"Well, Sir, I trust you will tell them as soon as you find them. I need to get there. Send some guards," said Twilight to the first guard she had managed  to find in the castle. No matter where she had looked in the castle, she simply hadn't been able to find any of her friends. Not even Celestia. While it was certain she would have found them had she just kept searching, she simply did not have the time. Group Misery would move from their current hiding place in less than half an hour. Barely enough time to get to her destination. She needed a bit of luck, and certainly plenty of speed.

"This sounds quite serious. Do not fear, Twilight Sparkle. Hurry towards our enemy, and I shall ensure you receive help!" said the guard and bowed his head.

"Thanks. Guess I'll get to take the role of the scout. I'll see them soon," said Twilight. While she was disappointed she had been unable to find her friends, or even the princesses, she felt much more confident in going ahead while she knew help would arrive sooner rather than later.

***

The guard watched Twilight Sparkle running towards the corridor that would lead her out of the castle. He gave a sad smile and walked away. That he had essentially allowed a pony to be doomed weighed a bit heavy on him, but his instincts just made him feel oddly proud with himself. Fooling ponies just seemed to give him this natural high, a small amount of euphoria.

"Seriously, these ponies never learn. No wonder they fear us changelings if they can't even adapt to us," said Rerry in the guard's voice. "Goodbye, Twilight Sparkle."

***

Twilight took a taxi cart to get to the other end of town as quickly as possible. She felt oddly alone, but she just had to take this opportunity to bring the whole of Group Misery to justice. Eventually the taxi stopped at the intended destination. She had only learned the address, but he was surprised once she realized that the taxi hadn't gotten it wrong. Twilight had expected an old abandoned warehouse, or some sort of entrance to the sewers again, but that certainly wasn't the case. She found herself in front of a massive and very eloquent house. Incredibly luxurious, in the middle of the city, right in front of whoever would dare to watch.

"This, this can't be right," said Twilight. To think that Mrs. Misery would be in there, how would it even be possible? On the brick wall surrounding the house, there was even several wanted posters with detailed illustrations of the known members of Group Misery they had seen so far. Which at this point was Random, Mood, Erase, Instrumental and a changeling without a known name. Twilight wasn't even sure they had names. In any case, even though they had two in the dungeon, they had decided to put up the posters of them anyway, since somepony might have recognized them from some point. Any information would be deemed important.

"Ma'am, I assure you, I haven't gotten an address wrong in my life, well, except that one time that sort of resulted in the complete destruction of an entire ancient kingdom," said the pony pulling the taxi. He looked away with a dramatic face, and equally dramatic gesture. "Never again!"

Twilight shook her head and looked at the building again. She couldn't stop being surprised that none of the ponies that often walked past the building everyday had noticed anything. Then she remembered it was likely that Group Misery had only recently moved into the building. Somepony was bound to see or notice something strange eventually, it just seemed like Twilight would be the one to make them do just that.

She paid the taxi pony and then entered through the front gate. As the high brick wall separated all the ponies outside from the oddly small garden surrounding the building, she very quickly felt more secluded. There was only a small gravel path up to the front door. Through the large windows in the building Twilight wasn't able to see much of interest, just the incredibly expensive furniture. Ininitially, Twilight had gotten the impression that this was the Whitemane's old estate, but she realized that couldn't possibly be the case. That would be the least safe place for Mrs. Misery to hide, no, this had to be some random building.

In any case, Twilight wasn't about to just burst in through the front door. She was going to sneak around, peeking in through the windows, and see if anypony was still in there.

She was just about to step off the gravel path when the front door opened.

"Miss Twilight Sparkle. We have been expecting you," said a thin pony, standing at the front door. Twilight didn't recognize him.

"Who, who are you?" asked Twilight, ready to use her magic offensively.

"I'm the owner of this estate. I'm currently enslaved by the strange powers from Sir Random. I'm forced to comply with his orders for the rest of the day. While I may appear calm, I assure you, I'm screaming in terror inside," said the pony far too calmly. He was wearing a suit, making him look like a servant. A pony walked out from behind him and sat stood next to him in the door frame. It was Random.

"Hello, Twilight. How nice of you to come along. How about you come inside and I'll, well, this guy, will make you some tea," said Random in an overly friendly tone.

"There is something seriously wrong with you ponies," said Twilight.

"Like you wouldn't believe. Still, Mrs. Misery wants to have a little chat with you. You only have right now to decide, otherwise she will leave again," said Random, adjusting his hat. Twilight caught a glimpse of the strange antlers.

Twilight seriously considered using magic offensively, but there was a problem: the pony that was already there. Twilight had in a way allowed three ponies to die, and while she couldn't feel guilt for something that the monster Mrs. Misery had done, she couldn't just allow it to happen again. In fact, with a hostage, Twilight realized she didn't have much of a choice.

"I'll peacefully come inside, if you let that pony, and everyone else you might have gotten trapped, go," said Twilight. Random shook his head like he was pretending to disappointed.

"Ah, ah, ah. It can't be that easy. You might attack as soon as he's free and off the hook. Let's make a bet to make it official. I bet you that you can't be in here without attacking us once everyone, which is actually just this one pony, goes free. If you lose, I get your soul. If you win, you get away unharmed by me," said Random with a coy smile. Twilight widened her eyes in shock, but she did notice that he didn't mention anything about fleeing in case things got bad in a hurry. One teleportation spell, and she would get out without so much as a scratch.

"I'll agree if you let him go first," said Twilight. Random suddenly opened his mouth and stuck something out from his mouth, getting a hold of it with his teeth. It looked like a poker chip. He bit down on it, which made it fall apart like it was made from fine sand. Suddenly, the pony next to him screamed and ran away, out through the gate.

"I'll give us twenty minutes before he calms himself down enough to actually contact a guard or two. Come inside," said Random, walking inside calmly. As Twilight got inside the luxurious home, she hoped that the guards were not far behind her, they had to be quite close.

Twilight cautiously followed Random through the hallway, leading her deeply into the large building. Random opened a door, leading into a windowless room. The only source of light was a fireplace, and in front of this fireplace a pony was calmly sitting in a very well crafted chair with the back at an angle towards them , drinking tea. Twilight could only see part of her silhouette.

"If I wasn't terrified of her, I would so totally say she looked like a cliche villain right now," whispered Random to Twilight like it was gossip between friends. While Twilight hated to agree with Random, she couldn't help but to feel that despite this whole unoriginal attempt at intimidation, Misery was somehow able to pull it off. Twilight was definitely getting uncomfortable when Misery turned to face her.

Misery had clear blue eyes, very attentive, very sharp, and her very look made Twilight feel like she was being eyed upon by a predatory animal. Those eyes, it was like she was trying to find a place on Twilight's neck, where she could tear it to shreds with her own teeth in a fit of primitive and unstoppable rage.

"Hello, Twilight Sparkle. So we meet at last," said Misery.

"Merry," said Twilight, not even allowing herself to blink as she stared at Misery. Random turned towards Misery.

"Merry?" he said in disbelief. Mrs. Misery gave Random a stare that made him take a step back, looking nervous.

"How did you know I was coming?" asked Twilight.

"Simple, Twilight Sparkle: I told Erase to tell you. Random, go get Mood and come in when it's time. I want absolute privacy until that time. I should not have to tell you that."

"Yes, Mrs. Misery," said Random and left the room. Twilight was surprised at herself once she realized that she had rather have him stay in there with them. She just didn't want to be left alone with those eyes staring at her, they didn't even blink. When were the guards coming?

"So, Twilight Sparkle. The Princess' top student and prized pupil. A pony so young yet with little to prove. Always hungry for knowledge, just for the sake of knowledge. We are both quite alike, except of course, I don't really see you as an equal, in any way." Twilight immediately got sick of her attitude.

"If you told him to lead me here, you must have something to say," said Twilight. Misery took a sip of her tea, and then tossed it into the fireplace with force. The tea quickly evaporating in the flames.

"I do have a statement to make, but this doesn't involve telling you anything. Still, we're alone, and I do want to say a few things to you. This is not me doing something significant, this is not me saying a thing that changes anything in any way. What I'm about to say is actually... remarkably pointless."

"What is it?" asked Twilight.

"Don't you wonder why these ponies are ready to kill? Don't you wonder why they are so ready to risk everything? It's not because they don't have something to lose. They do. Some have families, some have friends, even the ones worst off have each other thanks to me. Erase and Solitary seem a bit fond of each other for example, though I doubt they would readily admit it to anyone. So, while this curse is terrible, why would ponies that are really quite amicable in other circumstances be so horrible to you and your pony friends?" asked Misery to Twilight.

"What are you talking about?"

"Twilight. They have two things they want, but they plan on achieving three. They want Cesom to get rid of their curse, they want to punish Celestia. And they are fighting and risking so much to stop the Cycle of Destruction from returning," said Misery.

"What?!"

"They have been told that the Cycle of Destruction will come back, cursing thousands upon thousands upon thousands of ponies! They know the pain of curses, and they will do anything to spare all others from that. Fighting to stop this isn't what they want, but they feel like its the most necessary."

"But, but, why are they, why are they not working with the Princess in that case?"

"Because they think that the Princess is actually filled with lies, an evil monarch, unworthy of anything, just deserving of punishment."

"That's not true!" yelled Twilight defensively. Misery gestured with her front legs, up towards the roof, with joy.

"Of course it isn't! But they come from so far away, they don't know Princess Celestia! They had only heard her name before I came to help them! They think she only thinks of herself and is merely keeping ponies happy so she can keep her power and throne!"

"How could they think that?!"

"Because those are the lies I told them. Princess Celestia could probably save them with Cesom if they merely asked without me with them, but they won't trust her because of what I've told them for years! They are loyal to me, and despise her for a dozen things she has never even done! All they know of her is that she's the pony that caused them years of pain. There is no return of the Cycle of Destruction! That was just another lie! I told them Celestia is waiting for the Cycle to return, and that it will give her power she craves after she saw it the first time. They think Celestia is fighting against them with tooth and nail to protect the Cycle of Destruction. They think Cesom can destroy this 'coming' Cycle."

"But why?" Asked Twilight with just a hint of fury in her voice. She was considering losing the bet to attack Misery, but she couldn't risk it.

"Why, what? I need their powers to get my revenge on Celestia. That's obvious. Ask me a good question instead."

"Why, why.. why are you telling me this?" asked Twilight.

"Oh, as I said, this is pointless. This is just me playing. It's entertaining to me to see your expression hearing this. You hearing any of this changes absolutely nothing."

"But you wanted to make a statement, was that it?" asked Twilight.

"Not to you, and here I thought you were intelligent. Stupid girl. I'm going to make a statement to Celestia. You see, once she comes here to see her precious prize pupil, broken and mentally destroyed beyond comprehension, then I'll get the joy of seeing her fall apart," said Misery.

Twilight looked at a grandfather clock near the wall, ticking away as the moment painfully continued undisturbed.

"What's the matter? Are the guards not coming as soon as you would have wanted?" asked Misery, clearly having noticed her concerned look. Twilight just turned to look at her again, with worry in her voice.

"What did you do?"

"A better question would be 'What didn't you do?' You really should have told more than one guard," said Misery, smiling with a sadistic grin. "I didn't expect for a changeling to so easily be made part of my plans. Did you know Rerry, the changeling, just joined a month ago. And to think, I thought it would actually hinder my plans," said Misery and laughed. Twilight just looked at her in shock. She had not expected anything like this. Everything about the situation had just turned around completely. Unable to attack, unable to get help, holding a powerful secret. There was only one thing she could do: flee.

Twilight focused on a spot out in the garden, nopony would be there, that would be safe for a teleportation. She focused her energy into her horn, shaping, molding the power into something solid, magical and familiar. Creating a line for her very being to follow throughout the vast cosmos between where she was and where she wanted to go. She would be out of there in less than a fraction of a second. She gathered her magical energy, did all the calculations necessary, and then just let the energy flow freely from her horn, releasing a small part of her aura to change the very fabric of space in an instant.

And nothing. Nothing happened. She didn't teleport, her magic was not changed inside her aura, her being. She didn't traverse any universal space. She was just standing there, looking into Misery's eyes.

"It appears you are having difficulties escaping. Do you want to know why?" asked Misery, still with that evil, yet subtle, grin.

"This is impossible! How are you doing this!?" asked Twilight and kept trying, but time after time nothing happened.

"Me? I'm not doing anything. You overestimate me, which, I admit, few ponies have done. The fact that you can not use magic at all is because you lost a bet to Random," said Misery.

"I didn't lose any bet! I haven't attacked!" said Twilight.

"I meant the other bet. You see, when you were at the door, you and Random actually bet three times. The first time, he bet on a simple game, for the pony's freedom, and if you lost you would give up your ability to teleport. He had an innocent pony at risk, how could you refuse? You lost. The second time, he bet on another game, if you won he would give back your powers and free the pony. If you lost, you would give him a memory. You lost, and he took the memory of you two playing games since you arrived. So now you are completely defenseless and at my mercy," said Misery. Chuckling at the power she had over Twilight's fate.

"I hadn't even considered," said Twilight. In hindsight she realized she should have always been ready for the risk of tampered memories, ever since Spike had forgotten his name.

"So, Twilight. I give you three choices. Either, you let me kill you as you can't actually fight back, or you will make another bet with Random where you might lose your freedom, to become my servant forever, or you face Mood's power at its more horrifying state," said Misery.

"Random seems like my best option," said Twilight.

"Not a good idea, really. I would have you play poker with him. He is very good at that game," said Misery. She was idly fiddling with some sort of contraption strapped to her foreleg, it looked mechanical.

"Fine, you sick, sick mare. I'll take on Mood's power," said Twilight.

"Wonderful. Oh, and don't bother trying telling him what I told you. He would most likely dismiss whatever you said as a lie," said Misery. She walked over to the closed door and opened it. Random and Mood were standing and waiting patiently outside. Twilight certainly recognized Mood from the first day she had been there. "Mood," said Misery simply.

Mood stepped in, and Misery closed the door. Mood took off his glasses and opened his eyes, trying very hard to keep looking at the floor.

"I'm, I'm ready, Mrs. Misery," said Mood.

"Good. You see, Twilight. Mood has unfortunately been cursed to have the ability to, in the most basic sense, break down a ponies mental, emotional, and psychological defenses. It doesn't matter who you are, when he's not trying, his words will always ring true, and they will always make the victim burst into tears. That's the boring aspect. The really interesting part is when he charges his curse, as some ponies can do. He can essentially make you collapse completely. Nopony has ever gotten out of it, they just, just end up catatonic. Do it."

Mood looked up and before Twilight could look away he met her gaze. She should have tried to tell him about Misery's lie when she had the chance. His very expression seemed to change like he was forced into being cold and unemotional.

"Twilight. You once told Spike that you would never send him away. That was the truth you spoke, but it does not reflect the future. Today, you are there to nourish him. Someday, perhaps sooner than you expect, Spike will not only leave you forever, because as it is in his instincts, he will actively push you away from him. One day you will wake up, just to find your home oddly quiet and empty. You will miss him, you will want to nourish him again. But he will not write, he will not care, and in time, he won't even remember. He is a baby. Babies grow up. And he is just a dragon, dragons are just barely above animals. One day, how he sees you will be twisted from his current love, to hate at how you made a proud member of a proud but brutal race a slave of a pony. He will reject you, he will want to kill you. And when you are lying on the ground, bloody, beaten, and an inch from death. You will look up at him, such a strong creature he has become, and you will, with both pride and shame, tell him you love him. And then he will rip you to shreds, devouring you, not even caring, because in the end, you are there to nourish him. And you will be happy for it." Mood finished, looking into Twilight's eyes.

It, it had just struck her, no matter how much she had steeled herself, the words rang so terribly true. It was uncanny. She felt like somepony had forced a stake into her heart.

"That's not true," said Twilight, unable to not start weeping. "That's a lie!" yelled Twilight.

"Possibly. But it's a necessary step for this:" said Mood. His eyes almost tensed up, he started to weep blood. He uttered something that was barely sounds, but Twilight felt her sadness suddenly envelop her like a cold blanket. She felt like she was falling through the floor, hitting an ocean of icy water. She couldn't breathe, the surface she was standing on was getting uneven. She couldn't stand. She tensed up, and then she collapsed on the floor. Twilight Sparkle was gone.

There was only one question to be asked, one vital question. But it was a simple one: where had she gone?