze turned to Starlight and her powerful eye focused on the unicorn as she giggled menacingly. “How are you so certain that this is the first time that Arax came here?”

“What’re you talking about?” Starlight blinked.

“Think about it… Arax can sneak in and out of this place without any problems. He’s a changeling, and a demon like me… He could slip past your security at any time he wanted… On top of that, he’s 100% loyal to me.” She grinned.

“Why though? What does he have to gain by helping you now? There’s nothing you can do to him from in here!” Starlight growled.

Serenade smirked as she noticed Starlight’s anger at the subject. “I see… So you do have feelings for him after all… Unfortunately for you though, the bug belongs to me. He is my pawn and he will play whatever role I give him. Sorry, but I can’t let you have him back, Starlight because he has an important job to do.”

“What the hell are you even talking about!?” Starlight yelled.

Serenade shook her head before she stood up and walked over to the bars of her cell which glowed with purple energy. The same energy that kept her trapped inside.

“Have either of you ever actually set hoof inside this cell since I was placed in here?” She asked.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Twilight questioned with a raised brow.

She chuckled. “Think about it… How do you even know I’m even really in here?”

Blinking, Twilight shook her head in disbelief. “No… It’s not possible…”

Yelling to the guards out front, Twilight quickly ordered them back in. “Guards! Open the cell, now!”

The guards rushed inside but met the princess with looks of confusion. “Ma’am, it’s inadvisable to do that…”

“I said now.” Twilight demanded.

Looking back and forth between each other, the guards finally caved and nodded before focusing their magic to undo the spell that kept the cell door sealed. Twilight prepared herself for whatever tricks that the siren was about to play, but to their surprise, once the door opened, the siren vanished into smoke.

“Damn it!” Twilight hissed. “An illusion spell!?”

“That’s not possible!” Starlight protested.

“It is if the cell door was opened and the magic was cast into the cell before it was closed again…” Twilight stated.

“That means…” Starlight paused, not wanting to say the rest.

“Serenade has been missing possibly for months! She’s played us!” Twilight growled before stomping her hoof onto the ground.

“This isn’t good… We need to issue a search party for her…” Starlight advised.

“Let’s investigate the archives a bit more, perhaps whatever Arax took from there can give us an idea of what Serenade is up to…” Twilight responded.

“Good idea, we need to get any leads we can…” Starlight nodded in approval.

The only thought going through Twilight’s mind was how did Serenade Dazzle get the better of her? How long had she been actually a free mare?

Eight hours had passed since the discovery of Serenade’s incredible escape from perhaps the most protected prison in all of Equestria, but the only question was how did she pull it off?

Twilight was piecing it together in her head. It was most possible that Arax had transformed himself into a guard and snuck into the prison. From there he likely knocked out another guard so that he could free Serenade. Breaking the lock on her cell would have been difficult, but he could have easily manipulated a guard into doing such, then when the cell was opened, Serenade could use her powers to erase any memories of doing so from all the guards.

They would cast an illusion spell, and Serenade would be free. When did they do this though?

Even in her weakened state, Serenade was more than a sizable threat to Equestria. Her powers could grow exponentially in only a short time, so it was possible that she was already at a level that they could not stop her.

The Princess of Friendship hadn’t slept since they found out about the escape and she had gone over the two scenes extensively.

Finally, after hours of searching, she was about to get her first breakthrough when Starlight Glimmer entered her office once more with a clipboard in her hoof. “Twilight, I have finally had all of the archives re-organized and we did a full accountability check for every document and it seems only one book was taken.”

“Which one?” Twilight leaned in with interest from behind her desk.

Starlight looked at her clipboard at the only book without a checkmark next to it. “Apparently it was a logbook that you had filed documenting Serenade’s reign and downfall?”

Twilight felt her blood run cold. If that was indeed the book that was stolen it was beyond bad news not only for herself.

“This is very bad…”

“How so?” Starlight blinked.

“Starlight, that book had plenty of secret information regarding the identity of Glitch, their origin, and a few other secrets that now if Serenade has access to…” Twilight gulped.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Starlight, we have to go and check on the mirror portal right away! I’ll explain everything on the way!”

It was exactly as Twilight had feared, the portal had been stolen. She cursed and stomped her hoof against the wall in anger. “Damn it! This is beyond bad! We have to send a message to Sunset Shimmer right away!”

“Sunset Shimmer? Why?” Starlight tilted her head.

Sighing, Twilight realized that she would have to reveal more secrets to Starlight than she wanted to. “Sunset Shimmer is Glitch. Now that Serenade knows who she is, and where she is, there is no doubt that she will go after her.”

“Wait, but I thought Serenade can’t use the portal herself? Pure demons can’t go through it, right?” Starlight asked.

“Correct, but with the portal in her possession, there is no telling how quickly she will figure out a way to reverse engineer it, or possibly send lower-level impure demons to go after Sunset. The human world is in great danger, so it’s imperative that we warn Sunset and then get the portal back…” Twilight informed.

“I’ll go get the journal. Hopefully, she will know what to do!” Starlight nodded before bursting out of the room.

Twilight began to pace back and forth as she contemplated these new details. Sunset and her family were in tremendous danger. It was almost a certainty that Serenade would find a way to use the portal to get to the human world. She could study its energy and eventually figure out another pathway to the human world, it was only a matter of time. After that, she would most definitely be out for revenge.

Leaning against the wall, Twilight sunk to the floor and shook her head. “You really fucked this one up, Twilight…” She thought out loud.

She had been certain that her methods of subduing the demon were more than enough, but clearly, she underestimated the loyalty of her subordinate. Why did Arax serve her so loyally? It didn’t make sense. He had nothing to gain from helping her, and with her locked away, he was free from any threat she posed to him. Perhaps Serenade had subjugated him in a different way?

Twilight’s head turned when she heard the door open once more and Starlight came to her side with the journal and a quill which she levitated over to Twilight.

Taking them with her own magic, Twilight let out a long sigh before she began to write.

Sunset,

I know that we aren’t exactly on the greatest of terms and the last thing I would want to do is impose on your life once more, but a great matter has just transpired that you must be made aware of right away. Serenade Dazzle has escaped, apparently, her subordinate, Arax assisted her. What’s worse is she now has knowledge that she previously did not since they robbed the royal archives.

Of that knowledge that was acquired was your identity as Glitch, and that you live in the human world as Sunset Shimmer. To make matters worse, she has stolen the portal and while pure demons can not go through it, it is only a matter of time before she figures out some way to do so. Serenade is a determined individual, so there is little doubt that she will find a way to utilize the portal at some point.

I recommend getting to safety and protecting your family. There is no doubt in my mind that she will be coming for you. Your entire world is in serious danger right now. We are going to work tirelessly to get the portal back but prepare yourself, as it’s possible that Serenade is already there. We will do everything on our end to assist you, but we can not go to your world.

Also be on the lookout as Arax is likely with her, and given his nature, he can disguise himself as anyone there. That will make him quite dangerous.

Twilight didn’t even bother signing the letter before closing the book and looking over at Starlight. “It’s pathetic that I, the Princess of Friendship, often find myself in a position where I have to bet everything on Sunset Shimmer, isn’t it? Perhaps she should have been the princess instead?”

Starlight shook her head before sitting down next to Twilight. She placed a hoof around the girl and pulled her close for comfort. “Don’t say things like that…”

“I keep ruining the girl’s life…” Twilight frowned.

Starlight shrugged. “Some things are out of our control. Serenade is the true problem here, and we shouldn’t forget that. None of this would happen if it weren’t for her. You did the right thing by warning Sunset.”

Sighing, Twilight nodded. “I suppose you’re right…”

“You think Sunset can do something about this?” Starlight asked.

Looking back at her friend, Twilight nodded. “If anything, we’re in capable hands…”

“Hands?” Starlight tilted her head.

Twilight only laughed.

Twilight had made the decision to keep Serenade’s escape under wraps for the time being. The last thing she needed was a mass panic across Equestria. If it got out that Serenade was on the loose, the citizens would complicate things. She had put out a strict order among the guards who knew of Serenade’s escape to keep the information confidential.

She had written a letter to Celestia and Luna explaining the situation and they had already agreed to meet with her as soon as possible to discuss their strategy going forward.

The mare had paced back and forth in her room as she awaited a response from Sunset Shimmer. She knew that the girl would take some time to reply as naturally, she would likely have to discuss the matter with her wife.

After an hour of waiting, Twilight finally noticed the book began to vibrate, implying she had received a reply. Quickly, she opened it and began reading the response from Sunset.

Princess,

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by this incompetence from you at this point. It seems as though every time you write to me it’s to further complicate my life. It just wasn’t enough for you to rob me of the first three years of my daughter’s life, was it? Now your incompetence has put me in an even worse situation.

Then again, I am partially to blame. I showed mercy to Serenade when I should have ended her. I won’t be making the same mistake twice. If Serenade does come here, or if she already has, rest assured that you won’t need to retrieve her to put back into prison, I will kill her. She’s as good as dead.

I’m heading to the facility where I stored the portal right now after some difficult discussions with my wife. Just to let you know, you’ve royally fucked up my life once more Princess. I will do everything in my power to protect this world, but just understand that I’m not doing this for you.

The demon lord will die soon, I promise that.

Sunset

As expected, Sunset’s disdain for Twilight was evident, but at this point, the princess didn’t care too much about how the woman felt about her. She hated her, and she had every right to. Nothing in her statement about the princess ruining her life was incorrect after all.

She could apologize in response, but she saw no good in doing so. Her apologies would be seen as empty and worthless to the woman, so Twilight decided it was best to simply leave Sunset alone to do what she saw fit and focus on what she could do on her own end.

Things were getting out of control very quickly. Sitting down on her bed, Twilight laid her head down and stared up at the ceiling. Could Sunset really kill Serenade?

What hit her harder though, was the fact that the previously more docile Sunset Shimmer who was against killing and spared both Adagio and Serenade was now claiming she would kill now.

Twilight had to accept that she was responsible for changing Sunset Shimmer. The girl she had once known had become a different person, and it was her fault.

Closing her eyes, Twilight decided to get some rest after so long.

Sometime before Serenade had stolen the mirror from the castle, Eclipse had managed to find his way through it when it opened naturally. After infiltrating the archives in Canterlot which were far less guarded than Twilight’s archives, he had acquired some information that told him of the other world’s existence (It was evident that the royal family clearly needed better security).

Upon arrival, he spent some time learning the customs of the world so he could blend in. As a young teenager, he found that survival was a bit more challenging, but his time with the revolutionary group back in Equestria helped him along for sure.

His goal was simple, to find Glitch, or as he now knew them to be: Sunset Shimmer. His time in Equestria was over, he had nothing left. Without Galeal or his parents, he had to find a new purpose and that purpose was to follow Sunset Shimmer in whatever endeavors she had.

What kind of person would she be, he wondered.

After a solid eight weeks, Eclipse considered himself competent at blending in with other humans. His long shining white hair made him seem even more youthful than he already was, and this accompanied by his soft effeminate face gave him a likable demeanor to most. He could manipulate his way through life here thanks to his ability to charm others with his good looks. Oftentimes, he was mistaken for a girl even (not that it bothered him).

He managed to get a place to stay through conning others out of their money and using it to get various hotel rooms across the city. Over the years, he had overcome his shyness and had actually become quite cunning. His soft effeminate face meant that he could fake tears for sympathy, but also give a seductive smile to get on someone’s good side.

Stepping out of the shower in his room, the young teen wrapped the towel around his neck and sat in front of a work desk he had been using to take notes. Flipping his notebook open, he observed the timeline he had constructed.

While he was certain that Sunset Shimmer lived in this city, he was confident that he just missed her. Examining her family and home, he was able to determine that she had gone missing sometime after his arrival. He cursed himself for not being quick enough, but that was usually his luck.

He laid flat upon the bed and clenched the amulet around his neck, squeezing it tightly. He couldn’t deny that he missed Galeal, but he couldn’t bring himself to forgive the griffin. It was undeniable that he was in love with the boy, but he had accepted that that part of his life was over.

He was determined to find her, he would see the person behind the mask of Glitch for himself.

Retrieving a photograph from his jeans that he had left on the bed, he unfolded it and stared at the redheaded girl in it. Her hair had interesting yellow streaks and appeared quite wavy. The photograph was old, and it appeared to have come from a newspaper clipping that someone had scanned, but it was all he had to know the face of the person he was trying to find.

Cinder stood proudly in front of her older brother who kept his usual serious expression. His dark grey scales were difficult to see in the low lighting of the cave where they lived, but his shining eyes were certainly visible. At his side was his trusted blade, and behind him, Cinder’s parents sat with their heads lowered to see their two children.

The young girl remained silent as her brother approached her and drew his blade, pointing it at his sister, and spoke with his booming voice. “Sister Cinder… You have learned the ways of our clan, you have passed all of your training tests, and you stand here now ready to be granted the way of the warrior.”

Cinder said nothing, she kept her face stern. She was just a child, but already very disciplined as a warrior and as a clan member. She wouldn’t dare interrupt a superior, even if that superior was her brother, Ash.

He continued, “With this comes much responsibility. You carry the honor and reputation of our clan on your shoulders. Should you bring yourself dishonor, you bring dishonor to the entire clan. Do you accept these responsibilities?”

She nodded. “I do. I swear to bring honor to our sacred ways. I swear to uphold the values that we abide by.”

“You speak with such conviction…” He lightly grinned before clearing his throat. “The clan thus bestows unto you, a blade forged by dragon’s fire using our ancient and sacredly guarded smithing techniques.”

Lifting his claw in the air, he gestured to their father who produced a shining silver blade with an ornate handle. A katana of immaculate craftsmanship was lowered and placed in Ash’s claw.

The young dragon swiped the blade to show its capabilities before turning it to its side offering it to his sister. “Take this blade, and say your oath.”

Placing her small claw on the sword, Cinder closed her eyes. The sword was a bit large for her at such a young age, but she knew that she would grow into it and with her upper body strength, she would be able to utilize it even now.

“I take this sword and swear to use it to spread our ways across the world. This blade is the claw of justice that speaks for our ancestors; it is the tool of those fallen to speak through those still alive. In this dark world, this sword is the most important thing to me. Without me, this sword can not speak for the dead, and without this sword, I can not make their voices heard. Together in unity, we shall sing our song to our enemies…” Cinder recited.

Her brother smiled after she recited the entire oath. She clearly had taken to memorizing it, and took it seriously. It was hard to believe that his plucky young sister was already a certified warrior for their clan. Her resolve showed much promise for her future. It felt like only yesterday that she fumbled just trying to hold a sword, but now she was a respected swordmaster.

Raising her head up, the dragon’s orange eyes locked with her brother’s onyx eyes and she stood still while he drew his sword from its sheath. “Now…” He began.

Readying her own blade, Cinder flicked the sword to the side and prepared herself for battle. “As you know, the final part of your initiation is to do battle with the blade of the clan… Myself…”

“We hold nothing back, and fight with all the passion in our souls…” Cinder finished his thought for him.

He nodded with a smile. “We let our swords sing for our fallen ancestors.”

Ash adjusted his footing as he got ready to strike.

“The most beautiful song there is…” Cinder replied before jumping at him with the sword held in front of her. With a downward strike, their blades clashed and she flapped her wings to keep herself airborne while she slashed at him again. The few feet off of the ground put the two closer to the same height as they clashed blades.

Eight strikes in, Ash twirled his entire body with his blade and the impact sent Cinder flying backward. The young dragon recovered before landing on her feet. She jumped and slashed, but the two locked blades again, and Ash swiped at her with his claw which Cinder caught in her own.

Her arm struggled to hold back his strength but she managed to break free and backslash at him.

Ash moved out of the way with ease and chuckled as he watched his sister fight. Her abilities were impressive already. While she would take many years to be at the level he was at, she would definitely stand at the head of the family one day.

Their fight continued for a solid eight minutes before Ash was satisfied. He lowered his sword and smiled at his sister. “You have grown into a very impressive warrior, Cinder… One day you will stand where I stand as the sword of our clan…”

She bowed and lowered her sword. “Only with such an excellent teacher, brother.”

“Why are we here again?” A subordinate to Serenade named Rose asked her superior.

Arax kept his hood up concealing his face as he sighed and replied to her. “I already told you, one of the shards made it all the way here…”

Rose sighed and shook her head. “Yeah, but this place really is a shithole…”

The two had arrived at Thailand some time ago. Serenade had deduced that a trader had acquired one of the shards they were after when he had visited the United States a few years back. After some research, they were able to find the trader and managed to get a plane ticket to get there.

Rose knew that Arax was Serenade’s second-in-command, but other than that she knew nothing else about the guy. He was a changeling back in Equestria, but here in the human world, he looked like a pretty average-looking guy. Shaggy dark brown hair and one could see a piercing red eye staring at them from under his hood which he kept up most of the time. Not many in their organization ever got a good look at his face.

None within their group even knew of the changeling’s true abilities. Every demon was different, but he seldom showed off his potential. Some had told stories that he secretly held just as much power as Serenade herself, but kept it hidden, others theorized he had no demonic power at all. Rose wasn’t sure where she sat on the issue, but his demeanor definitely didn’t give anything away.

Arax was the quiet type and came off as easily annoyed. He only spoke when necessary and kept his commentary to a minimum. Rose didn’t exactly enjoy the entire awkward plane ride over in silence. She pondered how he could stay quiet for so long without getting bored. Between Serenade and him, it was clear who had more patience.

“Humans live differently across the world, I suppose…” Arax replied as the two made their way through a street market, crowded with people all over. One of them bumped into Rose who growled at them.

Arax merely shoved others out of his way, and when they confronted him, he just gave them a deathly stare from behind his hood. His red eye keeping them silent before they backed off. He was far taller than most people there, standing at six feet tall, which made him intimidating.

When the two arrived at the shop of the man they were in search of, Arax and Rose inspected it from the outside. The place was somewhat of a dump, and Rose blinked a few times before commenting. “I stand corrected… this place is a shithole…”

“Just try not to get in the way…” Arax responded before stuffing his hands into his pockets and entered the building.

Rose followed behind him as he approached the counter. The shop was filled with various objects all of which appeared to have come from across the world. The shopkeeper was an older gentleman who stared the two down as Arax came to the counter.

“Do you speak any English?” Arax asked the shopkeeper

“A little…” The man replied, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

“We’re looking for a black gemstone shard; we heard you acquired one back in America?” Rose asked.

“Lots of things like that…” The shopkeeper shrugged.

“This one is unique… It has a lifeless look to it and gives an off-putting feeling when held…” Rose stated.

“No idea what talking about…” The man obviously lied.

Arax reached across the counter and grabbed the man’s shirt and held it tightly. “We didn’t come all the way here to play games, old man. Hand over the shard or we’ll be forced to take it from you…”

“Get out of my store!” He yelled.

Rose raised a hand in the air and black tendrils came from the ground ready to grab the old man. He gasped and struggled to break free of Arax’s grip before looking at Arax’s face from behind his hood. A shining red eye met his gaze and caused him chills. “W-what are you?”

“Something beyond your comprehension, and if you cooperate then you shouldn’t have to ever find out… Now… Where is the shard?” Arax asked.

“Don’t know, could be anywhere!” The man replied hastily.

Arax tossed him back into a shelf, knocking it over and knocking the man onto the ground. “I suppose we’ll just have to have a look around then, won’t we?”

“P-please… I no want trouble!” He pleaded.

“You’ve already got it, old man. My suggestion to you is to stay out of our way and you won’t have to have any more trouble…” Rose threatened.

“Alright! Alright! Take whatever want!” He cowered.

Arax snapped his finger and gestured for Rose to begin looking. She nodded in agreement and instantly tossed a shelf over, smashing anything she could to find the shard. She had zero grace, that was for sure.

A sigh escaped Arax as he shook his head. “Perhaps you could try and look for the fucking thing a bit more gracefully without causing such a scene?”

“You asked me to look and this is how I do it,” Rose said.

“Whatever…” He stuffed his hands back into his pockets and waited while she destroyed half of the shop. He remained silent while she shattered vases and broke open crates.

Arax checked the time on his phone and no more than eight minutes passed before Rose exclaimed with excitement. “Jackpot! I found it!”

Looking up, he saw the girl holding a black shard in her hand. Opening his palm, he gestured with his finger for her to bring it to him.

Rose obeyed and placed it in his hand. He examined it closely and nodded in approval. It was most definitely the shard they had been sent to find. He recognized the sheen it gave off anywhere. Serenade would be pleased.

“That’s the right one, right?” Rose asked.

He nodded before stuffing it into his pocket. “This is definitely it…”

“Awesome! Now what?” Rose questioned.

Arax retrieved a gun from his waistband which Rose assumed was to be used to kill the shopkeeper, but to her surprise, he pointed it at her. “W-what’re you doing!?”

“The orders were clear… Once you served your purpose, I was instructed to kill you…” Arax responded.

“W-what!? Why!?” Rose panicked.

“Serenade has no further need for you. You can’t be discrete and you are a constant fuck up,” Arax said.

“You can’t be serious!” Rose responded.

“You’re a waste of space, and my orders were clear. Serenade doesn’t have a need for useless fuck ups like you…”

“Wait! I helped you! Surely that proves-“ She didn’t get a chance to finish that sentence before he pulled the trigger, putting a new hole in her skull.

Her limp body fell backward and evaporated into a black mist before touching the floor. “Consider yourself lucky… What Serenade would have done would have been eight times worse…” Arax said.

Looking back at the shopkeeper, Arax gave a serious look to the scared man. “Forget everything you saw here today. If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I’ll be back to kill you as well…”

“Yes! Yes! I no see anything!” The man waved his hands frantically.

Nodding, Arax put his gun away and made his way out of the shop. He pulled the shard out of his pocket and stared at it. This stone would bring them all one step closer to completing Serenade’s objective. It would only be a matter of time before they had all of the shards in their possession. From there, the siren could execute the next step of her master plan.

Removing his hood, he brushed a hand through his messy hair and glanced at his reflection in the window of the shop. A serious-looking man with an eye patch over his left eye stared back at him. A defined masculine nose rested upon his face, matching his serious eyes.

He was a changeling, but he could not change his default appearance. He would forever carry that face. It would be a constant reminder of where he had been, what he had done, and the deals he had made. Touching his eyepatch, he shuddered as he remembered why he wore it. It was the price he paid for his mistakes, the price he paid to continue living and it surely wouldn’t be the end of his tolls. In time, he would have to give more and more and each sacrifice would definitely be harder than the last.

Regardless though, he served. He served without question and with unfaltering loyalty. He would give himself entirely to his master, and he would stand by her no matter what. That was all he could do now. There was no going back, there was no undoing what was already set in stone. His fate had long since been decided; he would aid the future demon lord until his body failed him. He would give her his entire being. It didn’t matter though, he didn’t have a choice in the matter anymore.

Stuffing the shard back into his pocket, the changeling flipped his hood back up and began to make his way back to the airport with the shard in tow. He couldn’t wait to get back to the mission, now without the annoyance of a failure of a follower to babysit.

Eclipse had spent a considerable amount of time searching for Sunset Shimmer, but after enough traveling and poking around he was certain that he had found her. Rumors told him that she had come to Arkansas chasing after something. Stories told by people who had seen her suggested she had been traveling across the country on some kind of mission.

The girl had been busy, but his resourcefulness had managed to flag her down while she was still close by his current location.

To intercept her, he bought a hotel room at the same hotel she was staying at. He knew she was staying in room eight, but he needed more information so he distracted the front counter worker before sneaking a look at their sign-in tablet. Glancing over the list of occupants, he noticed that the name she had put down was a fake name. Typical. After all, every person he had asked about her gave a different name for the woman.

Before the front desk worker returned, he closed the tablet and casually walked toward his room before smiling at a young man heading toward a different room. The man had just gotten out of the pool and his sleek body was still damp from the water. Without a shirt on, Eclipse could see that he was fairly well built and had an attractive mermaid line.

The young man, probably no older than twenty glanced back at Eclipse who brushed his long hair with his fingertips before giving him a wink as he touched his tender-looking lips. He looked very effeminate, and many often mistook him for a woman, but that often worked to his advantage.

The man blushed and flinched before grunting as Eclipse approached. “H-hey…” he said.

“Hey…” Eclipse replied as he lowered his head, gazing at the attractive man with his shining eyes. He had messy black hair and light green eyes.

“You staying here, I take it?” He asked.

“For now…” Eclipse nodded with a sly grin.

“Cool… Maybe we can hang out sometime?” The man asked.

“Maybe right now?” Eclipse suggested.

The other man gulped. “I… uh… I don’t know…”

“Why look a gift horse in the mouth, sweetheart?” Eclipse nearly whispered in a sultry voice. His effeminate vocals definitely had the intended effect as he could almost feel the man’s neck hairs stand up.

“I’ve never done something with a guy before…” He admitted.

Eclipse came closer and placed a gentle hand upon his cheek. He whispered into the man’s ear. “I won’t tell anyone, promise…”

Looking back and forth, he nodded. “My name is Auburn…”

Eclipse placed a finger over his lips. “Sweetie, names aren’t that important.”

He nodded before Eclipse took his hand in his own and led him toward the room where he knew Sunset Shimmer was staying. To his good fortune, she left it unlocked while she was away. He figured he could kill some time while he waited for her, and kill it in a way that was most satisfying.

Now as an adult, he was a bit more experienced and had become far bolder than he was in his youth. Once the door closed behind them, Eclipse placed his hand upon Auburn’s chest and pushed him back against the door. He looked up at him and grinned at him mischievously. Eclipse was a good eight inches shorter than Auburn and far more effeminate but the power dynamic was entirely in his favor.

Auburn gulped when he heard Eclipse’s pants unzip.

The two stepped away from the door and Eclipse sat down on the bed and pointed with his index finger to the floor in front of himself. “Come here, sweetheart.”

Auburn approached carefully before standing in front of Eclipse who pointed toward the floor once more.

Getting down on his knees, Auburn’s face grew hot as he stared at Eclipse’s powerful shining eyes. The young man giggled and brushed a stray strand of his long hair out of his face. “Well?” Eclipse asked.

Nodding, Auburn slid Eclipse’s pants down, ready to indulge. When he saw his girth he gulped before slowly descending his mouth over it. Eclipse placed a hand upon the back of his head and pushed him down his length. Before he could even let out a single moan of pleasure, the sound of the doorknob rattling caused his attention to turn to the door.

Quickly the door opened and a woman with long red hair with yellow highlights stood there in a pair of leather pants and a crop top and matching leather jacket. In her right hand was a 1911 semi-automatic pistol pointed directly at Eclipse.

“Who the fuck are you?” She asked.

Auburn came up from being pushed down on Eclipse’s groins and had a panicked look upon his face.

Eclipse smiled. “Hey, do you mind if I finish this first?”

Welcome back everyone! I'm sorry for the long delay. :c