After hours of waiting, the sky over the eastern horizon finally began to lighten. This marked the end of the fourth non-consecutive night Arcana spent hunkered down in the tall grass near the scorched mountainside. He felt that this would be his best chance of catching her in the act of wrongdoing. If he knew Fireshade even half as well as he thought he did, then she would return. She had always been a creature of habit, almost to the point of obsession on many occasions. Arcana knew quite well that it would be nearly impossible for her to stay away from this place, even if this time it may be for less nefarious reasons.

“I should have been coming here every night,” he growled, followed by a deep sigh. “Probably missed her on one of the nights I wasn't here.”

The grass began to wave in a passing breeze, kicking up the overwhelming smell of the wildflowers and tickling the face of the old mage. He nonetheless remained stone still, keeping his vigilant watch for the yellow unicorn.

Then, it happened. After countless hours of waiting with no results, his heart jumped in his chest and an uneasy vibration was felt in his horn. He could sense her aura long before he was able to see her. Several minutes passed with Arcana’s sight fixed on the glassy cliff face before he saw the orange glow from beyond the curve in the road.

Finally, Arcana spotted the pony he had spent so much time waiting for. She trotted down the path at a leisurely pace and carried something with her. It looked large, but the old mage couldn’t quite make it out through the haze of the magical aura holding it.

“Is she... whistling?” he whispered to himself, slowly shaking his head and letting out a slight chuckle. Putting the absurdity of his apprentice aside, he readied himself to make his presence known.

Fireshade approached the center of the charred expanse and abruptly cut the flow of magic holding her burdensome load, dropping the body to the ground with an unceremonious thud. Lifting his eyes above the grass to get a better view, Arcana’s eyes widened as he realized what Fireshade’s cargo was. He had expected illegal studies in banned magic and the destruction of evidence that would corroborate that, but disposing of bodies was far beyond anything he had been expecting. He quickly dropped down to keep himself concealed from the mage before him.

“What have you gotten yourself involved with, my apprentice?” he whispered under his breath.

She stopped whistling, but continued the tune with a hum as she went about her business, not knowing she was being observed. The old mage continued to watch in shock—fighting the urge to pounce on her then and there—as Fireshade pushed the body closer towards the wall of glassy, black rock.

Arcana waited for the definitive proof that he would need to put an end to whatever Fireshade and Twilight were doing.

Fireshade suddenly went silent, looking at the body of the nameless, pink mare before her. She sighed, then took a deep breath, and looked up to the dark-grey sky as it grew lighter and bluer with every passing minute. Turning away from the lifeless body, Fireshade walked beyond the edge of the burnt circle. The pyromancer stopped and turned around once she stood at what she thought was a safe distance for the spell she prepared to cast.

Summoning her magic, the pyromancer’s horn glowed orange as the air around her began to distort and warp from the rapidly rising temperature. After a few moments, the heated gases formed a small flaming sphere in front of her. However, her spell was cut short by a voice she wasn't expecting—the last voice she could possibly want to hear at that moment.

“So this is what you’ve been up to in your absence,” Arcana spoke, revealing himself from his grassy hiding place. “I’m disappointed in you, Apprentice.”

Fireshade’s eyes widened as a cold chill swept down her back. She immediately spun to face the senior mage. “What are you doing here?” she accused, narrowing her startled eyes into a hard glare.

Arcana scoffed. “I could ask you the very same question, although...” The senior mage glanced to the lifeless corpse behind Fireshade. “...I think we both know what you were about to do.”

To Arcana’s surprise, the pyromancer simply let out a chuckle and smiled. “Well, I guess there’s no sense in trying to hide it, now is there?” she said with indifference, glancing back to the body in question. “The question now is what happens next, right?”

The senior mage furrowed his brow. “With this solid piece of evidence, I plan to go to Celestia once again. She will see reason when faced with the truth. Twilight Sparkle will be prosecuted and stripped of her title and rank at best.” The mage paused for a moment in thought. “However... it’s not too late for you just yet, Apprentice.”

Fireshade eyed the old magic skeptically. “Just what are you getting at?”

“While I now have everything I need, an actual testimony would prove far more useful,” he stated matter-of-factly. “As your charge, I am responsible for you and your actions, so in the event that you were... manipulated by the grand magus, I could see to it that your involvement was overlooked.” Arcana pointed a hoof to the body behind the mare. “It’s not too late. You can still walk away from this, Fireshade.”

The pyromancer’s posture eased in light of this new information. “...Really? You could do that for me?”

Arcana let out a smug chuckle. “You know very well what I am capable of, Fireshade. One doesn’t achieve my position without gaining a few perks along the way.” His expression hardened once more. “Assist me in bringing Twilight Sparkle to justice, and I’ll personally see to it that you are acquitted of your involvement in her crimes.”

Fireshade paused for a moment, taking his offer into consideration before letting out a heavy sigh and smiling. “When you put it that way... I guess I really don’t have a choice, do I?” she said, lifting the pony behind her in her magic and approaching the senior mage.

Arcana’s stance eased with a smile. “Wise choice, Apprentice,” he complimented the mare, walking over to meet her. “I knew you were smarter than—”

“I’m simply going to have to kill you.” Fireshade spoke indifferently, her smile widening as she hurled the mare’s body at the stallion.

“Eh!?” Arcana craned his neck back in shock before diving to the ground to avoid the corpse as it sailed overhead. “What the buck are—”

The senior mage had barely enough time to react to the sudden inferno thrust upon him. Desperately focusing his magic into an emergency barrier, Arcana strained his eyes at the intense light emitted by the assaulting fire. While the shield held fast against the pyromancer’s flames, a new threat quickly developed inside the barrier itself. His protective magic did little to stop the rapidly rising temperatures of the air around him, causing the mage to break out into a heavy sweat.

“Pyromancer... bitch!” Arcana snarled, putting intense focus into his barrier.

Overloading his protective spell, the shield exploded outward into a rippling pulse of blue energy. Taking advantage of this brief respite, Arcana tumbled away from his position before galloping out of the surrounding smoke and ash. After a short coughing, the head mage turned back to where he had once been standing. A perfect circle of untouched soil was surrounded by blackened earth for several meters in every direction.

Fireshade’s spell had been no simple offensive attack. Arcana sensed raw killing intent behind the power of her magic. Scanning the surrounding area, his eyes fell on an orange figure walking out from behind the blanket of smoke. A small smirk fell across the mage’s lips as he noted the pyromancer appeared to be rather winded from her attack.

“All that power and absolutely no endurance. What a pity,” he said with an amused chuckle.

Fireshade kept her eyes focused on Arcana as she attempted to catch her breath. She had gone all out in her initial attack, in hopes that catching the senior mage off-guard would be enough to finish the battle before it ever began. It seemed she had been too careless.

“You’re looking a little tired, Apprentice. Is working as the grand magus’s lacky really that draining?” Arcana asked dryly. “Perhaps you’d like to reconsider my offer?”

“Buck you!” Fireshade shouted back between breaths, raising a hoof menacingly. “I’d never sell out Twilight. Especially not to the likes of you, Arcana.”

Arcana scoffed amusedly. “You and I both know that mare’s future is as good as finished. Why do you cling so tightly to her, even now?” The old mage raised a curious eyebrow. “Wait... Don’t tell me that ridiculous excuse Twilight gave me is actually true?”

Fireshade craned her neck, taken aback by the senior mage’s insinuation.“No! Well... maybe?” The mare rapidly shook her head. “I don’t know! I’m still not used to this whole ‘friendship’ thing. It’s a complicated feeling, okay?”

Frowning in disapproval, Arcana shook his head. “She is just using you, Apprentice.”

“That’s not true!” the pyromancer quickly retorted. “Twilight is my friend! She cares about me! She’s granted me more freedom than anypony else has in my life!”

“And just why do you think that is, Fireshade?” Arcana asked quizzically. “What has Mage Sparkle had you do with this freedom you’ve been granted, hmm? Steal equipment? Dispose of bodies?”

Arcana’s arrogance was quickly grinding on the pyromancer’s last nerve. “You wouldn’t understand the first thing about friendship!” Fireshade declared, pointing a hoof accusingly at the head mage. “You’re just a crotchety old stallion who’s been too busy kissing Celestia’s royal flank in hopes of a position that you’d never get!”

Arcana frowned at the pyromancer’s foalish taunts. “That is where you are sorely mistaken, Apprentice. I was young once, too, you know. I can say with certainty that no friend would ever ask somepony they cared about to do such heinous acts such as... this,” he declared with disgust, gesturing to the scene before him.

Fireshade rapidly shook her head. “That’s not true! Twilight is... Twilight’s different!”

Arcana furrowed his brow in disapproval. “Perhaps you cannot see it yourself, but it is plain as day to anypony looking from the outside in.” The mage pointed a hoof directly at the pyromancer. “You are nothing more than a convenient tool for that mare.”

“Shut up...” Fireshade whispered under her breath, trembling in utter rage.

“Did you really think you were so special, Fireshade?” Arcana asked in a condescending tone. “Twilight Sparkle saw that you already held her in high regard before you had even met her. You were perfect for her. She knew that you’d do anything to not disappoint her. Isn’t that right, Fireshade?”

The arcanist’s question was met with a sudden flurry of fiery projectiles. This time, however, Arcana was prepared for such an attack and reacted swiftly to the oncoming threat. Raising a narrow field of blue energy, the senior mage focused his magic to deflect the attacks, knocking them to either side of him with relative ease. The parried projectiles erupted into intense light and flames upon impacting the surrounding earth and stone.

By now, the pyromancer was exhausted. Improper eating and an intense lack of sleep had seriously dampened Fireshade’s fighting ability. Sweat poured down the mare’s face with every heavy breath she took, and her offensive stance wavered from her most recent attack. Despite this, Fireshade still stood defiantly before the head mage, refusing to back down as she readied another spell.

Arcana scoffed at the mare’s irrational stubbornness. “Very well. Since you refuse to see reason, I’m afraid I’ll have to take you in by force.”

Closing his eyes, the arcanist’s horn glowed, brilliant blue bands of ethereal energy forming in the air around the old mage. Fireshade’s eyes widened as Arcana’s actions clicked in her head. Immediately cancelling her spell, the pyromancer spun in place and darted for the dungeon entrance.

Arcana narrowed his eyes at the fleeing mare. “You will not evade me, Apprentice.”

After a few more moments of focused channeling, the magical energies surrounding the stallion coalesced into his horn with a vacuum-like effect. Releasing the charged energies, Arcana fired off a condensed bead of intense light that followed after the retreating pyromancer. Gaining speed the further it traveled, the tiny projectile followed the mare with persistence, changing directions as she attempted to evade it.

“Shitshitshitshit!” Fireshade’s breathing grew erratic as she glanced over her shoulder at the oncoming flare of arcane energy. The dungeon entrance wasn’t within her teleportation distance yet, nor did the surrounding mountain path provide any cover she could hide behind. Even if she teleported as far as she could, the homing projectile would still reach her in just a few short seconds.

No choice, I guess.

Skidding to a halt, the pyromancer gritted her teeth as she poured the entirety of her focus into a last-ditch barrier. The small flare of arcane magic crashed into the mare’s spell with an overbearing concussive force, exploding upon impact. The defense’s wall cracked, white fissures spreading across its surface, before it finally shattered.

Fireshade’s eyes rolled into the back of her head, a high-pitched wail screeching throughout her skull. The shock wave generated by the blast quickly overtook her, flinging the pyromancer’s body into the air and violently bouncing her a great distance across the ground.

The mare eventually skidded to a halt, slowing until she was a few hoof-lengths from the cave’s entrance. Her senses were blurred, and her limbs were sore. Fireshade whimpered, managing to force her way back to a standing position. She staggered, nearly losing her balance multiple times, before she finally stumbled into the cave’s entrance.

Arcana scoffed. “Damn it. I shouldn’t have gone easy on her.”

Passing through the lab's threshold, Fireshade paused to catch her breath. Arcana had been right on her tail mere moments ago. Did he notice the trap? Could he even see them?

She knew that the head mage could sense even the slightest traces of residual magic, so if anypony could see them, it would be him.

The mare soon got her answer.

A pillar of light erupted from directly inside doorway to the hidden lab, followed by a loud scream of pain. Fireshade looked on in absolute shock as a ring of runes materialized into existence around the arcanist’s prone figure. A large smile soon replaced her surprise.

“No way!” Fireshade beamed, unable to contain an ounce of her excitement as she shakily walked to the entrance. She glanced down to her captive's cutie mark with a smug grin. “Eye of Providence, indeed. Didn't see that one coming, though, did you?”

Arcana glanced about his prison of binding light. “What manner of trickery is this?” he barked, trying to force his way from his bonds.“Release me at once!”

Fireshade held out a hoof. “Wait wait wait... you mean, you don’t know what this is? And you couldn’t sense it?” The confused look on the arcanist’s face only excited her further. “Wow! Mark that as just one more reason this stuff was banned.”

“...Banned?” Arcana asked skeptically, before casting the pyromancer a heavy glare. “Just what have you two been up to down here?”

Fireshade donned a mask of indifference and shrugged. “Oh, you know... this and that,” she answered vaguely, rubbing her chest with a forehoof before examining it disinterestedly.

“I demand you release me this instant!” he ordered, gritting his teeth. “Then you are going to tell me everything you and the grand magus have been up to!”

The arcanist’s hollow demand elicited a burst of laughter from the pyromancer. “I don’t think you are in a position to demand anything, bud,” she said, walking up to the head mage and flicking his muzzle with a hoof. “If my experiments with this baby have taught me anything, it’s that you won’t be going anywhere until I let you.” A dark smile lit up the mare’s features. “If I let you.”

The pyromancer’s sinister expression sent a chill down the stallion’s back. He tried desperately to summon his magic and free himself from this prison, but to no avail. “What in Equestria is this magic!?” he asked, utterly baffled at his inability to free himself from it.

The pyromancer chuckled. “Trust me, I’d love to tell you allll about it, but I don’t think Twilight would be very happy with me.”

“Is this how far you have fallen? Reduced to a puppet for the grand magus’s ends?” Arcana asked. “Just how long until you think she decides you are no longer useful to her? Then what? Hmm?”

“You shut up!” Fireshade snarled, pointing a hoof down at the stallion. “That’s not going to happen!”

Arcana let out a fit of laughter. “Oh, don’t kid yourself. You know it’s true,” he said with a smirk. “You are just a liability to her. A liability she would just as soon dispose of as any other pony she already has.”

Fireshade could barely hold back her rage. Even in this hopeless situation, the arcanist still maintained his arrogance. Thankfully, she had just the thing to remedy his smug attitude, and remind him of who was in control of this situation.

“You know what?” Trotting over to the supply cabinet across the lab, the pyromancer levitated a single purple vial from a collection of blue liquids, as well as an empty syringe. “Since you’re so bucking curious about what we’ve been up to, why don’t I show you?”

The arcanist’s smirk faltered at the sight of the needle, and vanished at the mare’s sinister face as she filled it with the unfamiliar substance. “What is that?” he asked, a hint of panic in his voice.

“This little guy? Oh, just a small side project I’ve been working on in my free time. I like to call it GL-7658z, or simply ‘the nightmare goo’,” she answered matter-of-factly, waving the stallion’s concern away before returning to him. “Don’t worry. It won’t kill you...” She let out an ominous chuckle. “Though, you’ll probably wish it did.”

Before the stallion could comment, the mare stuck the needle into his neck, injecting the experimental contents. The foreign substance burned like an intense fire as it entered the arcanist’s blood stream, causing him to cry out in pain.

“Now, you be sure to remember everything you see and experience. I’ll be expecting a full report on it later,” she stated, levitating a magic inhibitor she prepared for a unicorn earlier from the lab’s workbench, and attached it to Arcana’s horn. “For now, I’m going to catch some shut eye as well, though it’ll probably be a lot more enjoyable than yours.”

Casting a restraining spell on the stallion’s writhing figure, she removed his bindings and levitated him to a nearby holding cell, haphazardly tossing him in before closing the door and securing it’s latch with magical holdings. She turned to leave but paused; with the adrenaline having now faded from her system, Fireshade realized just how exhausted she really was, and the long trek back to her apartment sounded worse than walking on hot coals.

“Buck it.” Deciding that walk back to her place was too much work, Fireshade trotted to the next unoccupied cell, where she unceremoniously collapsed on the pile of hay within.

Later that evening, the silent dungeon laboratory lit up with a flash of purple light as the grand magus materialized into existence. After a much needed rest, Twilight felt anxious about the incident in the lab, and hoped greatly that Fireshade had completed her task.

Now that she had calmed down, Twilight noticed just how big of a mess she had made during the scuffle. Thankfully, it seemed that Fireshade had cleaned up a little, particularly with the removal of the test subject’s lifeless remains. However, the lab still remained a bloody mess.

“I can’t believe I actually did all this...” Twilight mused, glancing about the large pools of blood and splatter. The mage was more than a little perturbed that she was capable of such violence. The idea that she had just taken another’s life with her own hooves still weighed heavily on her mind.

Killing may be necessary if we cannot avoid detection. It’s something you have accept if we want to survive long enough to make a difference.

I know. It’s just... it’s difficult to come to terms with.

Twilight reflected on the thought for a moment before shaking it from her mind. She had far more important things to worry about at the moment than moral strife.

We are out of time; we need the mechanobiological energy interface device operational as soon as possible.

Trotting to the workbench, she examined the items on the table, immediately noting the many blood stained papers set aside from a pile of clean sheets. “I’ll have to make fresh copies later.” Beside the papers, she found the two small boxes she needed. Her eyes widened upon further examination of the devices. “No! No, no, no!”

Levitating one of the boxes, she examined the obvious damage it had sustained; badly dented and mildly misshapen, it was clearly beyond usable condition in it’s current state.

“Dammit!” she shouted, slamming a hoof on the desk and gritting her teeth in frustration.

It must have been damaged during the struggle.

“We don’t have time to fix this right now!” Twilight paused, thinking for a few moments before glancing back to the cell blocks.

One interface device and no suitable test subjects left...

We wouldn’t be in this predicament if we hadn’t killed subject three. We have to get another as soon as possible.

There’s no time. There has to be better option. Something faster, more immediate...

Twilight’s eyes widened as she scrambled through Fireshade’s notes. “There might just be...”

You cannot seriously be considering that?

I am.

Have you already forgotten what happened to us the last time we tested an unfinished experiment on ourself? We almost died!

This time is different. We are more informed, and better prepared.

Retrieving a particular sheet of notes, she rescanned its contents. “The dermal contacts simply can’t handle the amount of energy being transferred. Additionally, one of Fireshade’s theories is that the subjects simply didn’t have the mental or magical capacity to support the interface device,” she said to herself, levitating the box in question and closely examining it. “I’m probably the most powerful unicorn currently alive. If anyone could could handle the strain, it would be me.”

We don’t know that for sure!

I have to try. Everything looks as good as it can get on paper, and there’s nopony else powerful enough to support Fireshade’s... theory...

The grand magus paused as she realized that she might not be the only pony capable of supporting the device’s output.

Fireshade probably could, too...

Taking the possibilities in mind, Twilight weighed her options. If she insisted passionately enough, Fireshade would likely be up for trying it. “But if something were to go wrong, and Fireshade were to...” The mage trailed off , feeling a chill creep down her spine as her stomach sank.

No, absolutely not! Fireside is...

Fireshade is an asset to us. We cannot risk letting something bad happen to her.

Yeah... yeah, you’re right. I’m right. We can’t use Fireshade for something like this.

Twilight sat the device back onto the desk. “It has to be me.”

Very well. However, if we are going to do this, we are going to do this right. Now listen carefully...

The grand magus nodded, making her way to the supply cabinet and retrieving the tools and medications necessary for the impromptu operation. The mage levitated a scalpel in her magic, examining it apprehensively. Being alone, she’d have to perform the surgery without the aid of anesthetics, relying only on simple painkillers to dull the sensation.

“I really wish Fire were here for this...”

Waking with a long stretch and a small groan, Fireshade opened her eyes weakly. Every fiber of her being cried out for her to go back to sleep, to give in and get more rest. Against the protests of her body, she peeled herself to her hooves.

Scratching her side and wetting her dry mouth, she took a moment to absorb her surroundings. “Oh yeah, I was too tired to go back after...” Fireshade’s eyes widened as she recalled the events of earlier. “Oh shit!”

Stumbling out of the cell, she rounded to the adjacent door and quickly peered inside. Sure enough, there lay the still-unconscious form of Arcana. The mare slapped a hoof over her face and goaned. “I was really hoping all of that was just a dream...”

“Fireshade!”

The mare jumped at the excited voice, spinning around to find the grand magus across the lab, wearing a smile that beamed with absolute excitement. However, upon further inspection of the mare, Fireshade realized something was very off about her appearance. A large section of Twilight’s mane had been shaved off, and trails of fresh blood streamed down the sides of her neck and face. At the origin of this blood, two cables plugged into ports in the back of her neck, just beneath the base of her skull. Snaking their way down her neck and back, the opposite ends connected to Fireshade’s interface device and one of the Section 5 batteries strapped to her side.

“What in the great depths of Tartarus happened to you!?” Fireshade exclaimed, rushing up to the magus, closely inspecting the area around the still-fresh incisions. “Oh my god! Are you okay, Twilight?”

Twilight quickly shook her head. “Never mind that—it works, Fireshade!” she exclaimed, grabbing the pyromancer’s shoulders with both her forehooves. “The mechanobiological energy interface device! It works!”

Fireshade paused. “Wait... it does?”

“Yes!” the mage repeated, retrieving a sheet of paper from the nearby desk and levitating it before the pyromancer. “It appears your theory on the average unicorn lacking the magical aptitude to handle the strain of the device was correct. Here.” She grabbed Fireshade’s hoof, bringing it to the metal box affixed to her body. “Do you feel that?”

The pyromancer’s jaw slackened in disbelief. “It’s... cool to the touch...”

“Exactly! No heating issues whatsoever! Watch this!”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Fireshade cut in while raising a forehoof, gaining the excited magus’s attention. “Look, I know you're excited—heck, I’m excited about this, too—but...” The mare trailed off with a glance to the cells behind her, before starting up once more. “We sort of have a problem on our hooves...”

The excitement instantly vanished from Twilight’s face at the seriousness of the pyromancer’s tone. “What happened? Did somepony see you?”

“Actually, yes. Somepony did.” Fireshade gestured for the now-paling grand magus to follow. “I managed to restrain him and bring him back with me, but...” She stopped, pointing to the newly-occupied cell. “I think you should see for yourself.”

An uneasy feeling swam in Twilight’s gut as she hopped up to peer through the cell window. Upon witnessing the identity of the prisoner, she lost her balance, falling back to her haunches. “What is he doing here?” she hissed, pointing a hoof directly at the cell door.

“I just said so,” Fireshade pointed out dully. “He caught me trying to dispose of Subject Three. I think he may have been waiting for me.”

“He was waiting for you?” Twilight cupped her head in her hooves, an expression of utter horror adorning her features. “This is bad! This is really bad!” Twilight immediately turned back to Fireshade. “Was there anypony else with him? Could anypony else have seen you?”

Fireshade shook her head. “Nah, he was all alone. If anypony else was hiding nearby, well... they may be a little on the ‘well done’ or ‘extra crispy’ side right about now.”

“Wait, you fought him?” Twilight asked, craning her neck back in disbelief.

“Well... I wouldn’t necessarily call it a fight. It was more like me trying to kill him before he could do anything, then running my flank off when it didn’t work.” She closed her eyes, crossing her forelegs with an unhappy grunt. “As much as I hate to admit it, there is no way I could take that guy in a fair fight. Not Arcana.”

“If that’s the case... then how did he get in there?” Twilight gestured back to the cell.

Fireshade let out a smug laugh, striking a confident pose. “Remember that entrapment sigil I sprung on you a while back? Well, it turns out not even Arcana can detect the stuff. He walked right into it!” Fireshade raised a forehoof with a wink. “But thats not all! He didn’t even know what it was!”

It’s probably safe to bet that if even Arcana doesn’t know about it, then nopony other than the princesses do.

It could be entirely possible that nopony alive other than the princesses know about vault four’s contents.

We should press him to find out what he knows, if he knows.

“I’m going to wake him up,” Twilight declared, preparing the necessary restraining spells before glancing back to the pyromancer. “He is still alive, right?”

“Oh, he’s alive. He might not be too happy when he wakes up, though,” she chuckled to herself.

Twilight raised an eyebrow before returning her attention to the cell, opening it and making her way inside, Fireshade close in tow. “Wake up,” the mage demanded, eliciting no response from the unconscious unicorn. After several seconds of no response, Twilight called out again, shaking the stallion with her magic.

“No, no, no! You’re doing it all wrong,” Fireshade declared, enveloping the arcanist with her magic. “Like this!” With a flick of her concentration, the pyromancer flung the unconscious stallion into the cell wall.

Crashing into the thick stone with a meaty thud, the arcanist let out a groan. Upon waking, he suddenly let out a horrified scream, cupping his head and stammering incoherently. Twilight craned her neck back in surprise before looking to the pyromancer for an explanation. “Just what exactly did you give him?”

“I took the opportunity to try out a special sedative I’ve been working on. Remember that junk you tried to kill yourself with? Well, I figured if I modified it slightly, I could produce a hallucinogenic drug that induces nightmares—perhaps even night terrors.” She looked to the panicked form of the arcanist with a smile. “By the looks of it, GL-7658z seems to work great!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “GL-7658...z?”

“Yeah! Z!” Fireshade beamed. “Because it puts you to sleep! Get it? Z’s?”

Twilight deadpanned as the pyromancer erupted into laughter at her own humor. “Was it really necessary to make something like that?”

Composing herself, Fireshade shrugged. “Eh, probably not—but it sure would make for a great threat if somepony doesn’t do as they are told!”

She might be onto something with this. A drug that creates an experience so horrifying that a pony would do almost anything to not experience again... Something like that could prove useful.

The grand magus stared off in thought for a moment before nodding. “I see. Good job.”

The mage’s compliment elicited a crazed smile from the pyromancer. As she opened her mouth to respond, however, a fit of coughs from across the cell grabbed the pair’s attention.

“I think he’s finally coming to,” Fireshade commented, approaching the arcanist. “Hey, so how was your nap? I wanna know all the details.”

Arcana slowly staggered to his hooves. “B-buck... you....” he cursed at the mare weakly.

The pyromancer frowned. “Well, that’s no good... looks like I’ll just have to try it again.”

The senior mage’s eyes widened in utter horror. “N-no! No!” he practically screamed, scrambling to the back of the cell. “Anything but that... that... abomination!”

It would seem Fireshade’s little drug is already proving itself useful.

Fireshade gave a satisfied smile. “Okay, good enough... for now, anyways.”

Arcana shot the mares a glare of daggers. “I knew you two were up to something, but this!” he spat, composing himself. “Capturing ponies and using them for twisted experiments? Sickening!”

Twilight returned the arcanist’s glare. “I know that there’s pony testing performed in Sector Five as well, Arcana.”

The stallion scoffed. “Yes, but only after extensive lab preparation and data collection, and certainly not against their will!” He pointed a hoof at Twilight Sparkle accusingly. “What you two are doing here is absolutely diabolical!”

“Don’t try to feed me that crap, Arcana!” Twilight barked back. “I know all too well the secrets of Sector Five and what it is capable of!” She thrusted a hoof, pointing at Fireshade. “The modification of the GL-7658a compound Fireshade gave you speaks volumes in itself! I can only imagine what is redacted from those research pages, but I have a fairly good idea.”

“So that’s what that vile substance was,” Arcana said, leaning against the cell wall and crossing his forelegs. “The GL-7658a was restricted and abandoned for that very reason. It’s too dangerous.”

“But it’s not just dangerous!” she cried out in response. “The positive possibilities of this compound are tremendous! Think of all the lives it could save if engineered for cures and treatment!”

“They are not worth the risk of it falling into the wrong hooves,” Arcana stated bluntly, casting a quick glare to Fireshade. “We take into account the outcomes should something go wrong, or if an enemy obtained information on research experiments before we decide to abandon them. The GL-7658a proved far more disastrous than beneficial.”

“Enemies, enemies, enemies, always about the enemies!” Twilight said, rolling her eyes. “If you ask me, Equestria is clearly capable defending itself if more than half of the Sector Five research were to get out to other nations. The benefit of the common pony from much of the technology we use in the labs would be phenomenal for the progress and prosperity of our nations ease of lifestyle and economic growth.”

Arcana shook his head. “Oh, to be so young and naive...” he said sympathetically. “I once thought that way too, you know.”

“Then clearly you made a mistake somewhere along the way,” Twilight stated heavily, furrowing her brow. “The prosperity of our nation’s ponies should come first.”

“Ha! The safety of our nation comes first and foremost.”

“But we are safe! So long as we are safe, we should seek to balance that safety with progress.”

The mare’s declaration sent Arcana into a fit of boisterous laughter. “Really, what was Celestia thinking when she appointed you as grand magus?”

Twilight grit her teeth in rage.

Don’t let him get to you, he’s just trying to get under our skin. Calm down and stir the conversation in our favor—we have leverage over him.

Leverage?

The books.

Twilight straightened her posture with a smug smile. “You really have no idea what Equestria is capable of, do you, Arcana?”

The arcanist smirked. “Far more than you could ever imagine.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Twilight said with a smirk of her own. “Have you already forgotten what we used to trap you here in the first place?”

Arcana’s smug expression vanished. “Just what was that magic?”

“Just one of the many, many uses of sigil magic,” she said matter-of-factly.

The senior magic raised a curious eyebrow. “Sigil magic?”

He’s curious. He really doesn’t know what it is.

“Unfortunately, I cannot risk telling you anymore than that. I’m sure you of all ponies can understand, right? Just know that that little secret is just one of the many that Equestria has up her sleeves.”

Arcana let out a small chuckle. “Touché.” He pointed a hoof at Twilight’s head. “I take it your little accessory is another of these secrets?”

Twilight smiled. “I was wondering when you were going to comment on this,” she said, pointing to her newly-attached implant. “Unfortunately, no. This is my own creation, and no, I cannot tell you about it, either.”

The stallion pushed himself off the wall. “No matter. I’m sure I’ll learn more once I examine that device of yours, after I turn you over to Princess Celestia. I’ll be sure to ask about this ‘sigil magic’ while I’m at it.”

Just where does he get all this confidence from?

He’s just bluffing. Don’t let him get under your skin.

Fireshade, who had listened silently for some time now, laughed. “Yeah, okay, buddy.” She gestured with a hoof all around her. “You seem to forget where you are. The cards are certainly not in your favor.”

Arcana responded to the mare’s taunt with a smirk. “Don’t be so sure of that.”

The pyromancer rapped her hoof against the nearby cell wall in visible irritation. “Okay, he’s really starting to piss me off.”

Twilight shook her head. “Don’t let him get to you, Fire,” she said, calmly tapping the ground with a hoof. “No magic can enter or leave this cell—and with that inhibitor, I very much doubt he could do anything, even if he wanted to.”

Arcana let out a sigh, looking up to the tip of his horn. “Yes, this device is quite an inconvenience, but it’s no matter. The end result will be the same.”

Fireshade clapped her hooves together as an idea came to her. “You know, this would be the perfect opportunity to test GL-7658b.” She turned to Twilight. “We’ve observed that a subject under its influence can proceed with a given task while enduring extreme pain, but it might be a good idea to see just how far it can make somepony go.”

She’s right. The GL-7658b requires further testing at a higher pain threshold to see if the subject remains susceptible to the effects.

Twilight nodded in agreement. “Alright, good idea.”

Fireshade quickly left the cell and returned a few seconds later, levitating a syringe filled with blue liquid and a hacksaw. “You see, I got to thinking—as everypony knows, the body’s nervous system dulls when exposed to extreme pain. However...” She tapped her horn a few times. “A unicorn’s horn is almost entirely made up of nerve endings, easily making it the most sensitive part of all the three tribes’ bodies.”

Arcana glanced to the ominous saw with wide eyes. “You wouldn’t dare!”

“Actually, yeah, I would... but we wouldn’t learn anything from that, now would we?” she stated matter-of-factly, dropping the tool in front of Arcana. “So you’re going to do it.”

Twilight held out a hoof, interrupting the other mare. “Hold on. Let’s not do anything too drastic just yet.”

...Is it really okay for us to do experiments on Arcana?

Right now, he is no different than any other test subject. It matters not what we do with him, as we cannot let him leave here alive. Besides, we hate him anyway.

I don’t necessarily hate him...

He has been there every step of the way, trying to undermine and stop our progress. He even went so far as to threaten us when we first arrived here. You cannot lie to yourself, Twilight Sparkle. We hate Head Mage Arcana and do not care what Fireshade does to him.

Twilight closed her eyes, furrowing her brow in contemplation. Finally, she removed her foreleg from Fireshade’s chest. “Nevermind, do it.”

Fireshade’s expression lit up. “Really? You sure?” she asked.

Without a word, the grand magus gave a silent nod of confirmation before trotting out of the cell.

“Okay then!” Fireshade exclaimed, her eager smile immediately returning.

Arcana frowned. “Don’t forget what I mentioned earlier, Apprentice,” he warned before the pyromancer could continue. “This is your last chance. There is no turning back from here. Can you really say, with absolute certainty, that you will be safe in Twilight Sparkle’s care?”

Fireshade fidgeted in place. “Yeah, about that...” The mare’s expression hardened with a look of complete seriousness. “I’m going to have to pass. I don’t believe that Twilight would ever do anything to hurt me. She’s been my best friend ever since she first came here. You, on the other hoof...”

With a flick of her orange magic, the syringe crossed the room in an instant, stabbing into Arcana’s neck and injecting its contents.

“You’ve treated me like an idiot and a foal the whole time I’ve been here!” she cried out, tears quickly beginning to well in her eyes. “I never wanted to be your apprentice, I just wanted out of that facility!” Fireshade rubbed her eyes before casting the arcanist a cold glare. “I hate you... I hate you so much. You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted to hurt you whenever you looked down on me, or treated me like I was stupid. Perhaps if you’d treated me better, I might have actually taken you up on your offer, but right now? I can’t wait for that drug to kick in, so I can finally watch you suffer the same pain I’ve had to endure.”

Having heard Fireshade yell, Twilight quickly returned to the cell door. “Are you alright, Fireshade?”she asked, her eyes widening upon seeing the mare’s face.

“I’m fine, Twilight. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been better!” she reassured the magus, walking past her with a spring in her step as she left the cell.

Twilight’s gaze followed the mare as she crossed the room behind her and took a seat at the desk. Her attention returned to the cell upon hearing a faint chuckle from within. Arcana stood, shaking violently in place and barely able to stand—yet his chuckling somehow erupted into roaring laughter, and he soon fell over onto his side from the uncontrollable spasms. Twilight cast the head mage a final glare, before slamming the cell door shut and locking it with her magic.

It would still be a few minutes before Arcana would be ready for suggestions, although she wasn’t about to listen to his arrogance for another moment. Turning away from the cell, she went to go check up on Fireshade.

“You sure you’re alright?” she asked, her voice full of concern. “You don’t look so good.”

Fireshade nodded, looking to Twilight with a smile that greatly contradicted her tear-stained face. “Yeah, I’m fine. Great, actually!”

Twilight frowned. “What did Arcana say to get you so upset, anyway?”

Fireshade paused, her cheerful expression failing. “...Twilight? Just what am I to you?”

The grand magus craned her neck back, a small blush blooming on her cheeks at the sudden, unexpected question. “W-what?”

“No, not like that... I think?” The pyromancer rapidly shook her head. “What I mean is, what do you think about me? I’m your friend, right?”

She’s seeking reassurance. Arcana must have said something to make her doubt us.

I can’t afford to have Fireshade doubting me—especially not at a time like this.

Tell her what she wants to hear.

Twilight took a deep breath before answering. “Of course you’re my friend, Fireshade. Why in Equestria would you think otherwise?” she asked, walking up to the mare and giving her a brief, reassuring hug. “In fact, I think it’s safe to say you’re my best friend, after everything we’ve been through.” Twilight beamed the mare a gentle smile. “You’ve been nothing but extremely helpful and loyal to me, even when I’ve asked absurd things of you, and for that I am very grateful. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you, Fire.”

Twilight’s gesture had been more than enough to cast away any remaining doubts that Arcana’s words may have implanted in the pyromancer. Fireshade truly had a real friend—a best friend; something she had always wanted—and now she struggled to hold back her tears, which threatened to burst forth again.

“Thank you, Twilight.” Fireshade said, rubbing her muzzle with a small sniffle “Thank you so much...”

She won’t doubt us anymore. Just look at her; she’s ours.

“It’s time, Fire,” Twilight stated, turning back to the cell. “Let’s show Arcana what we’ve really been up to down here.”

“Finally!” The pyromancer cheerfully hopped off her seat, quickly following after the mage.

A loud yawn, along with the subtle clanks of heavy armor, echoed through the early morning hallways of the castle as General Falx made for his daily appointment. The silver-armored stallion’s aged complexion and commanding presence drew the immediate attention of the stationed guards he passed, earning a crisp salute from each he encountered.

“This is so ridiculous,” Falx grumbled tiredly under his breath. “Just why does he need me of all ponies for this anyways? And why so damn buckin’ early?”

Far be it for the general to deny a request from an old friend, but for the past several mornings, the stallion had gone tediously far out of his way to attend a brief meeting of ‘the utmost importance’ with Head Mage Arcana. These so-called meetings would merely consist of the mage thanking the general for coming, and then briskly waving him off with a “That will be all,” and giving no further explanation. It was quickly grinding on the stallion’s last nerve. His time was far too valuable to be wasted on a casual meet-and-greet every morning so far away from his post.

“I oughta give him a piece of my mind,” he protested, as he reached the arcanist’s office. Rapping a hoof on the door, the stallion waited for Arcana’s prompt to enter—but to his irritation, no answer came.

Knocking once again, he called out for the mage. “Arcana? You in there, ya old fart?”

Several seconds of silence passed again, before Falx let out an exasperated groan. The only other instructions he had been given were to enter should he receive no answer. Following the protocol, the general reached for the door, finding it unsurprisingly open and letting himself in. The office was dark with clear signs of nopony being present. Nonetheless, the stallion entered, taking a look around the room.

“Well... this was a huge waste of time,” he huffed, turning to leave. However, before the armored pony could make his exit, a brilliant flash lit up the room behind him. Turning to investigate, the general found a large manilla envelope levitating over the arcanist’s desk in a soft blue glow.

Falx stared at the packet in confusion for a few moments, before the hidden meaning behind these brief daily meetings with Arcana suddenly dawned on him. “For the love of Celestia, why did I have to be his ‘Plan B’?”

With a long sigh, he continued to eye the package apprehensively. “What have you gotten yourself into, Arcana?”

Author's Notes:

You may notice that the story is no longer posted under NATOstrike, but myself. This is because complications to NATO's health have rendered him unable to write for the foreseeable future. Therefor I have taken up the torch and continue to write the story with the use of his outline, notes, and guidance.

This is the first chapter I have written for the story in it's entirety. I hope it's up to all of your expectations.