I couldn’t shake my discomfort for eating around others, even for Chase. She knew me well enough that she merely rolled her eyes when I stepped out of the room to have breakfast, but even so I think she may have been a little more hurt than she let on.

It was a simple meal of oats and milk, familiar to me from Blackrock. Although, I had to note that the oats strangely tasted better than what I was used to. I finished quickly and stepped back into the room for seconds. Perhaps it was because the meal wasn’t prepared by the clearly tasteless servants of the castle, or perhaps it was because the oats were fresher, but I enjoyed the meal more than I expected.

Chase must have felt differently because when I returned she was just staring at the food glumly, not moving at all.

Staring at her with a frown, I said, “Chase?”

She looked up at me. “Yeah?”

“Eat,” I instructed. “This might be the best meal we’ll have for some time.”

She stared at me for a second before she snorted out a laugh. “Using my own words against me?”

I shrugged. “I’m no good with words, so I just borrowed yours.”

She looked back to her meal, poking it with her spoon un-enthusiastically.

“Eat,” I repeated. “Keep your strength up.” After a second I added, “For me.”

She glanced at me, before slowly nodding and spooning more food into her mouth.

I watched her for a few moments before I left my bowl and spoon on the table, and sat to make sure she was eating. She gave me a vaguely annoyed look, but didn’t comment.

I felt almost guilty treating her this way, but she was struggling now, and she needed someone to push her. It made me uncomfortable, but it was what was best for her. Even if I was ultimately willing to lay down my life for her, I needed her. She was simply smarter than I was, and she had a plan as well as experience with the outside world. The truth was that even if she wasn’t my sister, I wouldn’t survive without her.

When she finished, we sat in silence before she sighed and looked towards me. “Thanks.”

I simply nodded and gathered our dishes.

“Slight, there’s something I think we need to talk about.”

I looked across at her.

“That mare you killed, Pyra... Do you know who that was?”

I frowned. “Does it matter?”

“Yes it does.” Chase reached into her saddlebag and took out the red, flame-shaped gem the mare had been wearing. “Do you know what this is?”

Shrugging, I answered, “Magic.”

She snorted. “You’re not wrong, but other than the extremely obvious, can you tell me anything about it?”

“...It allowed her to do what she did?”

“Trust me, Slight, that’s the least of what it can do.” She pushed it towards me. “This is an Element of Harmony. One of six.”

I held it up in the light and examined it. “What else can it do?”

She hesitated before answering. “I’m not completely sure. They’re more powerful when combined with each other, and if all six of them are together they have the power to reshape reality. Luckily, only five of them were found, but I suspect those five are the reasons Luna’s now... gone.”

I didn’t like the way the gem felt. Vaguely tingly, as if it was just waiting to unleash its power and do untold damage. I twisted the evil thing around, before putting it back down on the table and turning to face Chase. “How do we destroy it?”

“We don’t,” she replied and picked it back up. “If we destroy it, we might never be able to bring Luna back. We need it to figure out how to reverse the spell.” After a second she rubbed her temples and put it back in her saddlebags. “Anyway, you know how I said there are six elements?”

I nodded.

“Well, each of the Elements represents a different aspect... a different... idea, I guess. This one is Loyalty. The others are Honesty, Laughter, Kindness and Generosity.”

“...Aren’t Kindness and Generosity the same thing?”

“No.” She gave me a flat look.

“And what good is Laughter?”

“You’re asking me as if I made them.” She frowned. “Look, each Element has a different Bearer, somepony who represents the ideals of that particular Element. We killed Pyra, so that leaves four other Bearers, each with Elements and powers of their own who probably hate us and want to take Loyalty back.”

My thoughts went back to Blackrock, and the implausible speeds Pyra had moved at. I couldn’t stop the memory of Stygus being reduced to strips of himself flashing through my mind. Shuddering, I nodded in understanding. “That’s... concerning.”

“Exactly,” Chase nodded. “We already met one of them, that brown earth pony in the coat. His name is Blot, in case you don’t remember.”

“Can he move like Pyra did?”

“No, he has different abilities than her. Anyway, that’s not the point. I just want you to know that these ponies are out there, and they will probably be coming for-”

The door opened, and the priest from last night stepped through. He looked tired, but at the very least sober. Unlike yesterday, he didn’t smell of cheap wine and dirt, actually appearing reasonably clean, if a little overworked.

When he saw us, his baggy eyes went wide and he bowed. “Forgive me, spirits. If I had known you were awake, I would have prepared your meal myself.”

“That’s not a concern,” Chase answered him and stood up. “Rise. Tell us how you fared.”

“Noble spirits, I’ve done exactly as asked and acquired everything you requested.” He took off the saddlebags he was wearing, and laid them down before Chase. “I have maps of the entirety of Equestria, the best I could afford, some coin in case you need it, as well as food and travelling supplies.” He paused. “As for the enchantments in the helmets...”

“Was there a problem?” Chase frowned.

“Uh... No. There is a blacksmith I know from the trade districts who was willing to do it for me. Although he was confused about where I got the helmets, I don’t think he’ll talk to anypony unless asked specifically.” The priest coughed and reached under his robe. “The problem is... well... they’re not exactly inconspicuous.” In his magic he held two copper circlets, both adorned with writings and magic runes. Each was large enough to fit atop our heads. “As long as they’re touching your skin, the illusions will work. The helmets themselves weren’t enchanted, just these bands under the rim.”

Chase frowned and put her hoof through one, taking it from his hold. As soon as it touched her leg, her fur changed from grey to pristine white, rippling outwards from that limb. Her mane became yellow blond, and I watched in discomfort as her wings changed to be like those of the murderous pegasi who took our home. “Not many ponies I know outside nobility wear circlets. I assume you couldn’t make them smaller, into a bracelet or some such?”

“I’m sorry, noble spirit.” His wilted. “But without somepony to recast the enchantment, the blacksmith was unable to reshape the metal without destroying the spell. Enchanting is a rare trade, let alone finding somepony who won’t ask questions.”

“...We’ll have to fix that later, but for now we’re short on time.”

Chase hooked the other ring over her wingtip and passed it to me, before putting the one in her hoof on top of her head. After a second I followed suit, and the familiar cool tingle washed over me as the magic did its best to rob me of my identity.

After a moment I noticed something... concerning. The spell had affected our cutie marks, replacing them with simplified versions of Celestia’s sun. My lips curled with distaste, but... what can’t be changed has to be endured.

Chase began moving the supplies from his saddlebags to ours. A question popped into my head as I watched, and after a moment I turned to the priest.

“The blacksmith. What do you know of him?”

The priest blinked in surprise, and glanced at Chase who was watching me askance. “Uh... Not much. His name is Hard Hoof, and he was apprenticed to another blacksmith until he inherited the shop from his master when his master moved away.”

I nodded my understanding and looked back towards Chase.

“What was the master’s name?” she asked after a moment, glancing at me then back to him.

“I believe it was Metal Smith... Or Black Smith maybe?” He frowned. “I’m not sure, but I remember we called him Smith the smith.”

Chase nodded before slinging the saddlebags over her back and looking towards me. “Is everything fine?”

At first I was confused by the look she was giving me, her face concerned but her eyes hard and uncaring. Then I realised that those weren’t her eyes, but the simple blue lies of the illusion. Those lies weren’t the window to the soul, they were just... empty. Cold. The effect was... disturbing.

After a moment, I broke lie contact and answered. “Yes. I’m fine.”

Blinking, she turned her lies to the priest. “Your help has been noted. Stay proud, and remember that Luna will return, whether it be in a day or in a thousand years. Don’t lose faith and don’t let others lose their conviction. At times like these it can be all we have.”

“Thank you, spirit.” He bowed. “I will remember.”

“And you should not need me to tell you this, but it would be better for you if the Celestians didn’t know we were here.”

He nodded. “Of course.”

Chase snorted. “Stay safe. We might call on you again, soon.”

“It is an honor to serve.”

Chase glanced at me, and tilted her head towards the door before we turned and left. “We’ll use the bits to buy some cloaks to hide our cutie marks, and then we’ll head straight for Luna’s palace.” She hesitated before asking, “Do you want to visit the blacksmith while we’re here? See what became of your parents?”

I considered it before shaking my head. “No. I asked because...” I Frowned. “I’m not sure. But I don’t wish to find them.”

“Alright,” she paused before saying. “If that’s what you want?”

I nodded.

“Okay...” she looked back ahead, but only after giving me a worried look.

I bit my bottom lip for a second, before I asked, “Are you... okay?”

“...” She didn’t look at me as she answered, taking a moment to think what she was about to say. “Look, I’m not... ‘okay’. This isn’t my first time dealing with grief, and I know that the pain won’t just go away, but... you’re here, and I’ll be able to live with it. Right now it hurts, and if you weren’t here I... well...” she swallowed, and sighed. “No, I’m not okay, but... I will be. Eventually. And having you here... helps.”

I nodded in understanding, but she didn’t see it so she probably thought I was just staying silent.

“Anyway, we need to focus now. Come on.”

She led us through the temple, now empty of all but the most devout parishioners. They made no effort to stop us. Nopony even cast us a second glance for the most part, and it wasn’t long until we were passing out the front door and into the street.

Hoofens was quieter at night, and I preferred the sound of a gentle breeze and my own hoofsteps to the talk and murmur of strangers. The streets were empty of all but the occasional patrolling city guard, or a worker scurrying home for the night. The streets seemed less uncomfortable without a thousand other ponies sharing it, giving me hate-filled glares and murdering me inside their heads.

It made it easier for me to be certain no one was following us, and the ever-present shadows were cool and welcoming. The few lanterns that were lit only serve to heighten the contrast between light and dark, making it even easier for us to stay in the shadows and out of sight.

As we walked, the sound of cawing made my head turn, and I found my gaze settling on a crow on a rooftop. It was odd to see a crow at night, but not exactly worrying, so with a shrug I continued after Chase. I only made it a few steps before I heard the sound of wings and felt a weight settle on my back. Blinking in surprise, I looked behind me to see a crow standing there, staring at me with its head cocked. After a second, it cawed and turned its head so I could see its other eye.

I blinked in surprise. This was the one-eyed crow from the afternoon before Eternal Night… or at least the supposed eternal night… It hopped across my back, and I winced as its claws dug into my hide.

“Slight, why is there a bird on you?” Chase asked, and I looked across to see her staring at me with amusement.

I shrugged, and it hopped up onto my right shoulder. I didn’t turn my head in case I bumped with my chin, and watched it out of the corner of my eye.

“What’s it doing?” I asked quietly, without moving my mouth too much. “Why is it-“

The crow suddenly bit my ear and tugged on it, making me yelp and jerk my head away. With a cackling caw it flew forward and landed on top of Chase’s head.

Her eyes turned up and she frowned. “Shoo.” She shook her head, but the bird stayed put. “I said shoo!” She batted at it with her hoof, and with an offended caw the bird flew away.

We watched it fly for a moment, before Chase asked, “What did you do to that bird?”

“I…gave it some chicken…” I frowned after it.

“What?” She glanced at me confused, before looking around. “Where did you get chicken from?”

I blinked before shaking my head. “I mean back at Blackrock. I gave it some chicken…”

“It followed you from Blackrock?” She glanced at me before shrugging. “Come on, let’s keep moving.”

Nodding, I followed along again as we made our way towards Luna’s palace. Thankfully it wasn’t far from where we were.

Luna’s palace was much more befitting of her character than the temple. Large and central, yes, but not imposing and dominating like the temple was. It was more attractive, more supple, with delicately carved buttresses and curving edges. The black stone wasn’t frightening, but rather it was inviting, with promises of things to come. This I could see as a place where my goddess resided, much more so than the temple or even Blackrock.

We ducked into a nearby alleyway, and stepped out of the shadows onto the rooftops. Crawling on our bellies, we silently made our way to the edge of the roof and peeked over.

A few city guards stood watch at the gate and a couple more patrolled inside, but for the most part the palace seemed empty. All along the castle rooftop, I could see unicorns with their horns aglow, lanterns floating alongside them as they patrolled. Staying completely still, Chase and I silently watched the grounds for any more activity.

Over the outer fence we could see the garden and courtyard, large and well-tended with plants that seemed accustomed to the dark. Winding pathways led past fountains and through flower beds, looking soothing and calm even from our distant perch.

“The bottom floor, the second floor, and the garden are completely lit,” Chase murmured. “We won’t be able to shadow walk in there from here...”

“We could fly over the wall…” I suggested after a second.

She shook her head. “No. I don’t want to risk being spotted.”

“Aren’t these guards from Hoofens?” I frowned at their uniforms.

“They still report to the council, who report to the Celestians. I want to leave no trace, if possible. I don’t want the Element Bearers to know where we’re going or have a chance of figuring out how we plan on contacting Luna.”

I nodded in understanding. I looked to see most of the third floor was still dark. “If we make it to the base of the building, we could shadow walk to the third floor.”

“Yeah, we’d just need to find somewhere along the wall that’s not lit... We could put some of the lights out? Create the shadows...”

Shifting into a slightly more comfortable position, I waited for her solution to the problem. We lay there in silence for a moment, Chase tapping a hoof against her chin in thought.

“If we had a distraction, one of us could sneak in there, find some of Luna’s essence, and sneak back out. See that shrub all the way over on the far side? I think there’s enough shadow in there for one of us to get into the garden if we were just a bit closer.”

I nodded. “What sort of distraction?”

“...” She looked across at me, then back at them before sighing and rubbing her temples. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re going to have to talk to them.”

Blinking in surprise, I frowned at her. “Why don’t you talk to them?”

“Because I know my way through Luna’s palace. I can get in and out quicker than you can, and I know where to look better. Look, all you’ll have to do is let that guard there see you.” She pointed a hoof towards the one patrolling towards us from the west side. “Don’t look suspicious or dangerous. Just stand there, and when he comes over to see what you’re up to, keep him distracted so I can slip by. Once I’m inside, getting out will be easy because all I need to do is douse one of the lanterns on the lower floor and shadow walk back to the bush, then back to here.”

Swallowing, I glanced at one of the guards. “What do I say?”

She shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter. With how awkward you are, he’s bound to be confused.”

I blinked and glanced at her. “What?”

She wriggled over closer to me and took off her saddlebags before strapping them on me so they covered the false cutie mark. “As long as they don’t see anything they can identify you with, we should be able to get out of here without leaving any trace other than a report about a kinda odd mare and a lantern that went out in the wind.”

Her work completed, she stepped back and tilted her head, signaling for me to follow. We both flared our wings and silently glided back down to the alley.

We landed and moved to the corner of the street, watching the palace. “Wait right there, and talk to that guard once he comes into sight. Just keep his attention on you without doing anything that will make him want to arrest you.”

I nodded. “Alright.” I could do that. Couldn’t I? Talking to ponies was unpleasant but not difficult.

Chase just waved a hoof forward, waiting on me.

Swallowing, I stepped out into the centre of the street and waited there. It was a few minutes before the guard returned here on his patrol. A couple of the ponies from the roof had seen me, but none of them had really bothered keeping an eye on me. All I was doing was standing there and shuffling my hooves, rubbing my legs to keep warm as the late autumn evening cooled.

The patrolling guard saw me, and hesitated for a second before approaching me.

“Is there something I can help you with, citizen?” he asked, standing just out of reach.

“No,” I answered confidently.

He gave me an odd look before he shrugged and said, “Alright. It’s cold tonight, be sure to bundle up,” before stepping around to trot past me.

“Wait!” I blurted when I realized my mistake.

He paused and glanced back at me. “Yes?”

“...” Oh... I was required to speak now, wasn’t I? Uh... what was I supposed to say? “Do you... know... the way to Luna’s Palace?” The moment I finished speaking, I had to fight the urge to slap myself.

He just stared at me for a second before he pointed a hoof towards the palace. “I think could hazard a guess...”

I shifted awkwardly. “Uh... Right... bad question...”

“Is there something you want from me, ma’am?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Swallowing nervously, I circled around him and he followed with his gaze, suspiciously adjusting the spear attached to his saddle. It took me a moment, but I realised that I was circling around him with combat steps. I quickly corrected it to a more casual shuffle. I kept circling him until his back was to the alley where Chase was hiding.

“Sorry, I...”

“Ma’am, while there is no curfew currently in effect, I do recommend you return to your place of residence soon, or if you have nowhere to go, find a place to shelter.” He spoke firmly, keeping a wary eye on me. “The first snow of the season is due to arrive soon.”

I nodded. “Thanks. For the advice.”

He nodded, but kept watching.

Quick! I needed to say something. “...Can I get in?” After a second I added, “The palace.”

He slowly shook his head. “We’re under orders to prevent any attempts at looting Luna’s sacred residence. No one allowed in or out until further notice.”

“That’s good. Stopping looting...” Trailing off, I swallowed and shuffled my hooves. “Important.”

“Yes...” He just kept his eyes on me

Chase quietly stepped out of the alley, and slunk across the street towards him.

“That spear,” I said after a moment, glancing towards the shaft. “Is it... sharp?”

He stared at me for a moment, blinking in confusion. “Yes. It is. Sharp.”

I nodded quickly, coughing into my hoof. “That’s good.”

Chase snuck up behind him, and without a noise disappeared through his shadow and out of sight. Now I just needed to keep him here for a few more seconds.

“Do you know... any nice... things?”

“...Do I know. Any nice... things?” he repeated.

After shuffling my hooves for another second and failing to meet his gaze, I said, “Never mind... I’ll just... uh...”

He kept an eye on me the entire time I delicately stepped back around him, this time careful not to look like I was about to start a fight, before practically galloping down a street. I took a moment to chide myself about my humiliating performance as a distraction, before composing myself and circling back towards the alley. All I could do was crouch quietly in the shadows and wait for Chase to return.

I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that I wasn’t going to be able to see the inside of Luna’s palace. Obviously, we were here for a reason and not for sightseeing. But still... I couldn’t help but wonder what a palace Luna built for herself would look like... Blackrock was a small earth pony fortress that was repurposed for the sake of the nightkin. Yes, she’d decorated it to her tastes, but it wasn’t built from scratch like the palace was. What was a goddess’ personal domain like?

Shivering from the cold, I breathed hot air onto my hooves and rubbed them for warmth. The wind blowing in from the sea carried a deathly chill that made me glad I wasn’t flying tonight. Unlike pegasi, the nightkin don’t have quite the same resistance to cold. We’re still better at dealing with it than earth ponies or unicorns without insulation spells, but it was no wonder the streets were mostly empty.

“Is it sharp?” a voice whispered in my ear.

Forcing myself not to yelp, I spun around to find myself staring at Chase.

She grinned at me, chuckling. “That was what you asked him? ‘Is your spear sharp?’” Shaking her head, she paused and looked serious for a second. “As amusing as that was, you’re going to have to learn to handle other ponies while we’re traveling or they’ll find us suspicious.”

I frowned. “Why are you back so soon? Did you find what we need?”

She shook her head. “No, I didn’t get in. But I think I found another way through, a way for both of us to get in.”

My ears perked up at that. So I would get to see Luna’s palace after all...

“Come on.” She tilted her head towards the alley’s exit and started to quietly trot away.

I followed behind her, and together we made our way around to the west side of Luna’s palace. From here we could see the city’s harbor on the other side of the bay and feel the sea wind rustle through our manes. The streets were as empty as ever, and this part of the road wasn’t as well-lit, but the garden just over the wall was much brighter. Plus, with no way to see where the patrollers were inside, shadow walking in was too risky.

Chase trotted along for a while before she came to a halt and closed her eyes. I felt the shadows shifting around her, and after a second she smiled and said, “Yeah, I thought I felt a tunnel here.” Turning around to face me, she kicked her hoof at the ground. “There’s a way in right under our hooves. Come on.”

Then she faded through her own shadow, sinking into the street.

After a second, I followed her. Passing into the Immaterial, I could see her trail, leading me through ten metres of stone and earth before emerging into pitch black. My breath hitched in my throat as cold bit into me. I found myself ankle deep in water, sopping wet, and shivering with cold.

My breath fogged over, and I gasped for air as the icy bite chilled my lungs. I started to rub myself for warmth. Chase put her wing over me, and when I glanced at her I saw blue lips as she shivered too. We clung together for warmth, breathing deeply as we started moving in unison, trying to create heat through friction.

“I didn’t think there’d be water down here,” Chase muttered by way of apology.

Even if I had planned on answering her, which I hadn’t, my chattering teeth would have stopped me from doing that.

Once we warmed, we continued up the wet, dark tunnel, ankle deep in the still, murky water. The stones that lay under the water were smooth and slippery with muck. More than once we stumbled, splashing freezing water onto ourselves. The pool had a filthy, almost oily feel to it, and the taste of it on my lips was foul.

“What is this tunnel even here for?”

Chase grimaced as she stepped on something soft and squelchy. “I think it’s a secret passage, but water from the fountains has dripped down and isn’t escaping anywhere. Or maybe sewage has leaked in... It’s not salty enough for sea water.”

“Sewage?” I repeated, testing the air with my nose.

“Yeah, from the palace.”

“It doesn’t smell like that...”

Chase shrugged, glancing at the ground distastefully. “Either way, as much as I love our goddess, I’m not excited by the thought of standing in her... waste.”

A wave of nausea overcame me at the idea, and I suddenly smelled excrement and urine more strongly. The walls suddenly felt tighter, and I had to take a step away from Chase, stretch my wings, and try to calm my rising pulse. The taste of bile crawled up my throat into my nostrils, and I gagged, rushing ahead.

“Slight?” Chase asked, concerned.

There was the smell of bile and leavings in the air while the walls on all sides sloped inwards, getting tighter, more constricting, stopping me from leaving. Some small part of my brain told me this place didn’t actually smell that way. It wasn’t a locked chamber, stained with blood and stomach fluids, or a dark pit with only the faint light at the top being blocked by a sinister bully. The splashes my hooves made didn’t sound like muffled begging or sadistic laughter.

...At least that was what part of me said.

“Slight, wait!” Chase shouted.

When I came to the ladder at the end of the tunnel, I climbed up it as quick as I could. My hoof slipped on a rung, but I ignored it, throwing open the trapdoor as fast as I could. Climbing out of that dank, sickening, confining tunnel and breathing in the cleaner, more mineral air of soil and earth, I felt my pulse slow and my shivering stop.

In a few minutes, Chase climbed out of the hatch behind me and trotted towards me with a concerned look on her face. “Slight?”

I didn’t answer. I stretched my wings and hooves, dancing about in the space I had. It took me a moment, but it wasn’t long until the muffled begging and hateful laughing halted. When it did, I fell back to all fours and shuddered one last time.

“Slight?” Chase came and put a hoof on my shoulder.

I swallowed, resisting the urge to shrug it off and step away from her to find more open space. “Sorry,” I said.

“What was that about?” she asked, concerned.

“...I don’t like tight spaces that smell bad,” I said after a second.

She frowned. “Slight?”

Grimacing, I said, “I don’t want to think about it. Can we move on?”

She looked me up and down with a worried frown on her face before shrugging. “Alright...”

We both turned around to observe the room. If it wasn’t for Luna’s blessings, it would be impossible for me to see. It took me a moment to recognise it as a wine cellar. It smelled earthy, mixed with cobwebs as well as the slightly sweet tint of ripened grapes and alcohol. It was dark, with no light source around. Several rows of barrels stood in a line, each with a different name and date written on it.

Chase led the way past several rows towards a set of stairs that led up out of the basement and into Luna’s palace proper. She peeked under the door for a second, and we both probed for shadows, but felt none in the hall just beyond the door.

Cautiously, Chase opened it and signaled for me to follow. Closing it behind myself, I silently followed her into the bright halls. The black stone had silver flecks in it which shimmered and reflected prettily in the torchlight, giving the sparsely decorated halls a sense of mystery.

Moving together, we evaded a few patrols, going up different halls or waiting in guest rooms for the guards to pass. For the most part, it seemed the guards were stationed outside, preventing intruders from getting in, so there weren’t too many delays. Following behind Chase, I was led through the dark, mostly unadorned halls of the palace, decorated only with the occasional picture of Luna or dark statue of a rearing alicorn.

It wasn’t long before we arrived at the fourth floor, which was blessedly quiet and absent of guards. Still, it was wise to favour caution, and so we moved stealthily, with a weary ear raised for approaching hoofsteps.

I was disgusted to find the door to Luna’s personal apartments hanging ajar, the lock shattered. Shaking her head in disappointment, Chase pushed open the door, and I entered Lady Luna’s abode.

Furniture made of some hard, dark wood with matching chairs bore unlit blue candles atop black silk tablecloths. Most of the chairs were positioned around a large map of Equestria which sat in the centre of the entry room. Black cotton drapes prevented any outside light from getting in, and as I closed the door behind me, I couldn’t help but feel a serene calm settle over me.

This truly was Luna’s domain.

Chase immediately stopped at the map in the centre of the room and started gathering up the papers that were strewn over it, glancing over these before dropping them with a disgusted sigh.

“Useless,” she muttered, before looking back at me. “The dressing room is through there and to the left,” she said, pointing with her hoof towards a door just down the hall. “See if you can find some cloaks or something to disguise us.”

I glanced towards the door before frowning at her. “I don’t think we’ll fit into any of Luna’s dresses...”

She rolled her eyes, walking through another door. “She has clothes for us nightkin in there too. Occasionally, she liked to dress us up.”

Nodding, I walked through the door and found myself trotting towards the suggested path. I couldn’t help but peek into some of the rooms as I passed. One held a bathtub; another, a small personal library. A third one was bare all but for some manacles atop a stone slab.

I wondered if that last one was for the business of torture or Luna’s personal pleasure. Not that she didn’t take pleasure from punishing the wicked, as was her right.

The dressing room was circular, with a window to let in light. It had a good view out to the city street. The silken curtains were drawn, making it possible to look out the window but not for any passerby to look in. There was a large mirror in one wall, and when I saw my reflection in it, I instinctively flinched.

Rather than a nightkin, I saw a white pegasus wearing a ridiculous copper circlet with Celestia’s hideous sun stamped on her flank. She was too tall for a pegasus, tall enough that among feathered fliers she would be considered unusual. The blue eyes were plain, unresponsive. The pupils didn’t grow or shrink at all, leaving her with a cold, emotionless gaze.

Shaking off the circlet, I sighed in relief as the magic tingled away across my body. In my nightkin state, I thought I looked much better. Perhaps a little tired, but strong and fit, with a toned muscle structure that bespoke fast movement as well as notable endurance. I was no longer a freakishly tall pegasus, but an above average mare, about on par with an earth pony stallion. Turning to the right, I was relieved to see my cutie mark looking its usual gold-and-blue self.

With a sigh, I trotted past the mirror and opened what I assumed to be a closet. With enough space to walk in, I found My Lady’s wardrobe to be almost another room unto itself, with large ponnequins displaying various outfits and dresses. Her classic, dimly-glowing, blue armour caught my attention, and for a moment, I found myself forcing thoughts of abandonment and loneliness from my mind.

Luna would return. I knew she would. I just had to stay strong until then.

I found the clothes meant for nightkin, and started searching through them. Formal uniforms, silken night dresses that brought a blush to my cheeks, bathing robes, a few other things. Eventually, I came across several black cotton cloaks with simple silver pins that I thought would suffice.

Trying one on, I was pleased to find it fit me easily, and, after checking in the mirror, noted that it disguised most of my appearance very effectively. With the hood pulled up, it was almost impossible to tell if I was a mare or a stallion, or what tribe I was from. Yes, these would do nicely. After stepping back in to get one for Chase, I hesitated at the sight of a black silken robe.

My throat dried up as I stared at it, and when I curiously held it up, I noted that it was barely opaque at all. After glancing over my shoulder, I carried the cloaks and the robe back to the dressing room and pushed the door shut. I unbuckled the saddlebags, blushing a little as I did, before carefully putting on the sensual black robe. It slid over my head smooth as water over stone, and I almost shivered as it tickled its way down my back and over my shoulders.

When I looked at myself in the mirror, blushing redder than any fruit I’d ever bore witness to, I couldn’t help but like the way I looked. The garment was so thin, it barely hampered the view of my body at all, but at the same time it clung to me in such a way that it emphasized my curvature and good health. Rising onto my hind legs, I did an experimental twirl, dancing briefly to see how it would look in my reflection.

To me it looked good.

I couldn’t help but giggle, imagining myself wearing this while Luna watched. Her eyes would be on me, roving and happily exploring my form. And then eventually she’d stop watching, and trot over to join me. We’d dance for a short time, free and joyful before it became slower, more sensual. Slowly, she’d start to reach for-

“Slight?” Chase pushed open the dressing room door. “Did you find...”

Blushing, I fell back to all fours and quickly started trying to take it off. I pulled it over my head, and almost stumbled as it got caught in my mane before yanking it off and tossing it to the ground. Shaking my mane free, I looked up at Chase, my face burning.

She just stood there with an amused smirk and a raised eyebrow. “Having fun?”

“I found clothes!” I blurted.

She glanced at the robe. “That’s not exactly the sort of garment that will help us avoid attention.”

Swallowing and avoiding her gaze, I turned around and picked up the thick, dark cloaks. “These ones, I meant these!”

Trotting over, she looked my choice up and down before nodding. “Perfect.” She tossed it over her shoulder before heading towards the door. “Bring that other one if you want, but I doubt we’ll get much use out of it.”

Flushing, I followed her out the door and to the bedroom. “I wasn’t...” I trailed off as I realised she hadn’t even accused me of anything.

“...You weren’t what?”

“N-nothing.”

She just chuckled and shook her head, saying, “Come on. Help me search for feathers and mane.”

Together, we went through the room, tossing the sheets on her bed, checking under the mattresses and the carpet, inside the pillow cases, behind her dressing stand, anywhere that might have traces of Luna. Chase tucked a hairbrush into her bag, which was knotted with a few different strands of silvery astral mane. Our extensive search failed to turn up anything else, not so much as a feather or hoof filing.

Chase wrapped the brush up carefully in a cloth, then wrapped that cloth up in another before tying it all together in a package. After hiding it in the bottom of her bag, she glanced up at me. “Alright, we’ve got some essence. Now all we have left to do in Hoofens is go to the Council and see what good can be done.”

She went to turn around, but hesitated, lingering for a moment in the presence of our goddess. Luna might not have been there with us, but her scent was in the air and the whole place just felt like her. It was a few moments before I felt ready to leave, and when I was, Chase seemed like she needed some more time.

I simply stood and waited for her, knowing that this room and this bed held memories for that I couldn’t begin to comprehend. When she looked back to me, there were tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.

“Alright.” She swallowed. “It’s time for us to go.”

Nodding, I stepped forward and nuzzled her. She returned the affection, before we both turned and left Luna’s domain.

Standing so close to the guard, I could smell the faint scent of alcohol on his breath, as well as the oils he’d used to polish his armour. A large part of me screamed to push him away, to punish him for his casual violation of my personal space, but I ignored it. All I could do was stand still as he went through my saddlebags, checked my hooves for weapons, patted along my body for concealed arms, even feeling my underside.

When he found nothing, he took a step back and cast his eyes to the ribbon I had around my neck.

“What’s that?” He frowned, pointing at it.

“A ribbon,” I answered plainly.

“What’s it doing there?”

I glanced down at it, before looking back up at him with a raised eyebrow. It was a ribbon. What did he think I could possibly do with it? “I plan on using it to strangle someone.”

His eyes narrowed and he snorted angrily, taking an aggressive step forward.

“Slight!” Chase barked from behind me, and I glanced back to see her receiving the same unpleasant attention I had. “Stop antagonising them.”

With a sigh, I looked back ahead and shifted where I stood, trying to find a comfortable position for the straps that had me tied to the wagon.

“Sorry about my sister,” Chase chuckled, her voice betraying a nervousness that I wasn’t sure was fake. “She takes after Father a bit too much.”

The guard in front of me just snorted before taking a step away from me and saying to the sergeant, “She’s clean.”

“Yeah, so’s this one,” mumbled the one searching Chase.

“And there’s nothing in the wagon, either!” a third called from the carriage I was strapped to. “Just the wine barrels.”

“Anything in the saddlebags?” the leader asked.

“Nah. Just some clothes, food and paper.”

“I told you, we’re here to deliver.” Chase rolled her eyes and yawned. “Just let us through so we can go to bed already.”

The sergeant frowned, glancing between the two of us before saying, “I don’t remember either of you delivering before. Usually the vineyard only sends the one stallion.”

Chase shrugged. “I heard he broke his leg, but I don’t really know.”

After another moment of silence, he stepped forward to examine me, before looking back at Chase then at me. “Not a lot of family resemblance...”

“Oh, you’re kidding, right?” Chase glared in disbelief. “Same colours not enough for you?”

The guard eyed me up and down. “This one’s built more like an earth pony.”

“Yeah, she takes after our dear old dad.” Chase rolled her eyes. “I got mum’s looks.”

“What’s an earth pony doing marrying a pegasus?” he asked, his lips curling in disgust.

“Oh, for the love of...” Chase bit her lip and took a calming breath. “Look, if we don’t deliver this wine, they’re going to think we took their coin without giving the council the goods. When they come to us, I’m gonna have to say that we got turned back at the side entrance, because whoever was on guard thought my little sister was a bit too tall.”

“Sir, the city’s already been taken over.” One of the guards said, yawning lazily and rubbing his eyes. “It’s not like the stinking Celestians are gonna sneak more soldiers into the council building when the barracks are already crawling with ‘em. Most of us have had to bunk at home just to make room for those damned pigeons,” he muttered with disgust.

The sergeant glanced between us again, before sighing and stepping out of the way. “Leave the wine with-”

“-Tea Cosy.” Chase glanced at him with a sarcastic roll of her eyes. “I know the wine goes to the pantry master.”

The guard glanced her up and down before nodding. “...Very well.”

With the path clear and the door open, I was free to walk forward into the home of the Council of Hoofens. From the outside, it was a big, copper dome propped atop a square hall of white marble, standing much higher than the buildings that surrounded it. Chase told me something of its past, about it being a home of unicorn seafarers long before... some important point in history. Honestly, it was nice to hear her talking, but I still wasn’t much interested in what was said.

From the inside, the building was much more opulent than what I was used to. Rich, red curtains; carpets; elaborately carved furniture; paintings of regal, important-looking ponies. Almost every possible object was made out of gold. Vases, spoons, door handles... it was gilded into every object. It was enough to make me think the entire council must be sleeping under sheets woven from gold.

The overabundance of wealth was far from the most disconcerting thing about this place, though. That award went to the damned pegasi.

The winged rodents were everywhere. Steel-armoured Celestian scum, guarding every doorway, watching every corner, glaring at me and Chase as I pulled our wagon towards the kitchen. Not royal guards, just normal soldiers dressed in the armour and white tabards of Celestia. From the outside, the palace looked like it was still being run by the city guard, but on the inside it was obvious who was in charge.

Chase cuffed me over the ear. “Stop glaring,” she hissed.

I bit my tongue and turned my eyes ahead, staring firmly at the door and not the vultures in pony flesh that lined the halls.

When we arrived at the kitchen, one of the servants hurriedly led us through the kitchen, nervously avoiding eye contact with us and his winged overseers. With his help, we were able to maneuver the wine barrel down the stairs into the cellar, where there was only one Celestian guard on watch.

Chase caught my attention with a cough, and tilted her head towards the Celestian. She gave me a meaningful look, her message clear. Kill him.

I nodded, and rolled my neck in preparation. There were a few cracks, and I winced at the sensation. Not that I regretted it, but sleeping in the same bed as Chase last night had forced us both to contort to fit on the mattress.

Giving me a reassuring smile, Chase fumbled her end of the barrel and dropped it onto the ground with a yelp. Hopping back, she held her hoof close to her chest, blood leaking from it. I couldn’t help but wonder how she’d managed to cut herself on the edge of a barrel.

“Ow, ow, ow!” She shook the limb and danced on it.

“Are you okay?” the servant asked, stepping closer and sounding concerned.

“I don’t think anything’s broken,” Chase muttered.

Quietly, I eased a few steps back so I was standing next to the Celestian, who was distracted by the show Chase was putting on. When I was just out of his view, I carefully reached forward with my hoof and hooked the leg out from under him. He opened his mouth to shout in surprise, but I stepped into him as he fell, wrapping my arms around his throat, and twisting so he fell to the ground with his legs in the air. With me under him, cutting off his air stopped him from breathing or screaming or finding purchase on the floor. He flailed his legs, trying to stand up and shift me, flapping his wings uselessly, but he never had a chance.

Slowly, his struggling stopped and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Even then, I held on for another minute, being absolutely certain he was dead before I let him go. Once I stood up, I took no chances and stomped down on his throat, cracking cartilage.

Turning around, I saw Chase tying up and gagging the servant. “Nice job,” she commented, as she unbuttoned his uniform. “Take off the armour and hide the body.”

By the time I’d stripped away the metal plates and dragged the dead behind a few shelves of cheese, Chase had finished her work.

“The guard’s closer to my size, so I’ll wear his armour, and you can take the servant’s uniform.”

Glancing at the dull brown cloth, I sighed before starting to put it on. At least the servant was chubby, so the clothes weren’t too tight. It was a bit uncomfortable, and sliding my tail through the hole when I already had the copper circlet resting there was awkward, but it was only slightly more uncomfortable than wearing the metallic circlet over my tail anyway. By Luna’s Grace, I hated these things.

I put our saddlebags over the top of my uniform, and Chase undid the stitching in the corners of our saddlebags, taking our ghost blades from where they’d been hidden. “Now that we’re inside, they shouldn’t notice these.”

I was glad to strap it back over my hoof. It had been uncomfortable enough walking among all those Celestian pegasi, let alone doing so unarmed.

When we were done, Chase went over my disguise before nodding in satisfaction. “Remember, you’re a servant. Try to look meek. Keep your eyes on the ground, and don’t speak unless spoken to.”

I nodded.

She adjusted the steel breastplate one last time. “Damn guard was broader in the chest than I am.” After a moment of fidgeting, she sighed and tilted her head towards the staircase. “Come on, I’ll take the lead. And remember, be meek.”

Together, we walked up the stairs and out of the cellar, back towards the kitchen. None of the servants seemed to notice us, or if they did they turned a blind eye. While we there, Chase pointed out a tray of bread and a pitcher of water for me to carry, completing my disguise.

I followed her through the palace, tray in my mouth, which thankfully negated the need for me to speak. It was after about ten minutes of walking that I noticed Chase seemed lost. Pausing at each corner, leading us in a circle once, chewing her lower lip and looking around unsurely. As she did so, a worried weight settled over my stomach, and a stray doubt crept into my mind before I smothered it and pushed it aside.

Chase was fine. She just needed time to get her bearings.

With that in mind, I confidently followed a pony that seemed far less confident than me. It was only when we eventually found the dungeon that I voice my concern.

Putting my tray on a small table, I turned to Chase. “You have been here before, haven’t you? To the Council?”

“Only once,” she murmured. “I know the way to the council chambers, but didn’t see much other than that. And even then, that was through the front entrance.” Sighing, she ran a hoof through her mane before glancing back at me. “Come on, we’re almost here.”

The churning in my gut renewed, I picked the tray back up and carefully followed Chase down the stairs. The key to carrying something without spilling it is to not look at the thing you’re carrying. Always watch your destination. Not that that knowledge was especially useful to me, but thinking about the best way to carry it down a flight of stairs helped distract me from the fact that Chase seemed to be making her plan up as she went along.

There were two jailers, both pegasi in Celestian armour, both looking attentive and fairly nervous.

“What are you doing here?” One of them asked with a frown.

“Bread and water for the prisoners,” Chase answered, stifling a fake yawn as she stepped closer to them.

“They’ve already been fed tonight.” The other one stepped towards me, looking down at the food on my tray before grabbing the jug and drinking deeply.

“Yeah, take this crap back to the-”

The final mistake he ever made was letting Chase step too close to him. Her ghost blade came out the back of his head.

The one drinking turned around, spluttering on the water and raising his hoof to defend himself from Chase. The last mistake he ever made was standing too close to me.

The wounds from the ghost blade took effect just as the jug shattered. Water and blood coated the floor in equal measure.

Thankfully, neither of us got any of the mess on us, and Chase was careful to stay clean as she pulled the keys from the jailer’s pocket and unlocked the dungeon door.

“Let us free!” a voice shouted out the moment Chase poked her head in. “We demand to see our families.”

Ignoring the demands, we dragged the corpses down the stairs, where the voices fell silent. Chase found an empty cell with two cots, and unlocked it. Together, we repositioned the ponies so they were lying on the beds, with their armour hidden by sheets and looking like they were napping. Locking the doors behind us, we turned to find almost thirty well-dressed ponies, two to a cell, staring at us worriedly.

“High Councilor Course Correction?” Chase asked, looking towards a blue-coated unicorn.

He glanced between the two of us before nodding slowly. “Is this an escape?”

Chase didn’t answer him. She stepped towards the bars and looked him up and down. “I thought you surrendered peacefully.”

He took a step backwards from the bars. “...We did.” His eyes went from Chase’s uniform to the piercings in her ear. “You’re not a Celestian, are you?”

“What happened in the hours leading up to the Celestians arriving?” Chase ignored his question.

There were a few murmurs from among the prisoners, asking among themselves who we were and whether this was a rescue attempt or not.

Correction didn’t answer, glancing between the two of us before taking another step back and shouting, “Guards!”

Chase turned away from him, walking along to another cell. “You there.” She pointed at a younger-looking councilor. “Tell me what happened leading up to the surrender.”

Everyone was silent, staring at the stallion and anxiously waiting on his answer. “The city came under attack,” he answered vaguely.

Chase snorted, walking back and forth in front of the cells, glaring at every pony she passed. “One, if not all, of you are traitors. Judging from the lack of ruins and dead, no effort was made to defend this city, and worse than mere cowardice, I suspect that more than one of you knew of the invasion before it happened.”

After a moment, a chubby unicorn across from us said, “We were just as surprised as anypony when the pegasi-”

“Save your lies.” Chase cut across him. “If you weren’t expecting them, your reaction would have been to fight. And even if you were surprised, you’ve failed both your citizens and your goddess.”

“We made the decision we did to preserve the well-being of the populace. What other choice did-”

Chase just spoke right over him. “You have committed high treason by surrendering this city to the Celestians, a crime fitting the punishment of death, if the adjudicator is feeling lenient.”

They were silent.

“The guards won’t hear you screaming.” Chase rolled her neck. “I have time enough to drag this out for hours. Tell us who among you are the traitors, or we’ll kill all of you.”

There was a shuffling of hooves as the councilors backed away from the bars, glancing between me and Chase fearfully. After a few moments of silence, she took off her helmet, and then the enchanted copper circlet she’d hidden under that. She shook out her mane as she returned to her appearance as a nightkin, and the effect on the councilors in the cells was instantaneous.

Pale, nervous sweat broke out among many of the younger members, while the older, more experienced politicians did a better job of hiding their fear.

There was silence for a moment until one of the councilors spoke. “Lieutenant Redemption, I’m glad to see you alive and well.”

Her gaze turned towards him.

An elder, kindly looking unicorn with a greying mane and a gentle smile. “We were told that the nightkin at Castle Blackrock were killed.”

Without a word, Chase started walking towards his cell, and I watched as his face went from kindly to a lot more nervous.

“My son served with you for a while, when you were part of the vanguard during-” He cut off as Chase shadow walked into his cell, and backed away a step. “-during the campaign across Sovereign Ranges.” He swallowed as he noticed the unicorn he was sharing the cell with edge away from him. “I-if you’d be willing to calm down we can work together to determine who the-”

There was no sound as Chase’s ghost blade passed through his neck. Without even looking at the result, she shadow walked out of the cell as the head fell from its shoulders. She came to a standstill, looking around the room at all the councilors who looked on with reactions from fear, to revulsion, and all the way to grim realisation.

“Does anypony else want to appeal to my good side?” Chase asked.

Silence reigned.

She looked back at me. “If any of them speak without being spoken to, kill them.”

I nodded. Their eyes turned to me as I extended my ghost blade, and I glared right back at them.

“Now. You three.” She pointed a hoof at three random ponies. “At the same time, who was the first to suggest surrendering to General Pure Tide? At once, answer me in three, two, one.”

“East Winds,” two of them answered, but the third remained silent.

Chase looked towards the third pony, before looking back to me. “Kill him.”

His eyes widened as he opened his mouth to protest but I’d passed through the walls and put my blade in his heart.

“Now,” Chase continued, selecting three different at random. “Tell me, who is East Wind? At the same time...”

“This is barbaric!” Once shouted. “This isn’t justice, this is-”

“Kill him.”

He actually had time to raise his hoof to defend himself before I cut that limb off along with his head.

“Now, just the two of you. Tell me, who among you is East Wind? Point him out in three, two, one.”

Both of them pointed at the same pony.

“Good.” Chase nodded at them before turning to the green unicorn they’d selected. “Councilor East Wind, tell me, why you were the first to suggest surrender to the pegasi?”

He swallowed but remained silent.

Chase eyed him up and down for a moment, before turning and selecting another group of councilors. “You three. Who is East Wind most commonly seen with? Point him out, in three, two, one.”

Two of them pointed at the third, who swallowed nervously.

“And what’s your name?”

“...Trade Wind.”

“Alright, Trade Wind, East Wind.” Chase glanced between the two of them. “Tell me why you were both so eager to surrender to the Celestians.”

They both babbled at the same time. East Wind said, “We did it to spare the city,” while Trade Wind said, “I didn’t suggest surrendering!”

They both fell silent and glanced at each other nervously.

“Well, your stories don’t match up.” Chase smiled. “Which means one or both of you is lying.” She turned to face the other councilors, who were mostly at this point looking very scared. “No competent politician would want to be the one who first suggested surrender, which means the two of you work for someone else. All of you, at the same time, point to me the pony who you suspect they work for. In three, two, one.”

Most hooves pointed towards High Correction, who sighed and bowed his head.

“I suspected as much.” Chase sighed, walking towards him. Tell me, High Councilor Course Correction, is your eldest son General Long Knife, in command of the eighth legion at the Breach?”

He remained silent.

“Was it your son who allowed those pegasi to make it so far behind our lines?”

Again, he didn’t say anything.

“How far in advance did you know of the Celestian plan?” Chase tilted her head.

“...One month.”

Chase shook her head. “It would take months just to marshal all those pegasi to one place, and there’s no way they’d do that if they didn’t believe the plan would succeed. That means they needed your cooperation for a long time before that. Try again.”

“...Five months.”

Chase nodded slowly, before she took the keys in her mouth and unlocked his cell. The pony he was sharing it with tried to back away, but she lashed out with her ghost blade and he fell to the ground. Course Correction stood there with his head held high, defiantly staring down at Chase thanks to his greater height.

“Because of you-” Chase swallowed, as her voice cracked. “Because of you,” she said more firmly, “Everypony I’ve ever known or loved is dead.” I couldn’t see her face, but I did see the tear that fell to the floor. “Your betrayal has cost me more than you can even begin to imagine.”

He stared at her for second before he stepping forward, throwing a punch straight for her face. She stepped aside easily, making him miss. Moving forward, she slammed her hoof into his face, breaking his nose and making him stumble backwards. Turning around, she bucked him in the chest with both legs, throwing him against the back wall before falling to the ground.

Staring at him for a second, panting heavily, she thought for a second before she turned and walked to her bag. From inside she took some rope and cloth, which she then took back into the cell. He was starting to get back up when she slammed her hoof into the side of his knee, forcing him back to the floor. She tied his hooves together behind his back, before gagging him and dragging him towards the cell door. He kicked and struggled, trying to pull free of his bonds. When he tried to use magic to untie the knots, she simply kicked his horn and broke his concentration.

Then she positioned him, still kicking and making muffled screaming sounds through his gag, so his horn was in the doorway to his cell. His eyes went to where he was positioned, and they widened for just a second before Chase slammed the door shut on his horn. The screaming doubled and he struggled all the more to break free, but Chase simply put one hoof on his neck to keep his head still, before slamming the cell door again. A loud crack echoed through the room, leaving his horn with a terrifying chip in it. Even muffled, his pained screaming was starting to get too loud as Chase slammed the door again, sending a long hard crack up the shaft of his horn. Then Chase slammed the door one last time, and it broke away completely.

His eyes rolled up into the back of his head, and he slumped unconscious while Chase trembled and fell to her knees. A loud sob came out of her throat, and echoed through the dungeon while she drew in a long shuddering breath.

“Chase?” I glanced at the body before stepping forward and putting a hood on her shoulder.

She fell against me, sobbing into my chest. The councilors watched in horror and terror as I hugged her and patted her back.

“It didn’t help,” she whimpered and looked up at me. “It didn’t help at all.”

I swallowed and fell to my haunches next to her. Her eyes filled up with tears, and she buried her face in my shoulder. Sobs racked her body as her tears stained my coat. It was a few minutes later that Chase sat back and wiped the water from her eyes.

Sniffling, she looked at the rest of the council members and said, “By any measure you should all be killed...” “Surrendering so easily was a betrayal to your rightful goddess, and to the ponies that look to you for guidance...” She climbed back to her hooves and stared at them. “But a great cruelty was inflicted upon my kind, a massacre done in the name of ‘justice’... Because of what we’ve already been victim to, I won’t condemn you without proper trial. When Luna returns, and she will return, we will settle the matter of your guilt, but for now...” She trailed off, looking at me and tilting her head towards the exit. “Let’s go.”

I looked back at the councilors, who were staring at us in fear and relief. Breathing in, I stepped past Chase and stood before them. “Every one of you will die.” I heard a crow caw distantly. “You will be struck down in the name of justice, and your lives will end before their natural times.”

They stared at me for a few seconds, before I turned around to face Chase again. She watched me in confusion and interest, her head tilted to the side in surprise.

All heads turned towards the sound of the dungeon door being opened, and a guard in Celestian uniform poked his head through. At first I wasn’t too worried because I was in disguise, but then I realised Chase wasn’t. He stared for a second, until his eyes lit up with fear and he disappeared from sight.

“Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaade!” His voice echoed down the corridor along with his hoof steps.

Immediately I galloped after him. Chase shouted for me to wait, but I was already through the door and racing down the hall after him. He had a good lead on me, and I wasn’t willing to fly indoors with the corridors this low. His running was fast enough that, though I was catching up, I was still a ways off.

“Fades in the palace! Fades in the palace!” I heard him shouting.

He rounded a corner, and I reached out to feel his shadow to keep tracking him. I felt his shadow moving towards the left, towards a larger mass of dark that was deep enough to walk out of. I dove through a door to the right, throwing myself under a desk and through the shade there, only to come out of the dark just as he passed. My ghost blade extended, I slashed as I emerged, and he ran for a few more steps before stumbling to the ground, headless.

I turned around and found myself staring at two very shocked-looking guards. I was the first to recover. I was rushing towards them when the one holding a lantern threw it at the ground before me. Burning oil spread everywhere, and I came to a halt, backing up a step from his shield of flames. The smoke made my eyes sting, and I coughed on the fumes from the oil.

“Get some more light!” The one who’d done that shouted. “Kill the shadows, stop it escaping!”

With a growl of annoyance, I turned and galloped towards the mass of shadows I’d used before, only to discover another guard had set the curtains on fire, halting my escape.

Snarling in frustration, I ran towards the guard as he raised his spear. Sliding under the haft, I extended the ghost blade to take his forelegs off where the joints in his armour overlapped before galloping past him and down the corridor. I galloped away from the screaming, before I remembered I was still in disguise and slowed down to what I hoped was a panicked trot.

My caution was rewarded when the swarm of guards that piled down the corridor towards the source of noise went straight past me without a second glance.

Chase was still in the dungeon! If they went down there with lights and torches she’d be trapped! Panic rose in my chest, and I immediately turned back around to charge after them, but slid to a halt when I thought about it.

The guard who’d initially spotted us was already dead, so, as far as the guards who’d seen me kill him were concerned, I was the only fade- nightkin, I was the only nightkin in the castle. That meant they’d be searching for me, not Chase. I needed to grab their attention, turn their focus to me so she could escape.

Ripping off the servant’s uniform, I slid the circlet off my tail and into my bag before I took out the thick black cloak. With the hood pulled up, I turned around and ran back towards the swarm of guards.

Most of them were in the corridor, talking to the two who’d seen me. The curtains had been put out, but were still smoldering, and the fire from the oil lantern had filled the corridor with dark, black smoke.

Perfect.

The cloak and smoke gave me a terrifying silhouette, and the first guard that spotted me shouted loudly until I shoved my ghost blade into his throat. The other guards caught a fleeting glance before I turned and fled away from the dungeons again.

Behind me I heard someone cry, “After it! Don’t let it escape!”

I saw almost a dozen guards coming towards me from across intersecting corridors, so I took a left turn to avoid them and spread my wings to fly up a set of stairs. When I reached the top, I landed again to avoid the low roof and continued, galloping as fast as I could.

A servant fell to her knees as I ran past her, and as I rounded another corner I heard her say the beginning of a prayer. Some Celestians appeared up ahead, and I took a sharp left into what looked like the guest quarters. Reaching out with my magic, I felt enough deep shadows around for me to shadow walk between the rooms easily enough. I turned into a bedroom to my right, and a mare screamed as she saw me. Ignoring her, I ran for her bed before falling and sliding into the shadows underneath it. I followed the Immaterial through a wall to the right, bursting out of a closet with my ghost blade alight.

Thankfully the room was empty, and I quickly yanked the black cloak off before stuffing it in my bags. With the circlet back over my head, I walked out of the room at what looked like a panicked trot. Hopefully, the pegasi would be searching for a nightkin in a black cloak, not a normal white-and-blonde pegasus with... a... Celestia’s sun cutie mark... a very recognisable cutie mark that only one pony in all the world has...

I swallowed, hoping that none that I encountered would examine me too closely, searching first for leathery wings and grey fur.

Thankfully, the guards I saw were in a rush, giving me a cursory glance before moving on. Following my highly disoriented sense of direction, I tried to find my way back to the stairs and down to the first floor of the castle.

Using the praying servant as a landmark, I found my way there, though I had to step aside for two squads of rushing soldiers. I could feel the blood rushing through my veins and my heart slamming again and again inside my chest. I tried my best to look unsuspicious, and thankfully I was successful, arriving at the stairs without anypony trying to stop me.

At the bottom of the steps, I paused, glancing left and right. I chewed my lip, trying to decide whether I should try to find Chase or make my own way out and trust her to take care of herself. If we were both searching through the palace for each other, chances are we’d miss each other and further the risk of being killed by spending more time here. The logical option was for us both to leave, and try to meet up at a location we’d be likely to return to.

As I walked at a steady trot, I noticed guards all swarming up the stairs with cries of, “Don’t let it fly out!” Only one of them seemed to give me a second glance, but he was dragged off by his friends before he could stop to question me.

Eventually the halls cleared a bit more, and as I passed through I noticed a few different guards setting up checkpoints, trying to establish a more organised search. I avoided them where I could, and because of that I was soon lost in a seemingly endless sequence of corridors and rooms. There wasn’t a map anywhere, and stopping to ask for directions was a bad idea for many reasons, especially because I doubted my ability to utter words to another pony without raising suspicion.

Rounding a corridor, I found myself at a dead end. I guessed I must have been at the outer edge of the palace. Frowning, I turned around and started to walk back the way I came.

I only made it a few steps before an earth pony stepped into the corridor and spotted me. At first I was ready to dismiss him and keep walking, but then something orange flared around his neck. It took me a moment to recognise the thing as an Element of Harmony, like the one in Chase’s bag, except this one was orange and in the shape of a shield.

I swallowed and came to a halt, paying more careful attention to the earth pony. He started to walk towards me, the gem around his neck glowing brighter as he did. This stallion was huge, taller than any pony I’d ever met. I could see horseshoes shining on the bottom of his hooves, and with every step he took, muscles rippled and shifted all across his body. Dimly, I noted that I did not want to get punched by him.

He stopped just a few paces short, looking me up and down before his eyes settled on the circlet on my head. His eyes narrowed as he stared at it, and he growled one word. “Lie...”

The gem around his neck flashed brightly, and I started in surprise as the weight on my head just seemed to slide off. There was a brief crackling sound, and salt trickled down into my eyes and mane. I shook it off my head, and instead of the copper circlet, salt grains fell to the ground around me.

What kind of an earth pony can turn metal into salt?!

Eyes widening in shock, I took a step back and looked up at the earth pony as a heavy weight formed in my stomach. There was a tingling sensation across my skin as the illusion was broken, and I reverted to my nightkin state.

This massive brown stallion took a step forward, and the stones underneath his hooves cracked. Dark blue eyes glared at me. Within them I saw hatred and anger running deep enough to make the world burn five times over, all of it directed at me. I swallowed and took a step back.

We stood there in silence for a moment, and I realised he was trembling with barely restrained anger. He took another step forward, and a spiderweb of cracks formed around his hoof.

Pyra, the Bearer of Loyalty had been unnaturally fast, and I suspected that whoever this pony was, Bearer of... whichever element, was hideously strong.

My eyes flicked over him one last time, before I turned and ran. Behind me I heard loud, heavy hoofsteps as he chased after me. I rounded the corner and my eyes widened as I remembered the dead end. Cursing, I looked around the room for a source of shadows but found none. The only decoration here was a large painting at the end of the corridor.

I backed up to the wall as the stallion came around the corner, and when he saw me, he didn’t stop. He ran straight at me. With his weight and momentum, he’d easily break something if he hit me. Flowing around his charge, and lashing out with my ghost blade as I did, I felt the strike bounce off a steel horseshoe. When he hit the wall, stone shattered, and the painting fell to the floor. Turning around, he glared at me before advancing more slowly, more cautiously.

Oh sweet Luna, he’d just run straight into a wall like it was nothing.

Wordlessly, I backed away, my hoofsteps matching his, ready for his attack. I saw the first strike and easily moved away from it, as well as the follow-up he made. Powerful stomps and kicks, aggressive jumps forward that forced me to keep flowing backwards step by step. If I turned my back for a second, he’d shatter me.

So in silence we danced back the way we’d come. I moved carefully, flowing and dancing, shifting like water, waiting for him to make the first mistake. That opportunity soon came when he kicked too early with his right hoof, and instinctively I moved in to exploit.

The green blade on my forehoof ignited, and I stepped forward through his guard, swinging towards his head. The impact shuddered up my arm, as the blade smashed into something hard. My eyes flicked to the right, and widened in shock as I saw what had blocked the attack.

His bare hoof. Not his steel shoes, but the leg itself.

Then the world exploded. Everything suddenly lurched in the wrong direction as I was thrown backwards. My stomach flipped as I slammed into the floor and the air was forced out of my lungs. My head was ringing, and when I tried to stand again I stumbled back down.

The edges of my vision dimmed as unconsciousness threatened to take over. When I touched a hoof to my forehead, it came away bloody. The pain was unbelievable. It didn’t take me long to diagnose the problem. Either I had a concussion, or my skull was fractured.

Groaning, I tried to stand again when a sharp weight pressed down on spine, forcing me to the ground.

“Do you know the nightkin that killed Pyra?” a deep, angry voice growled in my ear.

I tried to stand again, extending the ghost blade, but the weight on my back kicked my leg. With a sharp snap, I felt the bone bend in a way it wasn’t supposed to, and I screamed. The pain was like a jolt to my system, waking me up and bringing to me every hideous sensation as I rolled over with my wings and clutched the limb to my chest.

Bile welled in my stomach as I stared at the limb. Oh goddess, my bones were supposed to be straight! The stallion kicked my hurt limb, and I screamed like a foal.

“Stop, stop! Please-” I shrieked again as he pinned my unwounded leg to the ground with one hoof. “No! Don’t, please-”

His hoof came down again, but mercifully not on my leg. Rather, it crushed the metallic ghost blade strapped there. He stomped it, again and again until it was nothing but a flat piece of metal. At first I was relieved, but then I remembered that was the Green! My Green! The only thing I had from Luna, and he had destroyed it.

Blood fell from a shallow cut in his leg, and I realised that was all the damage the ghost blade had inflicted on him. One measly scratch.

“Do you know the nightkin that killed Pyra?!” he screamed down at me.

“NO!” I shrieked up at him.

“Lie.” He growled, and his gem flashed orange again. “Where are they?!”

“I don’t know!” I sobbed.

That cursed gem flashed again and he hissed, “Lie,” before stamping on my wing.

I screamed as bones cracked, and screaming, sobbing, shudders wracked my body.

“Are they in the palace?!”

“No!”

“Lie.”

He ground his hoof atop my broken wing bones. Spasms of pain made me twitch and shift, trying to crawl out from under him before I fell limp again, drawing in deep shuddering breaths.

“What are you doing here?!” He roared in my face.

“To talk to the council,” I whimpered. “We came to talk to the council!”

His gem didn’t flash. “Truth...” And I was swamped with relief, until he mashed his hoof in my wing anyway.

I writhed in agony as he shouted, “How many are with you?”

“Five!”

“Lie.”

Screaming.

“What’s their name?”

“Stygus!”

“Lie.”

More screaming.

“What’s their name?”

“Slight!”

“Truth.”

This time I didn’t scream.

“Who are they?”

I choked out a sob. “Second of her year, bearer of The Green.”

“True. Do you know where she is?”

I didn’t answer.

“I said, do you know where she is?!”

When I didn’t respond, he rolled me on top of my broken leg and I shrieked again. But he didn’t stop there. His teeth closed on my ear, and my eyes widened with horror as he began to pull. The strain and tension grew harder and sharper, and the muscle that connected the ear to my head screamed in protest. Or was that me screaming?

Then the flesh started to give away. With a slow, awful, fleshy ripping sound, the larger part of my ear was torn off. Blood flowed into my ear canal, and I shrieked and clutched at the wound with my good hoof.

He spat out my bloody flesh, before asking, “Do you know where she is?”

Whimpering I nodded.

“Where is she?!”

Tears formed in my eyes and tried to crawl away. His teeth closed around my ankle and began to drag me back towards him. “N-no! No! Stop.”

I clenched my eyes shut in preparation of pain, but when none was forthcoming, I opened my eyes to find him right above my face.

“Where is the mare that killed Pyra?” He growled.

“H-here.”

“Truth. Where here?” He growled.

Tears formed in my eyes, and I opened my mouth to answer.

“GET OFF OF HER!” A ghost blade was shoved straight into the stallion’s face, and he stumbled off of me, yelping in annoyance.

I rolled back onto my belly and rose on three good hooves. Limping away from him, I glanced over my shoulder to see Chase fighting the monstrous Bearer of Harmony. She didn’t make the same mistakes I had, keeping her blade extended for the entire fight and using it to scratch him and force him to stay away. No matter what sort of blow she landed, it failed to do more than leave a gash, but it was enough to force him back, stop him from closing the distance and pulverizing her with a punch.

Chase moved like a mare possessed, faster than him and fighting smarter, too. Tripping him with his own shadows, darting in and out so quickly it made his movements seem slow and sloppy. Her shadow magic was her main edge, aiding everything she did and hampering all that he tried. He suddenly lost friction, and his hooves slid out from under him as he reared up. The moment he fell, she aimed for his neck, but he protected it with his forelegs. He tried to stand up, but his own shadow wrapped around his ankles and sent him sprawling chin-first to the floor.

Growling in anger, he rolled away from her and back to his hooves, but not without receiving long bloody gashes all across his back for his mistake.

“You!” He snarled, moving forward carefully as Chase backed away. “You killed her!”

Chase didn’t answer, circling away cautiously.

Snarling in rage, he dove forwards, and suddenly Chase’s shadows turned glassy under her hooves. Holding her ghost blade in front of her, she let him charge onto it, and at the same time slid harmlessly backwards without any friction. He slid on the glassy trail she made, and she easily jumped over his head as he went flying under her. Rolling to his hooves, he looked across at me then back at Chase, a sickening smirk on his lips.

Her eyes widened, and she shouted, “No!”

I yelped and tried to leap backwards as he charged towards me, but fell on my broken wing and shrieked again.

Chase moved faster than he did, barreling towards the beast as he charged, but it wasn’t fast enough. A sickening pit formed in my stomach as I watched him get closer to me. Then a shadow from his own hoofstep wrapped around his ankle, and he stumbled, staying up but slowing enough for Chase to catch up. Her ghost blade dug into his hind leg, and he kicked, striking the weapon. The ghost blade jerked upwards, and Chase’s momentum carried her into the stallion. They were both sent them both tumbling to the floor, but Chase flipped with her wing, landing on her hooves.

My eyes met hers before they noticed the stallion’s teeth clamp around Chase’s tail. I saw her eyes widen in horror as the stallion flicked his neck and tossed her into the floor with a roll. Bones cracked, and Chase bounced once before he stood up, twisting and throwing her into a wall. Another utterly horrible cracking sound, and she slid to the floor, limp.

I stared in horror, as the stallion rose to his hooves and turned to face her. Her wings fluttered uselessly, and red bubbles came from her mouth as the monster slowly stalked towards her. She turned her head to stare up at him as he raised a hoof over her chest and prepared to stomp her life out with that hideous strength.

“I killed Pyra!” I shouted.

He froze, and slowly his head turned to me. “Truth.”

“I killed Pyra.” I said again and swallowed, looking at Chase. “She had nothing to do with it.”

“...Truth.”

“I stabbed her. With my ghost blade. When she let her guard down. In the heart.”

The raised hoof trembled as he stared at me. “Truth...”

We stood like that for a moment, him trembling with anger and me with fear. His eyes were locked onto mine, turbulent, swirling blue storms of rage and hatred.

Then he put his hoof back down and walked a step towards me. Relief washed over me as he moved away from Chase.

Then his hind leg lashed out and struck Chase in the chest.

“NO!” I shrieked as she was sent flying with a wet crack.

The stones under his hooves cracked with each step as he approached, and I barely managed to stagger to my hooves. I backed away, limping and looking past him at Chase’s still form. Fear gripped me, more for her sake than mine. I wanted nothing more desperately than to rush to her side. Instead, I was forced to back away, step by step.

My eyes turned away from him, looking over my shoulder for something to use, but I knew there was nothing. Not on a limp like this, not without any shadows. All I saw behind me was a mare carrying a lantern. Dimly, I recognised her as the servant who prayed as I passed. Her eyes brimmed with tears of despair.

I looked back towards the beast as it slowly moved towards me, my legs quivering and tears filling my eyes.

No. Oh sweet Luna, no. Please no. Not Chase. Not me. Not like this.

Then there was a scream, and the mare threw herself at him. He barely broke stride, just headed-butted her in the face and stomped her into the ground with a sickening crunch. I felt myself trembling as my hind leg bumped the hot lantern she’d been carrying.

Adrenaline flooded me, and I snatched it up clumsily in my teeth. The handle tasted of grease and dust as I threw it straight at the stallion. He dodged, but it shattered on the ground next to him and he was sprayed with burning oil. Bellowing in pain and rage, he fell to the floor, rolling and trying to put out fires in his coat.

I scrambled past him as fast as I could on three limbs and limped towards Chase. My teeth closed around her mane, I desperately dragged her down the hallway and towards the dead end. My eyes went up as I rounded the corner, and I saw the monster rise to its hooves, its coat still smoldering.

The only light source was a torch on the wall, just out of my reach. Whimpering, I rose to my hind hooves and reared up to grab it. With a desperate lunge, I jumped. I pumped my wings, both good and bad, and just managed to hit it with my hoof.

It fell out of its sconce, and I fell to the ground on top of my bad wing. The torch slid to a stop right next to me, and I grabbed it. Scrambling back up on three hooves, I threw it around the corner just as the beast came into view. The corridor was plunged into darkness, and the beast bellowed as it realised we were about to escape. I dove towards Chase, and wrapped my hooves around her just as teeth closed around my tail.

We both melted into the Immaterial, and the brief pluck at the hairs on my tail faded. If I had eyes, they would have widened in panic as I realised there were no shadows within reach. The closest one was almost thirty metres away, much too far. But the only options were to return to the beast, or try to reach it.

I dragged Chase’s essence with me into the seething mass of dark, the cold blackness burning me and threatening to consume me as we lingered longer and longer. I felt pieces of Chase fragment and slide away, only for me to desperately pull them back together as I continued to forge forwards. Finally, after an eternity of panic and numbness and pain, we emerged from the shadows.

This all took less than a second.

When I emerged into the real world, gripping Chase with me, my eyes bugged as I was hit with a numbness that threatened to steal my breath. In my hooves, I felt Chase shift in shock too, and I realised we were both underwater. The shadow I’d felt had been cast by moonlight on a pond’s surface.

My legs dug into the mud as I desperately pulled both of us out of the deep and into the shallows where we could stand. Coughing and spluttering, with black smoke leaking from my mouth and nose, I dragged Chase almost to the shore before I collapsed.

My stomach convulsed, and thick, dark sludge crawled out my throat as I vomited up the feedback. The black slop hissed, evaporating into black smoke. My stomach felt numb, as did my throat and mouth as I shuddered in as much air as I could.

Salty droplets filled my eyes, and I released a sob as I clutched my mangled foreleg to my chest.

No. I didn’t have time for pain, not with Chase hurt like this. We need to move, we needed to go right now.

My unharmed leg wrapped under her armpit and I tried to drag her out of the water, but tripped and fell onto my broken wing again. I shouted in pain, and scrambled up again before turning to Chase.

She was lying in the water, bloody, shadowy sludge bubbling from her lips as she tried to breathe. No! No, that wasn’t blood, that was... something else! It had to be. You only bled like that when you were badly hurt, and...

I sobbed.

She couldn’t be hurt. She was Chase, and... She just couldn’t be!

I fell to me knees beside her and cradled her head with my good leg.

“Chase?” I shook her gently. “Come on, get up.” Swallowing, I tried to form more words, but at the sight of her hopeless gaze, I sobbed again. “We need to go.”

Her throat moved, I saw her trying to form words, but she only spat out the black and the red that couldn’t be blood.

“This isn’t funny.” I wiped the mixture from her lips. “We need to... we need to...” Words weren’t coming, no matter how hard I tried to force them past my sobs. After a moment I managed to choke out, “Please!”

She swallowed a mouthful of... of... blood. Her throat cleared for a moment, she whispered, “Song... run.”

“No, we both need to get out of-”

“Please...” She said over me, barely louder than murmur. Again Chase swallowed, and stared into my eyes. “Please... live.”

“No-no-no! We need to go now!” I shook her. “Come one we need to-”

Her body went slack in my grip, and her chest stopped rising and falling. Blood leaked from her mouth, dripping into the water and clouding it with her life essence. Her pupils dilated, growing like voids in the center of her eyes, consuming the light and fire inside of her soul. The eyes are the windows to the soul, and as I gazed into hers I watched one leave this world.

“...”

I stared at... at... No... That wasn’t... This....

“Chase?” My voice cracked. “Chase, please... No... I... Please... no.”

A single droplet fell onto her brow, rolling down her face and mingling with the blood on her lips. Then another landed in her mane, and a third landed on the back of my neck. In seconds, rain poured down around us, large heavy droplets of water that made the pool around us shimmer and spit.

My voice caught in my throat as I tried to say something. I couldn’t hear over the sound of the rain. I shook her again, begging her to stand up and come with me. To move, just to hold me. To look at me. To just... just breathe... To do anything...

She remained still.

I sobbed and clutched her against me, holding her close. Already the warmth was fading from her body, any trace of life in her just... leaving...

I screamed. In horror. In pain, in fear.

In anger.

When my lungs emptied and I coughed on the rain sliding down my throat, I just filled them again and screamed once more.

Her mane was plastered against her forehead as I held her, rocking back and forth and shouting unintelligibly but with clear meaning.

I collapsed forward, hunched over her as I cried into her shoulder. The pain in my foreleg was petty, irrelevant; meaningless next to every other sensation I was feeling.

“Song... run.”

She was right. Oh, by Luna’s Grace, she was right! I didn’t have time to grieve. Or to bury her, or burn her, or...

“It’s not fair!” I sobbed as I shouted it. “Why you? Why?”

“Please... live.”

She didn’t deserve this... With fumbling hooves, I unbuckled her saddlebags, and I failed to hold down a scream as I touched my broken wing, slinging them over my back.

She was beautiful, even in death. Her face soft and kind, the corners of her lips still looking like they were about to twitch up into a smile. For a moment I tried to pretend they would.

Another sob, this time while dragging the sodden cloak from her saddlebags and pulling it over my head, ignoring the pain in my crippled limbs.

Was she dead? Was she really dead? Could she please... please... Luna, Celestia, any god that’s listening please just make her stand up!

“Please...”

Chase didn’t move and she never would.

I couldn’t leave her, but I had to. There wasn’t any other choice, but... oh sweet grace, why did I have to make it?!

“Why?”

I took the time to hug her once more and kiss her on the forehead. I bumped the ghost blade on her hoof, and I hesitated before unstrapping that from her, too. I ignited it, the long green extending in front of me. Just seeing her name on the blade sent a lance of pain into my chest.

Looking back to her, I whimpered, “I love you...”

I’d been here too long already. Any second now, Celestians would swarm through and slaughter me in my grief. With my ear, wing, and leg in the condition they were, I was in no state to fight them.

But still, I hesitated to leave her here. She was Chase... I couldn’t just leave her... she deserved... more... everything... She deserved...

My life... not to be thrown away, but to be lived for her sake.

I sobbed again, stumbling and barely catching myself. “I’m sorry. Chase, I’m so sorry.”

Limping, sobbing and choking, I stepped out of the water and into the rain. Mud squelched around my ankles as I shivered from the cold and tried to figure out where I was. In the gardens of the Council of Hoofens, but which way to the gates?

Everything seemed to haze out. The sound of pouring rain was slowly replaced with a muffled ringing. The pain in my limbs faded to numbness, and my vision narrowed to... to... something.

I don’t know how long I limped like that. Time ceased to have meaning. I remembered seeing steel, feeling new pain, fighting... surviving... blood trickling down my hooves, mingling with the mud, leaving the garden, walking the streets of Hoofens...

Something... something more...

A cry of, “Oh sweet Luna!” then a pony putting themselves under my good wing, helping me walk. I was moved to a... something that rolled... somepony said to cover me up, keep me warm...

Then, nothing.

Blackness and void, everything cleared from my mind, except one face, one voice... one mare...

“Chase...” I reached for her, but even her form was driven out of my mind by the inky dark of unconsciousness.