The rain that poured against the wooden surface of her house’s roof was not enough to wake up Twilight Sparkle, nor could the droplets of water that came through the cracks in the walls and fell to the floor with a thud. The weeping sound of water lashing against the windows like a mane of a soaked pony was merely a lullaby to Twilight Sparkle. After all that had happened that night, she was fast asleep, trying to recover from the daunting task of the previous day.

However, Twilight Sparkle did wake up to the fact that her front door was launched against the back wall with enough force to break it into dozens of pieces.

“Auugh! W-what’s going on!?” Twilight screamed as she jumped out of her bed. The sounds of wood being ripped apart and rubble raining to the ground came from the main library, echoing in her ears in a chaotic manner.

“Twilight! Help!”

It was Spike. What the little dragon had been doing in the main library in the middle of the night was anypony’s guess. However, what was clear to Twilight was that her friend was in trouble. Without wasting any time, she charged out of her room, kicking her door open and entering the staircase. Her senses were fully awake, despite the fact that it had just been a very tiring day. Adrenaline filled her body, electrifying her every sense. The need to protect her friend was enough to drive any sluggishness out of her mind.

And not a moment too soon. As soon as the purple unicorn entered the main library, she saw that the whole place was in chaos.

“Spike! Over here! What’s going on!?” Twilight yelled over the sound of roaring rain and falling rubble.

It looked like a hurricane had passed through the library. The front door lay in pieces next to the opposing wall, having been hurled there by what seemed like an extremely powerful kick. Books were scattered all over the room, most of them having been destroyed by the rain that swept in from the now open doorway. The black of the night seemed to be creeping inside, the shadows of the cloudy skies grew even larger now that anypony from the outside had an unobstructed access to the place.

“I, I don’t know! The door just suddenly flew in, and then… then these things forced themselves in!” Spike answered in panic and pointed towards the door. Green flames were flaring up from his nostrils, as his primal fight-or-flight instincts were starting to take over.

Twilight followed the path of Spike’s claw with her eyes, and when her gaze met what he was pointing, she could barely believe her eyes. All her years as the greatest student of Princess Celestia had not prepared her for the sight she now saw. It was straight out of tales of old mares or obscure books about legends from times long gone. It was nothing a modern-world pony would have ever even thought she would see, let alone experience first-hoof. And it was definitely not something Twilight would have wanted to be face-to-face with either.

“What in Celestia’s name are those creatures?” Twilight whispered to herself, nearly unable to comprehend the absurd sight in front of her.

Their bodies were made purely out of flowing, sickly green water filled with moss, seaweed and other rotting flora that was clearly the source of the water’s color. They were roughly the same size as the largest stallions Twilight had seen, but their form was far too different. They looked like some sort of hideous canines, ones with shaggy, watery fur and long curled tails. Rows and rows of teeth in their mouth told of their predatory nature. Yellow eyes, like tainted pearls, were all glaring at Spike as the trio of dog-like monsters approached the young dragon.

Suddenly, the foremost of the three raised its head and let out three barks, loud enough to be heard all over Ponyville. It was a chilling noise that could put fear into anypony’s heart. Hearing that sound, Twilight finally realized what they were dealing with.

“Cù Sìth… Barrow hounds!” the purple unicorn whispered as the horrible realization dawned upon her.

“That’s great, you recognized them, now could you help me before they eat me!?” Spike shouted, his eyes darting from one Cù Sìth to another.

“Ah, sorry! Hold on, Spike! I’m coming!”

Twilight ignored the fear that was trying to grip her heart and rushed forward, just as the trio of Cù Sìths began to make their move. The largest one, the one that had barked before, took few slow steps towards Spike, who had backed himself against the bookcase in panic. The monster gave a malicious grin and opened its mouth. The few seconds it took for Twilight to get to the bottom of the staircase were all the time the monster needed. It lunged forward, straight towards Spike, intending to eat him in one huge bite.

“Aahhh!” Spike’s scream echoed in the library.

But it was soon followed by another scream, this time, one of pain.

The leader of the pack recoiled back as green flames billowed out of the young dragon’s mouth. Whether it was strength found in desperation or whether the young dragon had been hiding his true potential from his friends, it did not matter at the moment. What mattered was the fact that a cloud of emerald fire lit up the library for a moment, and threatened to engulf the foremost Cù Sìth. Even though they were made of water, the emerald fire still burned the fur of the Cù Sìth.

However, the damage the beast took made it more careful. It was not going to do the mistake of attacking alone again. It gave out a growl that Spike could feel at the bottom of his stomach, and quickly the two other monsters joined into the fray. The trio lunged towards him all at once, too quickly for him to retaliate with another breath of fire. Spike closed his eyes, curled up against the bookshelf and hoped that something, anything, would save him.

“Don’t you dare to touch him, monsters!”

There was a flash of light and bell-like sound. A form of a purple pony appeared before Spike in the last fraction of a second before the monsters got him. The young dragon saw how the use of magic veiled Twilight’s horn in purple light, which was then released in a torrent of protective energy. The three Cù Sìths were thrown backwards in a magnificent arc, hitting the back wall with enough force to break bones. A bubble of shielding had been placed around the dragon and the unicorn, one strong enough to repel any attacks that the beast might have thrown at them.

Twilight Sparkle had once again proved why she was called the greatest student of Princess Celestia. The overflowing magical power, the incredible amount of knowledge of spells, her talent being magic itself; it all culminated into an overwhelming power that she used, without hesitation, to protect her friends from all harm.

“Spike! We need to get out of here! Before they recover!” Twilight looked at her friend over her shoulder, while still staying in lowered position, ready to retaliate if the monsters tried to attack.

“Let’s take go into the side-library! We can get out through the back door!” The young dragon suggested. Since the Cù Sìths were blocking the main exit, they would have to to circle around the house to make their escape.

“Alright. Let’s go!”

While Twilight still maintained the protective bubble around them, the two hastily moved over to the door that led into the side-library; it hadn’t seen as much use as the main one. It was the place where she usually stored all the books she wanted to read in the future, but could not find time at the moment. It was also the location of the only other door outside on the ground level.

Just as the two got to the door that would have led to their destination, they heard, once again, the now familiar growling sound. The green canine monsters were starting to get back up, shaking their heads and trying to get back their bearings. Two of them were limping, as their powerful legs had deformed momentarily in their violent crash against the walls of the library.

Twilight grit her teeth together. They had been so close. If they had gotten to the side-library before the beasts had recovered, she could have put a magical seal on the door to prevent them from coming through. But now, it looked like the only option she had was to stay behind and fight while Spike made his escape. If only…

“Hoo!”

It came unexpected to both Twilight and Spike, as well as to the Cù Sìths. A dark shadow flew through the night and rammed against the head of one of the monsters, scratching its eyes. Then, before the beast could attack it back, the shadow flew up high, out of the reach of the monsters. It descended on top of the staircase, almost as if to mock the watery creatures. Twilight found herself speechless. Their savior was a puffy shape of a strange bird, with eyes that saw in the night better than anypony else in the room.

“Owlowiscious!” Twilight cheered at the owl that had just arrived to save the day. “Great job!”

“Hoo!”

“Just keep yourself safe.” Twilight gave the owl a worried look. “And get out when you can!”

“Hoo!”

The owl once again took flight and dove straight at the monsters. It masterfully evaded all the claws that were trying to swipe it from the air and rammed one of its talons into the snout of another canine. The beast howled in pain and tried to retaliate, but the owl was already gone, having flied up out of the reach. It stayed there, as if to mock the monsters with its constant “Hoo”ing and wing flapping.

Twilight silently thanked the owl and hoped that he would get out safely. She knew that the monsters would not be able to catch Owlowiscious, and that he could make his escape through the balcony door, which she always left a little open for the owl to use.

As they now had a clear path, Spike and Twilight hurried to the door for their escape. Spike flung it open, and the duo charged in with haste. The moment they were inside the side-library, Twilight let go of the magic holding the bubble around them, and instead grabbed the door and rammed it shut. She then performed a quick, yet complex spell that took all of her concentration. Purple lines of raw magical energy were drawn across the surface of the door, forming a detailed sigil. Repelling energy started its work, radiating from the glyph, and as soon as the sigil was ready, Twilight could hear the sound of a ghostly lock being sealed in a plane that existed beyond the physical one.

“Did… did it work?” Spike asked anxiously. He was nearly glued to Twilight’s side, fearing that the monsters from before might still be able to follow them.

“Yes. That seal should keep the dogs at bay. But we need to get out of here before they realize there are more exits in this place than one,” the unicorn answered. “We need to get to a place where we can contact Princess Celestia. We also need to warn the town. We don’t want these things to attack anypony else.”

Twilight drew a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Thanks to the seal, she could only hear muffled sounds of the monsters trying to catch Owlowiscious. Now, the more prominent background noise was the rain that seemed to be pouring endlessly outside. She grimaced at the thought of having to deal with the canine beasts, out in the rain and dark. She could only hope that they would not be intelligent enough to follow them.

“We should also try to see if Shining Armor is still here. If anypony can defeat those monsters, it’s him,” Twilight added with a determined voice.

The unicorn took a deep breath and relaxed. She knew she needed to keep it together as long as they were in danger.

“In that case, let’s go! The longer we are here, the easier it is for those dogs to realize that we’re escaping!” Spike hurried his friend up.

Twilight nodded at him, and together, they turned around, ready to head out through the door and do their best to protect the Ponyville from these mysterious attackers. The unicorn was prepared to teleport on a moment’s notice, should any of the attackers jump at them when they exited the building.

But before they could even take a single step, they were stopped by an appearance of somepony they had never seen before.

“Hey. You two certainly are aware of your surroundings, huh?” A sarcastic voice asked them, accompanied by a sneering grin.

Before them stood a tall unicorn stallion with a coat that reflected the dark blue color of the midnight rain outside. His mane and tail were of lighter blue color, and dripping wet. Green eyes stared at the two in a way only a predator could, inspiring momentary confusion and fear in the two. His presence was that of a nomadic warrior, clad in leather armor and surrounded by aura of death and bloodlust. Twilight had never seen a pony like him before. Nowhere in the civilized land of Equestria could you meet such a barbaric stallion.

It was clear that this intruder was from somewhere far away.

“Who… are you?” Twilight asked quietly, while forcing Spike behind her, to safety. She began moving towards the exit with slow and careful steps, keeping her eyes at the possible new threat.

“Oh, I’m the owner of the dogs you just gave a beating to,” the stallion chuckled, in a very dog-like manner himself. “The name’s Cleitus. But some call me Cleitus the Black.”

“Cleitus? What sort of name is that?” the purple pony raised an eyebrow. The name was weird, foreign, and oddly foreboding.

“Oh, I’m not from around here. Just roll with it,” Cleitus answered and grinned even wider, revealing his sharp canine teeth. “Well, since I already answered a question of yours, mind if I ask you something, lass?”

There was something odd with this pony. Cleitus’ attitude was in very rough mismatch with the current situation. The rain, the darkness, and the dogs that had just attacked… Any normal pony would have found it extremely stressful, but this stallion, this “Cleitus”, he seemed oddly playful, like he was enjoying the situation immensely. His eyes never lost strange spark of amusement, even though it was clearly a barbaric type of fun. The grin, while resembling that of a Cù Sìth, also brought in Twilight’s mind her friend, Rainbow Dash. He grinned as if he had performed some daring feat.

After a few seconds Twilight realized what Cleitus reminded her of. A hunter. A predator closing in on his prey, completely lost in the thrill of the chase.

“Go ahead,” Twilight said with low voice. She started circling the stallion, and finally stopped when the door outside was straight behind her and Spike. It was an escape route they would definitely need when the situation in the side-library exploded into action.

“You’re the mistress of the house, correct?” Cleitus lifted his head and gazed down on the purple unicorn in a condescending manner.

“Yeah, you could say that. What of it?”

Cleitus gave a short, barking laugh that made both Twilight and Spike flinched.

“Great,” he said and lowered his head, aiming his horn at the two. “Then eliminating you is the first step in removing the Elements of Harmony from Equestria.”

The aura of bloodlust turned into a spearhead aimed straight at Twilight. Sensing the intent to kill, she prepared herself in an instant and issued an order for her friend. And not a moment too late.

“Spike! Run!”

In that instant, many things happened at once. Spike turned around and pushed the door behind him open. He sprinted into the rain without even looking back. After all, he expected that his friend would have followed immediately after him, instead of facing the stallion with a murderous expression on his face. However, contrary to his expectations, instead of fleeing, Twilight sprung into action. The charge of Cleitus was blindingly fast, as he closed in the distance of few meters in a blink of an eye. However, the purple unicorn was not unprepared. Before Cleitus had even started his attack, Twilight had prepared a spell which she quickly launched at the enemy.

Bright flashes of purple energy turned into a projectile of magic that travelled forward with even more speed than Cleitus was able to gather. It hit him straight in the chest, sending the stallion recoiling backwards by the brute force of the attack. Twilight had not really used offensive spells that much, but she had studied enough of them to know how to utilize them, like she had in the fight against the Changelings. This attack, however, was far more concentrated than the ones she had used in that fight, packing enough punch to put a dent into a steel wall.

And that was exactly the reason why Twilight looked so shocked when Cleitus got back up as if the thing that had hit him had been nothing more than a spring breeze.

Cleitus looked down at his chest, where his leather armor had protected him from the magical attack. There was now a smoldering hole in the leather, the size of a pony’s hoof. The runes inscribed in the leather had protected him, but only from that single attack. The stallion raised his eyebrows and let out an honestly impressed whistle.

“Not often can one run into ponies with the same magical prowess as you, lass,” he said and looked at Twilight with a new sort of spark in his eyes. The green depths of them were now reflecting his beastly nature. “It’s almost a shame to kill you.”

What movement followed could only be described as flowing water itself. The stallion descended into a more threatening position and pointed his sharp horn at Twilight like he was about to impale her. A smile crept to his lips. And then he attacked, nearly catching Twilight by surprise.

It started with sound of something sharp cutting the air. Twilight had been expecting another charge or a trust, but to her surprise, she saw how Cleitus’ head quickly swung sideways, and how he followed that motion with a horizontal swing aimed straight at her head. Her instincts kicked in at the exact moment the horn was about to reach her, and the purple unicorn produced a spark of repelling magic from her horn, slamming it against the approaching threat. This spark grew into a brilliant purple shield, lighting up the darkened room with its light.

“Guah—” Twilight flinched in pain as the two colliding forces met. But so did his opponent. Gritting his teeth together, Cleitus applied more force into his magic to keep up with Twilight’s expanding shield.

The purple horn intertwined with the blue one, in direct opposition; the sparks of magic that were created were simply dazzling. It had been Twilight’s sharp reflexes, heightened by the adrenaline, which saved her. For the span of a few seconds, she matched and overpowered the seasoned warrior who had attacked her. But instead of anger, Cleitus clearly felt another emotion. The smile on stallion’s face widened as he saw that there was more to the pony than he had first thought.

“Good lass. Now, here’s another!” the stallion retorted.

It was meaningless to try to discern Cleitus’ charge with the naked eye. What had just a second ago been an oppressing figure of a stallion trying to kill Twilight, turned suddenly into a whirlwind of movement that lunged across the room with a speed of a gale. Faster than her thought process could even keep up, Twilight teleported out the way, appearing a few meters to the right from Cleitus. At the last moment, without allowing Twilight time to prepare an offensive spell, Cleitus changed the direction of his momentum and launched a projectile attack, a thaumaturgic sword pointed for Twilight’s throat.

The purple unicorn’s eyes widened and she teleported again, appearing in the air above the attack. Immediately, she created a bubble of shielding around her, which proved to be a wise move. Cleitus’ horn smashed straight against her bubble, with all of the magical energy focused on piercing the surface. The shockwave of the attack was enough to tear down the books from the shelves and tear the furniture around them.

In an act of defiance, Twilight warped out of sight once more and appeared behind Cleitus, intending to expand her shield so that it would knock the stallion out cold. However, to her surprise, what she saw was the quickly approaching hooves of the stallion. With no time to react, she took the full force of the attack, and hit the wall behind her painfully.

But even though blood clouded her vision momentarily, Twilight’s brain was still working with amazing speeds.

He foresaw my attack? But how!? That should not be possible! Twilight thought, trying to find an explanation for the sudden attack.

Her thoughts were cut off quickly, however, as Cleitus charged forward, utilizing his superior speed. Without even thinking, Twilight activated her teleportation in haste, appearing once again behind Cleitus. But this time, she was prepared. As another attack was launched to intercept her, she teleported again in rapid succession, dodging the stallion’s strike by hair’s breadth. As she emerged once again to the material world, her magic raged forward and created another shield that blocked Cleitus’ oncoming attack perfectly. While Twilight still felt like a hammer had hit her straight to the head, she had successfully avoided the lethal force of the attack.

What had been a simple fight of clashing magic quickly turned into a whirlwind-melee that would have left anypony watching with their mouth agape. Cleitus’ speed was unbelievable as he delivered an attack after another, with either his horn or his magic, at Twilight. But what was more amazing was the younger unicorn’s abilities. Her movement turned into a dance of teleportation, broken only by the occasional shield that repelled Cleitus backwards. She was like a mirage, appearing and disappearing the moment one laid his eyes upon her. Only sparks of clashing magic appeared as a testimony of her powerful magic meeting that of Cleitus. Twilight appeared in the ground, in the air, behind Cleitus and right in front of him. Without a moment’s rest, she teleported around to dodge all of the attacks, so fast that for an outsider, it would have seemed like there were multiple Twilights.

But there was one thing that, even in the midst of the battle, Twilight could not figure out. No matter how fast she moved around the room, the stallion always kept up with her. He seemed to anticipate every teleportation, leaving him with no blind-spot at all. Just as Twilight was trying to understand this abnormality, she saw something in the corner of her eye.

The rain which was pouring in from the open door now raged around the room. And during one prolonged second, Twilight saw something absurd in those droplets of water. She saw an eye. An eye that belonged to her opponent.

She saw the merciless eye of Cleitus the Black staring at her from inside the rain.

He’s using the moisture in the air to keep a track of my movements!? But that’s impossible! Unless… unless…!

Twilight’s thoughts were cut off as suddenly, her momentary concentration on thinking cost her. The horn of Cleitus the Black slammed against her shield. But as her spell had not appeared fast enough, she suffered the brunt of the attack, and was launched against the wall. There was a loud crack as she hit the wooden surface, and for a moment, she saw stars. Air had been driven out of her lungs, and she had trouble concentrating her thoughts.

She had made a mistake. On the verge of the breakthrough, there had been a lapse in her focus. Twilight felt like hitting the floor with her hoof, angry that she had made such an oversight.

From the corner of her eye, Twilight saw that Cleitus approaching. In anger and desperation, she gathered her magical power and launched it against the stallion to keep him at bay. But such a move had been something an experienced fighter like Cleitus had expected. He quickly moved out of the way and closed in his distance to Twilight, letting the attack hit the wall and tear right through it.

The next thing that Twilight realized was that the oppressing figure of the stallion was standing right above her. She gritted her teeth together, her brains trying to quickly find a way out of the situation she had gotten herself into. She managed to drag herself into a half-standing position, and her eyes defiantly met those of Cleitus. For a moment, there were no words between the two ponies, only the utter silence of the rain. Finally, Cleitus clicked his tongue in annoyance. But to Twilight’s surprise, it seemed that the emotion the stallion felt was not directed against her. The stallion’s previous excitement was now washed away by disappointment and boredom. He sighed and looked at the pony in front of him.

“I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all,” Cleitus said in a tone filled with disdain. “I don’t get it. Why do I always have a mission to fulfill when I meet an opponent like this? Fate really does not shine brightly upon me. Maybe it’s the curse of the Lady of the Corn? Who knows.”

Twilight saw that whatever joy the stallion had found it the battle was now long gone. He no longer had a grin on his face, and instead, it was replaced by stern eyes. With a strange expression on his face, the stallion stepped forward, lowering his horn and letting his magical power roar as he locked his stare at Twilight.

“Don’t think bad of me, lass. My shame is already great. Something like this is nothing compared to the geis I have broken,” Cleitus announced with a cold, emotionless voice.

The speed of the attack was as fast as the swings that the stallion had performed earlier. But this time, he was coming straight at her. Twilight did not even manage to draw a surprised breath as Cleitus had spun around and launched a kick with his both hind feet into her chest. The air that had come back to her lungs was driven out once more, and for a moment, Twilight saw nothing but stars and a spinning world. What followed the nauseating sensation was sharp pain as she crashed through the window behind her, breaking through to the yard of the library. Cleitus had performed a kick so powerful it had sent her flying through the window, as abnormal as it was.

“Don’t go around flying now, lass. You’re just causing unnecessary trouble for me,” Cleitus said as he stepped outside into the rain, following Twilight’s trajectory.

The heavy sounds of the hooves hitting the ground to the rhythm of the pounding rain were what woke Twilight up. Her vision was blurry from the sudden hits, but she still saw the slowly approaching form of the stallion that intended to kill her. Gathering all her remaining strength, she tried to lift her bruised and bloodied body from the ground, even though the droplets of water that kept hitting her fur seemed to almost mock her efforts. She pushed down the need to voice out her pain, and focused solely on surviving. She needed to get up. She needed to escape. Twilight knew that there was no way she could defeat this enemy alone now.

“End of the line, lass.”

But reality was cruel. Just as Twilight had gotten back to her unsteady legs, she was confronted by the intimidating sight of Cleitus who towered above her. There was no joy of a hunter in his eyes anymore, just cold intent to pierce her throat with his horn. All of his playfulness had been whisked away by something, leaving nothing but the contempt for the situation behind. Even Twilight understood that something in the situation did not please Cleitus.

“No hard feelings. This is just a duty for me,” Cleitus said and lowered his head. The spiraling shape of his horn gleamed in the rain of the night. For a moment, Twilight saw in her mind how that sword-like horn would impale her with speed of lightning, and then throw away her dying corpse.

It was the first time she had experienced the fear of death. And it was not something she would forget for the rest of her life, no matter how brief it would be.

“It’s a shame, really. You’ve got a good understanding of magic and your power is not bad. Guess you’re just too inexperienced, in the end,” Cleitus spoke in a strange, almost sorry tone. “Whatever you might have become in the future will never been seen, though. This is it for you. Die, lass.”

The horn was thrust forward, like a running silver light.

“Think again, you jerk!”

But before the horn could find its target, a yell of anger and energy pierced the air.

There was a whirlwind that swept through the rainy yard. Clouds were pushed apart by the strength of a single pegasus’ wings and rain was cleared from the area. The moon in the sky revealed the form of a blue savior as she charged down from the sky, ramming herself straight to the side of Cleitus. The incredible power threw the stallion sideways like a ragdoll, making him bounce off the wet ground.

Before Twilight’s eyes, there was a miracle. A familiar sight of a blue-feathered pegasus stood at her side, valiantly protecting her from the enemy. The rainbow-colored mane was wet from the rain, but it did not wipe away the fierce look in her eyes. She glared Cleitus in a way that Twilight had never seen before.

“Ya okay, Twilight?” A familiar voice called out to the wounded mare. It was followed by multiple sounds of hooves hitting the ground, like a small-scale stampede that approached.

As Twilight looked to the direction where Rainbow Dash had came from, she saw a sight that filled her heart with warmth. All her friends were there, running to her aid. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and even Fluttershy had arrived to save her. And riding on the back of Rarity was one determined-looking young dragon who had gathered all her friends when he realized that Twilight was not coming out of the library.

“Y-yes, I’ll… live. But, we need to... stop him,” Twilight answered with a hoarse voice, trying to keep both her voice and body steady.

Twilight glared in the direction where Cleitus had been thrown from Rainbow Dash’s tackle. And what she saw made her look twice, as she could hardly believe her eyes.

Where Cleitus had finally stopped was nothing but a big puddle of water. It looked almost as if the stallion had shattered into millions of water droplets as he hit the ground for the final time. And now, just as absurdly, the water began gathering itself. It twisted and turned in the air, morphing into a form of the stallion Twilight had first seen. It took the water only ten seconds to form a nearly perfect shape of the stallion. Then, to seal the absurdity of the scene, color began pouring into the watery figure, creating quickly the exact replica of the appearance Cleitus had used before.

A few seconds after he had been forced back into his form of water, the dark-blue stallion had gotten back his form.

“That was uncalled for, brat,” Cleitus said and cracked his neck before throwing a hateful glare straight at Rainbow Dash. The blue-feathered pony stayed strong, however, and did not even flinch under that gaze.

“Woah, Nelly! Just what in the name of Celestia are we dealin’ with here?” Applejack asked as she saw the the surreal sight. And her confusion was reflected in the eyes of everypony else.

Or, nearly everypony. Instead of looking shocked, Twilight’s eyes narrowed as if she had finally understood something that had been bothering her.

“An aughisky. That’s what he is,” she spoke, clearly gaining more strength now that she started understanding what kind of enemy they faced. It was pure willpower, but it was enough to keep her standing, for now. “It’s a sub-species of us unicorns, who live in the water and prey on innocent ponies as they come to swim. Mostly they are just thought to be an old pony’s tale, but looks like the legends are true after all.”

Cleitus’ face twisted into an expression of a merciless warrior once more It was an abrupt change, and even Twilight realized she had hit a nerve when she had identified him and his kind. Cleitus’ bloodlust radiated from his body like a tidal wave, crashing against the ponies in an attempt to make them flee.

“Exactly, lass. That’s it,” the dark blue unicorn, or aughisky, answered. “While you ponies turned your backs to the nature and adapted a more civilized way of life, I can guarantee that there were those who found the life in the wilds far more suitable for them. And while we have been there the whole time, your kind has this habit of trying to block anything dark from their collective memory or history.”

“H-how… how are we going to defeat a brute… like him?” Fluttershy asked. The yellow pegasus was doing her best not to flee, staying close to Applejack who stared back at the enemy, unflinching.

“You don’t have to.”

The sudden words that cut the air were accompanied by a crashing sound, as something tore into the ground between the friends and their blue-coated enemy.

Purple energy expanded around the six ponies, creating a barrier that engulfed them from all the sides. A half-sphere extended all the way to the ground, preventing anything from passing through, be it physical or magical. The power of the barrier was simply overwhelming, even for Twilight. And she knew that there was only one pony in Ponyville, maybe in whole Equestria, who could cast such a concentrated and powerful spell. Her eyes lit up with hope as she turned her head towards the voice. And as an answer to her prayers, from the dark of the night, a figure of a white stallion with blue mane stepped forward, clad in brilliant steel and with an expression of pure determination.

“Shining Armor!” Twilight called out the name of her older brother, who had appeared to save the day.

“Stand back, Twilie. This isn’t an enemy you could defeat, even with the six of you. He’s somepony who has been on a battlefield since he was born,” Shining Armor spoke in a way that brought to mind a wall of Canterlot Castle. “Isn’t that right, mercenary?”

“Well, well. Looks like we’ve got ourselves a hero, arriving to save the damsels in distress,” Cleitus cackled and focused his glare on the stallion. “I never could understand you ponies, bound by codes like chivalry.”

“You may not understand chivalry, aughisky, but you should know of honor?” Shining Armor asked with a frown. “Then why are you fighting against innocent ponies who have no hope of defeating you?”

“It’s a mission. A mission. I do what I’m told, because, yes, I do understand honor,” the blue-colored stallion answered. “Don’t think I’m trying to fool you. You know that I’m not the type to lie.”

“Brother what are you doing?” Twilight’s expression grew scared, as she started getting worried about her sibling. She had never seen him giving such a stern, unrelenting gaze to anypony before. But this aughisky brought out something strange in him.

Shining Armor gave a sideways glance to Twilight and her friends, and flashed a quick, but reassuring, smile. It was the type of smile that told he could solve all their problems in a flash, if they just let him do what he was planning to. It lasted only for a second, but even in that time, the smile was enough to bring warmth into the hearts of everypony inside the protective bubble. And then, focusing back on the enemy at hand, the white stallion confronted the foreigner.

“What I’m doing is taking this fight somewhere else. Somewhere where there are no innocent civilians around. And then I’ll deal with you personally, mercenary. I’ll show you that it was a mistake to hurt my sister while I’m in town,” Shining Armor spoke, and there was no mercy in his voice. “Follow me, aughisky. We’ll finish this outside the town.”

“Heh. What a troublesome pony you are.”

But even though he seemed to ridicule Shining Armor’s words, Cleitus relaxed and walked away from near the protective bubble. His eyes were already scanning the faraway edge of the town, where they were supposed to put an end to the fight.

“Shining Armor! We’ll come with you! Don’t go alone!” Twilight, unease settling into her heart once more, begged her brother. But the white stallion simply shook his head. He would not be swayed by his sister’s words. There was no negotiating this. He would take the matters in his own hooves.

“No, Twilie. Stay with your friends inside this bubble until I’ll release it. When I do, it will be safe to come out. I promise,” Shining Armor said and turned his back to the ponies.

Twilight felt a pang of sorrow in her heart, and an oddly foreboding threat she could not put into words. Nevertheless, she refrained from repeating herself, no matter how much she did not want her brother to go.

“You’ve got an idea for a place?” The aughisky asked with a grin. The captain of the royal guard nodded grimly.

“A perfect one. Nopony will come to that place unless they have to. Let’s go.”

Having struck a strange accord with the enemy, Shining Armor raced forward, with Cleitus the Black following close behind him. The two stallions ran towards the western edge of the city, disappearing quickly from the sight as they took sharp turns and zigzagged around the buildings. Despite Twilight’s desperate calls, neither of them would stop, and soon the only thing the six ponies could hear was the sound of hooves striking against the wet earth, echoing from the otherwise silent town.

A few minutes later, even that sound had disappeared.

The six friends were left into a complete silence. None of them were able to, or even wanted to, speak first considering what had just happened. All of them prayed for Celestia to watch over Shining Armor, as despite the colt’s claims, they were all afraid of the worst. In that suffocating void of sounds, Rarity quietly walked over to Twilight and put her comforting front leg around her. Feeling something warm, the tired mare finally allowed her exhausted and beaten body to relax, slumping against her friend. The battle was finally over, and she felt all the pain that had been dulled by adrenaline wash over her.

One-by-one, the ponies gathered around Twilight, trying to reassure her that everything was going to be alright. None of them said a word, but the look in their eyes told Twilight everything she needed to know.

She finally understood just how much she needed her friends in times like these.

What finally broke the quiet moment was the rain. The clouds that had been dispersed by Rainbow Dash had slowly crept back to their places, and now their watery cargo was being unloaded onto the protective spell. The raindrops hit the purple surface and bounced off, rolling down the sides of the bubble. The elusive moon shone through the small cracks that still remained in the blanket of clouds, making the raindrops shine like diamonds.

“Are you alright, darling?” Rarity finally asked. Hearing those words, Twilight raised her head and gave a tired, somewhat forced smile.

“Yeah. I’m just… fine. My body feels awful though, and I don’t think there is a single spot without a bruise, but… I’m fine. Thanks, though,” the unicorn croaked out in a hoarse voice.

Fluttershy, sensing the deep worry in her friend’s demeanor, pressed her head against Twilight in a calming way. The coolness of her skin was enough to ease some of the pain Twilight was experiencing, but it was the thought that eased her wavering heart even more. She did not know if Fluttershy was crying or if her mane was still dripping wet from the rain, but nevertheless, the message was clear.

“Now what do we do?” Pinkie Pie asked, unusual somberness having replaced her usual cheerfulness.

“We do the only thing we can, sugarcube,” Applejack answered while slowly petting Twilight’s mane. “We wait.”

“Yeah…” Twilight’s answer was pained. “We wait.”

The rainfall was even heavier at the edge of the forest. The trees, which were usually dark in nature and color, seemed almost like a void of light when they were viewed under the smoke-black sky. The water was like a heavy cape put on shoulders of everypony who even dared to walk near the forest during such weather. And now those capes were pulled over the shoulders of the two stallions who had stopped there to finish what they had promised to.

Shining Armor was absentmindedly gazing at the surface of a certain tree. The tree itself held no special meaning to him. It was a tree just like any other. However, what it brought to mind were memories from long time ago, back when he had been just a bit older than his sister was now. The days spent in the west, in the training grounds and in the barracks, under the tutelage of the greatest generals of Equestria. Those days had been full of sand and wood, as life in a fortress built in such a place usually was.

Finally, Shining Armor gave a sigh and relented to the sharp gaze at the back of his neck. He knew that the aughisky was waiting for him to start everything. After all, it had been him who invited the two of them here in the first place. However, Shining Armor did not turn around, as he wanted to linger in his memories while they talked.

It had been many years, after all, since he saw his former friend.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other,” Shining Armor spoke in a tepid tone. “I guess you didn’t bring any souvenirs for me?”

Cleitus snorted.

“The hay I did. Did you want me to bring some sand for you to eat, like always, Shining?” The mercenary asked in a sarcastic tone. His sting made the white stallion chuckle a bit.

“It’s been years, and the first thing you want to talk about is old grudges, huh? Guess you haven’t changed at all during these years, Cleitus,” Shining Armor spoke. “Does this mean that I should think this as nothing more than a repeat of the old sparring matches we used to have?”

There was a short moment of silence, as memories of the past ran through their heads, separated from the events of today. It was a time that neither of them wanted to return to, but neither did they want to let go. A burden of time that had been placed on their shoulders of their own volition, one which they would not share, even in the end.

It was Cleitus who finally broke the silence.

“From what I understood, you got my soldier out of the castle after he had delivered the message,” he said. “I guess I should thank you for that.”

“You need to thank Cadance for that,” Shining Armor said with a stoic smile. “She selflessly helped that soldier disappear from the castle, even though you never bothered to show up for our wedding. The way I see it, she still considers you our friend, even if we haven’t seen each other in Celestia knows how many years. But, then again, I guess you were kinda counting on that. The infamous Cleitus the Black, leader of the strongest mercenary force in the west, still trusts his childhood friends without hesitation. Imagine what other ponies would say if they heard that.”

For a moment, just for a moment, the steel-like glare in Cleitus’ eyes disappeared, and was replaced by something else. The softer eyes of the past returned for few seconds, as his tensed up body relaxed. It was a mirage of days gone by.

“For the sake of my honor, I will say this: Shining Armor. Take Cadance with you and get out of this country. It will become a battlefield soon enough. Even if I wasn’t here to speed things up, Equestria will eventually be drawn into war, because he wills it. If you stay, you’ll only get yourself and your wife killed,” Cleitus said harshly, but with clear honesty. He was not trying to trick the other stallion. He was warning him.

“So in the end, it was about war, huh? The last place where I wanted to hear those words were here, in Ponyville,” the white stallion said, sorrow filling his eyes. “Soldiers and mercenaries… in the end, our life revolves only around one thing. I guess it would be too much to ask for a world where we aren’t needed. Even if we only protect those we love, we will still cause sadness.”

A stray drop of water finally made its way through the branches of the tree, and hit Shining Armor straight on the snout. With a sigh, he turned around to face his old acquaintance. Somepony who had been more than that in the past. Be that as it may, whatever they had been in the past, they were certainly not anymore. That much was clear from the cold eyes they gazed at each other. And the rain from the heavens just amplified the solemness that hung between the two.

“You will be left under the hooves of time if you continue to think like that, Shining. Both you and your Princess, not to mention your whole country, are old-fashioned. The whole Equestria is an eyesore. There is no need for a country like yours in this world,” Cleitus spoke as something strange could be heard in his tone. Something that wavered between a duty and honor. But they were buried by the dark shadows that covered his face. “This world belongs to us, Shining.”

Having said that, the blue-coated stallion took one step forward and lowered his head, aiming his sharp horn straight at Shining Armor. The look in Cleitus’ eyes told that he was no longer going to go on with the peaceful charade they had been holding up until now. A smile with no happiness in it crept to his lips, as he confronted the white stallion.

“I’ll give you one more chance, Shining. Take Cadance, and leave this country. Immediately.”

What had been an offer before was now an order. These were the last words that Cleitus was going to speak to Shining Armor as old friends. And to answer that, the other stallion gave a peaceful smile to the one threatening him.

“I think I’m beginning to understand why you’re here, Cleitus. Or why you were ordered here. Because if we’re talking about your personal reasons, we both know what is going on inside your head. You want to fight. You want to put your strength to the test. You’re a warrior, Cleitus, and any moment when your blood is not boiling is a moment when you do not feel alive,” Shining Armor sighed in almost affectionate manner. “So, could you do me a favor? Just fight me, and leave it at that. Those six ponies you saw have nothing to do with this. They are as innocent as they can be. So don’t get them involved. That’s my request.”

A dead silence fell between the two. The green eyes of Cleitus stayed locked in the eyes of Shining Armor, unwavering and unrelenting. Both stallions stood valiantly in the rain, but under that dark sky, their forms seemed awfully small and regretful. Rain licked their coats and manes, turning the once proud-looking stallions into shadows of themselves. To others they might have seemed like the warriors they were, but in their own eyes, they saw themselves as far lesser beings than they had ever been before.

“So be it.”

Cleitus finally answered.

The moment her brother’s barrier had came crashing down, Twilight Sparkle had started running. She charged into the direction where the two stallions had headed, knowing exactly where Shining Armor had planned on taking the enemy. She knew how her brother thought, and she knew that the only place in Ponyville where there was no danger of civilians was in a place where nopony frequented.

In other words, the edge of the Everfree Forest.

Even with her bruised and beaten body, she left behind her friends in her hurry. Something akin to possession drove strength into her legs, moving her forward with a speed she never thought she could have achieved. And when, in her mind, she began to mull over the possible outcomes of the fight that had ended, she found herself running even faster. It was like a fever, but instead of heat, she felt cold, icy hooves reaching out for her from her spine.

The images of a tragedy her imagination conjured up were almost unbearable.

It took her about ten minutes to get to the edge of the forest, and to the road which took travelers deep into the wilderness. But instead of heading in, Twilight scanned the area with her eyes, trying to spot any hint of white amidst the dark green flora of the forest. Her legs took her back and forth the edge as she walked here and there to find the whereabouts of her brother. For all she knew, he could have won, but was too tired to get back to the town by himself. In that case, Shining Armor needed his sister’s help. Or that he had broken his leg, and was unable to walk.

Whatever the case, Twilight promised herself that she would be there for him. She would make sure that her brother got back to the Ponyville, safe and sound.

Her head shot from left to right, desperately searching for any signs that could have helped to locate Shining Armor. Her breathing was so heavy it started to sound painful, even in her own ears. Cold was sneaking up her skin, and Twilight knew that she would be bedridden for days after she would finally rest. But now she could not even think of doing something like that. She needed to find her brother. She needed to help her brother. There had never been a wish as strong as this in her heart.

And maybe that was why, when Twilight finally found Shining Armor, she stopped like she had been frozen solid.

Shining Armor looked as if he was sleeping peacefully. He was on the ground, leaning against a certain tree, and there weren’t many times when Twilight had seen him looking so content. But there was something wrong with the whole picture. Perhaps it was the fact that line of blood came from his closed mouth. Maybe it was the fact that there was a deep thrust-wound in his side, where blood flowed out and stained the ground. Or, it might have been the fact that the blood from both sources mixed together in the wet ground, and colored the mud Twilight was walking on completely red.

“So you got here anyways, lass.”

A rough voice of a hunter greeted her from inside the rain.

Cleitus the Black stood behind Twilight, looking as if nothing special had happened in the past twenty minutes. His demeanor was cool and collected as always, the demeanor of a hunter that had finished his hunt. His prey had been caught, and look of satisfaction lingered on his face. The rain-slicked mane obscured his eyes, but the slight hint of smile on his lips was quite clear.

“Unfortunately, you only got here to see the aftermath. I’ve already paid back my debt to him,” Cleitus spoke with no remorse. “It’s almost laughable how the world works, in the end. But, I guess I should have seen it earlier. You’re the little sister he was always going on about, right? Get lost, lass. I’ll honor my promise and spare your life. Nothing more, and nothing le—”

Cleitus never got to speak any more than that. His words were interrupted in a brutal manner as two hooves slammed right into his snout with a tremendous force. The attack threw the stallion backwards by meters, and he was slammed against the wet ground so hard that one could hear his bones creak. However, even though he had been hit so hard he was bleeding from a nostril, the mercenary did not seem fazed at all. Instead, he raised his eyebrow at the pony hidden by the rain and chuckled.

“The hay was that for, lass?” he asked with grim amusement.

Perhaps he was going to say more. Perhaps he wasn’t. But any words Cleitus might have tried to add were caught in his throat as the rain was parted by the form of a mare lunging straight at him. Even the mercenary who had seen the horrors of battlefield was frozen by the sight.

Dilated pupils and bloodshot eyes. Magical energy roaring more menacingly than the storm around her. Twilight Sparkle’s mouth was drawn into a beast-like expression, baring all her teeth to Cleitus. She had completely lost the image of the sweet and awkward pupil of Celestia. What she had experienced during one single day had momentarily taken hold of her. The sight of her dead brother filled her with pure, unfiltered rage.. It was a primal reaction to what had happened to Shining Armor, and the sight of the one who had caused all of it. She was not even thinking at the moment. She was simply moving purely by her instincts, ones that were thought long lost to the civilized country of Equestria.

Horn rammed against horn, and magical energy screamed. Purple and blue auras met as the two unicorns clashed together with enough force to cause a shockwave that tore both the rain and the undergrowth of the forest aside. Snarl escaped from Twilight’s lips, further proving how far off the edge she was at the moment. Blinded by feelings she had never experienced before, she threw all her raw magical power against the culprit of the horrible deed.

“Not half bad, lass. You’re forcing me to be serious. That’s something to tell tales about,” Cleitus said with amused tone while forcing Twilight back with his own blue shield of magic. “However, think rationally, lass. You’re treading a fine line here. Are you trying to make me break my promise to Shining Armor?”

All it took was the mentioning of the name of her brother. Twilight’s mouth opened, but her yell of anger was swallowed by the raging magical energies. What had been a torrent of purple magical force was now turned into a tidal wave that threatened to take Cleitus with it. The blue stallion jumped backwards, retreating from the onslaught of power, and prepared for another attack.

And that attack came faster than he expected.

Quickly, the fight devolved into one of brutal reflexes and instincts. Magic was forgotten in an instant. Instead, the two ponies rushed at each other and rose up, trying to drive their front hooves into the chest of the other, pummeling their enemy to the ground. Teeth snapped in the air as Cleitus and Twilight both tried to catch a bite at the neck of each other. It was a fight that hadn’t been seen in Equestria in centuries, where the primal nature of the combatants took over.

Although the stallion was taller than Twilight, she still managed to draw the first blood. While they once again met in a clash of chest-against-chest, the purple unicorn turned her head sideways to avoid the snapping jaws of Cleitus and lunged forward, catching a hold of the muscled neck of the stallion. The mercenary growled in pain and tried to throw her off, without avail. Powered by her grief and anger, Twilight kept her grip of the flesh of the aughisky, even while being thrown around. It was not until Cleitus rolled violently on the ground that she had to let go, as otherwise she would have been crushed under his heavier body. The two ponies separated from each other, growling as they did.

But that brief moment of respite did not last. Gathering once more tremendous amount of magical energy into her horn, Twilight jumped up and brought her head down, trying to impale Cleitus via the combination of her magic and her momentum. It was a magnificent leap that the bookworm like Twilight could have never succeeded in, if she was not half-crazed from the loss of her older sibling.

However, what those rage-filled eyes met was only cool determination of the more experienced fighter.

“Wrong move, lass.”

The blue aura of Cleitus’ magic filled the air. Faster than Twilight could descend, it gathered into his horn and was condensed, tempered, and turned into a dangerous weapon against the other pony. And with a single, swift move of the head, that spell was released at the charging purple unicorn.

A blade of water cut the air. It was pressurized to the point where it could have cut metal itself. And it was aimed was straight at Twilight’s head. No, not at the head. Somewhere slightly above it. Somewhere very important. And the purple pony had no way of avoiding it.

For a moment, even the rain itself was subdued by the sound of something breaking.

Dozens of fragments were scattered in the air. They glittered amongst the drops of water, creating a light as the magic gathered into the fragments died. Glittering sparks rained down on Cleitus, who was now smiling with dark amusement. With one well-placed spell, he had completely neutralized the most dangerous aspect of his opponent. The fight was as good as over.

He had shattered Twilight Sparkle’s horn in a single instant.

“It’s over, lass. There’s nothing you can—“

Once again, Cleitus’ words were cut short. This time there was a simpler reason. They were replaced with a growl of pure pain, as Twilight swung her head down like a pendulum. It came from above and with speed, and the blue stallion had no way to avoid it. The razor-sharp stump of the mare’s horn was jammed right into the shoulder of the aughisky, drawing blood that stained the rain.

Gritting his teeth together from agony, Cleitus silently raised his front leg and delivered a kick into the stomach of Twilight. It sent her hurling backwards, but not too far. The mercenary pony jumped after her, and brought her down by ramming his hoof onto her stomach. Twilight hit the ground and let out a yell of animalistic pain. Her bloodshot eyes were staring straight at Cleitus. There was no intelligence in them anymore. The pony known as “Twilight Sparkle” was probably no longer even conscious. What was acting was her body, exacting its revenge.

Cleitus gave a barking laugh at the sight.

“There were rumors of Princess Celestia having a student with absurd affinity in magic. I take it that you’re that said pupil?” The aughisky spoke with a beast-like grin. “Who’d have thought there was a freak like you in the place where I was supposed to attack? We all thought you were in Canterlot, which is why we left that place alone.”

Although Twilight struggled under the hoof of Cleitus, the older stallion did not relent. He painfully applied force to his leg, keeping the pony in check.

“But don’t get cocky. It’s a big world out there, you know? As powerful as you might one day become, there are plenty of ponies like you out there, yours truly included,” the mercenary spoke and his words rang with cruel honesty. He brought his snout right in front of Twilight, and stared her straight in the eyes.

“Run away, and never come back, filly. In this world there is nothing that can protect you anymore. The best you can do is to hide and hope we will never find you again.”

Having said that, Cleitus released Twilight from under his hoof. In that instant, the pony lunged at him, her jaws open and ready to dig into his flesh. There was a disinterested expression on the blue stallion’s face as he spun around and prepared his hind legs. Before the purple unicorn had even time to react, he launched a powerful kick straight at her chest, sending her flying backwards with colossal force.

Twilight hit a tree with enough force to crack the wooden surface. Her body having gone completely limp, she fell to the ground, right next to the brother. Cleitus had purposefully aimed his kick so that the pony would end up in the same place as Shining Armor. For him, it felt somewhat fitting. There was a sense of irony in that, which the aughisky loved. Or, at least, some sick and twisted part of him did.

Yet he did not laugh. The stallion remained completely silent.

For few moments, Cleitus stared at the form of the pony and the colt, lying on the ground in the rain. His eyes carefully studied their bodies, searching for any sign that either was just faking it, and was preparing to ambush him. When, even after a minute of watching, nothing like that did happen, the aughisky clicked his tongue, and allowed his form to switch into running water.

It took only few seconds for the mercenary to disappear into the rain, having become just fleeting water himself.

Rain fell to the two bodies, purple and white. It did not care about what had happened before, and it was not going to care about what would happen after. The rain would come down as long as it pleased, and then, when it was satisfied, it would disappear into the sky, only to return once again some other day. Maybe that day it would bring such dreadful visitors again, maybe not. But the rain itself had never been anything special. It was just a coincidental announcer of the events that had been put in motion over a thousand years ago.

Events that had all lead to this moment. The moment when it all would start.

“…ua…ah…”

A weak voice. A voice of a pony. A body that was not supposed to move anymore shook ever so slightly, and Twilight Sparkle’s eyes fluttered open. Her vision was hazy, and her memory was torn apart. She had no recollection of what had just transpired. She simply remembered red haze and feelings that overthrew her logical way of thinking. It had been a fit of rage so great that she had never experienced something like that before.

But now, it was over. And she was only searching for a one thing. A sign that would allow her to rest. A sign that would tell her that it had not all been for naught. Her eyes gazed at the unmoving form in front of her, one that she had gazed through her whole life, from the moment she was but a small filly. And never before had she looked at it with such intensity as she was now.

And finally, just when she started hearing the sound of hooves in the distance, she saw it. Rising and lowering of a chest. Breathing. Weakly, but surely, he breathed. Twilight finally saw a sign that, even after all that, her brother was still alive.

Satisfied, Twilight finally allowed herself to fall to the sweet embrace of unconsciousness.