Twilight Sprakle marched with a purpose, her steps never slowing or quickening, here head was high and chest puffed as she made way through Ponyville. Spike had tried to speak to her, to ask that she not follow through with her brazen plan and be mores sensitive, but Twilight simply continued to walk, giving no reaction to his pleas. She was a mare on a mission, and that mission was going to be accomplished.

'Dude, just... let her go.'

Are you crazy? Rarity is-

'I know, but this is for the best. Twilight may be acting brashly, but this will ultimately be for the best.'

The drake wanted to argue, to say that the situation needed more sensitivity and care, but sensitivity and care didn't seem to be working. As much as he didn't want to say it, he had to side with Sin's philosophy on results on this one.

As the troop of ponies approached Rarity's house, Twilight bade them all to stay outside without missing a step. Her tone left no room for argument.

Spike stood his ground and watched helplessly as Twilight's magic gently opened the door and closed behind her. A moment later, it opened again and three ponies, each with verying degrees of emotional expression, were gently levitated outside to join the others.

"Twilight! Let us go!" Sweetie bell wined.

"I say!" Declared Cookie.

The door closed again as soon as they were released.

"What in Equestria does she think she's doing?" The elder mare demanded, looking to Twilight's friends for answer. Each looked away cringing.

"GET OUT!" They heard Rarity cry from inside. "Twilight I- What are you doing?!" There was the crash of something glass inside. "NO! I don't want to, Twilight no. NO! UNHOOF ME AT ONCE!"

Another crash made Spike flinch, this one accompanied by the sounds of struggling and falling items, domestic struggling, a cat meowing in protest. He wasn't sure, but he thought he might have just heard a toilet flush.

Magnum and Cookie shared a worried glance.

"Think she's alright?" Pinkie asked, looking worried.

"TWILIGHT I SWEAR TO CELESTIA! IF YOU- NO WAI-" Another cringe inducing crash ensued.

"Eh, she'll be fine." Spike said dismissively, coming to accept the situation for what it was. Twilight may be brazen, but he knew better than to think she'd hurt one of her friends.

The group waited through a few moments of silence. Finally the front door quietly opened, Twilight trotting out with a large clothed in her magic, Rarity's muffled voice protesting her current predicament.

"Where are you going with our daughter?!" Cookie demanded, stepping up to the lavander unicorn.

Twilight maintained her neutral, straightforward stare. "To the Crystal Empire to protect them against an evil shadow monster."

Malich rushed through the halls of the Triple M. building. Pushing past numerous accountants and employees of every race. He made it to the stairs and bolted as fast as his legs could take him.

He'd told Radclif to belay informing his father about the arrival of Milikki Bluecloak, and stop anyone who would try. He wasn't sure what the centaur knew of his plans, and didn't need the stress, grief, and possible interference from Gemini should anything be exposed. Especially anything pertaining to Project New Wave. If Mandylion was aware of him bringing in Changelings, than it was fair to assume that Tapio and she did as well.

The stallion burst into the lobby and skidded to a halt as a full guard of centaurian legionares turned their attention to him. Their stares bringing the crushing weight of discomfort that made the pony's breath catch in his throat, regaining it only after they'd released their hold. Mandylion was often credited for the development of theoppressive aura, but the centaur were it's true creators.

Taking a moment to collect himself, Malich regarded the escorts. Like all centaur, they were equine from the chest down with four legs and the torso of a pony. However, they were also much bigger and the ape like chests, arms, stomached and heads were unlike anything else in the world. The coats were much thinner, leaving many baled and exposed areas that brought feelings of unease, but looked natural. All of their faces were obscured by royal purple hooded cloaks and scarves, showing nothing but the eyes of the beasts.

Each carried uniform spears in their right hand and shields on the other, with a sword resting on the front hip and a pair of war ax's crossing over their backs, held in place by a system of belts that spanned throughout their bodies.

The legionares turned their attention forward, returning their spears to their standard guard position and ominously stood stock. It was impressive how well synchronized the unit moved, truely the envy of any drill Sargent in Malich's mercenary division.

"Greetings." Called a graceful and elegant voice. Malich turned his attention to a slightly shorter centaur, two of the gurards moving aside for her to step to the pony. Unlike the legionares, this one didn't wear a deep purple cloth. Instead she donned a simple white cloth that covered her chest and part of her stomach, with a flowing lavender cloak reaching from her shoulders all the way down to her rear hooves. Her coat was another color entirely, while most centaur he'd seen conformed to black, brown or grey, her coat was as deep purple as the cloak the guards wore.

Her most defining feature, however, was her face, specifically her color changing eyes that cycled slowly through the colors of the light spectrum...

Milikki Bluecloak, healer of the ill and sad. Renowned for her ability to rid the depressed of their ailment, heal the heart that has suffered loss, and banish any illness that infects. The latter was of an unknown magical nature, but the former was always held up to skepticism about if it was psychological or magical.

Her face was described in different ways by different accounts, each one giving different accounts of facial structure, eye color, voice type and other features. Though each account declared her being one of the most beautiful creatures they'd ever laid eyes on. This lead to a theory that her face didn't really exist, that it was a blank portrait that the onlooker would project what they wanted to see, but Malich believed that she tapped into the psyche and produced what the onlooker wanted of her own accord. A means to appear as pleasing, as possible to garner psychological acceptance.

"Are you Malich or Gemini of the house three em?" She asked.

Malich regain himself with a quick shake of the head. "My apologies, I am Malich, vice president of the Triple M. Corporation." He bowed his head in a show of respect.

Milikki smiled and reached out a six fingered hand, patting the pony gently on the head. Malich couldn't believe how blissful the sensation felt. The moment her hand made contact with his mane, every trouble he'd ever felt disappeared. No stress, no anger, no schemes, just pure bliss.

"I am thankful for your audience, but I must ask where the one called Gemini is." She brushed her fingers through his mane, making the pony wicker involuntarily. His pride be damned, Malich would gladly take a little embarrassment for the sake of enjoying such a feeling a moment longer.

The moment ended far too quickly when Milikki retracted her hand. The ashen pony wanted her to continue, but thought better of it and decided to answer her question. The centaur queen tilted her head, confused as to why her audience was being denied.

"President Gemini is a very busy stallion, Ms. Bluecloak. His coordination of the hunts for the remnants of the undead keep him occupied, I'm afraid."

Milikki stared down at him blankly. She knew it was a lie and Malich knew that she knew, but instead of pushing the issue, the healer nodded in understanding and asked if they might converse in a more private chamber. Staying her guards, Milikki followed Malich as he lead her to a conference room. It wasn't designed with the centaur in mind and forced the larger hybrid to duck down in order to fit into the room.

"You ponies are a strange lot." She said a little annoyed as she looked up at the white ceiling. "Always so concerned with your contraptions being as compact as possible instead of embracing the openness of nature."

Malich gave an awkward chuckle and apology. The largest being the boardroom had ever seen was a well to do minotaur, and even he could stand straight with a good six inches to spare. The two got comfortable, sitting accross from one another over a dark oak table and readied themselves for whatever conversation was about to take place.

"I shall be blunt, Malich of three em. My husband has been informed many moons ago that there is a terrible catastrophe that will soon befall your land." The deep purple centaur declared, her soft voice turning a wrong shade of grim. "It has something to do with your money and what he called 'economics'. We as centaur rely on no such meathod of commerce, so my understanding of the intricacies is limited. But if what he was told is to be true, than there are terrible trials and sufferings that await your people."

Malich closed his eyes and nodded his head. She'd come to warn him of the collapse, the collapse he was going to orchestrate. "I see."

Typically, the centaurian didn't involve themselves with the workings of the other states, their only connection to the country being their arbitration of the Federal senate. When it came to Northwood, none were allowed in and none wanted to come out. It was an unspoken rule but one that only the foolish or insane would dare challenge.

Milikki continued to list off the consequences of the collapse: Mass starvation, rioting, looting, rape, pillage, death, all things Malich was very much aware would come to pass. Evil as it was, it was a necessary evil to ensure the Better World would have a chance at being cultivated. He wasn't happy about the loss of life, but the greater good had to be taken into consideration. The needs of the many millions to come had to overcome the needs of the few millions, and sacrifices would need to be made.

"Your grandfather, Mandylion has come to my husband to seek guidance and council on the matter, he says that the history of your kind is about to repeat itself once more in destruction of your civilization. He has called upon the Centaur to aid the outsiders again as we did when you first came to our lands." She closed her eyes and folded her hands on the table. "And in doing so, I've been lead to three em to speak to you and Gemini. I was told that you had the power to stop what is to come and I beseech you to do so."

'Damn you Mandylion.'

Taking a moment to think, Malich ran through all of what he could do. He could deny having the power to stop the collapse, but Malikki already knew he was responsible. He wasn't sure how he knew, but something in his gut told him that she did and there would be no point in lying to her. Another option was to explain his plan, which he'd might as well go out back and dig a grave for himself right now and await execution.

"Hmmm. I can see why you and Tapio would take exception."

Milikki nodded. "Even if the Centaur become involved, there will be much blood shed and death." She sighed sadly, sending a bombardment of guilt through the pony. "So much suffering and pain, so much hunger and strife for reasons I cannot understand." She looked up at him hopefully. "But you have the power to save them. To save lives uncountable and protect the weak. Please, on behalf of the Northwoodlanders, I ask you, wont you spare your brothers and sisters from such needless suffering?"

Crushing guilt and a desire to please clashed with conviction. The longer he looked into Malich looked into the rainbow eyes of Milikki, the more his desire to please and submit grew. Why did so many have to die anyway? Was what he was doing right? Was he really so blind to the means that justified his ends?

But... government and the idiots of the world were what made it such a dangerous place... They were the ones who'd always submit to the demands of authority and be willing to commit violence on its behalf. They were a danger to all free individuals, something had to be done about them.

Education maybe? They were ignorant and stupid, yes, but they might be able to be educated in the current system of things, right? Maybe he didn't need to break down the system. Maybe he didn't need to watch as the world burned and the submissive idiots died off to make way for the Better World maybe he didn't need the changelings to-

The conference room door burst open, breaking the pony's eye contact with Milikki along with her emotional hold. Where once uncertainty and compromise lay, fear and horror now stood as Malich beheld a darker than dark brown pegasus pony with scornful, sky blue eyes look between the two. His mane was slicked back in a shining display of black silk with an air of superiority and accomplishment. He smiled a fake and polite smile before strutting in, a black suite jacket and tie over a white shirt being his only clothing. Each step bringing the aura closer and closer, bathing the room in an atmosphere of unprecedented discomfort and tension.

"Good afternoon, Milikki Bluecloak." He said with a slight bow before turning his attention. "Malich."

The ashen pony gulped. "Hello Father."

Author's Notes:

And Gemini makes his first appearance.