Sweetie Belle opened her eyes to find herself lying on her back, her head propped up on a bunch of pillows on her bed. Somepony had placed a warm washcloth around the base of her horn, which ached with a dull fervor.

As her eyes adjusted, Sweetie was relieved to see that she was, once again, home. Her room filled out before her in the darkness: her featureless dresser and walls welcomed her back like old friends. Outside her single window, a gloomy night with no moon had settled over Ponyville. The starlight seemed dull, even as it reflected off the inky black pond outside that lapped against the shore.

There was light coming from downstairs that peeked into the edges of Sweetie Belle’s room. She could hear the sound of hushed voices rumbling below. More than just two or three, even. It sounded like a whole congregation was down there.

Sweetie Belle threw back her flower print covers and swung herself out of bed, placing her hooves on the hard floor as quietly as she could. She grit her teeth when the floorboards creaked under her weight, but if anypony downstairs had heard, they made no indication of it.

She crept across her darkened room and out the door to the little stairwell just outside. Once there,  she stalked her way halfway down the stairs and kept low, where nopony could see her between the slats beneath the wooden banister.

Downstairs, in the kitchen across from the stairwell, she spied a group of ponies, her parents not among them. Instead, the ponies gathered there were all from the school, except . . . Twilight Sparkle?

She leaned in as close as she could to listen.

“Are we absolutely sure that this outburst was ‘black magic?’” Twilight asked. She leaned against a stainless kitchen counter.

Octavia and Vinyl sat across from her at the kitchen table. Vinyl, for once, looked worried while Octavia’s face showed little more emotion than seriousness. Rarity stood on the other side of them, in front of the bright purple door. She kept looking at the ground, and said nothing.

Octavia nodded to Twilight’s question. “We’ve gone over this before, Twilight. There was no uncertainty in what I saw; Sweetie Belle was using the forbidden magic.”

“But Sweetie Belle?” Twilight asked. “Why would she use black crystal magic? She’s never shown any signs of corruption . . .”

“Few do,” Octavia said. “That’s why it is so dangerous.”

Rarity stepped forward. “Now, I know Sweetie Belle,” she said, “and I have never thought she has even shown the slightest inclination toward corruption! If this is indeed true, it must have happened since she started attending your school.”

“That’s impossible.” Octavia shook her head. “If there were any place that she would be safest from the black crystals, it would be at Canterlot Music Meister Academy.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “So is your staff not counting Question, Thunderlane, Rumble, and the others anymore?”

“She knows what’s she’s talking about,” Vinyl said, speaking up for the first time. “There may be ways to achieve corruption in the school, but not without actively seeking it out first.”

“Sweetie Belle would not seek it out!” Rarity growled, taking another step forward toward Vinyl.

“Maybe you just don’t know much about your sister,” Vinyl shot back.

“Maybe you don’t know much about me,” Rarity threatened.

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s a promise!”

Before the two could come to blow, walls of violet magic sprung up between the two. Twilight, her horn glowing, waved toward the two of them. “Whoa, girls, calm down,” she said. “We aren’t here to fight, but to help Sweetie Belle, remember?”

“I haven’t been getting that impression,” Rarity huffed.

Octavia sighed. “You know the punishment for the use of forbidden magic, Twilight. Better than anypony else here, I’m sure.”

Twilight whirled around and glared at the gray cellist. “Then it may be wise to remember that I could have been a princess. Sweetie Belle will not pay for her crimes as if she were knowingly committing these crimes. As far as we know, this has all been a mistake. The way you described her actions with the bus gives credence to that theory.”

“Fine,” Octavia said, “but even if she’s not, then what do we do with her? The corrupted ponies will not stop coming after her, even if we stopped some of them. They will overwhelm her at some point, and even you cannot protect her every hour of every day.”

Twilight rubbed her hooves against her temples. “I know, I know. I’m swamped as it is with Spike being gone and Cadence calling on me so often now.”

Rarity cleared her throat. “If I might make a suggestion . . .”

The three other mares in the room all turned to her, and she smiled. “What if we move Sweetie to Canterlot? There, we have the Royal Guard, the Academy, and the princesses to protect her. No corrupted ponies would dare come near her.”

“You would suggest just leaving Sweetie Belle there by herself?” Twilight asked.

Rarity shook her head. “No, no, I would come along as well. Blu— er, Prince Blueblood has been seeking to return to his home town for some time now, so perhaps it would be good if all of us made the move there.”

“But what about Carousel Boutique?”

“Oh, Twilight, I thought you knew me better than that.” Rarity smiled. “I can make fashion anywhere I choose. In fact, this might be a chance for me to expand my business and interact more with my sister.”

Octavia stood up from her chair. “This is all well and good, but what about your parents? They must give their consent for this.”

“Royal consent will outweigh them, if necessary,” Rarity said, “but they will agree, I’m sure. They know I can take care of my sister, and that I will do what’s best for Sweetie Belle.”

Octavia looked at Vinyl for a moment, then nodded. “It’s settled, then. I’ll arrange for transport to leave tonight. We want to get her out of here as soon as possible.”

“Rarity, do you want to go tell her?” Twilight asked.

“Of course.”

Rarity moved past the group, across the kitchen tiles, and up the stairs toward her sister’s room.

Sweetie Belle, meanwhile, ran and jumped back into her bed just ahead of her sister. Questions swirled in her mind as she recalled Octavia’s words and Rumble’s speech to her at the RockIt. Corruption . . . that had been a big word. A dangerous one, too, if Octavia’s behavior was any indication.

Her bedroom door creaked opened and her sister trotted in. A weary smile decorated the demure face of her sister. There were worry lines starting to form on her face now, though she wasn’t much older than Twilight or any of the other Elements. Sweetie Belle winced whenever she saw them.

Rarity’s horn lit up and the lamp on a stand beside Sweetie’s bed came to life, bathing the room in a small orange glow that met and swirled with the blue light coming from the night outside.

“Hey there,” Rarity whispered as she approached the bed. “Are you feeling better?”

Sweetie Belle turned over and nodded her head, shaking her bangs everywhere. “I’m fine,” she said.

Rarity looked away. “Your teacher, Octavia, told me about what happened today.”

“It was an accident, I swear!” Sweetie Belle cried. “I didn’t mean to—”

Before she could finish, Sweetie Belle was swept up in her sister’s hooves as Rarity leaned over the bed and pulled her into a hug. “No, no, nopony blames you,” she said into her sister’s ear. “Don’t you ever blame yourself.”

To her surprise, the teenager found herself leaning into her sister in a desperate embrace. “I don’t know what’s going on,” she cried. “I didn’t ask for this! Octavia was talking about treason and I . . . I didn’t know what to do!”

Rarity hugged her tighter. “What you did was dangerous, but I know you would not do such a thing for bad. My sister is the kindest and most wholehearted student at that school. No one is going to say anything else, I promise.”

Sweetie Belle sniffled a little and hoped her sister didn’t hear. “Thanks, Rarity,” she said.

Her sister stood back and smiled. “You know it’s no problem, little sister.” She sighed. “I’m afraid things aren’t quite so easy with everypony else, though.”

Sweetie Belle leaned back into her pillows. “We can’t stay in Ponyville with all those ponies coming after me, can we?”

Rarity shook her head. “No, but we get to go to Canterlot and live there all the time! I’m sure you’ll love it and be able to hang out with all of your new friends.”

“Sure,” Sweetie Belle muttered.

Rarity sat on the edge of the bed. “Hey, it will be all right,” she assured her. “And it’s only going to be temporary. You don’t even have to pack anything but your school materials.”

“Really?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Rarity smiled. “Really. But you better start, because we have to leave tonight.”

Sweetie Belle did her best to smile and got out of bed once again to begin gathering her school bag and keytar from where they lay by her dresser. She noticed Rarity keep her own grin plastered on her face. For that, they were still sisters, at least.

The pale moonlight curled around the rocky landscape in the foothills beneath Canterlot. Scraggly trees and stunted bushes grew in the blasted landscape and little else. Once the home of hydras and dragons, the land was now empty after the Royal Guard had cleaned them out a thousand years before. Now they only stood as a quiet reminder of pony dominance in the area.

Naught Note stood on top of one of the rocky outcroppings, his jet black mane whipping in the light wind that blew across the emptiness. He had his eyes closed and his breath came in soft whispers. He was waiting.

The sound of hooves crunching on rock came to his ears. It started as a soft noise, but grew louder and louder as the pony came closer. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped.

Naught Note opened his eyes.

On top of a massive boulder a dozen feet in front of him was another pony. His dark eyes were offset by a pure white coat and mane to match. A midnight black question mark decorated his flank and he had a golden guitar strapped to his back. He did not move or make a sound, only stared.

“Question,” Naught said at last. “I was hoping you would come. Very predictable as usual.”

The stallion, Question, made no move to say anything.

Naught sighed. “How long has it been? Five years? Since the last insurgency, I’m sure. You were at the school, then. Such a shame we couldn’t have kept you around; you were always such a lovely guitar player.”

Still not a word.

“You weren’t especially confident, though,” Naught continued. “I remember how you fretted over every little thing; couldn’t handle the slightest criticism. But I suppose that’s part of why you left us for the other side, isn’t it? The power of the crystals . . . perfection!”

Question, at last, made a noise. It was a laugh, high and shrill that came from the nose. It echoed across the rocky landscape and bit into Naught’s ears. When the stallion had stopped, his eyes had taken on a green tint.

“After all this time that is how you greet me,” Question barked. “You treat me no better than trash, cast my kind out, and then have the nerve to pretend it was my fault.”

“Oh, and the attack on Canterlot was just a misunderstanding, then?”

Question surged forward and a purple haze surrounded his head. “You misunderstood us! We tried to make peace and you just hunted us down. But that won’t happen anymore . . . our numbers have grown and there is a massive source of dark magic right in Canterlot. We’ll be all over you soon enough.”

Naught narrowed his eyes. “Not if I can help it.”

“What, are you going to stop me with more of that whiny teenager music you ‘entertain’ your students with?” Question snapped.

Tendrils of inky black magic uncurled and swept out from around Naught Note. “No, I save the good stuff for my enemies, Question. It’s a pity you are one of them. Leave now, and no harm will come to you.”

Question stood on his hind legs and brought out his golden guitar. “I’ll take my chances.”

Naught Note sighed, then inhaled and let music flow from the spiked tendrils around him. He didn’t have to like it, but letting Question near Canterlot wasn’t an option.

A heavy guitar riff exploded out from from the tendrils as they blasted forward toward Question. The stallion let them surround him as they spiraled up and formed a massive, pitch-black dome filled the bursting rhythms of guitar.*

Then, Naught begin to sing soft lyrics as the darkness crept in and swallowed them both whole.

I am the one who walks alone,

And when I’m walking a dark road,

At night or strolling through the park . . .

Near the top of the dome, above Question’s head, spikes thudded into place inward as the darkness bound the stallion in place. He made no move to fight back.

Meanwhile, Naught stepped forward on his outcropping and continued to softly whisper the lyrics to the quiet guitar riffs.

When the lights begin to change,

I sometimes feel a little strange,

A little anxious when it’s dark.

Spiked columns exploded out from the roof of the dome and thudded around Question. He didn’t flinch as they came within inches of slicing him in half. After a moment, he was surrounded by the pillars that sparked with music magic. Naught smiled.

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark,

I have a constant fear that something’s

Always near.

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark,

I have a phobia that someone’s

Always there!

The pillars exploded as the guitar and drums roared back into existence. They shook the dome and Naught cried out. But when he looked, however, Question was gone.

Then, he had to cover his eyes as a bright explosion tore through the dome and Naught’s tendrils collapsed. When he looked again, Question was floating in the air, tearing through riffs on his guitar.*

Little white balls of light flew out of the guitar, separated into five pieces, and exploded in the air around Naught, who had to bring his remaining tendrils up to protect himself.

They kept coming, however, as Question continued to hammer out notes and began to sing.

Spineless from the start, sucked into the part!

Circus comes to town, you play the lead clown!

Please! Please!

Spreading his disease, living by his story!

Knees! Knees!

Falling to your knees, suffer for his glory!

You will . . .

The balls of light exploded around Naught, but he was back on his hooves and jumping from rock to rock to avoid them as they pounded the crags to bits. He gathered his music back up, and it screamed into life.

Have you run your hoof down,

The wall?

And have you felt your neck skin crawl,

When you’re searching for the light?

Sometimes when you’re scared,

To take a look,

At the corner of the room.

You’ve sensed that something’s,

Watching you!

Inky black spike met exploding white light in the air between the two stallions. Each maneuvered around and cast larger and larger attacks in an attempt to gain leverage over the other. The sounds of their battle filled the rocky chasm as they pounded the landscape down with magic attacks.

Bound to your leper messiah!

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark!

The battle continued on, long after the songs had actually ended. No music filled the air, just explosions and cries of anger and anguish. It went on for hours unabated until, at last, both combatants fell to their original positions, exhausted.

“I see you’ve lost your touch,” Question sneered. “In your old days, you could have beaten me without much effort. You’ve gotten weak.”

Naught panted and coughed. “Or maybe I’m just not filled with crazy magic.”

“I have perhaps gotten stronger, yes. You have not yet seen what I can do with true dark magic.”

“Then why not do it now?” Naught growled. “I can go all night.”

Question laughed. “I didn’t come here just to parry blows. No, you see, this was a warm up . . . and a warning to you and the rest of the CMMA. We are coming and we are everywhere. Enjoy your power while it lasts.”

Moving faster than Naught had ever seen a normal pony move, Question was gone, lost in what remained of the rock fields. Once he was sure the stallion was gone, Naught sagged to his knees and started to wheeze.

The boy had been stronger than he had ever seen, and had been holding back. Naught wearily climbed to his feet and stared up at Canterlot, just above him. How much longer would they be safe up there?

Without a word, he started back to report in.

Sweetie Belle looked around her room. The moving stallions had already cleared out all of her furniture and knick-knacks, leaving only a bare wooden floor and whitewashed walls. It felt . . . empty.

Not just empty because of no furniture, but devoid of life. Devoid of emotion. She had spent her life in this room and now it was like that part of her wasn’t even there anymore. It was just four walls, a ceiling, and a floor now. Same as it had always been.

Sweetie Belle walked out of her room one final time and closed the door behind her. She marched down the wood steps whose edges had been worn by her hooves going up and down them countless times. The bannister was much the same.  

The rest of her house was left unchanged, however. Her mom and dad had decided to stay put and let Rarity take care of Sweetie Belle for the time being, as they said it was better for an Element of Harmony to be with her than just them. Sweetie Belle sighed when she thought about that. Now they’re just my parents.

She’d never been their biggest fans, but hadn’t wanted it like this.

They were waiting for her outside, next to the Royal Coach that would take her, Rarity, and Prince Blueblood back up to Canterlot. Scootaloo and Applebloom were there too.

“We’re so proud of you Sweetie Belle,” her father said when she hugged him. “You’ll do great things at this school. I know it.”

Her mother smiled and warned, “But remember to be safe, too.”

When Sweetie Belle came to Scootaloo and Applebloom, there wasn’t much more to say. The friendship that had lasted for years was coming to a rapid close and the three didn’t know what to say as the ember died out.

“We’ll miss you,” Scootaloo said finally.

“Yeah, and just remember to write,” Applebloom added.

Sweetie Belle smiled and hugged them both. “I promise I’ll be back soon,” she said. “We’ll be back to normal in no time.”

When she said that, at the time, she was sure she meant it. But by the time she had boarded the coach and it had taken off, she wasn’t so sure. Diamond Tiara and Pipsqueak waited for her in Canterlot, along with the CMMA. Would she get used to her new life?

“Are you ready, Sweetie Belle?” Rarity asked. “This is a big step.”

She was sitting in the front of the glorified bus, next to Blueblood. The stallion prince did his best to smile and nod to the teenager. “You’ll love your new home in Canterlot. It’s in the Royal District and usually a backup house for visiting ambassadors. You’ll be getting the royal treatment.”

Rarity may have swooned over that thought, but Sweetie Belle just glumly nodded and settled back in her seat and looked out the window once again. Ponyville fell away and got smaller and smaller until she couldn’t even see it and the carriage rose above the clouds.

Canterlot awaited her, but she wasn’t sure that was a good thing.