Describing the day after the party as uneventful was apt. Twilight was simply too tired to do anything significant. After all the stressful running around they had all partaken in the previous night, doing anything besides just lying down and resting felt like a horrible chore. Even Twilight was all out of energy. The only ones who could still keep going was of course Pinkie Pie.

Twilight and Spike were both with her parents in their new temporary quarters in the castle. They were still basically oblivious to them, so they had Fluttershy there that was ready to act as a way to communicate. She was sitting in the small kitchen making idle conversation with Velvet and Night Sky. It was about noon and the silence and calm of the day made them feel even more drowsy. On top of it all, today was quite warm and a gentle breeze flowed in through a large open window.

"Twilight, maybe we should go to the game, just to be safe?" asked Spike to her while she was lying on her couch.

"Spike, there are literally two hundred guards at the stadium. They've kept it guarded since that cursed concert with Instrumental. There is no way anyone there will be in any danger. Let Celestia just entertain her guests with their little pegasus game. I just want to be ready for the next night," said Twilight, turning over on her side with her back against him.

"Right. After all, they've decided to move up the meeting," said Spike.

"Wait, what?!" exclaimed Twilight and instantly sat up.

"Didn't you hear? A majority of the guests voted that the meeting would be held tomorrow. A bit earlier than usual, isn't it? Or am I confused about the calendar?"

"I didn't expect it to start tomorrow. Wait, why the sudden change in schedule? Was it because of Scalerclaw?"

"Nah, apparently a lot of them had thought about it together way ahead of time," said Spike and shrugged.

"Poor Princess Celestia, poor planners. They've spent so much time on this, and now they are forced to change everything so quickly. They must be really disappointed," said Fluttershy from out in the kitchen.

"Dear, it always sound so strange when you talk to Twilight like that," said Velvet. Before Fluttershy could respond, Night Sky folded his newspaper and put it on the table.

"By the way, what do you want for dinner, Twilight?" asked Night Sky with a slightly too loud voice into the house.

"Anything works for me," said Twilight to Fluttershy.

"Any dish with hay would be nice," said Fluttershy, seizing the opportunity. Twilight didn't mind. She had earned it by merely being there to speak with them.

"Oh, is my husband cooking dinner? I'm glad that this curse doesn't seem to be able to expand. It's nice that we can make new friends. Hm, maybe I should make something for me as well," said Velvet.

"Wait for that until Night Sky is done with his. Do you want to read the newspaper?" asked Fluttershy and reached for the folded newspaper. Velvet jumped in her seat when Fluttershy grabbed it.

"I don't like it when you just make things appear like that," said Velvet and took the newspaper from her.

"I don't like it when you just make things disappear like that," said Night Sky, looking at the spot the newspaper had last been seen at. Twilight couldn't help but to laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Spike.

"Nothing, really. It's just they way they talk without each other around," said Twilight. She sighed and lied back down onto the couch, looking up at the ceiling.

"We've just got to stop their curses. I'll find this Solitary," said Twilight.

"Twilight, do you think that, well, that Group Misery will try to do something tomorrow?" asked Spike, a bit worried.

"You know what? I'm sure of it. Whatever one would do tomorrow would have a bigger impact than on any other day. Tomorrow just have to go well. I don't want to think what could happen if things went bad with all of those important leaders and figureheads there," said Twilight.

"Why are you resting then? We should be out there! Trying to get them! Not in here just being lazy," said Spike.

"Spike, all the guards are doing their best to find them. I just don't think I will be able to help much. I need to be well rested and ready for tomorrow. I have a bad feeling about it."

"Well, okay. I just hope that this isn't a mistake," said Spike, a bit worried. He suddenly belched out a green flame that materialized into an opened letter. "Oh, it's the answer from Zecora about the curse... Okay. Without the rhyming it basically says 'Sorry, can't help you. Also, I didn't know curses were real. That was a surprise.' Hm, bummer," said Spike, tossing the letter aside.

"I didn't know what I expected," said Twilight, unable to hide the slight disappointment in her voice.

***

Erase was walking through an old forest. Having to use the strange dark blade as a type of crutch. He was constantly just trying to let go of it, he just wanted it gone. He didn't want to hurt anyone else. In this moment he was absolutely terrified beneath a calm exterior. It had been exactly a week since his last moment of compulsive aggression. He could imagine an urge in his mind, almost emanating from his horrifying unnatural talon. Whoever he saw next would without a doubt suffer.

So many... so many had suffered. How many had it been? How many animals? He didn't know. He had lost count. He would never be able to forget those two ponies he had struck down. A close friend and a complete stranger. The death of both affected him tremendously. He was sweating. He prayed that whatever creature he would find would be small, insignificant.

"I curse you, terrible blade. If you would just allow me to take my own li-" He never finished that sentence as he heard a rustling sound in the bushes of the old forest.

"Please flee! I will hurt you otherwise! Don't get near me!" yelled Erase, moving away his gaze, hoping it would stop whatever might occur.

"It's alright, don't worry. You're not alone. We're here to help you," said a young voice. Erase was taken aback by the kindness in her voice. He had not heard such a sweet and genuine voice in quite some time, not after he had been branded as an abomination by many of the ponies surrounding the forest. The pony there had a long yellow mane and a gray coat of fur. She looked at him with a kind look. She was young, barely of age.

"Who are you?" asked Erase. Something was wrong, a train of thought could be felt in the back of his head. This was not how it had happened that day.

"I'm called Solitary. I'm here with somepony who really wants to help you, us," said the pony.

"I'm, my name is Hiltguard."

"That's such a cute name. But, we usually have codenames so we won't be too easy to find. That's what Misery says anyway," said Solitary. Then, without warning, Hiltguard was forced to attack the young mare before he was supposed to ask who Misery was. He struck, but there was no temporary effect, no curse, he merely cut her with his sharp, deadly blade. Blood sprayed everywhere, coloring the forest redder than any dusk or autumn would.

HIltguard grasped her body as she fell.

"Solitary, no! Please, I didn't mean it! Solitary! SOLITARY!"

***

"Don't leave me!" exclaimed Erase with a gasp as he woke up from his nightmare. He was still in the dungeon in Canterlot Castle. The lack of light shining in from the small windows was enough to know it was night.

In the cell on the other side Instrumental's interest was peaked. She mumbled a question towards him. She had still not fallen asleep and was wide awake.

"It was nothing, a nightmare. It was just about the first time I met Solitary," said Erase.

Instrumental just mumbled something to him from her cell.

"I don't love her. She is merely my best friend," said Erase. He lied down on his bed. "Get to sleep. Tomorrow will be a challenging day," said Erase, closing his eyes.

***

Celestia was very tired, despite the fact that she had the endurance to stay up for days at a time. She desperately wanted to go to sleep, but she still had an entire stack of papers to write. Twenty written pages to the archives, forty to different governments, another five to the ponies helping with this year's budget.

She sighed. Today's game at the stadium had been a bit of a failure. It turned out that one of the pegasi in the game had been using performance enhancing chemicals. Of course, this had been discovered mere moments after Celestia had made a bet, for the sake of entertaining King Pero, on that pegasus' team. Some of the more aggressive guests had accused Celestia of cheating for the sake of winning money, ignoring the fact that the sum involved was quite small compared to any riches she had stored in her personal vault and that it had been King Pero who approached her about betting. Before she tried to explain this rumor had spun out of control, instantly worsening how some of her guests saw her.

On top of it all, this had apparently been a mean little prank on her by Group Misery. The pegasus had been approached by somepony, who it was clear from the description that it had been Random, and he had lost a bet to cheat in any way possible. King Pero later admitted that another pony had approached him and suggested the bet, just for the fun of it.

To Celestia's shock, this pony's description matched that of Mrs. Misery. She had been right there, in the booth with them. By the way Celestia had been seated, she must have literally been less than meter away, right behind her. It had given a clear message. That she could have snuffed out her life there and then. This aggravated Celestia to no end. She was not afraid of that mare, however. She would not give her the satisfaction.

So, what about the guards that were tasked to guard the stadium and look for ponies matching, amongst others, her description? A small entrance in a more secluded back alley, where only two guards had been present, they had both been found with some sort of precise wound between their eyes. It had been clear they had died instantly. It was just like those ponies that had been murdered in that bank. Celestia had heard of that murder and had assumed it was Misery even before she had gotten the note warning of Instrumental, but even if there would have been any doubt, this would have removed that as well.

Princess Celestia wondered about what curse could have made such wounds. Perhaps it had been the power of this rumored other pony. This 'Y'. It didn't matter. Whatever threat was in store, she would handle it. She always had.

Still, she was tired. So very, very tired. She was unsure if it had merely been this meeting she had spent so long to prepare that was causing her stress, or if it was in fact Mrs. Misery. Whatever the cause, it made her do something she had never done in roughly a century. It made her fall asleep on top of her desk, with work still unfinished.

***

Surprisingly close to where Celestia was soundly asleep, Random was lying down in a cozy, warm bed. Next to him, there was a creature with a cold body, embracing him lovingly.

"My queen?" asked Rerry.

"Yes?" asked Random. He kept himself from groaning as he heard that particular title.

"Do you think that we will survive, or succeed, tomorrow?"

"If everything goes according to plan, then hopefully. So much is riding on this, after all. Still, that's what makes it so exciting to me. Tomorrow, all of Misery's plans will bear fruit, or we will see if she is simply just even more lucky than I am. Maybe she both needs to be smart and lucky for this to work. This will be the only way for us to learn everything we need about Cesom," said Random. He sighed, giving Rerry an impression of melancholy. She didn't need to be smart to know what was troubling him.

"I think you are quite noble to be giving up your power, my queen. I know you enjoy it," said Rerry.

"I think I could keep it if I really wanted to, but perhaps I've overused it. I think it's time that I just stop. Maybe I should stop risking everything and start thinking about settling down. Maybe on a warm, nice farm," said Random.

"That is a nice dream. Is... is there anypony in that dream?"

"Like you have to ask," said Random and kissed her on her forehead. It was cold, slimy, even. Random didn't care.

"My quee... Random, why do you love me?" Rerry asked, looking into his eyes.

"Despite the fact that we have a lot in common? Despite that we have the same tastes? Despite the fact that you never lie to me, despite it being in your nature? I think it's because you are the only one I know that truly understands me."

"What do you mean?" Random held her head carefully in a hug, stroking her gently.

"You are the only one I know who truly knows the same joy that I do. The joy of risking everything for anything. You love the thrill of transforming and just being there in place of someone else, knowing that you could be found out any moment."

"I like that, but not that I have to lie to do it."

"We all do things we are not proud of. Especially us," said Random. The room fell silent for a few seconds.

"I'm so lucky to have found you, Random," said Rerry.

"I have always been lucky, but to be honest, finding a kindred spirit in this world as a gambler was a stroke of luck not even I could have expected," said Random, holding her even closer.

"Random, I won't be mad if you don't want to tell me, but, what is your real name?" asked Rerry.

"I'm so surprised you haven't asked before. You've known me for two years," said Random.

"I've been too afraid, with Misery always there. That's why I didn't want to join Group Misery until not so long ago."

"It's Chance. My real name is Chance."

"I like your name, I hate your horns, though," said Rerry. Random laughed.

"I'll remove them if you want me to," said Random.

"Will you?" Random just closed his eyes. The horns faded away, and he spit out a little token. He just crushed it in his hooves, it faded away as grains like fine sand.

"Better?"

"Much, Chance," said Rerry. She looked up at him. "You're more normal without those. I like that. Hey, Chance, if you want to, I could probably put a bit of effort into it, and transform into a beautiful mare not based on anypony," said Rerry.

"Don't, don't ever do that," said Chance.

"Why not?"

"Because I love you for who you are, not for what you could look like. Rerry, you will never have to lie to me. I promise you that," said Chance. Rerry looked up at his face from his warm embrace. She felt comfortable there, safe and cared for. That was certainly something she never got to experience back at her old hive.

"Chance, I'm hungry," said Rerry, trying her best to sound and look seductive as a pony would, she still hadn't completely grasped it. Chance chuckled a bit to himself.

"If this relationship grows deeper, and I do so pray it will, I certainly hope that won't have to be our little euphemism for everything," said Chance and kissed her, making her both buzz and laugh. He loved her just as much as she loved him. Chance was happy he could still love, despite the ponies that had been in some way hurt by his abilities. He hoped they could one day forgive him, as he was merely trying to ensure the success of them defeating the Cycle of Destruction. Still, he could love. It was more than could be said for Misery. Out of all the ponies in their group, Chance was the only one who could find it in his heart to doubt Misery, despite all the help and support she had readily given them. It was merely in his nature to second guess bluffs. He wondered if Misery was planning something she wasn't telling them. He doubted that it mattered. Cesom was the only way for Chance's friends to get normal lives and happiness. He had already found his, he was hugging it right in that moment. It wouldn't be fair if they couldn't get the same chance at happiness.

***

While their reasons might have been different, and their knowledge of what would happen the following day was vague for most, many of those still awake at that late hour, all over Canterlot, from houses, to hotels, to castles, essentially said the same thing at the same time.

"Tomorrow is going to be a big day."