He was through the wooden door and into the warm, earthy smells of Fluttershy's cottage before anypony inside had even registered the fact that the door had opened. Anypony, except the one that always knew exactly where he was. She was waiting for him as he entered.

Their eyes locked, but no words passed between them. None were needed. He strode past her without a second glance...then stopped, feeling her eyes on his back. He turned, and looked her square in the eye, a look of intensity in his one golden orb she rarely saw... She met his eye without falter.

Silently he leaned in, kissing her softly. The tenderness of that simple act leaving to no doubt his thanks for her being here, now, and what he knew it was going to require of her. He pulled away, heading back towards Fluttershy's closed bedroom door, just as an out of breath Rainbow Dash darted in through the still open front door.

"Where...is...oh...hi princess, didn't know...you'd..."

With a faint smile, Luna nodded towards Behemoths departing back, before turning gracefully to follow him, her voice low and steady.

"Come on, shes in here."

Three more bodies crowded into an already cramped room. Fluttershy was off to one side, watching intently, brow furrowed with a deep look of concern, watching carefully with a rather annoyed looking little white rabbit clutched to her chest.

Derpy was on the bed, the covers had been thrown back exposing the bandages across her sternum. Her beautiful grey coat was matted with sweat. Her head was lolling back and forth, her body, much thinner now, was thrashing back and forth, clenching and contorting, flailing. Low murmurs and faint mumbling could be heard coming from her.

Standing over her, head down, her entire body trembling with the exertion of the magical force emanating from her, was Twilight Sparkle. The unicorn mares eyes were screwed tightly shut, her mouth a grimace, her horn glowing white with the effort of her magic. A single drop of bright red blood ran out of a nostril and down her chin.

"Oh, Twilight..."

"P-princess, where did you...?"

"Not now, Twilight, focus on what you're doing or no one will leave this room alive."

Luna slipped forward, her lithe form slipping through the press of bodies effortlessly, sidling up to the smaller purple mare. She leaned down, pressing her horn to Twilight Sparkles, Luna's eyes closing as she spoke, her own horn flaring in the fading light.

"Here, let me help...I've done this before..."

Dash stepped up next to Behemoth on the other side of the bed, looking back and forth between her friend and her princess, crimson eyes wide. As she looked closer, she could see that both Luna's and Twilight's eyes were glowing behind their lids. Over flowing magical essence shining through the thin skin.

"What the heck are they doing?"

She wasn't expecting a response, and jumped a bit as the stone still pegasus next to her answered her rhetorical question.

"They're guiding her back...helping Derpy to come home to us...it is...not an easy or pleasant thing, to go in that deep..."

Dash looked back across the bed, confusion in her eyes.

"Guiding her back...from where?"

"She is fighting us..."

Dash started, jumping up and back as they spoke. Luna and Twilight speaking the same words, at the same time. Their voices blending together into a single line of speech.

"She is coming back too hard, pushing too fast...if we cannot slow her...she wont come through alone..."

There was something deeply disturbing in the way they spoke, the sounds coming out in both their voices...neither mouth moving to form the words. Dash backed away, eyes wide, and wrapped a wing protectively around Fluttershy, who had flattened herself into a shuddering ball of terror in the corner. The two pegasi watching as two of the most powerful magical entities in existence struggled to contain the fury of what was coming.

"She is...too much...we...cannot...hold..."

Even Luna, as powerful as she was, was trembling, shaking like a leaf. Their eyes had disappeared, hers and Twilight's both into a white glow of power kept barely in check. With a loud crack, a pinkish, purplish maelstrom of magical essence spun into being over the bed. Discharges of pure magical lightning shooting out of the miniature hurricane over head. Brutal, unearthly winds hammering through the room.

Over the cracks of thunder and the howls of unnatural wind, something could be heard. Something shrieking and howling. Something baying in white hot hatred and raging blood-lust. Something drawing closer.

Fluttershy was sobbing, her face buried against Rainbow Dash's chest. Dash staring wide eyed at something she couldnt, didnt dare try to comprehend as it took form in that swirling tempest. Its hate filled gaze turned away from the Rainbow mare, falling on Behemoth. He stood, a boulder motionless in the sea of ethereal power flooding the room. His head tilted to the side, favoring his one good eye. It fixed unblinkingly on the apparition as its form solidified. This wasn't their first encounter.

'It' howled, sensing old prey. Its anger rattling the windows in their sills. Behemoth looked away and leaned down, ignoring the gales of foul smelling wind, the magical lighting which singed his mane with a close shot, and the...thing bearing down on him. He ignored the fury and the form, and leaned down, his lips to Derpy's ear.

None could hear what he said, the maelstrom was too powerful...but they all felt the power of those silent words. The...thing in the clouds howled in rage, a sound of pure, unadulterated hatred as its prey was swept out of its grasp...again.

With one final, sudden and echoing clap, the maelstrom sucked into itself, imploding violently into nothing. Leaving only the stink of ozone behind. For a few seconds, the room was still, silent. Twilight was the first to move, staggering across the room, she flung open the window and stuck her head out, the sounds of her being violently ill drifting back into the room.

Fluttershy moved next, over to her friend at the window, putting a foreleg around Twilight's back, murmuring words of support even through her own fear. Twilight was heaving, trembling, her legs barely kept under her as Fluttershy did her best to comfort her reeling friend.

Voice trembling, her eyes still fixed on the space above the bed, Dash summoned the will to ask.

"What...the hell...was that thing?!"

Behemoth glanced over to her, his eyes moving but not his head.

"We don't know. It...doesn't have a name. It wanders the areas between the planes, randomly, as far as we can tell. And it makes sure that once something has crossed between, it doesn't come back...well, at least that's what it tries to do."

Rainbow looked to him as he spoke, the look of confusion deepening the more she heard.

"How do you know all that?"

"There was a time where I was between as well... much deeper then Derpy was here...I know that thing very well, as well as any who still have a pulse. Its dangerous, powerful on a level we can't even fathom, but we don't know what, exactly, it is."

Dash shuddered involuntarily, remember the look in its eyes. The hungry, predatory glint. She had no doubts as to its intelligence.

Before Dash could respond, however, a third voice, ragged, tired, but still beautiful joined their discussion.

"Well...that was...unpleasant..."

Luna was leaning heavily against the bed frame, her eyes deeply sunken. She look pale, drawn, gaunt. Clearly exhausted by what she had just undertaken. She cleared her throat roughly, and with a slight turn of her head spit out a phlegmy red glob of blood onto the floor in a very un-princess-ly manner.

Still leaned forward, protectively over Derpy's now still form, Behemoth met her eyes across the bed.

"Are you ok? That looked...rough."

Lunas response was preceded by a harsh bark of laughter.

"Heh, yes, that would be one way to put it...no, I'm not ok...but I will be."

"What the hell happened, it was supposed to go much smoother then that."

She nodded, already looking a little better, and half sat on the edge of the bed. She looked to the pale and trembling form of Twilight as she turned back into the room, Luna's gaze lingering on her for a moment, silently appraising, looking for any lingering effects. Apparently satisfied after a moment, she gave her sisters prize pupil a little nod and a faint smile, before turning back to Behemoth.

"She apparently decided shed been between long enough... instead of slipping back up easily, smoothly, she just...charged. Smashed her way out and started fighting her way back up."

She looked down at the gray mare, now resting peacefully. Luna shook her head, her tone changing just a bit. She was impressed in spite of herself.

"I didn't even think that was possible, but she...well, she did it. Suppose I really shouldn't be surprised, you two are related...seems being stubborn and bull headed runs in the family... Got "its" attention though...it doesn't like folks leaving, as I'm sure you remember."

His face was a blank mask, and silence reigned for a few seconds before her replied.

"Yes, I seem to remember something about-"

"B...Behemoth...?"

His heart twisted, plummeting into his stomach like a stone. Her voice was different... older, more mature then he remembered, and very, very tired. But it was her. He looked down, his neck feeling as if it were encased in cement. As his golden eye met hers, the twist and pull struck again, yanking the breath out of him and tears into his eyes.

"Big brother...is that...really you?"

Two big, beautiful golden eyes looked up at him. Her two the exact same shade as his one. She looked confused, her face scrunched up as though she didn't quite trust her own sleep filled eyes. Behemoth swallowed past the moon sized lump in his throat, his mouth searching silently for words that wouldn't come. In a passing way, he was aware of everypony else in the room crowding in around the bed. The horrors of what had been seen and experienced just moments ago forgotten. At least for now.

"Yeah...yeah Derpy, its me..."

He didn't even recognize the sound of his own voice as it croaked out. His mouth was as dry as an Appleloosian summer. His tongue glued to the roof of his mouth. Slowly, obviously still sore, she leaned up, wrapping her forelegs around him, pressing her cheek against the side of his neck. She sniffled, and he felt her quiet tears soaking into his neck.

"I knew you'd come back...sooner or later..."

Her voice was a little muffled and a lot tired, but the happiness in it was obvious.

"Everypony told me you wouldn't...that after the...after what happened, you were gone forever...that you were...dead."

She leaned back away from him, laying back down with a weary sigh. Tears streaming down her hollow cheeks, and a great big smile set on her face, she looked around the room, meeting each face in turn.

"I knew better, I knew you'd come back..."

She looked back up to him, meeting his eye once again. Still smiling happily, she answered the silent question she read in that one golden sphere.

"I knew because you promised."

- - -

It was several hours farther on, deep into the night and swiftly approaching tomorrow. Late as it was, Fluttershy's living room was still lit by the flickering light of an oil lantern set in the middle of the room. The normally cozy space was crowded with bodies.

All who had been in the bedroom were here now. With one new addition. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were on the couch. Dash was laid back, dozing after a long and eventful day. Twilight, still looking pale and drawn, was hunched over the coffee table, a scrap of fabric on its surface holding her attention as it had since Behemoth first placed it there.

Opposite them, sitting on a selection of mismatched pillows that Fluttershy had generously provided, were Luna, Fluttershy herself, and then Behemoth and Derpy. Derpy had started to fall asleep long before, but adamantly refused to leave her brothers side. She was still there, fore legs wrapped around him, her thin, but adorable face buried against his ribs, snoring away happily.

The last figure, the new addition, was pacing back and forth at a slow, steady pace. A unicorn stallion, thin and wiry. His muscles moving like coiled cable, hard as steel under the stark white of his coat. His mane silver streaked black, cut down to just a few inches. Pale blue, almost white eyes set in a deeply lined and creased, almost leathery face, topped off by the dark spear of his horn.

Even out of uniform, without the bulk of his heavy plate armor, he still moved with precision, power, and purpose.

He hadn't stopped moving for more then a few seconds since he had arrived with Luna earlier. He spoke, his voice was rough, gravelly. A voice long used to bawling out orders and having them obeyed. Although he was speaking softly as a sign of consideration for Derpy, his voice still carried weight. It took a real effort to look away from him when he spoke.

"What it boils right down to, is they're a cult. No other way to put it. Call themselves the 'Children of The Celestial Order', and to put it bluntly, they're bat shit crazy."

He stepped over, refilling his mug from the pot of tea Fluttershy had put out in her endless care and consideration. He took a drink before continuing.

"Heh, you got me addicted to this stuff, Capta-... uh...Si-... hmm. 'Behemoth'.

The two of them shared a grin at his trouble finding a suitable term, neither had gotten used to the change in their dynamic quite yet.

"Well, at any rate, they worship Princess Celestia, and everything about her. She's their...god..."

"Pfft, yeah, everypony respects the Princess...she is pretty radical an everything..."

Dusk Shield looked politely to Rainbow Dash as she sleepily chimed in, those storm cloud eyes fixed on her like weapon sights. He waited until he was certain she was finished before he responded.

"Yes ma'am, we do. But they WORSHIP her. Prostrate themselves at the mere mention of her name, refuse to even look at her. Anything she touches becomes a...a holy relic. Anything to serve her, becomes a divine quest."

He shook his head, taking another sip from the cup he was magicking along with him as he paced. Luna was frowning mightily as he spoke, but thus far had held her tongue.

"Now, by itself, that just sounds like a group of peaceful whack jobs. Not a real threat."

He stopped his pacing, and turned to face Behemoth, speaking again once he'd caught his eye.

"The problem is, they're not just peaceful whack jobs. Businesses that refuse to fly their flag," he pointed to the scrap of fabric that had so deeply enthralled Twilight, "mysteriously burn down. Folks who speak out against Celestia's supposed god status have 'accidents', accidents which are becoming increasingly fatal."

He sighed in annoyance, finishing off his mug with one long draw.

"You remember the 'Citizens for Open Discussion'?"

Behemoth nodded, the corner of his mouth turning up just slightly.

"Yeah, aren't those the ones who wanted to talk about a new form of government? Something where the leaders where chosen the same was as mayors, elected, not emplaced by birthright?"

Behemoth looked over to Luna, who looked back at him, her face set in a non committal mask. If she had an opinion about that particular idea, she wasn't in any hurry to share it.

"Indeed, that's the group. They've all disappeared."

Behemoth and Luna's heads both snapped back to the Captain at this latest bombshell.

"Wait, what?"

They spoke in unison. It might've been funny under other circumstances. Dusk nodded and continued.

"Every single one of them, gone. Families too, in some cases. Over a hundred registered members, and who knows how many unregistered and family, just up and vanished. On the same night, far as we can tell."

Silence reigned as this latest news sunk in. The possible implications clear to all. It was Luna who finally broke this latest silence, speaking quietly, but with clarity.

"Is there any evidence that my sister knows about this group, or its-"

"NO."

All eyes in the room turned to Twilight Sparkle as she spoke for the first time in almost an hour. She was still looking down, turning the black scrap of fabric over and over in her hooves.

"No. There's no way she'd let something like this go on if she knew about it. Its not possible. Shed never condone attacking Derpy, and she wouldn't want to be worshiped, or to be seen as a god."

She looked up, eyes moving around the room, meeting each of them in turn.

"I refuse to believe she could have any knowledge of...this."

She tossed the cloth to the table, shoving it away from herself for good measure. The bright green, crudely sewn Celestial Sun clearly visible.

Dusk Shield broke the following awkward silence after a few seconds, turning from Twilight to face Luna.

"Well, for what its worth Your Highness, I agree with her. I've spent the vast majority of my life serving her, and think I know her pretty well. Miss Sparkle is right. This wouldn't be happening if Celestia knew anything about it, which..."

He walked back over and refilled his mug once more, then turned to face the princess and his former commander, not looking forward to this next suggestion.

"...Brings me to my next point...we have to tell her about this."

The room erupted as several voices all tried to respond at once, each drowning each other out in a mindless cacophony.

"Oh, I'm not sure that's a very good id-" Fluttershy started.

"No, we shouldn't both-" Twilight continued.

"ZzZZzzzz...*snort*...zZZZzZZzzz..." Rainbow added articulately.

"Quiet."

The voice was softly spoken, but brooked no dissent. The room was plunged back into silence by that single word. Luna had spoken last, and her eyes were on Derpy, watching as she shifted and settled, snuggling back against Behemoth after their noise had almost woke her. Once she was certain the bandaged grey mare had slipped back off, she spoke.

"We will speak to Celestia. We have to know why they came after her. Why such a mob would assault such a...sweet, innocent, being. It wasn't random...they were on a mission. Any ideas on that front, Captain?"

His response was immediate and predictable.

"No ma'am. So far, our investigation hasn't found any reason for their attack...as far as we can tell, the longest conversation shes had with any of the 'Children', were general pleasantries as she delivered one or anothers mail."

Lunas forehead creased into a frown. Shaking her head, the motion sending the sparkling glory of her mane sweeping back behind her, billowing in a wind only affecting it.

"That just doesn't make any bloody sense! A mob doesn't just randomly decide to chase down and attack a mail mare for no damned reason, I don't care how 'bat shit crazy' they are. Keep looking, Captain, there has to be a reason behind this. The full resources of the Lunar Guard are to be dedicated to this task."

The shadow of a grimace flickered across Dusk Shields face. His halting reply betraying his concern.

"With respect, Highness...your sister wont approve of the Royal Guard being used in this manner...she will...object. Loudly."

She looked up to him, her gorgeous turquoise eyes flashing with determination, and more then a little anger. Sitting on the other side of the table, watching this exchange, Twilight could've sworn that, for just a split second, for the barely there span of a single blink of an eye, that Luna's pupils had taken on a distinctly more... vertical appearance.

By coincidence, at that exact moment, Behemoth looked up from Derpy, his wide head turning with a pendulous swing to bring his good eye in line with his princess. With the faintest brush of a wingtip, he drew her head around. Their eyes met, and her fury seemed to abate, just a bit. With the slightest of movements, she nodded. It was still a few more seconds, their gaze held, before she finally replied.

"You let me worry about Celestia, you just follow my orders Captain. Those responsible WILL be held accountable for this. Find them. Dig them out of whatever holes they've buried themselves in. In the mean while..."

She smiled. Her eyes still locked on Behemoths. There was no humor in that grin.

"You and I are going to pay a visit to my dear, benevolent sister."

After a moments silence, he pulled his gaze away, looking out the window over the attentive form of Twilight and the snoring form of Rainbow Dash. He spoke.

"We wont get any help from her on this...and my presence will only make matters more...volatile..."

She took a breath and opened her mouth to reply, but he continued before she could speak.

"This will not end well. Still..."

He turned back to her, the corner of his mouth tugging up just a bit.

"If you want me there, I'm there."