The dark blue mantle had fallen on the isle. The old night's beautiful skirt was studded with countless of stars. Their distant beams were the only light in the forest. Worlds of many untold possibilities, homes of wonderful creatures. They were as mysterious as this planet.

Silence is usually the only thing a pony would hear in the woods. There was no wind to make those leaves rustle. The animals here were small and invisible for the untrained eyes. The biggest land predator would be the wild cat. It hunted only rodents and was almost harmless to ponies. Almost, 'cause they'd defend their children from any threat and were not afraid to show their claws.

It was calm, too calm for her likings.

In the darkness below the trees, a mare was preparing for tomorrow's final moment. They were having a last rest before the big showdown. For the past half a day and night, they've been galloping their way to the capital without a single stop. It was a miracle that the inventor managed to keep up with their speed. Phoenix badly needed the rest, otherwise his legs wouldn't let him move. They were made for fancy walks in the park, not for a forest sprint. The pain in his muscles was great, his lungs were without air, his heart was beating like a heated motor, but not the physical discomfort bothered him. It was the thing from the magic realm, the same little demon inside his body. He felt how the parasite was slowly draining his life with every beat of his heart. The unicorn was in a bad mood, darkness blinded his eyes. His mind was barely floating above the see of total confusion and utter panic. Phoenix didn't know how to act in his current situation. Held like a hostage, he was also the assassin, who was enslaved by the unclean forces.

He didn't want to do it. But his own life was very dear to him. There was so much to invent, so much to find in their world full of mysteries. Phoenix had so much work that needed to be done but now it all seem so far away. This shadowy road was not gonna lead him to anything good.

"Hey, you seem very somber. Is everything alright?" Metal asked. The lying inventor didn't say a word. "Phoenix?"

"I'm alright!" he exclaimed but then continued with a softer voice. "Just the images in my head of those wounded ponies make me very sad. I can't believe that the inhabitants of this island are capable of cutting legs, wings and heads. It seems so barbaric, so unnatural..."

"I understand." Metal tried to smile. "Have a good rest. I'll wake you up in two hours. Foxy was willing to give that much, so don't waste a second!"

"I will." the unicorn then turned his back at him and closed his eyes.

Metal left him and went to the ninja, who was meditating in front of a tree. Her sword was in the scabbard, lying next to the only bag of provisions. She was radiating calmness but he knew better that it was a false state of her spirit. Foxy sensed his presence, when the pegasus approached her.

"What is it?" she asked without looking at him.

"I'd like to learn more about your le... I mean, ex-leader." Metal sat in front of Foxy. Looking at her beautiful face, he couldn't hide that something was reforming his heartbeats. "What are his weaknesses and strong sides?"

"He's an earth pony, who is very good with swords." she opened her vengeful orange eyes and stared in him. "I don't understand why you need to know, when I'll be the one facing him tomorrow."

"I'd like to know, in case he knocks you out of the ring." he made his charming smile.

"It will never happen. If you want to waste your time with pointless talks, when you should be resting, then fine by me. I won't need your help. And don't you dare to stand in my way of dueling him. This is my personal matter and you won't interfere in it, got it?"

"Shish..." he looked the other way. "Somepony just doesn't get it..."

"Stand back!" she ordered coldly.

"Okay, okay. I won't interrupt your meditation again." Metal backed off a bit and sat.

She stood up and began performing mysterious moves. Tail's movement was slow, full of grace. It showed the sharpness of her mind, while executing this ancient ritual. In the darkness, she seemed like a fading ghost. She exhaled and breath on regular intervals. Foxy was manipulating her internal energies, preparing for the moment, when she was going to unleash her full potential. Metal watched her, hypnotized by her intoxicating dance. The curves, the concentration, the elegance. The mare was a picture to behold. Poetry could be written just for those short moments of sweetness.

Tail turned her back to the tree and then kicked it as hard as she could. Her strong hooves smashed through the thick bark. Two black zigzagging lines began to cut the trunk in half. The big tree swayed a bit, then inclined in the direction of the powerful blow. Loud sounds of wood breaking up into pieces and then the old forest inhabitant collapsed under its own weight. The surrounding vegetation managed to catch their dying friend and prevent him from falling on the ground.

The pegasus looked with unbelieving eyes at the destroyed tree and her. Foxy turned around to see the damage and was not that impressed.

"I hope you don't do this to him..."

"It was a bad kick." she turned her head to him and stared darkly. "His will be much worse."

The pegasus gulped.

"Oh, what's the matter? The others seem to have fun. Why don't you go and play with them? Put a big smile on that face!" the Jester spoke inside his head.

"Leave me alone!" Phoenix writhed.

"Oh, no. I can't leave you 'cause I'm inside you! Muahaha!"

"There is a way... There is a way..." the inventor's thought was looping over and over.

"Keep telling yourself that! The quicker you become mad, the better!"

"There is a way... There is a way..." his mind was trying to beat this monster. Working on full capacity, that organ was starting to heat up his entire body. Sweat began to fall from him. Trying and trying.

"Hey, after you deal with the leader, how are we gonna track the Jester down?" Metal asked, while she was continuing her practice.

"He's been sticking around for a while. His presence was always felt near us and the Jester was the one, who helped Lucky to destroy the Temple. I guess, he'll show up in our darkest hour and then I'll make him pay for his crime!"

Because of the anger impulse, she made a misstep, while being on her rear hooves. Tail lost balance. She was about to fall on her left sight, but the mare put a hoof on the ground and managed to stay above the earth. Metal jumped from his place to help her.

"What do you think you are doing?" she coldly looked at him, which completely killed his momentum.

"I want to help."

"I don't need your aid, thanks for the concern." Foxy got on her four legs and repeated the exercise from the beginning. The spy stood there silently and then slowly went back to his place.

"So, you say that he'll come at us. But, what if he doesn't show up? What if he decides to remain hidden? Then what?" he sounded a bit offended.

The ninja didn't say. Her mind hadn't thought of that. "Everything with its time." Tail remembered an old saying. She had to first finish with the Dragon Claw leader and then go on a hunt for the dead serpent. Foxy would never stop, until she avenged her love, even if it meant to travel through mountains and deserts. The mare continued her training, her art must be sharp and precise. Her opponent was not just a mere pony, but the head of the giant body of many lethal ninjas. The ultimate boss, who was weakened by Circle to give her a greater chance of defeating him.

Metal was worried. Things were in the unknown, there was not enough light to show them the options and the traps that were waiting for them. This was not to his liking. He needed to know what was ahead. But how could he do this? Under his thoughtful look, a battle was fought. He could try scout the road in front of them, Foxy did tell him the direction of the capital, so it was possible. He was not scared of being alone in this strange place. The only problem was that the enemy was too unfamiliar for him. His inexperience in this island was going to work against him, if he ever left Foxy's sight.

It was for the better that he stuck with her and protect her flank. That was the least he could do.

Suddenly, his thought process was interrupted by the new information that was coming from his pink eyes. Tail was not preparing. She was standing still in the darkness. Something must be wrong. He carefully went to her. Then Metal noticed the spiritual hurt, she was feeling. Tears fell from her cheeks. Her being was not able to withstand such stress from the past few days. From somewhere it had to be vented and the weakest spots were her eyes.

"Foxy." she didn't turn. "It's okay to cry, don't mind me or Phoenix. Let it all out."

Now the mare looked back at him. There was anger in them and also the need for somepony to be at her side.

"If you mention this to anypony else, I'll kill you!" she threatened him with a painful voice.

"My lips are sealed." he assured.

She faint-heartedly closed her head to his and then Foxy touched his shoulder, on which rivers of feelings flowed like in spring. Metal Eye stood still. His heart was dividing by itself. But one thing was for sure, he was helping her as a friend, nothing more and nothing less. Tail was paying the price of ever melting her dragon heart.

"Will you stop repeating the same stuff already? Is your mind wrecked?" The Jester showed signs of irritation.

The yellow unicorn didn't stop. Like a broken instrument, his mind was not capable of other thought. Or so did the demon think.

"There is a way... There is..." Phoenix stopped. Something felt odd about his surroundings. He opened his blue eyes and instead of seeing the night, his world was colored entirely in white. There were no vibrations to produce sound. Absolute emptiness. The inventor somehow managed to get to a very low subconscious level, in which the shadow couldn't get him. This was a place, where he could think freely, without being spied on or interrupted by the annoying parasite.

"Finally! I can have a piece of my mind! I wonder, does time move quicker in here?" the pony looked around. There wasn't much to see. "I think I need a working table and a nice comfortable chair."

The moment he said his needs, the objects materialized out of the thin air. Phoenix was amazed by this newly discovered fact of this level and then went to check them out. They seemed to be made out of wood, when he touched them, the furniture definitely felt like made of real materials. But this was just an illusion, created by his subconsciousness.

"This must be kind of like a dream, in which I'm the absolute master." Phoenix sat on the chair and continued: "I need pieces of paper and pencils in order to create a plan."

A tower of white sheets appeared on the left corner and three pencils on the right.

"I'll also need scientific instruments and testing machines!"

Immediately a shelf of all kinds of equipment showed up in front of the table. They were going to serve him well.

"Now, the hard part: to create a spell that can counter the Jester. Where was that book for advanced magic..."

The book appeared in front of him. It had an old look with a lot of yellow pages. He opened it and was not happy to see its condition. Some pages were missing, others were like after a mouse attack with holes in them. Phoenix's Just was talented with magic but it wasn't his best field. He could bet that the advanced science and physics was going to look like brand new, as if just taken from the bookstore. At least, as a whole the spell book was in an okay state.

A smile appeared on his face, when he saw some white pages and exactly those, he needed. The unicorn began reading about the old magic, in order to invent new spells in this theoretical laboratory.

In the caves...

His brown horn was lighting the way. Surrounded by moist walls and walking on a slippery floor, they courageously went deeper in this natural maze, that seemed to not have an end. It was an amazing place to be in, full with wax figures and structures, that were still under the process of being created and reshaped. It may take thousands or millions of years, but nature never disappoints with her work of art.

The shadows of the stalagmites moved with the two ponies. The white light revealed only a fraction of what was around them. This section was enormous. There were only the sounds of their steps. It was cold. They continued forward with caution.

This place was visited only by the ponies, who were to become leaders. They'd take this spiritual journey to enlighten themselves about the world around them. They would learn about the past, the present and the future at the Fountain of Fates. Many of them were not worthy of its knowledge and they returned only with more power and crazier minds. But the ones, like Circle, got to see everything. No pony knew on what conditions it chose, but that things were not the same after they'd gazed into its silver waters.

"Isn't the cave guarded or something?" she asked the ninja with the green clothing.

"The shamans are not allowed to enter in the cave. The only time they do so, is when they accompany the next pony to gaze into it. But even then they don't go deep enough to see the fountain by themselves."

"Woaw, how do you know that much?"

"Circle's memories."

Suddenly, Zap stopped. It didn't feel right. The path before them seemed unreal. Even the spy noticed it.

"A trap?"

"Could be or just our imaginations. We've been walking in this claustrophobic place for some hours now." he kept looking in front of them. His tactical mind was alarming but it could be a false one.

"Are you afraid of tight spaces?"

"Yeah. They don't give me much room to maneuver and that renders many tactics useless. There's either push or retreat." the general looked to his companion and smiled. "Ladies first."

The yellow-blue ninja backed off a bit.

"No, I-I..."

An yellow aura surrounded her and she was hopelessly moving her legs to reach the ground.

"Hey, this is not fair!" the fright in her voice made this moment even more enjoyable for him.

By using telekinesis, Zap moved her in front of him. She looked back, his right grey eye was completely serious about doing this. Her hooves began to shiver. Her heart began to beat faster. The mare tried not to panic. The stallion began marching forward and she with him. There weren't many stalagmites in front of them, only sharp stalactites with edges pointed at their heads.

He walked for a few seconds, when the floor in front of him ended. It went straight to hell, a pony who didn't pay attention would find his end at the bottom of this giant gap. The caught in magic mare was floating above the nothingness. Her cyan eyes were afraid to look down.

Mighty Zap went at the edge and searched with sight for the other side or for a terrace, on which to make a jump. He couldn't spot anything in this darkness.  

"General, I know that I shouldn't disturb you but could you get me on the safe side, please?!" the spy was really losing it.

"Oh, I will." he answered with a calm voice. "Hang on!"

The aura shrank, so that her legs were free to move around and touch stuff. Then he sent her forward in the black fog. She vanished. Her being was full of fright. After a few moments he shouted:

"Can you step on anything? Can you reach the wall?"

His voice echoed in this vast empty space in a massive rock cage. Her response was fairly quick.

"I do touch the wall but there is no floor."

His horn shined brighter, which put additional stress into his mind and body. He closed his eye and began moving her to the sides.

"Stop! I sense something... Move me a bit further!" the mare voice came a bit deformed from the other side. "Yes, it's definitely a good place to land!"

He smirked.

Out of a sudden, a bright light came into being next to her. She closed her eyes because the flash hurt them. Zap appeared on the other side and he brought the flame from his horn. It was a tunnel that led to the other places of this cave. The unicorn ceased the spell and finally the spy was free. She immediately turned to him with an angry look on her face.

"That was quite rude of you!"

"C'mon, darling. You know that I'd never heart ya."

"I find your behavior highly disturbing, general. Also, when are you going to tell me why we are sneaking in here? What did Circle want us to do in here?"

The general turned to the long, lifeless natural corridor.

"Follow me." he went forward, she followed at his right side. Then he asked without looking at her. "So, you find me strange now?"

"Well, a bit. After you got White Shadow's memories, you do feel somewhat different."

"And you are correct. By having his memories, I feel like there are two ponies inside me. One is me, the other is Circle." then he glimpsed at her. "Don't worry. I won't turn into him."

She felt a relief and sighed.

"Though it won't matter at all. Very soon Foxy Tail will face Lupi Do and when that happens, everything we know will cease to exist."

The spy was a little confused.

"You won't believe it but we've done this for one thousand nine hundred ninety times." she was totally lost by his claim. He understood his partner. Like with Circle, no pony would believe his words either. What an irony. He was planning to burn this island to the ground and build a new clan, that would put everypony under one banner but nothing really mattered at this point, except Circle's mission. It was painful to see his dreams and images of his idea of heaven burst into flames, when he learned the truth. There was no denying, it had to be done, as the last shadow leader commanded in his last thought. How Zap hated to serve anypony but was forced to do so again. It would lead him to his brightest moment, a glorious moment.

"Who is Her?" she asked.

Zap stopped and she too. The tunnel was splitting into two. Which one should they take?

"Shadow Sun." he looked at both and tried to remember, which was the correct one.

"What? That old filly story?" she was looking very confused. "Every clanner knows that it's just a product of somepony's imagination."

"Sorry to break it to you but it's not. Circle warned us but we didn't have the ears to listen to what he was saying. Not even the Guardians of the Portal believed in his story. He was all alone against the world. No pony understood him and he died knowing that his song may never be remembered. It's that way." he pointed to the left tunnel and together they went in it. "Though it won't matter... This world is not real!" Zap turned his head to her. "We've been living under the corruption of Shadow Sun since the dawn of life on this world. She carefully put the pieces on the chessboard and waited for them to make their own moves. Each time it's a bit different. Remove a piece or change it's position and what you get is a slightly different scenario. Shadow Sun is an immortal and She can wait until her strategy reaches perfection."

"I see." she looked a little sad by the realization of this horrible truth.

"Circe tried and failed. His ill mind couldn't entirely comprehend the big picture like I do. I see the connections of the past events that lead to this moment. The great migration to the South, the discovery of the portal... the recent war... As a tactician, I admire the work but as a citizen of this world, I feel terrified by thought of Foxy failing her task." his grey eye darkened.  

"Foxy? Is that Dragon Born?"

"Eye."

"So, what's our role on the chessboard?"

Zap stopped and looked in her big cyan eyes. She needed only that to understand why this mission was an one way trip. But the spy was not about to turn her back on him. Her loyalty was to the general and she would follow him to Tartarus and beyond.

"What do we need to do?" the mare asked. Her mind and body were ready.

"For now, just follow me." Zap continued and she with him.

They walked in silence. The more they went further into the tunnel, the more brighter it became. There was a bluish light at the end of the long corridor. It led them to small room, surrounded by rock from all sides. In the center was the Fountain of Fates, the source of the light. What surprised them was, that it wasn't on the floor but on the ceiling and the water was not falling to the ground but going up, back to the fountain. The picture was just fanciful. It produced a melody, which was in tune with their minds. Both were hearing different things.

Its water was crystal clean but it quickly turned silver, when they approached the magical source with amazed looks on their faces. Now it reflected their bodies in the liquid surface. It looked very sinister. As if it was about to become alive and attack them. Instead, the fountain lured them closer to let them have a peek of what it held. They had a feeling that the mystical object was watching them.

"Don't stare in it too much or you'll get lost the universe."

The spy hardly removed her sight from the shiny object. Zap was having a bad time too. The temptation was just too great.  

"So, what now?"

"We have to destroy the fountain. It's very simple. We place our hooves in the water and stare at it. This way, we'll create a paradox, which will cost us our lives." he answered darkly.

"What will happen after we destroy it?" fear was starting to creep on her back.

"Think about it for a moment. Moon's Shade ninjas utilize Shadow Sun techniques, from where do you think they get their power?" she looked at him in puzzled manner. He showed no emotions and seemed like a teacher, who was waiting for the correct answer from his student. The bluish light made him look very serious.

"From Her?"

"Exactly. This fountain is a connection point between the Princess of Darkness and anypony, who uses her power. By destroying it, we'll weaken every shadow ninja and the wearer of the last medallion. It will also force Shadow Sun to ask the question again. Foxy Tail will decide the fate of the entire planet, when that moment comes."

"Wait, didn't the prophecy say that a white pegasus was going to get rid of Her? She wasn't one, the last time I checked."

"It's because the prophecy is probably false. Maybe the first Shadow leader misinterpreted what he saw, when he discovered this place. Or Shadow Sun manipulated the images he saw. Either way, it doesn't matter that much now." Zap turned to the radiant fountain and asked with a rough voice: "Are you ready?"

"I don't feel like sacrificing myself for the greater good. But I don't have choice, right?"

"I understand." he gently took her hoof. She felt the warmth of his. It gave her some courage to step below the magical object. Both looked up at the silver waters. How beautiful it was. They simultaneously touched the ice-cold surface. Both felt fear at this point.

"General."

"Hm."  

"Hope I meet you in Hell at some point."

"You bet. It's time to conquer that place." he smiled. "I'll look for you there, my trusted spy."

The blue light turned to red, which absorbed the entire room. He was welcoming his fate, his subordinate had second thoughts about participating in this act. She came closer to him, trying to find a refuge in his stallionly figure. Soon they perished. Their deaths were announced by the great energy spike that shook the entire cave. Purple magical lightnings ricocheted from the walls. It was like in a disco party. For the first time in its long history, the cavern was fully lighted. Then the moment of silence and darkness took over again.

Above the surface, at the Moon's Shade town, everypony fell on the ground by the pain that struck them directly in the core. They didn't understand what was going on. Only that they were becoming sick of the loss of power.

The leader, who was in his royal bed felt it too. He began having a hard time breathing. Thankfully his doctors were near him and stabilize his condition. Lupi took it like a stallion and managed to fight it along with the other weakness in his armor. Tomorrow, his spirit was going to be put to the ultimate test: facing the worst opponent in his life.

Inside a protected dream a unicorn shouted: "Eureka!" Next Chapter: Chapter 42: The Day That Never Was ( Part 1 ) Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 7 Minutes