As they approached the castle, Taylor and Twilight passed several of Celestia's Royal Guards, combing the streets of Canterlot for any sign of Lyra. The two ponies exchanges concerned looks, but kept moving. The urgency of their task far outweighed their desire to join the search. The security outside the walls was nothing compared to that of the inside. There were no fewer than four guards posted to each entrance, with even more surrounding key locations. It was as if they were preparing for an attack on the castle at any moment, as unlikely as it might be.

The two ponies were stopped twice once they reached the walls. The first group of guards - most of which were familiar with Twilight Sparkle - allowed them through the outer gates without any trouble, but the guards at the main entrance of the castle were extremely thorough, ensuring that nopony would get in or out without answering a battery of questions and having all of their possessions examined.

One of them towered over Taylor, an aging charcoal gray stallion with golden eyes. "What have you got there?" he asked with a tone of suspicion. His commanding voice rumbled like thunder, putting both Taylor and Twilight on edge.

Taylor wasn't fond of being looked down upon, and held very little respect for authority, but most of all, he was in a hurry and this gargantuan horse was just wasting time while Lyra was being hauled off by the Order. "Issha boog you dubfug, dow ged oud ob d'way" he snarled, gripping the book protectively in his teeth. He attempted to push past the guard, failing miserably.

Twilight wasn't sure what a 'dubfug' was, but the meaning behind it mattered little now that Taylor had resisted the search. Two nearby guards joined the first, surrounding what they perceived as a potential threat. The lavender unicorn quickly placed herself between the gray guard and Taylor, glaring up at him, trying her hardest to be intimidating.

"We have critical information for the Princess. It's absolutely vital that she be informed of-"

"I was Captain of the Guard around here before you were born; I've heard it all before. If you haven't noticed, we've got a situation on our hooves and we can't take any chances, so either submit to the search or go back the way you came from. This is not a negotiation."

The three guards had closed in during the exchange and were practically on top of Twilight and Taylor. As much as she didn't want to create a scene, there was no time to waste on a search if the contents of the book Taylor was protecting were as vital as he claimed. She shifted her stance, bracing herself to teleport them both away from the increasingly claustrophobic circle of guards when he ears perked up, hearing a familiar sound.

"Hold it. These two are guests of the Princess. Let them pass." said a nearby voice. Twilight recognized it at once, breathing a sigh of relief. Her brother, Shining Armor, the Captain of the Royal Guard approached quickly. His three guardsponies bowed to him as they backed away from Taylor and Twilight.

"I'm guessing you have some important business here if you were ready to burn up that much energy to avoid a simple search. What exactly is going on, Twilight?" His tone was formal and commanding, befitting his station. Now was the time to play the part of Captain of the Guard, rather than older brother.

Twilight glanced around at the nearby guards, then nodded toward the castle. "We need to get to the Princess first, then I'll explain." she said. The existence of the Order was still a pretty big deal, and talking about them openly in front of an audience could have negative consequences. She believed the relative seclusion of the castle would afford them more privacy than the outdoors, where voices could easily carry all the way across the castle grounds.

Shining Armor quickly realized Twilight's intent. If she couldn't tell him out here, it was obviously something that needed to be kept secret. He nodded, falling in step beside Twilight, occupying his mind as they walked by wondering about the injured pony that accompanied her.

Lyra rushed to Bon Bon's side, horrified by her poor condition. Her mane and tail had become disheveled and dirty, her normally bright blue eyes had become listless and bloodshot, underscored by the dark circles and tear-stained fur beneath them. She was an absolute mess the likes of which would have made Rarity either faint or run screaming.

"What in Celestia's name did they do to you, Bon Bon?" she asked. Her eyes were filled with concern and regret for not being able to protect her friend.

Bon Bon simply could bring herself to look at Lyra, shifting her position to face the wall. After all she had done, how could she explain that this situation was the result of her first betraying Lyra, then the Order? She had turned her back on everypony she knew, and only now that her actions were catching up with her did she truly feel any remorse.

"I'm sorry." she rasped in a barely audible whisper, not certain whether or not she truly meant it or if it was simply her mind filling the silence with anything that seemed appropriate. She couldn't even trust herself anymore.

Lyra shifted closer to Bon Bon. "You don't think I blame you for this, do you? Because of you, Taylor and I got away from the Order and made it here, to Canterlot, to stop all of this. Bon, you're a hero! There's no reason to-"

"Stop."

It echoed inside Bon Bon's mind. Every word seemed to suffocate her, crushing her beneath the weight of her own guilt.

"-should have been more careful with my research-"

"Stop it!"

This is what Cerise was counting on. This is why she chose to put Lyra in the same cell, and why she carefully planted the seed of suspicion by calling Bon Bon a traitor. Eventually, either Bon Bon's guilty conscience or Lyra's curiosity would draw the truth to the surface, and then the worst of her punishment would begin.

"-thought if I kept quiet about humans in public, then they would believe I'd given up-"

"Make her stop!"

The voice was becoming louder and more forceful, imparting a growing sense of urgency on Bon Bon. Something about Lyra's presence, her words - it was painful, and yet she felt nothing. It was maddening!

"-happened to you is my fault-"

"She thinks this is her doing? This is your burden to carry, not hers! You need it! Don't let her take this from you!"

The voice that had been a whisper just moments ago had turned into a horrible deafening shriek.

"-protected me again, just like you always do. I'm sorry."

Lyra placed a hoof gently on Bon Bon's shoulder. As she did, the cream-colored mare's eyes flew open and her body began to writhe as she cried out in agony. Lyra leapt back away from her friend, startled.

"What happened!? What did I do!?" she yelped, her mind working frantically to understand what was happening.

As quickly as they had begun, the sickening convulsions ceased and all was quiet once more, save for Bon Bon's heavy breathing. The voice was gone now, but that relief was short-lived as Bon Bon turned her head, taking in the image of Lyra, backed nervously against the opposite wall of the cell. With no small amount of effort, she rose slowly to a sitting position to face the green unicorn.

Bon Bon could think clearly again without that relentless voice in her head. For one brief blissful moment, she knew relief, but the reality of the situation quickly descended upon her. Voice or not, she had been the one to deceive Lyra and inform the Order of her research, and everything that had happened was a result of that.

She had to carefully consider her next move. If she confessed her association with the Order now, it would certainly cause problems. If she waited, it might cause even more once she was exposed - and she knew at some point that she would be. Bon Bon would have to sacrifice either her relationship with her father, or with Lyra. Truly a no-win situation.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Lyra, who had latched tightly onto her midsection in a rib-crushing embrace.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said quietly.

In that moment, Bon Bon made her decision.

Adrastos flipped through the pages of a nearby tome, skimming the contents, then turned his attention back to his notes. He was surrounded on all sides by haphazardly-stacked piles of books, silently poring over them. This was where he felt truly at home within the Order, and it had become something of a ritual to come here after being in the company of Cerise for any extended period of time. For him, this was a way to relax.

He had always loved reading. The content was irrelevant, he just wanted to bask in the comfort that the words provided him - an experience akin to meditation. Since his acceptance into the Order, he had consumed as much literature as he could in the archives, and still had plenty left that he was eager to dive into. This was no pleasant visit, however. His meeting with the Council had left him with an uncomfortable nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He couldn't quite put his hoof on why, but this was the place to start looking for an answer. Because books about the old Inquisition were rare, and books from the old Inquisition were virtually nonexistent, he would have to piece things together from what he could find in the rest of the library.

He made a note, closing the book in front of him and reaching for another. He had already been through two dozen texts and made very little progress, but with over one hundred selections left to go, he felt confident that he would find something useful, given enough time.

He opened the next book. Almost instantly, his eyes brightened and an uncharacteristic grin spread across his face.

"Just what I've been looking for."

With the current situation, access to most areas of the castle had been restricted, which the guards made very apparent by physically blocking the door to Celestia's chambers, rather than standing beside it in their usual positions. Shining Armor quickly ordered them aside as the trio approached, leading the way to Her Highness.

"Ah, you've returned. Have you reconsidered my request, Taylor?" Celestia asked in her usual pleasant tone.

Taylor dropped the book on the floor in front of him. He wondered if all thousand year old books tasted foul or just that one, but he was glad to be rid of it either way.

"Stuff your request. I brought this for you. Take a look at it, then we can talk." he replied.

The urgency in his voice was sufficient to make the Princess overlook his rudeness. She levitated the book over to where she stood and began leafing through the contents. Many pages were filled with detailed sketches and equally detailed notes about them. Nearly a full minute had passed before she closed the book, gently placing it on a nearby table.

She turned toward Taylor, now with a much darker expression. Her eyes almost seemed to accuse him of some heinous crime. "I'm curious - where did you get this?"

"Is that important? I don't think it'll change the contents of the book."

"No, it won't, but I know you didn't just stumble over this. Somepony gave it to you, and I want to know who it was." her voice had quickly become stern and forceful.

Taylor turned to Twilight and Shining Armor, both of whom appeared very concerned, having never heard Celestia raise her voice to anypony before. He turned back to the Princess, deciding that it would be wise to give her an answer before things could get out of control.

"She called herself Sophie. Not a big fan of yours, but she didn't seem very happy about the idea of Equestria being destroyed either. All she asked was for me to bring this to you."

"I see," Celestia started, "and I thank you for bringing it to me as quickly as you did."

She levitated the book once more, and with a blinding flash of light from her horn, incinerated it, leaving all three ponies dumbstruck.

"You won't be much help to us unless you understand the methods of the Order. They achieve victory through deception and manipulation, and I'm afraid you've just fallen prey to them. That book was a very well-designed trap, which would have sprung the instant you got too close to the Oculus - if such a thing even exists."

Taylor's brow furrowed. "If that's true, then why would she want me to bring it to you first? She must have known that you'd figure it out, right?"

Celestia nodded. "Certainly, and then you would believe that she's on our side. You'd be that much easier to manipulate because you would trust her. She's with the Order, you can't trust her at all."

Taylor sighed. He had gotten his hopes up about Sophie and was angry with himself for being so easily deceived. Twice. "I suppose that leaves me with no choice. I'll help you deal with the Order and stop Chelsea from coming back. On one condition."

Celestia tilted her head to the side. "That condition would be...?"

Taylor raised his head high, locking eyes with Her Highness. "I want to rescue Lyra first."

After a brief pause, the Princess smiled, giving Taylor a slight nod. "As you wish."