Pony Age: Origins

By OmegaPony11

Chapter 1 - The Harrowing

 

 

“And thus the light of Celestia has darkened,

With each trot you take in My hall,

Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting,

You have brought Sin to Canterlot

And Doom upon all the world.”

-Canticle of Coltenides, 8:13

The Chantry teaches us that it is the hubris of ponies that brought the Ponyspawn into our world. The Unicorns of the ancient Imperium had sought to usurp the seat of Celestia, Canterlot, but instead they destroyed it with their greed and hatred. They were cast from Canterlot, blackened by their own dark desires, just as they blackened the golden city itself into the hellish Black Canter. The unicorns of the Imperium returned as monsters, the first of the Ponyspawn, and quickly became an unstoppable scourge across the land.

The Donkey Kingdoms were the first to fall, and from the Dark Tunnels the Ponyspawn waged bloody war against the ponies  again and again, until we were near obliteration.

Until the Grey Wardens came. Mares and Stallions from the earth pony, pegasi, unicorns and donkey kingdoms banded together formed the Grey Wardens, sacrificed everything to hold back the evil tide… and prevailed against the darkness. For four Blights, did the Grey Wardens wage war against the ponyspawn, and for many years after those invasions did we stand ever vigilant against the rising tide of darkness.

It has been four hundred years since we have claimed victory, and kept sentry against the Ponyspawn. We have waited for the return of the evil tide, but those who celebrated our names have forgotten the sacrifice of the Wardens. We are few now, and our dire warnings to armies, peoples and kings have gone unheeded. The ponyspawn are returning under the shadow of despair.

For it is too late. I have seen the darkness in the skies. May Celestia’s light protect us all.

On the cliff overlooking Lake Darkwater stands the Unicorn Tower, the first and greatest defense against untrained magic. This is the only place in Equestria where the unicorns may study and practice their craft in safety from themselves and those who would persecute them. The Tower is a jail as much as it is a refuge, as the unicorns are always under the careful watch of their guardians and judicators, the earth pony Templar Order.

This is the only home Twilight Sparkle has ever known. Found to be sensitive and powerful to magic as a young filly, she has lived in the Tower as an apprentice all her life. Yet her apprenticeship nears its end, with her final challenge: The Harrowing.

Inside the Harrowing Chamber, the templar commander, Hornsheild, looked on as Twilight Sparkle was brought before him and First Enchanter Wise Eyes. Alongside Twilight was her young ward and infant dragon Spike, the result of a magical test of her abilities on a dragon egg. The violet pony appeared strong before the templars and her master of magic, dressed in her finest mage robes all clean and proper, but beneath her strong expression her nerves were wracked as she looked around the assembled unicorns and templars.

All her life she had studied magic and to be a safe and responsible unicorn, but all that could come crashing down if she failed the Harrowing. Success in this test was the only option, as no one failed the Harrowing and returned to tell the tale. Just as Twilight had studied extensively on the arcane, so too did the templar overseers constantly remind her of the dangers of magic, how it acted like a beacon to the denizens of the Fade.

The Fade. The very source of magic and dreams. Once thought to be the home of Celestia and Luna themselves and their benevolent spirits who watched over all pony kind, it was now well known to be the hunting ground of terrible demons as well as horrifying nightmares. All unicorns ventured into the Fade when they slept, regardless of magical ability, and while Twilight's experience in the realm of dreams was brief, knowing that she was going into the Fade in a much more direct manner did not help her nerves settle.

“I don’t know if I’m ready Spike,” Twilight said softly to the baby dragon, “All my studies on the Fade, on demons, I don’t know if I’m going to make it through this.”

“Well it’s not like those templar bullies are going to let you back down now,” Spike said, “Just remember not to let those demons get under your skin. Literally, if all those dusty books you read are right.”

Twilight swallowed before stepping forward as the grey and grizzled stallions eyed her cautiously. The templar commander was a stern yet fair pony, simply doing his duty to protect the unicorns from themselves as well as the rest of Equestria. Wise Eyes kept true to his name, teaching the young unicorns how to practice their magic in useful and safe ways. Hornshield’s cutie mark, a templar shield with an of the sun, and Wise Eyes', an eye in the centre of a book, shined in the torchlight as they watched the apprentice unicorn.

Hornshiled nodded to Wise Eyes before beginning. “'Magic exists to serve ponies and never to rule over them. Thus spoke the sister of Celestia, Luna, as she struck down the Magister Lords of the Unicorn Imperium'. Twilight Sparkle, your ability with magic is a grand gift, to be celebrated by those in Unicorn Tower. It is also a heavy burden, to be kept under the watchful eye of the templar. This is necessary as demons from the realm of dreams, the Fade, will attempt to claim your body and mind to enter our world.”

“This is the purpose of the Harrowing,” First Enchanter Wise Eyes continued, his long grey mane slightly swaying against his robes, “To determine if you have the will to resist the demons of the Fade. All unicorns are susceptible to the monstrosities beyond the Veil of our world and the dream world, and the Harrowing is to challenge your magical aptitude and personal courage in the face of terror. You will surely encounter such a beast in the Harrowing, but I am certain that you succeed, Twilight Sparkle. I have my utmost faith in you.”

“Of course!” Spike piped in, “She is the most gifted and talented Unicorn in the Tower. She’ll get through this Harrowing no sweat! What could possibly go wrong?”

“Much, young dragon,” Hornshield said, “Are you prepared to undergo the Harrowing, Twilight Sparkle? Know that if you fail, the templars… I will perform my duty, as we swore to the Chantry. You will die.”

Twilight swallowed again, but saw a sad yet iron gaze in Hornshield’s eyes. He had seen many failures, no doubt, and prayed to Celestia that Twilight would not join them. “I’m ready,” she answered, looking towards the centre of the chamber, “Let’s go.”

Spike was told to stay back by the other templars as Twilight, Wise Eyes and the templar commander moved toward the centre of the room. “This is lyrium,” Hornsheild explained, “The very essence of magic. Once you have touched the lyrium with your horn, you will be in the Fade and the Harrowing will begin.”

Twilight was very familiar with lyrium and most of what the strange substance was capable of. There were still many mysteries surrounding the essence of magic, such as how it came to be and why it had to be mined by donkeys in the Dark Tunnels, but its uses were well into the hundreds. Unicorns used lyrium as it gave them a "boost" to the potency of their magic, and it was the necessary component for enchanting magical spells to items and weapons. It was a rare substance and heavily controlled by the Chantry. Twilight could still remember the dirty looks templars would give any unicorn that passed by the storage rooms where the Tower's lyrium reserves were held.

“Keep your wit sharp inside the Fade, young filly,” Wise Eyes said, “Every unicorn must undergo this test. Remember your studies, that the Fade is a dream world. What you see may frighten you, but the strength of your mind and soul will protect you.”

Twilight Sparkle nodded. “I will not fail you, First Enchanter, Templar Commander.” She gave one last look to Spike for support before continuing to the lyrium. Spike gave Twilight a thumbs-up, showing the unicorn one last measure of reassurance.

Looking down at the blue shining fluid that swirled in the cup, Twilight called on her magic to lift a stream towards her horn. As the lyrium touched her horn, she felt a surge of energy enter her body as tremendous power surged from her horn into her very bloodstream. Her horn and eyes glowed for a moment, her mouth wide open in a silent scream before all was engulfed in light.

* * *

Twilight awoke to find herself in a dreamscape like no other. Everything around her was a twisted mockery of the real world, just as the books in the Tower's library had said it would be. Like all unicorns, she experienced the strange nature of the Fade in her sleep, but this was the first time she had ever seen the dream world with such clarity and detail. It was bizarre and everything like what she had read in her books and tomes, yet she was still unprepared to actually face the reality of it all. Twilight [laughed despite herself. Reality was subjective here, of all places. She would have to make her trek through this world carefully.

The land itself seemed to shift and change shape on a whim, and various objects such as closets and trees and pots floated harmlessly in the sky, only to disappear in a blink. Nothing was real, and everything was permitted in the Fade, whether simply a facsimile by a dreamer in their bed, or a deadly illusion crafted by a ravenous demon. They were likely watching Twilight now, licking their lips and waiting for the moment to strike.

“No use standing around here,” Twilight muttered to herself, “If only I knew where here was.”

“A lot of hopefuls wonder that whenever they come here,” said a voice from nearby, “And so quickly do they get lost and stuck here, just as I did. It's really quite the pity.”

Twilight let a squeak escape her as she heard the voice, looking around for somepony, anypony. She was supposed to be alone in the Fade, as much as it came to other unicorns. As she looked around, then up, then finally down, all that stood before her was a small flower. She lowered her muzzle towards the flower, only to be knocked back by a flash of light emanating from the plant. The flower glowed bright until it transformed into the image of a green and white-maned unicorn filly, perhaps barely younger than Twilight.

“I hope you finished all your affairs back in the real world,” she said, looking Twilight over and clearly unimpressed by what she saw as she raised an unimpressed eyebrow, “Because you are not getting out of here. The templars and the Chantry have doomed you, just like they did to me when it was my turn in the Harrowing. It’s not fair! We study and train all our lives, only to put ourselves in danger to the Fade by the templars and the Chantry!”

Twilight looked on at the lost filly with pity. “I’m so sorry,” she said sincerely, “Is there anything I can do to help you?”

She shook her head, eyes focused on the ground. “There is nopony to help. My body is likely long gone from the land of the living. I have nowhere to return. You may call me… Flower, if you wish. I have been in that form for so long, it seems fitting. I don’t even remember my real name.”

That sent chills into Twilight’s spine. To be trapped in the Fade for such a long time would have been maddening. How long had it been since Flower had failed the Harrowing? How had she coped with living in the dreamlands of ponies and the nightmares created by the demonic denizens? Was this to be Twilight's fate as well if she could not find a way to escape in time? No, Twilight told herself, I won’t fail like she did. I will get out of the Fade.

“You said you were here for a long time,” Twilight asked, hoping for an answer to the one question that burned within her, “Do you know what I have to do escape the Fade?”

Flower looked at Twilight and narrowed her eyes. There was jealousy in those eyes, Twilight could see that with the way Flower was sizing her up. Yet there was something more, something she could not quite put her hoof on. She would have to be cautious around the trapped unicorn. Perhaps it truly was madness after being stuck in the Fade for Celestia knew how long. “You have to find the demon lord in this realm. Confront the demon and defeat it. I was beaten yet I escaped, but as you can see, that sealed my fate as much as if the demon took over my body. You can seek out other spirits in the Fade, and they might be able to help you. Perhaps you will find success where I did not.”

Twilight looked around the Fade, trying to find a path or a doorway or anything that could lead her out of this small island in the middle of chaos. She spotted a door standing alone near a ridge and approached it with caution. Odd enough for a door to stand by itself with no walls or means of bracing, stranger still that as Twilight looked behind it, there was nothing there to show that the door would lead anywhere. As she held up a hoof to open the door, she could hear Flower’s voice behind her. “Remember that the Fade is a dream world. Your thoughts make things real. But if you are not careful, not prepared, the demons will make the world real for you.”

Taking in a deep breath, Twilight stepped through the door. When she looked again, she found herself now somewhere completely different. Instead of a simple floating island with a crazed pony-flower, she was now in a grand cathedral dedicated to the Alicorn Sisters. Twilight marvelled at the workings around her. Intricate statues of Celestia and Luna adorned the great hall, while beautiful stained glass windows allowed the full spectrum of colour to bathe the area in breathtaking light.

Standing before her was an altar to Luna and Celestia made from the purest alabaster and obsidian. Both goddesses appeared majestic and regal, standing tall and proud as they watched over their altar. On the altar was a ring that resonated with magical energy the likes Twilight had felt from simply being near Wise Eyes' arcane staff. It was made of gold, the light reflecting off the metal like sunlight while a brilliant star ruby sat in the middle, pulsing with power. Twilight had never seen a piece of jewelry as fine as this one, enchanted or not. If she could wear that ring around her horn, Twilight was certain her own abilities would be strengthened tenfold.

She trotted up to the altar and gazed at the beautiful ring with longing. It was so beautiful, so powerful, all Twilight wanted was to place the ring around her horn. As she looked, a feminine voice sang to her from the statues of the goddesses, lyrical and welcoming. “Take the ring, young filly. It will help you escape the Fade much faster; it will help you become a brilliant unicorn. When you escape, the magic of the ring will remain within you, allowing you to have anything you desire.”

“Anything I desire,” the violet unicorn echoed as she looked on at the ring. Her horn began to glow, lifting the ring on high to place it around her horn. With the power of the ring, she could lay claim to all those books locked away in the depths of the tower and guarded by the strongest of the templars. All those rare books would be hers and hers alone!

She shook her head, letting the magic cease and the ring fall back onto the altar. “No,” Twilight said out loud, to tell off the voice in her head and to reaffirm her own position, “All I want is to complete this test. This ring is a shortcut, and I didn’t study all my life just to accept a shortcut here. Thanks but no thanks. I’m just going to continue on my own.”

Silence was Twilight's answer until the voice spoke again, each word spoken with venom and contempt. “Desire does not rule you,” it said, and the altar disappeared in a flash, being replaced by a door similar to the one Twilight used to enter this region of the Fade. The cathedral vanished as well, leaving Twilight alone with a door amidst the dreamscape. With a smile, Twilight walked through the open door towards the next challenge.

Again Twilight found she was in a new area of the Fade, but this place was darkly lit with faint candle lights and a haze in the air that made it difficult to see. She was in a massive bedchamber, the likes Twilight had only heard about from the templars. There was a gigantic ornate bed in the middle of the chamber, made from expertly sculpted mahogany and fitted with the most plush pillows and warm blankets. It made her little bed in the Tower's dormitory look like a joke. On the other side of the room, well past the bed was another door the same as the ones Twilight had passed through to navigate the Fade.

With her goal in sight, Twilight made her way towards the door, though she found each step to be agonizingly slow as fatigue set into her body. As she walked, Twilight’s eyes became heavy and she let out a tired yawn. “Something in the air must be making me… sleepy…” Her hoofsteps grew slower as she continued, but the sight of the door on the other side helped keep her awake. This was likely another test by a demon, one that was increasingly difficult to resist the more steps she took.

“Your body is so weak, young filly,” spoke a new voice, one that sounded as sleepy as Twilight felt, “Do you not want to stop and rest for a moment? Take a load off your hooves and treat yourself to a nice nap. Look, there is even a wonderful bed to rest on, with fluffy pillows and soft blankets. Much better than those hard uncomfortable bunks in the Tower, are they not?”

Twilight looked at the large bed with longing. It did look wonderful to sleep on, and she was very tired. The door was too close to ignore though, and all she had to do was trot a few more steps. As soon as she got near the door moved away, the  walls stretching farther and farther into the distance until the door appeared to be leagues away from her. The bed was still uncomfortably close.

“Come now,” the voice said again, “Go and sleep. You need plenty of rest to make it through the Fade. Just a short nap.”

“No!” Twilight shouted, hoping a surge of energy would be enough to keep her hooves moving, “I did not come here for a nap! I’m going to make it through that door, and your comfy beds won’t stop me.” Despite her fatigue, Twilight urged herself into a gallop, charging towards the door.

The voice spoke again as the door opened, annoyance clear in its tone. “You are not hindered by sloth.” With her head low, Twilight rushed into the door, galloping at full tilt until she saw she was going to crash into a massive table leg. She skidded to a stop, narrowly missing the leg of an enormous table as bright lights illuminated the new room she had entered. Tables filled the bright room, and the aroma of delicious food encompassed her.

Twilight looked around, noticing that the sleepy feeling from the previous room was gone, this time replaced by a resounding hunger. As she got to her hooves, Twilight looked on as she saw that the tables were adorned in mountains of food of all varying types. Fresh fruit and baked sweets as far her eyes could see, the smell of the bounty wafting towards her. She absentmindedly wiped some drool from her lip as her stomach growled in hunger.

“Travelling the Fade must be making you very hungry, young filly,” said a new voice, boisterous and jovial, “Come and sit at the table and feast! Cakes, pies, apples and oranges, all you can ever hope to consume!”

The food did look delicious, and Twilight had never seen such a plentiful bounty even during the feasts for Celestia and Luna. Yet as she looked on at the stockpiles of food stacked high beyond, all imagining, she stopped for a moment. Hunger was never a problem in the Tower, and while the food lacked taste, there was always plenty of it. Something as simple as hunger could be ignored in the Fade, where the food had no tangibility.

“Thank you for your offer,” she said, bowing her head, “But I am not hungry. I still have to make my way through the Fade, but I'll be fine for a little while longer.”

“Muffins and cupcakes, savoury juices and nectars! Eat my friend, eat and be merry! The Fade is not going anywhere! Just one bite, I beseech you!”

Twilight kept her head low, eyes closed as she ignored the hunger pangs in her stomach. This is just like what you read about the Fade, she told herself, Flower was wrong. I didn’t have to face one demon, but three: Desire, Sloth, and now Hunger. The books spoke of two more, Rage and Pride. I just have to resist a little while longer.

Demons of the Fade had their own hierarchy, with a strange dichotomy of how they could enter the real world. Rage and Hunger demons were the weakest, yet the demons that had the easiest time breaching the Veil and crossing over. Sloth and Desire demons had a more difficult time manifesting, and needed strong unicorns to possess. Pride Demons were the strongest of them all, and needed only the mightiest mages to become real.

The demons of all kinds were the predators of the Fade, and the chief reason all unicorns were taught combative magic such as arcane blasts and powerful shields. While Twilight was always a capable student, combat magic always left a bad taste in her mouth. It was lethal magic, the kind the Chantry and her instructors always warned her about. Yet as she stood in the Fade and confronted by demons and their trickery, she was beginning to realize more and more why she needed to know a grand assortment of techniques of dealing with demons. For now, as long as no demon materialized, she did not need to engage in battle.

The food and the tables vanished as the demon snarled in the back of her mind. “You are not driven by hunger,” said the demon. When Twilight opened her eyes, she expected another door to appear and take her to the next test. She let out a sharp gasp as instead of a door like before, the entire area was filled with fire. Twilight moved away from the flames only to be blasted by the heat. Flames roared all around her, and escape was impossible. Horn glowing with magic, Twilight raised a shield to protect herself.

Twilight turned to look for a way out of the flames, stepping away from the fires as they burned closer to her. The heat was beginning to make her sweat until her attention was pulled away by a piercing cry. “Help!” shouted a familiar voice, “Twilight! Help me, please!”

“Spike!” Twilight looked around for a path to follow Spike’s voice past the relentless fire, fuelled seemingly from the Fade itself. That's it! She remembered the words of Wise Eyes, that everything in the Fade is based on thought, on dreams. She just needed to keep calm and twist the Fade into her own image, against the will of demons. I just need to think and…

Twilight concentrated her thoughts on quenching the fire, to push the fire back and give her a path towards Spike. The flames relented revealing a path through the Fade. She galloped hard through the burning landscape until she came upon Spike who was burnt, battered, and barely breathing. Standing over him was what could only be described as fire given true shape, a large blob of molten liquid with hateful eyes and long arms. The rage demon stared at Twilight a moment before hissing and roaring, flaring for a moment in a hope to intimidate her.

“Leave Spike alone!” shouted Twilight as she lowered onto her front hooves, horn raised and surging with power. The demon laughed as it slammed one burning hand onto the baby dragon.

“Your friend will die here, young filly!” the demon roared, “Unless you plan to stop me! Come at me with all your anger, or watch as I reduce this infant to cinders!”

Spike screamed as the demon continued to pound him with his burning hands. “Please Twilight, help me!”

Twilight moved to attack, but the flames around the demon surged forward to block her. “You foal!” the demon laughed, “You will not save your friend from my fire, and soon I will come for you! Attack me with all your hatred, all your fury! Give in to frenzy, or I will kill him! Slowly! Painfully!”

Spike’s screams echoed in her skull as she watched. She wanted to get near, to simply bash her way to the rage demon until it was nothing. Frustration built up in Twilight as she paced the outside of the fiery barrier. Spike was a little brother to her, thanks to her magic playing the key role in hatching him from the egg that not even the First Enchanter's spells could coax open. If that demon hurt a single scale...

It was then that Twilight realized that for the Harrowing test, Spike would not be allowed to go near the lyrium in the chamber. The test was supposed to be taken by the unicorn alone, and as headstrong as the dragon was, he would not do anything to endanger his friend especially during this final test.

“That is not Spike,” Twilight said, pointing a hoof at the rage demon, “He couldn’t come here into the Fade. He would never have been able to touch the lyrium! Nice try. You demons think you so diabolically devious, but you’re nothing but devilish dunces!”

The being sharing Spike’s appearance began to melt away into a pool of lava, until much to Twilight’s surprise formed another rage demon. The two roared in unison as they surged towards her with destructive intent. She balked at the prospect of actually fighting these demons, yet they were leaving little choice in the matter. They would kill her if she was not quick with a powerful attack of her own.

With a spell in her mind and magic twisting in her horn, she called on the very energies of the Fade to fuel her casting. She recalled a spell of magical cold in the violent torrents of a blizzard, useful for freezing enemies such as the demons she was encountering. Soon the mystical ice hailed down on the demons from out of thin air, their cries reverberating in the burning hall, their bodies froze solid. Twilight looked over the frozen demons, noticing steam rising as the rage demons seethed in their icy tombs.

With swift kicks from her hind hooves, Twilight shattered both rage demons. Once they had been splintered, Twilight took a moment to look around as the fires around her finally died. Her magic had been the cause of the demons' defeat, yet despite her victory she did not feel well. She was still trapped in the Fade. The familiar door she searched for in the other areas of the Fade appeared, and with a sigh she trotted through.

Twilight blinked as she stepped through the door and into familiar territory. She was somehow back in the Harrowing chamber. Hornshield and Wise Eyes were beaming at her, with Spike in his corner leaping and cheering her name. “Is it over?” she asked, surprised that the Harrowing was now complete.

“It is, dear student,” Wise Eyes answered, “You have completed the Harrowing, the fastest of any unicorn I might add.”

“Such a prodigy amongst ponies,” Hornsheild chimed in, still smiling, “Never have I seen such skill in magic! Such bravery in a young filly!”

“You saved me from the Fade!” sang a familiar voice. Flower cantered about, looking amazed at Twilight. “I even have my body back and everything!”

Twilight felt herself blush with all the praise. “It really wasn’t anything special. Just the Harrowing, like all unicorns have to go through.” Something did not feel right. All the accolades from the templar commander and the First Enchanter felt wrong. Almost forced. Also seeing Hornshield smile… Twilight had never seen that before. Hornsheild was always so dour, the fact that he was smiling was unnerving. Flower had said that her body was gone, long since died since how long ago she was trapped in the Fade, yet she was now whole. No magic could bring a pony back from the dead, no matter how powerful the spell or the unicorn behind it.

“This is just another illusion,” Twilight said softly, looking around at all the faces, “I’m still in the Fade.”

“Nonsense, dear student,” said the image of Wise Eyes, “You have left the Fade. Do you not want to relish in your victory? Do you not take pride at how powerful you have become, so quickly?”

“Of course I am proud of my accomplishments,” Twilight retorted, “But I also know that I did not make it here on my own. My teachers, Spike, even the templar showed me the wonders and dangers magic has in this world.”

In a moment faster than the blink of an eye, the Harrowing chamber was replaced by the first dreamscape that Twilight had entered in the Fade. Standing before her was Flower, but with a stern expression on her face. Twilight stood her ground as Flower appeared ready to confront Twilight, only to watch as Flower scoffed at her.

“It seems not desire, sloth, hunger, rage or… pride, can subsume your spirit,” The voice was cold and callous, not at all like that of the pony Twilight had met, “You will be an interesting prize for a demon one day, though regretfully that day is not today. Know this…”

With those words ‘Flower’s’ body began to grow and shift, turning into a pony demon of unspeakable horror. Twisted and reptilian, the pride demon looked down on Twilight as the Fade began to shimmer all around her. “Know that you will be watched from the Fade from this day onwards. And one day, you will be claimed. Go, young mare. Go into your world, into your ‘freedom’.”

The demon laughed as a blinding light from the demon's corrupted horn engulfed Twilight. With a groan, she opened her eyes to find that she was back in the Harrowing chamber with Wise Eyes and Hornshield standing over her, both with looks of concern. Wise Eyes’ horn glowed bright, connecting his magic with Twilight’s, checking for any signs of demonic corruption. It hurt just to move as Twilight felt her entire body scream in pain.

“Is she possessed, First Enchanter?” Hornsheild asked. He and the other templars were looking down on Twilight, a few already reaching for their swords. Wise Eyes shook his head,

“No, Hornsheild, she is fine. Thank Celestia, child, you gave us such a fright.” As Twilight got back up to her hooves, she felt cold and shivered. “Worry not, Twilight Sparkle,” the First Enchanter said in a comforting tone, “Such an experience in the Fade will have lingering effects for a while, but you have done well. The Harrowing is over, and now you can go out into the world. For now, we'll bring you back to the dormitories for a well-deserved rest.”

Twilight groaned as she was guided out of the chamber, with Spike holding on to her foreleg to lend support. Everything was swirling and blurry around her, and she was feeling very dizzy as her head thudded with a painful migraine. Every muscle ached as she was guided out of the Harrowing chamber and down the stairs into one of the common rooms that acted as both instruction hall and meeting room. The happy looks on her fellow unicorns' faces were lost on Twilight as all she could see was blurring and feeling nothing but pain. Still, it was a good pain as it was a reminder that she was still alive, still whole, and not possessed by a demon. All good points by her standards.

As they made their way through the common area, Twilight heard a familiar voice arguing with somepony not so familiar. Guests were exceedingly rare in the Tower due to the paranoia of the Templar and many of the unicorns, as well as keeping the image of the Tower as a safe haven against and for unicorns could be jeopardized by a wayward guest. Yet as he spoke, the guest sounded wise and confident, two qualities always needed when dealing with the unknown of magic and the Fade.

“I don’t see why you would want any of the younger unicorns, when you can have the Great and Powerful Trixie.” Twilight grimaced whenever she heard Trixie speak about herself, and the dizzy spell was doing nothing to endear the braggart’s voice. "Who better to join your order than a magician who has proven herself worthy time and time again? Shall I tell you of the time I faced a manticore, timberwolves, and a cockatrice all in the same day?"

Despite the pain she was under, Twilight could still manage to roll her eyes at another of Trixie's embellishments. Trixie was a few years Twilight's elder, but Trixie always acted superior to Twilight in any way she could. Though she knew her skill and talent was impressive, Trixie did not have the raw power Twilight had, and this caused a one way rivalry between the two unicorns. Twilight could have cared less, only wanting to study in peace.

“I have my reasons, Trixie,” said the guest, with a calm voice that was much older than Trixie, yet Twilight could hear the wisdom of a long life in that voice alone, “The young make for capable Grey Wardens. I am sure you are skilled, but I do not think you are of the material needed for the Wardens.”

Grey Wardens? Twilight tried to recall who they were, for she was sure she read about them before. Right now, though, all she wanted was her hard uncomfortable bunk to sleep in.

“Are you implying that the Great and Powerful Trixie is old?!” The blue unicorn shot back, indignant. Spike laughed behind his talons, not being the best of terms with each other. Whenever the two met in the halls, nary a word was said that wasn't a direct insult.

Wise Eyes stepped forward to stand between Trixie and the guest. “Now now, Trixie. Duncan is a good stallion who is simply looking for recruits for his order. Once we get Twilight Sparkle back into her room for rest, you, Duncan and I will talk about the events pertaining to this visit, yes?”

Trixie huffed off, annoyance on her face that she was being brushed off by the First Enchanter while Duncan merely inclined his head in a short bow. Vision still blurred, she could only see that Duncan was a grey earth pony with a dark mane, and what appeared to be a grey shield for a cutie mark. “Pleasure to meet you sir,” she said with a slur.

“Ah, this must be the newest unicorn to pass the Harrowing,” Duncan said, looking Twilight over, “Get some rest. After such an ordeal, you deserve it.”

“Your right she does,” Spike said following close behind, “Come on Twilight, let’s get you into bed.” With Spike’s help, Twilight collapsed onto her bed exhausted from the Harrowing. The Fade did not come that night, nor did the demons. Just a simple night with her mind in utter, blissful darkness.

---

Chapter 2: The Grey Wardens

 

“More books, Twilight?” asked Spike, incredulous, “You passed your test, now you can leave the Tower! Just think about it for a moment! We can go into the outside world! We can explore strange new lands, meet new ponies...”

 

“And where would I go Spike? It’s not like unicorns are in high demand in Equestria. Ponies fear us; they don’t want us near them. I might as well stay here, study, and teach other ponies.” Twilight’s horn glowed as she lifted a book with her mind, placing it on her desk. The pages turned with her magic until she found the entry she was looking for. As she looked for the passage she sought, her thoughts did turn to the world outside of the Tower.

 

Ponies lacking magical abilities had every right to fear unicorns, as the Harrowing had displayed. Magic was dangerous in the wrong hooves, and most ponies looked at all unicorns as if they were all unbound apostates, unmanaged by the Templar Order or worse, the Maleficar. The Maleficar were unicorns that practiced the most sinister of magic for their own purpose, rather than the good of all ponies. Beyond both these stigmas, there was also the chance that a unicorn could be possessed by a demon of the Fade.

 

All these combined gave justification for the distrust in unicorns. So long as these threats were real, unicorns would not be trusted. Twilight did not blame the general populace for a moment after witnessing the horrors of the Fade first hoof. If she could keep ponies safe by spending the rest of her life in silent study in the Tower, that was good enough for her,

 

“Here it is,” the unicorn said aloud as she found the page, “The Grey Wardens. They were an order of ponies that stood against the ponyspawn in Equestria in centuries past. They were removed from Equestria and forced into hiding many years ago after a supposed rebellion. I wonder why Duncan is here then.”

 

“We don’t get much news of the outside except what the templars tell us,” Spike jumped onto the table, allowing him to be face to face with Twilight, “I heard from them that King Blueblood allowed the Wardens to return. Why not go ask Duncan about the Wardens yourself? Maybe you can join up?”

 

Twilight thought about such for a moment, tapping her chin with a hoof as her mind wandered. The book did not have much history on the Wardens, just dates and events of which they were involved, mostly battles where the Wardens had proven capable of turning the tide. She shook her head before raising the book back into the shelf. “No Spike, adventuring is not for me. The Wardens have their duties just as I have my responsibilities. Besides, it’s dangerous business going out our doors. The more religious ponies would probably hate me for simply existing.”

 

Life in the Unicorn Tower may have been a cage, but at least it was a safe cage with all the books Twilight could study in her entire lifetime. It was a good life, a safe life. When she looked to Spike, however, she felt pity for the baby dragon. He was just as bound to Twilight as she was to the Unicorn Tower as long as they had her horn phylactery. As she returned to her books, Twilight could see the defeat in Spike’s eyes. Even though it had been five days since the Harrowing, Spike still had hopes that Twilight and he could finally leave the tower.

 

“Why don’t we go for a walk around the Tower?” Twilight asked, closing the book and heading to the door. “It will get your mind off things. Maybe get something to eat?”

 

Spike nodded dejectedly as he followed Twilight out of the dormitory and into the main halls. Twilight looked to Spike for a moment and flashing a smile to ease Spike's worries. It was the least she could do for him, considering the fact that she was consigning his fate to the Tower just as much as she was doing to herself. As distracted as she was, she did not notice a wall in her path, bumping into it and falling over onto her haunches.

 

“Teaches me to keep my eyes on …” Twilight stopped herself as she looked up not to one of the Tower's walls or doors, but to a tall earth pony in steel armour. There was Duncan, looking down as she picked herself up to her hooves. To his sides he was being followed by First Enchanter Wise Eyes and Trixie’s mentor, Senior Enchanter Hubred. “I’m so sorry,” Twilight said, bowing her head, “I wasn’t watching and-”

 

“It is no trouble… Twilight Sparkle was it?” Duncan spoke calmly, as if nothing had happened at all. There was warmth in his eyes that drew Twilight closer to him, though the harsh gaze of Hubred kept Twilight at a distance.  “I have heard much about you. Your recent excursion to the Fade has proved most impressive.”

 

“Yes, yes, she is very good,” said Hubred with a disdainful sniff. Twilight never much liked the mentor of Trixie, but he was the hunter of maleficar in the Tower thanks to his great skill in magic. “But I am certain you wish to see much more accomplished unicorns. Perhaps I can offer Trixie as an example of such?” Twilight glowered at Hubred dismissing her. If hearing Trixie boast about her powers was grating, then hearing Hubred speak about his pupil was worse. The pale coated unicorn had no mane and his cutie mark, a red eye amidst fire, seemed like a cruel perversion of Wise Eyes. He looked down at Twilight as Duncan raised a hoof towards the elder unicorn.

 

“That is my decision to make, Hubred,” the Grey Warden said, almost as if in warning, “The order is lacking in unicorns, and I must be absolutely certain I make the best choice. Trying times are ahead, and we must be prepared.”

 

Duncan’s eyes met with Twilight's, and she could feel the older stallion judging her. “Gentlecolts, perhaps we should discuss this in my chamber,” Wise Eyes said at last, ushering Duncan and Hubred to follow him upstairs to his private study. For a moment, Twilight considered the Grey Warden incredibly lucky. Wise Eyes had some of the rarest tomes of magic in all of Equestria, maybe even the world. She'd give her left hoof just for a chance to study one of those ancient books.

 

“What was that all about?” Spike asked, pulling Twilight's attention to the here and now. Twilight could only shrug before continuing to the mess hall, her stomach protesting loudly for want of a meal. After a simple lunch of hay and oats, they turned to return to the dormitories only to have their path blocked by Trixie. The magician glared at the duo until she turned completely around. Twilight could only sigh.

 

“The Great and Powerful Trixie has been sent to come bring you to the First Enchanter’s chamber,” she said with complete disdain, her muzzle turned upward much in the same style as Hubred, “So if you will please hurry up and follow Trixie, we can get this over with.”

 

Following the insufferable braggart, Twilight began to wonder what Wise Eyes would want from her. Was there an issue with the Harrowing? Was there something Wise Eyes wanted her to do? Did she actually insult Duncan when she bumped into him? Countless scenarios swam in her head as she followed Trixie towards Wise Eye's study, and all them made her worried. Spike looked up at Twilight before shaking his head. He likely thought Twilight was worried over nothing. When it came to matters of magic, though, being worried was perfectly acceptable. The dangers were too great to ignore.

 

Wordlessly, Twilight and Trixie entered the First Enchanter’s chamber. It was the same as Twilight remembered when she was just a little filly; filled with all sorts of books, scrolls and various oddities. Any time she was allowed in Wise Eyes' study, she always begged and pleaded with the old wizard to allow her one little glimpse into his various tomes. Her imagination had danced at the wondrous spells and knowledge kept in his bookshelves. Several apparatuses were in the room as well, filled with strange potions and pots of liquid lyrium dazzling in the torchlight.

 

Once again she was in front of Duncan, Wise Eyes, and Hornshield as the three stallions stood around Wise Eyes desk. Twilight’s eyes widened as she saw what was in front of the templar commander: her horn phylactery. Already her fears were strengthened as she looked on the smallest sliver of her horn floated in the small crystal phial. If the templars took the time to find her phylactery and bring it up, then this meeting was serious indeed.

 

The phylactery was a small sliver of a unicorn’s horn shaved off and stored away in the lowest levels of the Tower to be used only by the senior enchanters and the templar in hunting unicorns that fled from the Tower or went rogue. The fear of rogue mages turning into Maleficar, practitioners of Dark Art magic or corrupted abominations possessed by demons made the fear of unicorns justified. To many templars, the only solution to unicorns was to hunt them down and kill them. To others, they wanted to keep the unicorns useful by cutting off their horns and making them one of the Tranquil: magicless unicorns who had no drive or emotions. The idea of becoming one of those drones made Twilight shake in fear.

 

“Thank you, Trixie,” Wise Eyes said as both mares stepped forward, “I must be brief, for this meeting more concerns Twilight Sparkle. For your services to the Tower, I would give you the rank of Enchanter in the Tower, as well as for you to take over teaching the yearlings. I am sure they will take their lessons to heart if they are diligent.”

 

Trixie gave her thanks to the First Enchanter, bowing with flourish before smirking at Twilight. She had a slight hop in her trot as she left the room, which only left Twilight feeling more insecure about the meeting. As the door closed, Wise Eyes regarded the unicorn and her dragon companion.

 

“Twilight Sparkle,” said Duncan as he stepped forward, surprising Twilight, “What you are about to be asked is a large burden for you. I have spoken with many of the other unicorns and with the First Enchanter, and I have come to the same conclusion: you are the unicorn I want to recruit into the Grey Wardens. Your skill and mastery of magic are boons, yes, but from what I have been told of your Harrowing, you have the will to combat the corruption of the spirit, which is necessary to become a Warden.”

 

“You have encountered many hardships here in the Unicorn Tower, but they pale in comparison to what life as a Warden entails. It means combating against the ponyspawn threat and making terrible sacrifices for the greater good for ponies everywhere. These sacrifices are the toughest burdens, to both you and to others. I know that Equestria is teetering on the brink of a Blight, and I need only the most capable of ponies with the Grey Wardens. We do what we must, you understand, to hold back the evil tide.”

 

The explanation left Twilight in shock. She remembered what Spike said about becoming a Grey Warden and remembered her rebuttal for wanting to refuse such. Safe haven within the Tower, she recalled, and all the books to study for the rest of her days. But what if Duncan was right and it was another Blight? Those same books told her what the last Blight had caused; near catastrophic destruction of the Unicorn Imperium, and close to doing the same to Equestria before the rise of the Grey Wardens. There wouldn’t be a tower or books if the ponyspawn destroyed everything.

 

Twilight looked at Spike who simply returned her gaze, the spark of desire in his eyes to finally leave their confines. This could be the one chance to leave the Tower for both her and the baby dragon, instead of being trapped in their gilded cage. She could leave the Tower with a clear purpose and direction instead of simply existing within its halls. To help all of Equestria with her magic, instead of letting it be put to no use at all.

 

She had to make the step into a new life outside of the cage, she knew it. There was an entire world out there to explore, one filled with ancient knowledge and magics that the Tower simply could never teach. Yet this was her home, and if she followed Duncan out to become a Grey Warden, she would be turning her back on the only home she ever knew. If she made a decision, it would have to be now, with no hesitation. Twilight gave one last look at Spike before turning to Duncan.

 

She took a step forward towards Duncan, meeting his gaze. “Alright,” she said with shaky confidence, “I’ll go with you. I’ll become a Grey Warden. If I can do anything to help against the Blight, I will.”

 

Duncan nodded in response before speaking. “Of that I am sure of.” He walked over to Hornsheild and took the phylactery in his mouth before putting it into his saddle bag. “As a Grey Warden,” Duncan continued, “You will no longer have to worry about the templars or the Chantry. You will answer only to me. Now go pack the necessities for a long journey. The ponyspawn horde will be coming from the southern wilds, and we must meet the King there to face them.”

 

With that Duncan left Twilight with Wise Eyes, Hornshield and Spike as he left the First Enchanter's chambers. Spike dashed to move in front of the Grey Warden, pointing a claw at the senior Warden. Twilight wanted to pull him back out of embarrassment. “Hey!” he said, incredulous, “What about me? If Twilight is going, then so am I!”

 

“Of course, Ser Spike,” Duncan replied, “I would not dream of separating you from Twilight Sparkle. From what I have been told, you have proven a wonderful friend to her since the day you were hatched. You are as much a part of her strong spirit as anything. I look forward to the journey south with both of you.”

 

Duncan left, allowing Twilight to gather her dizzying thoughts. She was actually going to leave the Unicorn Tower for the first time in her life. She could barely remember even coming to the tower as a little foal, and the familiar and routine was going to go away completely in favour to become a Grey Warden and fight the ponyspawn.

 

Now Twilight was starting to regret her decision. She had read of the battles against the ponyspawn, but never dreamed she would be on the battlefront herself. Before she could say anything, Wise Eyes spoke up. “It is good you accepted so quickly,” he said, “Duncan was very intent on having you in the Wardens. I argued against this since you had only just recently undertaken the Harrowing, but he threatened to use the Right of Conscription. While I'm glad you accepted on your own volition, I am still saddened. I feel like I am tossing you from one fire to another.”

 

Twilight had almost forgotten about that. She read in the books concerning the Grey Wardens that they could conscript whoever they wanted into service thanks to old treatise signed by various kingdoms as well as the Chantry itself. There were records of leaders being renounced by their people for refusing the Right of Conscription.  Thanks to the threat the ponyspawn posed and the Wardens being the best at fighting them. She had never heard of anyone refusing being conscripted but there was probably a good reason for that as well, considering who the Grey Wardens were.

 

“Twilight Sparkle.” Wise Eyes interrupted Twilight's thoughts, his horn aglow as he brought a large staff over with his magic. “I have something for you that will be of some use in your journeys. Take this staff, and know that it will help as a second focus for your magic. It floats on its own power, and will aid you in channelling magic between the focal point and your horn.”

 

“Thank you, First Enchanter!” Twilight said with a bright smile. The staff was simple and only carried a few engravings, but as it floated to her side she could feel warmth flowing from the top, it felt right to be next to the staff, like another friend. The staff would channel her magic much as her horn already does, but with its help she would not tire so quickly. “I’ll do my best not to let you or the Unicorn Tower down.”

 

Wise Eyes chuckled, but his expression quickly turned grim. “It is not about the unicorns anymore, child,” he said, “But about all of Equestria and well beyond its borders. The Grey Wardens only want the best and brightest individuals in their ranks, and he has made a wise decision, though I loathe seeing you go into danger.”

 

Twilight approached the First Enchanter and nuzzled his grey coat. Wise Eyes reciprocated as Twilight tried to blink away the tears. She was leaving her home and the only father figure she had ever known to venture into the dangers of Equestria. She was not likely to return anytime soon. She had never known her parents, having been told that they had perished while she was still a tiny foal. Having nothing to remember them by, Twilight had instead looked at the other unicorns of the Tower to be like a family.

 

A family that she was now leaving to go out into the world and battle terrible monsters. Everything seemed so sudden, but there was no going back now. Also, Twilight was born with feared magic in her blood; would it not be right to use those talents for the good of ponies everywhere? To show that magic was useful, that it could be used for good?

 

Twilight made her decision. She would go with Duncan south to meet the ponyspawn and become a Warden. With a bow to both authority figures, the unicorn left the chamber with Spike on her back and her new staff floating to her left. “I can’t believe it, Twilight!” Spike said with a large smile, “You’re going to be a Grey Warden! You’ll be saving all of Equestria from the ponyspawn!”

 

“Now Spike, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Twilight returned to the dormitory for the last time and began packing her saddle bags with such essentials as healing poultices and rations, “The ponyspawn are no joke, and we don’t know much about the outside world beyond what we are told by the templar and visiting unicorns. Now help me find some books to bring along.”

 

“More books? We’re going on a big adventure and you want to bring books?” Spike looked at the large bookshelves that the apprentices used, wondering what sort of books Twilight would want to bring.

 

“I’m not going to bring the entire library, just books on the ponyspawn, Equestria, survival, bestiaries, and etcetera. Never underestimate what you can learn from a good book. Oh and find some maps while you are at it.” Instead of maps, Spike dumped a good helping of semi-precious gemstones into her bags.

 

“Just some snacks. I’m going to get hungry on the journey,” he said as Twilight rolled her eyes. Pointing her staff at the bookshelves, she concentrated on the maps she wanted just as she would with her horn. Surprisingly, the staff took most of the focus and the map scrolls floated with ease down into her bags.

 

“This staff really will be helpful,” Twilight smiled, looking over the staff and its markings once again. A staff was more than just a weapon or magical tool. It was status symbol that the unicorn had passed the Harrowing and was a skilled and trusted user of the arcane arts. If there was ever a symbol of maturity, the staff was it.

 

“You should give it a name,” suggested Spike, “All great adventurers name their stuff. How about ‘Blight Blaster’ or ‘Ponyspawn Punisher’. Ooh! How about ‘The Thunderstick!'”

 

As Spike rattled off every cheesy name he could think of, Twilight bit on a cloak and wrapped the warm cloth over her. With one tug on the clasp the hooded cape sat comfortable over her back. She smirked at her own reflection, dressed in a cloak with a wizard's staff made her look like a story book mage. Her saddle bags were loaded and ready, and once Spike was on her back again she made her way down the tower steps for the last time.

 

At the bottom of the steps gathered most of the unicorns in the Tower, Trixie and Hubred included much to Twilight's surprise. While those two turned their heads away from her in contempt, the other unicorns began asking questions about the Grey Wardens, when Twilight was going to come back, wishes for good luck and prayers to Celestia and Luna to protect her. Twilight could already feel her eyes brim with tears as she tried to express her thanks to everyone, wanting to spend a few moments more in the one place she had called home. Seeing Duncan standing before the large iron door leading into the Tower's entrance gave her a sense of urgency, however, and she quickly concluded her farewells. Waving her hoof goodbye to everypony, she watched as the iron door opened before her eyes for the first time in her life.

 

Once they were in the foyers that lead to the true entrance of the Tower and the templars barracks, Twilight watched as the templars sealed the iron doors shut the moment she, Spike, and Duncan were across the threshold. The templar guards only watched as Duncan and Twilight approached the door that lead to the outside world. “This will hurt your eyes for a moment,” Duncan said as he nodded to the door guards, “Just give your eyes time to adjust to the light.”

 

The doors opened slowly with a grating creak, sunlight spilling into the foyer as both Twilight and Spike covered their eyes. Neither had ever seen the light of the sun so clearly, save for the few windows were allowed in the Tower, and being face to face with its majesty was painful. The light from the sun stung after being in the dark tower for so long, it made Twilight’s eyes water. Yet perhaps her tears where happy ones when she was looking at the sun, to see the full glory of Celestia for the first time in her life.

 

“It’s… it’s beautiful,” Spike said in her place as he looked up into the great azure skies. Twilight could not agree more.

 

“It is precious, yes,” Duncan agreed in a voice that spoke of understanding, “It is why we Grey Warden’s fight the ponyspawn; to save such simple pleasures as seeing Celestia’s gift to all ponies.”

 

They crossed Lake Blackwater in a small ferry boat the templars used to get to the tower. Twilight and Spike were both amazed at the water and the fish that swam in the lake. They looked up in awe at the clouds that hung above their head and the blue sky that carried them. Everything was brighter and more wondrous than Twilight could have ever imagined, it was hard to believe that it was all under threat by the ponyspawn. She wanted to savour every new experience she was having, taking note of every little thing that simply did not exist within the Tower.

 

Everything was much bigger as well, to a scale Twilight would not have imagined. Twilight had never realized just how tall the Tower was until she saw the structure from the outside. Mountains and hills beckoned across the small lake as the ferry approached the dock.

 

“Come,” said Duncan as they left the ferry and began to trot on the path southwards, “We are going to the ancient Imperium ruins of Ostequus. There we will meet with the King and his army. I will teach you about the Grey Wardens as well as many skills you will need. But before that...”

 

Duncan opened his bag and lifted Twilight’s phylactery in his teeth. Setting it on the ground, he smashed the phial with his hoof with a strong stomp. Twilight gasped while Spike stood agape, mouth wide at the unheard act of open defiance.

 

“What did you do?” Twilight looked at the broken remains of her phylactery with horror, “Now I’ll be considered an apostate!” Apostates were rogue mages who were more often considered maleficar due to not being controlled by the Chantry. Many apostates hid from the fury of the templars, and often did result in using Dark Arts to escape or combat the templars.  Not only were they more feared and hated, but the templar actively hunted down apostate and maleficar alike with extreme prejudice. Both were considered by many unicorns the true reason that the general pony populace hated and feared magic so much.

 

“You are to become a Grey Warden,” Duncan explained, “And the Grey Wardens do what we must, sacrifice what… and who… we must to beat back the Blight. You are no longer a unicorn under the thumb of the Chantry but a pony in an order that has one objective: to defeat the ponyspawn. I cannot have a Grey Warden worried about the ponyspawn as well as the templars. You will learn these lessons about being a Warden, and they will be harsh ones. You must be prepared for the burden now, before it is set upon your shoulders and cannot be removed. It is the duty that cannot be forsworn.”

 

Twilight looked on at the broken phial and saw the small sliver of her horn still there amongst the shard. The fragment floated on its own, and moved towards the unicorn’s horn without the slightest nudge from Twilight. She did not resist as it resumed the same place where it was shaved off when she was a little filly and felt completely at ease. A feeling of becoming whole enveloped her as her horn was now complete.

 

If there was ever a sense of euphoria, this was it. Her magic was always potent before, but now there was a feeling of being complete in mind and in body. Magic surged through her body as if in celebration for the reunion of horn and shard. Twilight took a deep breath as she let herself become used to the feeling.

 

 

Duncan resumed his canter south with Twilight and Spike following behind him, a march that left the two Tower bound individuals tired after a short distance, unused to such physical exertions. As they journeyed, they met only a few other ponies on the roads, amongst them travelling merchants, and bands of earth pony knights from the local arl’s barracks. The old Warden spoke with them when he felt necessary, asking only for Twilight and Spike to remain silent as he talked. He did not explain why he did such, but instead continued teaching Twilight about the history of the Grey Wardens, as well as such skills as survival in the wilderness and against the ponyspawn.

 

As they travelled, Twilight encountered much more exotic travellers on the road, including donkeys and pegasi. Duncan taught Twilight about the nearby donkey city-state of Orzamule, as well as the Pegasi of the Eastern Dales who had a clan dwelling in the nearby Everfree Forest. Twilight wanted to know more about Duncan’s first hand experiences, but the old stallion simply said she would have as much knowledge as he in a short amount of time.

 

They stopped for the night in a clearing. Before the sun set, Duncan pointed out a large ruined fortress in the distance. “That is Ostequus,” he said, “An ancient Imperium ruin where we will be making our stand against the ponyspawn with King Blueblood and his army, as well as the rest of the Grey Wardens. There is another Warden there with more recruits waiting for us. I believe she is around your age as well.”

 

“Duncan,” Twilight said, “Can I ask when you were recruited in the Grey Wardens?” She hoped the question was not too prying.

 

“When I was a young colt, I was found on the streets of a city in Filais. My mentor took notice at my skills in fighting and stealth, and thought I had a better future with the Grey Wardens.” He chuckled at the memory. “There were was much resistance to my joining, but she made sure that the Right of Conscription would not be ignored by such an impetuous youth. I had studied much since then, including one thing above all others which you should know: The Grey Wardens protect the entire world, not just one nation. Flags mean little to us, as long as they continue to wave in the winds, free from the ponyspawn threat. Now get some sleep, we will be at Ostequus in the morning.”

 

The thought of a young Duncan was amusing at first, until the looming stone towers of Ostequus made their presence known, the shadows from the great stonework drifting over them with the setting sun. Quietly Twilight lowered her head on the blanket with Spike sleeping noisily by her side. “Duncan,” she started again, “Would you have used the Right of Conscription on me?”

 

Duncan looked over the fire he had made, not turning his gaze to Twilight. “Yes. The Grey Wardens do what they must.” He remained in silent vigil against the darkness, and Twilight at last let sleep take hold.

 

*                *                *

 

The ruins of Ostequus were even more impressive up close than from a distance. Twilight and Spike marvelled at the work of the Imperium and how it still stood after millennia despite all odds. Ostequus, as Duncan explained, was built by the Unicorn Magisters of the Imperium to prevent further incursions of the Bronco Clans from the southern wilds. Unfortunately, the ponyspawn were not Broncos. They were not deterred by works of stone and mortar.

 

As Duncan and Twilight approached, they saw four ponies canter across the massive bridge leading into Ostequus. Flanked by his three earth pony guards, King Blueblood stood like a majestic statue in all his glory. His white coat and blond mane were flawless, while his golden armour shone in the sunlight. His gold helmet made Twilight flinch; it was adorned by a single spiralling horn. She wondered if the king new the significance of such and simply did not care.

 

Duncan, Twilight, and Spike all bowed towards the king of Equestria who approached with a large smile towards the elder Grey Warden. “Duncan!” he exclaimed, “Good to see you made it to the field of glory at last! And this must be your newest recruit!”

 

“Indeed, your majesty,” said Duncan, “This is Twilight Sparkle, a gifted unicorn from the Circle of Unicorns. She will be aiding us in the battle against the ponyspawn.”

 

Blueblood turned his brilliant smile to Twilight who felt herself blush at the attention from the king. “A unicorn, you say? Your magic will prove very handy against the enemy, of that I am certain. I have never been to the Unicorn Tower myself, how is it there?”

 

Twilight found herself tongue-tied, unable to answer the King’s question. Spike jumped up on Twilight’s back and looked the king in the eye. “It’s big and boring and full of books,” he said, “Now do you have anything to eat, like some rubies? I’m starving!”

 

The King laughed, letting the violet unicorn breathe in relief that he was not offended. “How curious! A talking baby dragon! I will have to hear all about your tales in due time. But I really must be going back, or else Teryn Loghoof will be sending out a search party. More battle plans and such. All dreadfully boring.”

 

“Arl Macintosh sends his regards, your majesty, and will be sending soldiers soon.” Twilight looked at Duncan, who had never mentioned the Arl or his soldiers.

 

“Arl Macintosh is probably too busy with his orchards to know where true glory is to be had.” Blueblood turned on his hooves and began to make his way back to the encampment. Twilight and Duncan began to follow as he continued to speak, “I am not certain we are facing a true Blight. We have caught a few scouts, but there have not been any sightings of the Archdemon.”

 

 Duncan’s face turned dour. “This is a Blight, your majesty, of that I am quite certain.”

 

“Then we will meet it head on and have our names sung for generations.” Blueblood trotted with purpose, his eyes blazing with dreams of glory. “Just like the stories of old, where the Kings of Equestria and the Grey Wardens fight side by side to end the Blight. But enough talk, you will want to get your Wardens ready for the coming battle and Loghoof must be rearing in his stable. Farewell!”

 

As the King and his entourage left Twilight and Duncan at the entrance of Ostequus, the old Warden turned to the unicorn. “I want you to go around the camp, get accustomed to it,” he said, “But also keep an eye out for the other recruits as well as the Warden I mentioned earlier. Her name is Applejack, and I’m sure you will find her close by. Check the small orchard to the east. She was from the arling of Red Apple, you see, and will likely be there where she is most comfortable.”

 

Twilight nodded and with Spike on her back headed east through the ruins. She had never seen so many ponies in one place in her life before, all busy with the preparations for war. Earth ponies in heavy armour ran drills, checked weapons, and discussed battle strategy as she walked through the army camp. Chantry priests offered prayers of hopes to those who assembled around them, and nearby to Twilight’s surprise were unicorns preparing spells of protection for the army.

 

Everypony looked confident as they went about their business in the camp. Twilight wondered where she would be positioned in the coming battle, though the idea of actually fighting on a large scale battlefield frightened her. She was still a newly harrowed Unicorn with no combat experience save for the demons in the Fade and some practice with offensive and defensive spells. The Wardens would no doubt be on the front lines, and if she was to become one, that is where she would be.

 

Twilight turned the corner and saw a gathering of earth ponies surrounding a corpse. As she approached, she let out a gasp at what they were discussing. Dead on the ground was a grotesque creature, vaguely resembling a pony. Its hide was chitin instead of a proper coat and the mane was made up of bony spikes. The eyes were bloodshot, while the teeth were jagged with two large tusks protruding from the sides of the jaw. The hooves ended in sharp claws and the creature was still bleeding black blood onto the soft earth.

 

“This is a thelock,” said an officer, “A common kind of ponyspawn. Their blood is a lethal poison that will kill you in moments, so try to keep your wounds covered as best you can, to stop the blood from entering your system. They are savage monsters, all of them, who don’t know anything about bargaining or mercy. There are other kinds of ponyspawn as well, including what are called the ornlock emissaries, who can cast spells.”

 

“Magic?” questioned another pony soldier, “But are they not animals? How can they cast magic?”

 

Twilight wondered the same as she kept her eyes on the corpse. Nothing had prepared her for the monster before her and this was merely a dead ponyspawn. What would she do when it came time to confront a live one? The unicorn turned away from the soldiers and the example of their enemy and entered a quick canter.

 

As she wandered the camp, Twilight saw the orchard where she was supposed to meet Applejack. The trees were tall and grand, their branches filled with bright green leaves and scores of apples. “Hey Spike, you hungry?” Twilight asked with cheer as she began to channel the magic in her horn to bring down a pair of delicious fruit.

 

“I’ll get that!” A shout resounded in the orchard, followed by the sound of galloping hooves. An orange coated mare with a blonde mane wearing splinted armour and a farmer’s wide brimmed hat came dashing towards them. Before Twilight could voice an objection, the mare turned around quickly and struck the tree with her hind hooves, shaking the tree with a heavy tremor. The apples fell harmlessly to their sides, much to Twilight’s confusion.

 

The mare crossed her front legs with pride. Twilight took note of the cutie mark, three red apples on a grey shield. “You must be Applejack,” she said, “I’m Twilight Sparkle, the new recr-”

 

“And you must be the new unicorn recruit!” Applejack began shaking Twilight’s hoof as strongly as she shook up the tree. “Ah’m Appplejack alright, been right waitin’ to meet yer acquaintance. We could always use more Grey Wardens, and I can’t wait to hear about your time with Duncan. Say, you were hungry right? We can talk over some apples, lemme just buck some more for ya and get the recruits.”

 

Applejack kicked another tree with a hard kick, letting the apples fall to the ground harmlessly. “Soup’s on, every pony!” She hollered with a hoof to her mouth. Galloping towards them were countless hungry soldiers, chantry priests and various other ponies, all eager to partake in the bounty of fruit Applejack had provided. Rushing up to Twilight and Applejack were two earth ponies, a slender brown coated pony with a dagger hanging by his side and a much larger pony with a pale blue coat and a large sword slung over his back.

 

“Meet Digger and Ser Magni,” Applejack introduced, “Two other Grey Warden recruits just like yerself.”

 

“Pleasure is all mine,” Digger said, “And what a lovely young filly we have with us now. Haven’t seen you around Trotterim, and I know most of the ladies.” Applejack gave Digger a stern look to tell the colt to back down. Twilight, on the other hoof, couldn't help but blush. It wasn't often she was courted, and so openly at that.

 

“Ser Magni of Red Apple Acres, miss,” said the pony knight, bowing his head, “I hope we both get into the Grey Wardens. They are very selective with their recruits, I heard.”

 

Twilight smiled at all three ponies. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, and this is Spike,” she said, “Duncan told me there would be other recruits. I have to say, I’m glad I’m not the only one. “

 

Suddenly Applejack lifted her right hoof to her chest in a salute. Twilight, Digger, and Ser Magni turned to see Duncan approaching. “Good, you are all here,” the elder Warden looked at the three recruits and Applejack, “You have all been chosen due to possessing talents and skills deemed useful to the Grey Wardens and to our battle against the ponyspawn. While you have all come far to Ostequus and the front lines of the conflict, there is a task that will test you to see if you are truly fit to bear the title of Grey Warden.”

 

“Deep in the Potpourri Wilds, there is an ancient Grey Warden fort. Inside this fort you will find important documents ages old, detailing treaties the Wardens have made with the Unicorn Tower, the Donkey Kingdoms, and the Pegasi of the Eastern Dales. You will go and bring these treaties back to me, as well as seek out the ponyspawn in the Wilds and collect six phials of their blood.”

 

“Applejack,” Duncan turned his attention to the blonde-haired mare, “As the senior Warden, you will go with them and do what you must to ensure that the task is successful.” Applejack saluted again as Duncan returned his attention to the recruits. “This will be a dangerous task, but no more so dangerous than anything else you will face against the ponyspawn. I have faith that you will succeed. May Celestia’s light protect you.”

 

Duncan turned back towards the camp as Applejack lead Digger and Ser Magni towards the Potpourri Wilds. Twilight swallowed as she looked to Spike. “Stay here in camp Spike, where you’ll be safe,” she said, leaving Spike cross, “If anything were to happen to you, I don’t know what I’d do.”

 

Spike was about to object, but then relented. “You’re the one going to be the Warden after all,” he said, “I’ll just take a nap somewhere. Maybe with the war dogs.” The baby dragon moved towards the camp as Applejack called for Twilight to hurry along. As they left the camp, Twilight looked on towards the Potpourri Wilds, nerves shaking her from hoof to horn. Even the shadows seemed to beckon towards the wilds like a hungry animal, waiting for their next meal.

---

Chapter 3: Bound in Blood

 

Twilight shuddered with every noise from the nooks and crannies of the wilderness as the four ponies travelled through the Potpourri Wilds in silence. While Lake Blackwater was beautiful and the hills and mountains majestic in the horizon during her journey from the Tower, the Wilds were a marshland where every tree seemed to glare at the intruders with murderous intent and every animal was waiting for them to drop dead so the creatures could feast on their carrion. A gasp would escape her with every broken twig and every hiss of nearby serpents. At about the fifth squeak, Ser Magni stopped and looked at Twilight with exasperation in his eyes.

 

“By the light of Celestia.” Magni sighed with a shake of his head. “It’s almost as if you have never seen any of this before. Don’t they let you unicorns out for some exercise or practical knowledge of the world outside their stuffy tower?”

 

“Well, we can’t leave the Tower until we pass our final tests,” Twilight explained, turning her shame away from the knight. Digger slowed his pace to stand next to Twilight.

 

“Don’t be so hard on her, ser knight,” the roguish pony said with a sly wink, “We all get weak knees when we first venture out alone into harm’s path. It’s a good thing you have such a brave colt like me to lean on when the going gets rough.” Twilight rolled her eyes at Digger’s advances, but a sharp whistle from Applejack straightened him right quick back into line.

 

Applejack looked back with a stern look in her eyes. “That’s enough out of everypony,” she said, “Ain’t no need to go on to fill Twilight’s head with nonsense, ya hear? Let’s try to keep our heads clear, we have a long way ahead of us, and we still haven't found the ponyspawn.”

 

Nopony said anything as they continued down through the marsh. There were no signs of ponyspawn or even other ponies, which concerned Twilight. Was Duncan right about sending them into the Wilds so soon? Twilight still had much to learn about survival in the world, about fighting monsters. More importantly, what did he want with old documents and ponyspawn blood? Twilight’s head spun with the possibilities on what Duncan would do with ponyspawn blood and every conclusion she thought of ended in Dark Arts. Perhaps that was the secret of the Wardens, that they used the feared Dark Arts to fight effectively against the ponyspawn.

 

New fears arose. This excursion into the Wilds was supposed to be a test for the Grey Warden recruits, but what if Twilight failed? What would become of her since Duncan smashed her phylactery and she would now be considered an apostate throughout Equestria? Not even during the Harrowing did she feel so much doubt about her future.

 

She then looked towards Applejack who was already a Warden and had probably gone through the same test as Twilight and the other two were under now. She seemed so brave and so sure of herself as she lead the party through the Wilds. A short sword hung in its sheath at her side in neck’s reach, while a sturdy wooden shield was strapped to the young Warden’s left foreleg. With her armour, Applejack gave the appearance of a skilled warrior. Twilight hoped she was not far from the truth.

 

“This quiet ain’t helping anypony relax,” Applejack said out of the blue, “Hey Digger! How’d ol’ Duncan find some colt like you to bring to the Wardens?”

 

Digger looked surprised that Applejack was addressing him at all. “Well, it’s not much of a story. Was caught by the Trotterim guards after breaking into an old arl’s tomb. Lots of traps to protect a dead man’s buried goods, but I got past them all and left a few surprises of my own for the guards."

 

“They were about to have me knackered on the spot if it were not for dear old Duncan,” Digger sounded rather pleased with himself while Twilight could only look at him in horror for grave robbing, “Said my skills would be put to good use towards ending the Blight. Have to say, I agree with the old horse. Somepony has to put an end to the ponyspawn, why not join up with those ponies that make it a living. Certainly should be better than going into more tombs and finding dusty scraps of cloth.”

 

Twilight felt even more sheltered after hearing Digger’s story. In the Tower, she had everything she needed or wanted: a roof over her head, simple food, and plenty of books. Outside of the Tower, she wondered how many thieves were like Digger, stealing not just from corpses but other ponies as well. There was hardly ever any theft from the Tower, since every unicorn there knew each other, as well as being under the scrutinizing eyes of the senior enchanters and the templars.

 

Was it necessity or greed that drove ponies to steal from each other? Likely both, Twilight thought as she continued on the march through the marsh. If Duncan wanted a thief like Digger as a Warden, then either the order was desperate for recruits, or he really was the best Duncan could find.

 

“Well unlike that knave, I have a much more valorous upbringing,” Ser Magni said as he stood up to appear taller, “I and my wife recently moved to Red Apple Acres and I was to serve with the other knights under Arl Macintosh. When Duncan arrived looking for a fine warrior to recruit, we held an impromptu tournament. I won of course, and was sent to Ostequus.”

 

“My wife is with child, so if I can do anything I can to give them a peaceful and safe Equestria, I will.” Ser Magni’s story seemed to paint a better picture of the knight than Digger’s tale, and the large pony had a very good reason to fight the ponyspawn. At least the knight and the thief had one thing in common: they both wanted to end the Blight. Twilight appreciated that they shared that much together, despite coming from different walks of life.

 

Twilight caught a glimpse of Applejack’s face as they slogged through the muck of the marsh. She seemed sad, her eyes and ears drooped low though her gait was still confident. Was it the mention of Red Apple that made Applejack homesick, perhaps? “What about you Applejack?” Twilight asked, “You’ve actually been a Warden. How did you get recruited?”

 

“Ah, ain’t much of a story to tell, sugarcube.” Whatever melancholy had a hold of Applejack disappeared in an instant, revealing her cheerful nature once again, “Used to live in Red Apple for a long while with my family, just working the orchards. After a while though Ah was sent to become a templar and let me tell you, Ah’d never want to go through that again. Duncan found me before Ah could take the final oaths and not a moment too soon, lemme tell you.”

 

“Ya’ll shoulda seen the Chantry Mother’s face!” Applejack laughed, a hearty sound that added a bit of light to the gloom of the mire, “She was right mad when Duncan wanted me in the Wardens, she tried to stop him. But ain’t nopony gonna stop a Warden use the Right of Conscription and I never looked back on that day. A year later, and here I am!”

 

Before Twilight could say anything about Applejack being a former templar, she winked at her. “Now don’t you worry your head none. I’m not like all those other fussy templars. Unicorns are just another pony to me, after all.” Twilight breathed a smile of relief. A former templar was much better than one bound to the oaths of the Chantry to journey with.

 

Digger and Ser Magni all stopped suddenly. Applejack looked back, confused at their behavior. “You’ve only been a Warden for a year?” Ser Magni sounded concerned as he looked over Applejack with a critical eye. “All this time and we’ve been following an inexperienced templar turned Warden?”

 

“Ah have plenty of experience!” Applejack turned to look at the recruits, “But if ya’ll want to snip at me, Twilight here can lead. Ah’m just supposed to make sure ya’ll finish Duncan’s task.”

 

“Wait, me?” Twilight had never ‘led’ anything before, but once Applejack nodded in agreement and Digger joined in with an enthusiastic grin, she found herself the center of attention. “Well I did do some work in the Unicorn Tower… all right, then. Applejack, you and Ser Magni take point. Digger and I will follow close. Keep an eye open for any ponyspawn as we keep going.”

 

That decision was instantly regretted as Digger happily fell back to stand by Twilight’s side. Still, his bow was needed at range, and it was better to have the fighters in the front. They continued their walk into the Wilds until they came upon a wounded earth pony soldier lying in a patch of grass. Immediately Twilight rushed over to the soldier’s side as Applejack sprang forward, her eyes scanning the distance to determine what happened, and more importantly, to see if the assailant was still lurking nearby.

 

The soldier’s wounds were dirty and deep, but his breathing was still good and he had no broken limbs. Twilight dug into her saddle bag and pulled a healing poultice with her teeth. Once the bottle was open, she poured the contents on the soldier’s wounds, watching as the red liquid worked into the slash marks and began to mend the flesh quickly.

 

One the last of the poultice was consumed by the soldier’s skin, he let out a sharp gasp of air as his eyes opened wide, scared. “It’s ok,” Twilight said in a calm tone, “You’re with friends here. What happened?”

 

“Ponyspawn,” gasped the soldier as he got to his hooves, “Thelocks, donlocks, and… flyers. They ambushed us a furlong from here. If you are going that way, pray to Celestia and Luna to give you protection. You’ll need it.”

 

The soldier hobbled off as Applejack returned to the party. “He’s not foaling around,” she said, “Ah can sense ponyspawn in that direction. It’s something ya'll can do once you become a Grey Warden. Not a lot, sounds like a scoutin’ group. That doesn’t make them any less dangerous. Let’s go, we needed to find them anyways.”

 

The marsh gave way to very old Bronco ruins in the distance, some that Twilight guessed were centuries old. Stone statues of ponies appeared to be sinking into the ground, acting as way points in the Wilds. The old relics were covered in moss and other floral growths while erosion from the elements reduced once proud totems to little more than shaped rocks. Twilight kept her eyes opened, but relied on Applejack’s senses to point them in the right direction.

 

“I don’t understand,” Ser Magni said, “Why do we need ponyspawn blood? It sounds too much like Dark Arts to me. I am no coward, but anything to do with the Dark Arts smells foul.”

 

“Duncan said find ponyspawn blood, so that means we find ponyspawn blood.” Applejack looked up at the sky and the trees, possibly if she could spot the flyers that the soldier mentioned. “There… Ah see ‘em. Stay low, and don’t make a sound.”

 

Twilight crouched before she looked up and saw the ponyspawn. They were worse alive than the corpse back in Ostequus. Two thelocks were accompanied by two other ponyspawn, which were much shorter and stouter than their fellows. They must be donlocks,, Twilight thought as she recalled what the officer said during his lesson. Her gaze went upward and she spotted the flyers the soldier spoke of. If the donlocks and thelocks were horrid, the flyers were worse. They hardly resembled ponies at all except in shape. They had a pair of large bat wings, clawed talons instead of hooves, and a single but ever present eye looking for something to attack. Amongst the ponyspawn were the half eaten remains of the doomed patrol group.

 

Twilight wanted to look away from the horrors as they feasted on the soldiers. These were the creatures she was supposed to fight? These monsters who not only killed but ate ponies? Twilight turned away from the cannibalism and started to gag.

 

One of the flyers looked up at the sound of Twilight’s retching. The solitary eye looked at the ponies and gave out a long screech, shaking the tree it stood on as it warned the other ponyspawn of the Warden presence. The monsters all began to roar as they charged towards them, fangs and tusks ready to kill.

 

“Horseapples!” Applejack cursed as she backed up into a fighting stance, “Get ready everypony, we got company!” She pulled her sword out of its sheath and brandished the weapon alongside Ser Magni and his great sword.

 

“Digger!” Twilight shouted, forgetting her sick stomach, “Get to high ground and help with the flyers!”

 

Digger nodded and galloped towards a hill, bow ready as he reached for an arrow to clench in his teeth. One of the flying ponyspawn dived towards the thief, teeth gnashing and claws outstretched. Think Twilight, think! Twilight had to cast  a spell, something simple, yet effective to stop the flyer from reaching Digger. Her staff and horn started to glow as she summoned a blast of arcane energy to strike against the winged ponyspawn.

 

A violet orb of energy emerged between both magical foci and with a thought Twilight sent it hurling towards the flyer. The concussive blast was enough to knock the creature out of the skies and in front of Digger. With his teeth clenched on both arrow and bowstring, Digger pushed the bow with one hoof, taking aim at the downed ponyspawn. With the arrow released at close range, the point entered the flyer’s head with a heavy smacking sound as black blood oozed out of the lethal wound.

 

Twilight wanted to feel sick again, but the other flyer was still about and screeching while the thelocks and donlocks were pushing Applejack and Ser Magni back. With a quick leap, Applejack landed on top of one of the thelocks, front legs wrapped around its neck. The monster tried to buck its unwanted passenger, but Applejack was quick with her blade as she sunk it into the thelock’s jugular. The thelock gave a low hiss as black blood flowed until it fell over, dead.

 

Ser Magni also fared well, slicing a donlock’s throat open with a downward swing of his massive sword before turning to another. The donlocks had massive grins on their faces lined with razor sharp teeth, and many of them now surrounded Ser Magni. He showed his prowess as a warrior with expertly timed swings, striking many donlocks down in quick succession.

 

Digger began firing arrows at the other flyer, but it was too quick and evasive, arrows sailing harmlessly past. “Don’t worry about that one!” Twilight shouted, “Give support to Applejack and Magni!” Digger must have heard her, as he turned his arrows towards the remaining thelocks and donlocks. The flyer must have heard her as well, as it turned and swooped low, claws ready to rip and maim flesh. Twilight only managed to duck out of the way in time, though the creature’s claws did tear into her cloak.

 

Before the flyer could make for another pass, Twilight summoned another spell, this time one of blistering cold. It was a favourite of hers, being both damaging to the flesh and incapacitating without the mess of fire. A practical attack for a practical pony. The air around the sky bound monstrosity began to freeze, the wings slowing down until they eventually could not fly anymore in the cold. The flyer crashed in front of a nearby tree, yet despite its frozen wings appeared no worse for wear, emerging with only a few scratches against its hide. Craning its neck around, the ponyspawn let out a terrible shriek before charging towards Twilight. Her eyes grew wide as the monster closed the distance, her mind racing for another spell to summon.

 

Thankfully she did not need to. Applejack charged forth against the flyer and just like in the orchard in Ostequus, pivoted on her front legs followed by a powerful buck from her hind hooves. A sickening crack echoed as the flying ponyspawn was driven against a rock, the neck clearly broken and at an extremely unsettling angle.

 

Despite all the ponyspawn dead, Applejack lifted a hoof for everyone to remain still. She turned her head around, appearing to be listening or using her heightened Warden senses to detect if there were more ponyspawn. Eventually, Applejack was able to let out a sigh of relief as well as a smile.

 

“Good work everypony,” she said sincerely, “We took out them ponyspawn like a fly gets on an apple pie. Now we just need to collect the blood to fill Duncan’s phials, and we can be on our way towards the old fort. Twi? Wanna help with the collection? It needs a careful hoof.”

 

Twilight begrudgingly agreed. As she approached the flyer, she tried to avoid looking into is single eye, still open as if the creature would leap up at any moment. She turned away from the disgusting business as she used her magic to levitate a knife to cut open a gash in the ponyspawn’s side. “I thought they smelled bad on the outside,” she muttered to herself as she magically lifted the six phials and filled them with the black blood.

 

“This isn’t good,” Applejack said as Twilight rejoined the party, “Even if it was a small group of those varmints, they had those flyin’ screamers. Usually that means a much larger force is near, and Ah have no doubt it’s the horde of 'em. We have to find that fort, quick like.”

 

They looked at the map for a moment and with Ser Magni’s help, Twilight was able to plot out a good course of action. With Applejack’s assurance that there were no more ponyspawn here, the party continued deeper into the Potpourri Wilds and Twilight asked the heavens if Celestia could be merciful and keep the ponyspawn at bay for just a little while longer.

 

 

 

“It ain’t here!” Applejack shouted out in frustration, running frantically around the remains of the old fort. While Ser Magni watched for intruders, Twilight had sent Digger to search the lower levels of the fort as she and Applejack scoured the remains. Every broken chest and damaged shelf was scoured for the documents, but time and thieves had emptied the old ruin of everything, valuables and scraps alike.

 

“Ah ain’t finding’ any treaties or documents, or even a buckin’ scrap of parchment!” Applejack kicked an old chest in frustration, sending it flying towards a wall. The chest burst into splinters as Digger made his way back to them.

 

“Not much luck down there either,” he said, “Whatever wasn’t buried by cave-ins was nicked well before we got here.”

 

Ser Magni shouted for the party to come to him. They quickly ran to the knight, who was brandishing his great sword in his mouth. Standing before them was a white coated unicorn with an immaculately curly violet mane. She wore a striking vest of purple feathers that accompanied her dark robes immaculately.

 

“What have we here?” she said as she trotted around them, “Thieves looking for easy prey amidst the chaos of the ponyspawn, or scavengers looking to pick the last remnants from this ugly husk. Speaking of which, have you ever seen yourselves in a mirror? Or even a reflection in the water? I have never seen such a ragtag group of ponies, and the Bronco tribes always look like they rolled around in mud for a few days.”

 

Applejack was about to object before Digger stepped in front of her, fear plain in his eyes. “Don’t you know what she is? She’s a Mare of the Mire, she is. She’ll turn us into toads!”

 

“Toads?” the unicorn said with a disgusted look, “All those warts, and that tongue? Ugh, if I could turn you into something, it would be ponies with a decent sense of fashion. At least transform you into ponies who care about hygiene. Do you know how silly you look in that armour and that peasant's hat?”

 

“Now wait an applebuckin’ minute,” Applejack said, pushing Digger away, “You don’t go around insulting a pony’s pappy’s hat like that! And who the hay are you supposed to be anyways?”

 

“I am Rarity,” came a proud response, “And I’ve been following you since you entered the Wilds. And let me tell you, I only felt pity for all of you. Besides poor aesthetic tastes, you came all this way to find that your fort is empty of anything and everything.”

 

“Likely because you probably stole everything!” accused Applejack, “Not only are you an apostate, but some kind of sneaky… witch… thief!”

 

Before she could continue, Twilight raised a hoof in front of Applejack’s mouth. This was no way to treat anypony, especially if Rarity knew anything about the lost treaties. Twilight stepped forward, looking Rarity straight in the eye in a hope for a more diplomatic solution.

 

“Miss Rarity.” Twilight bowed as a sign of respect. “I am Twilight Sparkle, and this Applejack, Ser Magni and Digger. Please excuse us, but we travelled a long way from Ostequus to find lost Grey Warden documents. If you know anything that could help us, we would be in your debt.”

 

“Ah, a pony with some manners,” Rarity smiled, “And you look like a mare who would appreciate a good makeover. If you must know, Mother sent me to deliver those same documents which you seek. She found them many years ago and kept them safe in our home.”

 

Rarity’s horn glowed and from her saddle bag rose a bundle of scrolls bound in leather straps. As they levitated towards the group, Twilight could see that the seals were long gone, but the scrolls did not have crease marks to show that they were opened. Whoever Rarity’s mother was, she seemed to respect the privacy of the former owners of the documents.

 

Rarity carefully placed the scrolls in Twilight’s bag as Applejack looked only mildly satisfied, but still untrusting. Digger and Ser Magni still held a look of worry that any moment they would be turned into frogs and start eating insects.

 

“I will show you an easier path back to Ostequus,” Rarity said, “I like you, Twilight Sparkle. We are both unicorns, after all, and with a little care, I’m sure I could make you look absolutely stunning.”

 

“Be careful,” Applejack said to Twilight, “First it’s ‘I like ya’ then wham, yer a frog. Or a newt. Or some other creepy crawly.”

 

“You and I will get along famously, of that I am sure. You really should not complain when someone does you a favour out of generosity,” retorted Rarity, “Or would you prefer to travel the long way back? The ponyspawn become thickest at night, and I have to wonder how you’ll survive ambush after ambush in the Wilds.”

 

“Any way to get out the Wilds faster is fine by me,” Ser Magni said as he followed behind Rarity, with Digger closing the distance. Twilight shot Applejack a look before shaking her head and joining the rest of the group. Applejack only muttered some intelligible words as she took stride in the rear.

 

The path Rarity knew did cut a lot of time from their travels. As they made their way through the foliage, Twilight noticed that Rarity was not getting dirty at all, despite the muck from the marsh and the plants with their sap and resins. She felt that the fellow unicorn’s horn only glowed slightly, but considering the length of time that had passed meant that whatever spell she used to keep clean was in full and constant effect. Either it was a simple spell, or Rarity was a much more powerful user of magic than Twilight gave her credit.

 

Eventually the party made their way through the Wilds, with Digger and Ser Magni giving thanks to Goddess Sisters when they could see the torchlight of the Equestrian camp. Twilight smiled at Applejack as they joined them in the front. Before she could thank Rarity, the unicorn was gone, with no obvious signs of where she disappeared into.

 

“Figures,” mumbled Applejack, “Sneaky witch thief wanted to make a clean getaway. Check your coin bags, make she didn't make off with nothin'.”

 

As they entered the camp, they were greeted by Duncan and Spike. “Twilight!” the baby dragon jumped onto Twilight’s back, embracing her neck with his short arms. “You were gone for a long time! Did you fight any ponyspawn? Come on, I need to know all the details!”

 

“I’ll tell you soon, Spike,” Twilight said, nuzzling her baby dragon companion. She turned her attention to Duncan, using her magic to lift the documents and the phials of ponyspawn blood towards the Grey Warden. He nodded as each item was placed into his own bag.

 

“You have all done well,” he said, “And now we can begin the ritual that will integrate you all into the Grey Wardens. Wait in the orchard until both myself and Applejack arrive.”

 

Applejack followed Duncan towards the Grey Warden’s camp, leaving Twilight, Digger, and Ser Magni to go towards the orchard as Duncan had said. Twilight wondered what kind of ritual the Wardens did, considering that their order was a great mystery to many ponies. The idea of rituals never came up in her studies in the tower, and those few times they did mostly involve the Dark Arts and Maleficar summoning demons. While she was sure demons were not involved, Twilight's curiosity struggled against her caution against anything that could be associated with Dark Arts.

 

Twilight distracted herself from the waiting by retelling everything that happened in the Wilds to Spike. He enjoyed the stories a bit too much for Twilight comfort, and he kept asking questions about the “cool” parts, such as the battle against the ponyspawn. She wanted to forget about the fighting and the killing, but her instincts told her that it was merely the beginning.

 

 

What seemed like a couple of hours passed and Spike was fast asleep against Twilight’s side. Ser Magni was pacing as Digger seemed lost in prayers to Celestia. “By Luna’s mark,” Ser Magni swore, “I grow tired of this waiting. We were chosen for the Grey Wardens, we went into the Wilds and finished Duncan’s task. Why are we not Wardens ourselves yet?”

 

“Maybe this is another test?” Digger asked, “Patience is a virtue after all, ser knight.”

 

Ser Magni snorted and resumed his pacing. Twilight shook her head as she laid a blanket over Spike. The waiting was nerve wracking, but if there was one thing she knew and knew well, was that patience truly is a virtue. Only fools rush in and when it came to the Wardens and the ponyspawn, Twilight did not want to rush in in any capacity.

 

Applejack soon appeared in the orchard, looking somber. “Hey everypony,” she said in a low voice, “It’s time. Follow me.”

 

Twilight looked at the sleeping form of Spike, hoping he would be fine for a little while in the orchard. They left the trees together, following Applejack to a small clearing away from the main ruins of Ostequus. Duncan was waiting for them in the clearing with a silver chalice sitting beside him on a stump.

 

“In peace, vigilance. In war, victory. In death, sacrifice,” Duncan said, “This is the oath of the Grey Wardens. You have all proven yourselves many times over, but there is one last rite that must be passed.”

 

He motioned a hoof towards the chalice. “This is the Joining, that which makes us Grey Wardens. Our Order was founded during the First Blight, when ponies stood on the precipice of annihilation. The founding Grey Wardens drank the blood of the ponyspawn and mastered the Taint, the darkness within their very blood. This is the source of our power. This is the source of our victory.”

 

Ser Magni balked. “We have to drink the blood of those… those monsters!?” Fear dripped from every word as he looked at the chalice.

 

“As it has been since the First, as we have done before you now.” Twilight listened to Duncan’s words, but could scarcely believe them. Ponyspawn blood was lethal to anypony who somehow got the vile substance into their own blood and now Duncan wanted them to willingly drink the Taint.

 

“Ponyspawn blood is what makes a Grey Warden,” Applejack said, “This is how we can sense the ponyspawn, and become immune to their Taint. It also lets us fight the Archdemon, otherwise that critter is near unstoppable.”

 

“Not all who drink the blood will survive,” continued Duncan, “And those who do will be forever changed. Our cutie marks are the most noticeable to outsiders. This is why the Joining is a secret. It is our sacrifice that we make to stand against the evil tide.”

 

Duncan bowed his head. “Since the first Joining, these words have been spoken during the ceremony. Applejack, please.”

 

Applejack bowed her head. Her words were clear, proper, and most important, reverent. “Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows were we remain vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day we shall join you.”

 

Ser Magni looked over to the chalice nervously then back to Twilight and Digger. Applejack’s words resonated to all of them. The duty that cannot be forsworn. Once a Grey Warden, always a Grey Warden. She looked at Applejack’s cutie mark, the three apples over a grey shield, wondering if it had always been like that. Twilight swallowed a whimper as Duncan stepped aside to allow a clear path to the chalice. It was time.

 

“Digger,” Duncan said, “Step forward“. The tomb robber slowly approached the chalice, looking down on the contents. With both hooves holding the chalice, Digger brought the blood to his lips and drank. He set down the cup then turned towards Twilight and the others.

 

Digger suddenly convulsed, holding a hoof against his chest as he coughed and groaned in pain. He fell to his knees, holding his hooves to his head before looking up at Twilight. His eyes rolled back into his head as he growled in his suffering.

 

“I am sorry, Digger.” Twilight heard Duncan speak but could not look away as the brown earth pony stretched out his hoof, begging for help before finally collapsing. Twilight breathed heavily as she looked at Digger’s chest, hoping for a sign of life. There was none, and Digger was dead. She looked to Applejack for reassurance, but the young Warden said nothing, only looking on with a stern face.

 

Duncan turned his attention to the knight of Red Apple. “Step forward, Magni,” he continued, motioning towards the chalice. Unlike Digger, Ser Magni took a step back, drawing his large sword.

 

“I can’t do this,” Ser Magni pleaded through the sword-bit, “If I had known… I have a wife… I will soon have a child!”

 

“There is no turning back, Magni.” Duncan advanced towards the knight slowly. Never had Twilight seen Duncan’s eyes like this, eyes filled with duty as well as remorse well hidden, but still there.

 

“I can’t sacrifice myself…This is too much, you ask more than I can give! Please!”

 

Duncan drew his sword and continued to step forward. Twilight wanted to stop him, but Applejack’s strong hoof held her back, while her fierce eyes told her not to interject. Ser Magni attacked, swinging his sword towards Duncan’s neck, but the old stallion parried it away easily before moving in for the kill. His sword found its mark, sinking into the earth pony’s chest.

 

“I am sorry, Magni,” Duncan said into the knight’s ear before pulling his sword out of Ser Magni. Magni gasped his final breath before falling into a pool of his own blood. Duncan turned to Twilight next. Her heart raced as he motioned towards the chalice.

 

“Step forward, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight looked at Duncan, then to Applejack, then to the chalice. Death by the Taint, death by Duncan or become a Grey Warden. It was now, or very truly never.

 

Twilight took the chalice in her hooves. The black blood swished about in the cup as she looked down at the contents. Holding her breath, she drank from the cup, feeling the thick fluid slowly make its way down her throat. Every taste was foul and painful, as if a thousand knives were scraping their way down her neck into her stomach.

 

Her entire body felt like it was on fire. But she did not wretch or cough, instead feeling a fierce pain in her head. She held a hoof against her forehead before her eyes rolled back and the pain increased tenfold. Her vision blurred, then faded into the sight of pure enveloping darkness.

 

 

Surrounding Twilight was a battlefield littered with debris and the bodies of ponyspawn and pony alike. The sky was red as blood and the ground beneath her hooves was stained to match. Soon the violet unicorn heard the snarls and growls of a hundred ponysawn surrounding her. Their monstrous voices resounded as they inched closer to Twilight. What was most frightening was that she could hear their heartbeats with full clarity. As if their heartbeats were being shared with her.

 

From the sky loomed a great shadow, flying ever lower until the source landed with a powerful slam.  Twilight looked on at the image of a great and terrible beast, a monster with long bat wings, a mighty tail, and sharp fangs. A dragon fully grown and horrible, yet also twisted, the malice from the dragon permeating the air around it. The dragon looked at Twilight Sparkle and roared before she fell into oblivion.

 

“It is finished. Welcome.”

---

Chapter 4: The Battle of Ostequus

“Twilight? Twilight, are you alright? Can you hear me?”

Twilight groaned as she slowly opened her eyes to see the sky lit red by the setting sun. Standing over her were Spike and Applejack, both looking concerned as she wobbled to her hooves. Her vision was blurred and she could still taste the foul ponyspawn blood on her tongue. She gagged again at the thought, before realizing what had happened.

Digger died when he drank the ponyspawn blood. Ser Magni was killed by Duncan for refusing to drink. She remembered putting her lips to the chalice and feeling the taint enter her blood. She remembered the hot flashes, seeing images of a large black tunnel filled with ponyspawn. She remembered the face and especially the roar of a twisted dragon. Above all, she remembered the pain that overpowered all her senses.

The unicorn looked at Spike feeling regret for what she would have put him under if she had not survived the Joining. Twilight saw Digger die horribly, slowly, painfully. Ser Magni refused to drink forcing Duncan to kill him to preserve the Grey Warden secrets. If she had refused to drink, or if the taint had killed her, what would have happened to Spike? Would he even know what had killed her?

Applejack was calling her name, but Twilight ignored her as she wandered about the orchard in a daze. So many emotions rushed over her: fear, anger, happiness. What was she supposed to feel? What was she supposed to think? All the death she had witnessed was too much, and soon there would be more. Much more.

A soft hoof laid itself on Twilight’s shoulder. The support was enough to bring the unicorn back to reality. Applejack’s soft smile allowed Twilight to breathe steadily again.

“I know a lot happened to ya in the last couple a days,” she said, “But you have to get a hold of yerself. I know you saw a lot, but everything was necessary. Duncan’s been doing this for a long time; he knows how the Joining goes about. He didn’t want Digger to die, he wanted recruits. He didn’t want to kill Ser Magni, but the secrets have to be protected, ye hear?”

“Do you want to know what Duncan did after your Joining, after making sure you were alive? I saw him pray. An’ not just some weak oath, but actually recitin’ the Chant of the Sun and Moon. He only does that when someone fails the Joining.”

“Look at your cutie mark,” Applejack pointed at Twilight’s flank, “Because you are a Grey Warden, and that means you’re family now, to me and to Duncan.”

Twilight turned her head to look at her cutie mark. Her stars were still there, but now they were the emblem of a grey shield, a reminder of the Joining and the mark that would be recognized throughout the world that she was a Grey Warden. Now it was her calling to bring the battle to the ponyspawn and do whatever it takes to end the Blight once and for all.

Duncan’s words echoed in Twilight’s head. We do what we must, sacrifice what we must. Now those words rang true and gave greater appreciation as to who they Grey Wardens were and how much they lost simply by becoming Wardens.

“Applejack, thank you,” Twilight said sincerely, “I…never felt so conflicted. But I’m fine now. I hope.”

Applejack shook her head. “Shucks, darlin’, I’m just trying to help my friends. But I know you ain’t fine, I wasn’t after my Joining. You probably felt some things you never wanted to feel, and saw some things that you wish you never laid eyes on. Duncan and me and the rest of the Wardens, we’ll help you get through it all.”

Just then Twilight’s stomach growled, with Applejack giving a short giggle. “Now that is something I remember real well about the Joining,” she said, “And that’s a huge appetite! Hey Spike, bring over a couple baskets of apples!”

Spike pushed a large basket of apples towards Twilight before going back for another. At the sight of the fruit she became hungrier than facing the Hunger demon in the Harrowing. Twilight dove into the basket of apples, happily munching away and savouring the juices from the feast. For a moment, all the violet unicorn could think about was eating.

“How long was I out?” Twilight asked in between her apples.

“When I woke up, you were still shaking in your sleep,” Spike said, “What happened to you? Applejack won’t tell me anything except you’re now a Warden. Did they do some magical stuff or something?”

“You could say that,” responded Twilight, “Let’s say they have something very similar to the Harrowing.”

After her stomach was filled with delicious apples, Applejack motioned for Twilight to follow her. With Spike on her back, Twilight kept up with her fellow Warden through the army camp. If it was bustling when she first came to Ostequus, then the pacing now was frantic. Soldiers sharpened their swords, reinforced their armour, and found their officers as they returned to their proper formations.

They moved through the camp quickly until they arrived at the tent where King Blueblood, Duncan, and others were looking over a map, likely discussing strategy. “King Blueblood is gonna attack the bulk of the horde before they get to Ostequus,” Applejack explained. “Duncan argued that they should wait for the reinforcements from Arl Macintosh, but the King won’t listen. Duncan gathered the rest of the Wardens for the battle, but he has something else in mind for us.”

They approached the leaders who turned to greet the Wardens.Standing tall before them was Loghoof Mac Tir, the Teryn of Glenwell. He stood larger than Duncan and Blueblood with a grey coat and a black mane tied in braids, framing his harsh eyes. His cutie mark, two crossed Equestrian flags, showed themselves prominently on his hide. He looked Twilight over, silently judging her in a manner not of praise, but of great expectations for the coming battle. She had never felt so small than right now, to be judged by a hero in the war against the Filesians.

“You are the new Grey Warden, yes?” Loghoof asked, “I have known unicorns who could reduce entire armies to dust, and create such wonders that you lose breath just by gazing at them. I am not a religious pony, but a pragmatic one. I know that unicorns have a use, but are also ponies themselves, and should be treated as any other Equestrian. I look forward to the coming battles along side you.”

“Good, you are both here,” Duncan said, taking Loghoof’s attention away. Twilight gave thanks that he did not mention the Joining, not knowing what she would say to the elder Warden. “We are preparing to attack the ponyspawn directly. There is still no sign of the Archdemon, but if we can cause enough enemy casualties perhaps their dreaded master will reveal itself.”

Blueblood cantered about with pride. “Isn’t this going to be glorious? The king of Equestria and the Grey Wardens fighting side by side, just like in the legends!. Our names will be sung for all time from the highest towers in Trotterim.”

“Your majesty,” Loghoof interrupted King Blueblood’s cheer with a stern eye, “All this talk of glory and legends will be your undoing. We must account for reality.”

“Yes, yes,” the King almost dismissed Loghoof’s words, but instead turned to the map of the battlefield, “I have heard the strategy many times. I shall lead the army in the front lines, with the Grey Wardens covering the eastern flank. When the beacon in the old Imperium observatory is lit, your armies will join us from the west, to complete a pincer formation. Quite boring-”

“Quite practical,” Loghoof corrected, his irritation made known, “As long as the beacon is lit on time, the strategy will work.”

“In that case, we will not need Arl Macintosh’s knights or the chevaliers from Filais! I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces when we beat back the Blight on this night!” There was something concerning about King Blueblood’s bravado, Twilight noted. Cocky, rather than overconfident. He was not expecting anything to go wrong and with such a chaotic foe as the ponyspawn, pragmatism would likely win the day.

Loghoof seemed to agree, though mention of Filais filled his eyes with anger. He had fought a bloody war against the Fillesians and no doubt wanted nothing to do with them. The idea that they were sending their armies to reinforce Equestria likely had the Teryn fuming inside.

“Twilight Sparkle, Applejack,” Duncan called for their attention, “Lighting the beacon for the Teryn’s forces is of the highest priority. That is why I trust the both of you to go to the observatory and light the beacon fires on time. There should not be any ponyspawn incursion in that area, but be ready for anything. It is important that you succeed.”

Twilight looked at the map where they discussed their battle plans. It was a sound strategy, and the observatory was just over the large bridge she and Duncan had crossed to get into Ostequus. She turned to look towards the observatory, taking in the grand scale of structure.

Movement was seen on the top of the observatory by earth pony soldiers. There was no doubt that a significant enough flame could be seen all around Ostequus and beyond.

Applejack also looked at the map and then turned to Duncan. “I know it’s a big job for us,” she began, “But shouldn’t all of us Wardens stick together? You need all the numbers you can get out there, and if the Archdemon appears-”

“You will leave the Archdemon to me.” Duncan’s words struck hard, brooking no argument. “This task needs to be completed, and I can only trust you two with this task. The soldiers of Equestria have their duties, as we have ours. We do what we must, and what you must do is light the beacon. Is that understood?”

Applejack stared hard at Duncan, but eventually relented. “If you say so,” she said, “We’ll make sure all of Equestria can see the beacon, come bad apples and high water!”

Duncan nodded, returning his attention to the king and the teryn. Dismissed, the young Wardens bowed and left, returning to the orchard. Twilight looked up, and could see Luna in the sky, as well as all her stars. She gave a quick prayer of protection to the Alicorn Sisters, hoping that they would see the Warden’s battle through the night.

As they waited for the King’s warhorn to sound, signalling the start of the battle, Spike sat himself on Twilight’s back. “You don’t think you’re going off into battle without me this time, do you?” the baby dragon asked.

“Spike, you can’t come, it’s too dangerous.” Twilight already had the beacon to worry herself over, making sure Spike was safe would not help matters.

“Think about it Twilight,” Spike continued, “What if the ponyspawn get through into Ostequus. I’d rather be safe with two Grey Wardens than in the middle of some old ruins and a battlefield. Also, you’re going to the observatory, and what better place than that to have the best view of the action?”

While Twilight could not doubt that he would be most safe with her and Applejack, she was not pleased with the little dragon’s infatuation with the upcoming battle. Still, it was better to bring him with them to the observatory than leave him in Ostequus. Twilight agreed, and the group made their way towards the bridge from the ruins towards the derelict tower.

* * *

Everypony was ready as they stood in the rank and file. Looking over the Wilds, Duncan and King Blueblood watched for the first sign of the invading hordes. The Grey Warden looked at the Equestrian king, who appeared the very image of regality and courage in the face of evil.

He made for a good picture, but one whose words could be counted on one hoof, rather than a thousand. Pompous. Foolish. Cocky. He expected the battle to be won like a child expects a hero to vanquish the dragon and rescue the damsel. Thankfully, the bulk of the Equestrian forces were being led by a much more sensible stallion. Teryn Loghoof knew his way around the battlefield better than many generals, though his reluctance to accept Filesian reinforcements, even Filesian Grey Wardens, proved troubling.

At last they saw movement in the Wilds. The first wave of ponyspawn galloped through the foliage, trampling over every blade of grasp as they rushed towards the waiting Equestrian army. Hundreds of screamers filled the sky, screeching in unison in a terrible medley. The King shook as he watched the tide of monsters advance ever closer.

“Your majesty,” Duncan said calmly, “You must give the command.”

“I know!” Blueblood barked back, his eyes wide. “War dogs! Go! Go!”

The snapping of the war dogs surged forward, biting and killing any ponyspawn they could get their powerful jaws around. However the hounds were quickly felled as the ponyspawn gave no heed for their fellows but only to their desire to kill and feast.

“Archers!” Blueblood shouted. The earth pony archers readied their bows and let loose a volley of arrows. The piercing rain crashed first into the screamers, sending their bodies down onto their monstrous cousins as more arrows sailed towards the ponyspawn. But still they charged ever closer, their hungry fangs now in sight.

Ponies drew their weapons as the ponyspawn drew nearer. Duncan looked to his Grey Wardens and nodded to his fellows, each Warden ready to fight to the last. “For Equestria!” shouted the King, enticing his soldiers to roar with him as they charged to meet the hellish foe. Despite this, King Blueblood fell back closer to rear lines.

Duncan cursed as he unsheathed his sword. The king was not only a glory hound but a coward. No matter, he thought as he charged with his fellow Wardens, the day can only be won with sacrifice, not glory. He looked up to the observatory, still unlit. Celestia and Luna protect you both.

* * *

“I thought Duncan said there wasn’t supposed to be any ponyspawn!” Twilight yelled as she and Applejack rushed through pony soldiers and ponyspawn beasts fighting on the way to the observatory.

“They’re monsters, but that means they ain’t stupid either!” Applejack shouted back. “We have to get to the tower and light the beacon!”

The observatory towered above the two Grey Wardens as they galloped towards it. Despite the battles being waged around them or because of them, Applejack continued to surge forward, with Twilight looking desperately at the soldiers being overwhelmed by ponyspawn.

“We have to help them!” Twilight shouted over the noise of combat.

“Ain’t any time!” Applejack called back, “We have to get to that tower and light the signal fire. They have their duties, and we got ours!”

Inside the observatory was no better than the outside. Thelocks and donlocks were ravenously eating the soldiers in the tower, but the sounds of galloping hoof steps averted their attention to new prey. With a shout, Applejack and the other soldiers charged towards the enemy, while Twilight began to channel spells.

“Those are the ponyspawn?” Spike shouted, sounding afraid for the first time in his life. A pang of regret for bringing the baby dragon to the observatory distracted Twilight only for a moment, but the ponyspawn would not wait for the dragon to calm down. As she concentrated her staff to fire bolts of arcane energy at ponyspawn archers, the unicorn began casting a spell of ice to blast in front of her.

Before the cone of cold was unleashed, Twilight wanted everyone out of the way. “Move!” she shouted, and as Applejack and the rest of their soldier company rushed to her sides, she blasted the ponyspawn with a powerful gust of magical cold energies. Any of the creatures not frozen solid or made brittle by the arcane ice was slowed to a crawl, making them easy targets for swords and maces.

With the enemy dead, the soldiers galloped to the door to seal it against further attacks. The barricade would not last long, but it was hopefully enough to slow the ponyspawn. Twilight, Applejack, and a few other soldiers began a mad rush towards the top of the observatory. Corpses of ponies and ponyspawn alike littered the ground of the tower as they climbed the staircase. At the top of the of the observatory was the beacon ready to be lit, as well as a dozen ponyspawn being led by one much different than any Twilight had seen so far.

This ponyspawn resembled a pony much more closely than the other breeds. The monster still had the same chitin hide and sharp teeth, but its eyes were clear and focused compared to its savage brethren. What was most striking was the single horn upon its head, curving upward and already pulsing with magic. The ornlock emissary, as Twilight remembered it was called, snarled and hissed at the ponies before rearing on its hind legs and letting loose a torrent of magic fire.

Applejack and Twilight moved out of the way, while two other ponies were not so fortunate. The fire engulfed them whole as they burned alive, their screams and prayers to Celestia and Luna being unheard. The other ponyspawn began their attack, charging forward into the soldier's lines, fangs eager for flesh.

The ornlock’s horn began to glow again as a large orb of fire formed in front of its horn. Twilight immediately began to counter the spell, raising a barrier around that engulfed Applejack, the soldiers, and some of the ponyspawn as well. The fireball crashed into the arcane barrier, flooding the area with fire and consuming many of the ponyspawn not inside the shielded area.

The shock of the attack left Twilight gasping as the shield failed. Applejack slew a donlock nearby, but they were still outnumbered. Another soldier fell as a thelock jumped and bit into his neck. The ornlock was also preparing another fireball to be launched, not caring if it burned friend and foe alike.

“Applejack!” Twilight yelled, realizing just who the other Warden was, “Forget the grunts and help me deal with the emissary!”

“How?” Applejack called back, parrying a blow from one ponyspawn before bucking another that was trying to flank her.

“You were a former templar! Do something!”

Applejack turned her attention to the ornlock. As she galloped towards her, the irises of her eyes changed colour from brilliant green turned pitch black. Twilight had seen other templar do the same when they used their abilities against rogue unicorns and was grateful that the blonde-mane Warden had not forgotten her templar training. She was using a nullifying magic that only templar knew how to use, something separate from the magic of the Fade. The fireball fizzled out of existence and the emissary looked at its attacker with surprise.

Before the ponyspawn could bring another spell into being, Applejack swung her body with her sword in her mouth, piercing the ornlock’s neck. As black blood flowed from the monsters mouth, Applejack wrenched her sword free. Twilight turned to see the last of their soldier companions fell, while only two more ponyspawn remained on their hooves. A moment’s thought brought forth two arcs of magical energy from her horn and her staff, blasting the ponyspawn and sending them flying into the wall.

When she was certain that the magical attacks had done their work, she walked over to Applejack, who was covered in her own blood as well as that of the ponyspawn. “Are you OK?” she asked.

“Right as rain,” Applejack answered, though her heavy breathing betrayed her fatigue, “Hurry over to the beacon, we need that fire lit!”

Twilight rushed over to the large stack of logs and began to channel a small flame from her magic. Fire was never her specialty, but she could create enough to set the beacon alight. The fire quickly blazed as light covered the entire room and spilled outside of the observatory.

Celebrations were short lived as the floor and walls around them began to shake. The door suddenly burst open as ponyspawn spilled through the entrance, followed by the largest creature she had ever seen. It did not stand on four legs like the rest of the ponyspawn, but instead stood on two hooves. With massive muscles ending in heavy hands, the beast’s head let out a howl that shook everything. The head was adorned with large curled horns, and through its nose was a metal ring.

“By Celestia,” Applejack gasped, “A minotaur.”

Not even in her nightmares in the Fade had she ever seen a creature as terrifying as the minotaur. Twilight wanted to scream, but was too frightened to even breathe. All she could think about was its massive hands, horrid teeth, and prayers to Celestia for a way to escape.

Twilight said nothing as both Wardens backed away from the large force of ponyspawn. Their archers began to fire, one arrow embedding itself in Applejack’s side, felling the pony instantly. Another arrow found its way through Twilight’s robe. She already felt faint as the pain was overwhelming her senses. Poison, she thought as she fell to her side.

Spike called her name as the ponyspawn advanced, the minotaur’s razor sharp teeth soon in close view.

As she looked out towards the night sky, a brilliant flash of light shone through, with the shadow of great wings flying towards the observatory. Twilight couldn’t help but smile as she faded away. Celestia would not abandon them. She couldn’t…

* * *

“My lord, the beacon has been lit. What are your orders?” Ser Sunsword looked at Teryn Loghoof obediently. The old stallion warrior looked across to the battlefield, to where the Grey Wardens were fighting the ponyspawn. They would soon be overwhelmed. He saw King Blueblood issuing orders to his army, but he too would soon be overwhelmed. They would all be overwhelmed if Loghoof’s army did not move to join them.

“Signal the retreat,” he said at last.

“My Lord?” Ser Sunsword looked at the teryn with surprise. Loghoof’s fierce eyes bore down on his chosen knight, allowing no discussion.

“Do as I command.”

Ser Sunsword appeared stricken, but carried out her lord’s order. “You heard the teryn!” She shouted to the gathered army, “All units fall back. We return to Trotterim. Move out!”

The loyal knight gave one more look to Loghoof before joining the retreating army. The teryn continued to watch the battle unfold, not allowing his inner rage to show on his face.

I am sorry, old friend. He thought back on Blueblood’s father, his comrade-in-arms, his sworn brother who he had fought and bleed and suffered beside during the days of the Filesian occupation. Your son would give Equestria to our enemies. I cannot allow that to happen. When it is time to meet my punishment at Celestia’s hooves, I will accept it. But for now, I do what I must to protect Equestria.

Loghoof turned his gaze to where the Grey Wardens were fighting, and losing. “Die well, Wardens,” he said before rejoining his army to the march back to Trotterim. There would be much to do, and little time to do it.

* * *

Duncan had been a Grey Warden for over twenty-five years. He had fought against ponyspawn as well as fellow ponies in his lifetime. He had trained Grey Wardens, and had seen them fall in the line of duty. All that kept pushing Duncan forward during his life was the knowledge that he was putting the darkness to the sword and that he was giving respite to a world plagued with evil, a world that did not need the assistance of the ponyspawn to help it in the downward spiral.

But even he was a simple mortal pony, who put his faith into others. He wanted to believe in Digger and Magni and that they would pass the Joining and become full Grey Wardens. Despite his dislike of the colt, he wanted to believe King Blueblood would see this battle to its end. He trusted that Teryn Loghoof would bring the much needed reinforcements and force the ponyspawn back into the Wilds.

The beacon fire in the observatory was blazing. The flame could be seen for furlongs around. Ponies cheered as the light shone across the battlefield. Teryn Loghoof’s soldiers would descend and help them rid the land of the ponyspawn. The battle would be won, and the Archdemon would reveal itself.

Teryn Loghoof’s soldiers did not come.

The battle plunged into utter chaos. Whatever progress they were making was broken as morale shattered. Ponies turned tail to flee, but were chased and killed by the ponyspawn. The battlefront was replaced by mayhem as the monsters pushed their attack.. Duncan and the rest of the Grey Wardens fell back as they tried to hold the line.

A thundering roar signalled the beginning of the end. From the trees came a monstrous minotaur, as large as any tree, rampaging towards the front lines. Crushing ally and foe alike, the minotaur made its way to Blueblood’s position, the king desperate for an escape route. The king made a feeble attack with his sword, only for the giant ponyspawn to bat the weapon away.

Duncan rushed forward, sword in his teeth trying to reach the monster in time to save Blueblood. But as the minotaur’s giant hand closed in on the king, the elder Warden knew it was too late. With the king held in its grasp, the minotaur roared into Blueblood’s face, his intricate golden helm falling to the ground. Blueblood whimpered, desperate for a way out the creature’s grasp.

The minotaur squeezed, crushing Blueblood in his hand. With a careless toss, the king’s body sailed over the field before landing in a crumpled heap. Duncan leapt forward, sword in his mouth as he pierced the minotaur’s chest. The massive ponyspawn hollered in pain, swinging its arms at its chest to get rid of the old earth pony. Duncan swung with the creature’s own momentum, driving his word ever lower towards the monster’s heart.

With a shout, Duncan seized the opportunity, plunging the sword deeper into the minotaur’s chest cavity as black blood gushed from the wounds. The minotaur gave one last gurgling shout before collapsing. Duncan released his hold on his blade, but did not move in time for the foul beast to land on top of his hind legs.

Duncan gasped as he struggled to pull himself forward with his front hooves. His hind legs were broken and his sword was lost. He looked up to see the last of the Grey Wardens and King Blueblood’s army struck down in front of his eyes as more ponyspawn charged into the battlefield. He looked up to the observatory, and to the flame that should have signalled victory.

Twilight Sparkle. Applejack. By Celestia and Luna, please live. Duncan turned his gaze towards the advancing horde. A thelock galloped towards him, a savage blade in its teeth.

May the light of the Sun and Moon protect you both. You must not fai-

---

Chapter 5: You must gather your party before venturing forth

Twilight slowly opened her eyes to see a haze of white around her. This is it, she thought as she looked up to the blur that was the white roof, I’ve died and gone to meet Celestia. Not even a week since the Harrowing and it’s all over. I should have never have joined the Grey Wardens. I should never have listened to Spike and left the Tower.

Spike. The unicorn opened her eyes wide, looking around for the baby dragon and praying that if she really was dead, he did not suffer the same fate as well. But as her vision cleared, Twilight saw that she was not in a simple white void, but in a beautifully decorated room. Sleeping in a basket was Spike who had only minor scrapes along his scales. The violet unicorn looked down to see that she was in a bed with white sheets and fluffy pillows. To her side was the apostate Rarity, sipping form a levitating tea cup.

“Do you often find yourself in a situation where you need to be knocked unconscious to fall asleep?” Rarity asked before lifting another tea cup and moving it towards Twilight with her magic, “Drink this. You’ll feel better after a quick pick-me-up, darling.”

Twilight took a sip of the tea, its affects working immediately. She felt calm as she tried to recollect what happened. Applejack was with her in the observatory and she was able to light the beacon fire. Then came the minotaur and the ponyspawn archers. Then the brilliant flash of white as large wings swooped towards them.

“What happened to us?” asked Twilight as she rolled off the bed onto her hooves, “And where’s Applejack? Is she alright?”

“Your boorish friend is outside with Mother,” Rarity answered, “I think she is contemplating falling on her sword. I certainly hope she does it well into the Wilds where I don’t have to find it. As for what happened, you can thank Mother for your rescue. She turned into a great eagle and swooped into the tower and brought the three of you here in her talons.”

As Twilight stretched her legs, her staff floated from the corner of the room to her side. Though her smile was weak, it was genuine that the staff was not destroyed in the fight. She would have to thank Rarity and her mother for the timely rescue and for nursing the Warden’s health.

“What about the battle?” Twilight asked as she laid another blanket overtop of Spike.

“Of Ostequus, you should know the battle was lost.” Disbelief filled her eyes as Twilight took in the information. The battle was lost and everypony was dead? King Blueblood, Teryn Loghoof, all of the Grey Wardens…

Celestia’s sun, Twilight thought, Duncan. Before Rarity could say anything Twilight rushed out of the decorated room and into the complete contrast. She barely registered the difference in the way the room looked before finding the door leading outside. As she stepped out into the Wilds, Applejack stood there looking out into the distance towards Ostequus. The blonde mare looked defeated, but when she turned to see Twilight the earth pony leaped forward, embracing Twilight with her legs.

“By Celestia’s an’ Luna’s an’ every other holy pony’s hindquarters! I thought you’d never wake up!” Despite only knowing Applejack for a couple of days, Twilight knew there was a bond between them simply by both being Grey Wardens. The blood was their strength and Twilight could feel what Applejack was feeling as if it were ambient noise. She could feel Applejack’s sincere gratefulness that Twilight was still alive, but also the despair at the loss of the Grey Wardens in Ostequus.

Knowing of the defeat at Ostequus, Twilight wondered what Applejack and she would do now. Was there anything else Duncan was supposed to teach Twilight about being a Grey Warden? Were there anymore Grey Wardens in Equestria, and if not, would it be up to two ponies to defeat the entire Blight?

“Everypony’s gone,” Applejack said at last as she let go of Twilight, adjusting her farmer‘s hat, “The King. The Wardens. Duncan. We’re the last of the order in Equestria, Twilight, and I don’t know how to make heads or tails out of any of this.”

Anger now surged inside Applejack. Twilight took a step back as the earth pony let loose all her frustrations. “Rarity’s ma told me all about what happened. Loghoof quit the field! We lit that beacon and he ran off like a coward! It’s because of him that we lost! It’s because of him that the King and the army and the Wardens are all dead! It’s because of him that Duncan…Duncan…”

Applejack slumped to her knees, her head low. “I owe everything to Duncan, ya hear? He was a good pony, who deserved better than the end he got at the hooves of a traitor. Oh, when I see Loghoof, I’m gonna buck him right into the ponyspawn, just you wait!”

“I understand you’re angry, but we need to calm down and think before we do anything brash,” Twilight said, “We need to figure out what we are going to do next. Do you know of any other Grey Wardens near to us who can help? What about the Filesians?”

“No can do,” Applejack shook her head, “Rarity’s ma said she saw Loghoof’s messengers turn away the Filesian reinforcements both chevyleer and Warden alike. We’re in worse shape than a rickety barn, and the ponyspawn are creeping north.”

Twilight thought hard on their predicament, but the situation seemed hopeless. The greatest force that existed solely for the purpose of fighting the ponyspawn was no more in Equestria, and Loghoof was preventing their fellows from Filais to assist against the Blight.

“I don’t know what we can do,” Twilight said, “We are just two ponies against the ponyspawn.”

“Is this the character of the Grey Wardens these days? I had expected ponies with a bit more…mettle. Ah but so much changes in the years.”

Both Wardens turned to see an older unicorn approach. Like Rarity, the unicorn had a white coat and a violet mane, but age had taken its turn. In contrast to her daughter, the elder’s eyes were yellow and haggard, and she was dressed in a ratty cloak. She carried a saddlebag to her side, filled with mushrooms and roots. Her cutie mark was an odd one; a red silhouette in the shape of a winged dragon.

Twilight backed away at the sight of Rarity’s mother. Her sensitivity to magic peaked around the elder mare, the very air around her crackling with magic. Rarity’s mother was old, but also very powerful. She remembered what Rarity had said, how her mother turned into a giant eagle to rescue them from the observatory in Ostequus. None of the books Twilight had read in the Unicorn Tower had ever spoken of a pony changing their shape.

The old legends in the books mentioned the “Mares of the Mire”, an old Bronco tale of unicorn witches who lived in the Potpourri Wilds, snatching up foals and putting them in soups. The presence of such an old mare made Twilight wonder if the legends were true.

“Thank you for you assistance,” Twilight said, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, miss…”

“Names are pretty, but useless,” the mare answered looking both Wardens over, her yellow eyes disturbing Twilight the most, “I have had many names in my life, including ‘That cursed witch’ and ‘the old hag who talks too much.’ The Broncos had a name for me once. They called me ‘Flemeth’. If you must call me by name, that will do.”

“Flemeth?” Applejack stared wide with Twilight doing the same. The name from the books, from the legends. Apparently Applejack had heard the stories too. “As in THE Flemeth? By Celestia, Rarity wasn’t the Mare of the Mire, you are.”

Flemeth laughed, a haunting laugh that left Twilight cold. “My daughter is skilled, and I have taught her what little magic I can impart to her, and that same magic I used has served you. ‘Mare of the Mire’ or not, you have been saved. What more could you ask.”

“I could ask why everything went to hay in a hoof basket,” Applejack scowled as she turned back towards Ostequus, “Why did Loghoof betray us, betray the King?”

“Perhaps this Loghoof believes the Blight is just another army he can outmatch, like playing pieces on a game board,” Flemeth spoke as she made her way towards the hut, “But he does not know the true threat of the Blight. Does not know the true evil that drives it onward with every step of their hooves. But this is only theory. No pony, no magic can truly tell the shadows within a pony’s heart, for those have greater depths than the deepest chasms of the Dark Tunnels.”

The Archdemon. The violet unicorn remembered all too well the vision she had seen in the Joining of the monster. The controlling force of the ponyspawn horde was still out there, but no one had said anything about its appearance. The dread leader of the evil army was still unaccounted for, and as long as the horde won battle after battle, it would likely not appear at all.

“If we are going to stop the Blight, then we are going to have to find the Archdemon.” Twilight knew her words were shaky at best, but she needed to put on a strong appearance not just for Applejack but for herself.

“Are you a few apples short of a bushel Twilight?” the earth pony said, “It’s just the two of us against an entire buckin’ Blight. The Grey Wardens in the past had the backing of entire armies from dozens of pony nations. And…and I don’t know how!”

Flemeth watched the two carefully before speaking. “How to raise an army, or how to kill the Archdemon. Two different questions, but the answers could turn the away the tide. I am sure there are some Grey Warden resources available to accomplish both.”

“Arl Macintosh!” Excitement rang in Applejack’s voice, “King Blueblood marched before the Arl’s reinforcements could arrive. He still has all his knights. We could petition him for help, I just know it. There’s no way no how he’ll stand for what Loghoof did.”

Realization struck Twilight as well. “What about the treaties that Duncan had us collect? Maybe we could use those as well!”

“Now there is a smart filly,” Flemeth said, “You’re welcome by the way.”

Applejack’s courage seemed to have been restored as a strategy was being formed between them. She dug out the old scrolls from her bag, grateful that they were undamaged from the battle, unfurling the contents. Twilight looked and read the contracts between the Grey Wardens and those who had signed the treaties.

“Good thinking there Twilight!” said Applejack, “We can go get help from the pegasi, the unicorns, the donkeys, and from all of Equestria itself! They’re right obligated to help us during a Blight! We can do this Twilight, we can raise an army and stand up against the ponyspawn.”

Twilight wanted to believe those words, but the task ahead was daunting. To raise an army against the Blight while Loghoof still had control of the land. To go to the furthest reaches of Equestria and into dangers unknown. Twilight levitated the treaties closer to herself so she could read them in detail, but then a small diagram fell from scrolls, landing against Flemeth’s hoof.

Before Twilight or Applejack could say anything, Flemeth picked up the diagram with her magic and brought it before her eyes. Surprise marked the old witch’s features as she studied the parchment.

“Intriguing,” she said at last before tucking the diagram back with the rest of the scrolls, “It would seem the Grey Wardens have access to much more than I gave them credit. That was an old diagram for a much older spell, so ancient I do not even know the words of such. Indeed, the words seem to come from the time of Luna, before her ascension.”

Twilight looked at the diagram herself, but could not read the words. The ancient markings were much, much older than the treaties, and all she could make out were six points in a hexagram.

“This has to be important,” she said after tucking the scrolls into her saddle bag, “We’ll have to find a scholar of some sort who can read ancient Imperium or other dialects from the time of Luna. Before we go, thank you again for all your help Flemeth. If it weren’t for you, we’d never have the treaties or our lives.”

“No need to thank me, young one,” Flemeth said with a smile that frightened Twilight more than assured her, “The Blight is as much a threat to me as it is to the rest of Equestria and the world. I simply made sure that the path you walk was not cut short. There is one more thing I can offer, to aid you in your quest.”

As she spoke, Rarity left the little hut followed by Spike. “Twilight Sparkle!” Rarity called, “Your dragon was eating all my sapphires, and when I found him he only gives me these wide eyes.”

“I apologized, milady,” Spike said trailing behind, “I’ll dig up more sapphires, and rubies, and even diamonds! Anything for you. Oh, hey Twilight! Glad to see you awake. I was still conscious when Flemeth picked us up. She’s pretty cool.”

Twilight gaped while Flemeth laughed, this time a bit more jovial. “It would seem little Spike has taken a liking to Rarity. That is good, because she will be joining you in your journeys.”

Everypony’s eyes were wide with disbelief at Flemeth’s statement. Twilight knew that Rarity was competent with her magic, but their journey would take them throughout Equestria. There would certainly be a lot of dirt, mud, and blood to tread through.

“Are my words mumbling in my old age?” Flemeth’s smiled, “Besides young filly, you have been wanting to leave the Wilds for years, ever since you had one look at a Filesian noblewoman’s gemmed dress. I have taught you everything I can, now is the opportunity you have waited for, and it is with these Wardens. They need you.”

“Now wait just an apple buckin’ minute,” Applejack said, “I’m mighty grateful for all you’ve done for us Flemeth, and I’m not trying to look you in the mouth here, but we have enough troubles without adding an apostate to the list. Besides, what does miss fussy flank know about fighting ponyspawn?”

Rarity narrowed her eyes at Applejack. In response to the challenge, her horn glowed and the most exquisitely crafted staff floated from the hut to her side. Both magical foci glowed bright before an arc of lightning erupted, frying a nearby tree to cinders.

“Right. Point taken.” Applejack took a step back as Rarity turned towards her mother.

“Mother, I’m not ready. I still have much to learn, and besides, going out there, with all the blood and the ponyspawn and who knows what other foulness will ruin all my hard work.”

“You must be ready, child,” Flemeth said, “The Grey Wardens will need your help in defeating the Blight, lest it consume everything, including me. As for you Wardens, understand that I am sending with you that which I hold most dear, my only daughter to go into the dangerous world with you. This is not something I do lightly.”

Twilight understood completely what Flemeth was doing and appreciated the gesture, though she was still hesitant due to Rarity’s own reluctance. Still, she would not turn down aid now and Rarity had shown herself a capable unicorn. She had to be living in the Wilds and facing the dangers that hid in the wilderness.

“Mother, I disapprove of this course of action.” Rarity still resisted.

Flemeth laughed. “Of that I am certain,” she said, turning her gaze back to the Wardens, “And I am sure these two will not hear the end of that by journey’s end. But it is done, and you all must go. You have appointments to keep, and a Blight to stop. I’d offer you luck, but it would seem more prudent to ignore such fancies, and simply write your own fate.”

Rarity hanged her head in defeat, only to immediately steel her gaze northward and walk with a steady gait towards the edge of the Wilds. With Spike on her back, Twilight followed the white unicorn, with Applejack trailing behind her. Flemeth watched as they left before turning back towards the hut, a smile on her lips.

“Go Wardens. You have your appointments to keep…as I have mine.”

 

 

The party travelled north through the Wilds, which were mercifully uneventful. They were also silent as Rarity cleared the path to the edge of the Potpourri Wilds. Nopony said anything as they moved forward, keeping their thoughts private. Twilight gave more thought to the magical diagram. Flemeth had said it was as old as the time of Luna, so it was a good estimate that the diagram was written in the old Imperium dialect. Twilight hoped they could find a scholar who could decipher the old text.

As they travelled on the road, the lavender unicorn looked over at Applejack. She was still looking back at Ostequus, likely still thinking back about the battle and the loss of Duncan. Twilight wished there was something she could do for Applejack, but the best she could come up with was to forge ahead and keep the Grey Warden’s duties the priority of the group. It would be what Duncan would want.

The dirt path from the Wilds lead to a remnant of the old Imperium Road, a paved road with some stone pillars where shelter used to be supported. Now it was just another ruin, similar to Ostequus, old but still used. On the other end of the road sat a small village, which according to Twilight’s map was the township of Ponyring.

“This quaint little village is where I went to get all my materials for my work,” Rarity explained, “We can gather supplies here as well as information. Although I believe we should be quick.”

Rarity pointed her hoof towards the village. Many ponies were hitching carts and loading them with all their belongings. Word must have spread of the defeat at Ostequus, and now the ponies of Ponyring were forced to abandon their village before the ponyspawn claimed it as well. Earth ponies young and old were preparing their wagons for their journeys to escape the horde. Twilight wondered where exactly they would go.

The village of Ponyring was bustling with activity as refugees rushed about, getting ready for the roads ahead. Guards tried to maintain order as tempers flared, no doubt fuelled by fear and worries. The Chantry had a line up in front of its doors, and priestesses flanked by the templar gave blessings of protection to anypony who sought it. Faith was a powerful motivator and everypony needed whatever reassurance they could find during uncertain times.

Silver and gold were also powerful motivators. Merchants who hawked their wares in Ponyring were charging exorbitant prices for the necessities of travel, such as food and healing poultices. Twilight wanted to stop the extortion, but Applejack stopped her and shook her head sadly. They had to help everypony from the greater threat.

“Let’s try the tavern,” Applejack suggested, “Lot’s o’ travellers stop by hankerin’ for some sweet apple cider. We might be able to find out what’s goin’ on around Equestria.”

The tavern was packed, filled with ponies of all kinds with the smell of cider thick in the air. Many ponies were discussing where they would go during the Blight and about news from the bannorns. Twilight over heard two ponies talk about Bann Braeburn heading to Trotterim with the rest of the nobility after being summoned by Loghoof.

“Loghoof’s trying to get the support of the nobility,” Applejack explained, “With the king gone, he’ll likely prop himself as regent, unless Teryn Highland steps in to stop him.”

Two armoured ponies approached Twilight and the others. They wore the emblem of Loghoof’s cutie mark and both had sinister grins on their faces. “Well look what we have here,” said one, “The last of the Grey Wardens. Teryn Loghoof has declared you all traitors for killing our beloved King, and that means quite the bounty is on your hides.”

“Traitors!?” Applejack reared, placing herself in front of Loghoof’s soldiers, “It was Loghoof who betrayed the king! Who betrayed the Wardens! I should tan your hide for even thinkin’ like that!”

“Um…excuse me…”

Before Twilight could interrupt, a pony in a yellow coat dressed in the robes of a Chantry sister approached. There was a bow and quiver of arrows hanging to her sides. She flipped her pink mane back as she looked at the soldiers. “These ponies are probably just more refugees,” she said in a quiet voice, “It would be nice if you could just leave them be. Please?”

“They are traitors to Equestria and should be punished as such,” the larger of the two soldiers responded, “Stay out of our way, Sister, or you will meet the same fate.”

“Are we threatening the Chantry now?” said the smaller, “I don’t know about you, but that seems like attracting the wrath of Celestia by attacking her priestesses.”

The yellow pony nodded. “Your friend is right,” she said, “Also you are outnumbered. Two unicorns and an armed earth pony, and though I abhor violence, I’ve learned that sometimes it is necessary.”

The larger soldier grimaced as he realized the implications of his situation. With a loud snort, he and his fellow turned tail and left the tavern peacefully. Applejack shouted oats that Loghoof would pay for Ostequus, but Twilight was more interested in the Sister who helped them.

“Thank you for assistance Sister…”

The pony turned away, her cheeks flushed with colour. “I’m Fluttershy,” she said at last, “I was looking all over Ponyring for you, but didn’t know how to approach you all.”

“How did you know we are the Grey Wardens?” Applejack asked after she was done yelling at Loghoof’s minions.

Fluttershy pointed a hoof towards Spike. “They said the Grey Wardens have a baby dragon with them and not many ponies have baby dragons as companions.”

Spike smoothed his head scales as he smiled. “It’s good being one of a kind. Though I suppose we do stick out like a sore thumb thanks to me.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, then looked over Fluttershy once more. Why was a Chantry Sister following their group? Did the Chantry as a whole want something from the Grey Wardens, or was it something of a personal interest? While Twilight had no ill will towards the Chantry, their priestesses and templar often had ill will towards unicorns and magic in general due to the actions of the Imperium.

There was something else off about Fluttershy. Her soft spoken nature was a contrast to that of the loud and brash forcefulness of Equestrian ponies. Then there was the way she talked, something akin to a hint of an accent long hidden away, but still accompanying the speech every few words.

“Oh how lovely!” Rarity exclaimed, interrupting Twilight’s thoughts, “Fluttershy dear, you must be from Filais! I can see it in the way you move. Such poise, such grace! I can also hear it in your voice. Oh I can’t wait to hear about Filais.”

Fluttershy blushed again from Rarity’s attention. “That just adds more to my question,” Twilight said, “What does a Filesian Chantry Sister want from the Grey Wardens.”

The yellow pony bowed her head low, looking away and muttering something Twilight could not hear. The lavender unicorn inched closer, asking that Fluttershy speak up. Fluttershy looked up to see she was surrounded by three ponies and a baby dragon all staring at her. She squeaked before inhaling a lungful of air.

“I’ve lived in an Equestrian Chantry cloister for three years and just before the battle of Ostequus I had a dream, a vision given to me by Celestia and she said that I had to find the Grey Wardens and help them defeat the Blight so I travelled all the way to Ponyring but when I heard that Ostequus was lost but there were Grey Warden survivors I stayed hoping you would come by and you did because I saw your baby dragon and then I came into the tavern behind you and here we are.”

They all blinked as Fluttyshy turned her eyes back to the ground, her cheeks redder than ever. Twilight was at a loss for words. How could this pony say Celestia talked to her directly? The Chantry said that Celestia turned away from the world after the Imperium corrupted her golden city of Canterlot and put her chosen sister Luna to the torch. The Chantry also taught that it was thanks to Luna’s ascension that Celestia even bothered to turn her gaze back on ponies.

Now this yellow pony was saying that Celestia had sent a vision to her personally. Twilight felt in the right to be more than dubious at Fluttershy’s claims. Then there was the sight of the bow which raised further concerns. Chantry priestesses were known for bad tempers, but not for violence. The appearance, equipment, and mannerisms of Fluttershy suggested the opposite.

“I know you have no reason to believe me,” Fluttershy said, “But it’s something I feel I have to do. I’m not a defenceless pony either; I can use a bow as well as any archer. But whatever you want to do is fine.”

Twilight beckoned the others to group up before decided. “What do you all think?” She asked.

Applejack shook her head. “I dunno, Twi,” the former templar looked over at the shy pony, “Her story seems off, but we do need the numbers. Maybe it’ll look good having a Chantry sister in the group as well. I’m just afraid of what will happen when we come across trouble like ponyspawn.”

“I think we should bring her along,” Rarity said, “She obviously has more skills than that of a priestess, considering her choice of arms and that she talked two of Loghoof’s soldiers to back away.”

“You just want a clothes horse to doll up in frou frou dresses,” Applejack challenged, “We need to think practical like.”

Twilight agreed. “We bring her along, and hope that bow isn’t just for scaring ponies away.”

Spike smiled and gave a short cheer. “Alright team! We have a plan! Break!” The party looked at him before he turned away, cheeks flushed violet. They turned back to Fluttershy who was waiting for them patiently near the fire.

“If you still want to, you can join us,” Twilight said. Fluttershy’s face lit up and she gave a small smile, “Just remember that we are fighting the ponyspawn. It’s going to be a dangerous road ahead. Are you ready for this?”

Fluttershy nodded. “I’ll be ok,” her quiet words belied a hidden confidence, “Filais is not so different from Equestria. Well, except for all the ponyspawn. And the smell of wet dog.”

Applejack snorted at the mention of Equestria’s smell, but said nothing as the now larger party left the tavern. They walked towards some of the merchants, looking over their supplies for what the party would need for the journey. Rarity did most of the shopping, where a single bat of her long eyelashes saw the merchants lower their prices. It seemed almost like theft, especially since they were getting the bargains while the other ponies had to suffer with high prices.

Once they were done, Twilight lifted a map of Equestria with her magic and looked over it, with the other ponies gathering around her as they walked. Red Apple Acres was to east along the southern shore of Lake Blackwater. They could go see Arl Macintosh and get his support. The Unicorn Tower still stood on its small island in the northern part of the lake itself, and Twilight would have little trouble persuading Wise Eyes to lend aid.

However, there was still the issue of the other two points on the map that the other ponies were unsure of. The Everfree forest was very far to the east, the supposed home of the largest clan of Dalish pegasi in Equestria. Twilight did not know much about the pegasi of the Dales, except they had access to magic that could manipulate the weather, build structures from clouds, and even commune with wildlife. The idea of seeing such feats excited Twilight, but the clans were also known to be reclusive and untrusting of other ponies since the Chantry lead an Exalted Gallop against them years ago for not giving tribute to Celestia and Luna.

It would be a challenge to negotiate with the pegasi, but at least Twilight could fill the gap also being an oppressed pony. The donkeys of Orzamule would prove a different challenge altogether. The books in the tower that did have something about the donkeys only spoke of their resistance to magic, their inability to wield the arcane, and their daily struggles against the ponyspawn for living so close to the Dark Tunnels. How could she reason with the donkeys if they didn’t have anything in common?

Twilight sighed. “Well girls,” she said, “We need to head out in a direction soon. I think we could easily get the unicorns to help us, since I know the First Enchanter, then we can cross the lake over to Red Apple Acres and get the help of Arl Macintosh. Anyone have any suggestions?”

A bubbly voice different from any pony in the party’s chimed in. “Ooh! Ooh! I have one! Pick me!”

They all looked around to see a pink earth pony with an incredibly curly pink mane inside a metal cage. She was bouncing up and down in the cage as the ponies approached out of curiosity.

“Uh…I’m sorry, but who are you and why are you locked in a cage?” Twilight asked. The look in those blue eyes gave the unicorn pause for concern. There had to be a reason to lock up a pony when the ponyspawn where fast approaching the village.

“I’m Pinkie Pie!” the pink pony exclaimed, “I was a guard in Ponyring while my family lived in one of the farms outside, but then the ponyspawn came and we got separated! I was all ‘Oh no!’ but my mom said ‘Pinkamena Diane Pie, we are leaving Ponyring for…’ For…Hmm…I can’t remember! Greenwall? Bluewall? Redwall? No wait that last one is filled with mice. Oh well, I’ll remember later.”

“Anyways! We were separated and I didn’t know which way they went so I said to myself ‘Pinkie! You have to do something to tell your family that your still in Ponyring.’ So I did the only thing I knew would send the right message! I had a big fun party! With cakes and treats and games and everything!”

Twilight had begun to regret asking about Pinkie Pie. “So you got locked up for holding a party?”

Pinkie giggled, then shook her head. “Of course not, silly! I got locked up because the party was so loud, it attracted the ponyspawn and brought them over to the outlying farms before Bann Meyer and her soldiers could arrive. They said I wouldn’t be in here very long, but it has been a few days and I have another party just bubbling inside!”

“Twilight,” Fluttershy said, walking up to the violet unicorn’s side, “We can’t just leave her here for the ponyspawn. Maybe she can help us on our journey?”

Twilight sighed as she looked towards Pinkie. Their group was a already consisting of a shy Chantry sister, an apostate fashionista unicorn and two fugitive Grey Wardens. How could one more crazy pony hurt the party?

“If we help you out, can you give us some help against the ponyspawn?” Twilight asked, “Like, what can you do for us?”

“Well, I know how to swing a mace!” Pinkie said, her bright smile seemingly planted on her face, “But I don’t really like using it unless I have to. I am good at mixing things though! Cakes, muffins, sweets, potions, poultices, grenades…”

“Wait a second,” said Applejack, “What was that last one?’

“Grenades!” With a cheer, she pointed a hoof over at a nearby discarded barrel, “I put all my stuff in that barrel. I can show you some of fun grenades I made! I even made a song about it!”

Before any objections could be made, Pinkie opened her cage and rushed towards the old barrel. She dug inside the barrel until she emerged with a case filled with all sorts of different powders, extracts, phials and metal casings. Twilight’s eyes grew wide as Pinkie began to sing while making a grenade:

All you have to do is take a cup of sulphur,

Add it to the mix

Now just take a little lyrium

Not a lot, just a pinch

Making these toys is such a sinch,

Add a teaspoon of saltpetre

Add a little more to the count of four

And you’ll never have your fill of…

Grenades! So fun and splodey!

Grenades! Don’t stand so closely!

Grenades! Grenades, Grenades, GRENADES!

Pinkie nudged the small metal bomb over to Twilight. With a ginger tap of her hoof, she looked at the grenade, then to Pinkie nervously. “Is it safe?”

“Of course it’s safe now!” she giggled, “The fuse isn’t lit, and it’s very important to time these things right. Just like any party has to be timed right!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow before looking over at the cage then back to the pink grenadier. “How did you get out of the cage?’ she asked, now very sceptical about everything concerning Pinkie.

“Oh, the cage was not very well built.” Pinkie demonstrated this fact by opening the cage and getting right back in it. Just as quickly as she was in the cage, she opened it back up again, bouncing in front of Twilight with that infectious smile. “So, can I come with you? Can I? Can I?”

Applejack just gave the same look that she did when Fluttershy asked. We need the numbers, was the wordless exchange and somepony with Pinkie’s skills would be a good addition to their adventuring troupe.

Twilight offered her hoof to the earth pony. “Welcome aboard,” she said with a faint smile, still considering if it was a good idea to let on such an unhinged pony. Pinkie took the hoof and shook it with it surprising strength. As the dizziness from the shaking faded, Twilight saw that Pinkie was now dressed in leather armour, her grenade tool kit packed away in her saddle bag.

“Ooh! That reminds me of a song!” Twilight groaned as Pinkie Pie burst into her lyrics as they made their way northward, back towards Unicorn Tower.

“We’re off to the see the wizards, the wonderful wizards with horns! We’ll find they are the wiz of a wiz! If ever a wiz was born! If ever oh ever a wiz was one…”

---

Chapter 6: Rainbow Encounters

Loghoof walked over to the balcony overlooking the palace hall. The floor was filled with the nobility, mostly the earth ponies who ruled the fertile mainland, the Bannorn. The teryn of Glenwall had spent weeks preparing for this day and his fellow conspirator, Arl Rendon Maim of Amareathine, stood beside him looking over the crowd. The sight of the tan earth pony made Loghoof’s gut wrench. Maim was a scheming, greedy stallion, but necessary for his plans to keep Equestria safe.

Equestria was divided into regions ruled by the nobility. The Bannorn were divided into nine regions, ruled by the local Banns. Of the Banns, all but Bann Meyer of Ponyring were present. The five Arlings were strategic areas that fielded a large battalion of soldiers. Including Arl Maim, Arl Greywolf of West Hills and Arlessa Cheerilee of South Reach were accounted for. The Arl of Trotterim was dead due to sickness and his son “missing”, and thanks to Maim, Arl Macintosh would not make it to this gathering.

A shame, but it had to be done. Macintosh was too loyal to the old bloodline to see Loghoof’s grand strategy. King Blueblood was going to open the gates of Equestria wide open for the Filesians, and he did not fight a bloody war for the majority of his life just to see the old king’s impudent son let the land he loved fall to the enemy. He would not let his children be under the hooves of a tyrant again.

Teryn Highlander of White Fortress would also not be appearing, once again thanks to Arl Maim. Of all the Equestrian nobles, Highlander would have been the one to stop Loghoof’s one opportunity to hold Equestria’s borders secure. It was regrettable that Maim had to massacre White Fortress itself, but Loghoof needed unity amongst all else.

“Nobles of Equestria,” he began, his voice booming throughout the hall, “Know that we face dark times, the likes of which we have not seen since the Filesian occupation. Our noble king Blueblood is dead and Ostequus is loss, but we must still stand united to face-”

“And why is Blueblood pushin’ daisies?” Bann Braeburn shouted towards Loghoof, “You still have your army, and not a single pony had a scratch on ‘em! If I were a bettin’ colt, I’d say you let King Blueblood bite it!”

Arl Maim stepped forward, about to let loose a verbal attack of his own but was held back by Loghoof. Of course Braeburn of Appleoosa would be a problem; the young noble was devoted to Macintosh and shared many of his ideals, though he did not share the same wisdom as the Arl of Red Apple. Still, many of the Bann would side with Braeburn, as long as Loghoof held power. There would be little chance to avoid civil war, though he had the strongest position with the largest share of the army, as well as the support of the Arlings.

“Understand this,” he said aiming his harsh eyes towards the assembled nobles, “As regent, I will brook no threat to Equestria. Not from Filais, not from the ponyspawn, not from you or anypony! Stand against me, and you stand against Equestria herself.”

The banns murmured dissent as they left, Braeburn last as he steeled his gaze on Loghoof. The teryn of Glenwell left the balcony and returned to the inner halls of the palace, followed closely by Arl Maim. Before he could retreat to his quarters, his daughter Armeria approached. Dressed in the regal robes of the queen, the widow to King Blueblood held anger and sorrow in her beautiful face draped in her golden mane.

“Father, is it true?” she asked standing in front of Loghoof. He sighed as she opened the door to his quarters.

“King Blueblood’s death is his own doing, my flower,” he said, “He relied too much on fanciful dreams rather than reality. Until the Filesian and ponyspawn threat are no more, I will protect your throne, you, as regent. When the time comes, you will be queen of Equestria again proper. Until that time, let your father handle the affairs of war.”

Loghoof leaned forward to kiss his daughter’s forehead, but she backed away. She had the same strong eyes as her father, but the soft features of her mother. She stormed off towards her bedroom, leaving only a pained father to fall back to his room.

“Have her watched, Maim,” the teryn ordered, “WATCHED.” Maim’s cutie mark, a bloodied dagger, spoke all too well of his tendencies. If Maim touched a single hair on Armeria’s head, Loghoof would show the Arl of Amaerethine true fury.

“But of course, your Grace,” Maim said with a bow, “I also found a solution to the Grey Warden problem.”

Loghoof turned at the mention of the Grey Wardens. He turned his ears upward to show that he had the Arl’s full attention. Maim opened the door to the chamber as a servant poured a goblet of wine for the teryn. A rainbow maned pegasus in leather armour carrying multiple daggers walked in behind Maim. She had a proud smirk on her face as she bowed to Loghoof.

“The Pura Razan Wonderbolts send their regards,” she said, though she spoke like an Equestrian rather than one from Pura Raza. Loghoof’s snorted as he drank a good helping of wine, but not even that could get the distaste from Maim’s choice out of his mouth.

“Assassins.” He looked at both the pegasus and Maim with contempt. How many lows would he sink in order to protect Equestria? May Celestia protect his soul, his hooves were thick in the mud now.

The cyan mare rolled her eyes. “Not just any assassins, but the best of the best!” she boasted, “Once we find those Wardens, they won’t last ten seconds.”

Again, Loghoof stared at the assassin with harsh eyes. “See to it that they do not.” The pegasus bowed and left, followed by a bow from Maim. With another drink of wine, Loghoof looked out the window of the palace towards Trotterim.

Celestia protect his soul indeed.

* * *

The Unicorn Tower could be seen in the horizon, but Twilight judged the distance between the Tower and their party was still many furlongs of travel at a good pace. They also noted that as long as Loghoof’s soldiers and other bounty hunters were travelling the roads, they would have to take detours to avoid the constant harassment.

They walked during the day and rested at night, both Twilight and Applejack sharing the evening watch and keeping their senses ready for any ponyspawn. The party set camp in a small clearing, with Twilight taking first watch alongside Fluttershy and Rarity. With Spike safe asleep in his basket, Twilight took the opportunity to go around the camp and talk with those in her party.

Of the group, Twilight wanted to get the perspective from Rarity the most. Not just about their task to fight the ponyspawn, but also how she learned magic from Flemeth. Twilight was very curious about the differences in teaching and wanted to contrast how she grew up in the Tower and how Rarity was raised by the Mare of the Mire.

Rarity was sitting away from the fire, mending Pinkie’s leather armour while the pink earth pony was cooking something over the campfire. Twilight laid herself on a blanket next to the white unicorn as she fixed the right foreleg. It came to a surprise that Rarity was doing the repairs by hoof, rather than with magic.

“Mother always says to remember the little details,” she explained, looking up to Twilight’s quizzical expression, “Yes I have magic, but if I do not know the fundamentals behind the magic, then my knowledge is flawed. Then I will not understand. Is there anything I can help you with, dear?”

“You were raised outside of the influence of the Unicorn Circle,” Twilight began, “And I’m just curious how you learned magic from, well, a living legend like Flemeth.”

Rarity laughed, something akin to a noblemare rather than a pony who grew up in the Wilds.

“While it is true that my mother raised me, the Wilds were just as much a teacher as she was.” She looked over Pinkie’s armour, satisfied with her work before continuing. “First, know that Flemeth is not my real mother. She made that very clear when I was a little filly and that she found me in Wilds cold and alone. Then the education started.”

“As I mentioned before, I had to learn the fundamentals of living in the Wilds before I could learn Flemeth’s spells. Before I could spark a fire, I had to make one with sticks. Before I could mend my clothes with magic, I had to use needle and thread. After a while, I began learning to use magic in ways that would serve me. My spell that prevents dirt to cling to me was one such discovery and let me tell you, any unicorn can fling a fireball, but it takes a pony with a careful eye to make sure she is never dirty again.”

Much of Rarity’s words made sense to Twilight and she was impressed that such knowledge was not known to the Unicorn Circle. They always relied on the teachings of the elder unicorns, or what could be gleamed from books. It made Ser Magni’s comments about her own lack of outdoor experience. Add to how often Rarity cast her “dirt spell” and how clean she always appeared, Twilight wondered if the white unicorn was growing in power with every piece of dirt vanquished by her magic, if very slowly.

“What about your mother’s ability to change shape?” Twilight asked, “You said she turned into a giant eagle. No book in the Tower ever mentioned magic that can do that. Can you do the same?”

“Nothing as grand as what my mother can do, I assure you,” Rarity answered, “And what few forms I do take, I prefer to be at least pleasing to my own eye: a beautiful bird, a stunning white cat. Creatures that allow the average person to look on in awe for a moment then just as quickly forget about them.”

“I used that magic to watch the residents of Ponyring every now and again. It was there that I saw the Filesian merchant family and their wonderfully tailored dresses. It was love at first sight. The silks, the velvets, I simply had to shed the old leather and cloth clothing that likely belonged to my mother and make my own works of art. My mother resisted, of course, but she saw that I was learning how to make clothes the same way I learned her magic.”

Rarity’s smile soon turned as a sad expression shadowed her face. “When I was confident enough, I brought my designs to Ponyring and began to sell them. Ponies where surprised at what the marsh mare was bringing to them, but loved them all the same. I made a few gold coins here and there from the dresses and robes, which I brought to the Filesian merchant. They were selling the most exquisite golden mirror, with the frame etched in Filesian poetry. I loved that mirror more than anything in the world, because I could clearly see myself rather than just in murky waters of the Wild.”

“Mother found the mirror, and was furious,” Rarity continued, her eyes now filled with both sadness and anger. “She took all my dresses, my materials, the money and the mirror, dumped it outside our hut and burnt it all in front of me. ‘Watch!’ she had shouted as they burned, ‘Watch as your vanities and luxuries become ash. Only power is permanent.’ Given time, she only allowed me to recreate my efforts if I used magic, but even then she had a look of disgust with the beauty I created.”

Flemeth was not raising a daughter, but instead raising a sorceress who did not want to be one. Twilight wondered how Flemeth could be so callous to the filly she called her daughter. She also wondered what purpose Flemeth had in mind for Rarity once she had become very powerful.

“Do you hate Flemeth for what she did?” Twilight asked. Rarity shook her head, before adding the finishing touches to Pinkie’s armour.

“While we have our disagreements, I cannot hate her for what she did,” the white unicorn answered, “I learned how to become more powerful with my magic. I learned how to survive in the Wilds. But most of all I learned who I was from that mirror, from my work. I have to say, I was shocked when Mother asked me to accompany you, but now I’m glad. I can see the world outside of the hut in the Wilds, really get to see the beauty of everything around me, even if the land does smell like wet dog.”

Twilight laughed at the joke towards Equestria. Before she returned to her tent, Rarity stopped her with a raised hoof.

“Twilight,” she said, “Thank you for listening. I’ve not met many other ponies, and Mother was not always the best conversationalist. It feels good to have someone to confide in. Now if only we can confide in Applejack some decent aesthetic taste.”

They shared a laugh before both retired for the night. Twilight was right, that she and Rarity had a much different education when it came to learning magic, and that there was much they could learn from each other. Gazing up at the night sky, Twilight gave thanks to Luna. Maybe they could beat the Blight after all.

 

 

 

Night turned to day and the party continued their trek north to Unicorn Tower. On the way there Twilight was explaining about life in the Tower, about its collection of books, about Wise Eyes and the rest of the senior enchanters. She avoided topics like the Harrowing and the templar, due to the former being a secret and the latter being a possibly sensitive to the former templar Applejack.

As they travelled, Rarity was showing Twilight her spell for mending simple cloth. Her practical knowledge of needlework made the magic seem much simpler than it would appear, but Twilight was having difficulty with all the different names for stitches. The spell seemed to involve much more than simply moving the needle, instead making the frayed cloth repair itself with the assistance of magic.

Pinkie Pie was bounding up the road until she tripped on a piece of debris. While Applejack helped her up, Twilight took a look at the wooden rubble. Around them sat what appeared to be a cart, marked with slash marks of swords. Or claws.

A shrill scream rang out from a hill. The ponies turned to see a red pegasus flying down towards them, breathing heavily. “Help!” she called as she landed in front of them, “Please, you must help me! Bandits attacked our wagons, and they are chasing my family! I managed to get away, but we are unarmed!”

Before anypony could respond, Pinkie leaped forward towards the frightened flying filly. “Never fear!” she announced, “The Grey Wardens and friends are here! We’ll save your family from those bad bandits!”

“This way! Quickly!” The red pegasus flew off towards the hills, with Pinkie following close behind her. The rest joined their pink companion, with Twilight noting the wreckage of more wagon parts along the way. Two broken wagon wheels lay against some rocks, and another was spotted beneath the shadow of the hill.

The presence of a fifth wheel raised concerns to Twilight. She knew that anypony with a wagon would have a spare wheel, but then came the sight of a sixth wheel that caused the unicorn to stop. “Wait!” she yelled out, “We’re galloping into a trap!”

It was too late. They were already in a rocky crescent with no way easy way out except for the way they came. The red pegasus smirked as she back away, while from the shadows of the rocks came eight other pegasi, each armed with blades and bows, arrows trained on the ponies.

The last to appear was their leader, Twilight guessed. A blue pegasus with a bright rainbow mane, clad in well kept leather armour adorned with daggers. She looked down on the party with her fuchsia eyes, a devious smile growing on her lips. Twilight began channelling a defensive barrier, just like the one she used against the ornlock in the observatory. It would give them valuable seconds to either reason with these ponies, or counterattack.

“I told Loghoof that I’d take the Wardens down in ten seconds flat!” the leader of the assassins called out, “And when I say I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it! Get them!”

That was the moment Twilight needed. Her horn glowed bright as she raised the barrier, her friends readying themselves as the pegasi arrows bounced harmlessly off the shield. With each hit against the magic barrier though, Twilight felt her energy being sapped trying to hold up the shield.

The rainbow pegasus glowered as the other assassins looked to their leader. “You ponies took longer than ten seconds!” she complained, “Get in close and finish them! Do I have show you all how it’s done?”

With a long, thin dagger clenched in her teeth, the cyan mare leapt into the air and charged towards the shield, the blade slashing against the arcane protection. The other assassins joined in with their own weapons, following the lead of the rainbow pegasus. Each attack was drawing more energy out of Twilight. The barrier’s strength held, but the blue shimmer was fading quickly.

“Sugarcube,” Applejack said as she drew her sword, “Drop the shield. We’ll take care of these varmints.”

“Applejack is right, darling,” Rarity said as her eyes crackled with electricity, “You don’t have to defend us all by yourself. They picked the wrong ponies today.”

Twilight looked up and saw each of her allies armed and ready to face the assailants the moment the shield was down. Pinkie had her mace in her mouth and a lyrium explosive ready, while Fluttershy had prepared an arrow. The lavender unicorn did not want to fight other ponies; her mission was to fight against the ponyspawn after all. But the steel in Applejack’s eyes made her realize that this battle could not be avoided, and these opponents could not be reasoned with.

Her horn stopped glowing, allowing Twilight to take a breath as her friends launched a counter-attack. The pegasi were not prepared for the barrier to suddenly cease, flying through the air and missing their targets completely. A lightning bolt from Rarity caused the pegasi to disperse as one received the bolt square in the chest. Twilight looked at the white unicorn with new eyes before turning to see the rest of the fight.

Everything slowed down around Twilight. Rarity was channelling another bolt of lightning from her horn and staff. Applejack was about to slash one of the assassins’s throat. An arrow from Fluttershy was going to sail through the air and pierce an enemy archer. Pinkie was bringing her mace in a downward arc, about to crush a fallen pegasi’s chest. The pink earth pony’s mane was no longer curly but straight as she fought off the attacking party.

She turned slowly to see the rainbow assassin diving right towards her. Twilight ducked, but still felt the sharp dagger slice her skin. Her staff fired a few blasts of energy at her attacker while she looked her cut over. Not lethal and not burning. There was no poison on the pegasus’ blade. Twilight then turned to see the red pegasus that led them into the ambush gallop towards her with her own dagger ready.

Concern for Spike overruled everything. Twilight’s horn glowed bright as she channelled the spell to let loose a cone of magical cold point blank into the attacking pegasus. The effects were the same here as they were in the observatory at Ostequus; the pegasus froze in place, a fearful expression iced over her face.

Twilight’s breathing grew heavy and rapid as she realized what she had done. She had learned offensive spells in the Tower due to her teacher’s insistence. They had said that in the event of a demon possessing another unicorn through the Fade, she would be grateful that she knew such spells to save her. Indeed, she was grateful as the spells did save her against such monsters as demons and the ponyspawn. But now she had just taken the life of pegasus pony with her magic. The violet unicorn grew numb as she slowly backed away from the frozen carcass.

Her magic did that. The same magic Rarity used to cast lightning bolts. This was the same magic that the Chantry and the templar and everypony feared and hated. Now Twilight realized that they had every reason to fear magic when it could do more than create. It could kill as quickly as a thought.

Before she knew it, two hooves where on her shoulders, keeping her steady as she heaved. To her left was Rarity and to her right was Pinkie Pie, holding her steady as she looked around the battlefield. Her friends had scratches and bruises, but were no worse for wear. The assassins on the other hand, were all dead except for the rainbow pegasus who had Fluttershy and Applejack standing over her, weapons drawn.

“I…” Twilight could not find the words. Instead she fell against the embrace of the two ponies as Spike held on to her neck. She began to sob into the forelegs of her friends, the iced corpse still haunting her.

Rarity tried to calm Twilight down, stroking her mane gingerly with a hoof. “It was the first time you took another pony’s life,” she said, not as a question but a statement. Though her face was covered in tears, Twilight was able to nod. Pinkie tried to help, but her hair was still straight and not in bouncy curls, offering the same confident words. It was a strain to try to hear them.

“It’s bad,” the pink earth pony said to Twilight, “It’s a bad feeling, but if you feel like you do, it means you aren’t turning into the monsters you fight.”

“But they weren’t monsters!” Twilight almost yelled back, but her throat felt strained, and instead her protest was a silenced scream, “They were ponies, like the rest of us.”

“They were ponies who didn’t give us much of a choice,” Rarity was doing her best to console her, but Twilight couldn’t stop trembling, “And sometimes, a pony can be a worse monster than any ponyspawn. But this is what the world is: dangerous and cruel. You have to be hardened to survive.”

Twilight looked up at the two ponies. Rarity had likely killed before, living in the wilds as an apostate under Flemeth. Pinkie would be no stranger to violence, serving as a guard in Ponyring. Applejack had displayed great skill in battle many times over. Fluttershy’s knowledge of the bow was odd for a Chantry sister, but now Twilight was grateful she was on their side.

There was one question she had to ask. The lavender unicorn looked up to Rarity and Pinkie, her eyes red and puffy from crying. “Does it get easier?”

They looked at each other for a moment before nodding sadly. “Yes,” they said in unison. Their answer sparked a new wave of sobs. Twilight was a Grey Warden, which meant she would fight and kill ponyspawn. But this also meant she had to fight and eventually kill any pony that stood against her again.

We do what we must. She heard Duncan speak to her in her memories, of what it meant to be a Grey Warden. But right now all she wanted was to return to Unicorn Tower, to be somewhere familiar and have a sense of safety once again.

After a few minutes had passed, Twilight picked herself up and levitated a cloth from her bag to her eyes. The assailants had set them back, and they needed to get back precious time. Before the party could move, there was still the matter of the rainbow pegasus prisoner.

As Twilight walked over to Applejack and Fluttershy, she noticed that Applejack had tied the assassin’s wings together with rope, keeping her sword ready for any quick movements. However, the pegasus did not struggle or even make any attempt to escape. Defeat was laced on her fuchsia eyes.

“Well, I’m knackered,” the pegasus said flatly as Twilight looked down on her, “Make it quick Warden, I’m already dead.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Who are you and why are you already dead?” she asked.

“Name’s Rainbow Dash,” the pegasus answered, “And I’m dead ‘cause I failed the job. You were the job, and you’re not dead. The Wonderbolts never fail. Do the math.”

“I would do the math if I knew who the Wonderbolts were.” Twilight was not in the mood for guessing games. Her staff floated closer to the Rainbow’s head, but she didn’t flinch.

“What about all your friends?”

Rainbow laughed. “Those weren’t my friends,” she said, “Just other Wonderbolt hopefuls like me. They sent us because Arl Maim was offering a meagre pay day for the Grey Wardens, so they thought they didn’t need their experienced assassins.”

Twilight turned away from Rainbow Dash as she mentioned Arl Maim. They now had another enemy other than Loghoof and the ponyspawn to contend with. Would they have to fight off the rest of the Equestrian nobility? She didn’t want to think about how many more ponies would have to be put to the sword. Those who perished today seemed too much already.

“What are we gonna do about her?” Applejack asked. Twilight looked at the bound pegasus before turning away, back to the direction of Unicorn Tower. She had taken her fill of death today.

“Let her go,” Twilight said, “We wasted enough time.”

Applejack looked concerned as she untied Rainbow, but said nothing as she returned the lasso over her shoulder. The rest of the party fell in line behind Twilight as they walked to the path. They only made it a furlong away until a shout echoed in the sky.

“Wait!”

The group looked up to see Rainbow Dash flying above them, landing in front of Twilight. The unicorn felt tired as she watched Rainbow lower her head towards her. With fatigued eyes, she tilted her ears upwards to show that she was listening.

Rainbow had a feeble smile, as if appealing to Twilight’s better nature. A nature I feel like I have to struggle to keep, she thought to herself.

“I know you have no reason to trust me…wait that’s a bad start,” Rainbow appeared to be having difficulty finding the words for her case, “Argh! Just, let me come with you! I could be a real help against the ponyspawn! And Loghoof and Maim!”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed at the assassin. How dare she even suggest such a thing? Before she could say anything, Applejack interrupted. “Are you a few leaves short of an apple tree?” The Wardens seemed to have been sharing the same thought as Applejack stared down Rainbow with her green eyes, “You ambush us, and now you want to be all friendly like? What’s stopping you from stabbing us in the back the moment we turn away?”

Now Rainbow rose up meeting Applejack’s stare. “I took the job so I could get out of Pura Raza!” She shot back, “I was born in Equestria and lived here before my mother took me to Pura Raza because she felt it was a better life for pegasi. When Maim had the job posted for assassins, I begged the Wonderbolts to let me come here. I was hoping that this would be the last job to get into the Wonderbolts and stay in Equestria.”

“I never thought I’d actually lose. I never thought I’d be spared! Let me make it up to you. I can fight, you just saw that! I’m the fastest pegasus you’ll ever meet, I know my way around traps and poisons. I’ll even swear an oath to you, which I’ll never turn against you.”

Anger flushed Twilight’s features as she looked down on Rainbow. Yet she made very excellent points. She was skilled in battle and if her claims were true, her other skills would be useful. They could also use a pegasus pony as a scout and as part in hit-and-run tactics.

But then there was the fact that she would be reminded of this day every time she looked at Rainbow Dash. Twilight was not sure she was prepared to be reminded of her first kill in the eyes of another pony. Then she looked at her staff, a symbol of her magic and thought of her horn. There would be plenty of reminders of shedding first blood all around her.

With a heavy sigh, Twilight turned to the rest of the party, wanting to hear their thoughts on Rainbow Dash. “I don’t know Twilight,” Applejack said, “I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her, but we do need the numbers, and a pegasus would be handy.”

“Besides having a mane that appears never to have heard the words ‘brush’ or ‘comb’, I am not too inclined to trust Rainbow Dash as well.” Rarity kept her distance from Rainbow.

Pinkie Pie bounded up to Twilight, her main back to its bouncy curls. “You shouldn’t stay mad at Dashie,” she said, surprising Twilight by already having a nickname for the assassin, “It will make you unhappy. I know! If you bring her, we can almost complete a whole party! She’d be the snarky rogue, while I’m the comedic relief, and Applejack can tank! Now if only we could find heals…”

Before Twilight could make sense of Pinkie’s babbling, Fluttershy approached her. “Um…” she began as usual, not making eye contact with Twilight, “The Chantry doesn’t say much, but they do say forgiveness is part of Celestia’s light. And, um, it would be nice to have a pegasus in the group. If you want.”

Once again it was up to Twilight to make the decision for the party. She wondered how she got caught up in the leadership role when she would have been more comfortable following a capable pony like Applejack. She heard her friends’ opinions on the matter and had concluded what she would do.

“Alright Rainbow Dash,” she said to the cyan pegasus, “I’ll let you join us if you swear an oath of loyalty, as much as that is worth. Just remember that we are fighting against not just ponyspawn, but Loghoof and his supporters as well.”

Rainbow’s face lit up in a bright smile. She spoke with pride as she gave a salute to the Twilight. “I, Rainbow Dash, best flyer ever to come out of Equestria AND Pura Raza, so swear my loyalty to the Grey Wardens! Cross my heart and hope to die, stick hot Lyrium in my eye!”

Pinkie nodded in agreement to the oath, while Rarity had a look of disapproval amusingly matched by Applejack. As Rainbow made her introductions to the rest of the party, Twilight returned her eyes towards Unicorn Tower in the distance. It would take until nightfall to reach the tower, but now more than ever she wanted the guidance of her teachers, especially Wise Eyes.

There was still one more task that needed to be done. The dead should not be left alone for the crows and the ponyspawn to find and desecrate. With her magic, Twilight levitated pieces of the broken cart and began to lay them out. She would use the debris from Rainbow’s trap to make funeral pyres for her attackers. Wordlessly, the others helped including the assassin pegasus.

One by one, each corpse was placed on a pile of wood, ready for the torch.

Twilight looked over to the pegasus that she had froze with her ice magic. She beckoned to Applejack to help her lift the frozen body up and onto her own pyre. Gently they laid out the pegasus as Twilight whispered for forgiveness. Her thoughts went to the pegasus and if she had family, to them as well.

What if she had foals? What if they sought Twilight out in the future, vengeance in their hearts? How could she tell them that she was forced to slay their mother in defense of herself as well as Equestria? So many questions. So many answers Twilight did not wish to know.

The ponies gathered around the pyres before Fluttershy stepped forward. As a Chantry sister, she would be the one who knew the right prayers to send off the dead on their way to be judged by the hooves of Celestia. Instead of speaking the words, Fluttershy began to sing, a soft hymn filled with sorrow of loss but still holding hope for mercy.

The ponies kept their heads low as Twilight’s staff ignited a spark towards the first pyre. As Fluttershy sang the hymn, the unicorn moved from pyre to pyre, setting the wood aflame. Twilight watched as the bodies burned, taking note that Rainbow Dash was standing by her side. She felt cold despite the flames, but said nothing as the assassin began to recite names.

“Skywind. Roof Hopper. Cloudburst. Redwing. White Streak. They were all like me, in this job. Just looking for a way to survive outside of Pura Raza. I’m sorry, Twilight. If it means anything to you.”

Twilight would remember those names. Especially Redwing. With one hoof in front of the other, the now larger party resumed their journey to the Circle of Unicorns. Hopefully they could enlist the aid of the unicorns there quickly and cross Blackwater Lake into Red Apple Acres in a short amount of time. Somehow, though, Twilight could feel that danger was lurking under every shadow.

Still, Twilight could put all thoughts of danger and death away for a moment as she saw the group of ponies she would be travelling the long road with. With Spike at her side, she allowed herself a small smile before returning to the path towards the Tower.

 

 

Never had Spike felt as horrible as he did now. He knew the dangers of magic all his life, seeing unicorns lift objects with their minds to creating violent storms of ice and fire, but had never seen it actually used against a pony. It was alright against the savage ponyspawn, but seeing it cast against a pony and knowing that it was Twilight who flung the spell made him uneasy.

It was his fault entirely. He was the one who pushed for Twilight to join the Grey Wardens. He was the one who suggested it in the first place and all for a life of adventure outside of the Tower. The look on Twilight’s eyes, the sheer terror at what she had done, made Spike consider what he had wrought. It killed him to see his best friend, the only pony he had ever felt love from in so much pain.

No matter what, Twilight, I’m going to make it up to you, Spike thought, No matter the cost, I’ll make sure you’re happy.

---

Chapter 7: Return to Unicorn Tower

Twilight tried to focus on something else, something to get her mind off the battle with the assassins. She tried to think about Unicorn Tower, and their books. Books about wars and battles and death. Tomes with spells to reduce a pony to dust. She felt ill just from considering such thoughts.

She then turned her thoughts to kindly old Wise Eyes, somepony who could give her counsel. Counsel like how best to freeze a pony’s heart from the inside and shattering it into a million pieces. Twilight needed something to keep her mind off the killing. Ironically, even a ponyspawn attack would help. Or another Pinkie Pie song.

Night fell over Lake Blackwater, the moon and stars shining in the sky as the party approached the ferry docks. It was a strange contrast with the bright night sky and the murky waters that gave Blackwater its name. The ferry could be seen travelling back towards the docks, where much to Twilight’s surprise she could see that several templar were waiting for the small boat to return.

Several scenarios played out as to why there were templar waiting for the ferry. Perhaps it was a changing of the guard, maybe some sort of training exercise. But all the templar were well armed and armoured, and held the same look Twilight had seen so many times. They gave a look hinting at thier fear of magic, and thier presence indicated the danger they would soon face. There was trouble in Unicorn Tower.

Twilight galloped at full speed, ignoring the calls from her friends. The thought that the only home she had ever known was in danger from either the templar or something within made her heart race faster.

“Excuse me!” she called out toward the templar, “Excuse me! What’s going on, what’s happening in the Tower?”

A young templar reacted to the sight of Twilight and Rarity by drawing his sword bit. “Apostates!” he called out before being held back by another templar.

“They are with the Grey Wardens,” he said, pushing the young templar back and pointing at Twilight’s cutie mark, “Their apostates are protected under their banner. For now.”

One of the larger templar turned to face the unicorn. His eyes were filled with disgust at the prospect of even exchanging greetigs with a pony of magic. “Listen here,” he began, “Knight Commander Hornshield sent out missives to Trotterim and other Chantries. His message says that there has been a unicorn uprising and that they are using Dark Arts. Blood magic, demon summoning, the whole works.”

An uprising? There had always been mutterings of dissent among the unicorns about throwing out the templar overseers, but Twilight always had thought Wise Eyes kept the tempers in check. What had happened between the time between her leaving the tower, the battle of Ostequus and now this? How could she enlist the aid of the unicorns now that they were fighting a battle with the soldiers of the Chantry?

The others quickly grouped up around her, concerned looks in their eyes. With the exception of Pinkie, who was bouncing up and down excited to be around so many ponies in one place. “Is it a party?” she asked with that bright smile, “I can cook up some tasty treats in a pinch! Or maybe put together some fun grenades!”

Twilight shook her head. “It’s not a party Pinkie.” She took a deep breath before continuing.

“There’s some kind of rebellion going on inside the Tower. The templar are fighting against Dark Art sorcerers, who are using Blood Magic and summoning demons from the Fade.”

“D-d-demons?” Fluttershy squeaked in surprise, “As in, evil corrupting monsters who take delight in torturing ponies with their sadistic magic, who will also try to possess your body and do the same thing to your very soul?!”

“That’s about right,” Twilight answered. Fluttershy sunk to the ground, head low and trembling. The lavender unicorn turned back to the tower. “Lesser demons like Shades and creatures of Rage don’t need a pony to possess, just enough of a tear in the Veil to sink through. More powerful demons like Sloth and Desire do need a pony, which only adds to the problem.”

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie raised their eyebrows in mutual confusion. “The Veil is the barrier that separates the physical realm from the dreamscape of the Fade,” explained Rarity, “Death, violence, very negative thoughts about last summer’s fashions are ways to weaken the Veil. Unicorns are sensitive to the Fade already, which makes us excellent targets for demons, but they are known to possess anything they can reach, just to be a part of the physical world.”

Twilight was glad there was another unicorn to explain things like the Fade with her. “That’s not all,” she continued, “A unicorn who is possessed by a demon becomes an abomination, a twisted pony who is hardly recognizable due to all the changes they are under, physical and otherwise. Abominations are dangerous, and will fight to the last for the body they have claimed.”

Fluttershy lifted her head from under her hooves. “Is there any way to cure an abomination?”

Her eyes closed, she said but one word: “No.” Twilight remembered the first time she had come face to face with a possessed unicorn. He was like the other magic users taking part in the rebellion, angry at the templar for their strict watch over the unicorns, and angry at Wise Eyes for not allowing him to pursue more powerful spells. In the dead of night, a demon of Rage took his body, shifting the form into a hideous and perverse mockery of a pony.

Twilight was awoken during the attack and feared for her life until the templar burst into the dormitory, with Hornshield himself slaying the abomination. After the attack, there were weeks of questioning and months of the templar not allowing any magic to be cast. Until the past week with the Wardens, Twilight had never been so scared in her life.

She had to steel her resolve. Turning to her party, Twilight pointed a hoof towards the Tower.

“We are going to save those unicorns,” she announced, “And we are going to stop whatever demons incited this uprising.”

“Pinkie,” Twilight said as she began to organize their efforts, “We are going to need flashing grenades to distract the demons and Dark unicorns from casting spells. Fluttershy, you hang to the rear with myself and Rarity and help us deal with enemies from range. Applejack, Rainbow, you two will be our front line. Hold off any demons and abominations that charge towards us. We’ll keep a loose wedge formation to support each other.”

“What about me?” Spike sat up on Twilight’s back with a salute. Twilight sighed.

“Keep out of trouble, and stay close to us.” Ignoring Spike’s disgruntled rumblings, Twilight turned to her friends, looking them over. “Everyone ready?” The party stood tall with her, even though Fluttershy could not stop trembling. With a nod, Twilight turned back towards the docks.

The other templar crossed the water while they were talking, but the ferrypony was making his way back across Lake Blackwater. The old earth pony looked up, his expression grim as Twilight and the others approached him.

“I remember you,” he said to Twilight, “The unicorn that left with that Grey Warden. You’ll wish you never came back, the Tower is in a right mess.” The ferrypony was about to tie the ferry up to the dock before the unicorn stepped in front of him.

“I’m sorry, but we have to get across to the Tower. It’s urgent we speak to Knight Commander Hornshield.” With her magic, Twilight levitated the Grey Warden documents so the ferrypony could see them. With a sigh, the old earth pony removed the rope from the dock post and stepped into the boat.

With their group as large as it was, Twilight decided that she, Rarity and Applejack would go across the lake first, followed by Pinkie and Fluttershy with Rainbow Dash flying over to the Tower. While the ferrypony was busy sailing the boat across the lake, Applejack shook her head as she looked towards the Tower.

“Never thought ah’d come back here again,” the blonde earth pony said, “Only been here once, but once was enough. Was just a squire then, but the templar brought me in to watch a Harrowing. Worst thing I ever saw, until Ostequus. The unicorn they brought in…” Applejack looked down, but Twilight knew what she meant. Not every unicorn survived the Harrowing.

Applejack looked at both Twilight and Rarity. “Ah know we needed the templar powers to beat that ornlock back in the observatory, but it’s stirred up something fierce. Something Ah was hoping to forget. Being a templar and learning all their skills ain’t easy. Especially when they use lyrium to make the magic come out.”

Rarity appeared puzzled by this explanation. “Lyrium? That brings out magic in even the most mundane of ponies. What do the templar do with their recruits that involves lyrium?”

Twilight was also interested in Applejack’s answer. Having lived with templar watchers for so long and not being privy to their secrets, she wanted to know as much as any unicorn about how they were able to nullify magic.

Applejack took a deep breath before continuing. “You ain’t hearing any of this from me,” she said, “But the Chantry gives us lyrium to put into our blood. Then we’re taught how to see the flow of magic and stop it, like a dam in a river. Takes a lot of effort to do that, let me tell you. Also it feels good to have the lyrium inside you. When a templar is done training, they give the pony a much larger amount of the stuff to get them hooked. Since the Chantry controls the legal lyrium trade, they can also control the templar like a barkeep control a drunkard with his cider.”

“Ah was so glad when Duncan came to take me away from that life. I still have the lyrium in me to do the fancy tricks of the templar, but not enough to shrug off, say, a fireball. And now we’re going to the Tower. It feels like I woulda came here no matter what happened in my life.”

As the boat approached the Tower’s dock, Twilight felt sorry for Applejack having to go through all the training of the Chantry, including the dogma. Thankfully, the earth pony did not seem to hold a hatred for unicorns or their magic. Just a cautionary eye around apostates like Rarity, and Dark Arts users like those who were inciting the rebellion inside the Tower now.

Twilight looked up towards the Tower as they waited for the ferry to bring Fluttershy and Pinkie over. When she left with Duncan, the Tower had looked grand in the sunlight, but now it just loomed over her like a haunting shadow. Inside the structure waited demons and Maleficar alike, with the templar fighting a losing battle against the denizens of the Fade. If they were going to get the aid of the Unicorn Circle, the party would have to struggle against nightmares they never thought possible. They were, after all, the greatest weapons in the demons’ arsenal.

After showing the treaties to the templar guards at the front entrance, Twilight and her group made their way to the main foyer before the iron doors that lead into the rest of the Tower. The templar situation was much worse than she imagined. Many of the earth ponies were wounded, lying on blankets as their apothecaries did their best to heal the wounds with salves and poultices. Many of the wounded were covered in burnt flesh, likely caused by Rage demons, while others had gashes and ugly scares caused by abominations and shades.

“By the light of Celestia,” came a familiar voice, “Twilight Sparkle. You’ve returned to a dire situation, young one.” Never had Twilight seen the Knight Commander look so tired and old. With so many templar down, he had likely never seen such a disaster strike his watch over the unicorns.

Hornshield turned towards the iron door, his head low. “The attacks started a few days after you and the Grey Warden left. Hubred and his ilk unleashed their Dark Arts on my templar, unleashing demons and blood magic against us. First Enchanter Wise Eyes tried to reason with Hubred, but he and the rest of the senior enchanters were captured by Hubred and his demons. I fear the worst.”

“I fear Unicorn Tower is lost. There are too many demons and Maleficar for this force of templar alone. I have sent word to the Chantry of Trotterim, requesting for the Right of Annulment, may the Sisters have mercy on my soul.”

Twilight gasped as she heard the Knight Commander mention the Right of Annulment. As her friends gave her questioning eyes, she did not know if she could face them and the dangers of the Tower. If Hornshield had deemed it necessary to call for the Right, then the situation was not just dire, but near hopeless.

“Listen everypony,” Twilight began, “The Right of Annulment is the act of purging the Unicorn Tower completely. Demons, Maleficar, unicorns, anypony the templar find they will put to the torch.”

“If the Chantry agrees, and ah’m right sure they will,” Applejack added.

Hornshield looked away from Twilight, almost ashamed. “Every one hundred years in Equestria has the Right of Annulment been used to purge the Tower. I had hoped during my service I would not have to resort to such measures. If the First Enchanter stood before me and told me the threat was passed, I would call off the Right.”

There it was, the only opportunity to save the Tower and the unicorns. “Knight Commander,”

Twilight said, “Let us go into the Tower, rescue Wise Eyes and stop Hubred. Your templar are in no shape to face the demons, but we are. We need the help of the unicorns against the Blight, and I know you don’t want the Right of Annulment brought down on the Tower. Please, Hornshield. We won’t fail.”

The old templar looked at Twilight, respect shining in his battered eyes. “I will allow it,” he said, “We have not had any demons attacking the iron doors for the past day. Perhaps things are finally getting under control. But once you cross the threshold, the doors will remain closed until I am certain the First Enchanter is with you. Is that understood?”

Twilight nodded to the templar commander before she looked to her party. They all stood ready to enter the Tower, though Fluttershy was still shaking and Pinkie was still bouncing around merrily. Still, there was no turning back now. They needed to begin their ascent up the tower to find Hubred and Wise Eyes.

The iron doors opened, revealing a serene and calm scene that was the entrance to the Tower proper. The sight was a contrast to what Hornshield had described. Nothing was out of place and there was no sign of battle. No blood stains from blades or scorch marks from fire.

“Spike, stay with the templar,” Twilight said as she bumped the baby dragon off her back, “It’s too dangerous for you.”

“But Twilight!” Spike complained, but could do nothing as she and the rest of the ponies turned towards the inner tower. Hornshield nodded as he beckoned for Spike to come see an assortment of gemstones.

True to the knight commander’s words, as the last of the party entered the Tower, the heavy doors were closed behind them. “This place is too confined!” Rainbow Dash complained, “How am I supposed to use my amazing acrobatic aerial assaults in a place like this?”

“Ya don’t,” said Applejack, “You stay close just like Twilight said. Where to next sugarcube?”

“We have to begin to climb the tower,” the lavender unicorn pointed a hoof towards the stair case, “The second floor has all the classrooms for the younger unicorns. We’ll be able to get to the dormitories and the libraries after that.”

The party quickly galloped up the stairs, opening the door to the classrooms. Unlike the entrance to the island spire, the classrooms appeared to have been struck by a whirlwind. Books and parchment were strewn about and ruined, with burn marks from spells and demons scarring the ground and walls.

As they continued, Twilight could feel a stinging in her horn. Magic was clashing against magic. She looked to Rarity who was in obvious discomfort, likely feeling the powers of the arcane slamming against each other. The ponies surrounded the door, with Applejack and Rainbow taking the lead. Carefully, Twilight opened the door to the classroom, moving forward to meet the threat.

They were instead met with the surprised look of wounded unicorns and templar. In the archway leading into the classroom, a blue unicorn with a silver mane was struggling to keep up a magical barrier under assault by several Rage demons. Her horn glowed bright, channelling energy into the shield protecting the unicorns behind her.

Twilight was impressed by Trixie’s magical aptitude. Hornshield had said the attacks were relenting somewhat and after seeing Trixie fight back against the demons, Twilight wondered how much of the “Great and Powerful” title was true and not just bravado. However, keeping up such a barrier was greatly taxing and it would only be a matter of time until she faltered.

“Trixie!” Twilight called as she galloped over to the blue unicorn’s side. Trixie turned her head only slightly, eyes wide in shock.

“Y-you?” she said as the Rage demons continued to claw at her shield, “What are you doing here? The Great and Powerful Trixie did not ask for your return! She can handle these demons herself!”

The magical bulwark shimmered a bit as Trixie cried out in pain. The demons would soon cause its collapse, and their hatred was focused on the pony who had hindered them for so long.

“Trixie, you can’t keep that barrier up forever,” Twilight said. She looked down and saw Trixie’s star headed staff on the ground, snapped in two. “Drop the shield and let us help you! I can see that you are incredibly gifted for magic, but you’ve been fighting demons for days!”

Trixie grimaced as she looked to see her shield begin to falter. “OK!” cried the silver maned unicorn, “Trixie will drop her barrier but you have to defeat the demons. Trixie…I only know a few fire spells, everything else I know is defensive! Impressively defensive, but still no use in banishing demons!”

With a gasp, Trixie fell to her knees and the barrier was gone. The Rage demons surged forward, their flaming maws opened wide as they made a burning path towards Trixie. Twilight and Rarity stepped forward, their horns and staves glowing in sync as they channelled their energy into arcane blasts, forcing the monsters of the Fade to avert their attention to them.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash moved to help them, but stopped as Twilight raised a hoof. The Rage demons were creatures of living fire, and getting close to one was similar to sticking one’s hoof into a forge. Thankfully, with Rarity’s help, their magical barrage did not cease, and the demons were dispelled from the physical world, too weakened to maintain their bodies.

Trixie got back to her hooves, dusting herself off and adjusting her large pointed hat. The starry hat and cape she always wore was now in tatters, the edges were frayed and burnt during the attack. She immediately regained her usual composure as she walked over to Twilight.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie may indeed be grateful for your timely arrival,” she said while looking over her hoof, “Trixie has been holding off the demons for days, protecting her young charges from the madness that was her former mentor Hubred.”

“About that,” Twilight looked past the doorway to where the stairs leaded to the libraries, wondering what the demon controlled areas of the tower looked like, “What happened? Hubred was your mentor, but now he’s summoning demons and leading Maleficar against the templar.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie would not associate herself with demons and Maleficar.” With a huff, she looked at her broken staff sadly. Twilight almost caught a glimpse of a tear as Trixie put the broken pieces on a table. “Trixie made a promise to become Great and Powerful on her own, and she has succeeded at that. When Hubred came to Trixie, she knew that her mentor had made a deal with a demon. Many unicorns were suddenly using Dark Arts, including blood magic. Wise Eyes and the rest of the senior enchanters went to confront Hubred in the Harrowing Chamber.”

“What are you doing here?” Trixie looked at Twilight with narrowed eyes, still holding that same rivalry the two had shared as fillies as top priority. Twilight explained her task to save Wise Eyes and stop Hubred before the templar could enact the Right of Annulment. The mention of the Right made the colour in Trixie’s face fade.

“They can’t!” she called out, “All the young unicorns…I mean, the Great and Powerful Trixie is still in the Tower! Well if YOU are going to go into the Tower, then so will the Great and Powerful Trixie. You should thank Celestia while you’re at it.”

With her snout in the air, Trixie walked over to the door. Applejack groaned, while Rarity shook her head. The others simply murmured as Twilight sighed before following the braggart up the stairs towards the library.

Things were as bad as Hornshield had said. Unlike the lower floors, the library was a ruined warzone, covered in fleshy pustules on the floor and walls. This was the work of several demons, corrupting what they could to create an ideal habitat. As Pinkie was poking one of the globules with a hoof, Twilight called out to warn her away.

“Stay away from those!” she warned, “Those…those were ponies. Ponies who can’t become full abominations become this. As far as anypony is concerned, they can’t be saved. We should move on.”

The shape of the library was a nightmare to Twilight. How many years had she spent in this hall, reading as many books on magic as she could get her hooves on, taking in all the lessons her elders had to teach? Now all of that was being burnt away by a mad unicorn’s hunger for power. Did Hubred not realize what the templar would do in this situation? Or did he even care?

Fluttershy let out a sharp gasp as they turned towards the staircase. A group of abominations surrounded a wooden cabinet, smacking against the drawers with their hooves. At the sound of Fluttershy’s cry they turned towards the party, their full grotesque visage in view. If it were not for their four legs and hooves, they would hardly have been considered ponies at all; their bodies covered in twisted flesh and blood filled boils. Their teeth were sharp and jagged, and their eyes a dark crimson.

With a roar the abominations charged, their teeth gnashing for flesh. Applejack and Rainbow pushed forward, delivering sharp blows with their blades. Too confined for her grenades, Pinkie also leaped into the fray, swinging her mace against the twisted creatures. Fluttershy also joined in, firing arrow after arrow into the abominations. Twilight, Rarity and Trixie held back though, not wanting to attract the attention on the abominations with their magic.

Trixie stepped forward however, and began to chant as her horn glowed bright. As the words flowed from her lips, the spell she was casting began to take form, causing the attacking ponies to glow with energy. Twilight watched as her friends began to fight quicker, striking stronger blows with their weapons until the last abomination fell. Each look surprised at how well they did, for not one had suffered a scratch against the abominations.

“Did the Great and Powerful Trixie not say she was a master of defensive spellwork?” Hearing the pride in Trixie’s voice made Twilight consider if Trixie was possessed by a Pride demon, but instead gave a weak smile of agreement as they approached the cabinet. As Twilight neared the cabinet, she overheared two quiet voices.

“Hey Snips, can we get out of here? It smells bad, like old cheese.”

“Not yet, Snails! You don’t want to be a demon’s lunch, do you?”

“Mmm…lunch.” Though the voices were muffled, Twilight recognized them immediately as the two unicorn colts Snips and Snails. They were not the brightest by any stretch, but still did not deserve being trapped in the Tower with demons. With her magic, the lavender unicorn forced the cabinet open, revealing the two scared unicorns shaking and covering their eyes with their hooves.

“Please don’t eat us!” Snips cried out, “We don’t taste very good! We taste like…like…Snails, help me out!”

Snails thought for a moment before looking up. “Taste like green beans and yams!”

“What if they like beans and yams?” Snips retorted before finally seeing who had opened the cabinet. A wide smile of relief formed on the chubby colt’s face. “It’s the Great and Powerful Trixie! She’s come to save us and vanquish the evil Hubred!”

Trixie gave a weak laugh at the praise and expectation from Snips. She looked to Twilight who simply raised an eyebrow and gave a wave of her hoof; her way of saying they’re all yours. “Of course the Great and Powerful Trixie will save the Tower,” she said, “We just need to know what happened since Trixie made a, how can we say, tactical retreat.”

“Bookworm was here digging for something,” Snails said, “A scroll or something. The Liter…Lida…Lemon…”

As Snails struggled to remember, Twilight looked to Trixie as they both realized what he was trying to say. “The Litany of Dawn!” They shouted in unison, quickly shooting daggers at each other with their eyes. The rest of the ponies offered only puzzled expressions.

“The Litany of Dawn was a chanted spell written by a unicorn named Dawnstride several hundred years ago,” Twilight explained, “It’s a spell that when chanted allows a unicorn to stop the Dark Arts from being used. It’s not effective against demonic possession, but it does work well against mind control.”

“If Bookworm had the Litany, then he’s likely gone to try to stop Hubred by himself,” Trixie began to pace, walking back in forth as she appeared deep in thought. “We have to keep going up the Tower before Bookworm gets to Hubred and loses the Litany!” Without warning Trixie charged up the stairs, leaving the party behind.

“We’ll just stay in here,” Snips said before closing the cabinet. Twilight let out a noise of exasperation before joining Trixie up the stairs towards the dormitories. As they climbed, the walls were increasingly covered in more flesh and blood, the abominations spreading their filth everywhere they could.

Trixie was waiting by the archway leading into the centre room. She pointed a hoof towards the centre of the room, her eyes wide with fear.

The room looked like a crowd of ponies exploded, leaving their entrails and corrupted flesh on the walls and floors. Only the torn robes of unicorns and the battered armour of templar told who had fought in the room. In the centre of the room was a large abomination, much more twisted and deformed than the others the party had faced.

Twilight looked over to the group, before motioning for the others to take their positions behind her. Before they could enact any plan of attack, a low warbling voice shook in the lavender unicorn’s mind.

“I know where you are, little fillies. Come out. I have much to offer, and I don’t want to be a bad host.”

A cold chill resonated throughout Twilight’s body as she recognized the voice. It was the same Sloth demon that had tried to tempt her with promises of restful sleep inside the Fade during her Harrowing. The demon had manifested itself in the physical realm, likely taking the body of a Maleficar.

Twilight stepped towards the Sloth demon, keeping her mind sharp by looking the demon straight in its eyes. The others followed, with Trixie trailing behind the farthest, her veneer of courage now faded in the presence of a powerful beast from beyond the Veil.

At the demon’s hooves was a brown unicorn Twilight could only assume was Bookworm. A scroll, likely the Litany of Dawn, hung outside of the poor scholar’s saddlebag. The demon stood still, its eyes unblinking as it watched the ponies surround it.

“Welcome, ponies,” the Sloth demon spoke directly into their minds, its low voice oddly soothing,

“I was so hoping you would come join me. You have struggled for so long, don’t you all deserve a moment of rest? Just rest your eyes, take a nap.”

The Sloth demon began to glow, the air becoming hazy and intoxicating. It was worse in the real world than it was in the Fade, as Twilight felt every ounce of energy being sapped. She turned to see Trixie fall to her knees, the hat sliding off her head to the ground.

“The Great and Powerful…Trixie…” the blue unicorn mumbled as her eyes drooped, “Is so tired. Fighting the demons for days, she needs…to sleep.”

Trixie fell into swift slumber with the other ponies unable to resist the spell as well. “I’m just so…sleepy…” Fluttershy let out a soft yawn, “I don’t want to be trouble…I just can’t stay…awake.”

“Come on…” Rainbow Dash tried to move forward to attack, but fell like the others, “I have way too much…energy…but I do like a good nap.”

Pinkie Pie was trying to do some sort of dance, but even that was slowed by fatigue. “Just dance…” she said, eyelids low, “The pony pokey. You put you right hoof…in, you put…your right hoof out…”

“I can’t fall…here…” Rarity squealed, “The ground is icky…it will ruin my…hard work on my mane…”

“Everypony…we gotta hunker down…resist…” Applejack pulled her sword, but let it drop, not having the strength to wield it.

One by one, the ponies fell into a deep sleep by the Sloth demon’s spell. Twilight tried to resist as well, but failed as she too let her eyes close, the magical sleep overtaking her as easily as it did the others. The Sloth demon laughed and then yawned as it set itself down on the ground.

“Nighty night, little fillies.”

* * *

Twilight awoke with a start, tossing her blanket off as she looked around her treehouse bedroom. Her head throbbed as the images of a nightmare bounced around in her mind. An oppressive tower filled with cruel earth ponies in cold armour bearing wicked swords. The fearsome visages of indescribable monsters resonated at the periphery of her thoughts as she made her way to a nearby water basin. She submerged her head in the cool waters to clear her troubled mind.

She levitated a towel to dry herself as she looked around her bedroom. Spike was sleeping soundly in his basket as the morning sun shined through the windows of the bedroom. Not wanting to disturb the baby dragon, Twilight made her way to the main floor, each hoofstep echoing in the silent library.

As she walked, Twilight noticed a strange wrongness to the start of her day. She could not recall what she had planned to do, and a studious and well organized unicorn such as herself would not have let her day be decided on a whim.

Twilight then tried to remember what she did yesterday, but only a stinging headache came as an answer. Nothing seemed right, except she had a large collection of books that she could spend months studying.

“There,” Twilight said aloud, as if to reassure herself, “I can study. Nothing in particular, just choose a book and read it.” But the task became more daunting as she found that she  did not know what to read at first. Agitation grew as even the desire to read felt wrong. There was something else she was supposed to do.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Twilight walked over to the door, opening it with a small push from her hoof. Standing before her library was a familiar, brown coated stallion. His cheery smile was more unnerving than anything to the unicorn as he stepped into the library, eagerly looking around at the bookshelves.

“Twilight Sparkle,” he said, “It has been quite some time. I hope you are well? I seem to find myself with quite a bit of free time, so I was wondering if you have any books I would be interested in. Perhaps something about history, or birds?”

Twilight stood agape as she saw the earth pony look over her collection of books. It simply was not possible for him to be here.

“Duncan?”

---

Chapter 8: Familiar in the Fade

“Twilight?”

“Twilight?”

“Is everything alright, Twilight Sparkle? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost!” Duncan chuckled, browsing the extensive library before her.  Twilight stood by, her mouth agape.  She couldn’t believe her eyes. Had Flemeth lied to her and Applejack about what happened in Ostequus? Was everything that had occurred in the observatory just some bad dream?

No! It couldn’t have been! That didn’t make any sense!  Twilight would have felt the dream. She would have known she was inside the Fade.

Her head throbbed painfully, everything slowly seeping back into it as she tried to remember.  Meeting Flemeth in the Wilds.  Ponyring.  Fluttershy.  Pinkie Pie. The battle against Rainbow Dash.   They had been in the Tower, trying to save the unicorns from certain destruction...

Were these memories just the fading afterimage of some horrible nightmare, or were they true?  This could just as easily be the Fade as it could be the real world, cocooning her in some elaborate ruse.  She had to know.  It was too dangerous not to.

Still, the magic of the dream was something that she was particularly sensitive to.  She would have known if it was the dream world.  She would have felt it right away.  But something still wasn’t right.

This couldn’t be real... but how?  Unless...

A demon.  Creatures of the Fade, they could manipulate it to construct whatever sort of fabrications they liked, constructing entire illusionary worlds out of a few stray memories if they so desired.  They had the power to recreate places, ponies, and even feelings and physical sensations such as pain, pleasure, grief and happiness weren’t beyond their abilities.

But there was always a flaw. Demons forced their uncanny dreamscapes onto ponies, and those who did not fall victim to their temptation could find a way to upset the imagery, or  to anger the malign spirits who made this realm their hunting ground. Demons never want to let go of their prey, and quickly turned to force at the slightest provocation when subtlety failed them.

Twilight swallowed hard as she approached Duncan. 

She had the utmost respect for the Grey Warden, but Twilight simply had to know if everything was real or a very elaborate hoax formed by a demon. “Duncan,” she asked, lifting random books from the shelves with her magic, “What exactly happened in Ostequus? Flemeth said everypony died after Loghoof quit the field.”

“All part of Loghoof’s grand strategy, I assure you,” answered Duncan, his large smile more forboding than comforting, “Never mind about the battle! The Archdemon was slain, and the Grey Wardens are heroes once more! If it were not for your participation, we would not have won the day. You earned your place in this peaceful village.”

“Village?” Twilight looked out the nearest window to see a small colourful town, bustling with activity from all kinds of happy ponies. She had not been outside the Tower for long, but the town held the same feeling of wrongness that the treehouse and Duncan had around them.

“This is the town of Ponyville,” Duncan explained, “It was built near Ostequus after the battle. All of your friends have found peaceful, fulfilling lives here. You would not want to ruin that, would you?”

The lavender unicorn narrowed her eyes at the image of Duncan. The smiling face was so outside of the Duncan she had known, it was too surreal. Mentioning Loghoof’s grand strategy was completely different from the practical general pony she had met. When he mentioned that she would ruin her friends’ happiness, it was then that Twilight knew it was not Duncan. The elder Warden cared only for duty, not for the happiness of ponies.

“Duncan died in Ostequus,” Twilight said with a challenging tone, “even if the battle was won, the Duncan I knew would not have sat on his haunches looking for books to read. He would have been looking for more Wardens to recruit, or took the fight the ponyspawn in the Dark Tunnels. You are not Duncan!”

The false Warden quickly turned from jovial to furious, an angry snarl escaping his lips. “How dare you!” He shouted, “I fight, I suffer for peace and this is how you repay me! By spitting me in the face! I will show you to be grateful, little filly!”

“Duncan” reared, drawing his sword and charging towards Twilight. With a thought she channeled a spell of ice to consume the fake earth pony, but he managed to avoid the freezing spell. Twilight then remembered that the demon would have access to everything Twilight knew, including her knowledge of spells both offensive and defensive and would quickly discover counters to them.

The false pony took a swipe with his sword, but it was clumsy and random compared to the true Duncan’s expert swordplay. Twilight had to come up with a different offense and quickly however. The Fade was the demon’s natural hunting ground, and it would soon be joined by allies as long as its rage was strong and fierce.

Twilight turned quickly, taking a nod from Applejack’s repertoire, slamming both hind hooves into the demon’s chest. The swift applebuck kick caught the demon by surprise, leaving the Fade creature stunned. It was now time for another unexpected attack.

Her horn began to glow bright as Twilight began channeling the very magic of the Fade into a new spell. In front of the false Duncan a large orb of ice formed, its power lashing out against him. All around the orb, violent arctic winds ripped the library apart, yet harmlessly lashed around Twilight. Duncan cried out in fury as he was being battered by mystical ice, screaming out curses until at last he fell to his knees.

“You won’t escape foal,” the demon cursed as his very form began to crack like glass, “You will never find your friends in the Fade, and you will never defeat Sloth on your own.” Duncan spat one last time before shattering into pieces. The shards of the demon dissipated, leaving Twilight alone in the treehouse library.

“Alright,” Twilight breathed as she looked out the door, “I’m in the Fade, but it feels real. I’m in a place called Ponyville which seems like an ideal town for everyone’s wants and needs. All I have to do is find all my friends and put a stop to a powerful Sloth Demon. What could possibly go wrong?”

With caution, Twilight opened the door leading outside. It was a bright summer day, with nary a cloud in sight except for a large nimbus hanging low over the town. As she walked through town, many of the other towns ponies greeted her happily, their smiles disturbing rather than friendly. It was as if they were being forced to be cheerful.

Twilight made her way to the centre of Ponyville towards the crossroads. There, a large sign post stood proudly, with multiple signs pointing in different directions. She looked up at the signpost, reading off the names of places.

“Carousel Boutique, Sugar Cube Corner, weather control, Riverside meadow, Red Apple Acres,” Twilight said aloud, “This must be where the demon took all my friends. But why make it so obvious?”

There was no time to thank good fortune or wonder about the machinations of the Fade. For all she knew, it was the will of her friends that had helped create such a useful signpost. Or it was likely a demon trap.

Twilight galloped at full tilt all the way down the beaten path towards Red Apple Acres. Soon she was in front of a large barn with huge tracts of ploughed land and hundreds of apple trees in all the hills and valleys as far as she could see. The sweet smell of apples and baked goods wafted through her nostrils, followed by a rumbling in her stomach.

“Well howdy there Twilight!” came a cheerful voice. Twilight turned to see Applejack with a large smile on her face as she carried two heavy baskets of apples. The blonde earth pony set the baskets down in front of the barn before wiping the sweat from her brow with a hoof.

“Ain’t nothing like a hard days work all done, am I right?” Applejack laughed before turning towards a water basin for a drink. Unlike the smile that the demon forced on the face of Duncan, Applejack’s smile seemed genuine and happy. It would be difficult to convince her fellow Warden that this was all just a dangerous fantasy.

“Applejack, we need to talk,” Twilight began, “All this isn’t real, and we’re in the Fade. You need to reject this dream and…”

“Now hold on to yer apples.” Applejack began to look around, darting her head back and forth as if she was searching for something important. Twilight felt glad that maybe her friend figured out where Applejack pushed her towards a small table next to the barn.

“I heard yer stomach rumble from tree to tree,” Applejack said, “And no way we can do anything runnin’ on empty! Soup’s on everypony!”

Before Twilight could object, a venerable herd of earth ponies rushed over to the small table. “Meet the family!” Applejack announced, “This here’s Big Macintosh, and Apple Bloom, and Apple Tart, and Apple Pie, and…”

As Applejack went on introducing everypony, Twilight looked up at the huge stallion before her. Before her was the Arl of Red Apple Acres, as large as any boulder and appeared to be just as strong. With his red coat, orange mane and simple horse collar, he looked like a rustic earth pony that could move the land with a simple pound of his hoof. However, like Duncan, he and the rest of the “family” had that same unnerving smile.

“Isn’t it great Twilight?” Applejack beamed, “This is the life. A simple one, but a good one. Just buckin’ apples, living with my family, what more could anypony ask for?”

“Applejack,” Twilight tried to get her friend to snap out of the dream but it was proving difficult to dispute, “You have to listen. None of this is real. None of your family here is real. We are in the Fade, can you remember where we were before you saw all this? Do you remember Ostequus?”

The former templar pony held her head in her hooves, reeling from what appeared to be the same headaches Twilight had suffered when her memories clashed with the falsehoods the demons constructed. As Applejack struggled with her memories, Twilight noticed a few of the eerie earth ponies begin to vanish into thin air.

“I…I remember we were in a tower,” Applejack propped herself up against the table for support, “I remember Ostequus. I remember the ponyspawn. But we fought them off, we won! I see that, we’re here aren’t we? Oh Twi, what’s goin’ on? I can’t keep my head on straight.”

The little filly Applejack called Apple Bloom looked up to the mare with big eyes. “Hey Sis?” she said in the same way as Applejack did, “Yer not gonna leave us are ya? Ya just came back from war. Me and Big Macintosh would be sad if we lost you.”

“Eeeeeyup,” said Big Macintosh. Applejack grimaced at the sounds of their voices, her confusion and frustration clearly showing as she struggled between realities. Twilight looked to see more ponies disappear, but not enough. She needed to end the demon’s charade now.

“Applejack, I know this is tough but you have to think of who you really are. You’re a Grey Warden like me. We have a duty to fight the ponyspawn, to save Equestria from the Blight. Remember who you are, remember Duncan. Remember what Duncan taught you about being a Grey Warden.”

At the mention of Duncan, Applejack opened her eyes, revelation shining in her eyes. She mouthed Duncan’s name before looking at Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh. She shook her head at the two before stepping away from the family herd.

“Twilight’s right,” she said, though she gasped for air and choked on the words, “Duncan always said we have a duty, an’ as much as I want nothin’ more than to be with my family, any family, I just can’t brush off the duty Duncan trusted me with.”

With Applejack’s clarity of the situation, Twilight smiled as the rest of the phony ponies disappeared leaving only the demons in the form of Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh. Like the false Duncan, the demons did not take Applejack’s rejection well. Their faces contorted into rage as they took steps to stare Applejack down.

“We just wanted you to stay with us!” Apple Bloom shrieked, her voice now piercingly high and unnatural, “We were gonna be a great big happy family! But all you want is yer duty! Well to hay with yer duty, and to hay with you!”

“Eeeeyup!” Big Macintosh moved with surprising speed for a pony of his bulk, but Applejack was faster. Anger flashed in her eyes over the actions the demons took to trick her, and she reared high with a shout, swinging her hooves towards the Arl of Red Apple Acres. Apple Bloom’s teeth grew large and jagged and she moved to bite Applejack’s favoured hind legs.

Twilight breathed deep as she channeled arcane energy into two energy blasts. With a shout, she flung the blasts towards the demons, both orbs slamming against their hides and breaking them like glass. Applejack took a couple of sharp gasps before offering a weak smile.

“Thanks Twilight,” Applejack said, “If it weren’t for ya, I’d be stuck in there. I’ve got a lot to think about after we get outta here.”

“No worries Apple-” Before Twilight could finish, a blue ring of energy surrounded the earth pony Warden. The ring glowed bright before vanishing, taking Applejack along with it.

Twilight stomped her hoof in frustration. The Sloth Demon surely knew she was going about freeing her friends. She felt her coat stand on end as the chilling laugh of the demon echoed in her mind.

“I know what you are doing, little Filly,” said the Sloth demon, “And I find it amusing. How long will it take for you to realize that your friends like the realities I have given them. Please stop resisting.”

She ignored the mockeries of Sloth as she ran down the dirt path away from the acres towards town. She looked up at the sign post, taking in the words of “Carousel Boutique.” That sounded like a place Rarity would have wanted, and the support of another unicorn in the Fade would be immensely helpful.

As she opened the door to the boutique, Twilight looked to find herself in the very lap of luxury. She was surrounded by the most exquisite and beautiful of equine dresses, each appeared lovingly hoofcrafted with every minor detail accounted for. Gemstones of all kinds were strategically placed, and the embroidery on many of the works seemed to have been spun with silver and gold. The actual room itself was no less impressive, a grandiose structure of immaculate architecture Twilight only ever recalled from books about Filais.

It was quite a surprise to see Rarity in the center of the room, dressed in likely the most stunning of gowns looking downright miserable. As Twilight approached, her fellow unicorn lit up immediately, getting up to her hooves while discarding the perfect dress.

“Oh Twilight, thank goodness you’ve come!” Rarity exclaimed, “It’s just awful here!”

“I don’t really understand,” Twilight looked around the boutique, a puzzled look on her face, “I thought this would be what you wanted?”

“It would be,” the white unicorn said, “And the demons did do a lovely job. The dresses are simply to die for, and this boutique is everything I ever dreamed of. But they had to add one tiny detail, and ruined the whole fantasy.”

Rarity pointed a hoof towards a stairwell. If Rarity was the epitome of elegance, then the bizarre Flemeth was the very avatar of gaudiness. The demon that took the form of the Mare of the Mire was smiling and dancing on her down the stairs, laughing haughtily in a bright orange and green dress with far too many bows.

The elder unicorn trotted happily up towards Twilight and Rarity, that same forced grin on her face as with all the other demons taking the shapes of ponies. “Guests, how lovely!” Flemeth laughed as she twirled around the room. Rarity rolled her eyes before giving heading to the door.

“You are not my mother,” she said, with more conviction in her voice than Twilight ever guessed, “Even if Flemeth ever had an inkling to wear my work, I would never be caught dead being near such hideous rags. I’m leaving.”

“How could you say such things to your dear old mother?” Flemeth’s face began to contort, only to receive a lightning bolt from Rarity’s horn. The demon broke into pieces, followed by Rarity‘s own dress. Rarity sighed, looking wistfully around her, then back to her old feathered vest.

“That was the easiest thing I ever did and the hardest,” she said, “That dress. My boutique. If only the demons had not added her. Ah well. I suppose we should be finding the others. Though I wonder if I could stay, take a look at some of the other designs…”

As she finished, the same blue ring that had whisked away Applejack formed around Rarity. Twilight gave a shout but could do nothing as the ring teleported Rarity to another location. The Sloth Demon echoed it’s frustrations inside the Fade.

“I am becoming rather upset at your actions, little filly,” the Sloth demon spoke into her mind directly, “I am just trying to be a good host. If you would be so kind as to stop breaking my gifts to your friends, I actually worked hard to give them the realities that would put them at rest.”

She opened the door of the boutique and looked around, noticing that the amount of ponies meandering about was smaller than before. They still held that eerie smile on their faces. Demons always tried to appear natural, but many did not know what the real world was like, and instead tried to force their own vision of what reality was like on ponies trapped in the fade.

There came the question as to why the blue ring did not capture her like it did Applejack and Rarity, but Twilight decided it would be prudent not to look too deeply into good fortune. She focused her thoughts on getting to the crossroads where the signpost was standing.

Twilight looked up to the signpost and noticed that the ways pointing to Red Apple Acres and Carousel Boutique were gone, leaving only the meadow, Sugarcube Corner, and the weather control directions. The sign pointing to the meadow seemed like the best way to go next.

Twilight cantered through the town, acting as natural as she can past the false ponies around her. Their eyes and their smiles were unnerving, but they said and did nothing as Twilight passed them by. The unicorn mage did not know what was more disturbing: their expressions or the fact that they were ignoring her.

She made her way over down the road, revealing a meadow filled with flowers and all manner of small birds and critters. Near the meadow was a small stream and in the side of a hill was a cozy little home built as part of the land. Twilight walked through the meadow, confusion on her face as she wondered why Trixie would dream of such serene scenery. When her ears picked up the sound of a pony singing from the house, Twilight realized that it was not Trixie’s dream she was in, but rather Fluttershy’s.

The door opened and Fluttershy trotted out happily with a basket of assorted nuts and vegetables in her mouth. Twilight looked at Fluttershy in shock. Gone were the robes of the Chantry and instead of the yellow pony she knew, there stood a pegasus with three butterflies for a cutie mark. It made sense the more Twilight thought about it; most Chantry sisters were earth ponies, and if Fluttershy wanted to be accepted in the cloister she would have to hide her wings.

The light pink maned pegasus looked at Twilight before lowering the basket to the ground, a small smile on her face. “Hello Twilight,” she said softly, “Isn’t it a beautiful day? I was just going to bring some food to all my little animal friends. Would you like to join me?”

Twilight followed behind Fluttershy as she began to distribute food to all the animals. Carrots for the bunnies, lettuce for the hedgehogs, nuts for the squirrels, and seeds for the birds were all delivered with care. Fluttershy hummed a happy melody as she worked, leaving the unicorn to feel bad about having to break the dream as she did before. It needed to be done though lest other demons took over their bodies and made it impossible to return to the real world.

“Fluttershy, we have to get out of here,” she began, “This is the Fade. None of it is real. Not the sun, not the animals.”

She could see Fluttershy’s ears droop as explained the falsehoods of the environment. “Why do you have to say such things?” the yellow pegasus asked, tears already brimming in her eyes, “This is where I belong, with all the little critters, in a nice quiet home where I don’t have to worry about bandits or ponyspawn or Filesians? Where I can be my own pony and not be ridiculed because I have wings?”

Twilight knew that she would have faced similar rapprochement for being a unicorn, and had felt the wary eyes of earth ponies during her travels with Duncan and being at Ostequus. But even then, she had lived most of her life in the Tower with other unicorns. What sort of life had Fluttershy lead in Filais? How long had she had to hide her wings?

“Do you know what it’s like to never know what a night of safety is? Where you have to sleep with one eye open because of some game the nobles of Filais play?” Fluttershy’s expression turned to anger as she flew in a circle around Twilight. “We are just playing pieces for the Filais Game, to be moved around at the whims of ponies who never had to suffer once in their lives. I left that life to be free of it all, but they hunted me. They said I knew too much. They hurt me.”

“I’m sorry Fluttershy,” Twilight said, cradling her friend with her foreleg, “You lived a hard life simply by being born with wings, and the scorn that comes with them. I don’t know much about Filais, and I’m sorry they hurt you. But I know that the Sloth Demon is giving you something you want, but it’s all false, a dreamworld. It will just hurt you worse than anything you faced before. Please Fluttershy. Remember your dream, the one from Celestia. We can’t stop the ponyspawn without you.”

Fluttershy looked over at the small animals that surrounded her. “The dream,” she muttered before turning to the assembled animals, “I’m sorry little ones. Maybe there is a nice demon who can take care of you.”

“Don’t leave us, Fluttershy,” the animals said, in unison. Fluttershy gasped and took a step back as the small critters moved closer, “We love you Fluttershy. We want you to stay with us. We want you to be happy and safe.”

“Fluttershy! Get back!” Twilight dove in front of the yellow pegasus, her magic already flaring into a protective barrier as the animals grew large fangs and rushed forward. They bounced off the shield, but it was beginning to grow more and more stressful to maintain her magic.

The animal-demons hissed before going around for another attack. Suddenly three arrows struck the incoming assault, shattering the demons as their fellows before them were broken. Twilight turned to see Fluttershy wearing her Chantry robes and armed with bow, firing arrow after arrow into each demon with conviction in her eyes.

“You are not my friends!” She said between each volley of arrows, “You are just mean bullies and thieves!” The demons smashed like glass with each arrow, until at last the very scenery itself broke into pieces around them. Twilight rasped for air as she lowered her shield, but looked to see Fluttershy standing close with a faint smile.

“Thank you, Twilight,” she said as she put away her bow, “I’m glad Celestia guided me to you. It’s good to know-”

The blue ring that stole away Applejack and Rarity formed again around Fluttershy. This time, Twilight tried to interrupt the demon’s spell with her magic, but was easily rebuked by the demon’s arcane feedback. In an instant the yellow pegasus was gone, leaving only Twilight alone in the Fade.

“What do you want!?” Twilight cried out to prismatic sky of the dream realm, “How long are we going to keep fighting like this!”

“As long as it takes for you to submit,” the Sloth Demon answered, an edge in its voice hinting at it’s frustrations. Twilight ignored the demon and began to gallop into Ponyville towards the signpost that had helped her so far. Less ponies milled about the idealist town, but now they were starting to take notice of Twilight and more importantly, staying away from her.

She looked over at the signpost, specifically the sign that read “Sugarcube Corner“. Another one of her friends would be waiting there. Suddenly Twilight realized something; all her friends matched one location, with Applejack at the farm, Rarity at the boutique, and Fluttershy at the meadow. If Pinkie Pie and Rainbow dash were at the two last signs, then where was Trixie?

Twilight let out an exasperated sigh as she walked down the street. Standing before her as the sign indicated was a house seemingly made from sweets. She thought she was going to have a toothache simply by looking at the structure. The very walls seemed to have been built from gingerbread, and countless candies and other goodies made for the décor.

Pastries and cakes decorated the shelves and displays, and the aroma of baked sweets made for a pleasant picture. Twilight could only surmise that she was inside a bakery. It made sense, what with Pinkie’s love of baked treats and mixing ingredients in general. She was able to give a sigh of relief that her grenades were no where in sight. Yet, Twilight reminded herself.

Twilight could hear the sounds of Pinkie Pie’s easily recognizable signing from the kitchen, as well as the warbled sound of demons trying to emulate the song. Twilight was not sure what she would encounter when concerning Pinkie’s inner desires, but she was certain that seeing the pink earth pony dancing the pony polka with two Rage demons which were not even in disguises.

“Hi Twilight!” Pinkie called with her usual good cheer, “You’re just in time! We were about to do another round of the pony polka! These two big softies were all ‘Rawr!’ and stuff, but then I started to dance like I said I would to try to stay awake, and they joined in! We are having a great time!”

The two Rage demons looked over at Twilight then back to Pinkie who started to sing and dance again. They surged over to the unicorn, but before she could attack they started to not only speak, but instead sounded like they were whimpering. “Please!” warbled one, “We cannot take anymore of the dancing, of the singing. She is too fleet of hoof, her voice too cheery. We do not think she has rage within her.”

“Sloth wanted us to attack, but we cannot!” said the other, “Before she started her infernal song, we numbered four. She vanquished two of our kind so quickly with her ability inside the Fade. Her mind knows not of limits!”

Twilight was impressed that Pinkie’s imagination had overcome the strength of demons. It was not unheard of; any pony with an incredible imagination could manipulate the land of dreams and nightmares as easily as if they were asleep. As the group of Rage demons learned, an intrepid dreamer even without a mastery of magic could still be a challenge to possess as long as their imagination was vibrant.

The two Rage demons vanished rather than shattered, fleeing from Pinkie Pie as she bounded over to Twilight. Seeing Pinkie bounce around the empty building,  Twilight had an idea and had to explain it quickly to Pinkie before the Sloth demon captured her with his blue ring of magic.

“Pinkie, I need your help,” Twilight said, “A blue ring is going to take you away just like it did Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy. I still have to find Rainbow Dash and Trixie. Wherever the blue ring takes you, I need you remember this: Get all our friends to my location.”

“But how will I know when to dream really, really hard?” Pinkie asked. Before Twilight could answer the blue ring appeared, wrapping itself around the pink pony.

“I trust you Pinkie Pie!” called Twilight, “I trust you! I know you can do it!” Pinkie disappeared, leaving only a tired Twilight in the bakery, fatigue and stress weighing her down. Only two more from the party remained to be found, but the fact that the Sloth Demon was able to snatch up all her allies so easily gave Twilight pause. There was just so much she did not know about demons or the Fade, especially in regards to actually fighting against them in their domain.

Twilight took a deep breath as she burst open the door of Sugarcube Corner. There was little else to do but move forward and try to rescue Rainbow Dash and Trixie from their illusionary worlds. As she approached the center of Ponyville again, a swarm of demons surrounded the village, their true forms revealed. Rage demons and creatures of smoke and shadow moved throughout Ponyville, snapping at each other as they hunted for Twilight.

She quickly moved to a corner and watched as one of the demons snapped at each other, never speaking but letting loose guttural growls. Before, the town was filled with ponies. Now it was simply being swept by very small groups of demons. They were losing control of this section of the Fade.

Twilight was now alone in a hauntingly empty village. Without a second thought, she thought hard on the last location on the signpost, weather control, and channelled her own teleportation spell. With the demons now actively looking for her, she would have to expend what energy she had to traverse the Fade.

The violet unicorn stepped through the gateway to find herself in the middle of a wide expanse of land. The sun was shining and there was a light breeze from the wind. High above her sitting in the sky was a structure almost entirely made of clouds. A river of water with all the colours of the rainbow flowed from the cloud building to the ground below, disappearing into a shimmer of light as soon as the rainbow hit the ground.

The demons had likely used the dreams of Rainbow Dash to build this from the forgotten ways of cloudbuilding, an old pegasus art thought long lost to the years. The Pegasi of the Dales used to span a huge empire both on ground and in the air, but centuries of constant war and abuse of Dark Arts had grounded the mighty flying ponies. It was interesting to Twilight what she would encounter such imagery of the pegasi in Dash’s dreamscape.

Twilight was still uncomfortable of the idea on relying on Rainbow Dash, but even an assassin from Pura Raza did not deserve to be left at the mercy of demons. With a shout the unicorn called out Dash’s name towards the cloud home, hoping the cyan pegasus would hear her.

Dash poked her head out from high above the clouds. She gave a wave with her hoof as she flew from the top of the building with dramatic flair, diving around clouds with incredible speed. Her rainbow mane made her appear to be a streak of colour in the sky. With finesse Dash landed in front of Twilight on her hind legs, her body in a striking pose.

“Pretty sweet, huh?” The aerial display was very impressive and Twilight had to wonder how much of the show was Dash’s actual ability or just another illusion of the dreamscape. Dash laughed as she fluttered about, not seeming to have a care in the world. “This is the life! No worries, no stress, just flying as much as I want to, as fast as I want to!”

The rainbow pegasus zoomed up to her cloud home and pushed a small puff with her head, bringing it down to the ground. Dash then lay back on top of the cloud, pretending to be dozing. “All the naps I could ever want as well,” she said as the cloud rocked back and forth like a cradle, “But that’s not even the best part!”

Rainbow Dash turned back to cloud structure, calling out names Twilight did not recognize. From the nimbus house soared two pegasus ponies, a mare with an orange coat and a mane like fire, while the other was a stallion with a blue coat and indigo mane. They landed to Dash’s side, and she confidently wrapped her forelegs around the two pegasi’s shoulders. Oddly, they did not have the same smile as the other demons that took the shape of ponies. Twilight grew worried; the demons were learning.

“Meet Spitfire and Soarin!” Dash announced, “Not only are they Pura Razan Wonderbolts, but they are THE Pura Razan Wonderbolts! The best of the best, I have wanted to join them since I saw them perform for the nobility when I was just a little filly, and now they are hanging out. With. Me!”

“You wanted to hang out with an assassin group all your life?” Twilight asked, incredulous. At the mention of asssassins, Rainbow Dash put a hoof to her head, the headaches of memory causing her obvious discomfort.

“Assassins?” Rainbow Dash grimaced, “No…no, you’re wrong! The Wonderbolts are daredevil flyers, who perform for ponies all across the world! From Pura Raza to Equestria, to Filais!”

“They’re assassins who sent you and a bunch of other pegasi to kill Grey Wardens! To kill me!” Twilight’s own frustrations were being let out, but she did not lose her focus on trying to snap Rainbow Dash out of the dream, “This is all fake, all a twisted reality made by demons! Try to remember!”

Without warning, Spitfire and Soarin struck. The demons taking their forms had learned enough from other encounters with Twilight that they were leaving nothing to chance. Never had Twilight felt such pain before, each attack causing more and more pain. Twilight tried to counter their assault with spells, but could not focus long enough to cast anything. They struck with blows to her eyes and to her chest, causing her to become dizzy, winded, and bloody.

Twilight fell to her side as Soarin and Spitfire continued their brutal beatdown until they revealed their true forms as two Rage Demons. The heat from their molten bodies burnt at Twilight, who could do nothing as their assailment kept going. Rainbow Dash was still incapacitated as the demons illusions and her own memories clashed.

“I can’t!” Rainbow Dash yelled, eyes shut as if hoping to ignore everything around her, “I can’t go back! You all hate me, and for good reason! At least here I’m living a dream. Living the dream! If I go back I have to face what I’ve done.”

“Rainbow,” Twilight said as the demons leaned in for the kill, “I don’t hate you. You said you wanted a better life, so you took what the Wonderbolts offered. I would have done the same in your horseshoes. To go home. To leave a place you don’t want to be. I forgive you Rainbow Dash.”

Twilight took a deep breath. She had to get through to the pegasus, had to break through the wall of despair she had made for herself. “Skywind. Roof Hopper. Cloudburst. White Streak. Redwing. Do you remember those names? You said you didn’t care, but you still remember those names. Please Dash. Remember our names.”

Rainbow Dash looked up from wallowing in her own woes to see the two Rage Demons paused above Twilight’s body. “Applejack,” she said as she stepped forward, “Rarity. Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie. Twilight Sparkle. I remember. I remember everything!”

The demons shifted back into their Wonderbolt forms. “Hey Dash! Don’t listen to her! We’re your real friends!”

Without a word, Rainbow Dash flew into both demons from a surprising start, taking their pegasus forms high into the air. With a grunt, she turned in the air, aiming to slam both demons into the ground with her. They struggled, but could not escape from Dash’s incredible velocity. With downward momentum on her side, Dash let go of the Fade creatures before quickly ascending upward.

The demons smashed into the ground, their bodies bursting into shards and taking Rainbow Dash’s dream with them. Dash landed next to Twilight and helped the violet spellcaster up to her hooves.

“Do you really forgive me?” Dash asked, still ashamed. Twilight wobbled nervously on her legs, but was able to lift one forehoof to her friends shoulder.

“I do,” Twilight said, only to be on the receiving end of Dash’s embrace. Before they could say anything more, the blue ring engulfed Rainbow Dash and quickly teleported her away. Twilight’s ears drooped as she looked around the Fade; she barely had any strength left to stand and hardly any magic left to cast more spells, only enough to call on one last teleportation spell to find Trixie.

Her horn sparked with weak magic as she channelled the spell to bring about a Fade door. As she stepped through, instead of the white light she saw that she was in another landmass in the Fade. Standing before her was the same Sloth Demon that had trapped them all in the Fade, with Trixie holding a magical barrier against the creature.

The Sloth demon took notice to Twilight as she staggered over to Trixie’s shield. His hushed laugh echoed throughout the Fade. If Twilight felt battered and weak, then Trixie looked ravaged, bloodied and bruised from her battle against Sloth. The blue unicorn’s eyes were closed tight as her lips weakly continued to recite a chanting spell, one that Twilight could not recognize.

“Twilight!” came a call from above her. She looked up to see Applejack and the others being held aloft in bright blue rings. The Sloth Demon laughed as his form shifted from an abomination to that of a powerful ornlock emissary.

“You have made me very, very sad, little filly,” the demon said, “I tried to give you and your friends everything they wanted. To be happy, safe and restful. But instead you cling to the darkness that is the real world. Why is that, I wonder? Why refuse the gifts I have so painstakingly made for you,  to avoid such suffering. Avoid hatred. Avoid war.”

“The blue one was the first to break my gift. Something akin to ‘I must be Great and Powerful on my own’, or some such nonsense. Then she started to cast that horrible chant, the one that protected you from being captured like your friends. Even her magical shields proved impressive to my own abilities. But alas, she will soon fall. You know of the same fatigue she is feeling, don’t you?”

Twilight looked at Trixie with new admiration. Now everything was making sense as Twilight realized what her counterpart was doing inside the Fade. Trixie had cast a spell that had prevented Twilight from being caught with the blue rings, allowing her to move through the Fade and rescue her friends. Not only that, but she had manage to fight off a powerful Sloth Demon at the same time.

But the demon was right. Trixie could not maintain both of her spells any longer and Twilight could not face the demon in her own fatigued state. There was still one more chance though. She hoped her friends were ready for it.

“Tisk tisk tisk,” the Soth Demon continued, “You unicorns should learn that your power is finite. Whereas in my domain, I am boundless. It is a shame it has come to this, but I must ask you all to perish now. So sorry.”

“Trixie,” Twilight whispered, “Drop the shield.”

“Are you crazy?!” Trixie exclaimed, “It’s the only thing separating us from that!”

“Please, trust me.” Twilight nodded to Pinkie who returned a smile. Eyes closed tight, Pinkie began to tremble in her blue ring, before disappearing with a pop. One by one, the other ponies popped out of existence as well.

“What!?” Sloth shouted, “I have bound all of you! I have you all under my power!”

“You’re right demon,” Twilight said, “Some unicorns do overestimate their abilities. We also make the same mistake demons do, and that’s underestimate the abilities of other ponies!”

The party reappeared beside Twilight, armed and ready to strike. The Sloth ornlock reared in anger. “You will all suffer! I will devour you slowly! Painfully!”

The monster’s horn began to spark with magic, a wreath of flame sprouting from the tip. In its rage however, it did not notice Pinkie tossing a small grenade between its legs as the rest of the fighters circled around it. The grenade burst in a medley of fire and noise, sending the ornlock high into the air before landing in front of Applejack with a thud.

“This is fer insultin’ my family!” Applejack shouted, kicking Sloth with a firm buck.

“Disgusting creature!” Rarity’s horn glowed, and a bolt of lightning fell from the sky onto Sloth.

“How DARE you try to hurt my friends!” With a flurry of arrows, Fluttershy launched her most vicious attack into the hide of the demon.

Rainbow Dash flew around the demon, slicing the demon’s skin open with her long dagger. “You think you can confuse me that easily? I know who I’m standing with, thick and thin!”

Trixie made it to her feet just in time to see the Sloth demon writhing in pain. Twilight smiled at her as her horn began to glow, summoning an arcane blast. “A bolt of energy is a pretty easy offensive spell,” Twilight said to her fellow unicorn with a smirk, “Think you can do better?”

Trixie returned the smirk with her own, but beneath it was a genuine smile of gratitude. “The Great and Powerful Trixie can certainly begin to show you up in offensive magic.” In unison, they launched their respective bolts of magic, violet and blue, into the Sloth Demon. With a scream it shattered like all the demonic minions it had sent before.

“At last,” Twilight said with a sigh of relief, “We did it.” The ponies smiled at each other as the dreamscape around them broke into pieces, a white light now surrounding them. The light of the Fade doors began to engulf her again, but this time she was not worried. This time she would wake up.

---

Chapter 9: Of Pride Demons and Ponies

Very slowly, Twilight opened her eyes to look around her, head pounding with a splitting headache as she regarded her surroundings. She was back in the center passageway leading to the libraries. Carefully she lifted herself up, her head and body throbbing with aches and pains. The damage done in the Fade may have not been real, but the pain would linger for a while.

Around her the other ponies were stirring. Each awoke with a look of bewilderment on their faces, as if they could not believe what had recently transpired. With the exception of Rarity and Trixie, each pony looked ashamed and downtrodden after their experience in the Fade. Twilight could only guess that the Sloth Demon’s illusions had struck several nerves, none of them pleasant.

With a deep breath Twilight stepped forward, hoping to ease her friends’ worries. “I know what we saw in the Fade was painful for all of us,” Twilight said, doing her best to keep a smile for everypony, “But we made it out of there together. We defeated a powerful demon and its illusions.”

“Twi,” Applejack said, eyes cast to the ground in shame, “It sure wasn’t easy, but you unicorns are always conscious in yer dreams. I don’t know how ya’ll do it every night, with demons in every nook and cranny. But for us simple ponies, that was more of a nightmare, especially when the illusion was gone.”

Twilight didn’t understand, but Applejack continued, “What that demon did to us just felt so real an’ so right. I don’t know about the rest o’ them, but there was a part of me that really wanted you to be wrong. Illusion or not, that Fade critter gave me something I always wanted. Some Grey Warden I turned out to be, if I can’t keep my head on straight and give in to a demon.”

Applejack was right. Even though Twilight’s illusion felt real, it still felt wrong and she was able to dispel it. Rarity also felt the same about her illusion, and Trixie had resisted hers and stood against the Sloth Demon. But the other ponies were not unicorns, and what they were given was their realities as far as they were concerned. It was only thanks to Twilight’s insistence and their memories of the truth that they resisted.

Yet it seemed the effects of the illusions still lingered in their hearts. Even Twilight had to admit that her dream was something she desired rather than constant battle against ponyspawn, demons, and other ponies. The Sloth Demon made promises of restful, safe lives and had delivered, but only in falsehoods. Dreams that the other ponies likely wondered if they could ever achieve for themselves.

“C’mon,” the blonde earth pony called before heading to the door leading the staircase, “We still have a job to do, and not a hay of a lot of time to do it.”

The party agreed, but before they could leave, Trixie levitated the scroll they had sought from Bookworm’s body. It was a grisly business, taking an item from the recently slain, but they needed the Litany to stop Hubred. Twilight offered a quick prayer to the unicorn that was lost, and asked for forgiveness that she and the others did not come sooner. The seal on the Litany of Dawn was still whole, but a moment of magic later and the wax was broken by a simple thought from the blue unicorn. She unfurled the scroll and began to read the contents in earnest.

The scroll was old, the parchment yellow and the writing faded, but still in very good, readable condition. Twilight looked over Trixie’s shoulder to see the contents of the document, but could not understand the strange symbols. As studious as she was, Twilight never took up the lessons on old writings since her focus was on more practical spell work.

“Why would the Litany of Dawn be written in code?” She asked. Trixie rolled her eyes before closing the scroll and placing it safely in her saddle bag.

“For a pony whose talent is magic, the Great and Powerful Trixie is surprised that there is something you don’t know.” Trixie motioned to the party to wait, and then nodded to a corner at Twilight. Making sure that no pony would eavesdrop, Trixie spoke, her voice wavering and eyes low.

“The Sloth Demon came to me directly,” Trixie began, “Offered me power beyond all imagining, etcetera. I refused, as I made a promise to become truly Great and Powerful on my own merits. The demon attacked, and all I could do was raise a magical barrier to stop it’s assault. Then it opened a ‘window’ of sorts showing you and that Grey Warden that came to recruit you. He then gave me a different offer: to get rid of you.”

“I resented you, Sparkle. You had the attention and the adoration of unicorns several times your better. And for what, because your special talent was magic itself? While ponies like me had to pour over every dusty tome they could just to catch up? And then you stuck your muzzle in those same books, and became even more powerful. You even hatched a dragon egg when you were a filly! How can any unicorn hope to compete with that?”

Twilight had no idea Trixie resented her so much. She never intended to go over Trixie, she just wanted to be a scholar in the Tower. She wondered what it would be like to overshadowed by another unicorn at every step.

Trixie’s blue eyes grew strong and confident. “I told that Sloth Demon off by saving you, Sparkle. Of all the magic you did not study, I noticed you never did choose to study the arcane chanting spells. When the Sloth Demon would try to capture you, I’d make sure to stop him so you could rescue your friends. So I am the reason you succeeded in the Fade at all. No, I want you to be around when I am truly the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

There was only one acceptable answer to Trixie’s little confession. Before the blue unicorn could object, Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Trixie’s neck, holding her in an embrace of gratitude. Trixie’s cheeks turned flushed with colour at the unexpected display of affection.

“I’m sorry you felt so overshadowed,” Twilight said, “I never wanted to be your rival. And if it’s worth anything to you, after the Fade I do think you are pretty Great and Powerful.”

Once Twilight let go of Trixie, she smiled as the blue unicorn could only stare agape. Quickly she reset to her usual bragging persona. “The Great and Powerful Trixie appreciates your sentiment, Sparkle,” was her haughty response, “But know that one day Trixie will outshine you in all things magical and arcane!”

“Challenge accepted,” Twilight gave a smirk as they returned to their waiting companions. The door leading up the tower would take them to the senior enchanters’ quarters, then finally to the Harrowing Chamber at the top of the tower.

The carnage the Tower had faced in the demon invasion only grew more horrid with each step. Parts of ponies were strewn about, and the door leading to the quarters was covered in blood. That which lay beyond the door was worse. Several abominations shambled throughout the centre room, casting their magic on the bodies of templar and unicorn alike and weakening the Veil further. The bodies warped and twisted into new abominations, as hooded unicorns watched over the demon’s work.

Maleficar. Unicorns that had turned to the Dark Arts of the arcane, who sought the easiest and most vile way to gain power for themselves. Blood magic, the use of turning one’s blood into a focus for spells such as mind control. Demonology, to summon and make pacts with demons. Necromancy, the act of instilling lesser demons into the corpses of ponies. False Horns, the magic to grant a pony who was not a unicorn a horn so they too could cast magic. Such spells was not only forbidden by the Chantry but by the Unicorn Circle due to their dangerous natures, reckless use, and addictive qualities. Maleficar were the reason the Templar existed.

Twilight swallowed a nervous breath. These unicorns no doubt would fight to the last and why wouldn’t they? When the templar attack with strength in numbers and lyrium, they wouldn’t be taking prisoners. They had already broken enough laws on magic and its use to warrant the death penalty. The templar would show no mercy when they encountered the Dark Art users, just as the Maleficar would not show any quarter to any pony who stood in their path.

Now she would have to kill again. Not ponyspawn, or demons. She would have to kill ponies, fellow unicorns who Twilight had shared the halls with, maybe even spoken with at some point, shared meals and knowledge with. Even if she did not land the final blow herself, she would have had a hoof in their eternal demise. Just like the assassins though, it was either them or her. Kill or be killed. How could she live with such a mantra?

“Alright,” Twilight whispered. Her breath was shallow, and her heart was racing. She didn’t want to do this. She didn’t want to kill. But she had to. She had to.

“Here’s the plan,” she said, trying to shake the nervousness from her voice, “Pinkie, toss one of the flash grenades in, buy us some time, then join Applejack and Rainbow Dash to help against the Maleficar.”

It seemed like cheating her way out of direct confrontation with the ponies. She reminded herself that she was still very much a part of the upcoming battle, and was using her friends as weapons.

“Fluttershy, you and Rarity will be helping me give support by attacking the abominations. Magic won’t do much good against them, but it will distract them long enough for your arrows. Trixie, we are going to need some protective spells, like the one you used before.”

The ponies nodded in understanding, Pinkie already holding a small explosive in her hoof, a lit igniting stick in her mouth. The fuse was set aflame and with a small giggle, the pink alchemist tossed the bomb into the chamber.

The enemy had little time to react before the center room was engulfed in a blinding flash. Abominations roared and unicorns cursed in pain and frustration, holding their hooves to their eyes in vain, as if trying to block out the light. The party descended on their foes, Applejack giving a rallying shout as she charged through to the Maleficar. Dash and Pinkie followed suit, their bodies glowing from the effect from Trixie’s spell. Together with Rarity, both unicorns began to launch spells onto the arcane horrors, while Fluttershy launched a volley of arrows.

The abominations fell with ease to blade, bow and bomb, but the Maleficar proved more difficult with their mastery of magic. While one was felled by Applejack and her templar abilities, the other three strengthened their magic together to form a shield. One of the unicorns stepped forward through the shield, eyes glaring at the group before levitating a small dagger from his robes. The sharp blade sliced his right foreleg open, blood pouring from the wound.

“Blood Magic!” Twilight called out. But her friends did not understand or know how to avoid the spell that was to come, a flurry of red energy erupting from the Maleficar’s staff and horn. The Grey Warden unicorn rushed forward, calling upon her magic to do something to deflect the incoming blood storm.

Violet sparks flew from her own horn and staff, arcs of energy meeting the Maleficar’s violent spell head on. An explosion far greater than any of Pinkie’s grenades erupted from the clash of magic, sending all the ponies involved flying to the walls of the center chamber. Both Twilight and the Maleficar screamed out in pain as their magic backfired back into their horns.

It would seem Twilight would experience new levels of pain often. As the magic coursed through her body, it was like every nerve was set on fire and shocked with lighting. Her horn glowed white hot from the energy, and was the central focus of this new anguish that flooded her body fom head to hoof.

Applejack rushed to her side, her eyes already black with the anti-magic of the templar. “I gotcha!” she called, holding Twilight steady, “Whatever happens, Twi, I gotcha!”

Twilight continued to scream as the magic rushed out of her. She tried to help the process by dissipating the energy somewhere. Despite her blurred vision, Twilight could see the red arcane barrier of the Maleficar, as well as the unicorn who was suffering as she was. With a cry, she forced the magic out of her horn into a single beam of power, having enough focus to drive it into the shield before she collapsed.

The beam worked on two occasions: Twilight felt the pain leave her body as quickly as the spell was flung, and the barrier shattered, unable to hold back her attack. The Maleficar who was channeling the protective spell fell, her horn shattering from the onslaught of the attack while his partner gasped and ducked away. The other Maleficar could not contain the magic that had attacked both him and Twilight, his eyes rolling back into his head as he fell. Blood oozed from his mouth, signaling his death.

As Dash and Rarity kept watch on the last surviving Maleficar, Trixie looked over at Twilight with a look that mixed both concern and amazement. “Do you know what you just did?” she asked.

“Magical feedback,” Twilight coughed her answer as she stood upright, “When two opposing, yet equally powerful magical energies meet and create a perfect flux.” Such occurrences of feedback were rare, and most likely lethal to both unicorns involved. The shock of the event still made Twilight feel like she was run over by three carts carrying massive slabs of granite at incredible speeds.

Trixie could not contain her amazement at what she had witnessed. “You matched the power of blood magic, took in the energy into your own horn, and fired it back at the Maleficar. If that isn’t the epitome of magical aptitude, I don’t know what is.”

“It’s thanks to Applejack that I was able to control the magic,” Twilight said, smiling at her fellow Warden, “But all I wanted to do was get rid of it, not…”

Twilight looked over at the two dead Maleficar. Her magic had killed again, even if it was in self defence. Fluttershy approached, giving Twilight a sad look before administering last rites to the dead. The unicorn was glad that Fluttershy was there to give some sort of peace that the templar were not likely to give once the bodies of Maleficar were found.

“I envy you Trixie,” she said quietly, “Sometimes I wonder why I learned such harmful magic at all. Against demons? Of course. Did I ever see myself fighting ponyspawn? Maybe, the books always said they were still around after Blights. But other ponies…I don’t know if I can ever get past that idea. Maybe I’m scared that I will.”

Trixie made no response, only watching her fellow unicorn as she walked over to the cowering rogue mage being guarded by Rainbow Dash. Her red hood was thrown back and Twilight could see the fear in her eyes, her body shaking . The violet sorceress did not recognize the face of the Maleficar who was young, but teemed with a powerful crimson aura from her use of blood magic.  “Hubred allowed you to do all this.” Twilight said. It was not a question.

“Hubred tore the Veil,” the Maleficar answered, her voice cracking in at her own hopelessness, “Hubred said he would call an army of demons to help us. He said he would free us from the Tower, from the templar!”

“And look what he and the Maleficar have done!” Twilight shouted, her anger ruling her voice, “How many unicorns and templar have died? How many more will die because the templar have called for the Right of Annulment? Why did you do it? For power?”

“For freedom!” The mare Maleficar’s eyes were wide and manic. “Some of us are not given the opportunity to leave the Tower. Some of us cannot stand to stay in this prison, with the hateful eyes of the templar just waiting, waiting for any excuse to slit our throats! Hubred found us ”

“Hubred is in the Harrowing Chamber. He is more powerful than the senior enchanters combined. You will never stop him. You’ll die trying, and he will come for me. He will come for all unicorns and set them free, make them powerful. And then he will make the templar pay. Make the entire world pay for shackling the true ponies of power in this world.”

Twilight had heard enough. She was not going to kill the mare, but instead raised her staff and snapped it in two. The Maleficar laughed as the party turned away from her towards the staircase leading to the Harrowing Chamber, Twilight‘s heart chilled by the mad cackle of the blood mage unicorn.

Before the party resumed their climb to the top of the Tower, Twilight noticed Rarity’s horn begin to glow a pale red. The white unicorn followed the direction her magic was taking her towards one of the secured bookshelves, the wards protecting the contents long since shattered when the demons and Maleficar made their first attack.

Rarity focused on the bookshelf, looking through the various tomes that had pulled her attention away from the task at hoof. Her horn glowed brighter as a very large black grimoire slid out of the shelf and landed before her with a loud thump. The black book was dull and plain, save for a familiar symbol on the front cover and on the spine.

It was the red silhouette of a winged dragon, just the same as the cutie mark on Flemeth’s flank. “Oh dear,” Rarity said as she looked over the book, not even opening its pages, “This is one of Flemeth’s tomes, I just know it. But what is it doing here, in the Unicorn Tower? She never spoke of her travels outside of the Wilds.”

“Maybe this is why Flemeth sent you with us?” Twilight offered some sort of hypothesis, “To recover her lost book?”

Rarity shook her head, looking doubtful before tucking the grimoire into her saddle bag. “I just don’t know, Twilight,” she said, a look of concern on her face, “This just seems too…coincidental. Flemeth believed in power, and her books were filled with all manners of spells. Leaving one behind for the unicorns to peruse just does not sound like her.”

“We can ask the First Enchanter about Flemeth’s grimoire once we save him from Hubred,” Twilight offered with a wan smile, “I’m sure he knows why its here. I’m sure Wise Eyes can help us all.”

The large double doors separating the Harrowing chamber from the rest of the Tower loomed over the ponies. The door both beckoned and repelled Twilight as she slowly channelled a spell to open the path to the stairway. It beckoned to her because Hubred and the core of the demonic invasion was waiting in the chamber, waiting for more unicorns to fall to his power. The repulsion came from the same unicorn wizard waiting with incredible and deadly spells and monstrous demons.

“Do we have a plan, Twi?” Applejack asked.

“Hubred probably has some demons or abominations with him,” she answered, “And he was second to Wise Eyes in magical knowledge. Expect only the most dangerous of spells. We’ll use the same plan as before, but we have to be careful. The rest of the senior unicorns will be in that room, and if he is as powerful as we‘ve been told, he might also be controlling the enchanters with blood magic. Trixie will be busy reciting the Litany of Dawn to break the hold, but we need to be ready for anything, especially the worst.”

Twilight did not want to say that she was feeling weak. There was no reason to worry everypony, no reason to bring their concern down on her. But even now, she felt her knees buckle and her horn sting from over use of magic. Part of her wanted to curl up in a corner and die.

Instead, the unicorn led her friends up to the large door leading into the Harrowing Chamber. With a quick spell, the doors flung open and the party charged into the room, weapons brandished and staves charged with powerful magic.

The Harrowing Chamber was the same as Twilight remembered it. The grand room was mostly empty save for the lyrium chalice, Hubred, his abomination servants and the entire council of senior enchanters snared by magical blue rings. Two abominations flanked an enchanter as they brought him towards the bald unicorn.

Hubred’s wicked smile left Twilight feeling cold. Hubred was always respected in the Tower if not outright feared for his brutal teaching methods and knowledge of Dark Arts. Many templar had requested him specifically to hunt down Maleficar and apostates outside of the tower, and he was often seen chiding the students. Not even Trixie was immune to his anger, when he was not praising her due to his teachings. It was now no longer a surprise that someone so boastful and well versed in the Dark Arts would prove to be a powerful Maleficar and consort with demons.

The abominations forced their prisoner to his knees in front of Hubred. The Maleficar leader smiled as he lifted the senior enchanter’s head upwards. “Accept the gift we have given you,” his voice like the slither of a serpent.

The unicorn began to scream out in to deny whatever Hubred had to offer, only to choke and gasp for air as Hubred’s eyes turned red with magic. The unicorn’s cries grew distorted as his mouth began to shift, teeth turning jagged and coarse as boils grew to massive size all over his body. Muscles and bones grew in size as the body lost all recognition of the pony that was, mutated postules taking shape from within the body of the suffering unicorn. An abomination was born.

“Hubred, you are mad,” Wise Eyes shouted through his arcane prison. Hubred merely chuckled as he watched the new abomination bow to him.

“Wise Eyes old friend, it is not madness that drives us but the pursuit of power. Power that has long been denied us.” He turned his attention to Twilight and the party, his cheerful expression unable to contain his disdain to towards the ponies. “Ah, we have been expecting you, Twilight Sparkle. And Trixie, our dear student. How utterly disappointed we are in you.”

Trixie shrank as her old mentor stared her down. Twilight marshaled her confidence before stepping forward to face Hubred. “We’ve come to stop you and the Maleficar, Hubred,” she said, her voice shaking at the sheer pressure the Dark Arts master effused around him, “Look around you! Unicorns and templar are dying because of you and your madness!”

“Stop us? You?” Hubred let out a high pitched laugh, “You may have defeated Sloth, our abominations and our Maleficar foals, but you will not stop us! We hold more power in one hoof that you will ever know in your entire lifetime. We felt your feedback, Warden. We know the limits of your power, and that you are reaching them. How can you hope to battle us?”

“And you have come with the Litany of Dawn, in hopes that my former student would use it against us and our blood magic? She would have made an excellent host for one of our brothers, but instead chose her path to walk separate from our offer, separate from the true might that is demons, the masters of magic. No matter, we will make you all vessels for our kind soon enough!”

Hubred’s face contorted and shifted violently. His yell echoed through the Harrowing Chamber, sending shockwaves through all of the ponies around him. Like the abominations, Hubred’s form changed completely, his limbs becoming longer and covered in spines. Gone was his pale grey coat, replaced by indigo scales and yellow spikes of bone. From his back sprouted two long tentacles ending in clamping pincers. Only his cutie mark remained unchanged.

The face took on the most drastic morph. Hubred’s snout extending into something more reptilian than equine, and from his mouth came several rows of razor sharp teeth. His eyes changed from dull yellow to violent crimson, brilliant yet terrible power emanating from the orbs. The horn was sharp and jagged, smothered in a red aura that pulsed with murderous energy.

Twilight stared at the demon before her in shock and realization. It was the same Pride Demon that had made its presence known to her during the Harrowing. Hubred must have made a pact with the monster to expand his power exponentially. Now that demon was standing in front of her in all its terrible glory.

“Hello again, little mare,” the demon hissed, though his mouth was unmoving, “It seems we meet again. You have grown much more powerful since we last met. So much more worthy of possessing my power.” That last instance when the demon said ‘my’ triggered an alarm for Twilight. Hubred was no longer working with the demon, but fully possessed by the monstrosity of the Fade. He was just another unicorn who fell for the schemes of demons.

“You can feel the power, can’t you?” The demon continued, his red eyes meeting Twilight’s, “Think of what we can do together. We can end the Blight, destroy the Archdemon. I can make you a queen, no, an empress with our magic combined! The entire world will tremble at our magic, at our power!”

The harrowing chamber disappeared, leaving Twilight and the Pride abomination alone in total darkness. The violet unicorn felt herself lost in the red pools that were the demon’s eyes as they pulsed with magic and power.

Twilight saw images of splendour and luxury form around her. Whatever she was doing was soon forgotten as her eyes gazed at the wonders that the demon was offering to her. Surrounding her was a palace decked in cloths that sparkled like the night sky, a beautiful throne surrounded by armoured guardsponies. Her palace, her throne, her guards.

This is wrong. This is right. Two voices conflicted within Twilight’s mind. She looked again to see all sorts of ponies from far and wide on bended knee to her. Sitting on her head was a grand crown adorning an even grander horn. To her sides were two majestic wings, gorgeous and elegant. The demon would do more than just make her ruler of the world, but make her an alicorn, a goddess!

All of it could be hers, power overwhelming any foe that stood against her. All she had to say was ‘yes’.

Sunlight, sunlight, bring your shine,

Clear this pony’s cloudy mind.

Sunlight, sunlight, help her see,

Past the dark and onto me.

Sunlight, sunlight, show your might,

Turn the shadows, make things right!

Trixie’s voice resounded in her head as rays of sunlight pierced through Twilight’s palace. One beam of light shone directly onto her, transforming her beautiful alicorn body into that of the possessed Hubred’s. Twilight screamed at her own transformation before seeing the illusion fade to the Harrowing Chamber, and an angry Pride Demon snarling at her.

“Hubred taught you well, Trixie,” the Pride Demon growled, “Too well. The Litany of Dawn may have protected you from blood magic, but I still have enough power in one hoof to crush you all!”

Twilight looked around, still dazed and confused. The Pride Demon had attempted to cast a mind control spell on her, and nearly worked if it were not for Trixie and the Litany. All around her there was fighting as her friends battled the demonic abominations. The Pride Demon itself was looming over Trixie, a deadly spell being channeled through its horn. Mustering every remnant of her strength, the violet unicorn rushed into Trixie, tackling into her and narrowly avoiding a stream of blue fire incinerating the spot.

There was no direct way for Applejack and Rainbow Dash to get to the Pride Demon as long as its pincers swayed wildly around its body, preventing any direct attack. All of Fluttershy’s arrows and Pinkie Pie’s bombs did nothing to the monster’s powerful and magically reinforced scales. “Rarity! Here!” Twilight called. The white mage rushed over to Twilight and Trixie’s side as the others continued to fend off the demon’s assault.

Only magic could defeat a force of magic as powerful as the corrupted Hubred. “I have a plan, Twilight said to the crouched unicorns, “I need to create another feedback, this time with Hubred. As powerful as he is now, a powerful enough feedback with destroy his horn, leaving him exposed for you to attack.”

“You can‘t!” Trixie called out, “The last feedback nearly killed you! You’ll never be able to match Hubred and the Pride Demon’s raw magical power. If you tried to do a feedback with Hubred, all you would be doing is killing yourself.”

“She’s right, Twilight,” Rarity said, “There has to be another way.”

Hubred did not allow them time to prepare another strategy as he approached, another powerful spell wrapping itself around his horn. A mighty arc of indigo fired from the tip of his horn, meeting Twilight’s counterspell partway. The two bursts of energy met, but this time Twilight could feel the immense magical pressure bearing down on her. She thought her horn was going to break just as the Maleficar she had fought.

Her magic was no match for the combined might of Hubred and the Pride Demon, and the creature knew it. He pressed his attack with unbridled ferocity, pummeling Twilight with incredible magic. She was tired and weak from her climb up the Tower, from facing demons, abominations and Maleficar. It was a foolish idea to try to match magic with so powerful a demon. And now she was going to pay for that mistake.

Rainbow Dash provided an answer to the battle. “This room is pretty big!” she shouted, flying around Hubred’s head, “Watch what an awesome pegasus like me can do!” With a long dagger held firmly in her teeth, the assassin stabbed the blade deep into the mighty abomination’s neck. Hubred roared in pain, and his lock in the feedback was disrupted.

Trixie and Rarity stepped forward, nodding as they joined their magic together with Twilight’s. They struggled at the initial shock of the feedback, but gritted their teeth as they pushed with all of their power.

“No!” Hubred shouted, “I will not fall! I am powerful! I am almighty!” The pincers on his back swayed violently, one clasping around Rainbow Dash’s hind leg, slicing skin and tendons. The cyan pegasus shouted out in pain, struggling to become free from the Pride Demon’s monstrous appendage.

Rainbow Dash was in trouble as long as Hubred had a hold of her. Twilight redirected an arc of energy towards the tentacle, severing it completely and releasing Dash from its hold. The loss of one his limbs sent Hubred into a fury, roaring like a beast as he focused more of his anger and magic into the feedback.

The shockwave generated by the demon’s power brought the unicorns to their knees, but they still held the feedback steady. It would only be a matter of time until they would break under the arcane pressure.

Suddenly, Twilight could feel the energy being lifted, slowly, as if somepony were lifting a weight off her shoulders. She looked around to see Wise Eyes and the other senior enchanters adding their magic to feedback. Moment by moment, more of the burden of maintaining the feedback was taken from Twilight and her friends. Without Hubred to direct his attention at the binding rings, they had faltered and allowed the other unicorns to be free.

“We stand with you, Twilight Sparkle,” Wise Eyes said, his eyes steeled with determination, “Let us end Hubred’s threat together.”

All the unicorns focused their magic into the feedback, causing more ripples of power to generate from the connection of the arcane. Hubred cursed as he tried to push back, his body shaking as the power overwhelmed him. Cracks burst along the Pride Demon’s horn, the Fade beast howling in pain and frustration.

“Magic exists to serve ponies, never to rule over them,” Twilight said, echoing the words spoken to her during her Harrowing. How true were those words now in the face of a unicorn ruled by a demon of magic. With every ounce of magic inside her horn, Twilight directed the feedback into the horn of the Pride abomination.

Like the sound of the thunder, Hubred’s horn burst into shards, all of the remaining energy from the feedback being released into white light. Twilight and the others averted their eyes, but could still see the mighty Pride Demon fall. Without a source of magic or a link to the Fade, there was nothing to maintain the abomination. The giant fell with a loud thud, shaking the Harrowing Chamber.

All around Twilight the senior unicorns cheered and cried, glad to be alive and free from Hubred and his demons. Wise Eyes approached his former students, a gleam of happiness in his eyes. “I am so proud of you,” he said to Twilight and Trixie, “You and your friends have saved us all. We had all but given up hope once Hubred and the Pride Demon joined together.”

Pinkie rushed over to the downed Rainbow Dash, immediately taking a bottle of healing poultice and putting it over her damaged leg. The pegasus had a made a reckless move against such a powerful foe, but it was the move that saved them.

“Heh, maybe I over did it a bit,” Dash said as she laid on her side. With a smile, Twilight helped the pegasus back to her feet. Rainbow Dash winced as she steadied herself. Things had certainly turned around between Dash and Twilight, and while to others it would seem odd to trust a pony who had made an attempt on their life, Twilight saw that Rainbow Dash really believed in her oath of loyalty.

Once Twilight was sure that Rainbow Dash was in stable health, she walked over to Wise Eyes, hoping to gain his counsel. “First Enchanter,” Twilight said, wanting nothing more to vent all her troubles on her kindly teacher, “There is so much I want to ask you…”

“In due time, child,” Wise Eyes looked to the staircase, “First we must tell Hornsheild that the danger is passed. Curse this tower. Next time, the Unicorn Circle should be in a large bungalow. I’m getting too old for these stairs.”

***

The iron doors opened wide into the foyer of the Tower, with several templar drawing weapons as the unicorns approached. At the sight of the First Enchanter and Twilight, Hornshield barked for his soldiers to stand down. Spike immediately rushed towards Twilight, leaping onto her back and holding on to her neck as if it were his lifeline.

“By Celestia’s sun, Wise Eyes old friend, you made it!” For the first time in her life, Twilight saw the taciturn knight-commander smile, “I will send word that the Right of Annulment is to be…annulled.”

“And you, Twilight Sparkle, you and your friends saved us all from catastrophe. You have my eternal thanks.” Hornsheild saw to his templar to provide aid to the unicorns and to send help to any stranded in the Tower. Everypony could now offer a sigh of relief.

“Twilight Sparkle, Trixie,” Wise eyes said as he looked over the two younger unicorns, “I would like to commend you both for all that you have done. Hornsheild has told me that you came here as part of your duty to the Wardens, Twilight, and that you sought the aid of the unicorns against the Blight. Know that when the time for battle comes, the unicorns shall lend their magic to the Grey Wardens.”

“As for you, Trixie. I believe you have proven that underneath your bravado, there is a good heart and legitimate power behind your words. As such, I would like to replace the staff you lost to the demons with one fit for a senior enchanter of the Circle, and invite you to our council. We will need all the help we can muster to rebuild our order, and I would be honoured to have the Great and Powerful Trixie to serve beside.”

Trixie watched as her new staff floated to her side, an arcane instrument made from fine oak and crafted into work. Twilight felt happy for the blue unicorn who had gained the recognition she sought. They would likely never see eye to eye proper, but the budding respect that was forming towards Trixie had grown to a full appreciation of the blue unicorn and her ability.

“Wise Eyes,” Twilight said as she approached her old mentor, “I’ve encountered so much in the world in such a short amount of time. And some of the things I’ve learned scare me.”

The old unicorn nodded, motioning for Twilight to come with him to a corner of the room. Once they had a moment of privacy, Wise Eyes began to speak. “You have killed with magic, haven’t you.” Not a question, but  a statement. Twilight felt ashamed at what she had done with her magic, but when she felt the comforting hoof of the First Enchanter, her tension eased if only for a moment.

“Listen to an old pony, child,” Wise eyes continued, “The world we live in is a harsh place, as I am sure you are well aware. There are many dangers that frighten or break the most stalwart of ponies, whether it is demons, ponyspawn or more often other ponies themselves. But as long as you acknowledge your role in these painful events, as long as you feel remorse for your actions and take responsibility for the great power you use on a daily basis, then you are not a monster like those you fight.”

“You will still be a pony, my dear, and one with a large heart. I have never been more proud of you than I am right now. Rage, hunger, sloth, desire and pride have no hold of you, but instead I see a unicorn of virtue destined to accomplish great things. I fear the road ahead will only become more harsh, but if anypony can do it, it will be you. And you have the support of a great assortment of friends who will aid you in your endeavours. You are not alone in this road, Twilight Sparkle. Never forget that.”

Twilight wrapped her hooves around Wise Eyes’ neck, as happy as she can be with the guidance from her teacher. I’m not a monster, she confidently told herself, I’m not a killer. I’m a pony on a mission who has to do what she must. I am a Grey Warden.

It was then Twilight remembered the old writing that was found with the Grey Warden treaties. With a flick of magic levitating the piece of parchment from her saddle bag, Twilight brought the writing towards Wise Eyes who took up the page in his own magic.

“We found this in an old Grey Warden fort,” Twilight said, “But we can’t figure out the writing. We’ve been told it was from the days of Luna.”

The First Enchanter looked over the parchment with a critical gaze, his eyes regarding all the markings, lines and the six points on the diagram. However, he looked back at Twilight before returning the sheet to her bag. “I’m afraid I cannot make heads or tails of this,” he said sadly, “It appears to be an old ritual of a sort, involving six foci of magic, as well as the possibility of more foci to be added to give the ritual strength. But what these foci are, where they are, or what the ritual even does, I cannot say.”

It was worth a shot, that much Twilight knew. Perhaps another pony out in Equestria could decipher the ritual that the Grey Wardens hid so long ago. While Wise Eyes was thanking Rarity and the other ponies, fatigue hit Twilight as she let out a loud yawn. “We’ve had a long day,” Twilight said to her group, “We should find a place to rest before heading to Red Apple Acres.

“Then allow us to offer one final service,” Hornsheild said, “There is an inn on the other side of the docks. I’m sure you’ve seen it. Please tell the innkeeper that I will pay for full amnesties while you rest there. He should be more than happy to oblige.”

Twilight and the others thanked Hornsheild for the gift of rest. For once since the journey began, above all other concerns, eveypony just wanted a good night’s sleep and sweet, demonless dreams.

---

Chapter 10: Origins

“I do hope that the inn has some sort of bath,” Rarity said as the ferrypony carried the party over Lake Blackwater, “So many dreadful memories, all the blood, filth and dirt is going to need a very thorough scrubbing.”

Twilight agreed, a good bath would be nice after the horror that was the demonic attack on Unicorn Tower, a bath to wash away all the grime and soothe the pain. However, the others in the party were less than talkative. She remembered what Applejack had said, that the illusions felt more real to the ponies not used to encounters in the Fade, and that a part of them wanted Twilight to be wrong. Twilight wondered if that sentiment was reflective on all her friends, and the despairing looks on their faces only helped confirm this.

Once the small ship had docked, the group trotted over to the small inn sitting on a small hill. It was nothing grand by any stretch, but a cozy little building with the lights of flickering fires could  be seen through the windows. A rotund earth pony sat in front of the door, smoking a pipe and letting the smoke hang around his head like a wreath.

“Excuse me,” Twilight said, “Knight-Commander Hornsheild said we could stay here for a short while. We won’t inconvenience you.”

The innkeeper smiled as he stood up straight. “I’ll be sure to send the old colt the bill then. Come in, come in! I’ll fetch y’all a round of cider and some apples straight from Red Apple Acres. And don’t be thinking yer a pest or nothin’, the only other guests I have are a pegasus trader and a youngun, and they went out and about for a while.”

Applejack’s face lit up at the way the innkeeper spoke. As the ponies sat around a large table, the innkeeper hefted a large basket of bright red apples onto the surface while a donkey jenny, a female of the mountain dwelling equines, poured cider into drinking bowls. Rarity declined to joined them, rather seeking out the nearest bath tub.

“There’s an old wooden one out back,” the innkeeper told the white unicorn, “Water comes from the lake, and so you might want to heat it. Got a stove out back for that.”

“That will do fine, good sir, I believe I can manage.” Rarity left for the bath, leaving Twilight with four dejected ponies and Spike. She wondered how it would be best to approach the sensitive topics of what they faced in the Fade.

“Hey Pinkie Pie, we won against the demons, doesn’t that call for a party?” Twilight grinned at the pink earth pony, who only returned the smile with a heavy sigh.

Twilight looked over to Applejack. “A.J., thanks again for helping me with that feedback,” she said, “You saved me and helped figure out a way to stop Hubred! And we have the help of the unicorns against the Blight!”

“Sure thing, sugarcube,” replied Applejack, her tone flat. Looking cross, the violet unicorn turned to Fluttershy, hoping to get a better response.

“You did a great kindness to the Maleficar, Fluttershy. I’m sure they feel the same way, even after the uprising. The templar would not have given them final rites.”

Fluttershy merely mumbled as she stared into her cider bowl, as if expecting the meaning of life to come from the beverage.

Narrowing her eyes, Twilight looked to Rainbow Dash, expecting a similar answer. “So, Rainbow Dash. Those were some pretty impressive moves against Hubred. They were pretty cool.”

Dash looked up as if trying to fill her voice with passion, only to fall flat. “Could have been better,” she said, batting an apple around with her hooves, “I bet I could have done a percentage cooler.”

With an exasperated sigh, Twilight drank from her cider bowl. The warm liquid was certainly good, much different than anything she had ever had before. This was becoming frustrating, and Twilight didn’t know how to snap her friends back from their melancholy.

“What is wrong with everypony?” She asked with a bit more force than she intended, “You are all acting like some tragedy happened. I know the illusions felt real but they were not. If you could all please just tell me what’s wrong, maybe we can find a way to help each other.”

Fluttershy looked up at Twilight, her eyes holding an unfamiliar sorrow. “I wanted to be somewhere safe,” the yellow pegasus began, “Somewhere I wouldn’t be hunted by ponies bent on finding me, punishing me for a crime I did not commit. That’s what the Sloth Demon showed me, what it gave me in the Fade. Someplace safe surrounded by little animals that I could care for. It’s only fair for all of you know to know who I was in Filais, before I joined the Chantry cloister.”

“In Filais, I was a bard, a pony who was both a travelling troubadour as well as a spy.   Bards were the pawns of the Filesian nobility, who conspired against each other for power, prestige, and personal vendettas. I wasn’t a very good bard, I mean, I knew a lot of stories and songs, but I didn’t like being put in front of crowds of nobles. But I was very good at listening, and noticing even the smallest of details. The Bardmaster sent me to spy and retrieve information from a powerful noble, who she claimed was a traitor the Empress of Filais…”

“Miss Fluttershy, Miss Fluttershy!” came the calls of the nobleman’s little foals. Fluttershy turned around and smiled at the two young ones; they loved hearing their nurse’s bedtime stories and songs. It was time for bed, and they were eager for another melody, or another tale of wonder and amazement.

“Come now, little ones,” Fluttershy said, soft and gently to the foals, “It’s time to lay down your sleepy heads. I’ll tell you a nice story about how Lunar Blossoms got their name. Or a nice little lullaby, would you like that?”

“Tell us a story about the Mare of the Mire!” piped Magnifique. The little unicorn always loved tales of powerful sorceresses, and any tale of Flemeth were her favourites.

As with every night, however, Glorieux wanted something different. “No!” she cried out, “Tell us the story about the first mare chevalier, Bon Bon!” As the first daughter of Chevalier General Puissant, the young earth pony yearned for nothing more than stories of Bon Bon and her tales of heroics, wanting to be a chevalier herself one day.

Fluttershy smiled down on the small ponies, “How about a song that my mother sang to me when I was your age?” Their eyes grew wide in anticipation, then both sisters bounded over to their beds, wrapped warmly in fine linen blankets, resting their heads on soft feathered pillows.

“Hush now, quiet now,

 It’s time to lay your sleepy heads,

Hush now, quiet now,

 It’s time to go to bed…”

The yellow pegasus continued to sing, watching over her charges as they drifted into peaceful slumber. They looked like little angels as they slept under the watchful light of Luna leaking through their bedroom windows. With a careful hoof, she gingerly stroked the manes of Magnifique and Glorieux, sighing as she looked up to the full moon.

If it were not for the Bardmaster, would she ever have such a place in Filais? Fluttershy often wondered this, as she closed the door and walked through the halls of the estate. She was put in place to spy on General, but the only secrets the ranking officer had was an enjoyment of Equestrian cider and dancing on the roof of his home with his wife. Nothing nefarious or treasonous. He was a good pony, one who treated his servants with respect and fairness.

Maybe I can go appeal to the Bardmaster, Fluttershy thought as she made her way to Puissant’s study. I can bring her my report on the General, and then ask if I can stay on. This is a good life. Everyone is so kind. I can stay here

She creaked open the door of the study to see the General and his wife playing chess. Keeps the mind sharp, Puissant would explain. Fluttershy had never had the opportunity to the play, but she wondered if this game was connected the The Game of the nobility in some form.

“Excuse me, sir,” Fluttershy said as she stuck her head into the study, “But the foals are fast asleep. Is there anything else you wish of me?”

“Oh Fluttershy, do come in and join us,” Madame Elegance left her husband and the game board, motioning for the filly-in-waiting to enter, “You have been such wonder to the little ones. They love you dearly; I wanted to do something to repay you.”

“Quite so,” was the gruff response from the General. He did not like his games of chess to be interrupted, but his eyes were filled with the same gratitude as his wife. Elegance pushed Fluttershy towards a large object shrouded by a cloth. The noble unicorn had a wide smile as she directed her magic to remove the cloth, revealing a bright yellow and green dress.

The pegasus gasped as she looked on the work of art. “It may be last season’s fashion, but I think it would look absolutely marvelous on you,” Lady Elegance said, “Although I couldn’t rightly cut such fabric to make room for you wings.”

“It’s wonderful!” Fluttershy had never been given such a gift before. Most pegasi could never afford such dresses in their lifetimes, and now she was being given one for herself. She had to appeal to the Bardmaster after this. She wanted to stay.

“I am so glad you like it,” Elegance cheerfully said, “Husband, do leave us. I want to see Fluttershy in this dress.”

The General huffed as he was shooed out of his own study, but made no more objections as soon as he was out the door. Quickly Fluttershy put on the dress with the Lady’s assistance, until she was standing in front of a large mirror. Yes, her wings were hidden, but it was a small price to pay.

The dress really was wonderful. It was rather uncanny how close of a body shape she shared with Lady Elegance, but the dress fit perfectly. The Filesian Haute Couture style was everything Fluttershy dreamed of.  Every hem and weave matched her body, and the shoes felt like she was walking on clouds.

“Oh thank you my lady, thank you!” Uncharacteristically, she embraced the Lady of the household close, who laughed as she returned the gesture. When she realized what she had done, Fluttershy let go, her cheeks flushed with colour.

Elegance laughed again, the usual laugh of noblemares. “My dear, you have been such a treasure to us. Pegasus or not, we consider you family here.” The door opened, revealing General Puissant with a scroll hanging gently in his teeth. He approached the desk, setting the scroll down on the surface before turning to Fluttershy.

“Messenger brought this,” he said, “Says it is from your grandmother.” Fluttershy’s eyes widened at the mention of the ‘grandmother’. It was the code that the Bardmaster used to identify herself. She broke the seal on the scroll and scanned the contents quickly for key words. The letter was written as it would be from an elder doting on her granddaughter, but some key words would indicate that the Bardmaster was summoning Fluttershy to her location.

She looked to the General and his wife, bowing her head low. “My grandmother is very sick,” Fluttershy lied, hating every word that she had to say, “May I please go see her? It’s very important.”

Lady Elegance nodded her head, with Puissant following suit with a grunt as he sat back down in front of the chessboard. Fluttershy curtsied on her way out before heading to her quarters. As much as she wanted to show the Bardmaster the dress as more evidence for her appeal to stay with the family, the location of the meeting was a secret and a brightly coloured dress like this would only stand out at this time of night.

The night air was cool as Fluttershy trotted quickly through the Capitol’s streets. The roads were barren save for a few guards and migrants, who paid no heed to a hooded mare travelling through the districts.

She approached the doors of a tavern’s cellar where the letter said the meeting would take place. Fluttershy knocked on the door three times, before seeing a single bar of wood sliding over, revealing two bloodshot eyes.

“Password,” said the rough voice on the other side of the door.

“Equestria smells like wet dog,” Fluttershy responded. The door guard laughed before closing the slider. The door opened wide enough for the pegasus bard to slip into the cellar unnoticed. She followed close behind the guard as they travelled the torchlit underground until they arrived into a much bigger and much busier room.

The room was filled with ponies and materiel used by the bards as they milled about with other rogues and scoundrels-for-hire. Weapons lined several tables, while others were adorned with detailed maps and reports. In the centre of it all stood the Bardmaster, directing her own army of shadows as she saw fit.

The Bardmaster was a blue coated earth pony by the name of Artistic Finish. Her white mane was cut prim and proper, and she always hid her eyes behind violet tinted goggles. The first time most ponies met her, they would think the goggles were silly. They did nothing but hid her eyes. But after a while, most bards found exactly that to be most unnerving thing of all. They could not see the Bardmaster’s eyes.

Artistic Finish noticed Fluttershy’s approach, ignoring everypony around her to meet her agent. “Ah, Fluttershy, my finest bard has returned to ze nest!” She spoke with such florish, all the pegasus could so was meekly smile, “I have been so anticipating your return. I need you to create ze magickz again!”

“Uhm, Bardmaster,” Fluttershy said, barely above a whisper. She had to make the appeal now, “I came to deliver my report. But if I could say, General Puissant has done nothing to warrant attention, nothing about treason or-”

“Ah, forget about Puissant,” the Bardmaster ushered Fluttershy closer, “I have a new, very important task for you. A new role zat needs someone like you, Fluttershy. It needs your magickz. Zen you are done!”

That didn’t sound too hard. One more job with the bards, with the nobility, with The Game. She would ask for a leave of absence from Puissant’s household, just enough to take care of her ‘sick grandmother’. Then she could and see Magnifique and Glorieux grow up, sing the songs they loved and tell them stories.

Artistic Finish leaned close to Fluttershy’s ear and whispered: “I need you to play ze role…of patzy.”

Fluttershy let out a sharp gasp as Filesian Soldiers quickly surrounded her, coming out of the shadows from every rock and crevice, swords drawn and waiting for an excuse to use them. How could the Bardmaster have done this? With every blade and arrow alike trained on her, there was no hope but to submit to Finish.

Quickly her hooves were bound by shackles, and a rope was tied around her neck. The humiliation she was facing was not hers alone to bear, as other bards were being rounded up and arrested. Filesian soldiers were pushing their captives through the caves only to be joined by more soldiers bearing a new insignia: the crest of the country of Pura Raza.

Her ears drooped as everything spiraled out of control. Artistic Finish was the traitor, and was going to use her as a distraction for some plan, likely against the Empress. The worst part of it all was that there was nothing Fluttershy could do about it.

In the morning she and the rest of the bards were being paraded around the Capitol like true villains, with Fluttershy being touted as the mastermind of a conspiracy against Filais. The ponies of the city booed and jeered at her, throwing rotten vegetables at her and her unfortunate compatriots. Artistic Finish took on all accolades for their capture, further securing the trust of the Empress and her court with that of the traitor. Thankfully, General Puissant and his family had not joined the crowd.

There was no trial. All of the bards who Finish had betrayed were sent into the prison of La Détention Criminelle. Every day, another prisoner was taken into the courtyard to be mocked, to be “judged”, then to be executed. Fluttershy could see every execution from her cell, when the guards were not being ordered by the Bardmaster to beat her…

Fluttershy broke down into sobs as painful memories were brought to the forefront. Feeling awful for drudging up a painful past, Twilight laid a hoof on the pegasus’ shoulder. In a short amount of time, the former spy had everything she wanted and then nothing. From a peaceful existence to facing the executioner’s block. It was amazing just how much Fluttershy had suffered in Filais, but moreso the strength she showed to overcome it all.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered, “It’s been so long since then. I escaped Filais during a prison riot and was able to come to Equestria, in hopes that the Bardmaster would never find me. It’s why I hid in the Chantry and covered my wings with the sister’s robes. After a while, I began to get used to living in the Chantry. It is very calming, and the gardens of the cloister were simply lovely and so peaceful. I felt happy for the first time in years.”

“But when the news of the Blight came to the Chantry, it was then that I received the dream from Celestia.” Twilight leaned in closer, her desire to hear about a dream from a goddess her top priority. “I was in the gardens, taking care of all the little critters that called it home, when a sickly bird fell from the sky. I tried to nurse it back to health, but not matter what I did, the bird’s health would not improve. The other sisters said that the bird was doomed, but I wouldn’t give up on the little creature.”

“One day, I had a dream that the bird flew towards the Celestia’s sun and burst into flames. I was scared for the bird at first until it flew down, a magnificent creature with wings of fire. It bowed as if to thank me for all its help, and then flew off towards Ostequus. I knew then that I had to follow it. Without thinking I flew after the firebird, until it landed on top of a grey shield. I knew then that I had to leave the cloister and come find you.”

The dream still sounded off, but Twilight was glad to have Fluttershy with her group. She was a pony with a new sense of purpose, and nothing motivated somepony than feeling that they belonged.

“Oh my,” Fluttershy squeaked as her stomach gave off a loud rumbling, “I was going on for so long, I interrupted the meal. I’m sorry.”

The other ponies quickly laid the pink-maned sister’s worries at ease as their own stomachs began to sing out in unison for sustenance. They began to munch happily on the fresh serving of apples, as well as consume a healthy amount of cider.

“Mmm,” Pinkie Pie said with cheer, “These are nice and juicy! Definitely from Red Apple Acres. They’d make for some great apple pies! Or apple fritters, or apple tarts…”

Pinkie trailed off as eyes became downcast. Twilight watched as Pinkie began to sniffle, eyes welling up in tears of her own. “The bakery from the Fade,” Pinkie revealed, “It was all I ever wanted. That mean demon showed me what I wanted, made me want to give up this adventure to have that bakery.”

“No, not just the bakery,” Pinkie amended, “That meanie was showing me a life where I wouldn’t have to fight anymore. I hated being a guard in Ponyring, I hate every time I have to lift my mace, or use my grenades to hurt ponies. That bakery was what I wanted to really be; a pony who could spread happiness to everypony everywhere! Then the Ponyspawn came…”

Pinkie Pie bounded down the road towards the Pie Homestead near the village of Ponyring. She had a spring to her step and a song in her voice ready for everypony to hear. After saving enough bits for months, she had finally been able to afford the book she wanted to buy to learn new recipes for her baking and alchemy. The book was large and heavy, but with a heart full of cheer, the pink earth pony needed no more motivation to carry the big tome back home.

‘All You Needed to Know About Mixing Ingredients but Were Too Afraid to Ask’. A long title for a big book, but every time Pinkie saw the book she knew she had to have it. All the recipes her mother taught her were…okay, but they weren’t fun! Not like learning to bake delicious cakes, or learning how to mix poultices and draughts that brought back that ‘oomph’ in a pony’s trot.

She was making a comfortable living off her work, selling the stamina draughts and lyrium grenades to bring in extra income. Ever since Papa Pie passed away, things had been rough on the farm, so Pinkie started doubling as a guard for Ponyring under Bann Meyer as well as work on the farm. Her sisters, Inky and Blinky, also had to take on other jobs, but in the end, life was still as stable as ever.

Being a guard was okay. Pinkie liked the uniform chainmail she was given, and many ponies went to her for help like directions. It made meeting new ponies easy, and she felt good when they smiled at her. It was the actual fighting she didn’t like. Every once in a while, a group of bandits would accost some poor pony, she and other guards would have to chase them off. More often than not, casualties were involved.

Still it was the good life. A stable life and stable was boring! It was time for another Pinkie Pie Party! Not for any reason except to celebrate that the family was still together, through good times and hard times. Tonight was going to be a wonderful night for a party: the moon was full with Luna’s light illuminating the night sky.

There was a buzzing noise in the distance, like the sound of hundreds of stones hitting the dirt road. Pinkie quickened her pace until she was at a full gallop to see what was making the noise.

Over the edge of a foothill, Pinkie gasped as she saw the biggest progression of ponies she had ever seen. Hundreds of soldier ponies were marching together south towards the old ruins of Ostequus in the Potpourri Wilds. Banners of the King of Equestria as well as the Terynir of Glenwell waved in the light breeze.

Pinkie bounced down to the side of the marching army, until she was side by side with one of the soldiers. Mimicking the soldiers movements, she couldn’t help but begin a conversation with the armoured earth pony.

“Hi!” She chirped, eyes pleasant and lips curled into a bright smile, “I’m Pinkie Pie! I’m a guard from Ponyring. What’s going on? Are you all heading to a party? I love parties! I bet Ostequus would be a great place for a party!”

The soldier rolled his eyes and sighed. “This is not a party,” he said, “We are marching with King Blueblood and Teryn Loghoof to fight the ponyspawn. Please return to your home. With the King and the Teryn, as well as the Grey Wardens, you won’t have to worry at all.”

Pinkie dropped her march as the rest of the assembled army continued past her. More fighting? Why couldn’t ponies just focus on having fun and enjoying life? And what was all this about ponyspawn? They haven’t been seen in Equestria for over a hundred years.

“He’s right,” Pinkie said to no one in particular, “I don’t have to worry. The Teryn is a hero, and the King is the King! Maybe on their way back from Ostequus, we can have a really big party! Now I can’t wait!”

With a new incorrigible smile on her face, the pink guardspony bounced back home, humming a tune she had just wrote for her love of making cupcakes. As she neared the farm, she could see the fires in the hearth burning bright through the windows. Mama Pie was home and probably busy making dinner.

“I’m hooooome!” Pinkie called as she opened the door wide. Mama Pie was already there to greet her daughter with a wan smile.

“Welcome home, Pinkamena,” she said; ignoring her daughter’s very audible gag at her full name, “Inky and Blinkie should be home soon. Why don’t you tell me how the day has been?”

And so Pinkie did and with great gusto. She described everything from the old Filesian family dealing with that pony from the Wilds again, to her buying her very large book of recipes, to seeing the marching army head for Ostequus. As Mama Pie listened, the door opened and Pinkie’s two sisters entered the house weary from another day of hard work.

Pinkie rushed over to her siblings, grasping them both in a large hug. She was always happy to see Inky and Blinkie, and they always returned the affection they received. “Pies are we, together and forever till the end,” Pinkie said, their sisterly oath recited every night they were together. It was one of the few things Papa Pie left behind.

“Till the end, forever and together we are Pies,” responded the sisters, giggling as they let go to join their mother for dinner. Pinkie repeated her day’s events to her sisters, only to be stopped by Inky at the mention of the marching army.

“I’ve seen the army too,” the light grey mare said, “Mama Pie, maybe we should consider heading west, to Trotterim, or even Amarethine. We are awfully close to the Wilds and to the ponyspawn.”

“We’ve built a life here!” said Blinkie, her voice rising in anger, “We can’t just leave it all behind! Papa Pie built this farm with his bare hooves. The army is going to beat the ponyspawn, and everything is going to be fine.”

Pinkie hated it when her sisters fought. She just didn’t have the heart to agree or disagree with both of them, and they both made good points. They couldn’t stay at the farm if the ponyspawn were invading, but the army was going to stop them. Wouldn’t they?

“Calm down, girls,” Mama Pie said, “We’ll pack some essentials and be ready to leave if we have to. Let’s just pray that it does not come to it.”

Mama Pie was always there to help ease Pinkie’s worries. As long as they were together, there was nothing to fear. Wanting to change the subject, Pinkie dashed off to her bags, pulling the large book she bought and bringing it to her family to see.

“Don’t worry about some mean old ponyspawn,” Pinkie chimed, “When the army marches back, we can have a big party to celebrate! Won’t that be great?”

The two sisters laughed as they joined Pinkie Pie and her large book. They poked at certain recipes for cakes and pastries, talked about where to find ingredients for bizarre potions and poultices and other strange concoctions. There were even instructions on how to create a “healing grenade”. Pinkie didn’t know how something like that would work, but was more than excited to find out!

On the second day, more soldiers arrived for the battle of Ostequus.

On the third day, all was quiet. At night, a light could be seen from the old ruins.

On the fourth day, the army left the wilds. Their numbers were fewer, and the banner of the King did not fly.

On the fifth day, the ponyspawn attacked. When Inky spotted the screamers above the treetops, she shouted out to the rest of the family to escape. Before Pinkie knew it, several thelocks and donlocks were already descending on countryside, tearing apart the land and the farmers alike.

“Hurry!” Blinkie shouted as she lead the family through the hills, “We have to get as far away as possible!”

“Where?” Pinkie looked behind her to see a swarm of thelocks rushing towards them. She pulled a grenade, a simple exploding variant, and twisted the timing mechanism to five seconds. With a powerful twist of her neck, she sent the grenade flying into the monstrosities, watching as the bomb sent them flying with and without limbs.

Inky was firing a volley of arrows at the ponyspawn while Blinkie was guarding their mother with her sword. Shouts of battle could be heard all around them as other families and Bann Meyer’s soldiers were fighting and losing ground quickly. Pinkie looked around and saw a crevasse they could slip through if they were swift.

“That way!” Pinkie called out. The rest of her family quickly galloped over to the hillside ridge, while Pinkie backed away, tossing grenade after grenade towards the ponyspawn. The rocks looked old and brittle, and one good explosion would bring the rocks down on the ponyspawn and block the passageway.

She had to give her family the opportunity to escape. Priming another grenade, the pink alchemist was going to use it to cause the landslide until a screamer sailed into her, dropping the grenade and pushing her towards the ponyspawn. The screamer leered at Pinkie with its single massive eye before letting out a bone shaking screech.

“Pinkie!” She could hear Mama Pie crying out for her, but she couldn’t do anything with the screamer clawing at her. Looking at her fallen grenade, she had to make a decision, and quickly.

With a sudden rush of adrenaline, she slammed her hoof into the eye of the screamer, watching the beast recoil in pain as it clutched its large eye with its talons. Time was running short, as the ponyspawn were rushing forward. With one hoof, Pinkie armed the grenade to detonate in two seconds.

She grunted as she kicked the grenade towards the ridge. Blinkie’s eyes widened as she realized what her sister had done. “No!” she cried, but was soon muffled by the explosion. The rocks followed suit collapsing into the crevasse, making passage impossible for pony and ponyspawn alike.

Pinkie looked up to see more rocks breaking. The explosion worked too well, as the stones fell and crushed the screamer that had attacked her. Pinkie ducked, her forelegs covering her head.

“Together and  forever, till the end,” Pinkie whispered, her eyes shut as the rocks fell on top of her, until there was only black…

“And then I woke up to see Bann Meyer’s soldiers clearing things up, but they didn’t see where Mama Pie or my sisters went either.” Pinkie’s mane had deflated just as it did every time she was forced to use her mace. Twilight could see anger rise in Applejack’s features as Pinkie finished her story, and she could feel her own emotions rise to match. Another life ruined because Loghoof had quit the battle of Ostequus.

“I’m so sorry you lost track of your family Pinkie,” Twilight said, but how much comfort could she give? She didn’t even know her family, having only remembered living in the Unicorn Tower since she was a foal. Pinkie’s mane poofed right back up though, and her bright smile, though wavering, appeared once again.

“Don’t worry!” she said with typical Pinkie Pie cheer, “I’ll see my family again. I’m sure they went to that place with wall in its name. If only I could remember. Was it McCoywall? That just sounds silly. Scottywall? Oh! Spockwall! No, that’s not logical.”

“Anyways, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if I help my friends save all of Equestria! You girls are like my new family now! Together and forever, till the end!” With that, Pinkie embraced all her friends over the table, rocking the bowls of cider around as she held them close. There was something infectious about Pinkie Pie’s happiness, something Twilight didn’t know how she did without.

They all enjoyed another round of cider as the jenny took away the apples, replacing them instead with a bowl of cut daffodils and daisies. As they ate, Rainbow Dash laid both hooves on the table, her eyes fierce and a smirk on her lips.

“You haven’t heard nothing yet,” she said, “My story is made of awesome. Just you wait. Yeah, the demon showed me what I wanted, but it wasn’t an old cloud house or hanging with the Wonderbolts. No, what he gave me was freedom, or at least a dream about it.”

“See, everything goes much farther than my time in Pura Raza. Like I said when we first met I was actually born in Equestria and even when I was a little filly, I knew I was destined for greatness…”

A mother and her filly flew through the air of Amarethine in the dark of night, the moon full and Luna’s moonbeams covering the city in pale light. As they flew, they were being chased by dozens of armed guards, both earth pony and pegasi alike. They swirved and dived between the buildings as the guards shouted for a typhoon of arrows on the two.

Hundreds of arrows filled the sky; if it were sunny it would be like fighting in the shade. But even thousand arrows could never hope to strike such a dynamic pair as they landed before the docks. With amazing skill, the pegasus duo dodged the arrow assault with ease. Their ship was already drifting away in the currents, as the captain waved a hoof towards them.

But now there was nowhere to run, nowhere to fly as the parent and child were surrounded by hundreds of guards. The mother looked over to a young yet awesome Rainbow Dash, with a sly smile on her face.

“Think you’re a bad enough pegasus to handle all of these clowns?” she asked, brandishing her awesome daggers. The little filly rubbed her hooves together and gave a sharp laugh.

“They might as well have brought the entire circus,” Dash said before joining her mother in a brilliant display of daring, of bravery, of-

“Now wait an applebuckin’ minute,” Applejack had a raised eyebrow as she looked to Dash, “How come I have a feeling you’re just pulling all our legs at once in here.”

The cyan pegasus rolled her eyes. “Well duh, I’m trying to tell the awesome version of what happened. But if you really want the boring version, I suppose I could give you that one.”

Despite Rainbow Dash’s insistence on the “awesome version”, Twilight could see in the assassin’s eyes that she did not want to tell the truth. “Dash, if you don’t want to tell us, you don’t have to. We understand.”

Dash’s ears drooped, her fuschia eyes almost begging to Twilight that she didn’t have to tell her story. With a heavy sigh, she straightened herself out, and began again.

“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, its just difficult to put into words. It...hurts to remember. But if Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie could do it, so can I. I may have tweaked some of the events, but if you all really want to know, here it is…”

A mother walked slowly through the dark alleys of Amarethine City in the dark of night, the moon full and Luna’s moonbeams covering the city in pale light. She carried her sleeping filly in one foreleg as they made their way through the muck of the poorly maintained city. They just had to make their way to the docks without being noticed by the patrolling guard.

It was a small blessing that her daughter slept so soundly despite the journey and the mother knew she had to count her blessings when they came, including finally finding safe passage away from this slum of a city. Arl Rendon Maim spent more bits on his own personal fortress and its luxuries than on Amarethine and the countryside, and the city had decayed into a cesspit of smugglers and thieves to show for his negligence.

No, thought the mother, my daughter will not grow up like this. It had cost her much more than just bits to book passage, but it would all be worth it if Rainbow Dash grew up free. Not some servant to a lord or worse, an outlaw to be hunted. Rainbow Dash would not make the same mistakes she had.

They were so close to the docks, she could already smell the salt in the air. She just had to make it to the crate they were supposed to be waiting in for the captain of the ship. The shadows were her best allies, and she used them to hide from the patrols of guards. There was a large tempting bounty on her head, a bounty she had accrued throughout her life that now put her child in danger.

Odd how one small foal could make a difference in a pony’s life? One moment she was the bane of guardsponies in all Amarethine and next she was scared witless of them, if only to keep and protect her daughter. Her past self would have chided her for growing soft. Her past self died when Rainbow Dash was born.

The docks were quiet, the ships rocking gently against the current. There near the “Siren’s Chastity” was the crate she was told to hide in. Even on three hooves, she moved with silence and grace from shadow to shadow. From the corner of her eye she noticed a patrol, two armoured earth ponies making their way down to the docks.

Carefully, she opened the crate marked ‘Cider to Pura Raza’ and gently laid the sleeping Dash inside first before climbing in herself. With the lid of the crate closed, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief. She just had to wait for the captain-

“Mom? Where are we?” Her shock was plain to see on her eyes as she moved a hoof to Rainbow Dash’s mouth, hushing her daughter as she listened intently.

“What was that noise?” said one of the guards. Hoofsteps on the wooden docks, though muffled, sent the mother’s heart racing. Hoof still tight on her daughter’s lips, she took one shallow breathe of air and could do nothing but wait.

“What’s in the box?” She swore she could hear the breathing of the two guardsponies. They were so close. She was so close. Everything was going to come crashing down around them. Softly, she drew a dagger from her side, and held the mouthbit tight between her teeth. They would not take her daughter without their blood being spilled. Without her blood being spilled.

“Scared of boxes now?” said a different guard. The first guard stammered for a moment, collecting his words for a rebuttal.

“I ain’t scared of no boxes. Forget it, Arl Maim doesn’t pay us enough for this.” Still not time to take a breath, but her heart beat slower as she heard the guards hoofsteps echo into the distance. She brushed Rainbow Dash’s mane with a hoof as she waited for the guardsponies to finally leave before taking a look outside. She hoped the ship captain had not taken the money and ran, or sailed as it were.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

The mother froze as she heard the three knocks against the side of the crate. The captain said he would signal when to emerge from the crates. She wondered if this was the signal she was waiting for. Little Rainbow Dash shook in her hooves, scared witless of the uncertainty of everything around her. This was not how she wanted her daughter to live, but it was the only way to escape.

Slowly she pried the top of the crate open, looking out to see the ship captain waiting. The captain was an old earth pony, with a pale blue coat, white mane, and far too many scars on his hide. He looked over to the crate before motioning for the mother to join him.

She and her filly left the crate and stood before the old pony. “Hurry up,” he said, his voice hoarse, “We ain’t got all night.” He looked down to see Rainbow Dash under her mother’s cloak. His lips curled in a vile smile, many of his teeth rotting or missing.

“You must be little Rainbow Dash. A pleasure to meet ya-”

Before he could say another word, the mother rushed forward, dagger in her mouth and blade pressed against the captain’s neck. “Never speak to my daughter,” she hissed through the handle-bit, “Never look at her. And by everything under Celestia and Luna, if I even suspect you or any of your crew have laid a hoof on a single strand of her mane, I will kill every last one of you. Slowly.”

Rainbow Dash whimpered as she looked up to her mother, frightened at the transformation that seemed to occur. Sheathing the dagger, she cradled her daughter close while keeping an eye on the captain. He huffed, but eventually relented. In silence, the pegasi boarded the ship and headed into the lower holds.

“Where are we going?” The blue filly asked. Her mother shushed her, then began stroking her mane again as she stared blankly at the ship’s hull.

“To a place called Pura Raza,” she answered, “A place where you can grow up to become whatever you want to be. Don’t worry, little Dash. We’ll be together and safe, always.”

Rainbow Dash took another gulp of cider. “I didn’t learn until later that my mother was a killer,” she said, “She was hunted in Equestria for a lot of murders.”

“Apples don’t fall far from the tree.” Applejack muttered, but immediately regretted it. “Sorry Dash. Ah’m just not over the fact you were sent to kill us.”

“What is Pura Raza like?” Twilight asked. Rainbow Dash laughed, but it was a cold laugh, with little mirth.

“Worst. Place. Ever. Sure, Pura Razan’s don’t care if you have wings or a horn, but one rule overtakes them all. The one with the bits makes the rules. Nothing mattered in Pura Raza but how to best make the gold. Things looked like we were swimming in daisies, but what I didn’t know was that everything went downhill the moment we left the boat. Even after ten years of living in Pura Raza, old habits die hard after all…”

“Now Rainbow, I know you don’t like it…”

“I hate it! I makes me look lame!” Rainbow Dash sat on her haunches, forelegs crossed as she glared at her mother. She was dressed in a frilly pink dress that was supposed to all the rage in Pura Raza for young mares. All she wanted to do was show the pink monstrosity all the rage she had. “I can’t fly with this thing on! And why do I have to wear it anyways?”

“Because Lady Avispado wants her students to look their best before they perform in front of the Merchant’s Guild.” Dash’s mother shook her head as she tightened the laces on the girdle. The multicoloured pegasus grunted as the bodice tightened around her chest. Now she couldn’t fly and breathe!

There came a knock at the door. Dash’s mother moved to open the door only to be met with a scrawny messenger pegasus holding a scroll in his mouth. Without a word, a bit was exchanged for the message. Her mother opened the scroll, quickly scanning the contents before closing it and packing it away in one of the back pockets of her long jacket.

“My little Rainbow,” her mother said, as if ignoring what the scroll had to say, “You’re all grown up. You’ll be a mare soon, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m so proud of you, of the kind of lady you’ve become. Your beautiful, strong, and still have that fire in your eyes like I did when I was your age.”

She always got like this whenever a scroll came to the door. What was up with that? Dash didn’t dispute the words though. She did endure years of Lady Avispado’s classes because it was what her mother wanted. She wanted her mother to be proud of her.

“Aw mom, stop it,” Dash nuzzled her mother’s neck. When she noticed the position of the sun in the sky, she gasped and immediately headed to the doorway.

“Loveyoumomgottagobye!” Moving her hooves as fast as she could, Rainbow Dash sped off towards Avispado’s school. After all, it wouldn’t make her mom proud if she was late to the performance.

She travelled through the streets of the city with ease, stepping around ponies with grace as she moved through crowds. Only a block away sat the fussy elder pegasus’ school for sky dancers, the best flyers to come out of Pura Raza. They performed for lords and ladies all across the world, and Dash’s mother had paid a lot of money to get Dash into her classes.

Not that Dash hated the lessons, but the rules Avispado enforced were stifling. There were specifics to every motion; hooves had to be in the right place, wings had to move to the right beat, even the way she had her face had to perfect. All Rainbow wanted to do was fly as fast as her wings would let her. Then fly faster still.

Lady Avispado stood with the rest of the class as Rainbow took her place with the other pegasi. She said nothing, turning towards the center of the city to the Merchant’s Guild. All of the pegasi began to prance behind their teacher, eyes half open and all dressed in frilly gowns much like Rainbow’s.

The Merchants Guild was a colossal building, home to the Council of Six who ruled over Pura Raza with iron horseshoes and deep moneybags. All trade in Pura Raza was regulated by the Guild; the only illegal goods and services were those who did not give the Guild a cut. They managed the mercenaries who made up the army and guard force of Pura Raza, as well as the laws of the land. They also kept the king of Pura Raza fat and happy for political purposes outside of their direct control.

While the Merchant’s Guild was an administrative building, it was thanks to their love of luxuries that it was also the largest arena in the city, as well as the most exclusive. Only the Council of Six and their guests were given invitations, and only the best performers were ever considered. That, or one of the Six’s fillies were in the class, and they just wanted to show off.

“Listen, everypony,” Avispado called as they entered a dressing room of sorts, “This is the most important performance I will have ever have given in my entire career. All of you up to this point would have passed with flying colours, but now you will all fail if you ruin my chance to impress the Six. So don’t knacker this up!”

Rainbow Dash swallowed hard as she heard Avispado’s warning. No pressure, she told herself, just show them how awesome you are.

One by one the pegasi left the dressing room, emerging from behind velvet curtains onto a grand circular stage. Surrounding them sat the Council of Six and all their guests, applauding the arrival of the sky dancers. Everything was hushed as they took their positions, waiting for the music to play. Rainbow could feel a drop of sweat form on her head.

The minstrels began to play, a dynamic tune that involved incredible movement of both hooves and wings. Timed jumps and dives were performed with impressive dexterity. Finally getting into her own timing well, Rainbow smiled as she and the other pegasi danced, their movements as if one colourful motion of the wind.

Once their performance was over and they bowed towards the Six, the arena erupted in the applause of stomping hooves. “Brava! Brava!” the cheers resounded. Rainbow Dash smiled as she looked around the arena; she only wished her mother was here to see all this.

One of the Six rose up from his seat. A unicorn with a brown coat and red mane, Lord Despiadado raised a hoof in silence. “You have performed spectacularly,” he said, his voice carrying throughout the arena, “We would very much like to see you again for the Summer Sun Celebration. I am sure Lady Avisado has nothing else arranged.”

Even if she did, Avisado said nothing, only stuttering as she fainted to the ground. Lord Despidado chuckled before turning away, although his eyes lingered on Rainbow Dash for a moment. She felt cold as his gaze stayed on her before joining the rest of the Six.

Before the pegasi could leave to celebrate such a successful performance, the walls shook all around them. Mercenary guards rushed into the Guild Hall, ignoring the young mares as they headed towards the Six, weapons drawn as they formed pairs with their employers.

“There has been an explosion, Senior,” one of the guards said to Desdipado, “A shipment of lyrium direct from Orzamule. The Shadowbolts claimed responsibility, and are fighting our stallions in the streets, but they will be dealt within the hour.”

“Good.” Despiadado turned away from the mercenary captain and towards the pegasi dancers. “The streets are dangerous at the moment, with all this unpleasantness going on. Please, accept our invitation to stay until the guards have the situation under control. They will escort you home as soon as they are able.”

The Six retreated amongst themselves, talking in rapid Razan before separating in different directions of the Guild Hall. Rainbow Dash looked towards the doors leading outside, flanked by two well armed and armoured guards. She knew an explosion like that would hurt somepony, but all she cared about was if her mom was alright.

Out of the corner of her eye, the rainbow maned pegasus saw Despiadado speaking with her teacher. Avispado pointed a hoof in Rainbow’s direction as both spoke in hushed tones. The merchant lord levitated a small leather pouch from the side of his long coat, moving the pouch with his mind into Avispado’s waiting hoof. The linen bag disappeared in an instant as she made her way to Rainbow Dash, who feigned interest in a ceramic pot rather than watching the exchange.

Exchange of what exactly? Rainbow was certain she did not want to know, but was about to find out. “Rainbow Dash,” said Avispado as she looked down on her cyan student, “It would seem Senior Depsiadado would like to speak to you in private. Please follow him to his office.”

Rainbow wanted to say no, but one did not refuse a request from one of the Six. She followed the master merchant up a large flight of stairs until she found herself in a luxurious office, filled with all sorts of fine silks, bottles of imported wine, and above all was a stained glassed window depicting the sun in all her glory. The light from Celestia’s sun, however, did not shine through the stained glass sun.

Despiadado used his magic to lift two delicate crystal glasses from a nearby cabinet, followed by one bottle of red wine. “Imported all the way from Filais,” he said, pouring the expensive liquor into the glasses, “Please, join me for a drink, Senorita Dash. You have earned such.”

Dash smiled to keep up appearances, but politely shook her head. “I’m not much of a drinker, Senior.”

“Ah. A shame.” Despiadado downed the liquor in one gulp before turning towards Rainbow Dash, his eyes looking the young mare over. “I found your performance, as well as yourself, quite fetching, my dear.” His voice oozed with desire, that much Rainbow Dash knew. She backed away from him slowly towards the door.

“Uh, thanks and all, but I really should be going home.” The room was too small, too compact, and the door was likely to be guarded on the outside. The only way out would be to smash through the stained glass window, but she didn’t know what kind of magic a unicorn like Despiadado had in his horn.

“But I wanted to get better acquainted with you my dear.” He leered closer, until his mouth was dangerously close to Dash. She could feel his breathing on her mane, and smell the wine in his breath. “I could make you rich, you know. Rich, with all the luxuries you could ever desire. All you have to do is say yes. Or don’t say anything at all. Nopony will know.”

“No,” Dash said weakly, until she was pressed against a wall with Despiadado looming over her, a wicked grin on his face. “NO!” came a much fiercer shout and with a flap of her wings, she gained enough leverage to swing her hooves into the offending unicorn’s face. He staggered a bit, but as he recovered, his eyes and horn began to glow, a face of rage contorting the once serene looking merchant lord.

“No one denies Despiadado, bruja,” he cursed before levitating a dagger towards Rainbow Dash, “I will have you whether you want it or not!” The dagger slashed against Dash’s clothes, slicing the laces of the girdle free as well as cutting the ribbons in her hair. The blade moved again to cut, when the stained glass window sun behind Despiadado burst.

Shards of broken glass fell forwards, slicing the hides of both Despiadado and Rainbow Dash. Standing on the desk was a pegasus, covered head to hoof in leather armour, her face obscured by a cowl except for the eyes. A long dagger was held in her teeth.

“The Six have called for your resignation, Despiadado, and those of…of…” The assassin looked up at Rainbow Dash. Neither could believe that they were looking into similar fuchsia eyes.

“Mom…?” She could scarcely believe what she was seeing. Her mother was an assassin. It explained everything, and yet so little. The money she had earned to send Dash to school, to buy their home and their clothes and their food. It all came from killing.

Sadness flushed over her mother’s eyes until she looked to Despiadado. Her face contorted in fury as she charged towards the unicorn, her blade seeking flesh, seeking to spill blood. “You monster!” She cried as she forced Despiadado onto his side, “You will never harm my foal! Never touch her! Never again! Never again!”

Rainbow Dash looked on in horror as her mother stabbed Despiadado with every furious curse, his blood flying everywhere until both mares were painted in his gore. They both breathed heavily for a moment until there was a knock on the door. Then the door was being pounded by heavy hooves. Then there was the shouts for alarm.

“Fly away Dash,” her mother said, standing before the door, “Fly away and never look back. Fly home; I’ll be with you soon.” Dash wanted to say something, to shout, cry, anything, but all she could do was swallow a lump of air and fly through the broken window. Tears streamed from her eyes as she flew faster than she ever had, wanting nothing to do with the Guild Hall, or anypony inside. She just wanted to be home, in the hooves of her mother, her gentle voice saying everything would be alright.

No. Nothing would be alright, not after this. Dash could never look at her mother the same way again. She was an assassin, a hitmare, a pony who traded lives for money. Everything, from the clothes she wore to the food she ate, was paid for in blood bits. Never had Dash felt so sick.

There was still fighting in the streets, with the mercenary guards fighting ponies in black leather armour while others in blue leather joined the fray to create a deadly three way dance. Fires sparked by the lyrium explosion caused plenty of panic and chaos for the various pony factions to focus on the immediate dangers around them, rather than a pegasus in a bloodied dress. Not while they had their own hides to worry about.

“Stop!” The sound of a heavy voice behind her as she landed in an alley startled Dash, who quickly turned to see a guard rush up to her, a spear hanging from his saddled levelled at her chest. The guard looked her over for a minute before flipping the spear upwards to a ready position.

“You appear to have been in the troubles, senorita,” the guard said, noting the blood and the dress, “You should return home as quick as you can. The streets have turned violent, no place for a young mare such as you. I will escort you home.”

Dash wanted to object, but the guard was the one with the spear. Thankfully, this guardspony seemed to be one of the few honest ones, asking only how Dash had gotten herself into such trouble and believed the lie that she was caught near the fighting.

When she returned home, Rainbow immediately stripped off the ruined pink dress and drew herself a bath. The lukewarm water did little to ease her tension. The blood was difficult to wash off.

After drying herself off and dressing in a simple cotton tunic, Rainbow Dash readied a fire in the hearth. Despite huddling in front of the blaze, the cyan pegasus had never felt so cold. She simply stared into the fire, as her mind flew dizzying thoughts into her. About her mother, about Despiadado, about the explosion only to come to the same conclusion: nothing made sense anymore.

A knocking noise sent Dash into alert. She looked to the door, but then turned to her mother’s room. The sound of the knocking was coming from there. Then there was the sound of a door creaking open, followed finally by a slump.

Dash pushed the door ajar, looking in only to throw it open and rush inside her mother’s room. Down on the floor in a pool of her own blood laid her mother, her breathing ragged and eyes half open. She was covered in blood as well as gashes and deep cuts. Three arrows jutted out of her side, and one of her wings was broken as it lay limp against her.

“Mom!” Rainbow Dash shouted, before holding her mother in her hooves, “I’ll save you!  I just need to find a poultice, or go find a healer. Don’t leave me, please!” Her mother being an assassin was quickly forgotten. It didn’t matter; all that mattered now was that her mother was dying.

Her mother laughed, or tried to, but only coughed up blood. “I told you I’d see you soon. It seems like only yesterday, I was holding you like this. I’m sorry, little Rainbow. I love you.”

Rainbow Dash did not let go, simply holding her mother’s body in her arms as she rocked back and forth. “Why,” she whispered into her mother’s ears, “Why do all this? I didn’t need any of this. I didn’t want any of this. I just want you to be proud of me.”

But of course, no answer would ever come. She didn’t know how long she stayed with her mother until a knock at the front door startled her. Grabbing her mother’s long dagger in her teeth, she leaned close to door.

“Who is it,” she flatly stated. She didn’t want anyone to see her mother this way.

“Friends of your mother,” said a voice, deep and male. He had an Equestrian accent. “Soarin and Spitfire will watch the house. I mean no harm. I just wish to see your mother.”

“She’s dead!” Dash barked. There was a few seconds of silence until the stallion spoke again.

“I’d like to pay my respects then.”Dash was still unsure of the stallion waiting outside, but finally relented, opening the door to her home. Standing before her was a tall green pegasus with brown eyes. He wore simple garb covered by a brown cloak with the hood drawn back. Outside, a blue and orange pegasi were standing guard, each equipped with daggers and leather armour much like Dash’s mother.

“My name is Reinhardt,” said the pegasus, bowing his head, “I knew your mother well. She was one of us. May I see her?” Dash nodded, leading Reinhardt into her mother’s room, where the body still lay, appearing as if she were asleep. Reinhardt looked down on Dash’s mother with sad eyes, before offering a prayer to Celestia.

“What do you mean ‘one of us’.” Dash said as she pulled a sheet from the bed and began to wrap the body like a death shroud.

“Your mother didn’t want you to know,” Reinhardt explained, “But she was a member of the Wonderbolts. Before you say anything, yes, we are assassins and killers. But she only wanted the best for you. She wanted you to live happy and safe.”

“We Wonderbolts have stood against the Shadowbolts and their masters for a long time. We have tried to make Pura Raza a better place, but have been hindered by their greater resources. Lord Despiadado was one of the Shadowbolts’ masters. Her task was to assassinate him, to bring the Six under Wonderbolt control. The Shadowbolts could not stop your mother from her mission, so they attacked her.”

Dash said nothing as she stood up. A new fire burned in her eyes: a fire that demanded vengeance for the death of her mother. “I want to be a Wonderbolt,” she said at last, “I want to end the Shadowbolts. All of them.”

Reinhardt nodded. “Then we will teach you.”

“Reinhardt and the other Wonderbolts taught me everything I know,” Rainbow Dash concluded, “About stealth. About poisons. About fighting. About killing. And we did exactly what I wanted. Not a single Shadowbolt remained in Pura Raza.”

“It was then that Reinhardt offered me and a bunch of other Wonderbolt hopefuls one last job to be fully in the group. That job was in Equestria, and I jumped on the chance. I didn’t want to stay in Pura Raza anymore. So yeah, Applejack. The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Twilight levitated a cloth napkin and helped dry Rainbow Dash’s eyes. The pegasus didn’t resist, rather she kept her tears flowing for the memory of her mother. Or the memory of happier times.

Everypony around her had lost someone or something dear to them, Twilight realized. This was why Sloth’s illusions in the Fade were so difficult to confront, to resist. He had shown them all what they really wanted from their lives: that which was cruelly taken away from them by fate.

“Heh,” Rainbow Dash laughed, blinking away the last of her tears before looking like her confident self again, “I do feel better. Actually, I feel great! I feel like taking on a minotaur! You girls are the best friends a pony could have. I needed to get that off my shoulders.”

“We can help each other carry the burdens,” Twilight said, “Just don’t over indulge on the cider, Dash.” They laughed as Dash pushed her empty bowl away, all of the ponies agreeing that a hangover the next morning would not be in the best interests of the journey.

It was only when the donkey server took away the cider bowls did Twilight noticed that Applejack took her leave of the table and was already making her way to the bedrooms upstairs with nary a word. Her faced was marked by the same despair Twilight had seen after Ostequus.

Applejack ignored Twilight’s calls, not even turning to look at the violet unicorn or her friends. “I’m hitting the hay early, partners,” she said, each hoofstep echoing in the empty inn, “We have a long ways to go to get Red Apple Acres, and not a lot of time to do it. Good night, everypony.”

They watched in silence as the blonde Warden went out of sight. “What’s her problem?” Dash asked, “We spill our hearts out on the table, and she just skips out?”

“Maybe she had nothing to say?” Fluttershy added. Twilight was not so sure. Applejack was visited by a throng of demons in her illusionary world, apparently her ‘family’. She did have a story, but it was not Twilight’s or anypony’s place to pry it out of her.

“When the time comes and Applejack is ready to tell us, she will,” Twilight said, “Don’t push the issue. She’s right, anyhow. We do need to get up early so we can make the journey.”

The rest of the ponies agreed, thanking both the donkey and the innkeeper for their service. As they made their way up the stairs, Rarity made her appearance, all tightly bound in linens after her bath.

“That was simply divine,” she said with a smile, “Although it did take some effort to get the filth out from those abominations. You all look much better than when we first arrived! Did I miss something? Tell me!”

Twilight chuckled before Rarity could begin her complaining. “Don’t worry Rarity,” said the purple spell caster, “We’ll get you up to speed.”

For once since her Harrowing, the night was not plagued by dreams or fears. Just simple, uneventful rest.

---

Chapter 11: Between Shale and a Hard Place

A dull grey overcast sky made a still-sleepy magical mare not want to get up from bed, even though the journey to Red Apple Acres called out to her. Not even bothering to stifle a yawn, Twilight looked up to be face to face with two bright, baby-blue eyes.

“Hi Twilight!” Came a high pitched cheer of morning greetings. Twilight gave a yelp of surprise as she fell out of bed. Pinkie Pie giggled while helping Twilight to her hooves, “Silly filly, it’s only breakfast! No need to get as excited as I do. Look, I made breakfast muffins!”

Balanced perfectly on Pinkie’s hoof was a small platter with two delectable muffins covered in blueberries. Twilight couldn’t help but feel her mouth water as warm steam floated from the tips of the baked goods. With a smile, the pink earth pony placed the platter on the bed before moving downstairs to get more.

The muffins were delicious, with the perfect balance of heat and moistness. The blueberries were especially good, many still holding their juice, just waiting to explode their flavour with every bite. As Twilight happily munched away on the muffin, there came a knocking sound from nearby. The door was wide open and nopony was standing outside. The knocking wasn’t coming from the floor either, but it still persisted.

“Um…Twilight?” Fluttershy said with her soft voice, pointing at the window. Twilight turned to be face to face with a pegasus, whose bright yellow eyes were completely off, going in two different directions. Twilight yelped again in shock at the sight, falling over backwards.

The pegasus had a grey coat and a blonde mane, though the colour was brighter than Applejack’s. She was dressed in a white linen shirt and a jacket covered in pockets, as well as two large saddle bags on her sides. On her flank was a cutie mark of rising bubbles, appearing to be floating upwards from a soapy bath. The wall-eyed pegasus pointed at the window, as if asking to be let in. Twilight opened the window wide and allowing the grey flyer into the inn.

“Hi there!” she chimed, not unlike Pinkie Pie, “I smelled some of Pinkie’s delicious muffins, and had to come see for myself. I haven’t seen her in Ponyring for a while, but I can smell her baking a furlong away. Can I have a muffin, please?”

Rarity stepped forward, smiling as she levitated one of the muffins Pinkie made for her towards the pegasus. “You can have one of mine, dear,” she said, “I’m watching my figure.”

Never had Twilight seen a pony so happy to receive a muffin. The grey mare held the muffin close in her hooves before taking a small bite, savouring every moment. “Mmm…blueberry. May not be oatmeal, but still yummy in my tummy!”

Twilight couldn’t help but smile as she watched such simple bliss. The rest of the party was just finishing up their own muffins, with Fluttershy offering one of hers to their guest. Pinkie Pie bounded her way up the stairs, and at the sight of the visitor squealed in the delight.

“Ditzy!” she called, before rushing forward and embracing the pegasus, “Your nose knows, all the time! If you wanted a muffin, I could have made you some.”

“That’s okay! Your friends were nice enough to share theirs!” Ditzy’s eyes straightened for a moment, as if she realized something before sticking her head into one of her saddle bags. She pulled out three small pouches before depositing them into Pinkie’s own saddlebags.

“Oh my gosh!” Pinkie exclaimed, “Are these what I think they are?”

“Yup!” Ditzy smiled, her eyes back to their unusual positions, “The ingredients for your healie grenade! It took me a while, but I found them!”

Pinkie cheered before opening the small bags, babbling endlessly about how the sarsaparilla leaves worked in unison with the rhubarb and the pinwheel roots. Alchemy was not Twilight’s forte, so she decided it was best to leave the two giddy ponies to their discussions.

Rarity was in a corner, fussing over Fluttershy’s Chantry robes with Fluttershy still in them. Twilight noticed that the white unicorn had perfectly altered the robe so that Fluttershy’s wings could be free and comfortable. The pegasus looked happy that she could freely have her wings out without ridicule, even if her cheeks turned a few shades of orange.

Rainbow Dash and Spike made their way over to Pinkie and Ditzy’s little area, apparently either interested in what Pinkie had to say about alchemy, or were simply more interested in her supplies of muffins.

Applejack, however, looked to be in no mood for any conversation. She was adjusting her favourite hat when Twilight walked over to her side. “We need to git over to Red Apple Acres lickitysplit,” she said without looking to her fellow Warden, “We gotta get help from Arl Macintosh, then mosey over to the donkeys and pegasi. Blight isn’t just gonna end itself, so let’s hit the trail already.”

Without another word, Applejack left the room, heading down the stairs to the main floor. The other ponies said nothing as they watched their friend leave with new focus. Not new focus, Twilight corrected herself, trying to stay on course. The Sloth demon’s illusions and the loss of Ostequus had taken a toll on Applejack, but she was not letting anypony help her lift the burden.

Twilight turned to speak to the rest of the group when she came face to face with Ditzy again. “You really have to stop doing that,” she said after flinching from being so close with such awkward eyes.

“You’re going to Red Apple Acres? I can take you there on our boat,” Ditzy said, pointing a hoof towards the window. Twilight looked outside to see a much larger vessel docked at the pier, dwarfing the little ferry they used to get to the Unicorn Tower.

“Are you sure?” Pinkie asked, “We wouldn’t want you to miss your rounds around the lake.”

“No problem at all,” Ditzy reassured, “I’ll even do it for some more muffins, for Dinky too!”

At the mention of this new name, Twilight could have sworn Ditzy’s eyes grew even brighter, and her smile even wider. “She’s my little muffin,” explained Ditzy, “Smart as a whip, just you wait and see!” With that, Ditzy flew off out of the window towards the boat.

Once everypony was ready to go, they made their way down the stairs, giving thanks to both the innkeeper and barmaid before heading outside. Despite the slight chill in the air, the weather was fine enough for travel, and Twilight especially looked forward to her first trip on an actual boat with a sail.

As they approached the dock, Twilight spotted an all too familiar pointed hat and starry cape with a senior enchanters staff floating proudly at her side. Twilight shook her head in disbelief. What was Trixie doing outside of the Unicorn Tower?

They walked closer to Trixie, noticing that she was not alone, but also having a conversation with a little filly unicorn, although from the volume in the blue mage’s voice, it was an argument she was losing badly. The filly was grey, like Ditzy, but of a slightly darker shade, thought they shared the same coloured eyes and mane. She had the same bright smile as the pegasus, and seemed to be enjoying herself at Trixie’s expense.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie demands that you tell her who owns this boat!”

“Enchantment?”

“You’ve said nothing but ‘enchantment’ since Trixie made the mistake of conversing with you, and Trixie does not make mistakes!”

“Enchantment!”

Twilight couldn’t help but laugh, seeing Trixie getting flustered by a little filly. Still, she grew concerned that a unicorn so young was outside of the influence of the Unicorn Circle. She would have been declared an apostate and hunted by the templar, but she seemed not to have a care that she was so close to the Tower, or the templars inside.

The grey filly laughed as Ditzy landed next to her. “Hee, you should see the look on your face. Look, Mom! I got another one!” Both grey ponies giggled at what apparently was a prank they played many times. Trixie huffed in indignation as she turned to Twilight.

“Sparkle,” being her best greeting to date, “It should be known that The Great and Powerful and Senior Enchanter Trixie will be accompanying you on your journey. She has convinced the First Enchanter that if your mission to defeat the ponyspawn fails, then there will be no point in rebuilding the Tower, as the Blight will no doubt consume all of Equestria. Trixie has thus come to ensure your success.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow before breaking into a smile. All she did in response was raise a hoof to Trixie, a gesture of goodwill. The blue unicorn would surely be a great help against the ponyspawn, and she had already proven her bravery and arcane skill against the demons and Maleficar.

Trixie looked at the offered hoof before smirking at Twilight. Blue hoof met violet as they shook on their newfound and rather unlikely partnership. “Welcome aboard Trixie,” Twilight said, “We’ll do much better on the journey with you in our party.”

“As if there was ever any doubt.” A sharp whistle from the boat broke the challenging stare the two unicorns were sharing. Rainbow Dash flew over from the boat, where Twilight could see the rest of the party waiting for them.

“Hey, Twixie,” Dash joked, “We’re waiting on you.” Both magical mares made their way onto the boat, Twilight slightly blushing at such a silly nickname. The ship was much more impressive than the ferry, though the sail was patched with several different colours of cloth, and boards creaked with every hoofstep.

Ditzy was dashing about in the sky, adjusting ropes and the sail, checking instruments for measurements before finally untying the boat from the docks. They appeared to be in luck, as the wind was flowing southward towards Red Apple Acres.

The boat ride was much smoother than the ferry to the Tower, and the wind felt nice on Twilight’s face. As she and Spike stared out towards the south, she felt a small tug on her robes. Looking down, she spotted the little grey unicorn looking up at Twilight with her large yellow eyes.

“Hi! I’m Dinky!” she said, her smile almost as infectious as Pinkie’s, “You’re a unicorn too, just like the pretty one and the loud one. Follow me, I’ll show you something magic!”

Twilight looked at Spike and shrugged as Dinky made her way to the cargo hold. They both followed her leaving the rest of the party topside. The cargo hold was impressive, if cramped. Chests, barrels and crates were packed inside the hold, making it easy for a little filly to maneuver, but giving Twilight a bit more trouble due to her size. Spike hopped off, snout in the air before opening a chest full of precious gemstones.

“Mmm…” drooled Spike as he held up a rather impressive looking ruby, “Hey Dinky, how much for the ruby? I’m starved!”

“Two bits!” the young filly called. Spike’s shined with excitement as he reached into Twilight’s saddle bags and pulled out two shining coins. The violet unicorn gave Spike a look, who returned it with his own begging gaze. “Spike, that’s the same price as a shave and manecut.”

“Come on Twilight, I’m tired of pony food. I need something real!” Spike pleaded. It was enough to make her relent, as she turned to see Dinky returning with a large gemmed rod tight in her mouth. After Spike deposited the coins into Dinky’s bag, Twilight looked down on the instrument Dinky had found. She could feel the flow of lyrium in the rod, faint, yet still holding power.

“It’s a golem control rod,” Dinky explained, “We got it from a pony in Stableshire. The golem was even in the middle of town! But the golem wouldn’t move, so we kept the rod because it’s pretty.”

Twilight levitated the rod, looking the device over. Nothing about it seemed extraordinary besides the story of its origin. She had never even heard of a creature called a ‘golem’ before. “What is a golem?” Twilight asked.

“It’s supposed to be a pony made completely out of stone,” said Dinky, “And it really is! Although maybe it was just a statue. Like I said, the golem didn’t move when we tried to use the rod. Maybe you can fix it?”

She wasn’t sure, but seeing the little filly so curious about magical devices made Twilight smile. They sat together in the cargo hold as Spike continued to devour his ruby, talking about the rod, then magic in general. Dinky had a good grasp on spellwork at such a young age. Such magical aptitude was apparent at a young age, after all, Twilight herself had shown talent when she was a filly much like Dinky.

It was interesting; for some reason Dinky would not cast spells. Perhaps it was due to being raised by pegasus mother and having little exposure to other unicorns, but Dinky did not levitate objects, amd was likely not able to fire a magic missile or even spark a simple light. When asked what sort of magic she could do, the grey unicorn smiled and ran deep into the cargo hold.

When she returned, it was with a small stone slab with a strange symbol on it. A rune, if Twilight was not mistaken. Dinky then dashed off to find something else, making a loud grunt as she returned dragging a heavy sword with her tail. Once again she darted away, this time bringing back a small closed bowl. She nudged the lid open to reveal the essence of magic: lyrium.

“Enchantment!” The Warden and her dragon companion watched as Dinky closed her eyes, horn glowing bright. The lyrium slowly began to flow from the bowl, wrapping blue tendrils around the sword and the rune. Both lyrium encased objects began to glow, until the stone was flush against the blade’s side. The rune then appeared to melt into the metal, until all that was left was the symbol.

Once Dinky’s horn stopped glowing, both Twilight and Spike peered closely at the weapon. The blade suddenly erupted into flames. Surprisingly, the fire did not burn the wooded hull of the ship, or even singe Twilight’s mane, but rather danced harmlessly on the sword.

“No kidding about the enchantment,” Twilight gaped, still not believing what one so young had just accomplished, “How come it’s not burning the boat?”

“It won’t burn unless it’s used, silly,” Dinky was bouncing up and down, proud of her enchantment, “That’s the rule about runes! You can have it! On the house, er, boat!”

Twilight watched as Spike tried to lift the flaming sword, only to turn her attention towards the rest of the boat’s cargo. Dinky had retrieved lyrium from the hold, and as Twilight focused her senses, she found where she had taken the rare material. Every crate and box was filled with the same bowls, all stuffed with the material of magic. Such cargo would have been considered lethal if not for the precise care in storage and transport of lyrium, though accidents were sure to happen. One such accident likely explained the case of Ditzy’s eyes.

“That is very impressive, Dinky,” said Twilight as Spike waved the sword around, “How did you learn to manipulate lyrium like that? It takes years of training of training to do that sort of enchantment. Did your father teach you?”

At the mention of her father, Dinky’s eyes became downcast. “I never met my daddy,” Dinky explained, “Mom said he was very smart, but one day disappeared. Not before saying he loved me and wanted me to grow up happy. Mom also said that I have his gift with lyrium, so every time I enchant things I think about my daddy.”

The lavender unicorn gave Dinky a sad smile as the filly turned her attention to Spike and the sword. As she left the cargo hold, Twilight was once again face to face with Ditzy. The grey mare was no longer smiling, instead sitting on her haunches, blocking Twilight’s way. It was almost surreal, seeing the normally cheery pegasus have a sorrowful expression on her face.

“She showed you the lyrium,” Ditzy said. Not a question, but a statement. Twilight nodded.

“You’re a lyrium smuggler.” Another statement, but there was no malice or judgement in Twilight’s voice. Just concern over having such a dangerous material on the ship as well as an apostate for a child.

“Just to keep the templar away! To stop them from taking my little muffin!”  With Ditzy pleading before her, Twilight was reminded of Rainbow Dash’s story of her mother, how she did whatever it took to protect Dash. Though the situations were different, the core of the matter was the same: a mother trying to protect her filly.

“I won’t tell the templars,” Twilight promised, “But I am concerned that she is very gifted magically. The templars won’t be bribed and ignorant forever, especially after what happened in the Tower with the Maleficar.”

“Oh thank you, thank you!” Ditzy stood up, her smile genuine and grateful, “Don’t worry about us. Once we have enough bits, I was planning to move us to the Free Plains across the sea. We’ll be fine once we get there.”

Before Ditzy could fly back to the helm of the ship, Twilight put a hoof forward to gently hold the pegasus back. “Her father,” she said to Ditzy, whose eyes drooped lower at that mention, “He was taken away, wasn’t he? He was an apostate too.”

Ditzy’s eyes focused properly on Twilight who glared with gritted teeth. “They took her father away. But they will never take Dinky. Never take away my little muffin.” With that she turned away and flew to the helm, hooves planted firmly on the wheel.

Twilight wanted to hope for the best, but as long as the memory of the attack at the Tower was fresh, apostates such as Dinky would only be met with harsh treatment, if not outright hostility and violence.. She wondered what she would do if she had a filly of her own, if she ever had a foal to call her ‘mother’.

First deal with the ponyspawn, Twilight reminded herself, and then you can think about families and what you are going to do after. Both mares resumed their place on the top of the deck. They sailed in silence as the wind picked up, filling the small boat’s sails with air.

The chill of the wind as well as the spray from the lake made Twilight shiver. She focused some magic into her staff to produce some measure of heat. It was a comfort, seeing the soft light and the warmth emanating from her staff. Pinkie joined Twilight on the deck, keeping close as the wind blew even stronger. The perky pink pony sniffled in the cold, but kept close to Twilight and her magical heating element.

Soon the rest of the party were huddling together for communal warmth, as Rarity and even the detached Trixie used their staves to match the spell Twilight had cast. A triangle formed with all three floating arcane instruments, providing heat to all the ponies packed together as the howling cold grew greater.

Ditzy was struggling to hold on to the wheel of the boat as she flipped the hood of her jacket over her head. Twilight was thankful that Spike and Dinky were safe in the hold. Looking up, the violet pegasus could see that they were approaching land quickly.

Too quickly. The ship was being pushed by the strong winds and it would slam into the docks on the other side. “Prepare for impact!” Ditzy shouted, her hooves holding on to the helm for dear life. The boat slid onto the sandy beach, the hull scraping against the pier as it snapped wooden boards of their posts. The ponies all slid across the deck until they piled atop each other on the other end.

“Ugh,” was the unanimous opinion of everypony on the boat. Dinky and Spike had left the hold, with the little unicorn heading towards her mother as Spike tugged on Twilight’s tail, still holding the burning sword. “You alright Twilight?”

“Just fine Spike,” Twilight said flatly as she struggled to get out of the pony mess. As she looked around, she was expecting to see apple trees everywhere, farmland, anything resembling a agricultural community. There wasn’t even the sight of Red Apple Castle.

“Horsefeathers!” Applejack cursed as her hooves hit the rough shore of the lake, “This isn’t Red Apple Acres at all! Where the hay are we?” Never had the ponies seen Applejack so riled. Ditzy looked around and tried to give a reassuring smile.

“I may have sailed west when I should have sailed south,” she said, “But don’t worry! Once we get the boat ship-shape, I’ll bring you right to Red Apple Castle. Promise!”

Twilight sighed, stepping off the boat and looking around her surroundings. The trees and shrubs were withered, with red and black bloodstains marking the dirt road. She stopped suddenly with Applejack doing the same; she could  ‘hear’ the slow beating of hearts, pumping the bile that was ponyspawn blood, and Applejack was likely hearing the same . It was grotesque, sensing the ponyspawn, hearing their heart beat as if it were her own, just as it was in the vision during the Joining. When she had first heard the ponyspawn, there was at least the chaos of battle acted as ambience to distract her thoughts. Now there was nothing to pull her mind away, only the sound of sludgelike blood.

“I hear it too,” Applejack focused her attention northward, “Not a lot of them, but even a small group can really buck a pony’s day. I can feel them further west down this path.”

“Let’s go,” Twilight and Applejack took the lead as the others scrambled out of the boat. Looking at the members of the party, Twilight noticed that Fluttershy and Trixie looked hesitant. They had likely never encountered the ponyspawn before, and would not know what to do. They needed direction, leadership.

“Everypony!” Twilight called as they galloped, “Stay close, and attack with everything you’ve got! The ponyspawn are monsters, but they can be killed. Fight them like demons, like…ponies. Keep your distance, and don’t let their blood get inside you. It’s poison.”

They arrived at a small town that appeared to have been painted red. Blood slathered the ground and the walls of homes, while half-eaten corpses of ponies littered the ground. In the centre of town was a large stone statue of a sturdy pony rearing upwards. Sure enough, the town was crawling with ponyspawn, thelocks and donlocks snarling at each other as they approached a large building near the statue. Two screamers patrolled the sky, their large singular eyes watching for prey. A thelock much larger than the others and adorned in rusted metal for armour shouted at the others in a gargle-like speech.

“They have a basic organization hierarchy,” Twilight muttered to herself, “The biggest seem to lead when an Ornlock Emissary is not around, though I wonder where the minotaurs come into the command structure…”

“Are ya really analyzing the critters that look at us like a bushel of apples on a silver platter Twi?” Applejack asked as if Twilight was more concerned with studying the monsters rather than killing them, “They’ll spot us in a moment. We can sense them, they can sense us.”

True enough, one of the screamers looked in their direction and cried an echoing shriek. The two flying monstrosities descended on the ponies as their ground-based brethren roared and charged, some holding rusted blades in their mouths, while others simply gnashed their teeth.

With a shout, Applejack drew her own sword and charged forward, quickly being followed by Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. They clashed with the ponyspawn as Rarity launched spells of lightning from her staff, staying in the back. Fluttershy followed suit by aiming her arrows towards the screamers.

Twilight and Trixie channeled their spells in unison, creating a spiral of blue and violet arcane power towards the lead thelock. Grateful that Trixie was getting the hang of a simple yet potent offensive spell, Twilight focused the stream to hit the thelock.

She did not expect one of the screamers to slam into her. The spell was broken, igniting a burst of light in the air as it sent Twilight, Trixie, and the screamer flying. Spike fell off her back as the screamer clawed at the unicorn, slashing her hide with long claws. Twilight struggled against the ponyspawn, but it was much stronger than the smaller pony. She was not much of a fighter in hoof-to-hoof combat.

The screamer craned its long neck, biting Twilight’s neck. She couldn’t help but scream as the creature twisted its neck, making the wound worse as its teeth shredded skin.

“Twilight!” came a small cry. Spike jumped on top of the screamer, brandishing his new magic sword, swinging the blade at one of its wings. Like Dinky had said, the flames grew intense as the sword was used, easily severing the wing from the ponyspawn’s shoulder. The screamer belted out its namesake, clawing at baby dragon on its back. It turned its head, glaring with its large eye and snapping its jaws at Spike as the dragon waved his sword towards the monster.

Twilight struggled to get to her hooves, but the burning pain from the bite made her clumsy and weak. I won’t let them take you, Twilight thought as she fell to one knee. With clear focus, she began to fuel another spell with anger just as she was with magic. A large icicle began to take shape above her as her horn glowed bright. With a shout, Twilight launched the frozen missile at the screamer, taking satisfaction as the sharp edge impaled the crane-like neck.

Mustering her strength, Twilight hobbled over to Spike’s side, concern for her oldest friend the only thing on her mind. Not even the battle with the remaining ponyspawn mattered. “Spike! Are you all right?” Twilight said, holding Spike close, “I should never have let you so close to a battle. Did any of the ponyspawn blood get into you?”

“Don’t worry about me, Twilight!” Spike raised his voice, pointing the sword towards the still ongoing fight, “I have thick scales and now a great flaming sword. Our friends need our help most of all!”

Twilight looked aghast as Spike quickly ran off to join the fray. That was the first time Spike had ever raised his voice to her, the first time he had ever been openly defiant. And now Spike, her little dragon who she hatched when he was just an egg, was rushing off into battle where he could be hurt or worse.

She fell, though whether it was due to the wound or the feeling of helplessness as she watched her friends fight the thelock leader, Twilight did not know. The other ponyspawn were dead around them, with arrows, gashes, and scorch marks across their bodies. The party surrounded the massive ponyspawn, who swung its heavy rusted blade at the ponies, missing completely. Applejack twisted her body around, slamming both hooves into the skull of the thelock. The head was bucked sharply, with the body following its path upward. As Applejack turned to see her hoofwork, the thelock leader landed with a loud thud onto its side.

As the dust around the thelock settled, the disgusting black tongue of the thelock rolled out from its fanged mouth as the neck sprawled at an unnatural angle. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief as she could hear the ponyspawn’s heart stop beating, even though she was still very much unnerved that she could hear the beats at all. Rousing herself to her hooves, she hobbled over to her friends, who immediately rushed to her side. Their concern was always touching, and Twilight managed a weak smile, though she winced as the wound still burned.

“Oh my gosh, Twilight!” Pinkie yelped as she fussed over the wound, “We have to treat this really quickly! I have some poultices, just wait!” With that, Pinkie dug into her saddlebag and lifted a small red bottle of red liquid. Twilight closed her eyes as her friend applied the poultice to the bite wound. Healing the bite was almost as painful as the actual bite itself, as her flesh regenerated with the aid of the poultice at a rapid rate. She didn’t exactly like the smell of the concoction either. Why couldn’t it smell like cherries?

“Are you going to be all right Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, watching the wound heal, “You said to watch for their poison blood. What about infections?”

“She’ll be doin’ dandy,” Applejack said, making her way back to the pier, “She’s a Grey Warden, and that means immune to the Taint. We beat the ponyspawn, now let’s make sure Ditzy has the boat all ready to git goin’.”

Applejack’s reactions didn’t seem right, and Twilight wanted to know why. Maybe it was something to do with what they were all talking about last night. “Listen Applejack,” Twilight said, confident that the damage to her shoulder had properly healed, “We should look around the village, see if we can’t find any survivors. They’ve been hit by the ponyspawn pretty hard, we should do what we can to help them, at least tell them the danger has past.”

Twilight then turned her attention to the pony of stone in front of her. She had seen many statues before, always those of Celestia and Luna, but never of a plain pony. This one was also incredibly rough, unlike the pristine condition the Chantry demanded in works of the alicorn sisters, and covered in what appeared to be  bird excrement. The statue had no cutie mark painted or chiseled on its flank, but rather a large rune in the shape of a hoof shining on the forehead. The rune was still glowing bright blue.

Could this be…? Channeling her senses, Twilight could begin to feel the flow of lyrium throughout the form of the statue. “Rainbow Dash,” Twilight called, looking at the statue more intently, “Could you go get Dinky from the ship? And ask her to bring the control rod.”

Dash gave a salute before flying off towards the dock. Applejack did not look pleased, which Twilight was all the more prepared for. “Applejack, can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked, wanting to get to the bottom of her fellow Warden’s rushed behavior.

Applejack grumbled but made her way to Twilight’s side as Trixie and Rarity studied the statue. Maybe they could discern something Twilight couldn’t. In the mean time, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Spike moved from house to house, looking for survivors.

“Applejack, I need to know what’s wrong with you,” Twilight said, perhaps bluntly but it was needed to be said, “You haven’t been the same since the inn, and I’m worried for you.”

“It ain’t nothin’ worth workin’ yerselves over,” Applejack responded, attempting to move past Twilight, but the violet unicorn stood her ground. They locked stern gazes at each other, both not budging an inch. Twilight was not going to let Applejack simply walk away from this. Not if it was going to affect her judgment.

“Ah, horseapples,” Applejack cursed, casting her eyes downward, “Listen Twi, after last night, and hearing how much our friends lost not just to ponyspawn, but also other ponies, I just felt like my problems were seeds compared to their full apples.”

“When I was sent to the Chantry to become a templar, I was right angry at Arl Macintosh for letting me go. Said it was for my best interests and such. I guess I just wanted to see him, get the help, and get going as soon as possible. We have a big quest to git done, and maybe…”

“Maybe I wonder if we can do it at all.” Applejack looked ashamed, as if she had said unspeakable words. “The Fade was where it all started, Twilight. I wanted that family. I wanted that feeling of simplicity. Then the dream broke, and we’re fightin’ demons and Maleficar, not including what happened in Ostequus. I just wish Duncan were here. He’d know what to do. What to say, and how to say it.”

Twilight didn’t know what to say to reassure Applejack. Yes, they had defeated ponyspawn and demons, but there was still so much to complete, so many enemies to encounter and defeat. Danger lurked around every corner, from the claws and teeth of the wretched creatures to the blades of Loghoof’s army. Despite their victory in Unicorn Tower, the task set before them was still daunting. Doubt would certainly nestle into the minds of everypony. Twilight felt it was her responsibility to keep morale up, to keep everypony focused on the mission.

But why did she feel the need to lead? That was something she had never considered before now. Perhaps somewhere down in the Potpourri Wilds, when Applejack had appointed Twilight leader of the group of Warden hopefuls, did Twilight take the reins of leadership but never seen an opportunity to hand them back. Now, seeing Applejack in the throes of self-doubt, she realized that being a leader was more than standing up against the monsters of the world, or the challenges brought on by ponies, but by being there for her friends to help them out of any situation.

“Applejack,” Twilight began, “No matter what happens, we will push against the Blight with every step. We will stop them, and we will make Duncan proud. But I’m going to need your help. If there is anypony here I can rely on to be a foundation for the rest of the group, it’s you. When the journey gets rough and no matter what, I know it will, I know there is one pony I can lean on when I falter. You can do the same with me, Applejack. I’ll be here with you until the end. You are not alone; we can all share our burdens.”

The blonde earth pony turned away, leaving Twilight feeling as if her words did not reach Applejack. But when her fellow Warden turned, a new gleam in her green eyes and a smile on her lips, Twilight couldn’t help returning the expression. “You might not be Duncan, sugarcube, but I think you could’ve given him a run fer his bits. We can do this Twilight. As long as we stick together. We can beat the Blight.”

With Applejack’s spirit restored and Twilight’s own morale lifted, they both returned to see all their friends surrounding the statue of the pony. Rarity and Trixie were casting spell after spell on both statue and the control rod, but the statue would not move. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy also returned, being followed by a older earth pony stallion.

“Tis the strangest thing I have ever seen, darling,” Rarity said, “There is a lot of potent magic in both the statue and the control rod, but no spell I or Trixie can cast will wake it up.”

Twilight looked the statue over herself, rubbing her chin with a hoof as she lost herself in thought. I wonder if they tried a simple animation spell, she considered, but then retracted her thoughts. No, if it were simple, the statue would have started moving. I wonder if Dark Arts are involved at all. If so, we’ll just have to leave it behind. It was a disheartening thought that they may not be able to restore the golem. A look at Dinky still bouncing around the statue made her heart twist; the little filly seemed eager to see the golem move again.

“You must be our saviors,” the old earth pony said, snapping Twilight’s attention away from the golem, “I am the elder of Stableshire, and am mighty grateful the Grey Wardens arrived when you did. Celestia smiled on us, of that I am quite sure.”

“Actually, we got blown off course trying to sail across Lake Blackwater,” Twilight admitted to the elder, “But we are glad we came when we did. I’m sorry we couldn’t save everyone.” She turned to see more survivors leave their homes only to rush towards the desecrated bodies of loved ones, partly consumed by the offending ponyspawn. Fluttershy immediately flew off to help ease the minds of the villagers, and once again Twilight was gladdened by the sight of the bard-turned-priestess displaying such kindness.

“We will survive,” the elder said, “As we always have. I noticed you and your friends have taken a keen interest in Shale.”

“Is that the name of the statue?” Twilight asked. The elder nodded, but his eyes became flush with anger.

“So it is, and not just a statue. Shale truly is a golem, and has been in the village since I was just a young colt. The thing used to be the servant and guardian to a rather eccentric unicorn wizard, before Shale went berserk. Shale killed the old wizard, and then was frozen like this for well over thirty years.”

“Then a few months ago, that grey pegasus with the strange yellow eyes wanted to trade for the control rod,” the elder continued, “Said it was ‘very pretty’. Don’t know why we kept it for so long, but we had forgotten about the rod and Shale did serve as a rather impressive statue for our town. Unicorns from all around came to study it, trying to get Shale to move for them, but none have succeeded. Not that I’d like them too. Thirty years, and I still remember the crushed head.”

Twilight swallowed hard as she looked up at Shale’s eyes. They were a dull grey, but she wondered if they would turn red and the golem would go into another rage if awoken. She had never felt so uncomfortable performing magic, and trying to wake the golem seemed a great risk.

“Maybe Shale isn’t angry anymore,” Dinky said, “Maybe Shale just wants to say he’s sorry? Thirty years is a long time.”

A long time for a pony, perhaps, but not a long time for stone and magic come to life. Twilight levitated the control rod, looking the device over before coming up with a plan. It was a long shot, but perhaps it would work.

“I’m going to charge the rod with some energy,” she said to everypony present, “Maybe then we can command Shale to awaken.” With that, Twilight’s horn began to glow, as she focused her arcane power into the rod. The ponies stepped back, giving Twilight a wide berth as she shut her eyes, putting all of her focus and power into the rod.

She did not expect the rod to oblige, the rod not only consuming the offered magic, but draining more than Twilight wanted to give. The violet unicorn pulled back with all her might, severing the link. Gasping for air, Twilight looked on as the now glowing rod fell with a thunk onto the ground. She just couldn’t believe the kind of “hunger” she felt from the magical instrument.

“Try now! Try now!” Dinky chimed, bouncing up and down in front of the rod. Twilight stood up, levitating the rod in front of Shale, wondering what sort of words one used to wake up a pony of stone and lyrium.

“Golem…awaken!” Twilight said in her most authoritative voice. Everypony leaned in, watching closely to see any sign of life, or as close as life could be with a golem.

Nothing. Not even a twitch. Twilight grinned at the others before puffing herself up to appear bigger, more commanding.

“Golem, I command you to rise!” But that was still met with silence. Trixie pushed Twilight out of the way, her eyes in a confident blaze.

“Step aside and watch how the Great and Powerful Trixie brings a golem to life!” She announced. Twilight huffed, but did not argue against the blue unicorn. With a flourish from her hooves, Trixie’s voice resonated throughout the town.

“I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, hereby command this golem to awaken and serve Trixie as its one true master!” But the stone remained silent and unresponsive.

“Oh dear, neither of you have any idea how to coax such a creature, do you?” Rarity nudged Trixie away with a dainty yet surprisingly forceful hoof. “You must cater what a pony wants, even if they are made up of rocks.”

Rarity ahemed before fluttering her eyelashes at Shale. “Oh Mister Golem, you do look so big and strong, I would love nothing more than to see such a handsome pony such as yourself flex your mountainous muscles. Oh we could clean yourself up perfectly, maybe attach some precious gemstones to you. I’d wager we can make you look exceptionally striking with some rubies, some sapphires, hmm?”

Shale said nothing to the flattery spoken by Rarity. The white unicorn harrumphed, turning away from the golem with her nose upward as she walked off. “If that couldn’t get a pony going, I don’t know what will.” Twilight giggled as she watched Rarity walk away from Shale. No doubt that the fashionista was not used to being turned down, even by a bunch of rocks.

Dinky lowered her head, the excitement of trying to make Shale move now deflated as the grey unicorn looked up at the mighty statue. Twilight patted Dinky’s shoulder gently, knowing all too well the disappointment felt when magic simply failed. When three powerful and talented unicorns could not discover how to make the earthen pony move, not including all the arcane academicians who had poked and prodded Shale over the years, it was likely that the golem would not be able to move ever again.

The town elder shook his head before returning to speak with the ponies of Stableshire. Twilight gave a silent apology to everypony as the group turned to return to Ditzy’s boat. As they cantered down the road, Twilight’s and Applejack’s ears perked up as they listened for a new sound. Twilight’s heart stopped as a new heart beat thundered on.

THA-THUMP. THA-THUMP. THA-THUMP. THA-THUMP.

“More ponyspawn,” Applejack said taking a few steps back, “But I can only hear a mighty big one.”

“A minotaur.” Even if there were smaller ponyspawn with the gigantic creature, Twilight could not hear their heartbeats over the sound of the minotaur’s heart pumping the black blood throughout its massive body. “Everypony! We need to form a line here to stop the ponyspawn’s advance on the town!”

The villagers shouted and screamed as they ran into their homes, fearful of another ponyspawn onslaught. The party dug itself in, waiting for the attack to come. Trixie already raised a barrier, but Twilight wondered how much good it would do against the sheer physical power of the minotaur.

It was only thanks to Flemeth that she and Applejack escaped their first encounter with a minotaur, and even now with the support of all her friends, Twilight wondered exactly how they were going to defeat one and the ponyspawn it would attack with.

Twilight turned to see if all the villagers where safe until she saw that Dinky was still in front of the unmoving statue. “Dinky! Get to safety!” Twilight shouted, but the little filly was not listening.

“Please, Mister Shale,” Dinky looked up at the golem with eyes holding both fear and hope, “We need your help. Please.”

“They’re here!” Dash shouted from the sky, pointing a hoof. Sure enough, everything shook as a walking siege weapon of a monster barreled down the path, mouth foaming in rage as its hooves thundered on the ground. Flanking the minotaur were several thelocks and donlocks, with another pair of screamers taking the skies.

The minotaur roared, the vibrations shaking the trees and homes violently as it pounded its chest with both arms. Trixie looked up at the giant as it loomed closer, hyperventilating as black bile was dripping from it’s disgusting mouth. With a snort, the minotaur leaned in close, sniffing the blue barrier Trixie had created. The other ponyspawn growled and hissed, but maintained a distance away from their larger brethren.

With a shout of primal fury, the minotaur lifted both of its huge fists into the air. Twilight called to her friends to attack with arrows, grenades and spells. Fluttershy’s arrows embedded themselves into the tough hide, but did nothing to slow the minotaur. Pinkie’s grenades exploded around the minotaur just as Twilight’s arcane barrage and Rarity’s lightning struck the beast in the chest.

This only made the minotaur more angry. Both fists raised high, the monster brought slammed into the shield like hammers on nail. The shield shattered and dissipated, unable to hold off the attack. Trixie wobbled as the shock of the attack shook her, until she fainted, her starry hat rolling away from her collapsed body. Twilight gritted her teeth as she watched the ponyspawn rush their location. Without another thought, she raised a barrier of her own, but she knew that if Trixie’s barrier could fall easily, her shield would not last the same assault.

Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight watched as a grey figure made their way to them. At first she thought it was Dinky, making some sort of attempt to aid them, or maybe Ditzy who had arrived on the scene to protect her daughter. It was not until the figure came into full view and revealed its true size.

Shale walked up to edge of the barrier before looking up at the snarling minotaur. Twilight could not believe what she was seeing. The golem was moved closer, standing up to a monster twice its height and staring the colossal beast down with glowing white eyes. All of their spells and commands did nothing to awake the golem, but somehow it was moving and challenging a minotaur. Was it something to do with Dinky and her skills with enchantment?

“You’re big,” Shale said, further surprising Twilight that a golem could speak at all. The pony of stone looked the minotaur over once more before standing taller in front of such an substantial foe. “That means you’ll make a big squish.”

Pony and ponyspawn alike stared, dumbfounded as Shale charged the minotaur, a battering ram into the giant’s stomach. As the golem started to trample its foe under large stone hooves, Twilight saw the ponyspawn fall back, unable to comprehend how their largest weapon was felled with ease. This was the moment to strike!

Shouting a battle cry, Applejack rushed forward, sword in her mouth as she attacked a thelock head on. Twilight followed suit, blasting one of the screamers with a spell of ice, watching as the screamer fell against the ground with a loud thud. Satisfied that she had taken out one of the infuriating ponyspawn that had caused her so much trouble earlier, Twilight turned her attention to Spike.

The violet unicorn was surprised that Spike was fighting so well and with so much bravery against the ponyspawn. He was working in tandem with Pinkie’s own movements, both fighters surrounding a frustrated donlock and attacking him with sharp strikes. While Twilight still did not want her young charge in battle, this was what her life was now, and Spike was not going to stay cooped up in whatever haven she wanted him to stay in while charging off against all manner of fanged and clawed monstrosities.

Galloping at full speed, Twilight ducked her head low and bounced Spike off the ground and onto her back. “Twilight? What gives?” he said in objection, as Pinkie brought down her mace onto the donlock.

“I’m riding you in closer,” Twilight answered, a glint in her eye, “So you can hit them with your sword.” Spike’s response was a loud cheer as he readied his burning blade to attack. Moving her hooves as fast as she could, they ran past a thelock archer, with Twilight blasting the ponyspawn with ice followed by a scorching slash by Spike.

Not to be outdone, Rainbow Dash had flown right into the remaining screamer, shredding the beast’s wings with her dagger and letting it fall. As the screamer struggled to get back to its claws, Spike jumped off Twilight’s back, thrusting the fiery weapon into its large eye. He did not notice the donlock galloping towards him, tusks ready to pierce through the dragon’s scales.

“Spike! Behind you!” Twilight shouted, attempting to fire a quick bolt of energy from her staff to distract the donlock, but a shockwave knocked her concentration and balance off. The minotaur had tossed Shale away, and was making another powerful attack against the golem.

Thwunk! A sickening suction sounded over by Spike. Twilight watched as the donlock rocked, never losing its eerie fanged grin as it fell over, an arrow embedded in its skull. Fluttershy shrunk back, as she readied another arrow; it was still hard to believe that the shy pegasus had such skill with a bow.

All that remained was the minotaur, who limped on one of its hooves as it struggled to get a hold of the golem. Shale moved with surprising finesse, but the injuries incured to the minotaur were also causing it to become clumsy and slow. The pony of stone bucked the damaged leg of the gargantuan, watching as it roared in pain before falling over.

Twilight could have sworn that Shale was smiling as it reared upwards, then dropped its heavy forehooves onto the minotaur’s head. Sure enough, a loud squish echoed throughout the area, reverberating in Twilight’s ears. All of the ponies winced and turned away from the scene, with “Ewww…” being foremost on Twilight’s mind and lips. She had no doubt that the sentiment was being reflected by the others.

Leaving the fresh and messy kill behind, Shale turned and approached Twilight. The battle was over and her friends were safe, but now it seemed they would have to contend with a battle-hungry golem. As Shale stood before her, Twilight finally realized just how big it was. So large was the mountainous Shale that it dwarfed the image of Arl Macintosh she had seen in the Fade.

“Oh goody,” Shale said, voice dripping with contempt as it looked at the party, “A union of unique unicorns, and a veritable posse of pegasi and ponies. If this were not the first day of mobility in the years since I was frozen, I would truly call this the apex of my existence.”

“You, purple one.” Twilight stood up straighter as Shale addressed her. She did not want to be the next one to go squish. “It was it that charged the control rod, wasn’t it? I suppose I should thank it.”

“As for the other unicorns…The blue one is too loud, and thinks it can command me? It’s voice was grating, like hooves on a chalkboard. And as for the white one, flattery will get it everywhere, but please. Rubies? Sapphires? A golem of my stature needs diamonds at least.”

While Rarity looked stricken by Shale’s doubt in her talents of style, Twilight decided it was time to step forward or else Shale would berate them all. “My name is Twilight Sparkle,” she began, “And it is a pleasure to meet you, Shale. Though I have to ask, how is it that you are moving around? We tried many spells and commands, but nothing helped. Was it something Dinky said?”

Shale looked down on the small grey unicorn, who was dancing around the golem and going on about how happy she was seeing Shale awake and moving again. “Once the control rod was filled with magic, I discovered I could move again, but only if a specific phrase was spoken. The little one used an ancient command, one that can drive even a golem so mighty as myself to awaken from torpor.”

“She said please,” Shale said, “Even after thirty years, I would expect manners to still be in effect. I discovered after the control rod worked again that I was not under its thrall, so decided a different test was needed for my own purposes, one of simple politeness. Not that my old master ever said any of the niceties. ‘Golem, do this.’ ‘Golem, carry my apples.’ ‘Golem, squish this bandit.’ ‘Golem, I am tired. Carry me.’ What made it think calling me ‘golem’ would make me respond?”

Hearing Shale talk and actually portray feelings made Twilight double back on her thoughts. Shale wasn’t just a walking and very hard hitting statue, but also a pony with thoughts and obviously a personality.

“If it means anything, I apologize, Shale,” Twilight said, “It was wrong to assume you were simply stone and ignorance is not an excuse.”

“An…apology? To me?” Now it was Shale’s turn to sound surprised, “Not, ‘Listen here, golem, I make the rules.’ I…am impressed by it. I suppose I will accept it’s apology.”

“The elder of this village said you killed your last master,” Twilight remembered, still wary about the golem before her, “And by the sounds of it, you weren’t very fond of him.”

“The elder of this village is a squishy prat,” Shale said, “Just as every villager is a prat, just as my unicorn ‘master’ was the biggest prat of all. Odd though…I do not remember what happened that night, all those years ago. It was rainy, I think, and I was rearing over top the body of my old master, and then the control rod lost all its magic. Likely I had just about enough of the prat and gave him the squishing he deserved. Or perhaps it was all those accursed experiments he performed on me. I’ve been sitting here ever since, watching the ponies go about their tedious lives, and those dreadful pigeons desecrating me every day. How I hate pigeons.”

Ignoring Shale’s non-sequitor about pigeons, Twilight realized the implications of Shale’s words. The golem had been frozen in the same spot for thirty years, and not only, but was completely self-aware the whole time. “That’s horrible Shale,” Twilight said, meaning every word. She’d have likely gone insane if she was frozen on the spot for decades.

“It wasn’t so bad at first,” Shale mused, “More like an extended holiday. Granted, if I had known about the pigeons, I would have froze myself under a roof. But then I saw it fighting these creatures, and I simply had to join in on the fun.”

The flapping of pegasi wings caught everypony’s attention. Up above, Ditzy swooped down to the ground before taking Dinky in her hooves, showering the filly with kisses and tears of relief. “My little muffin, you’re all right!” Ditzy said, holding Dinky close. She looked up at the party with gratitude in her wall-eyed gaze, “Thank you so much! She’s all that matters to me!”

“Shale helped too, Mom!” Dinky said, pointing a hoof at the golem, “I knew they would wake Shale up. Say hi to Shale, Mom!”

Shale seemed to be soaking in Ditzy’s gratitude, which made Twilight smile. The golem may have a hard heart, literally, but it seemed genuine emotion cracked the shell of Shale. Whether it was fate, coincidence, or Ditzy’s lack of a sense of direction, Twilight was thankful they arrived in Stableshire, not only to save the town from a ponyspawn attack, but to free the golem from eternal stasis.

“What will you do now, Shale?” Twilight asked, curious as to what a golem, and likely the only golem in all of Equestria was going to do.

“What will I…do?” Shale seemed completely off guard from the question, “I’m not sure. The control rod no longer commands me. I suppose I could do whatever I want. Squish some pigeons. Whatever I do, I do so with my own choosing. It feels good.”

“It fights these creatures voluntarily, yes?” Shale asked, pointing a hoof at the gory remains of the minotaur. Twilight nodded, and noticed the same joy in Shale’s eyes as when the mountainous pony had crushed its foe. “Then I have decided. I will travel with it and its companions and lend my considerable talent of squishing undesirable creatures out of their painful existence. First ponyspawn, then pigeons. Truly a crusade worthy of a golem of my standing.”

While she was certain Fluttershy would object to the painful punishment on pigeons, Twilight was more than certain Shale would be of great help in their campaign against the ponyspawn. She extended a hoof for Shale to shake, “Welcome to the group Shale,” she said. Shale looked down on the offered hoof before lifting one of its massive appendages, and gave Twilight a firm yet powerful shake.

“We have an accord then.” Something about the glint in Shale’s eyes made Twilight uneasy, especially how Shale was looking forward to the battles. Still, better to have a trotting mountain on your side than against you.

“This is going to be fun.”

---

Chapter 12: The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far

Loghoof looked up at the bleak gray sky that had rolled in from the west and frowned. Everything about this day was going to go wrong, and it all started with the lack of good weather. The teryn made his way through the streets of Trotterim to meet with Arl Maim, flanked by his personal guard Ser Sunsword as well as a few soldiers. The streets of the city were bustling with activity, as if the populace did not know that there was a civil war going on or the attacks by the ponyspawn.

Or perhaps they were just being ignorant, and wanted nothing to do with the suffering that was going on outside of the city’s walls. Loghoof could not blame the ponies who had not fought in bloody war from the moment they were foals like he did. Many did not know of the Filesian occupation, or conversely, they did not want to fight another war again.

Spotting Arl Maim and his retinue, Loghoof called for a halt with a single raised hoof. He steeled his gaze at the Arl of Amarethine, who was approaching the interim regent of Equestria with a slight grin. Seeing Maim smile at any situation certainly confirmed to Loghoof that Maim had done something distasteful, immoral, likely illegal, and completely necessary for the greater good.

At least, that is what the teryn was telling himself after every meeting with Rendon Maim.

“I have done what you asked, your grace,” Maim said, bowing low to Loghoof, “Many of the Bannorn will no longer worry your forces. I have made sure they are…open to negotiation. Of the Banns I could not change are Bann Meyer of Ponyring, and Bann Braeburn of Appleloosa. I could not locate them.”

“Bann Meyer is likely assisting her refugees fleeing from the ponyspawn,” Loghoof explained, “It was the closest region to Ostequus. Should they arrive, I want the ponies of Ponyring to be well treated.”

Maim nodded his head in acknowledgement. “Trot with me,” Loghoof said before walking towards the Chantry of Trotterim, not meeting Maim’s eyes once, “What have you heard from the guests you invited?” Speaking in such cloak and dagger terms made Loghoof sick to his stomach. Where was the honour in such actions? Why was he using them against his own ponies?

“I have not heard back from our ‘guests’ since they left to find the Wardens,” Maim answered, “I fear they may have failed.”

“No matter,” muttered Loghoof before approaching the door of the church, “I want them found, dead or alive. They are not strong enough to challenge me directly, but I will not have loose ends wandering the kingdom and becoming a threat in the future, likely when it will be critical. Now go, I wish to pray in peace.”

The roguish noble bowed to Loghoof before turning towards the road to the Arl of Trotterim’s estate. The estate and title of arl he had given Maim after he had completed all of the tasks he had given him. Tasks of murder, of poison, of other nefarious deeds that Loghoof wanted to wash his hooves of. As of now he could not until he was sure the land was safe from harm.

Ser Sunsword stood at her usual place near the doors of the Chantry as Loghoof made his way inside. His presence alerted the Chantry sisters, who quickly made their way to find something else to do, leaving the Teryn alone in front of the statues of Celestia and Luna. He and the Grand Cleric had an understanding that he would not send soldiers to the converts to investigate repented fugitives they often harboured if only they would leave him be for a moment or two of private worship. There were benefits to being a regent, after all, and Loghoof would make full use of them.

All Chantries were the same, Loghoof noted as he laid himself on the ground in front of the statues. The temple had no curtains, to better allow the sun’s rays and and the light of the moon to brighten the place of worship naturally, even though today only the dull light that could break through the clouds gave the room a feeling of bleak depression. The statues of the goddess sisters were immaculate, Celestia portrayed in shining alabaster while Luna’s was crafted from dark granite. Candles were on hoof for any pony to use, to bring their own light for the alicorn sisters to see in the darkness of the world and perhaps aid the troubled mind of the pony who knelt before them.

As with every other day he came to the Chantry, Loghoof placed candles for all of the loved ones and friends he outlived, whether from battle, disease, or simply old age. A candle for his darling wife, who had died during the influenza outbreak, who Loghoof wished he could have one more moment to share with her every day. How closely Armeria resembled her, and how much pain he had caused when he shut his flower from his life after Ostequus. Yet he could not blame her; he was the cause of her husband Blueblood’s death after all. It would likely take a lifetime before he would ever know forgiveness for such an act.

A candle for Blueblood then, Loghoof decided as he lit another pillar of wax. He did not deserve his fate, but Loghoof would do anything to protect Equestria. Blueblood was a fool, too focused on glory and his own legacy rather than the legacy of his crown and the good of the nation. Armeria was the true administrator of the kingdom, and by Loghoof’s high standards, she was doing an admirable job. Still, no pony deserved to be left to the fate of the ponyspawn’s jaws.

Loghoof took up another candle, this one for the his friend the old king, his most trusted friend during the Filesian occupation and after who the teryn had served with loyalty and conviction, not because of the crown but because they were sworn brothers. They had fought and bled and suffered together under the Filesians, until the day they had seen the last of the occupying force leave Equestria seemingly forever. Loghoof had shared victories, defeats, tears of joy and anguish with his sworn brother, who he had now betrayed even in death.

“A king I betrayed by abandoning his son,” Loghoof sputtered, looking up at the two goddesses before him, “I betrayed the crown of the kingdom I was sworn to defend. I watched as countless brave ponies died. My own daughter rejects me. I use that snake Maim and his shadowy tactics. For what?”

“I do it all for Equestria! I do what I must to protect Equestria! Ponies fight ponies across the land because they claim I am a usurper and a traitor, when everything I do is to protect this land I love! I watched as my friend’s son died because because I left him to die because he would have sold Equestria to the Filesians! Now the ponyspawn run unchecked throughout the realm, the Bannorn wage civil war against me and now I must suffer all the slings and arrows of the regency I need to keep this land in check! If this is not a challenge to my faith, I do not know what is!”

Finding that he was up on his hooves, brimming with anger at the still visages of the sisters, Loghoof breathed deep in an effort to calm down. He was yelling at statues, as silent as the stone they were carved from. Or perhaps he was shouting at the heavens themselves, hoping that one of the alicorns would hear his cry and give him the guidance he sought.

However, statues could not speak for goddesses, no matter how much one ranted and raved. Loghoof looked on at the sculptures before standing tall and proud as usual. “I have chosen my path,” he said at last, “And I will walk it with thieves, cowards, and killers if I must. I do it all to protect this land and its ponies, even if those same ponies turn against me.”

He needed conviction if he was going to hold this kingdom together and beat back the Filesians and the ponyspawn. If the goddesses would not aid him, then the iron of sheer grit and determination would have to flow in his veins. Loghoof would not be deterred from his course by anypony. Not the Grey Wardens, not Arl Macintosh, not even his own daughter.

“For Equestria,” he said aloud to the stone representations of the goddesses, raising a hoof in salute. With a quick turn on his hoof, the teryn of Glenwall left the Chantry, his mind more focused than ever on his duty to his nation. As he left the house of reverence, the clouds grew darker and denser as a storm brewed overhead. No light entered the Chantry windows and the statues of Celestia and Luna were covered in shadows.

***

“Hey Shale! Hey Shale! Hey listen!” Pinkie Pie bounced backwards in front of the golem as they walked back to the docks were Ditzy’s boat was waiting. Twilight couldn’t help by smile as Pinkie made a pony of solid rock seem uncomfortable.

“What does the pink one want with me?” Shale asked, clearly bothered that it could not solve this problem with squishing. Pinkie giggled as she made circles around Shale, her bright smile unwavering to the annoyance in Shale’s voice.

“I am pretty pink aren’t I? You can call me Pinkie! Ooh, Shale, I was wondering what golems like to eat. After all, at the end of our journey I’m going to have the biggest party ever and everyone is going to be invited and when you joined I was all GASP because I never met a golem before and I want to make sure everypony is happy and having fun at the party!”

Shale looked exasperated at having to deal with a pony with near limitless energy. “I have no need for food. I just need the control rod charged, apparently every thirty years or so.”

“What about dancing?” Pinkie stood in the golem’s path, “Do golems dance? Oh I bet you rock the dance floor Shale!”

“Did it take the pink one all day to think of that?” If a rock could sigh, Shale was certainly trying. “I have no interest in parties, only squishing as many meatsacks as possible. If I recover my memories along the way, I’ll consider that an added bonus.”

“All of our friends should be at the party when we stop the ponyspawn,” Pinkie said, “And you are our friend, and friends should stick together, good times and bad.”

“I do not know what a ‘friend’ is,” Shale said rather bluntly as it lowered its head towards Pinkie, looking into her blue eyes, “I have only known my former master, the ponies of Stableshire who thought I was a quaint statue, the pigeons who defecated on me, and now a travelling group of ponies who will direct me to more creatures to squish. Believe me when I say I do not need friends. I am a golem after all. The only golem in all of the land of which I am quite certain, or else I would have been found by another golem.”

Pinkie’s eyes began to well up in tears. Twilight felt sorry for the earth pony, wondering how often Pinkie’s invitations to parties were denied. “I even made you an invitation,” she said, digging into her saddle bag and pulling out a detailed card. The lavender unicorn wondered where Pinkie found the time to make invitations as well as her grenades on their journey.

“It…made something? For me?” The shock in Shale’s voice was genuine, which surprised Twilight further. Shale peered at the invitation, reading the contents out loud.

“You are cordially invited as a special guest to the ‘We managed to beat the Blight and not get eaten by ponyspawn, isn’t that simply terrifically super awesome!’ party to be held at a location currently undecided by party organizer Pinkie Pie. There will be delicious treats, dancing and games such as the ever popular ‘pin the tail on the pony’. Please R.S.V.P. as soon as possible. We can’t wait to see you there.”

Shale looked up from the invitation back at Pinkie Pie. “This party…I can choose to go if I want to, yes?” Pinkie nodded sadly as the golem looked down at the invitation. “Well then, it would be unbecoming of the finest, and perhaps only, golem in all of Equestria to miss such a grand event. I do want to be the guest of honour of course, and a big banner that says ‘Greatest Golem Ever’.”

Never had Twilight seen Pinkie smile brighter than now. With a bounding leap towards Shale, she wrapped her forelegs around the golem in a big hug. As Shale sputtered for some kind of response, Twilight smiled as she and the others began to make their way on the boat. Even though they took a detour, the party could still make it to Red Apple before dusk, granted no other navigational errors from the captain blew them off course.

Spike was sleeping on Twilight’s back as she headed down into cargo hold, looking for something to put the baby dragon in. The fight against the ponyspawn likely tuckered him right out, and the least she could do for her little warrior was find a nice place for Spike to rest in. Spotting a small empty basket, she lifted the basket with her magic before placing Spike inside while covering his small form with a spare cloth, careful not to disturb his much needed slumber.

Little warrior, Twilight thought as she headed back up the stairs, how did this even happen? I’m supposed to keep Spike safe, not encourage him to get into danger. What was done was done though, and Spike had shown aptitude with a blade in his claws, a skill with a sword that he had never held before, at least to the best of Twilight’s knowledge. Not only did he fight, but she actually encouraged the dragon to hop on her back and charged towards the ponyspawn. There was no doubt that battle would call  them all to fight again likely very soon; was she ready to allow Spike to throw himself into danger for his sake again?

The young dragon would certainly protest, of that Twilight was sure. Yet as she watched over the sleeping form of her draconic ward, Twilight knew she had to do something to help Spike if even just a little. Perhaps she could speak with Ditzy to see if there was any armour she could use, and Rarity to see if her spells with cloth could also be used with metal. As she emerged from the cargo hold, she saw that all her friends were crowding around the edge of the dock. All of them except Shale, that is.

Realization hit as she looked at Shale, then back to the boat already filled with all assortment of goods as well as a full contingent of passengers. Shale was a pony made of stone, so there was no doubt it would be too heavy to add to the boat without causing it to sink. “What are we going to do?” Fluttershy asked, looking at Twilight for some sort of solution.

Before she could say anything, Shale began to enter the water on its own. As the rock pony lowered itself into the murky depths that gave Lake Blackwater its name, Shale looked up to Twilight Sparkle, face blank of any expression.

“I will go south, yes?” Shale said, “And I will meet the party on the other side. Besides, I need a bath to remove the years of bird excrement buildup. It should expect me there, either before or after it arrives.” With that Shale continued on into the dark waters, until all that remained was a ripple in the surface.

“All aboard!” called Ditzy as she made her way to the helm, “Next stop, Red Apple Acres and Castle, no detours!”

With the sail down, the boat began to drift across the lake, slowly being turned away from the Stableshire pier. Twilight, not leaving anything to chance like before, called upon the arcane to provide a small breeze to fill the sails and help bring the ship into the right direction. Once the ponies were all settled, Twilight could see that they were all feeling tired after two consecutive battles against the ponyspawn. Trixie and Fluttershy were still huddled in a corner, clearly afraid out of their wits by what they had encountered and Twilight could not blame them at all. There were few ponies, and likely fewer unicorns from the Tower, that could have stood up to the horrors of the ponyspawn. Especially when one of those ponyspawn was a minotaur who had easily smashed a unicorn’s shield.

They sat around the deck as the boat continued to sail, with nary a word spoken. Eyes were filled with fatigue and weariness of battle that Twilight hoped Red Apple Acres would provide some sort of safe haven.

It was Applejack that spoke up first, with a new-found confidence in her voice. “Listen y’all,” she said, “I’m sorry for running off and bein’ all rude like back at the inn. None of you deserved that after y’all opened yer hearts to the group. I suppose what I saw in the Fade just really put a lot of bad apples in my head. All I ever wanted was a family to be with, and for a time I had it before I was taken to the templars. But I also didn’t really know my folks; my ma died when I was just a little foal, and my pappy, well…”

Her fellow Warden was hesitating, but Twilight hoped she wouldn’t falter when it was obvious Applejack needed to get this off her chest. Sitting next to the blonde maned earth pony, Twilight laid a comforting foreleg over her friend’s shoulders. Applejack smiled at the violet unicorn, thankful for the support without speaking a word. With another deep breath, Applejack looked ready to continue.

“All right,” Applejack said, “Here goes. Now I don’t blame any of you if ya don’t believe this. Why, some days I rightfully don’t believe it myself. But it’s the honest to Betsy truth. My pappy was the old king.”

This new information caught Twilight completely off guard, and as she looked at the party, everypony was just as surprised as she was. Nopony spoke out against Applejack’s claim however, though Twilight did not know if it was simply a stunned silence or that they believed the story.

“It was a secret to everypony,” Applejack continued, “Only Arl Macintosh knew, as well as some officials. They all didn’t like the idea of some misbegotten filly trying to take Blueblood’s crown, not that I ever wanted the thing. All I ever wanted was to stay with my big brother and little sister, but things just weren’t meant to be. Not fer me, and not for a lot of folks at Red Apple Castle…”

“Get him inside quickly,” called one of the guards as they dragged a large red colt through the castle courtyard, “We don’t need to create a panic.” They made their way to the east side of grounds towards the kitchens which would lead them closer to the infirmary. Following the wounded Macintosh and the guards carrying him were several more soldiers, each armed and ready for battle. They flanked a much larger earth pony, adorned in shining plated armour and a golden crown atop his head, a symbol of his absolute authority over the land.

Little Applejack watched from her hiding spot under a wooden staircase. She had just finished her usual chores around the fortress when the main gates opened and ponies poured in with the wounded and the battered. When she saw Macintosh being pulled towards the castle with arrows in his thick hide, the small earth pony wanted to cry out, to give some words of comfort. As more soldiers filled the courtyard with the injured, Applejack instead remained quiet, holding her mama’s amulet of Celestia’s Sun close to her heart.

The king looked around with harsh eyes before motioning for a pegasus messenger to his side. “Bring this message to Loghoof with all the speed your wings can grant,” he said, his voice stern, “I want the attackers found. I want them found and shown no mercy. Now go.”

In the shadows of the stairs leading up to the main hall of Red Apple Castle, Applejack watched as the king delivered orders to his soldiers, who obeyed without question. What happened, she wondered to warrant a surprise visit from the king of Equestria? Arlessa Smith would have said something to Macintosh and Applejack, but there was no sign of the castle’s ruler making her way to greet the king. Who were the attackers the king had wanted to be found? More importantly, were these attackers the one that hurt her big brother?

The king turned around then and noticed the filly hiding in the darkness, his keen green eyes matching Applejack’s own. They stared in silence for a moment, with Applejack feeling calm despite the ruckus going on in the castle. The king’s eyes were weary but still held warmth in the very centre of his pupils. The king then began to walk towards Applejack, who stepped out from her hiding place and stooped herself into a bow.

“Yer majesty,” she said, averting her eyes from the monarch of the realm. The king said nothing as he lowered himself down onto his hooves, meeting the filly face-to-face.

“What good was all the fighting against the Filesians when our own ponies cause so much harm to the young?” he mumbled, still looking into Applejack’s eyes, “I’m sorry. You must be Applejack yes?”

Applejack nodded, which only made the king let out an exasperated sigh. He just looked so tired of everything around him. “I want you to pay close attention, Applejack,” he said with an authoritative tone, only to quickly adjust his speaking when Applejack stood up straight for the king. “This is not a command from your king but rather a request from a concerned friend. Something terrible has happened, Applejack, yet I am not going to sugar coat it. This may be cruel to say to one so young, although as much as it pains me I cannot lie about it. Honesty has always been my best policy.”

“Bandits ambushed and killed Arlessa Granny Smith. I was leading a contingent of soldiers in basic drills when I received news, far too late. Macintosh was injured but he will recover. I am sorry for your loss. I am truly sorry I could do nothing to save them.”

Her legs buckled under this new weight as she fell to her knees. Applejack could feel her eyes water at the news; she wanted to cry, but her throat was dry. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, even from the lips of the king. The Arlessa was so kind to everypony of the Red Apple region, the ponies loved her for being fair and just. Her hollering of ‘Soup’s on!’ could have been heard from as far as the farthest tree to the bottom of the castle’s cellars, a sign of a good harvest from the fields. And now she was gone, cut down by bandits as quickly as the apples were brought down from the trees.

She could not remember the last thing she said to Arlessa Smith or Big Macintosh before they ventured away from the castle. Was it something about dinner at a certain time? To bring back fresh apples? To tell off the blacksmith who had likely had too much cider to drink yet again? Or where the forgotten words ‘Love ya Granny!’ that could never be said again?

Applejack didnt cry, despite the salty tears forming around her eyes. She was a big pony, a tough pony, and big tough ponies didn’t cry. Yet when she looked up and saw streaming tears fall from the eyes of the king’s stoic face, it was enough to break her dam and let the tears flow. If the king could cry, then it was all right for her, even though she did not know why the king was doing such. He wrapped a foreleg around the filly, who somehow felt safe and secure against his strong limb.

“I am a damned foal,” he said, his voice wavering, “And it took tragedy to make me see it all. Please forgive me, Applejack.”She looked up at the king’s face, confused at what he had said. Why would a king ask a simple filly for forgiveness?

Before Applejack could get her answer, the king stood up tall and straight, his eyes drying as quickly as a puddle on a hot day, though now filled with a new determination. Or perhaps anger. “I have much to do, Applejack,” his voice back to one full of strength, “I have much to repair, even if I have to do it with all four hooves. Will you do me a service, Applejack? A favour for the king?”

“I reckon I can yer majesty!” she answered, standing straight just like the regal sovereign in front of her.

“I want you to be by Macintosh’s and Applebloom’s side,” the king said, “I want you to be the pillar of support they can lean on in the rough times all of Red Apple will have coming, for he will soon take over as Arl of Red Apple with all the responsibilities that incurs, and Applebloom will need a guardian to protect her in this cruel world. They will need you, Applejack. Will you accept this quest?”

“Ah can do that yer Majesty!” Applejack said with a smile on her face, “I can help Macintosh out. He’s gonna need all the help he can get! And I’ll always be around to protect Applebloom!”

The king returned the smile with a proud one of his own before turning away to his soldiers. Without a second to lose, Applejack scurried off towards the infirmary, where Healer Redheart was tending to Macintosh’s wounds. The great red earth pony was bandaged up all along his limbs and the smell of healing poultice hung in the air like bad eggs. Propping herself up against the bed, Applejack nudged against her big brother’s sides, hoping to see Macintosh’s eyes open.

“Excuse me,” said Healer Redheart, “But you really should let him rest.”

“Ah’m sorry,” Applejack looked over the red earth pony, “Ah just wanted to make sure Big Macintosh could see a smiling face the moment he woke up. He’s gonna need me by his side! The king said so!”

Before Healer Redheart could say another word, the blonde filly let out a sharp audible gasp. “Applebloom! I need to go see her right away! You’ll take care of Big Macintosh won’t you?” Redheart shook her head as Applejack rushed out of the infirmary, not even waiting for an answer as the young filly made her way up the castle stairs to the Arlessa’s personal chambers.

There, next to the large bed in the room was a small cradle made of oak and blazoned with the imagery of apples. Nestled in the small cradle was Applebloom, still sleeping in her swaddling blankets and completely unaware of the havoc outside of the castle. The tiny foal was still very young, not even old enough to speak, and the sight of her made Applejack’s heart break. They had first lost their mother when Applebloom was born, then their father to the influenza, and Granny Smith took the role of their caretaker for as long as Applejack could remember.

Now all they had known changed in an instant, but at least they were going to have each other for support. The king commanded it after all, and a pony did not disobey or fail an order from the king. Applejack rocked the cradle gently with a slight push of her hoof as she looked down on her little sister.

“Everything’s gonna be all right, Applebloom,” Applejack whispered to the sleeping foal, “The king sent me to help you and Macintosh, and that’s what I’m gonna do. I’ll be here no matter what.”

Hours had passed and Applejack was sleeping on the floor next to the cradle when the door creaked open. The king entered the Arlessa’s chamber followed closely by Healer Redheart who picked up the awakening Applebloom and stepped out of the bedroom. The king lowered himself just as he did in the courtyard, meeting Applejack’s green eyes with his own.

He focused much of his attention on the Celestial amulet Applejack was wearing before speaking. “That amulet,” he said, holding it in one hoof, “I remember it. I gave it to somepony special. Did you know that? I cared for your mother, and was sad to hear her passing.”

Applejack looked at her mama’s amulet as it shone in the candle light that filled the room. The king had given her mama the amulet? That made the gift even more special if such an important pony gave it.

“Applejack, I’m going to tell you something important,” the king continued, “And it will be difficult to believe. I would not likely believe it myself if I were in your horseshoes. I don’t know the right words to say, I usually have Loghoof prepare whatever speeches I need. Or shout loud to make the soldiers follow my lead. I’ll just say it right and true then.”

“I am your father.”

Staring at the king with her jaw open, Applejack’s began to feel dizzy with this revelation. What was the king talking about, she wondered? She knew her pappy, he was a good pony who was going to be Arl before the sickness took him. Why would the king say something like this?

“You said honesty is your best policy,” the filly said, scratching the ground with her hoof as her nerves felt shot. The king nodded slowly.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, especially on a day like today. I realized when I saw you, I could not hide the truth from you anymore. That everything changes in an instant, and then the moment is lost. I was stupid, Applejack. I hid you away with one of my best friends because I didn’t want to deal with the repercussions of my actions. I see that now I was wrong. I beg your forgiveness.”

Never had Applejack felt as confused as she was now. The pappy she knew wasn’t her real father, but instead was the king of Equestria, a hero who had kicked the Filesians out with their tails between their legs. And now the king was asking her forgiveness. No, begging for it.

“Well, uh…”Applejack tried to speak up, but was at a loss for words. What does one say to the king of Equestria when he just revealed he was your real father?”

“Wait,” he said, before digging into his saddlebag. Applejack watched as the king…her father, as she had to remind herself pulled out a wide brimmed hat, just like pappy used to wear. “Your pappy and I were close, Applejack. We were like brothers, and we grew up together, along with Loghoof, moving from Red Apple to Trotterim and back again. We all had hats like these, and there is many a day I’d trade wearing this crown for such a simple hat.”

“Now I want you to have it. I’m going to make things right between us, if you’d let me. I won’t be around much, but when I am here to help Macintosh become Arl, I’d like to get to know you. Please.”

Applejack felt the hat being placed on her head, with the king being gentle as he positioned the hat properly. The old hat felt good on her head, like it belonged there all along. She looked up at the king, beaming as the monarch returned the smile to the small filly before him.

Yet the smile would soon reverse as she thought back to her mama, and to her pappy. “I still miss my pappy, yer Majesty,” she said, “If your my really daddy, what do I call you? I still love my pappy, I don’t want to stop callin’ him that.”

The king thought long and hard for a moment, a hoof to his chin as he apparently consulted the ceiling for advice. “‘Daddy’,” he said to himself before grinning at Applejack, “I’d like that, if you don’t mind.”

“Well, there it is,” Applejack concluded, “Not as exciting as Rainbow Dash, or as recent as Pinkie Pie, but that’s my story.” Twilight and the others looked at Applejack for a moment, letting the tale sink in.

Their friend was the heir apparent to the throne now that Blueblood was dead, which made Twilight realize just how much pressure her fellow Warden was under. Not only to fight against the Blight and to bring the treaties to the different ponies across Equestria, but they were now faced with what was likely a succession crisis that Applejack wanted no part in.

“Did you ever meet your brother Blueblood?” Fluttershy asked. Applejack smirked then nodded her head.

“We met once before Ostequus, a long time ago,” she answered, “I still remember like it was yesterday…”

“Applejack, this is your half-brother Blueblood.”

“Howdy there, Blueblood! Care fer some apples? I bucked them myself!”

“Oooh! Look at the size of that mirror!”

“We didn’t exactly hit it off. Very sad.” Applejack sighed, her head lowered and her ears drooped low. Then she looked up and chuckled, “You asked if Blueblood was my brother. That means ya’ll believe me?”

One by one, the ponies stood up around Applejack as the boat rocked gently on the waves. Twilight looked around to see all her friends offering the blonde earth pony caring smiles, with her own matching them. “Of course we believe you Applejack,” Twilight said, “You’re our friend, and we’ll always put our trust in you.”

Applejack wiped away a single tear as she looked around at all the ponies. “Well shucks,” she chuckled, “All this time I thought about how I was too lucky to die with the rest of the Wardens. But now I know how lucky I am, lucky to have met all of you.”

The party shared a laugh, enjoying the company of one another as they sat on the deck while Dinky brought up a basket of apples to share. Each pony looked at the fruit with ravenous hunger after such a long day of battles and revelations; they quickly dug into their meals with gusto.

“You looked like you had it a good life going,” Rainbow Dash said to Applejack, breaking the silence, “Your dad’s the king, you were living in Red Apple Castle safe as can be. How’d you get stuck with the templar? That has to be the biggest dive from awesome to lame.”

“I was sent to the Chantry soon after the old king died,” Applejack answered, “Some of the nobles who knew said it was to keep me safe if any of them nobles found out and thought I was a threat to Blueblood. I didn’t want to go, and I made sure I was louder than a rooster about it. Macintosh agreed with them though, said I couldn’t stay hidden in Red Apple forever, said the Chantry was safe.”

“I didn’t want safe, I wanted to stay with Macintosh and Applebloom. I went and accepted a quest from the King to be by their sides, and what would being the most dependable of ponies be if I was off in some Chantry and not there. I was mighty upset, so much so I broke my mama’s pendant. I guess I just want to go back to Red Apple, make sure the ponyspawn haven’t bucked all the ponies there… maybe make amends to Macintosh while I’m at it.”

Silence descended on the ponies as they sat on the deck, simply waiting for the ship to finally arrive at the Red Apple docks. They kept themselves busy with small tasks, such as Pinkie making more grenades, Rarity reading from the dark grimoire that belonged to Flemeth, to Rainbow Dash flying laps around the ship. Twilight found herself descending into the cramped cargo hold, checking on Spike who was still snoozing soundly in his basket, little Dinky also asleep in makeshift bedding nearby.

It was for little fillies and colts that they were fighting the ponyspawn, Twilight told herself as she sparked an orb of warm orange light from her horn. She smiled while she lowered the sphere of heat next to the two sleeping younglings as they adjusted themselves in their beds, enjoying the comforting heat from the ball of energy.

Twilight took a moment to gingerly stroke the spines on Spike’s head as she looked around the cargo for something that would help protect him. It was likely to be near impossible for anypony to find armour fit for a baby dragon, but with a careful observant eye, the lavender unicorn was able to spot a smaller fitting chest guard of chainmail. It wasn’t the plated armour that she saw knights and chevalier wear, yet it was a good start. Lifting the armour with her magic, Twilight was surprised at just how heavy the metal protection weighed, even though it did not look particularly heavy.

With the armour hovering behind her, Twilight stepped out onto the deck and made her way to Rarity, who was still studying Flemeth’s grimoire with intense concentration. Twilight wondered if she could help with Rarity’s studies as the sorceress with the white coat saw Twilight approach, flashing one of her immaculate smiles. “Is there something I can help you with, dear?” Rarity asked, regarding both Twilight and the floating chainmail.

“Yes… ” Twilight floated the piece of pony protection to Rarity, “I was wondering if you could do something with this to make some armour for Spike.”

Rarity closed the grimoire shut before taking the armour with her own magic. She too almost dropped the metal after being surprised at how heavy it was, but managed to keep it in the air. With a critical eye, she looked over every link in the chain and how it meshed together to form the chestguard.

“I am not a blacksmith, Twilight,” she said, not looking up while continuing to examine the chainmail.

“I know,” Twilight responded, “But when I saw Spike fight against the ponyspawn, I knew that he wouldn’t take no for an answer the next time we’re in battle. I just want him protected as best I can.”

“When you put it that way,” Rarity said, putting down the chainmail, “Of course I will do what I can, though it may take some time. Metal is certainly less giving than cloth and leather, but it would do some good to expand my repertoire. Don’t worry Twilight. I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you, Rarity,” Twilight said sincerely. She then looked at the dark book before continuing, “How goes your study of Flemeth’s book?”

Rarity gave an exhausted sigh. “Tis a most confusing read, darling,” she explained, “Most of the words and symbols just translate into complete gibberish. Then one page of gibberish connects with another to make some sense and then just makes more confusing pages that I simply cannot make heads or tails of.”

“What about going back to the Wilds and asking your mother for help?”

“No,” Rarity said sternly, her eyes focused on the book, “I can’t do that.  What pages I could connect, what I have discovered…makes me afraid, Twilight. Afraid of what my mother can really do with her magic.”

Twilight felt a cold shiver run up and down her spine, as if ice was being pressed against her back with force. She still remembered the aura of sheer power Flemeth held around her, how her aged yellow eyes looked down on everypony with contempt. If Loghoof made Twilight feel small under his gaze, Flemeth had made Twilight feel completely powerless.

It was the first time Twilight had heard Rarity mention Flemeth in a tone denoting fear rather than indifference or distaste in her mother’s lack of fashion sense. Not that Twilight could blame her, having such a magical dynamo for a mother would be great pressure for any unicorn. Fear of the magical unknown made Twilight wonder if she wanted to know exactly what feats of spellwork Flemeth was capable of.

“Don’t worry, Twilight,” Rarity said, snapping Twilights attention back to the present, “I’ll get right to work on Spike’s armour right away. Oh he’ll look simply dashing, oh I can just see the possibilities and they are endless!”

“Thanks again for all this,” said Twilight before realizing she just took the armour from the hold without saying anything to Ditzy. “Oh my gosh,” Twilight said, chiding herself in private for almost becoming a thief to the pony that was giving them safe passage, “I need to go pay for that.” Without another word, Twilight sped off up to the helm, where Ditzy kept her eyes on the horizon, or as close as her mismatched vision would allow.

Ditzy kept her smile bright as she held her hooves steady on the helm of the ship while Twilight offered to pay for the chainmail she had brought up deck. The grey pegasus shook her head, claiming that for all Twilight had done to protect Dinky from the ponyspawn, a forgotten piece of chainmail was just the tip of a “thank you muffin”. Twilight wasn’t sure what to make of all of that, but was grateful all the same.

 The shore on the southern edge of Lake Blackwater was finally coming into view, with the buildings of the Red Apple Acres community coming into complete view. The party bunched together at the bow of the ship, looking with anticipation as they sailed ever closer to the docks.

While Twilight was glad that they were soon going to reach their destination, the look on Applejack’s face was the complete opposite. “Somethin’ ain’t right,” she said, narrowing her eyes as she looked on at the agricultural community, “I don’t see any ponies millin’ and meanderin’ about. That just ain’t right, there should be somepony at the docks. We need to get to the acres pronto.”

Ditzy did her best to slow down the boat as it approached the old docks of Red Apple Acres, showing surprising skill with ropes and knots as she flew about. Twilight looked upwards to the tall plateau overlooking the farmland, taking in the sight of the great fortress that stood proudly on the peak. Red Apple Castle appeared mighty atop its grand hill, like a sentry overlooking his post and watching over all the miles around him with careful eyes. Standards bearing the namesake of the Red Apple region hung from the parapets and flapped softly in the breeze. However, there were no signs of soldiers patrolling the parapets, which made Twilight wonder if Applejack was right and something was considerably wrong.

Applejack was the first to leap off the boat and onto the docks, her senses sharp as she looked around the quiet township. Twilight followed, also perking her ears forward as she looked about for anything suspicious. Perhaps they were both listening for the same tell-tale sign of a ponyspawn attack. Taking a deep breath, the violet mare listened closely for the beating of ponyspawn hearts, listening for the signs that black blood was being pumped in savaged bodies.

Only a chilling silence answered her curiosity. “I don’t sense any ponyspawn,” Twilight said to Applejack as the rest of the party descended from the boat, Spike following the ponies while letting out a big yawn.

“Neither can I, Twilight,” responded Applejack, “Let’s header on into town. Maybe we can find somepony to tell us why everything is so spooky.”

Everything around them did seem stranger by the minute. Windows and doors were shut tight, and not a single soul travelled through the streets. Red bloodstains littered the area around the village, signifying a battle had occurred here similar to what had happened in Stableshire. What was especially jarring was the complete lack of bodies. If there had been a battle, there would have at least been some sign of corpses littering the ground, at the very least discarded weaponry.

Fluttershy whimpered as the sound of the wind bellowed through abandoned buildings. Tensions were high with the fear of uncertainity clouding the air around them. They needed to get somewhere safe and find out exactly what was going on in the little village by the lake. “Applejack, you know this town and the area better than anypony,” Twilight said, “Where would the townsponies go in the event of an emergency, like an attack?”

“They’d all scamper to the Chantry,” Applejack answered, “Biggest building in town. Honest to Bessie, they ponyfolk likely went there! Let’s go!”

The Chantry appeared to have been heavily assaulted for some time, with scratch and burn marks marring the already aged doors. With a strong hoof, Applejack knocked the door, but there was no response from inside. Applejack knocked again to no avail.

“Open this door right this second!” Applejack hollered, frustration marked clearly on her face.

“No!” Came a scared voice, “I don’t know if yer zombies coming to eat our brains!”

“Zombies don’t sound like angry mares,” said a much calmer voice, with a similar way of speech to Applejack’s. “I’m Bann Braeburn of Aaaaaaapleosa! Er…Who goes there?”

“Braeburn!” Applejack shouted, “It’s yer kin, Applejack! Let us in this applebuckin’ minute!”

There was murmuring on the other side of the door before the pathway finally opened for the party. They entered to see the Chantry filled with soldiers and townsponies nursing wounds. They all looked up to the open door, scared and worried of what was to come.

“What the hay is going on Braeburn?” Applejack asked with a bit more force than was usual, “What’s going on with Red Apple? My home? What about the castle? And Arl Macintosh, and little Applebloom!”

“Whoa nelly, slow right down there a spell,” Braeburn said, trying to keep Applejack calm, “A lot is going and none of it good. Would ya’ll believe me if I said we had a bit of a problem with zombies?”

---

Chapter 13: Preparations for the Coming Storm

“All right, lemme see if I got this as straight as lines on a well plowed field,” Applejack said while pacing around the Chantry, “Yer having problems with zombies, as in, the walking dead. Braeburn, if you weren’t kin I’d swear that was the single darn foalish thing I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s true though,” Twilight interjected between the two earth ponies, “Even though I’ve never seen zombies myself, I have read that lesser demons will often possess the bodies of the dead, because they are easy to take a hold of. If this is all really happening, that means the Veil is broken here just like at the Unicorn Tower. Powerful Dark Arts are at work here somehow.”

If it wasn’t a battle against the ponyspawn, it was fighting off the denizens of the Fade. Twilight closed her eyes, focusing her senses to find the ebb and flow of magic in the area. She could see the blue strands of arcane power coalesce towards her own horn and her staff as well as similar strands twisting their way to Rarity and Trixie. She turned her head further in hopes of finding the pathways to the breach acting as a gateway to the real world from that of dreams.

There, Twilight thought as she saw several magical rivers converge on one spot. Unlike the tear at the Tower, this one was small in comparison, but large enough to allow lesser weaker demons through. The violet unicorn raised a hoof towards the point of the breach before opening her eyes, seeing that she was pointing at a wall.

“Oh dear Celestia,” Applejack’s worry marred her words, “Yer pointing towards the castle, Twi. What the hay is going on? Is that were all the zombies are coming from? Braeburn?”

“Maybe I should start from the beginning,” Braeburn said, motioning for everypony to get closer and listen, “Now see, I don’t know the details, but from I’ve heard from the ponyfolk around these parts, things went from bad to worse lickity-split. Before the calamity at Ostequus there was this unicorn feller who came into town and offered his services to Arl Mac. A couple weeks later and Mac is sick and can’t wake up. The unicorn tells all of the knights that the only cure is something called the ‘Mane of Stars’, so a bunch leave the castle to go look for the thing, while the rest go out to find out what happened at Ostequus and to protect the arling. Then Applebloom goes missing, the unicorn disappears and Red Apple is being attacked by zombies.”

Twilight shook her head over what Braeburn had told them. It was too coincidental for a unicorn to appear and then have trouble follow. Had this strange unicorn caused the troubles facing Red Apple simply due to negligence of the power in his horn? Or was this another Hubred in the making, desiring to command the power of the Dark Arts for himself?

It was sobering now to think that she had learned how to appreciate the intrinsic might inside her horn, and how Wise Eyes had said Twilight had learned to understand the costs of having such power at her beck and call. She thought of apostates such as Rarity and Dinky who had no formal training with magic but still used their gifts wisely, while wondering how sanctioned unicorns like Hubred could fall after so many lessons on responsibility.

“Oh!” Fluttershy suddenly gasped, shocking everypony around her for such an outburst, “I remember a story about the Mane of Stars. It’s an old pony tale about the remains of Luna before she ascended.”

“The legend goes that before Luna was burned at the stake in the Imperium, her executioner cut off her indigo mane to keep as a trophy. It was the Exarch presiding over the execution who converted right when he saw Luna in such pain that he killed her out of mercy, and placed the mane into a silver coffin. They say the mane then became like the night sky, and the stars shone like diamonds. The coffin was moved to Equestria, birthplace of Luna, but the location of her resting place was forgotten forever.”

“A legend,” Applejack said, the anger in her eyes making it seem like her blood was boiling, “A tall tale. That is where all of Arl Mac’s best knights went and got themselves looking fer somethin’ that might not even exist while zombies pour out of the castle like applesauce!”

“’Fraid so, cousin,” the Bann of Appleoosa said, “They mostly attack at night. Mostly. From what we’ve seen, they’re castle staff and a few guards, though a lot more come from the cemetery. We’ve been holdin’ them off here, and then every night they attack with greater numbers, and even with a few critters I’ve never seen before like them blobs of fire with eyes, and walking shadows. The last time we sent soldiers, they came back as more deaders. And nopony has even left the castle, at least not another zombie. We don’t even know if Arl Macintosh is…”

“That does it!” shouted the former templar, stamping her hoof down in frustration, “We’re gonna gallop right into the castle, stop this crazy demon malarkey, and save Arl Macintosh and Applebloom!”

Twilight had never seen her fellow Warden as tense as she was now. Of course she was though, Applejack was worried about the only family she had left and the uncertainty of their fates was likely eating her up on the inside. Gently, she laid a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder, giving a simple show of support. Twilight could feel the blonde earth pony relax slightly at her touch.

“I know you’re worried about Macintosh and Applebloom,” Twilight said, keeping Applejack steady just as the templar pony had done for her in the Tower, “But charging into the castle won’t help them.”

“Charging in sounds like my kind of plan,” Rainbow Dash said. A quick stern look from Twilight had the rainbow assassin silent in a moment.

“We need a plan,” Twilight continued, “A plan to get inside the castle and seal the breach in the Veil. Let’s take stock of exactly what is going on and have a strategy ready. Then we can head into the castle. Don’t worry Applejack; we’ll do whatever we have to save Arl Macintosh and Applebloom.”

Applejack closed her eyes for a moment in contemplation, her chest heaving as she breathed in deep to calm herself. A slight smile from her lips sent Twilight’s worries away as Applejack looked up at her fellow Warden. “All right Twilight. We’ll come up with a plan first.”

Taking up a scroll and quill with her magic to make an organized list of what had transpired in Red Apple, Twilight and the others went around the Chantry and began to talk to the ponies. What they did learn proved the situation was dire. Every night, more and more zombies flooded from the castle down the western pass into the township. There were no real soldiers to defend Red Apple, instead simply a ragtag militia formed at the last minute. They were also poorly equipped as the town’s blacksmith sealed himself in his smithy and refused to open it for anypony.

Morale was lacking as well, with fear becoming like a permeable cloud hanging over the heads of militia and villager alike. Many stood in huddled groups, making prayers to Celestia or trying to convince themselves that everything was going to be all right. What really broke Twilight’s heart were the little fillies and colts scared and crying out for lost mothers and fathers who would never come back home.

“What happened to Macintosh’s soldiers?” Twilight asked Braeburn, “They never arrived at Ostequus, so why aren’t they helping defend Red Apple from the zombies?”

“ ‘Cause they’re out in the field with my colts from Appleoosa fighting off them varmints who follow Loghoof and Maim,” Braeburn answered, “I came here to make sure everything was all right, and to find out why Macintosh wasn’t makin’ a right racket against Loghoof. Turns out things were worse than fungus on apple tree in the dead of summer.”

While Twilight was glad Loghoof did not have complete control over Equestria, she was appalled at the thought that ponies were fighting ponies while the ponyspawn threat loomed over them all. It was true what Flemeth had told her; that nopony could truly see what lay beyond the shadows in the heart or make sense of a pony’s actions at any time, even in one of dire crisis.

Taking her list and a map of the Red Apple area, Twilight looked over the lay of the land to see if there was some way to muster a capable defense. Her mind began to race with all sorts of possibilities as she regarded the map and her checklist. Red Apple Castle was a well defended vantage point, as there was only one direct path leading to the main gates of the castle; the surrounding cliff faces made any other approach impossible. If the zombies were using the only path, they could easily form a defense at one point, and the party had the ability to do so.

“I got it,” Twilight exclaimed, looking around at her friends while levitating the map and quill for them to see, “We need to create a defensive perimeter here, at the entrance from the ridge leading into the village.”

“We tried that,” Braeburn said, “But there are just too many zombies barreling down the path.”

“Then we’ll soften their numbers up by setting traps before nightfall,” continued Twilight, “Pinkie, we’re going to need you to make special grenades, something that will act like a trap for the invading zombies. Go to Ditzy’s ship to make sure you have all the materials you need to make the explosives. And wake up Spike while you’re at it, please.”

“Okie dokie, making smokies!” Pinkie rang out with her usual cheer. Amazingly, she was already pulling out all the materials needed for several bombs, and quickly got to work assembling her weapons of choice.

Twilight looked to Rainbow Dash next. “Dash, I need you to scout the area to find any movement from the castle. We’ll also need you to fly around the shore and see if you can spot Shale. We could use all the help we can get.”

The rogue pegasus delivered her signature salute before zooming off out of one of the open windows in the Chantry. Taking a deep breath, Twilight looked over at Fluttershy, knowing this task was going to prove difficult with the introverted bard. “Fluttershy, the militia is frightened of the next attack,” she said while Fluttershy avoided eye contact with Twilight, “I know you’re not comfortable with crowds or even small gatherings of strange ponies, but you’re a Chantry Sister whose kind heart can pull them out of their depression. They need to hear the words that will make them brave in the coming battle.”

“But Twilight,” Fluttershy said, barely above a whisper, “I’m scared too. I’ve never seen a zombie before. They sound really mean, what can I do?”

“I know it’s a scary thought, but look at what we’ve defeated so far,” Twilight tried to catch Fluttershy’s hidden gaze, and when the pair of cyan eyes finally met the unicorn’s violets, she offered a warm smile to ease Fluttershy into a proper sense of security. “We’ve gone up against the ponyspawn and powerful demons of the Fade. You’ve shown under a meek exterior there is bravery and strength. Show these ponies the strength inside you and that Celestia and Luna are with them. I know you can do it.”

Fluttershy smile was small, but it was enough for Twilight to know that the words had gotten through to her. “I’ll…try,” was the response as the yellow pegasus fluttered over to some of the soldiers.

“Rarity,” Twilight continued, needing everypony to know their roles quickly, “I’d like you to talk to the town’s blacksmith. Try to get him to come out and equip the militia properly. Use your…um…charm?”

“I’ll have that blacksmith wrapped around my hoof by day’s end, darling,” Rarity said. Twilight nodded, and then turned to Trixie.

“Say no more, Sparkle,” Trixie said haughtily before Twilight could get a word in edgewise, “The Great and Powerful Trixie will show all these ponies the true power of her amazing chants and dazzling spellworks!”

At least we are on the same page, Twilight thought as she smiled, watching the boastful magician head out on her own to prepare incantations. That just left Applejack and herself to plan on how to actually get inside the castle.

“If’n we’re gonna get in the castle, night might be the best time to get in,” Applejack suggested, “That way the castle will be mostly empty of zombies and we can really give whoever is pullin’ the strings a real buckin’.”

“I agree,” Twilight said, “Although that means we’re going to have to split the group up. A small group to enter the castle and another to stay and help defend the town once the attack begins. Applejack, you know the castle better than anypony, so it will be you and me to start. I think we should also bring Spike and Rainbow Dash with us. He’s proven very capable with that fiery sword and it would do my nerves good to have him nearby. Dash’s skills as an assassin might prove handy inside a fortress like Red Apple Castle.”

The problem was finding a way inside the castle. The battle at night would surely take up the narrow path leading to the castle, and Pinkie would be setting traps along the path for the zombies to rush into. Rubbing her chin with her hoof, Applejack’s ears perked up as she looked at the map, an idea sparked in her eyes.

“If I remember rightly, there’s a secret hidey-hole passage leadin’ from the castle to the cider brewery in town.” As Applejack spoke, she trailed a hoof from the castle towards a building marked as “brewery”.

Before any preparation to the plan could be carried out, another knock at the door brought the guards to full alert. Everypony stood around as the same scared guard who had thought Twilight and the party where zombies opened the door enough to peek through. A slightly ajar door was just enough for a small pegasus filly to rush her way inside.

“A pegasus?” Braeburn wondered aloud as they looked down on the orange pegasus with violet eyes, “Are ya one of the castle servants?”

The winged filly glared at the Bann before her. “I’m Scootaloo,” she said in a raised voice, “And I’m Applebloom’s friend! Not some servant! And right now Applebloom needs help!”

Worry returned with its marking features to Applejack’s face at the mention of Applebloom. “What’s goin’ on Scootaloo,” Appljack said staring down at the filly in front of her, “What’s wrong with Applebloom. Is she okay? Is she safe?”

Whatever bravery allowed Scootaloo to make her way from the castle to the Chantry temple quickly diminished under the hard gaze of a concerned older sister. “All I can really say is she’s changed since Arl Macintosh fell sick,” was her answer, “She became all mean, and now she wants Braeburn to go to her in the castle, since she saw him fighting off the zombies from the top of the castle.”

Applejack didn’t hesitate. “I’m goin’ with Braeburn then! Applebloom needs her big sister right now more than ever!” Twilight wanted to interject, that Applejack was going to put the plan in jeopardy and throw herself into a trap if she went with Braeburn. Scootaloo was faster to respond.

“No!” Scootaloo looked up at the earth pony Warden with pleading eyes, “You can’t go! She said just Braeburn; no guards, no soldiers, or she would start killing the prisoners, including Arl Macintosh!”

That gave everypony pause, including Applejack who stood slack jawed as if somepony bucked her square in the face. She began muttering to herself, shaking her head furiously while trying to understand the implications of the filly’s words. Twilight knew all too well that Applejack was losing control of herself again as she saw the doubt in her fellow Warden’s eyes.

“Can’t be…just can’t…Applebloom’s a sweetheart, never hurt another pony even if she were mad enough…never even consider hurtin’ Big Mac…sweet Celestia’s sunrays, what the hay is going on... ”

It was then that Twilight could feel the familiar pull of templar anti-magic at work, but unlike when Applejack used it to help calm her over-abundance of magic, it was now used wildly and draining the magic from her horn with reckless abandon. The former templar’s eyes had gone black from her templar abilities as she wretched herself in despair. The nearby tear in the Veil leaking magic and the misery held by Applejack were having an effect on her templar abilities, amplifying them to incredible levels.

“Applejack!” Twilight shouted, feeling her energy forced out of her horn, “Stop! You’re losing control again!” The ponies around them yelped and moved out of the way, yet the anti-magic was making quick work of not only Twilight’s magic, but Trixie’s and Rarity’s as well.

“Please! Calm down!” Twilight said as she fell to one knee while the magic continued to drain from her horn into emptiness. Braeburn and the less magically inclined ponies stared in confusion as to what was happening. Despite her legs buckling under the influx of the templar’s ability, Twilight stepped forward to the blonde Warden.

Twilight noticed that during the unseen magical struggle, Braeburn and Scootaloo left the Chantry alone as the pegasus said they would have to. With a grunt, Twilight moved closer until she was nose to nose with the lost earth pony. She had to end this now and get her friend to see reason, even if it did take drastic measures.

Even the smallest amount of lyrium would be enough to calm down a stressed templar, especially one who was not as indoctrinated as Applejack. Yet there was still the risk that her friend would constantly need the essence of magic to maintain her templar abilities and become addicted like the templars under hoof of the Chantry. There was no way to tell what would happen until the lyrium passed through Applejack’s system.

She could not do it, Twilight realized. She would not make Applejack a lyrium addict just because her friend was losing control of her emotions during such a harrowing revelation. There had to be another way, another way of getting through to the earth pony.

 An idea sparked then, something that connected both Twilight and Applejack together. “Listen AJ,” Twilight said gently, “Remember who you are. You’re a Grey Warden! Remember Ostequus, remember Duncan! The oath, Applejack. Help me recite the oath.”

“In Peace…” Twilight spoke, hoping that if nothing else, the order Applejack was so devoted to would get make her snap out of her melancholy.

“Vigilance,” replied the templar, her darkened eyes meeting Twilight’s. The lavender mage took a deep breath before continuing.

“In War…”

“Victory.” Applejack’s eyes were resuming their usual green hue. This was working; she just needed to remember one more line.

“In Death…”

“Sacrifice.” With that word, the black eyes of Applejack returned to normal, and Twilight could feel the anti-magic simply cease around her. She felt weak from such a prolonged drain, but was glad that no drastic measures were taken.

Applejack looked up at Twilight with weary eyes, offering only a small smile. “Yer awfully strong, fer such a little pony,” she said before collapsing onto her side with a loud thud. The other ponies reacted in concern, but quickly discovered that their friend was merely exhausted and now fast asleep on the floor of the Chantry.

Twilight followed suit, falling to her side as the adrenaline rush ended and the drain of magic taking a toll on her stamina. She looked to Rarity and Trixie who seemed no worse for wear, before speaking again. “Don’t worry about us,” the violet unicorn said to her friends, “Applejack and I just need some rest. We still need everypony to do their part in the plan.”

As fatigue rushed over her and made her eyelids feel heavy, Twilight could still see her friends helping Applejack to her hooves before dragging the earth pony to someplace more comfortable to rest. Before she knew it, helpful hooves hefted her off the ground as they slowly made their way to some makeshift bedding. With a yawn, Twilight closed her eyes, hoping everything would be ready by tonight.

***

Rarity approached the blacksmith’s home, nose already crinkling from the revolting smell emanating from the workshop. Why I ever agreed to this I will never know, she thought as approached the door, I’m just going to get all dirty and icky. Not even my spell against dirt is going to save me.

The door, like many others in and around the town under Red Apple Castle was marked by scratches caused by heavy hooves. The windows were boarded up as well, which likely caused whatever undead to attack to leave this place alone. The thought of having to face rotting ponies sent shivers down Rarity’s spine. So disgusting!

Although Rarity did have to admit, this was likely to be no different than fighting the ponyspawn or abominations. This was going to be another battle with blood and muck to ruin all her hard work on her mane and coat. Yes, she was raised in a swamp by Flemeth who had no care for personal hygiene, but that should have made all of Rarity’s efforts that much more impressive.

The thought of Flemeth sent icy chills throughout the white unicorn’s body. As Rarity had spoken to Twilight about life in the Wilds, as she had listened to the stories of her friends and how they ended up with their group, as she read Flemeth’s grimoire, she had began to realize just how lonely life had been when it was just simply her and the witch. Perhaps she was feeling a bit jealous at her friends.

Twilight had never known her parents, but at least knew the support of other unicorns. Fluttershy knew her mother and could even remember the flowers her mother wore in her hair. Rainbow Dash’s mother gave up everything for her daughter. Pinkie Pie still had a family out there, waiting for her to find them. Applejack also knew her mother, and had two fathers to help her grow, with one of them being the king of the realm no less! They all seemed to have a sense of family, even if it were taken away from them; Rarity could not say the same for Flemeth.

Flemeth had never held Rarity close, never looked at her supposed daughter with warmth or affection. The old mare’s eyes always spoke of expectations and more often then not disappointment when those expectations were not met. Try as she might, Rarity could never even remember a single moment where Flemeth had said “I love you.”

“Now Rarity,” she said to herself, “No need to get all distressed over this. You said you will get the blacksmith wrapped around your hoof, and this is exactly what you are going to do.” With a breath, she brought her staff to the door and struck it with solid raps three times. There was no immediate response.

“Hello?” Rarity said, knocking the door with firmer strikes, “Is anypony home? The militia could use some armour, and I bet if we worked together, we could make them shine and dazzle!”

“Leave,” was the curt answer to the unicorn outside the door. Rarity narrowed her eyes at the response, indignant that somepony would deny her entry. She knocked on the door once more, the door shaking as the staff hit its mark with force.

“I shaid leave!” The pony behind the door yelled, “I’m no good forsh anypony exshept wallowing in whatever ponies are shapposed to wallow in. Right now I’m wallowing in ale.”

Rarity sighed. “Wonderful, a drunkard,” she muttered as the staff continued to pound away at the door to the smithy, “Listen you! This quaint little acre commune is going to be under attack again and the ponies need supplies! Now open the door this instant! I’m trying to be reasonable!”

The boarded up window burst into splinters as a large hammer smashed its way through the wood and right by Rarity’s head. She yelped as the heavy metal object sailed by, before turning her horn towards the door. With a spark of arcane energy, the white unicorn launched a bolt of lightning right into the lock of the door, blasting it to pieces. With a nod of satisfaction, her staff opened the door wide allowing Rarity to simply walk into the smithy.

Looking around the smithy made Rarity gag from the smoke from the furnace and the smell of stale ale permeating from the drunken pony sitting on his haunches. “Ya borked my door!” he shouted, hooves probing for something else to toss; “Now I’m doomed. Doomed!”

Bolstering her spell to protect against dirt, Rarity stepped towards the blacksmith with disdain in her eyes over such slovenly behavior. “Do tell why you’re finding comfort drowning your sorrows, as it were. Before I consider returning that…lovely…gift you sent through the window.”

“Zombiesh runnin’ around,” the smashed stallion supplied, “No army. Castle gone. My daughter is in that cashle! I try to ask somepony to find her, but they won’t go in! They shay it’s too dangerous! She’s just a dainty pony, little legs and a happy shmile. Like her mother. Oh shweet Shelestia, she’s all alone in that cashle with them monstersh!”

The blacksmith then began to sob, tossing his drinking bowl into the furnace while his dirty hooves made black smudges over his face. “There there?” Rarity said to give some comfort, gingerly patting the dirty blacksmith’s back, “I’m sure your daughter is fine, just trapped in the castle. A little filly came down from the castle today, saying that the…occupiers have prisoner.” She didn’t mention that it was the Arl’s sister Applebloom that seemed to be the one in command. Who knows what frenzy that would have wrought?

Remembering Twilight’s plan to infiltrate the castle at night, Rarity searched for the words to get the blacksmith back to work. Perhaps she could also kill two birds with one stone. “Now listen dear,” she said, putting a bit more warmth in her voice over the situation, “My friends and I are going to do everything we can to help. Tonight when the zombies attack, we are going to sneak into the castle. But for the plan to work, the defense of the town needs to be paramount, and for that the militia needs excellent gear. We will find your daughter, I swear it.”

The blacksmith looked up at Rarity with a drunken yet stable eye. “Ya swear?” he said, before looking back at his forge. He sighed, the slowly got back to his hooves. “Awright. I’ll make things for the militia. Just do what you can to find my daughter.”

He stumbled a bit, still too sloshed to be working with such tools as a blacksmith would, and was likely a bigger danger to himself than anypony else. “Perhaps you could use some help?” Rarity offered. The smith gave her a confused look.

“Yer a dainty pony too,” he mumbled as he looked Rarity over, “Smithin’ is hard work. You’ll get dirty.”

It was going to get her filthy, Rarity realized, but then again she felt dirty just reading from Flemeth’s tome of inane ramblings. No matter what, since the start of this journey, the unicorn of such impeccable tastes was going to be stained. Whether by dirt, blood, or knowledge, it was likely going to be a good long time until Rarity could ever feel clean again.

I will get dirty to help my friends, she thought, levitating a hammer and a pair of tongs with her magic, they believe in me in ways Flemeth never did. I’ll show the old crone that I do have friends, a family of my own, that care.

“Let’s do this,” Rarity said, determination in her eyes matching the fires of the forge.

***

The Great and Powerful Trixie was digging about her various spellbooks, looking for whatever impressive incantations she could use in the upcoming battle against the undead that would leave the ponies of Red Apple in awe at her magical aptitude.

For her first feat, Trixie was going to improve her magical shield. After seeing it shattered so easily by the minotaur, Trixie had never felt so many emotions from one simple act of her magic failing. It was as infuriating as it was humbling, but above all frightening. She had barely held herself together during the demonic invasion of the Unicorn Tower, relying on Sparkle and her group for help when she could no longer stand up to the demons. Facing the ponyspawn for the first time unnerved her, especially when the great horned monstrosity attacked the blue unicorn first and foremost, dispatching her barrier with ease.

These were the monsters Sparkle and her roughshod friend and every other Grey Warden fought for the rest of their lives and now Trixie had joined them in the same long journey to assemble an army to stop the ponyspawn. What was I thinking? Trixie asked to herself as she concentrated on her barrier spell, what am I trying to prove by leaving the relative safety of the Tower to go out in this barbarous world?

Trixie closed her eyes, concentrating on her protective channeling long enough for a blue dome of shimming energy to erupt from her staff and surrounding the area she was standing in. Then she began to focus on the actual ley-work of the shield, seeing every strand of magic at work as they coexisted and reinforced each other.

That I am her equal… that I am not a coward… that I deserve my power… So many thoughts flooded Trixie’s mind that it was breaking her concentration on her spellwork. The barrier shimmered a moment, requiring further power to strengthen it. Don’t get distracted, Trixie, she chided, just focus on the spell at hoof, make it glow like diamonds, but stronger than steel. Show everypony in this little apple farm community just how Great and Powerful you really-

“Enchantment!”

Trixie leaped at the loud squeak of a filly behind her, caught completely off guard during her spell. As she spun around to see who dared interrupt such impressive arcane ability, her expression of shock was replaced by flat disbelief. Once again, that little grey unicorn was standing in front Trixie with a smile on her face, joined by another reminder of Sparkle’s greater magical power, Spike.

“Hey there, Trixie,” Spike said, holding his burning blade in one clawed hand as he stood with Dinky, “What are you up to?”

“She’s trying to find the flaws in her shield,” Dinky explained before Trixie could get a word in edgewise, “I can see the strands in the spell just like she can, and how she’s trying to move them about to make the magic stronger. It’s why I’m such a good enchanter!”

“That is certainly impressive, but right now the Great and Powerful Trixie needs to focus to make her barrier the most impressive display of defensive magic this side of Equestria!” Trixie was honestly impressed by the knowledge and skill Dinky had with enchantment at such a young age, but was just as easily angered by it. Just like Sparkle, another filly was simply born with immense raw magical talent, while she who called herself Great and Powerful had to work for just a fraction of it all.

Trixie slumped to the ground, feeling defeated before the first zombie started to groan. How could she compete when every unicorn she knew was just that much more powerful, and that reminders of her own weakness were travelling with them made it all seem hopeless. She was a Senior Enchanter of the Tower only because there were so few of them left, not because of her ability.

Suddenly she could feel the shift in the magical lines around her, where her shield had been. Trixie looked to see Dinky’s horn glowing, trying to rearrange the remnants of the spell. Spike had taken a few steps back, leaving both unicorns together.

“I’m going to see how Twilight’s doing,” Spike said as he made his way towards the center of town, “Dinky will stay and help you. See you later Trixie!”

Looking down at those eager eyes, Trixie raised a single eyebrow towards the grey filly. “I’m trying to fix my spells for the upcoming battle,” she said, turning back to her floating staff, “I don’t know how much help you can bring.”

“I was gonna ask, if you don’t mind…” Dinky scraped the ground nervously, trying to find the words to speak to the magical mare before her. “Miss Twilight is really good at magic, but she’s a Grey Warden which means she is busy and stuff.”

“I’m helping the Warden, which makes me no less busy than she is.”

Dinky looked down at the ground in contemplation, before turning her head back up again. “I wanna be your apprentice!” This unexpected request left Trixie completely taken aback. She had taught the young unicorns in the Tower for a very short time, but many just slept or ignored all her perfectly sage lessons. Could she be a proper mentor to another unicorn who was eager to learn the proper use of magic, or was she going to be like how Hubred was to her, cold and caring only for results? Not just any unicorn, but an apostate. Was she even ready to take on an apprentice?

The fact that she was considering it rather than outright saying no made Trixie more confused than anything. Yet as she looked on at those bright amber eyes, a part of her wanted to say “yes” and take on Dinky as her pupil. But for whose benefit? She had to make a decision if not for her, at least for filly before her.

“Very well!” Trixie said with a flourish of her cape, “The Great and Powerful Trixie has considered your request, and has deemed you…worthy of her expert tutelage! From this day forth, you shall be known the Small yet Eager Dinky, first apprentice to the Great and Powerful Trixie! You shall learn everything your little heart desires about all things arcane!”

Dinky jumped up and down, cheering for herself and celebrating her new given title. Trixie smiled with actual warmth at the sight, rather pleased with the events that had transpired to now. Her eyes turned stern, focusing now on the first lesson to be had.

“Lesson one!” She shouted stomping her hoof, “No more sneaking up on the Great and Powerful Trixie. Lesson two! Let’s find out how to make a magical barrier greater than steel.”

***

Pinkie backed away slowly from the bomb she had set on the dirt path that lead up to Red Apple Castle. It had taken some work to make the special casings out of her usual grenade material, but thanks to some leftover metal and the extra stores of lyrium in Ditzy’s cargo hold, Pinkie was able to construct a couple dozen landmines.

Her hair was flat as she worked on trapping the path for the upcoming battle against the zombies. The pony of parties hated making mines, even though she knew they would likely save lives if the battle went according to Twilight’s plan. They just seemed so destructive and random; what if a little colt or filly stepped on one? The results would be too much for Pinkie to bear, already imagining a filly like Dinky or that Scootaloo stumbling across one of her traps meant for the monsters.

With every mine she laid on the ground, Pinkie marked the location on a map of the path. When the battle was over, she was going to do the right thing and remove all the mines. She wanted to use her alchemy to make ponies happy, not hurt them. The memories of what her explosives had done to ponies in the past were almost too much to bear.

Out of the corner of her eye, Pinkie could see a small speck in the sky, circling around the top of the castle parapets before diving down towards the earth pony alchemist. Rainbow Dash hovered above Pinkie as she worked on setting another mine, looking up once to see her pegasus assassin friend flapping her wings to stay in place.

“Hey there Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said as started floating in circles around Pinkie, “Whatcha up to here? And what’s wrong with your mane?”

“Mines,” Pinkie replied flatly, looking over her work with grim satisfaction before moving to another spot, “Like lyrium grenades, but set as traps. When a zombie steps on one, it will explode, hopefully getting the other zombies around it too.”

“How do they work?”

“Pretty good.  Don’t worry about my mane, I’m fine.”

The look on Dash’s eyes saw past Pinkie’s feeble lie. Setting her hooves on the ground, Dash followed close to Pinkie as she continued to work with her bombs. “Your mane gets that way whenever your upset or angry,” she pointed out, “You can tell me what’s going on.”

“I’m tired,” Pinkie said after laying the last lyrium mine ready, “I’m tired of fighting. Ever since I joined the guard, that’s all I’ve been doing. I’m not making anypony happy as long as I keep fighting, as long as I keep hurting others. And I will keep hurting ponies as long as my know-how of mixing things is needed.”

“These landmines are something incredibly dangerous and I made them. They are indiscriminate; all it takes is one hoof and KABLOOEY! Not just monsters or zombies, but innocent ponies too. I told Twilight after…after you attacked that it gets easier to fight ponies. It is, and I’m scared of that. I don’t want to be good at hurting others. I want to make them happy. So after the battle, I’m going to clean up the mines. Every last one of them.”

Dash looked over at the now very lethal path leading from the castle, to the assorted landmines dotting the way, then back to Pinkie. “I could help you out,” the cyan pegasus offered, “Cleaning up the mines. As a way of saying thanks.”

“Thanks?” Pinkie asked in puzzlement, “What did I do?”

“Remember back when we first met…er…clashed?” Rainbow answered, “Twilight wanted me to leave, but I wanted to join her to make up for it. You and Fluttershy stood up for me. I gotta do something to say thanks. Cleaning up these things, that’s not such a big deal.”

Since starting her work on laying the deadly traps, Pinkie could feel her spirits become lighter and her hair curling back to its usual poofy form. She smiled at Dash before the dynamic duo turned to return to the Chantry building. “Thanks so much Dashie!” the pink earth pony chimed, “I’m sure to get all the landmines cleaned up in…”

“Ten seconds flat, I know,” Rainbow Dash replied with a smirk, “You know I really need to come up with new material.”

They walked in silence together as they made their way through the town when Dash turned to Pinkie. “You still don’t remember where your family has gone off to, have you?”

Pinkie shook her head. “I took a bonkin’ on my noggin!” she said, “But after this adventure I’m sure I’ll remember and head on right over, whether I have to hoof it or sail.”

Rainbow was quiet for a while before she spoke up. “Maybe I could go with you, help you find your mother and sisters.”

If anything could stretch Pinkie’s smile wide, it was knowing that her friend wanted to go with her no matter where to help her find her family. She leapt onto Dash, holding the pegasus in a tight embrace. “Oh that would be super duper special amazing! I was going to be so lonely travelling by myself, but if you’re there Dashie, I know we’ll find my mom and my sisters! Oh thank you so much! But why?”

“I realized I have nothing here in Equestria,” Dash said, “And I don’t want to go back to Pura Raza. If I travel with you to find your family, I’ll be doing something good with the stuff I’ve learned. It would also be nice to travel with a friend.”

Dash returned the hug with affection, happiness in her eyes as to actually finding friendship in the least likely of ponies. She felt stronger and more confident with Pinkie and Twilight and all of the party than she ever did in Pura Raza under Reinhardt and his Wonderbolts.

“Come on Pinkie Pie,” Dash said at last, “We need to get back into the Chantry. The action is gonna start real soon and we have front row seats.”

***

Twilight and Applejack prepared for the coming battle in relative silence, not speaking a word to each other as they readied their gear. The sun was setting, and everypony inside the Chantry were huddling in fear of the next zombie attack. Twilight steeled her resolve as she saw the fear the eyes of the yearlings; no more ponies would be taken by lesser demons this night.

A moment of rest had done wonders for both Grey Wardens; Applejack no longer seemed distracted by her worries and Twilight felt better even after being under the drain of the templar’s anti-magic.

The rest of the parties had reported success in their individual tasks. Pinkie had her minefield ready to soften the numbers of the undead menace when they made their descent from the castle. Rainbow Dash mentioned that there was no movement from the outside of the castle, although she could have sworn that she saw something moving within. There was also no sign of Shale thanks to the murky depths of Lake Blackwater. Trixie also said with pride that her spellwork would rival anything Twilight could pull out of the Fade, able to bring about shields and barriers strong enough to hold off a minotaur, perhaps even two. As boastful as the claim was, Twilight could tell that her white maned colleague was brimming with a brand new confidence that she couldn’t help but be happy for.

Fluttershy’s report was interesting to say the least. The out of breath pegasus sounded like she was galloping all day from her new admirers in the militia, who decided for themselves that such a cute Sister of the Chantry was surely a sign that Celestia favoured them this day. Despite her best efforts to correct them, Fluttershy soon found herself surrounded by eager admirers until she was able to escape to the sanctuary of the Chantry. The officers were able to assume order then, taking the militia into formation and reassembling ranks. Fluttershy was still hiding amidst a pile of rags, wary of any other leering eyes.

Nothing was heard from Rarity, causing Twilight to assume she was still trying to convince the blacksmith to open up and give the much-needed armour and weapons. They would have to find the white unicorn before the battle to make sure everypony was in proper position.

There was no word from Braeburn of the pegasus filly Scootaloo, but those who did catch a glimpse of the two noted that they took the front entrance of the castle, the only time the main gate opened during the day for the longest time. Yet another of Applejack’s relatives in danger of the corruption that seemed to have overtaking Red Apple Castle.

Twilight looked over to her fellow Warden after she clasped her cloak around her neck. “You ready Applejack?” she asked, levitating her staff to her side.

“Ready as ah’ll ever be, sugarcube,” Applejack responded, “Let’s git ‘er done.”

The two wardens led the way out of the Chantry, followed closely by Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Trixie and Pinkie Pie. To their sides the wounded, young, and infirm wished them luck against the undead.

“Thank you Warden!” “You’ll win Warden! We know it!” “Celestia and Luna bless you, Warden!” All the praise was making Twilight blush, but she hid her discomfort behind a stern face as the doors opened. All their hopes relied on victory both outside of the castle and within, and Twilight did not plan to fail anypony.

Outside of the small place of worship, the party was met with a surprising sight. The militia was surrounding a small cart loaded with weapons and armour, each shining and gleaming in the setting sun. Handing out the equipment was a large earth pony and a very dirty unicorn covered in soot and ash.

“Rarity?!”

They all gaped as the prissy pony before them looked like she took a roll in the dirtiest pits ever conceived. The fact that it was Rarity of all ponies who could now be considered the avatar of messy was something Twilight could not get over.

“Heh heh…hello dears,” Rarity said, leaping down from the cart towards her friends, “I offered to help the blacksmith finish all his work, so the soldiers should be outfitted properly. Now… be honest. I’m absolutely filthy, aren’t I?”

Everypony, Twilight included, seemed to be at a loss for words, struggling to find the right thing to say as to not hurt Rarity’s feelings. The truth of the matter was, she was filthy, covered in the grime that was the mix of sweat and soot. Applejack was the one to step forward and look the unicorn of the Wilds dead in the eye.

“Rarity,” began Applejack as she eyed the apostate, taking in every split end on the mane and every speck of dirt, “You look… like the hardest working pony ah ever met. It takes a lot to break away from yer prissy habits and get down to the nitty gritty, but you did it. Ah’m proud of you.”

Rarity beamed at the praise from the former templar. “Thank you Applejack,” she said before channeling a spell into her horn. With a bright flash of white, Rarity stood before the party as clean as a whistle, as if the messy pony they had seen mere seconds ago was just a figment of their collective imaginations.

“What? I wasn’t going to stay dirty if I can help it.” Rarity then levitated something else from the cart, a small suit of armour with a matching helm. It was too small and the wrong shape for a pony, but Twilight smiled knowing who it would no doubt protect.

“Spike darling,” Rarity called, ignoring the hearts the little baby dragon seemed to shine towards the unicorn sorceress, “I made this dashing little ensemble just for you. You’ll really look like a proper knight with this.”

Stabbing his burning blade into the ground, Spike outstretched his arms as Rarity maneuvered the armour to fit his body. Twilight was incredibly impressed that her friend was able to get the dimensions just right, even including spaces in the helmet for his spines to go through. Once the armour was fitted properly, Spike stood proudly with his enchanted sword, appearing every bit like heroes from the old stories, if they were dragons.

“I’m a dragon with a flaming sword and my own suit of armour!” Spike called out, looking at everyone with unsurpassed happiness in his eyes. Applejack rubbed her hoof on her chin in thought before her eyes lit up with an idea.

“There’s one thing missing, Spike,” she said, “Ya look like a knight, but ya need to be given the right title. As the daughter of a king, ah reckon I can do that for ya, if you’d like.”

“Would I!” Twilight had never felt so proud of Spike as she was now, bowing on one knee to Applejack as she took the fiery weapon in her mouth, piercing it against the ground so that she could speak. The rest of the ponies stood together in silence for the occasion.

“Well, er, how would this go,” Applejack muttered before clearing her throat, “Spike! Ah do declare that you have been found worthy and all to become a knight of Equestria. But first ya gotta take an oath first, ya hear? So, uh, do ya solemnly swear to stand with yer friends come hay or bad apples?”

“I swear!” Spike responded with great enthusiasm.

“Well that’s good ta hear. Wouldn’t right know what to do if ya said no.” The blonde earth pony coughed again before continuing, “Er…I can see yer a dragon with a good heart, loyal and true to his friends of years or of days. With that in mind, ah’m hereby callin’ ya Ser Spike, knight of Equestria.”

Taking the magical method by the hilt in her mouth, Applejack tapped Spike’s shoulders twice and then laid the weapon for the dragon knight to reclaim. As Spike picked up the sword, Applejack reared upwards, a smile of cheer on her face.

“Let’s hear it for Ser Spike of Equestria!”

The party erupted in thunderous applause, stomping their hooves for Spike who blushed at all the attention he was receiving. Twilight was so happy for her dragon charge, but the celebrations had to cease for now. Night would soon fall, and with night would come the attacking swarms of zombies.

They split into the two groups Twilight had mentioned before, with Pinkie leading the defense of Red Apple Acres. Twilight’s group made their way to the cider brewery like Applejack had referenced only to be overcome by the smell of fermenting apple juices.

“Let’s hurry and find the passageway,” Twilight said, splitting the group up to search the brewery. It was a compact building, lined with dozens of barrels and equipment used to make the favoured Equestrian export. They all searched the floor of the brewery, looking for any sign of disturbance that belied a hidden tunnel to the castle.

Rainbow Dash stopped in front of a rather large barrel, squinting at the writing on the side. “Hey Applejack!” she called, pointing a hoof at the barrel, “Why is there a barrel of oranges here?”

“Them’s fightin’ words Rainbow,” Applejack said with a scowl, until she read the words on the barrel. “Landsakes, this barrel does say oranges. Wait a minute…Stand back Dash.”

Twilight turned to see Dash leapt out of the way as the earth pony Warden turned around, readying her hind legs for a powerful buck. As the hooves struck, the barrel splintered easily into pieces, revealing a trap door underneath.

“This is it,” Applejack said, either at the trapdoor or that they would soon infiltrate Red Apple Castle. With a nod, Twilight raised the door open with her magic, allowing Applejack to step through the passageway first. They descended one by one into the black corridor under the earth, knowing all too well of the dangers the darkness held in store for them on the other side.

---

Chapter 14: The Dead, The Demonic, and the Desire

Fluttershy looked over the upturned cart she and Rarity were sharing as makeshift cover, watching as Pinkie Pie painted a red line only a short distance from where half of their party and the town’s militia stood ready for battle. The yellow pegasus shook in fear, her imagination racing as to what the undead would look like. She had heard stories of course, but even as a bard she was not inclined to repeat them, preferring to tell the nice tales of morality and lessons of life. They were the boring stories perhaps, but they were her favourites due to their peaceful natures.

With her thick red line of paint now clearly seen against the ground, Pinkie bounded away from the dirt path behind the cart, joining the bard and the mage.

“Okie dokie,” Pinkie said as she pointed a hoof at the red mark, “The zombies are gonna rush right into my minefield and it’s gonna go BOOM! POW! CRASH! But if any nasties get past that red line, that means we have to get our hooves dirty.”

Rarity grimaced, her face denoting that she was not particularly partial to the idea of having her hooves muddied up once again. Trixie joined the trio, taking a deep breath as she sat on her haunches behind their cover. She said nothing as she levitated a bottle of lyrium potion to her lips, drinking the diluted essence of magic in an effort to recharge herself. Fluttershy noted that they all looked tired as well as nervous, ears perked high waiting for the first landmine to explode.

“Um… Rarity, Trixie,” Fluttershy spoke up, looking at both unicorns, “Where do zombies come from? Twilight mentioned something about demons… ”

“Allow the Great and Powerful Trixie to educate your ignorant little pegasus mind,” said the boastful unicorn, “As the inferior little purple pony said, demons often take the husks of the dead to use as vessels to cross over from the Fade into our world. Lesser demons such as Rage and Hunger are the most likely, due to them being easier for a unicorn to fight off than Sloth or Pride. So they go into corpses, because there is no will to defeat them.”

“When they inhabit the body of a corpse, their primal urges take over; zombies of Rage are furious over having possessed a corpse long dead, while zombies of Hunger seek out anything and everything to devour. The destruction they cause helps feed the breach in the Veil of whence they came, allowing their brethren to come into our world freely. Think of zombies as the first wave of an invasion when a Veil breach has just begun..”

The idea that this could be just as horrible as the Tower was frightening, Fluttershy thought as she looked to the militia. The soldiers that had shown great enthusiasm when she went to raise their spirits with the Chant now had directed their attention towards the lonely path leading to Red Apple Castle, waiting just as the party was for the oncoming zombie assault. Doubt was still painted firmly on their faces as they looked up to the dark castle overhead.

Shaking like a branch in a typhoon, Fluttershy lifted a small amulet blazoned with both the sun and the moon from under her robes. Looking up at the sky, she squeaked in fear as clouds covered Luna’s moon, masking the area in pitch darkness.

“Torches!” somepony called out, further surprising Fluttershy as she clung to Rarity. Shapes in the dark darted from behind the cover made from debris as to set up torchlight to help see in the dark. One by one, torches were lit on poles and erected behind the red line, while Rarity sparked magical light from her staff.

All that could be heard from the night was the sound of heavy breathing and the crackling of fire, as well as Fluttershy’s rapid heartbeats. She shut her eyes tight, cradling her amulet and muttering a reading from the Chant of the Sun and Moon, hoping beyond hope that anything would calm her nerves.

“And so Luna said onto those that followed her into the Imperium, those that had followed her against their mighty walls and their draconic idols, ‘Fear not those who stand against you, for you know that Celestia lights your path as she did mine, and that you reflect the light of the sun as the moon does.’”

Everypony was staring at the Chantry sister as she prayed, but for once Fluttershy didn’t seem to care about all the attention she was getting. She was afraid of this battle, just as she was afraid of the battle against the ponyspawn, against the demons in the Tower, and against the assassins hunting down Twilight and Applejack. She was afraid of swords and spears, afraid of the spells unicorns used to kill, and even afraid of her own bow and how she used it.

Twilight said I was brave, she recalled as she peeked over the edge of the cart, I have to be brave now. I have to fight for my friends, and for the Equestria I call home. I hate fighting, but I have to.

Fluttershy looked to her friends, to find some measure of comfort in their faces. Trixie looked as proud as ever, only to be betrayed as her quivering hooves spoke volumes of the fear within. Pinkie Pie had her eyes focused on the path and on the work she put into trapping it with explosives, but her mane was low and straight and even her colour seemed to have darkened to match her mood. Only Rarity seemed unfazed by it all, no doubt her apparent life with Flemeth in the Potpourri Wilds having an effect to harden the unicorn to shrug off such dangers. That, or Rarity was a very good actor.

The sound of gears grinding on chains in the distance snapped everypony’s attention towards the castle. The sudden crash of a drawbridge smashing against the ground caused Fluttershy to hold her breath. The creak of heavy doors swinging open brought forth the exhale; there was no point in keeping one’s breath held anymore. The time for battle had drawn near. The trembling against the cold dirt caused by galloping hooves signaled the defense to prepare in short notice.

“Defensive positions!” shouted an officer as the militia took their proper formations. Both Rarity and Trixie’s horns began to glow in sync with their staves, powerful spells ready to be let loose. Pinkie had assembled many grenades, while Fluttershy was preparing a bow to fire.

Don’t think, act. The voice of the pony who had taught Fluttershy to fight reverberated in her head. She pulled the bowstring back, taking careful aim at the darkness for whatever monstrosity would emerge from the blanket of night. Let them come to you. When you see the whites of their eyes, let fly. Don’t stop to think about the arrow, or who you’re shooting at. It’s them or you. It’s always them or you.

“That’s not true,” Fluttershy whispered, still holding the arrow taught against the string. She still believed in simple things that helped other ponies such as mercy, forgiveness, and kindness, and that everypony should be shown a little light in dark times such as war. “You were cruel. You tried to teach me to be cruel to survive, but I won’t let go of what I hold dear. Artistic Finish couldn’t make me to be unkind, you won’t either.”

An explosion snapped Fluttershy back to reality as one of Pinkie’s landmines burst into a blue fireball, illuminating the night in blue light. The shrieks of monsters unknown echoed, only to be silenced by more detonations. As more and more of the landmines were triggered, Fluttershy could feel her heart skip a beat with every explosive blast.

Looking about, the militia was not prepared for the peculiar percussion of the pink pony before them, many of them having their eyes wide in amazement as blue fire rose from the ground, illuminating the sky. When the last mine went off, Fluttershy expected a new wave of silence and relief to pass over the group as Pinkie’s bombs made short work of the advancing undead. That would not be the case, as the militia rushed about with the officers shouting new orders as the thunder of incoming hooves resounded like a wave.

From the darkness the first of the zombie ponies surged forward. The yellow pegasus gasped at the sight of the creatures; rotting carcasses of villager and soldier alike moved with hunger or rage, mouths wide open and screeching not unlike the ponyspawn screamers. Their eyes bothered Fluttershy the most; they darted this way and that, looking all around them for easy prey to kill and consume. Several among the zombies did not even have flesh on their bones, but were reanimated pony skeletons shuffling their bones about and snapping their strong jaws.

With a shout, the militia fired a volley of arrows into the undead mob, striking flesh and bone alike in an effort to slow down the enemy advance. Rarity launched a bolt of lightning from her staff, while Pinkie was careful on tossing what few grenades she had, taking the battlefield in consideration before lobbing a grenade with a short fuse over the heads of the zombies.

Fluttershy kept an eye on Trixie as she hid under cover, readying another arrow after firing the first, watching the blue unicorn begin one of her chanted spells. Trixie’s eyes were closed, muttering the words of incantation as both her horn and staff began to glow a soft blue light. “A-all right you monsters,” Trixie said, eyes opened and focused on the zombies even with the slight waver in her voice, “Show Trixie what you’ve got!”

Magic flowed from top of her staff like a blue shimmering river, cascading from the instrument of the arcane towards the zombies. The rush of spellwork then shot upward and expanded, surprising everypony with the brilliant display before them as the magic formed what appeared to be a great wall that divided the defenders of Red Apple with the possessed corpses. Zombie and skeleton alike bashed their bodies against the barrier, causing the light to ripple like a stone in the water.

While Trixie’s protective wall was up, Fluttershy was still cautious. The unicorn enchantress was exerting a lot of energy into the spell, and the beads of sweat dripping down her face spoke volumes of the exertion of such power. What Fluttershy did not expect was for Trixie to begin to step forward, causing her arcane wall to push the undead backwards. The white-maned unicorn winced at every strike the undead inflicted, but still stood tall as she drove her spell forward to move the enemy back.

“Foals,” boom a voice that sounded like it was coming from beneath the ponies, “The Veil is torn here! We are free to exist and devour! You will all make fine meals indeed.”

The ground pulsed as large swaths of dirty rags rose up seemingly from the dirt itself. The rags raised themselves higher to look like an image of a pony, but the body under the ratty cloth was wispy like smoke. The creature wore a hood, yet instead of a face was a single glowing yellow orb.

“Hunger demons!” Rarity turned towards Fluttershy, staff moving to intercept the shade before it stomped a shadowy hoof on the Chantry sister. The dainty unicorn’s tackle pushed both out of the path of the leering demon, only to become face to orb with another. All around them more demons of Hunger and Rage burst from the ground, roaring and moving to attack the defending militia behind Trixie’s shield.

“We have to protect Trixie,” Fluttershy said to Rarity as the latter fired another lightning bolt into the face of a rage demon, “If her barrier goes down, we’ll have to fight two sides.”

“I’ll hold them,” Rarity replied, her staff floating down by her side, “I know a few of Flemeth’s glyphs, they’ll help. Do be careful!”

Fluttershy nodded her acknowledgement before flying off to block the way to Trixie. The white unicorn called her staff to strike the ground as her horn blazed with power and another spell. From the bottom of the staff sprang lines of magic, forming a shape of an intricate hourglass. The glyph Rarity had summoned grew large, with several demons caught inside the glowing lines. With a cry, Rarity slammed the staff down in the centre of the glyph with her magic, the lines glowing brighter around it. From what Fluttershy could tell, the glyph did nothing obvious; the demons were still whole and still moving forward. It was the speed they were moving that had changed, each demon crawling along the ground slowly rather than moving with deadly purpose.

She slowed them down, Fluttershy thought in amazement, as if time itself was drifting to a stop. The Chantry had always taught to fear unicorns and their magic, but Fluttershy was always astonished by magic and what it could do, even though the presence of zombies and demons did give some of the Chantry’s words proper credence.

With the demons slowed by magic, Pinkie and the rest of the militia began to make swift work of their enemies, while still the undead behind Trixie’s wall continued to pound away fruitlessly at the shield. The battle was far from over, as more demons sprang from the ground like daisies to join their brethren. They hissed from otherworldly mouths as they slid along the ground towards the defenders.

One of the shades lumbered towards Fluttershy and Trixie, the glowing orb for a face looming over the two as it reared upwards, shadowy hooves preparing to strike. With a quick snap from her bow, the former bard fired an arrow into one of the Hunger demon’s rear legs, watching the creature fall forward with a growl.

Before Fluttershy could ready another arrow, a stiff strike from a powerful tackle knocked her to the ground. Another shade now stood tall over her, batting away her bow with a hoof as it looked over her prone form with eerie blue light. She struggled against the demon helplessly, as the Fade creature held her down, the sound of smacking lips reverberating from an unseen mouth.

“I can taste your fear, pony,” the demon said, moving its orb closer to Fluttershy’s face, “It is delectable. I will savour every moment, as my brothers are sure to do with every mortal here.”

Fluttershy squealed as the demon began to strangle her, its powerful hoof pressed against her neck. She tried to push back, but the physical might of the demon was too much for the small pegasus. Her wings also proved useless, instead becoming a liability as flapping made her tired and the demon restricted her movement by slamming a hoof onto her feathered limbs.

Her vision was becoming hazy as the demon crushed her throat and Fluttershy choked and gasped, desperate for air. As she struggled, she could feel the ground shake under her. Dread spread across her features as images of more demons from the ground flooded her mind’s eye. Celestia wouldn’t abandon us, Fluttershy told herself, she wouldn’t. Not now. Not when we need it most.

The shade turned its head to the left quickly, only to be pushed off with great force. Fluttershy rolled onto her stomach from the impact, only to look up and see the golem Shale battle ready before her. While the blue light from the Hunger demon’s face was haunting, the blue glow from Shale’s eyes and rune were comforting, even if Shale was a little enthusiastic about fighting.

“This is my big damn hero moment,” Shale said as it looked at Fluttershy and offered its side as a brace so she could stand on her hooves, “And I plan to make the most of it.”

Shale charged again, trampling Hunger demons under its hooves as they doubled back to regain their position. Pinkie gave a cheer for Shale, rallying the rest of the militia with her to follow her lead, attacking demon after demon with bomb and mace. Rarity followed suit, blasting demons with lightning while following close behind their main force.

The pony of stone was too far ahead though, with demons of Rage now closing in on the biggest threat on the field and the newest source of agitation. As effective as Shale was against ponyspawn and shades, the Rage demons had the advantage against it, quickly surrounding the golem. Their flames danced around Shale, licking the rocky hide with flames as they struck with burning hands. Shale fought back and crushed a Rage demon under its hooves, but molten bodies of the creatures made Shale cry out in pain.

“We have to help Shale!” Fluttershy looked to her friends, who were finishing off the last of the demons. With the rest of the party still fighting and Trixie buckling under the constant attacks by the zombies, the Chantry sister was the only one who could help. Her bow would be useless, as the arrows would simply burn to ash against their lava hides. She had to do something to distract them.

The yellow pegasus watched in horror as the mighty golem fell to its side, being overwhelmed by the Rage demons and their fiery assault. Without a moment to spare, Fluttershy galloped towards the down stone pony, gasping for air as the knowledge that she was charging towards hellfire creatures made her heart skip.

Twilight offered Shale a place in our group, Fluttershy thought as she stopped near the demons, Pinkie considers Shale a friend. That means Shale is a friend, and I have to help somehow. “Hey…” Fluttershy tried to shout, but was too quiet to be heard over the roar of the flames. An idea formed, one that was risky and really only effective on foals and animals, but it also helped during her escape from Filais. It was the best she could come up with, and Shale needed help right then and there.

“How dare you,” Fluttershy spoke as she braced her hooves against the ground, letting all her negative emotions boil to the surface, “HOW DARE YOU!”

Shouting was not something a meek pegasus pony like Fluttershy was used to, but when she decided to shout, she made sure attention was directed to her and her alone. Thus was the case with the Rage demons, which actually ceased their attack on Shale and turned to see who was interrupting their violence. Contempt oozed from their molten eyes as they watched the Chantry sister berate them.

“Who do you think you are, ganging up on a pony? You come here into our plane of existence just to hurt ponies like Shale, well that ends here. Don’t you have homes in the Fade that need you? All you’re doing here is making a mess and making everypony unhappy.”

The demons surged forward, ashen ground left in their wake as they headed towards Fluttershy, fury and hatred echoing in their voices. Standing firm despite the fear quaking within, Fluttershy kept her gaze on the Rage demons, listening closely behind her as the familiar click of a grenade sounded, followed by a grunt from a throw.

“Now why don’t you go back to the Fade where you belong, and do something nice for a change?” Those last words were followed by a single grenade landing at the base of the demons before they could get to Fluttershy. The bomb burst, blasting the baleful behemoths into splotches of lava, leaving nothing but a smoking hole in the ground. When there was no sign of any more demons, Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief and promptly fell over.

Fluttershy looked up to see Trixie’s wall of magic shimmer weakly as the unicorn fed every ounce of power she had into the shield. On the other side was a veritable horde of walking dead, slamming their hooves against the protective sheen and gnashing their teeth. With a grunt the yellow pegasus returned to a standing position, watching as Trixie once again took steps forward, pushing her barrier against the zombie army.

The defenders of Red Apple were exhausted from fighting the demons, though now they looked past the unicorn’s barrier to the waiting maws of the undead. “We have to do something,” Rarity said, standing next to Fluttershy as they stood next to Trixie. The Senior Enchanter opened her eyes, breaking her chant.

“I… I think I know what to do,” Trixie motioned for everypony to stand well behind her. “It’s going to get very hot very fast. The Great and Powerful Trixie will now make all these zombies…disappear.”

Everypony listened to Trixie, standing well behind the unicorn mage. Curiosity and concern went hoof and hoof to Fluttershy as she watched Trixie’s horn glow bright red with a new spell.

“If Sparkle can channel new spells, so can Trixie,” the blue magician muttered as she continued to push her wall against the zombies. Her eyes then began to glow just as red as her horn, until fire flowed from her horn like a stream towards the center of her arcane shield. The moment the flame licked the shield, the entire array of magical power was ignited, a great wall of fire loomed over the undead forces. Several of the zombies who were attacking the wall passed through, only to be set alight by the shield they had spent so long in by passing. Their howls and wails resonated as they burned to their final deaths. Whatever zombies remained backed away from the fire, only to find that just as before the wall advanced towards them, engulfing corpses both mobile and stationary in flames.

The smell of burnt pony flesh was nauseating, Fluttershy wanting nothing more than to wretch her stomach’s worth, but the end results were undeniable. As Trixie collapsed from fatigue over her spell, the great wall of flame dissipating into smoke leaving only scorched earth and ponies in its wake as the last of the zombies fled back into the darkness leading to the castle.

“Are you all right?” Fluttershy asked, helping Trixie to her shaking legs. The mare magician looked around her in a daze, then focused her eyes especially the charred remains of her foes. Trixie’s right eye began to twitch as the widest grin she ever had spread across her face just like the fire from her horn.

“Did you all see that?!” Whatever fatigue held Trixie seemingly evaporated as she pointed a hoof at the wreckage she wrought. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is on fire! Figuratively of course, but those zombies got the literal end! Let’s see Twilight Sparkle try to pull something like that off!”

“It was very…flashy,” Fluttershy said in the best praise she could think of. It certainly wasn’t “nice”, but it did what was needed to be done. Looking around the battlefield, the Chantry sister gave thanks to Celestia that their battle only saw a few ponies wounded, but they all made it out of such a harrowing experience alive. The militia joined Trixie in her jubilations, cheering and hollering to the night sky, ignoring the burnt corrupted corpses before them. They were allowed to have a moment of celebration after how many nights of fear and uncertainty.

The pony Fluttershy was expecting to be in complete party frenzy was instead sitting over the downed form of Shale, hair flat as worry was painted clearly on her face. The golem was motionless on the ground, save for the head which was turning this way and that.

“That really, really HURT,” complained Shale, “Why didn’t anyone tell me creatures such as those could actually pose a challenge for my pristine stone hide? Well not so pristine anymore; those ghastly cretins marred my beautiful rocks.”

“Is there anything we can get for you, Shale darling?” Rarity offered, looking over the burnt marks all along Shale’s rocks. The golem rolled over onto its hooves, but each movement appeared slow and deliberate, as if it was still in great pain.

“Lyrium would be appreciated,” Shale answered, “The raw stuff is best, not that diluted nonsense unicorns drink in potions. I can use it to repair the damage. Though I could use some magical aid to speed up the process, and it would make me grateful to the ponies. Please.”

Fluttershy smiled at Shale as she and the others helped apply lyrium from the leftovers of Pinkie’s grenades over the golem’s wounds. With the aid of Rarity’s magic, the essence of magic closed the cracks and fissures along Shale’s hide, as well as clearing the scorch marks left by the Rage demons. Fully healed, or repaired as Shale insisted on the act being called, the golem rose up to its full imposing height, shaking off the dirt and ash like a dog shaking off the rain.

Once they had collected themselves and the militia had settled down from their victory, everypony looked up at Red Apple Castle as it stood overlooking the land below. “The others are going to need our help,” Fluttershy said, waving a hoof at the dreary castle above them, “We need to hurry.”

Nodding in agreement, the defending half of their party began a slow ascent up the hillside with Pinkie pointing out all the places where she laid her landmines, in fear that not all of them detonated. When they did find an explosive that was still whole, the pink earth pony insisted on stopping for a moment to safely disarm and remove the landmine so that nopony would get hurt.

Fluttershy looked up at the cliff-side fortress and trembled. Somewhere inside was the source of the zombies and demons, and it was likely to be as monstrous as that Maleficar Hubred they fought in the Unicorn Tower. The pegasus prayed that her friends were safe and having better fortune inside the castle than her group did outside.

***

Applejack led the way in the dark passage from the brewery to the castle, with Twilight following behind with a light from her staff brightening the underground hallway. Spike was behind her, flaming sword in hand while Rainbow Dash took the rear. The smell of the earth all around them permeated the secret passage.

“What I don’t get is why couldn’t this be any bigger?” Rainbow tried to stretch her wings, but the tips scraped along the earthen walls.

“Ain’t no earth pony thinkin’ they needed to make a pegasus comfortable underground,” Applejack retorted, “And you better get comfortable under the dirt. When we have to get on down to Orzamule to bring the treaties to the donkeys, everything is underground.”

That was something Twilight was interested in. The books she could find on the donkeys and their underground kingdoms were few and far between, and even those tomes that did have entries were sparse at best. “Have you been to Orzamule before, Applejack?” she asked, her typical curiosity now getting the best of her.

“Been there once with Duncan a long time ago,” answered the former templar, “The donkeys like the Grey Wardens, since it’s us that fight the ponyspawn as often as they do, being so close to the Dark Tunnels and all. Sturdy folk, but they’re very different from ponies. All rocky colours, like brown and such. Some of them jacks, that’s stallions to us, have long whiskers they tie into braids. Don’t have cutie marks, but they seem to have some kind of system to workin’ out a donkey’s special talents. Hard working to boot, but they are very big on tradition. They built an entire city under a mountain. Boy howdy, if that ain’t impressive ah dunno what is.”

Hearing Applejack’s description of Orzamule made Twilight want to go there herself. Building a city under a mountain would mean that the donkeys were impressive architects and miners to pull of such a feat as that. “What did you and Duncan do in Orzamule?”

Applejack looked over her shoulder to Twilight, a sad look on her eyes, and then resumed her gaze towards the other end of the tunnel. “He brought me an’ the other recruits to Orzamule to show us the Dark Tunnels,” she answered, “We’ve seen a lot of frightenin’ things in our journey, but the Dark Tunnels take the whole apple pie. You know how we hear the heartbeat of the ponyspawn to tell how close those varmints are? Down there, that’s all you hear. Thousands on thousands of ponyspawn in one place, doing only Celestia knows what down there. We didn’t go very far, but we fought a few ponyspawn here and there. Duncan said this is where we go when our time is up.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “What do you mean ‘when our time is up’?”

“Oh, ‘spose Duncan didn’t get a chance to tell ya.” Applejack took a deep breath before continuing. “You know the Warden’s have a lot of secrets which would scare away recruits, like the Joining. Well, here’s another one: the moment we take in the Taint, we get around thirty years, tops. And that’s if we’re lucky.”

Twilight stopped dead in her tracks and from the sound of Rainbow Dash bumping into Spike, the dragon knight did the same. “Twilight only gets thirty years to live?” Spike balked, looking up at his friend with concern in his eyes.

“Wardens may have mastered the Taint, Spike, but it’s still festerin’ in us,” Applejack explained, “After thirty years, Warden just becomes a monster like the rest o’ them ‘spawn. So, when they know their time is up, they come down to the Dark Tunnels and kill as many of ‘em as they can. One last hurrah before they bite it. Warden’s always figured it was the best way to go.”

Thirty years. Twilight had those two words roll through her head as she closed her eyes, trying to shake away the chill that was running through her spine. She only had thirty years to live, if she survived near constant battles against the ponyspawn. She only had thirty years until she became a slavering beast just like the ponyspawn, and was expected to commit suicide by throwing herself to their waiting claws and tusks.

Everything simple in life is gone now, Twilight thought, her eyes simply staring ahead without focus, Duncan made me a Grey Warden, which means life is short. Hubred attacked the Tower with demons and Maleficar. Could I have survived that? I don’t know what to think anymore. I don’t know what to do anymore.

There was a tug on her robes which snapped Twilight back into the present. She looked down to see Spike staring at her with sad eyes welling up in tears. “I’m sorry Twilight,” he spoke softly, his voice catching his own words, “I’m so sorry. I’m the one who pushed you into joining the Wardens, to leave the Tower. It’s all might fault.”

Twilight looked at her dragon charge, smiling weakly as she cradled his large head against her with a hoof. He did not break down or cry, likely something to do with his new found title, but instead they stood wordlessly for a moment. Ever since hatching Spike from his egg with magic so many years ago, the two had been inseparable. Now there seemed to be a deadline for the pair, something the two knew was going to happen due to Spike being a dragon and Twilight a pony. It was now much more obvious and sinister than ever conceived.

“Don’t worry Spike,” Twilight whispered, as much for her own benefit as for the baby dragon, “It’s not your fault. If it weren’t for Duncan, the Grey Wardens, you, we wouldn’t have been able to stop Hubred and the Maleficar. We wouldn’t be on this quest to stop the Blight. If anything we should be glad everything was set in motion as it did. Don’t be sad Spike. Thirty years is still a long time.”

“I guess so…” Spike did not sound totally convinced, but the tears were wiped away and he appeared ready to continue with his weapon of choice in his grip.

“Come on,” Twilight continued, “We still have a long way to go, and not a lot of time. We’ll cross all our bridges when we get there but for now, let’s worry about crossing this tunnel.”

As they resumed their slow walk through the tunnel, the ground around them shook as the muffled sound of explosions could be heard through the earth. Bits of dirt fell onto the infiltrating party, who gazed upwards.

“Pinkie.” They all said in unison, recognizing the distinct sound of their earth pony friend’s signature explosives detonating above their heads. The sounds of the traps being sprung signaled that the zombie army was beginning their attack and that they were very close to the castle.

The party moved with purpose as they traversed through the underground passage, until Twilight’s magical light revealed a door in the darkness. When they reached a door, Twilight took a step back, allowing her friends to take forward positions as she readied a spell through her staff. While the majority of the undead were fighting in the town, there was still no telling as to how many were left to defend the castle and whoever was commanding the dark magic within.

Once inside, Twilight noticed that they were inside a cellar, filled with barrels each containing cider of different varieties. While they were inside, the smell of rotten flesh overpowered all other senses, making the ponies and dragon companion reel back at the stench.

“Smelly demons, stinking ponyspawn, now this,” complained Dash as she held a hoof against her nose, “Why can’t monsters take the form of killer buckets of turnips? Lethal bags of flour, anything that smells better than this.”

“Quite yer bellyaching,” Applejack snipped back, “We still have to find Macintosh and Applebloom. If we’re in the celler, that means we have to get past the dungeon, the barracks, and then header on into the Arl’s stateroom. Then we can search the castle better from a center location.”

It was the best plan they had with Applejack’s knowledge of Red Apple Castle. They formed a single file line again with Applejack in front, leaving the cellar and moving through the castle halls. The castle was dark and musky, the stench of death permeating through the air and blood staining the floor and the walls of castle. A massacre had occurred here that had seen to the deaths of countless ponies, servant and soldier alike.

They approached the door Applejack had said would lead to the dungeon of Red Apple Castle, with the former templar opening the entrance slowly, craning her neck through the door to peek at whatever would be waiting for them. Twilight was able to poke her head through, seeing several closed cells with bared doors and a single guardspony turned to face the door on the other side of the dungeon. Applejack shook her head to the others, raising a hoof to her mouth in a shhh motion, and then pointed at the guard again.

“Hng…nnng…itchy…itchy…” The guard was wobbling on his knees, muttering and grunting to himself as he stood in front of the doorway. With one hoof, the guard scratched against his coat, the sound of skin peeling away echoing in the darkened dungeon depths. The guard looked at piece of his own flesh before popping it into his mouth, munching away at his own skin.

“Itchy. Tasty.”

The sight of a pony eating its own flesh made Twilight’s stomach feel like doing back flips and somersaults. Unfortunately, Spike was more audible as he gagged loudly, causing the zombified guard to turn its head around in an unnatural angle. Applejack and Rainbow Dash craned their necks for their weapons when the zombie began to shriek. The door behind the carcass guard burst open, with more zombie ponies rushing into the small hallway, jaws opened wide and ready to bite on living meat.

Blades rang out as they were pulled out of their scabbards as Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Spike moved to meet the undead foe. The quarters were too tight and closed in for many of Twilight’s spells to work, as they would prove a danger to her friends more than they would the enemy. All she could do was watch as her friends fought the disgusting monstrosities who attacked violently and with hunger for flesh.

As Twilight waited for an opportunity to lend a hoof to the battle, the flow of magic around her began to ripple as energy from the Veil breach poured out. She spun around, just in time to see a writhing mass of rags with a glowing orb for a face appear into existence, gazing with hunger through its single energy eye.

“More flesh and magic to consume, my brothers,” the Hunger demon called out, it’s voice like an echo throughout the dungeon, “Quickly, before the master senses their presence and forces her hoof against us! We must feed now or wait for leftovers...”

While the zombies were being felled by strength of arms, the demons now surrounding the group would prove a much greater threat. While shaped as ponies, the demonic shades could move their twisted gaseous-like bodies in a way no pony could ever achieve. They slid across the floor of the dungeon, hissing loudly as they engaged in battle against the fighters of the group. Three Hunger demons surged towards Twilight as they shouted their ravenous cries for the unicorn’s magic.

Eyes furrowed, the lavender mage focused her magic into the cone of arcane arctic wind, blasting the demons with ice until their very rags were covered in icicles. The shades continued to press forward, no different than Rage demons in their voracious appetites for flesh, but were unable to avoid Twilight’s continued barrage of magic.

What Twilight did not expect was how drained she was after the use of such spells. She fell to her knees after the last of the Hunger demons that attacked her had shattered into icy shards, panting heavily as the last bolt of magic struck the creature’s physical form. Even in being banished to the Fade, Hunger continued to feed on the spells she had used, leaving her in a weakened state, every muscle in her body aching as the rush of battle was fading.

“Twilight!” Spike rushed to her side, brandishing his enchanted blade as the shade he was fighting followed, leering at them both with its glowing eye. The young knight swung his sword at the demon, only to find that the creature was weaving around the strikes with twisted ease.

“What do I do Twilight?” Spike asked while continuing to protect Twilight from the demon.

Twilight looked up, focusing not on the physical world but of the lines of magic that flowed throughout, trying to find an obvious weakness in the Hunger demons. All of the Fade monsters’ energy, their very essence fed into the single orb of an eye in the center of their heads. It must be the only focus keeping the entire demon’s body together outside of the Fade.

“The eye,” Twilight said loudly as she stood up, loud enough not only for Spike but for Applejack’s and Dash’s benefit as well. “The eye, Spike! Go for the eye!”

Spike said nothing in acknowledgement, only gripping his sword with both claws as the dragon continued to stare down the demon before him. Twilight winced as the demon raised a shadowy hoof to strike, worry over Spike’s safety already channeling a protective spell from her horn.

Spike took a deep breath and blew a stream of green flame from his mouth into the face of the Hunger demons. The creature of the Fade recoiled blind, pressing its hooves to its orb, blinded by the fire. When the demon looked up and its vision clear of flames, it shrieked in pain as Spike jammed his sword into the orb, the magical ball of essence bursting in blue light. The rags that were once a Hunger demon fell to the floor, with Spike smiling in triumph.

The two martial ponies followed Spike’s example in their own ways. Applejack turned quickly on her hooves, slamming her hind legs into the face of her abyssal opponent. As the demon reeled from the bucking blow, the Grey Warden earth pony drove her blade home. Rainbow Dash made use of her agility despite the tight quarters, easily dodging the Hunger demon’s attacks until she was right on top of the creature. Long dagger ready, she impaled the demon’s focus sidelong; the effects were still the same as the rags lost all power and sunk onto the floor.

Twilight gave a sigh of relief as she raised a lyrium potion from her saddlebag, looking over the dungeon to make sure it was cleared of enemies, both undead and demonic. The battle in the hall had attracted the attention of the denizens of the cells, earth pony and pegasus alike looking out from the bars holding them in the cold castle. Several appeared to be simple castle staff, dirty and covered in dry blood.  One of the prisoners, an earth pony just barely a mare, called out to the party in desperation.

“You… you’re not zombies, or those other monsters!” She looked like she was ready to burst into tears at the sight of the living, “Please, you must help us! My father, the blacksmith must be worried sick! We’ve been trapped here for so long!”

“Hold on,” Twilight said, turning towards the zombie dungeon guard. With her magic focused on the guard’s belongings, the lavender unicorn was able to lift a set of keys from his bag, moving the keys towards the cell doors and unlocking them all one by one as Applejack and the others helped the ponies inside out of their cells.

“Thank you so much for saving us,” the young mare said, bowing her head low, “First Arl Macintosh is sick, then Lady Applebloom becomes insane and has that…thing with her. Every night more of those monsters would come for us, one by one. They were never seen again.”

“Ah still don’t believe it,” Applejack said quietly, “Not little Applebloom. She was so sweet last time ah saw her. How could this have happened?”

“Those unicorns had a hoof in it… no offense,” the mare offered, bowing her head once again to Twilight, “She threw the little one in the dungeon with us, but the older unicorn she… twisted. Like something out of nightmare.”

That sounds too much like an abomination, Twilight thought before heading over to the cell where the small unicorn would be. “Rainbow Dash,” she said, looking over her shoulder, “Can you help these ponies find the tunnel while I investigate this unicorn?”

Rainbow nodded, calling for the prisoner ponies to follow her back to the cider cellar. As she left, Twilight moved the set of keys towards the barred door, unlocking it and swinging it open gently. In the corner of the cell was a little white filly unicorn, shrouded in a ratty old cloak but still shivering in the dark. She looked up at Twilight with bloodshot eyes and tear stains on her face; one of her eyes was black and bruised from a terrible blow, almost swollen shut.

A frog seemed to have leapt into Twilight’s throat as she looked over the filly before her. Never had she seen a child so battered as this one; not even the templars in the Tower had resorted to such violence. What she could see in the white filly’s eyes was stark terror. Twilight knelt down towards the young one, trying to smile and bring some ease into the situation.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Twilight said, wishing Fluttershy was here to help the poor child. Perhaps some of Fluttershy’s mannerisms rubbed off on Twilight to help create an air of calm and safety to  help the unicorn filly become a little more comfortable around a much bigger mare and her well armed allies. “The monsters are gone now. I’m Twilight Sparkle… a friend. What’s your name?”

The filly looked up, still shaking before burying her face into her cloak. Twilight looked to Spike, who simply shrugged, not knowing what to do. Applejack was staring intently at the fledgling unicorn, likely trying to figure out what this child had to do with Applebloom’s madness.

“Don’t worry,” Twilight said softly, trying to coax some sort of response, “You’re safe. We won’t let anything hurt you. Could you tell me your name?”

The filly turned towards Twilight, fresh tears flowing from her eyes. “Sweetie Belle,” she said in a quiet voice, coarse and dry. Twilight smiled and then turned to Applejack.

“Can you get her some water please?” she asked. Applejack nodded, leaving the cell and returning a moment later with a bowl with some water in it. Sweetie Belle looked on at the bowl before standing up. She hobbled towards the bowl, one of her forelegs obviously broken. Applejack’s expression softened at the sight of such a maimed filly.

“Ah’ll get’er some apples from the cellar,” the blonde Warden said, “She looks like she could use some food. Also bring Dash back.” Twilight nodded, focusing her attention on Sweetie Belle were drank the water as if it were ages since seeing the liquid. For all she knew, it had been.

“Sweetie Belle,” Twilight began, snapping the filly’s attention towards her, “We came to the castle to see if we can find and help Applebloom and Arl Macintosh, as well as many ponies as we could find. Could you tell us what really happened, please?”

Sweetie Belle turned in an attempt to hide her face, but quickly looked up at Twilight with eyes of desperation. “You can help her, can’t you?” She was definitely pleading now, the tears still flowing freely, “You’re a nice unicorn, you can help her! Please, it’s my entire fault, my fault, all my fault…”

Twilight stared at the wall as Sweetie Belle wept in her forelegs, unsure what exactly she should do. She had few encounters with children, often too busy studying or practicing magic in Tower with just her and Spike while the foals were ushered in their own classes. She often directed them to the Senior Enchanters whenever they had a question on magic, not wanting her studies interrupted or deviated. Now she had to calm a hysteric filly down if she was ever going to discover what the exact troubles that befell Red Apple Castle were.

“We’ll do whatever we can to help,” Twilight promised, stroking Sweetie Belle’s mane in an effort to calm both their nerves, “We need to know what happened. The other prisoners blamed you and the other unicorn though.”

“They should!” The white mageling shouted, “If it weren’t for me, Applebloom would never have turned mean. If it weren’t for me, we’d never have been able to use that unicorn’s book and caused all this.”

“One day, a unicorn came into the castle saying he was the replacement for the old court wizard. Some of the ponies said he was recommended by Arl Maim. Macintosh let him in, but then he got real sick. The unicorn then told the knights that the only way to cure him was an old legend, so they went out right away. Applebloom didn’t want to wait, so she, Scootaloo and I crept into the unicorn’s room and used his book of spells.”

Sweetie Belle took a deep breath before continuing. “We found some spells, but they were scary. I tried to warn against it, but Applebloom wanted to do anything to help Macintosh. So I helped cast one of the spells in the book to give Applebloom a horn just like mine. We thought two unicorn horns would help the spells work faster, work stronger. But when Applebloom got her horn, her eyes started to glow too, and her voice became just as mean as she was. She started making monsters starting with Maim’s wizard, and then attacked the town! I tried to stop her but…but…”

She broke down yet again, and while Twilight was absentmindedly trying to soothe the crying filly, her thoughts turned to the direst situation the news could bring. A false horn, Twilight summarized as her mind raced to find a solution, that which allows any pony to cast powerful magic, and be a victim to the dark side of the Fade.

What was she going to tell Applejack, that her little sister had become possessed by a powerful demon, and was responsible for all the death and destruction in Red Apple Acres? It would break Applejack’s spirit worse than the loss of Duncan and the Warden at Ostequus. Yet Twilight could not hide what they would encounter, nor could she hide the painful methods of removing a false horn.

When Applejack returned with some apples for Sweetie Belle with Rainbow Dash,

Twilight motioned for her fellow Warden to follow closely. Once they were in another cell well away from prying ears, she told Applejack what been done to Applebloom. As expected, Applejack paled, but did not lose control of herself or her templar abilities.

“Can we…” Applejack faltered, appearing to contemplate the stone floor of the dungeon before returning her gaze to Twilight, “Can we help Applebloom? Get rid of that false horn?”

“It is possible, but very dangerous,” Twilight said, “False horns are not easy to create, which makes the fact that a filly could conjure one all the more surprising. They are much more difficult to remove though, since they latch on to a pony’s mind and ‘Fade self’. It would take several unicorns days to unravel the magic involved and there is the risk that Applebloom could be permanently damaged. They could enter the Fade to remove the horn from there, but we both know how dangerous the Fade is.”

“There’s more. It also sounds like she is possessed by a demon, and a powerful one too, which will make the removal process even more difficult. While several unicorns remove the horn, another would have to enter the Fade and combat the demon directly. Otherwise we would have to…”

“Don’t say it,” Applejack barked, holding her fury in if only barely. She choked on

her words as the fatal possibility dawned on her. “Don’t say it. We’ll find a way to save Applebloom. Somehow. We just gotta, Twi.”

They both left the cell to find Rainbow Dash and Spike waiting for them. They stared for a moment, though their faces were downcast. They had heard Applejack shouting no doubt. Twilight’s horn began to glow as she shut the iron door to her cell tight. “We’ll find a way to save Applebloom,” Twilight said as much for Applejack’s benefit as well as Sweetie Belle, “But your injuries are too severe for you to escape. Once we secure the castle, we’ll send our friend Pinkie Pie to make a healing poultice.

Sweetie Belle nodded in defeat as she took her place back in the corner of the cell, ignoring the apples Applejack had brought her. Twilight knew all too well that Sweetie Belle had given up to her fate, that one of the prisoners freed would tell the village of Red Apple including the Chantry, and that they would summon the templars to take Sweetie Belle away, if not worse. To the eyes of the Chantry, she would be condemned as Maleficar and sentenced to die.

Rainbow Dash took point as they made their way out of the dungeon in silence. The halls appeared deserted, with nary a sound made, not even that of shuffling hooves save for the party’s own. They followed Applejack’s directions around the castle until they made their way to the guard barracks, which they discovered was empty.

“I don’t get it, though I guess we should be grateful,” Rainbow Dash said as they made their way past the beds, “Why would all of Red Apple’s knights leave for some legend? What about all the soldiers?”

“You heard what Braeburn said,” Applejack replied, “Most of the soldiers are fighting Maim and Loghoof’s soldiers, while the other knights are looking for the Mane of Stars. There are just too many fronts, not enough ponies for them all.”

Like us, Twilight thought as they made their way through the barracks and back into another hallway. They could see orange light under a large door that Applejack said lead into the main throne room, where Arl Macintosh would hear the cases of those who lived in the Red Apple arling.  As they drew closer to the door, the sound of mirth and joy could be heard past the solid oak, with the stomping of hooves in some kind of rhythm echoed through.

“Sounds like a party,” Dash said, only watching the scene as Applejack’s eyes narrowed. With a hoof she opened the door wide, gasping at the sight. What they all saw stole the words from their mouths into thin air.

Instead of the undead, a group of ten soldier earth ponies who were still very much alive surrounded the room, smiling and stomping their hooves in some sort of musical beat. In the center of the great hall was Braeburn, dancing on his hind legs and singing a kind of bawdy song involving the flanks and haunches of Chantry sisters that would turn Fluttershy three shades of red.

Sitting where the Arl would be during times of peace was a little filly with an olive coat and red hair with a matching red ribbon. Her eyes did not hide the presence of magical power, as they shone with eerie violet light. Just as Twilight feared, from Applebloom’s forehead was a large horn made completely out of energy, with several tendrils at the base disappearing into her skull. She was laughing and jumping along with the stomping hooves, flanked not only by the young pegasus Scootaloo, but also by a lumbering mass of veins and mutated limbs and pustules that made for an abomination.

“dON’t yOu See how MUCH fuN we aRE HAVING, ScooTAloo,” Applebloom said, or rather a disturbing mash of a young filly’s voice with that of a deep guttural speaker, “If onLy SWEeetiE BeLLe were HERE to jOiN uS!”

“Sweetie Belle is really hurt Applebloom,” Scootaloo said, “We really should help her after what... happened.”

“I’ll hElP heR wHeN I FeEL LikE it,” Applebloom snapped, causing the abomination to turn its “face” towards Scootaloo with malevolent intent, “wHeN I FeEL LikE it! yOu haVE sUcH prETTy wiNGs, ScooTAloo. yOu wouLDn’t WANT me to SNAP tHeM wOuLD yOu? NoPONY telLS me what TO DO!”

“Nooooo pony! YEEHAW,” Braeburn shouted, rearing up on his hind legs, “Ain’t nopony tellin’ her what to do, I tell ya what!”

“What the hay is Braeburn doing?” Applejack said in a low whisper as they watched the bizarre scene unfold before them. Twilight watched with eyes sensitive to magic, taking not how the lines of energy from Applebloom’s false horn were being focused towards the abomination, which in turn was using a powerful mind control spell on Braeburn and the living guards.

“They’re enthralled by demon magic,” said Twilight as she held Applejack back from charging in blind, “This makes things much more difficult. We can’t hurt Braeburn or the guards, they’re under magical influence.”

“Then what do we do?” Dash poked her head around the corner, “We have to stop them somehow, and those ponies are not going to just let us canter on in.”

“The abomination looks like it’s acting in place of a staff for the demon to channel its magic. If we take down the abomination, maybe that will break the mind control. Maybe.” Magic was always finicky when concerning demons and Dark Arts, with the Tower teaching unicorns that encountered such dangerous magic to always assume the worst. In a situation like this, Twilight wanted nothing to do with the worst case scenario.

Before they could construct a plan of action to stop the possessed Applebloom, Braeburn turned his head to where they were speaking, a large silly-looking grin forming on his face. “Well lookie here! We got ourselves some guests!”

The party straightened as they realized Braeburn was talking to them. The element of surprise now lost, the party walked slowly into the hall being watched by the grinning faces of the corrupted Braeburn and Applebloom, while the rest of the pony guards watched in their own daze. The abomination looked on at Twilight with hunger, smacking lips hidden beneath mounds of twisted flesh.

Twilight held her breath as she began to focus a spell around her horn, subtle enough to hopefully have the abomination and the demon ignore her workings while they focused on their own spell works. Thankfully, Applejack stepped forward to her possessed sister in an attempt to get through to her, though Twilight was silently thankful that this could be used as a proper distraction.

“Applebloom!” The blonde earth pony stepped closer, ignoring that several of the guards had drawn weapons, “It’s me! Yer big sister Applejack! Don’t you recognize me? By Celestia, what have they done to you?”

“I’M HAVING fUn, deAR sIsTEr,” the demon said, waving a hoof in an arc in front of her, “ALL oF ReD AppLE beLoNGs to ME. I HAVE aN ArMy, I HAVE sErVANts, I HAVE POWER. buT ALL oF MY fUn is beiNG RUINED! PoNIES beAT MY ArMy, MY sOlDIERs! dO yOu kNOW hoW difFiCUlt it is TO PULL thOsE DEMONS frOM the FADE? ALL MY haRD wOrK, WRECKED!”

“AND I STILL. DON’T. HAVE. MY CUTIE MARK!” Those last words bellowed throughout the room, causing Applebloom’s cursed eyes to arc with power. The abomination hissed while Braeburn’s eyes matched the fury marked on the corrupted filly. Scootaloo shook but remained where she was at Applebloom’s side.

The magic quaked around Twilight as she kept her attention on her arcane weaves. She just needed a little more time…

“This ain’t you Applebloom,” Applejack pleaded, “You’re a sweet little filly, who will grow up and have her cutie mark before you know it. But all these demons, this magic; I don’t understand Applebloom. So many ponies got hurt real bad out there. What happened?”

There was a shift in power as the glow in Applebloom’s eyes began to wane, instead showing two normal yet terrified amber eyes. “Big Macintosh was sick,” said Applebloom, “We tried to help him. We needed magic to do it. I told Sweetie Belle to give me this here unicorn horn so I could help as well.”

“NOW lOoK at ME,” The demon’s voice returned in full force, yet Applejack did not budge as the violent violet glow returned, “I AM ARLESSA of ReD AppLE! I HAVE POWER! IT ALL BELONGS TO ME! I cOuLD KILL MaCinTOSH wiTH oNe WORd. yOu SaW whaT I dID to SWEeetiE BeLLe, wHO tRiED to STOP ME. I WILL DO THE SAME TO YOU! I WILL DO THE SAME AND WORSE!”

“I don’t believe a cockamamie word! I don’t believe Applebloom would do anything to hurt another pony, least of all her friends and family! Whatever critter is holding out inside her, get the hay out right now, even if I have to dive right into the Fade and buck you out myself!”

The fire in Applejack’s eyes seemed to have been enough to give the demon pause; just enough for Twilight’s spells began to unfold. It was creative use of her favoured barrier conjuration, but as the shield formed around the party and expanded outward, pinning all the guards, Braeburn, the abomination, Applebloom, and unfortunately Scootaloo against the wall. They squirmed against arcane shell as Twilight called out to Applejack.

“I can’t hold this forever,” Twilight said, already feeling the strain of holding the shield while the abomination and the demon inside Applebloom began their work to unravel the shield in earnest, “We don’t have the Litany of Dawn, so you have to use your templar skills on the abomination to break the mind control! When the abomination is weakened, Rainbow Dash and Spike have to go for the kill!”

“What about Applebloom?” Already Applejack’s eyes began to shift from green to completely black as the anti-magic engulf her. The stress of maintaining the spell with so many forces working against her was causing tremendous pain in her horn, yet Twilight pressed on, knowing all too well wait failure would lead to.

“We have to draw the demon out and defeat it,” Twilight yelled, watching as the false horn was swirling with demonic energies, “I’m sorry Applejack, but it’s the only way to make Applebloom calm so we can save her.”

Applejack cursed, and then galloped to the abomination. Twilight brought the shield down, her staff coming close to her as the soldier thralls realized that they were no longer held back by magical force. They were slow to react as the templar Warden tackled the abomination in full force, the spell of mind control ceasing as anti-magic choked the arcane power, mud snuffing the flame.

The attack by Rainbow Dash and Spike was quick and brutal. As Applejack rolled away to confront her tainted sibling, the combination of assassin and dragon knight made bloody and burned work of the abomination. The creature that was Maim’s chosen unicorn howled in pain, before slumping to the floor a scorched and slashed mess.

With the abomination slain, the guards and Braeburn seemed to have snapped out of their stupor, looking around with dazed and confused expressions as to what was going on. There was no time for an explanation as the possessed Applebloom stomped her hooves in frustration, her voice further twisted into something completely different from that of a demon or a filly.

“I have what I want, and you all dare try to take it away?” The voice was soft, husky, yet venom dripped from every word, “I have given this filly the desires held by every pony, she has accepted me, and I will not let this one go. I want her as my host, mortals, and I will reduce everything around her to ash before you take her away from me.”

Applejack watched in horror as purple flame flowed from the false horn, wrapping itself around Applebloom like a wreathe, burning away the red ribbon as her body began to glow just as violet as her eyes. Her small frame then began to expand, growing larger until it was slightly larger than the ponies when the light shimmered away.

Standing before the party seemed to be a mare with pale mottled skin and a twisting snaking tail. Her legs were long and spindly ending in clawed hooves and instead of a mane, the creature had a large crest of bone and violet fire trailing down her back. Her eyes shone violet, just as they did before, but with wicked flames dancing in the iris. The false horn still pulsed with powerful magic on her forehead.

“A Desire demon…” Twilight gaped as the young filly was replaced by a monster of the Fade. The demon before them laughed as she took a step forward, claws clicking against the stone of the castle floor.

“Burn.” From the Desire demon’s mouth came a great stream of fire, igniting anything on fire as it streamed outward. One guard who was still confused was caught in the flames, screaming in pain and terror as he flailed, the metal of his armour melting into his own flesh. Twilight and the others dove to the sides of the room in an effort to avoid the fiery attack.

Applejack stood up and charged towards the demon, her special hat blowing off her head as they collided. The flames ceased as both demon and Warden wrestled on the floor of the room, the creature of Desire unable to concentrate on her otherworldly fires. The demon howled as they fought, biting and clawing at Applejack’s flesh as the earth pony tried to get the advantage on the ground. The two broke their clinch and stood upright, staring each other down.

“Git out of my little sister’s body right this instant, ya yellow belly coward!”

“Never,” the Desire demon said rearing up on her hind legs, “The child’s body is mine to command, to control!”

Applejack sighed before rearing up herself. “Then this is gonna hurt me a lot more than it’s gonna hurt you.” Faster than Twilight could tell, her fellow Warden spun around and extended her back legs with force, hooves connecting against the face of the Desire demon. The Fade monster flew, colliding against the wall with a loud thud.

As powerful as Desire demons were with magic, they were frail in comparison to other creatures of the Fade. Coulpled with possessing the body of a little filly, the body of the demon was weak and easily felled. The prone form of the twisted demon began to glow, transforming once again into the unconscious filly Applebloom.

While the rest of the ponies stood stunned as to what exactly had occurred in the Arl’s meeting hall, Applejack paid no heed, rushing to her sister’s side, cradling the small form in her forehooves. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, avoiding contact with still reverberating false horn, “Ah didn’t mean to hurt ya Applebloom. Everything is gonna be okay, ya hear? Everything is gonna be okay. We’ll fix ya, we’ll fix ya.”

Twilight looked around and began to help with damage control as ponies moved around in silence. The guards dragged away their burnt companion as well as the corpse of the former court wizard out into other rooms, while Dash kept herself busy trying to calm down Scootaloo. Spike moved to the great doors, opening them a crack before they swung wide, allowing not only the morning sun into the hall, but the rest of the party as well, galloping at full tilt to see if they had made it in time.

“We beat back the zombies Twilight,” Pinkie Pie said, “Those rotten nasties won’t give anypony any more trouble, no siree Bob! Which is funny, because I don’t know any Ser Bob now that I think about, but I bet somepony kept telling a Ser Bob ‘no’ and that’s why we have that saying…”

Shale stepped forward, one hoof loud enough to get Pinkie to stop for a moment. “What the pink pony is trying to say is that we have attained victory, and many villains were squished. The day or night as it were, is ours.”

“What about you Twilight,” said Fluttershy, “Did you stop the source of the zombies? Is everypony safe?”

Twilight looked back at Applejack holding Applebloom close, and then shook her head. “The day may be ours, but there is still a lot to do.”

There was always more to do.

---

Chapter 15: Uncertain Paths

Applejack let out a loud yawn as she walked through the halls away from Applebloom’s chambers, having spent the majority of the day there just watching over her kin who slept soundly in her bed, though the false horn had still not gone away. Adjusting her favourite hat, Applejack tried her best to appear calm and collected before all her friends, but kew it was simply not meant to be. The bags under her eyes were enough to tell the story that the earth pony did not rest.

Only because she wouldn’t sleep, not when there was still a threat to the lives of her loved ones. Even though Applebloom was asleep, it was only thanks to the combined spells of Trixie and Rarity, who used an incantation and a charm respectively to keep the little filly calm, as well as to hold the Desire demon within at bay.

A great mercy was that her friends and Braeburn were really doing their best to bring Red Apple Acres under control. The Bann of Appleoosa returned to the front where his soldiers were fighting the combined might of Loghoof and Maim, only to return shortly after discovering that many soldiers had switched sides during the conflict or even outright deserted, enough to cause the opposing force to retreat. Many of the soldiers held distaste with Maim’s actions, while many more were simply disgruntled that the two nobles had not paid them their stipend.

Fluttershy had joined the town’s Chantry in helping with the healing process, serving the wounded and helping the lost in finding their loved ones, while later on presiding over countless final rites. So many proud ponies gone, all slain by a plan cooked up by Arl Maim and executed by sending a troublesome rogue unicorn to Red Apple with Loghoof’s approval. Their plan had worked, in its own way; Red Apple suffered greatly from the plot by Maim. Applejack gritted her teeth in anger; both would answer for their crimes.

Macintosh was still sick, his forehead incredibly hot with fever, but otherwise silent and unmoving except for the continuous rise and fall of his chest. His eyes were closed and his face was as serene as ever. Whatever sickness gripped the Arl of Red Apple would not let go without a fight.

Applejack had brought in Rainbow Dash to investigate what could have brought on the illness, only to discover that the Arl’s favourite chewing grass was laced with something called “deathweed”, and apparently there was enough on the grass to take down a buffalo. Macintosh was no buffalo, yet the fact that he was alive and still fighting the sickness was more than enough to show that the Warden’s older brother was more than match for any weed, deadly or otherwise.

Still, he was going to need a miracle to ever wake up. As far as the healers were concerned the deathweed poisoning was incurable, thus many had already given up hope on Macintosh’s recovery. There were already whispers that Loghoof would use his power as regent to install a new Arl of Red Apple, one that was loyal to him once Macintosh died or was deemed unfit to defend his arling.

The burden of everything that had occurred in such a short time weighed heavily on the farm pony’s shoulders. Applejack and Twilight were, as far as they knew, the only two Grey Wardens in Equestria to stand against the Blight. They had no official government support, instead being branded as traitors by a traitor sitting on the throne. They were able to recruit the unicorns to the cause to fight the ponyspawn, but there was still uniting the donkeys of Orzamule and the Pegasi of the Eastern Dales to the grey banner.

Applejack was also the king’s daughter, which would lead into conflict with Blueblood’s wife Queen Armeria. Red Apple also needed a member of the Apple family watching over the recovery process after the undead attack.

“What tree did ah buck to get all these bad apples,” Applejack said in a quiet mutter as she traversed the halls of the castle. Up ahead in the hall she could see Rarity approach her, a look of concern on her face as the witch’s daughter cringed at the sight of the earth pony’s fatigued face.

“Applejack, dear, you look simply awful!” Rarity was never once to mince words, Applejack thought as she walked with Rarity, but how is that really supposed to help me feel better? “You simply must get some sleep. A bath too while you’re at it, and I’m sure we can mix something to help your complexion, the puffiness under your eyes is quite atrocious. Maybe at least a few strokes from a brush for your mane?”

“Ah don’t need any cleanin’ when we got bigger apples to bake, ah tell you what,” Applejack snapped, pointing a hoof at the Rarity on the right. Wait, when have there been two Rarities? “I just need to know that my brother and sister are gonna be okay, okay?”

While her words were filled with strength, her body was now openly rebelling, Applejack letting loose a long, loud yawn as a symbol of her fatigue. Rarity crossed her hooves, not saying a word as she nodded her head to a large mirror in the hallway.

“Oh hey, it’s that there big mirror Blueblood liked,” Applejack said as she turned to her reflection. The sight of her face made the former templar reel back. She knew she had bags under her eyes, but didn’t expect those bags to be black, wrinkly, and appearing to be filled to the rim with lumpy apples. Bloodshot eyes stared back at the reflection in front of her, with one eye seemingly trying to droop, only to perk back up and begin the cycle anew.

 With a heavy sigh, she turned to her unicorn friend, though they did not see eye to eye. “Maybe yer right, Rarity,” Applejack said in admission, returning her gaze to the mirror, “Ah guess ah do look like a tree racked with fungus. But Red Apple needs me, and so does the party and the Wardens and…”

“And you will help no pony if you don’t take care of yourself first.” Her words were fierce, brooking no argument, yet there was no harshness underlined, instead only a tone of great concern. “I know you want to be there for everypony, but in this ragged state, you’ll fall down flat on your face. Rest for a few hours at least; we’ll come by right away and get you if anything happens at all.”

Applejack conceded, following Rarity back to the guest chambers. Once they arrived, both ponies said farewells before going their separate ways, Rarity to help with maintaining Red Apple and Applejack finally getting some much needed rest.

As the door closed behind her, Applejack fell onto the bed, her hat falling off her head with little grace as it landed on its side. She rolled onto her back, looking up at the blank castle ceiling. With a heavy sigh, the earth pony closed her eyes in an attempt to let sleep overtake her.

Her nerves said otherwise. Applejack was not the kind of pony to simply sleep when work had to be done, but the prissy pony was right in that if she didn’t recover from her fatigue, she could bring more harm than benefit to the rebuilding effort.

Think about what yer friends are doing, Applejack thought as she closed her eyes, they’re doing their gosh darnest to help ya, and you need to be in top shape to help them. Inside the quiet bedchamber, she focused her thoughts on the journey and where it would take their party next, if only to distract herself from the present and allow sleep to rule for a few hours at least.

Twilight awoke with her head pounding once again, groaning as she made her way to the wash basin to give her face a quick dunk. The water was warm and refreshing at least, giving her a feeling of cleanliness after a long night of travelling in the dirt and fighting monsters. The stench of death still lingered in the halls of the castle, but there was a new air of calm around the castle now that the ponies who worked the building were striving to return it to a state more familiar.

She left the guest room that was offered and began to make her way down to the court hall where she was going to meet her friends to discuss where to move on from here. Our of the corner of her eye, Twilight saw Rarity turn away from another of the guest rooms, her eyes marred with concern.

“Oh, good morning dear,” Rarity said, “I was just making sure Applejack got some well-deserved rest. She’s been up all night watching over Applebloom and the Arl. I do hope we can find a way to help both of them. My ward and Trixie’s incantation will last a long time, but still…”

“We’ll find a way,” Twilight said with reassurance, “We’ll find the book of spells used by the unicorn Arl Maim sent over and see if we can’t find a reversal spell. Then we’ll head to the Chantry and ask for help from the sisters there to find the Mane of Stars.”

Rarity stopped in her tracks, appearing dumbfounded. “You actually want to go after an old legend?” Twilight nodded her head as she continued walking down the stairs, being careful to avoid the castle staff still busy with their duties.

“Flemeth was supposed to be a legend,” retorted Twilight, “But it turns out she’s real. In any event, I don’t think we have any other options. The Arl needs to be healed, the demon expelled from Applebloom, and what we have available just isn’t enough.”

“What about traditional means of exorcism?”

“The Desire demon is heavily attached to Applebloom through the false horn. If we remove it, we could risk brain damage, if we go into the Fade, we could risk being possessed ourselves or hurting Applebloom. If we had the help of the Tower, it would be easier but…”

“That would mean exposing little Sweetie Belle and likely Dinky as well, something I will not allow.” Twilight raised an eyebrow as Rarity stepped in front of her, “If the Tower comes here, they bring the templars. They’ll take away Dinky and likely do something horrible to Sweetie Belle, and I will not stand by and let the templars do what they want because of some Pride demon possessed ruffian painting the images of apostates everywhere.”

Twilight looked on as the unicorn with the violet mane kept walking. “If the Mane of Stars is what we need to find, then that is what we shall find,” Rarity said, “I will follow your lead Twilight, though I want you to consider that we should do our best to save everypony we can. None of this was their fault: not Arl Macintosh, Applebloom or Sweetie Belle’s. They are victims, and we should do what we can to make sure they are not victims a second time.”

Rarity turned away then, heading in the direction of the dungeons where Sweetie Belle still hid, leaving Twilight alone in the halls of Red Apple Castle. She let out a heavy sigh as she turned into the court hall, noting that Bann Braeburn was giving officers orders while Trixie was in a corner, apparently flustered. When the blue unicorn saw Twilight approach, her horn began to glow, levitating a large book upwards. At least, what was left of a large book. Twilight’s ears drooped, knowing all too well what this meant.

“We found this in the wizard’s chamber,” Trixie said, “There is nothing readable left of the book. The demon must have torched it after taking the filly as its host. Reversing the spell is going to be very difficult, even for someone as wonderfully gifted as me.”

Twilight said nothing as she began to pace the room, trying to gather her thoughts as to what their next move should be. Without the Arl, they could not stand up to Loghoof and Maim as long as few other nobles stood against them. They could ask Braeburn, but one Bann was not going to convince the majority of the Bannorn, and the Teryn had the support of the much better equipped Arlings. Applebloom needed to be healed, but all methods she could think of were too dangerous. They needed a miracle.

They were going to go after a legend. “Trixie,” Twilight said at last, “Wait here while I gather everypony and bring them back here within the hour. I’m also going to the Chantry to talk to the sisters there about the Mane of Stars, and yes I am planning to go after a myth.”

Before Trixie could say anything in protest, Twilight was already galloping out of the main hall’s doors and rushing towards the town. She passed by several guards who turned to see a sprinting unicorn dash past them as if there was another crisis. Her staff floated by her side matching speed perfectly as she bounded out of main gate and onto the hilly road.

Pinkie was on the road with Rainbow Dash in the sky in an effort to remove the landmines from the road. The pink pony had her nose buried in a map, pointing out one area with a hoof.

Rainbow swooped down the ground, gripping a large rock in both hooves and hovered to the point where Pinkie indicated. As Twilight neared the bomb-removal duo, Pinkie looked up at the incoming mage, then back to her map of mines, then back up with a look of fear.

“Twilight! STOP!” The jarring shout from the grenadier made Twilight skid across the ground to a halt. She looked down to see an ornate round shell on the ground, the trigger raised high and ready for a waiting hoof to detonate it. Twilight’s eyes bulged as she looked down at the lyrium-based explosive, stepping away slowly. One more step and she would been blasted to pieces.

“See? This is why I don’t like making landmines!” Pinkie stepped carefully on the path towards Twilight, pushing against her body until she was well enough away. Rainbow dash flew over to the mine, looking at Pinkie who nodded a signal. With a grunt, the cyan pegasus dropped the large rock onto the mine. Twilight shielded her eyes with a hoof as a blast of smoke and blue fire erupted from the bomb.

“I am so sorry!” Pinkie clung to Twilight, tears brimming in her eyes, “You almost got blown up by my work, and if anypony got hurt by anything I make I would feel so awful not only that but if it were you I would never forgive myself but we needed to trap the path to beat the zombies but you almost got hurt and…and…”

Twilight hushed the sobbing pony who stuck close to her side, trying to bring the situation under control. Dash had landed next to them, patting Pinkie’s shoulder with a hoof for some measure of comfort. “Don’t worry Pinkie, everything is fine,” she said in an effort to calm Pinkie down, “I’m sorry I made you make those landmines. I didn’t know how strongly you felt against them. I’ll never force you to make something you don’t want to make ever again against ponies.”

We do what we must. The words of Duncan and the purpose of the Grey Wardens told Twilight that her word to Pinkie would become broken if they needed to make use of the explosive traps again. Could Twilight keep such a promise that Pinkie need not make such dangerous weapons? All around her on the dirt path was the telltale sign of the effect the mines had on the incoming battle. She had heard of the attack on Red Apple and what role the defenders played, including how the mines had thinned out the marauding undead.

“We’ll adjust our tactics next time,” said Twilight, “We’ll try to find an alternate solution if we can. I’m just glad and very proud to have such a responsible pony out here removing the hazards to make sure nopony else gets hurt.”

“And you, Dash, thank you for helping Pinkie. I’m sorry I rushed right into such a dangerous zone without thinking and worried the both of you.”

“Don’t worry about, Twi,” Dash said, “We got everything here covered. That was actually the second last mine. Once we get the one I was gonna blow, we’ll be ready for whatever else we need to do. Isn’t that right, Pinkie?”

Pinkie’s tears dried quickly, grabbing both Dash and Twilight in a big hug. “As long as we are all together, we’ll keep winning and saving ponies and then we’ll never need to use bad bombs ever ever forever again and we’ll have a big party and ponies can be happy again!”

When the last landmine was safely disposed of, Twilight went about telling Dash and Pinkie her plan to find out everything she could about the Mane of Stars. Dash expressed doubt about going after something that may not exist, but Twilight had expected this. What she did not expect was Pinkie agreeing with the idea that the Mane of Stars existed, and was just waiting to be found.

“Somepony once told me ‘all myths are true, but few are accurate’,” Pinkie said as they walked together down the path towards the town, “If the story of the Mane of Stars has been around for so long, why shouldn’t it be real? Ooh! Maybe the Mane grants wishes! Oh, I could wish for the must supertastical party ever and everypony could be invited! Or maybe I could wish for all those mean ponyspawn become not-so-mean, and then have super - duper -fantastic - completely - off-the-hook party of all time!”

It was a refreshing thought filled with optimism that made Twilight smile with her friends, enjoying the typical line of thinking Pinkie brought forward even if it was a little too hopeful or completely bizarre. There was also some measure of wisdom to be gleaned from the earth pony’s words, and after seeing unbelievable things such as demons, ponyspawn, the Fade and Flemeth herself, perhaps the Mane of Stars was real as well.

They left once they made it to the town, with Pinkie and Dash returning to the castle while Twilight continued on her way to the Chantry. This was not a meeting Twilight was looking forward to; for the most part the Chantry sisters she met in the Tower were condescending if not outright cold towards her and the other unicorns. It likely didn’t help that they had the templar order to maintain whatever hold they wanted over the Tower. With the exception of Fluttershy, Twilight did not know how sisters outside of the Tower acted. Even after saving the town, there would still be distrust because the core of the attacks was caused by a unicorn. There was some hope that they would be at least somewhat similar to the kind pegasus Twilight had come to rely on.

She found some comfort in seeing the Chantry no longer as packed as it once was, with all the ponies who had hidden away inside having returned to the township proper. There were still many injured ponies inside, as well as those simply paralyzed by fear of the outside world. Many of the fillies and colts Twilight had seen when she first arrived were gone, but the few that did remain still held despair in their eyes. Loved ones were lost during the darkened nights, never to be heard from again.

If Twilight was going to help any pony young and old, she was going to need help finding the Mane of Stars. As she approached the assembled Chantry sisters, Fluttershy among them noticed Twilight and walked towards her, her soft smile bringing a new light to the entire Chantry.

“Oh, hello Twilight,” Fluttershy said, ignoring the disdainful looks of the other sisters, “I hope you had a good rest. What brings you to the Chantry? Has something happened to the Arl and little Applebloom?”

“There hasn’t been any changes, and what I’m about to suggest is going to sound…” Twilight stopped for a moment as Fluttershy watched with expectant eyes. Is this going to sound far-fetched to a pony like Fluttershy who claimed to have received a vision from Celestia herself and seen the firebird, the herald of Sun Goddess inside her dreams? If anypony was likely to support Twilight’s notion it was the pegasus Chantry sister.

Twilight explained her plan to find the Mane of Stars to Fluttershy, hoping that the yellow pegasus could use some connection with the Chantry to find out as much information as she could. Once Twilight finished, Fluttershy considered the plan for a moment before asking the unicorn to wait as she walked over to the other sisters. They spoke for a moment before splitting into several directions, each going into different rooms of the Chantry. As they went their separate ways, Twilight looked over the books in the shelves that sat in the main hall, if only out of curiosity as to what the Chantry taught compared to that of the Tower.

Among the several volumes of the Chant of the Sun and Moon were several history books as well as anthologies of stories and legends. Nothing that seemed to have any practical value even though it was likely that the Chantry controlled education throughout Equestria. Even compared to Equestria’s Tower and all the other Towers across the world, the Chantry would have the greatest gathering of scholars and researchers to educate the masses and learn more about the world. There had to be at least several scholars who found some headway in discovering the Mane of Stars.

Twilight levitated a book titled “History of the Imperial Age”.  It was a record of the old world during the height of Imperium rule and its fall to not only Luna, but the Second Blight. As Twilight flipped through the pages, several entries caught her attention. One was about rise of the First Blight and the how it decimated the northlands of the Imperium:

After the ascension of Luna to join her sister in the Seat of the Heavens, the Unicorn Imperium splintered into two distinct factions: one that had converted to the new Chantry of the Sun and the Moon, and another who still held on to the worship of the Old Gods, despite their draconian  masters having been banished by the power of Luna. The two factions continued to fight a bloody civil war, until the first breach in the land opened and spewed forth the dark tide that was the ponyspawn.

The Imperium was ravaged a second time by the ponyspawn since their rise, now a shattered empire that has never been able to recover its power since. The First Blight turned its attention to Filais and Yokefelach, tearing the land apart as they neared victory. In an act of desperation, the newly formed Chantry called for all the faithful nations of the land to unite in a holy gallop to fight against the ponyspawn. They also extended an olive branch towards the Walkers of the Grey, who for years had been looked on with suspicion.

The Walkers of the Grey were long known to being the most capable and skilled in battle against the ponyspawn, however little was known about them since the rise of the evil tide except that a small group of Walkers had better fortune against the monsters than the majority of Imperium forces. The Imperium had declared the Walkers heretical and even in league with ponyspawn they fought often against, and despite the fall of that empire, the feelings of mistrust lingered still. Many of their practices that were known, such as ritually marking their bodies with the blood of ponyspawn were deemed bizarre, and even Chantry scholars today wonder if the Grey Wardens continue these practices of their ancestors. There were many instances recorded that the Walkers took the blood of the ponyspawn to use in dark rites, but this is only rumor, even amongst the Grey Wardens of today. The Walkers were exiled to the Dark Tunnels, where they carried out their battles and rituals in secrecy until the First Blight spilled into the land above.

The gesture of peace was accepted, and special rights and protections were given to the newly formed Grey Warden order for as long as they fought with the Chantry against the ponyspawn. This includes their Right of Conscription, the promise that the order would not be used as bargaining chips in politics against other nations, as well as the formation of treaties with the various nations, including the pegasi of the Eastern Dales and the donkeys of Orzamule.

With the defeat of the First Blight and the complete collapse of Imperial rule over the world, this marked the end of the Imperial Age and the beginning of the Exalted Age, which saw the growth of the Chantry expand far beyond the borders of Equestria and Filais, its influence being felt as far as Pura Raza and the Free Plains…

The Grey Wardens had a large effect on history, but just like anything else, what the Wardens had enjoyed was easily forgotten if convenient. The situation now, as well as the supposed rebellion in Equestria caused by the wardens was more than enough testament to that. Still, Twilight was grateful that the treaties she held had been honoured by the Unicorn Tower, with hope still high that they will be honoured again by the donkeys, pegasi, as well the support of Arl Macintosh and his influence with the rest of Equestria’s nobility.

Yet as she skimmed through the text, there was no mention of where the followers of Luna had buried her remains including the Mane of Stars. She searched through several more books and found nothing on the subject. It was as if the entire legend was simply word of mouth, or simply disregarded as meagre fantasy.

As Twilight put the books back neatly on the shelves, Fluttershy approached with a small bag filled with several scrolls of parchment. The other sisters joined them, some bearing scrolls as well, while others came empty hoofed. Twilight thanked them and began opening the scrolls one by one, wincing at the apparent chicken-scratch that was the excuse for writing. While it was true that not every pony could write as neatly as a unicorn with magic, she had seen several ponies write just as well with proper mouth work and a quill.

What notes she could read belonged to a “Brother Bibilio,” and they detailed how he travelled all across Filais and Equestria to find the Temple of Luna, where the Mane of Stars was supposedly protected.. The sisters said that Biblio was a scholar from Filais who spent his life looking for Mane of Stars and had stopped by Red Apple months before heading to Trotterim to visit the main temple there and then apparently he travelled north to the Frosttop Mountains.

“They say Brother Biblio kept reciting this Twilight,” said Fluttershy as she pushed another sheet of parchment to Twilight. It appeared to be a hastily drawn note, with a short message that sounded more like a piece of poetry. Fluttershy leaned in close to read the note for herself as Twilight recited the note aloud:

“Strength of heart, strength of the mountain,

The underkings carved her tomb there.

Fierce her fury, fierce as the gale,

The sky lords summoned the storm there.

Long trek south, long to her first home,

The earth walkers brought her stars there.

Words of the Chant, words of power,

The Fade dreamers protect her there.

Here she lays, here she waits,

To follow her path and meet her there.”

Strength of the mountain, Twilight mused to herself as she lifted her map out of her saddle bag to look it over. Brother Biblio had travelled to the Frosttop mountains which made sense as they were the largest mountain range in the highlands. Records from the Tower spoke that they were very dangerous, not only due to the chilling temperatures but all manner of strange and ferocious creatures living there.

The templars and the various unicorns who came back with stories of the outside world had said anypony who ventured into deep the Frosttop mountains were never heard from again. If the followers of Luna were going to hide the Mane of Stars anywhere, there would be the best place to ensure the relic never fell into the wrong hooves.

The underkings must have meant the donkeys, but they were known for their reclusion. Luna must have done something to have the donkeys wish to construct her tomb in the side of a mountain. Or maybe it was even inside a mountain, like how Applejack described Orzamule.

Fierce as the gale would indicate the powerful blizzards that made climbing the mountain nearly impossible. A temple on top of a mountain with such storms protecting the summit would make accessing the tomb a difficult trial, if not a lethal one. The sky lords would have referenced the pegasi, the only civilization Twilight knew of that had control over the weather. Now that power had been lost to time and centuries of warfare seeing the pegasi numbers become ever thinner.

If they did decide to climb the Frosttop mountains, they would be up against the very forces of nature, something completely unpredictable and savage when in comparison to the ponyspawn and demons of the Fade. They would have to traverse through the range and hope to stumble upon the tomb. As far as plans go, this was shaping up to be the most foolhardy.

Long trek to her first home also pointed to the Frosttop Mountains only because it was recorded that Luna was born in Equestria, or was often quoted as longing to return home to Equestria during her campaign against the Imperium. If there was any good news, it was that they wouldn’t have to travel to Filais or another nation.

Words of power must indicate that unicorns placed spells on the tomb to protect the Mane of Stars. Twilight shook her head in frustration as she looked over the poem and the rest of Biblio’s notes. “Where did this poem come from?” Twilight turned to the sisters, trying to hide her dread of where they were likely going to find a legend.

“Biblio kept reciting the poem,” said one of the sisters, “When we asked which holy or poetic text it came from, he smiled and said he wrote it himself after all the clues he discovered. He appeared to live only for the Mane of Stars, everything about his life as he told it was about finding the relic.”

“And now we have to find him to find the Mane of Stars,” Twilight said, looking at Fluttershy. “How am I going to convince the others that this isn’t some wild goose chase? What if we get to the mountains and nothing is there? This isn’t like climbing a tower or getting to the heart of a castle.”

“Is that doubt in its voice? I thought it would have a plan the moment it figured where we need to go.” The condescending voice with an echo could only have come from Shale as the golem pony walked into the Chantry, its heavy hooves crushing the stone floor beneath it with powerful clops. The sisters quickly backed away with frightened eyes despite Fluttershy smiling at the golem as Shale moved to join the pair.

“It has confronted pony spawn, demons, and now zombies,” Shale said while looking down at Twilight from its tall stature, “Surely a mountain is no great threat. It will also have the Strong and Mighty Shale by its side, so that means victory is assured. Do you like that title? The loud one inspired me to come up with something for myself, though I believe it fits me than ‘Great and Powerful’ fits the it.”

Twilight covered her face with her hoof as her magic furled up all of Brother Biblio’s notes and the poem, tucking them away in her bag. What was Shale going on about already having a plan to climb a mountain? As far as the lavender unicorn was concerned, that was the entirety of their plan. It was the only hope they had to save the Arl and Applebloom. It was a shot they would have to take.

“Do you think we can find the Mane of Stars Shale?” Twilight asked the golem. Shale laughed, a hollow, reverberating noise that was more incredulous than anything

“I have no particular interest in such mundane relics squishy ponies put stock in,” Shale said, “After all, I have myself to believe in. As the only golem in Equestria, I like to believe I should be considered a grand relic to be seen with awe and fear. As far as climbing a mountain is concerned, I will be with it, and the others will be with it I am sure. Strength in numbers and all that and if there is one thing I know it is strength. Even if I do constitute the majority of it all.”

Shale was right. Twilight could count on the support of all her friends to challenge the mountain and find the Mane of Stars. Their journey was going to take them to depths of the earth and to the dark reaches of the Everfree Forest: what was a mountain compared to the other two? Danger was behind every tree and shadow that lurked their path, a mountain would be no different.

“All right,” Twilight said with a smile towards the golem and the yellow pegasus, “We’ll head back to the castle to meet with the others and then we’ll figure out the best way to navigate the Frosttop Mountains.”

They left the Chantry to find themselves out in the midday sun. They walked with Shale doing most of the talking, mostly gloating about past battles that the golem remembered, but when pressed about how the stone pony could remember such battles and not its history, Shale somehow shrugged it away as “remembering the good parts.”

As they made their way into the main court hall, the rest of the party were already standing around and chatting, waiting for Twilight to arrive. They stood around Twilight, with Applejack stepping forward towards the unicorn mage.

“We’re going to find the Mane of Stars.” Both Twilight and Applejack said this in unison, which only elicited a smile from the two Wardens. It warmed Twilight’s heart that she and Applejack were sharing the same thoughts about finding the myth. Confidence was rising knowing that the Grey Wardens were united in this endeavour.

“I’ve found out where a Chantry scholar named Brother Biblio went searching for the Mane of Stars,” Twilight explained, drawing her map from her saddle bag, “He went to the Frosttop Mountains, leaving a clue in the form of a poem.”

Twilight levitated the small parchment page and brought it to the eyes of the other ponies. They each read the poem, their faces appearing to mull over the words written by the educated monk. Spike was the last one to read the poem, who quickly returned it to Twilight with a puzzled look in his eyes.

“That mountain range is extremely dangerous Twi,” Applejack said, “We’re gonna need a lot of cold weather and mountaineerin’ supplies. Not tryin’ to be a negative nelly, but I don’t know how well all of us can climb those peaks. The unicorns of the group aren’t really physical specimens if ya catch my meanin’.”

“We’ll have to manage.” Twilight brought up her map to show how they were going to progress to the mountain range. They would take Ditzy’s boat north across Lake Blackwater past the Tower to the northern edge of the lake. Then they would hoof their way to the northern passage leading to Frosttop mountains. From there, it was a search for the right mountain top where the tomb was being held.

A shiver rain through Twilight’s spine as an image of a cold snowy wilderness ran through her head. Biting winds the likes she had only felt when they were under control. Nights that defined deep freeze. Wild animals that survived the harsh climates on ferocity and bloodlust for any pony foolish enough to wander through their domain. If they found the temple where the Mane of Stars, what sort of defences would they encounter? Would they be stopped the moment they stepped through the hallowed halls of an ancient tomb?

“Those mountains sound scary,” Fluttershy whispered. Pinkie Pie wrapped her foreleg around the former bard with her usual broad smile on her face.

“Just think about how much fun we could have!” The pink earth pony always seemed to find a positive spin on any situation. “We could have a mountain climbing party! We can sing hiking songs, and play outdoor games! Ooh, we can build snow ponies and have snowball fights and do all sorts of fun snowy things! Oh Twilight and Trixie have never seen this snow, this is going to be so great! And once we find the Mane of Stars, we can make wishes for parties and happiness and laughter and…”

“And once we find the Mane of Stars, we’ll use them to heal Applebloom and Arl Macintosh.” Twilight looked to see all her friends stand around her expecting something else. “You all believe we can find the Mane? That we can find a legend? What if we go to the Frosttop Mountains and find nothing?”

“Darling, we are going to have to cross that bridge once we get there,” Rarity said, “Legends have some measure of truth to them, and a single pony scholar from the Chantry had to be on to something if he set out on this journey alone. I think together we’ll have much better odds.”

Looks of confidence surrounded Twilight, each pony ready to leave on a moment’s notice. Twilight smiled at her friends, telling them to gather whatever supplies they felt were going to be necessary. They would need warm clothes, plenty of food and water as well as means to melt snow into drinking water while in the mountain range as well as climbing supplies such as hooks and ropes. It was quite the list, but all of it was going to be needed if they were going to survive the climb, much less actually make it to their goal.

They split into several directions throughout the castle and back to town to find the needed supplies for the trip, except for Shale and Twilight. Shale shrugged when Twilight gave it a confused look.

“I don’t need supplies,” Shale said plainly, “No need to eat or be close to heat. Perhaps I shall find some lyrium in the event the unspeakable occurs. I have enough cracks and crevices enough as is simply by age. Age! I am still a young golem after all. I have appearances to keep up.”

The rock pony walked out with quaking hoof steps, leaving Twilight alone in the large room. Her face broke into a smile, until she couldn’t help but giggle as she went about her own business to prepare for the long journey north.

“So this how it’s gonna be, Mac,” Applejack said to her comatose brother, trying not to see the pained expression on his face as his breathing was incredibly shallow and weak, “We’re goin’ to the northlands, to them Frosttop Mountains. We’re gonna find the Mane of Stars, and we’re gonna heal you and Applebloom real well, ya hear? You’ll be back on yer hooves real soon. We’ll find it, even if we have to go to BlackCanter and back. Everything’s gonna be all right, ya hear?”

Applejack leaned in and kissed her older brother on the forehead, something she had not done since she was a filly. It was what she should have done when she was taken by the Chantry to become a templar. This was not how their reunion was supposed to go, but it was enough for now. They were going to find the Mane of Stars, even if it killed Applejack. Which was likely to happen on such a damned fool errand.

Damned fool errand ah’m agreein’ to, she thought as she left the Arl’s bedchambers and headed towards the castle armoury to begin preparing her supplies. There was no point in fussing about it further; the look Applejack saw in Twilight’s eyes told her that the path was decided and without any argument to challenge her, they were going north.

There were only a few guards in the armoury, but they were quick to help out Applejack find all the gear she was going to need. One thing she never thought about was the quality of her armour, having not looked into getting her simple splint mail repaired since Ostequus. Many pieces were bent and damaged if not outright missing, and the armour would not last another fight against any enemy whether it was a calculating solider or a savage thelock.

The earth pony Warden decided to replace her armour for proper protection, not only against weapons and claws, but against the frozen cold of the northlands. There was plenty of winter gear unused during the middle of summer, including plate armour with a woollen quilt undershirt. She fitted the armour on with the help of the guards, until Applejack was decked in the best protection she had ever worn. The plate was heavier than what she was used to, but there was a certainty that she would get the hang of wearing thick metal sheets on her frame.

Applejack looked around the armoury, thinking about grabbing a few extra pieces of armour for her friends. She asked the quartermaster for some help in finding the right armour sets, being directed to suits of chain and reinforced leather used by lighter infantry and scouts. It might take some convincing on her part, by Applejack was sure she could get Fluttershy into some light chain mail under her Chantry robes. Ponyspawn were no fools, and often made a beeline for anypony with a bow. She was also able to find a heavier suit of chain with metal plating that Pinkie could wear, whereas a suit of scout armour of reinforced leather would give Rainbow Dash added protection but still keep her vaunted mobility.

There was nothing she could find that would not over encumber  the unicorns of the groups. Simple heavy wool cloaks were all she could think of as protection against the elements. They did have their magical barriers and sheilds to protect them, but this thought only brought a good chiding from within Applejack; she should be making sure that there was no need for them to use their spells to protect themselves.

Next Applejack looked over the weapons. She found a new sword for herself to replace the dull blade that she had used since Ostequus, one that not only held its sharp edge, but also bore the Red Apple symbol on the pommel. The sword bit felt right clenched in her teeth compared to the common blade she used for a long time. A good Red Apple blade for a good Red Apple pony.

The orange earth pony found an applewood bow for Fluttershy to replace the ash bow she had when they first met in Ponyring, as well as a quiver of arrows. Applejack then found a sturdy mace for Pinkie with a heavy but well-balanced steel head. The others didn’t need weapons from the armoury; the unicorns had their staves, Rainbow Dash had her mother’s dagger, and Shale was a cantering battering ram.

With aid, Applejack loaded a chest with all the gear she had picked out and pulled the container on a wagon out of the castle towards the dock. It felt good to do some simple work for a change rather than fighting monsters. Pulling a wagon filled with apples was something the young mare missed. Simple pleasures, simple burdens. Not the weight of an entire nation and its ponies on her shoulders.

It came to her surprise that Braeburn galloped up to her side as she was going down the hill path, matching her trot as she descended the beaten road filled with craters. “So you and all them mares are really gonna go head ‘em on up north,” he said, looking over at his cousin with a hopeful eye. Applejack simply nodded as she carefully traversed the damaged path.

“That’s right,” Applejack replied, moving through the town heading towards the docks, “We’re gonna find the Mane of Stars. Might take us a while, so I’m leavin’ Red Apple in yer hooves until we get back.” Braeburn was well known for keeping Appleoosa a prospering part of the Bannorn, and the ponies there respected their Bann, even if he had a history of eccentricity. He was just enthusiastic about seeing ponies prosper, which eased any concerns that Red Apple was being left unattended.

“I’ll take good care of Red Apple till ya git back, cousin.” Braeburn smiled. Together the two pushed the chest onto the ship with Ditzy’s help. With their cold weather gear safely stowed onto the ship, it was now time to work on navigation. Wasting time on Lake Blackwater simply would not do in Applejack’s point of view.

“All right Ditzy,” Applejack said as she kept the grey pegasus’s attention on her, “We are goin’ north to the Frosttop Mountains. North, got it Ditzy?”

“North!” she repeated, “We’re sailing north!”

“Not south, we’re already south, can’t go much further south than this in a boat. Not west either, we already went west. Did some good there, don’t need to go west though. East is right out, ya hear?”

Ditzy nodded slowly. “You just want me to go north. Not any other direction. Just north.”

“That’s right!” Applejack smiled at Ditzy, “Just pretend there are a lot of tasty muffins north. Them oatmeal flavoured ones ya like so much. Do you think ya can get us north if there are tasty muffins over yonder?”

“I know I can!” Ditzy flew up to the helm of the ship, the hunger for baked treats on her mismatched eyes clear and apparent. “All aboard! Next stop: the muffin north!”

Hopefully with Ditzy now under some measure of focus, they could make it across the lake with haste. With the lives of Macintosh and Applebloom in the balance, there was no time to waste getting lost on the lake. Applejack stayed on the boat helping Ditzy and Dinky prepare as the rest of the party milled onto the deck while Braeburn said his goodbyes before heading back to the castle. Once again, all the ponies were ready to go except Shale, who stood back on the dock.

“It seems we are at this impasse once again,” the golem said, looking up Twilight with an expectant look, “I’d rather not slog my way a lake again. Couldn’t it remove half of the useless junk in the hold? It is carrying the only golem in Equestria after all.”

Twilight had a glint in her eye as she stepped towards the golem that made Applejack smirk. “Don’t worry Shale,” she began, “I have just the right spell for you that will make your trip on the boat as comfortable as possible.”

Her horn began to glow, encasing the golem in a violet glow. Shale began to protest loudly as the magic lifted it much like any other object Twilight lifted with her horn’s power. It was a strain, Applejack could see, but it seemed to work. The golem was lifted in the air and hovered to the center of the ship.

“This is degrading!” Shale glared at Twilight, who simply smiled.

“This lets you travel with your friends,” she said, “Rarity and Trixie will switch off when I feel tired. Now we can get going.”

The anchor was raised and the sails were lowered. As the wind took the ship off the dock and onto the lake proper, Applejack stood on the bow and saw the beckoning mountains ahead. Legends surrounded the Frosttop mountains, but fear gripped her heart wondering if they would become nothing more than myths on the winds if they failed.

***

Spike stayed in the cargo hold, feigning sleep as Twilight lowered him into the same basket he used as a bed during their trip from the Tower to Red Apple. Even if he wanted to sleep, the baby dragon would not let dreams of gemstones and Rarity enter his head, not when he was faced with the truth he had caused.

I pushed her into the Wardens, Spike thought as he rolled around in the basket staring blankly, I’m the one who shortened her life. She says it’s not my fault, but she’s just saying that to make me feel better. To put on a strong face for the rest of the group.

They had come so far and the threat of the pony pawn loomed ever closer over their heads he could not think of going up to Twilight and asking her to quit, to leave the Warden business to Applejack or the Wardens from Filais or anypony else. She would refuse, saying they made it this far on the road, might as well continue on.

As the dragon tried to get some sleep, his mind raced for any solution he could find to make Twilight’s life a little easier, a little better. Try as he might, Spike could only roll around in his bed, every idea dashed because he was too small or did not have the ability to accomplish them. There had to be a way he could do something. There just had to be.

---

Chapter 16 - The Challenge of the Mountain

“I SEE YOU.”

Twilight galloped through the battlefield as fast as her hooves could carry her. Bodies of the dead and dying lay strewn across the landscape as the darkened sky boomed with thunder. Hard rain fell from the storm clouds above, making the field of strife muddy and brutal to traverse on.

The smell of smoke and ash filled her lungs as she tried to locate Applejack. Trotterim burned behind her, under siege by the horde of ponyspawn as countless minotaurs tossed burning boulders into the city. Ponies screamed, trying to flee only to be swooped upon by swarms of screamers and donlocks. Their tormented wails echoed as they joined in the twisted harmony of chaos and death.

The Grey Wardens had raised an army. They were fighting the ponyspawn. They were losing.

“GIVE IN TO HOPELESSNESS. YOU CANNOT WIN.”

The ponyspawn chasing her were getting closer, their sharp tusks and fangs eager to rend flesh from bone. Twilight could not stop galloping to fight them off, Applejack needed her. Her staff was broken and her breathing was ragged as she continued to make her way to where Applejack and the others were fighting. An explosion knocked her off her hooves and sent her sailing into the air.

Two ornlocks approached from the west, their horns blazing with power. Twilight gave out a cry as the thelocks pounced, biting and clawing at her coat as she struggled to escape. She tried to fire off a spell, only to watch the bolt of energy fly off harmlessly.

“BEHOLD THAT WHICH YOU FACE. BEHOLD THE DREAD THAT BLANKETS THIS WORLD IN FIRE AND BLOOD AND DESPAIR.”

Suddenly the ponyspawn ceased their savage attacks. One of the monsters grasped Twilight’s mane with its bloodied mouth and forced the magical mare to look upward. From the sky came a great beast on terrible wings, its huge form shadowing the land as its roar made the land shake. The ponyspawn hissed and roared in unison with the dragon, rearing upwards in celebration of the coming of their master.

The arch demon landed, which caused the land around its massive form to quake as dust and ash was pushed by the upward draft from its wings. Twilight gasped as it loomed its huge head over to her. Twilight ignored the creature’s jaws, focusing on what it was holding in its talons. With a careless toss, the broken body of Applejack was flung towards Twilight, bouncing across the ground and sliding towards the Warden in a sickening angle.

“YOU ARE NOTHING TO MY KIND, PONY. WE WERE GODS ONCE. WORSHIPPED AND FEARED. THE DREAD WE PLACED IN THE HEARTS OF ALL MORTALS ECHOED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. WE WILL TAKE BACK OUR THRONES, OR WATCH AS THE WORLD BURNS AROUND US.”

As Twilight looked on with horror at the body of her fellow Warden, her heart pounding and her breathing shallow. She would be next, and then the Equestrian Grey Wardens would be no more. Their army was defeated, they did not discover the cryptic ritual left by the Wardens of old, and now fate decreed they would all perish.

She bowed her head as the dragon roared triumphantly into the storm-filled skies, tears mixing with the rain as she prepared for the end. The arch demon reared back its long neck, a ball of black fire forming within its mouth.

“THE LIGHT AND THE GREY SHALL END, AND THIS WILL MARK AN ETERNITY OF DARKNESS. DESPAIR, MORTAL. YOU HAVE NO HOPE.”

A stream of ebony flames flowed from the arch demon’s mouth and engulfed Twilight. The pain was immense as she writhed on the ground, her flesh burning alive as she yelled out only to have no words or even sounds escape her lips. There was no hope; nothing could defeat something so powerful. It was all a fool’s errand, everything…

“Twilight? Twilight! Wake up! It’s just a bad dream, a nightmare! You have to wake up!”

Twilight’s eyes shot open at the sound of Applejack’s voice along with the strong earth pony’s hooves shaking her unconscious body awake. The lavender mare launched herself upright in the bedding on the deck of Ditzy’s ship, eyes wide as she looked around. It was still night, with Luna’s crescent moon along with the thousands of stars hanging in the sky.

Her chest hurt and as she wiped a hoof across her brow, she was surprised to find it soaked in sweat. She tried to speak, but her voice was coarse and her throat dry. Applejack lifted a small bowl of water for Twilight, who caught it in her magic and drank the water as if she hadn’t had a drop to drink in weeks.

When she finally took a moment to look around, Twilight noticed that everypony was looking at her with fearful eyes. “What… what happened?” she stammered, looking at Applejack, “I felt it. Everything was real. The images, the pain. I saw you die. I saw you die!”

“It’s just the arch demon tryin’ to get inside yer head, Twilight,” Applejack explained, “It’s part of bein’ a Warden. Trust me, it ain’t easy…”

Anger surged across Twilight’s features. “Another part of being a Warden? Just like the Joining? Just like how our lives are cut down to thirty years? Now this? Nightmares, from the arch demon itself! Is there anything else about the Wardens I need to know? Anything else Duncan should have told us?”

Applejack’s ears fell flat as the words struck home, sharper than any dagger. “Ah’m sorry Twilight,” she said, “Duncan made us swear to secrecy. He should have been the one to tell you everything.”

Twilight turned away from Applejack, trying to fight back more tears as memories of the nightmare get pushed back into the fold. “I felt it, Applejack. I felt every pain. I smelled the ash, the blood, I screamed with every claw and fang. And the black fire… by Celestia, the black fire. We can’t beat something like that, something so terrible, so evil.”

“Now snap outta it, Twi,” her fellow Warden said, resting a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, “That critter said a lot of crazy stuff. Lots of despair and dread and all that, right?” Twilight nodded slowly, still hearing the echoing boom of the arch demon’s roar. Applejack offered a small smile, but it did not bring any comfort with it.

“I get those nightmares too, sugarcube,” she said in admission, “It’s just the way the archdemon tries to break us, tries to make us give up on the fight. It’s only gonna get worse too. Bad dreams like those mean the archdemon’s real close, getting ready to join its horde. Lucky we haven’t seen any big nasty dragons flying around, just Spike.”

“Hey!” The baby dragon gave Applejack an indignant look. “I can really nasty if I want to. I have sharp teeth and can breathe fire too!”

“Silly Spike,” Pinkie Pie said, pressing Spike’s cheeks together with her hooves, “You’re still an itsy bitsy dragon. Now the archdemon probably sounds something like this!”

Pinkie reared up on her hind legs, waving her forelegs in a threatening motion as she bared her teeth. “Rawr!” she said in a mocking tone, “I am the fearsome archdemon! Fear me and my fearful fearing-ness! Rawr!”

Rainbow Dash leapt up, taking an offensive stance in front of the Arch Pinkie. “I, Rainbow Dash and the others, will stand tall to defeat you! Hoof ‘em up, Archie, let’s get ready to rumble.”

The two ponies playfully growled at each other as their friends looked on with confused and amused looks on their faces. Each ‘hit’ was an exaggerated affair as they acted out their respective roles of villain and hero. Twilight felt the twinge of a smile creep onto her face as she watched the impromptu performance, Rainbow now exhibiting her rendition of everypony’s combat specialty.

“It’s Applejack with a hard buck to the head!” she said aloud as she mimicked the signature hind hoof kick of the blonde earth pony, “Then here comes Rarity with a lightning bolt!”

“An immaculate bolt, no doubt,” Rarity chimed in, peering over Flemeth’s grimoire. Rainbow ignored her, moving on with her motions.

“A grenade from Pinkie takes out his eyes while Shale comes in with a big head butt! Fluttershy fires an arrow all the way from the back, but it still strikes home! Trixie’s shield protects everypony as Twilight moves in with the weird Warden ritual thing on the small piece of parchment! Ooh! Parchment cut!”

“Now bringing in the final blow with all the speed and skill of a champion pegasus pony,” Rainbow Dash said as the fiendish Pinkie Pie’s eyes swam about in confusion, “With a blitzing buccaneer blaze so awesome ponies everywhere have to avert their eyes, she brings her dagger in deep for the kill! STAB!”

With the act of piercing the pink arch pony’s flesh done, Pinkie Pie clutched at her heart with both hooves as she fell over in feigned death. “Oh what a world, what a world!” she cried out as she kicked her hooves in the air, “I am vanquished by the power of friendship! Oh woe is me! Blargle! Grraahhhh!”

Pinkie shut her eyes tight as her tongue rolled while Rainbow struck a heroic pose. Only the sound of the boat passing through the water could be heard around them as the party stood dumbstruck at the performance. The energetic earth equine opened one eye, looking around at her friends as she tried to stifle a chortle. Whatever weak barriers against laughter Pinkie had constructed were felled with ease as she exploded in a fit of giggles. Rainbow Dash soon followed, rolling on the floor of the ship and laughing audibly at their little game.

Everypony smiled and laughed together as they enjoyed the antics of Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, with the exception of Shale still voicing its dissent on being suspended in midair. Twilight walked over to the stone pony and Trixie who was channeling her magic, offering to take up the duty of keeping Shale aloft and not sinking the ship with its massive body. The lavender mage would not to fall back asleep now that she had both the memory of the archdemon and Pinkie’s performance, but she could give Trixie the forty winks she needed before they made it across the lake.

“Thank Celestia,” Trixie said as she released her spell as soon as Twilight’s magic wrapped around the golem, “This thing was giving Trixie the worst migraine.”

“That’s ‘Superior and All-Mighty Thing’ to it, thank it very much.” Shale’s glare did nothing as Trixie huffed off to the makeshift bedding on the deck to catch some much needed sleep. Shale’s attitude did not change much under the influence of another unicorn.

“You do realize it will take all of my vast and impressive will power to resist the urge to squish you all for this indecency.”

“We’ll be on solid ground soon enough Shale,” Twilight reassured, “If it’s worth anything to you, I apologize for doing this to you. No pony, golem or otherwise, should be as constricted as you are now.”

“Is that what it believes?” Shale looked down at Twilight with a stern look in its glowing eyes. “From what I have learned of its current world, the moment you are all born there are chains that bind worse than my control rod, simply because I had no choice in the matter of what I was forced to do, despite wanting to crush my old master’s skull so very much. Of which I am glad I finally did.”

“Don’t you have any happy memories?” Twilight wondered aloud to the floating golem. Shale’s eyes turned dark as it appeared to close them in contemplation.

“Happiness was never something I was allowed to possess for myself, unicorn,” Shale replied, “I remember my old master and all of his commands. I remember being sold to him by a donkey merchant. I remember being frozen in the Dark Tunnels without light crystals to show the way. So all I remember is darkness. Perhaps during my time in the dark underground, I had gone slightly mad. Allow me to also add that being suspended in midair like this does not help with my overall state of mind.”

Twilight’s mind began to imagine being the in the Dark Tunnels all alone just as Shale described. Matching the loneliness of the underground in addition to the lurking horrors Applejack mentioned, Twilight couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of simply sitting alone in the Tunnels and being completely aware of everything around her. Perhaps Shale had gone insane from living under the earth for who knew how long.

The air went silent as Ditzy’s boat continued to traverse Lake Blackwater, with the Frosttop Mountains clearly visible from the deck. Twilight’s breath caught in her chest as she finally took in the site of such grandiosity. They were the majestic kings of nature as they towered over the heads of ponies everywhere, their snow covered summits appearing as crowns overlooking all the land.

Somewhere on that mountain was a temple lost to both the elements and time, where the Mane of Stars was being held. Twilight watched as the mountains became even more ominous and foreboding as the ship drew near the northern shore of the lake. Alerting the party to their arrival, she readied them to leave the boat the moment it hit shore.

The boat landed across the shore much more softly than it did when they mistakenly made it to Stableshire, with Ditzy lowering the gangway onto the shore. With her magic, Twilight lifted the stone pony away from the deck, setting the golem gently upon the shore while Rarity moved the chest of gear Applejack had compiled in Red Apple. Upon opening the container, the white unicorn recoiled in disgust at the assorted pieces of armour and clothing, gingerly levitating a heavy cloak like a dead rat.

“You can’t honestly expect me to wear something like this,” Rarity complained, “It completely clashes with my mane! I absolutely have to make adjustments.”

“Ain’t any time for your prissiness, Rarity,” Applejack said as she tossed the heavy suit of chain intended for Pinkie Pie to the pink pony, “We’re mountain climbin’, not canterin’ the streets of Trotterim.”

Rarity huffed but did not say anything more, quickly moving thread and needle from her bag with some yarn to give the cloak a new hem. Twilight shook her head at her friends, somewhat amused that they could squabble about form versus function in battle armor as she replaced her own tattered Tower robes with the heavier gear from Red Apple. It may not look appealing, but the new clothes were very warm with the protection they offered from the northern winds made her very grateful Applejack had compiled such an assortment of gear.

As the others put on their new sets of armour and readied cold weather supplies, Twilight levitated the map from her bag, looking over the illustrated parchment. Being held by the same magic was the poem written by Brother Biblio, which she looked at while studying the map.

Twilight turned her gaze to the mountains, trying to see if they could see something built into the side of the cliff face. Try as she might, the lavender unicorn could only strain her eyes trying to see past the blizzards that were striking around the mountain. Only an outline of the actual landmass could be seen through the storms that ravaged the surface.

“It’s so… big,” Fluttershy squeaked as she looked up at the mountain range. Rainbow Dash sighed with exasperation as the timid pegasus pony stopped putting on her new chain shirt over the woolen tunic.

“It is a mountain, you know,” the rogue said, “They’re supposed to be big.”

Whatever bravado ran Rainbow’s wings did not leak over to Fluttershy as she continued to stare wide eyed at the monument of nature. “It’s so… steep.”

Dash covered her face with a hoof. “Fluttershy, mountain. Mountain, Fluttershy,” she introduced half-jokingly, “Don’t they have mountains in Filais?”

“Not giant, scary mountains covered in blizzards that are so high it looks like they pierce the clouds.” Fluttershy pointed a hoof at one tall mountain in particular. “Like that one. See how that point goes right through the clouds?”

Twilight looked back on the shadow of the mountain through the storms, looking at the summit that the Chantry sister had indicated. The summit was hidden under blizzards that surged amidst the top while the clouds around the top were a darker shade than those surrounding the mountain range.

“There,” Twilight said as she looked to the party, “That mountain is the one we need to search for the Mane. The poem said that the relic would be protected by storms, and those look like the fiercest ones.”

“Are you sure?” Rainbow asked while looking up at the mountain. Twilight shook her head. She needed to come up with something to give some sort of confidence to the others, if not for herself.

“No. It’s just my educated guess.” As much as it pained Twilight to admit, it was true. She was working on a hunch from a poem and what her eyes were telling her, yet nothing could change the fact that everything, even the legend itself was simply guess work. She guessed that they had to climb this mountain, she guessed that it would be up in the Frosttop, and she guessed that the Mane of Stars could do what the legends said and heal Arl Macintosh and Applebloom of their afflictions. Twilight tried to not let her frustrations show, but they were there deep inside and bubbling within.

There was only one way to go. Up.

“Come on,” she said, walking away from Ditzy’s boat and towards the Frosttop Mountains, “We still have some walking to do before we reach the range, and we won’t make it just by standing here being scared of a big hill. The only way across and up the mountain is one hoof in front of the other. Let’s go.”

The trek across the land leading into the hills before the mountains had taken up the rest of the daytime and even extended through part of the night when Twilight called for a halt to their march so they could set camp. As camp was being set, Twilight looked towards the first sign of snow, walking off to examine the strange powdered ice with Spike in tow. From the corner of her eye, she could also see Trixie following, equally intrigued by the frozen water.

She prodded the snow with a gentle hoof, taking in the new discovery with all of her senses. The snow felt cold to the touch, though nothing too uncomfortable and even made a slight crunch noise as the snow compacted against itself. Twilight chuckled despite herself, watching as Spike and Trixie were mimicking her and exploring the snow themselves in much the same way.

Everything was new and exciting to the former denizens of the Unicorn Tower. Now that they had stopped for a moment, Twilight was able to look around the outside world with a wonder that simply could not be explored when running from one battle to the next.

Together with her friends, Twilight had crossed Lake Blackwater, seen ancient ruins of the Imperium, met kings and generals, and traversed a castle. The things she had seen, smelt, touch, tasted would make her the envy of many a unicorn within the confines of the Tower.

With every pleasant experience came the shadow of the journey. The ruins of Ostequus, while still majestic, would forever have their memory tainted by the betrayal of Loghoof, the loss of Duncan and the Grey Wardens, and the fall of the king. The Potpourri Wilds would be remembered as the first place she had encountered the ponyspawn, as well as her first real battle. She would remember the encounter with Flemeth, and how the old swamp hag chilled her to her soul with those cold yellow eyes and aura of immense magical power.

Not even the Tower, which Twilight thought she had known all her life, was safe from bloodstains in her memory. Between abominations, Maleficar, and being trapped in the Fade, it was a wonder how any happy moment was remembered amongst all the corpses and Dark Arts that would permeate through the Tower for years to come. Red Apple would also be stained with terrible memories of zombies and a possessed filly who only wanted to help her older brother.

There was, however, a light in all Twilight’s travels. She was doing something good for the world in combating the ponyspawn and learning much more in the field of strife, rather than snug away in the corners of the Tower with books that likely would never have been updated. She had met an assortment of wonderful friends in places where the young mare would likely never have guessed.

Twilight could look to Applejack for her dependability, Rainbow Dash for her devotion to the group, and Fluttershy for being a source of caring in a world that rebuked such efforts. Rarity was always giving her time and energy to help the others with whatever they needed even if they didn’t know it, and Pinkie could always be counted on to raise everypony’s spirits. Trixie was a kindred spirit even if the blue unicorn would never admit it, and Shale was not only strong, but also blunt in both words and actions. Like a rock to the face, it may be unpleasant, yet it was also as plain as day, something as reliable as the stone of which the golem was carved..

They were friends who had travelled far with her and rarely doubted the path they took. Twilight could count on them during the quest to unite the ponies of Equestria, as long as they were together.

Or so the lavender mage thought when she turned to say similar words to the party, only to be on the receiving end of a snowball to the face. After Twilight had wiped the snow from her face, she saw Pinkie giggling like a schoolfilly as she bunched up another projectile, gripping it in her tail and whipping it towards Spike.

Twilight smirked as her horn began glow, levitated several small mounds of snow and rolling them up in spheres of perfect dimensions. With a small amount of force she threw the snowballs at Pinkie, who deftly dodged them with ease and laughter. The snowballs continued to sail until they struck both Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

“Oh no!” Twilight gasped as she watched the not amused faces of her friends wipe the snow from their hides, “I’m so sorry, I was aiming for Pinkie!”

“Yer right about one thing, Twi,” Applejack said with a dark look as her hooves worked on bunching up a snowball for herself.

“You will be sorry,” concluded Rainbow Dash who had already made a ball of snow and had it gripped in her tail. Applejack hollered her battlecry as the two mares began to pelt both Twilight and Pinkie with snowballs. Spike joined in the fray as the battle of snow continued to escalate. Soon Trixie and Rarity were made victims of the icy onslaught, only to become soldiers in the winter warfare, using their magic much like Twilight had to hurl great orbs of cold weather projectiles. Only Fluttershy refused to become involved, simply sitting by the campfire and cheering with her quiet voice for both sides of the conflict to prevail.

“What in the name of the Stone is going on?” Shale looked at the impromptu battle with what could only be guessed as contempt on the stony features of its face. Only too late did Shale realize that, by entering the field of the snow wars, Pinkie had concluded that the golem was now an enemy combatant, tossing several snowballs in sequence at their rocky companion.

What could be seen on Shale’s eyes could only be described as unbridled fury. Or resentment, Twilight wasn’t sure. The golem said nothing as it shook its massive body free of snow, turning on its hooves and walked away, muttering profanities Twilight wasn’t even sure were real words. A snowball from Rainbow Dash snapped her attention back on the battle, flinging a flurry of snow towards her friends-turned-opponents.

Suddenly a rumbling in the distance brought everypony to high alert. Twilight summoned her staff and readied an arcane bolt, only to release it when Fluttershy took to the sky with a scared look on her face and a bizarre word squeaked from her lips.

“Snowball!”

It was not a snowball that came bounding down towards the ponies, but a veritable snow boulder as twice as tall as they stood. “Victory is mine, ponies!” came a voice from behind the snowboulder, with an all too gleeful Shale pushing the great orb towards the party with force.

Once again Twilight found a smirk on her face as she looked to Rarity and Trixie. Similar smiles spread across their faces as their horns began to glow with magic in tandem with Twilight’s. An aura of white, blue, and violet light surrounded the rampaging snowball, lifting it up with the power of the arcane, much to the surprise of its maker. With a nod to her fellow magical mares, Twilight began to channel her will into the snowball as it hurtled towards the golem.

The snowball crashed into Shale with a loud splat, smothering it in snow from hoof to head. Shale appeared to fume as its head emerged from the snow, another torrent of imaginative curses seemingly foaming from its mouth.

Then the least expected noise expected emerged from Shale. The golem began to laugh, slowly at first, only to break into raucous laughter. Pinkie was the first to join in, rolling on the snow in a fit of giggles, followed soon by Rainbow Dash until everypony was laughing at the golem entrenched in the snow, their snowball fight, and just laughing because it felt good. For the first time in a long time, Twilight was laughing with her friends, forgetting about the dangers of the mountain before them for one night. The mountain was not going anywhere, and it could watch over their joy before testing them with its challenges.

Twilight had always considered the quest she was thrust upon to be of colossal proportions. Travelling the vast expanse of land that was Equestria, meeting ponies both kindly and malevolent, facing monsters terrifying and cruel and discovering wonders unimagined. She knew the quest would be like climbing a mountain, with a large, powerful and angry archdemon waiting on the summit.

With the exception of the archdemon, she did not expect things to be taken so literally. They had awoken to a morning of bitter cold, the winds blowing from the Frosttop Mountains whipping exposed flesh with the harsh frozen currents. The winds and the cold temperature made flight for the pegasi impossible as Rainbow Dash discovered her wings had been covered in small icicles as she shook violently from the chill.

A few moments of spending time near the heat generated from Trixie’s staff, and enough time for Rarity to stitch together some wing-sheaths, and the pegasi were as comfortable as they could be. Granted, Twilight could tell that none of the ponies were comfortable, although Spike and Shale were unfettered by the cold. Spike passed it off to being a dragon with a fire in his belly, and Shale, being a golem, shrugged off the climate due to being made of nothing but rocks and lyrium.

The party kept the group together with the unicorns acting like the points of a triangle with their staves floating high, being used as both beacons of light in the blizzards and sources of heat to ward off the cold. While it was effective in keeping them together, the mountain seemed to counter their efforts to retain heat with even harsher winds.

The snow Twilight had marvelled with only a day ago was now something she wished she hadn’t seen in forever and a day. Trudging through the snow was difficult as every hoofstep dug deep, burying her legs in a foot or so of snow. Her breath had also become her own worst enemy. As the struggle to traverse the snow-covered paths on the side of the mountain became more difficult, she started breathing through her mouth, with the exhaling vapour clinging to the fur on her face and freezing due to the cold air.

Her friends were not having it any better. Applejack was constantly going deeper into the snow due to her larger frame and heavy armour weighing her down. Pinkie was constantly stopping to rub her hooves together, her teeth chattering loudly as the chills dug its way into her bones. Rainbow could not stop swearing oaths at the mountain for taking away the use of her wings, only to stop her ascent as she bundled down against the snowy ground, taking deep breaths to steady herself.

The first to fall to her side was Fluttershy, who landed against the snow with a barely audible thud. Rarity had rushed to her side, bringing her staff with the heat spell close while the others stood still in the biting blizzard.

“I’m so sorry,” Fluttershy gasped as she was helped back to her hooves, “It’s just so… cold. So… hard to climb.”

“Ain’t no need to fret any,” Applejack said, helping Fluttershy to her hooves and wrapping her cloak around the yellow pegasus, while leaving herself more exposed to the elements.

“What about you?” Fluttershy asked her benefactor through violent shivers and chattering teeth. Applejack merely smiled as she used her hoof to support her friend.

“Ah’ll be right as rain,” she said, though her own shaking was more visible now, “Ah’m a right big pony. Ain’t no snow or wind gonna stop me none. Lean on me, Fluttershy, until yer strong enough. I’ll help ya carry on up this here mountain.”

While the weather was not going to stop them, the effects were slowing them down nonetheless, with Fluttershy leaning against Applejack as they continued their trek and the storms intensifying during as they climbed. It was now Twilight’s turn to curse as her hooves punched right through the snow again; there was seemingly no end in sight up the steep path on the mountain. There was no sign of an ancient temple or tomb housing the remains of a goddess. There were not even signs of any life on the testament to nature. As far as the lavender Warden knew, they were the only living beings on the mountain, and even that was now in jeopardy.

My guesswork about the Mane of Stars and this mountain is going to get us all killed. Twilight cursed herself a second time. She could have tried the risky exorcism on Applebloom, and they could have tried seeking out healers and other scholars to find a cure for the incurable deathweed.

Despair…

Twilight shook her head vigorously, ignoring the words of the archdemon that haunted her nightmares. The monster wanted her to despair, to give in to her fear, to give up and die without ever bringing the fight to the monster. She would not do such a thing, not when so many lives depended on it. She would not give up; Spike would never have forgiven her if she gave in now.

Trixie fell next, her staff burying itself in the snow next to its master. Twilight went to her aid with her own staff, trying to get the dazed and confused Trixie out of the snow. The magician kept babbling incoherently, with only bits and pieces of speech making sense.

“Should never have followed you… never have left the Tower… ponyspawn, demons… just so tired… never expected this, never wanted… this.”

“She’s utterly delirious,” Rarity said, lowering her own staff towards Trixie for added heat, “We need to find some shelter to rest.”

“I know,” Twilight replied, looking around the mountain for shelter, “We just need to find a cave. Trixie needs something to keep her warm in this blizzard.”

“I have an idea, dear, even though I don’t like using her spells.” Rarity tossed off her cloak with her magic, tightly wrapping the heavy material around Trixie like a cocoon. The white unicorn’s horn then began to glow, until her entire body glowed bright with the power of magic. Twilight was confused by what Rarity meant, but quickly began to understand that her fellow unicorn was channeling the unique shapeshifting magic known to her and the Mare of the Mire, Flemeth.

Rarity’s limbs then began to shift and change, her legs becoming thicker as well as her hooves becoming large clawed paws. She greatly expanded her bulk and her coat became much thicker and longer, turning into soft, warm fur. Her entire head became larger and wider with a large jaw filled with sharp teeth. In what appeared to be seconds, Rarity the unicorn had become Rarity the grizzly bear.

“If you could do that all the time, why not stay in the form when we were already walking up this mountain?” Twilight studied her friend’s new form, noting that although Rarity had used Flemeth’s spell to look like a bear, she was still Rarity inside the fur. The upturned and clearly indignant snout in the air was more than enough evidence to support that.

Bear-Rarity growled, tilting her head to her back, indicating where to put the discombobulated and delirious Trixie. With a flick of her glowing horn, Twilight levitated the weakened body of the blue magician, laying her gently across the back of her bear friend.

“Ah think ah like ya that way,” Applejack said with a smirk. Rarity-turned-bear merely growled as they continued their way down the path. Pinkie and Dash couldn’t help but laugh at their friend’s choice of form, brought on by strange magics, while Twilight only wanted to study such spellwork due to her own curiousity.

Twilight approached Trixie, hoping to give her unicorn compatriot some comfort despite being on the back of a shapeshifter. “Trixie,” she began, trying to find the right words to say, “We have to stick together. I know the journey has been dangerous… ”

“I want to go home,” whispered Trixie through tired eyes. She was still fading despite the warmth of the bear and the extra coverings.

“Stay with us Trixie!” Twilight panicked watching Trixie continue to babble on as her eyes drooped, attempting to go into cold-induced sleep. “What about Dinky? Didn’t you say she was going to be your apprentice? You’re a senior enchanter of the Tower! The Great and Powerful!”

“Great… and… powerful…”

“That’s right! The Great and Powerful won’t let a little thing like cold mountains bring her down! She’s going to train her first real pupil to become a great magician just like her! She’s going to help the Grey Wardens save Equestria! But she can’t do that if she falls asleep on the mountain and never wakes up!”

Despite all her hope, Trixie’s eyes did indeed close. She was still mumbling, but for how long Twilight did not want to comprehend. A lump formed in the violet mage’s throat until she saw the staff of the senior enchanter float beside its master. Twilight could only mutter a quiet prayer in thanks that Trixie was all right and that that mountain had not claimed anypony. Yet.

The truth still remained that they needed to find some shelter to rest in; especially as the skies were growing darker, indicating night would befall the mountain soon. With the coming of night, the temperatures would also dive into well below freezing, and without proper shelter they would all collapse like Fluttershy and Trixie, leaving Spike and Shale alone on the mountain.

Such a thought of leaving the baby dragon alone by dying on the mountain urged Twilight forward. There had to be some sort of naturally occurring cavern they could use. Someplace large enough for them all to fit and for a magical fire to keep them warm through the night. As they trekked through the ice and snow, the only thing they saw from the mountain was strong rock and durable stone, with no crevice to be found under the snow.

“Plan B,” Twilight announced as she looked to Shale, “Shale, I need you to make a cave for us. I know it’s asking for much, but you’re basically a pony shaped mountain. Could you find a weak segment in the rock and make us shelter?”

“I am made of stone,” Shale answered, “That does not mean I can command rocks. If it is something it needs, then I suppose I could try something for it.” The golem approached the rocky cliff side, tapping a stone hoof against the wall apparently listening for something within in the mountain.

They stood there for what felt like hours shivering in the cold as the biting winds whipped around them. Twilight kept low to the ground as she watched Shale work on the wall, doing her best to conserve heat despite the chill around them. If they did not find a place to warm up soon, the mountain would surely become their tomb as well as Luna’s.

We’re close, Twilight thought as she looked up to the summit, somehow I know it. She pulled the poem of Brother Biblio from her bag and began to look over it again. They were at the mountains of Equestria where the earth walkers brought the Mane of Stars. That much she was certain. They were facing the storms brought on by the skylords of old to protect the mountain from intruders. There was still no sign of the temple built by the underkings though. The mountain looked completely unchanged.

Unless…

“Applejack,” Twilight said as she approached the earth pony Warden, “You said Orzamule was a city built in a mountain right?”

“Well, yeah,” Applejack responded, “But ah sure hope you ain’t expecting any donkeys around these parts. Orzamule is way over west, near the border with Filais. Also that city was built under that mountain rather than in it.”

“What if they built the temple in the mountain though?”

Applejack paused to consider this. “It’s worth a shot, but how are we gonna to know where to look?”

The Fade dreamers, Twilight remembered, the poem meant unicorns. They left spells of powerful magic to protect the inside of the tomb. Maybe I can see the lines of magic in the incantations…

Twilight focused her sight to look beyond the physical world, to see the lines of magic drawn from the Fade. Instead of simple lines, or even complex patterns to indicate spellwork, she was blinded by bright blue light as everything about the mountain from the snow, the rocks, and even the clouds overhead were charged with magic. The shearing blue light sent Twilight backwards in pain, falling into the hooves of Pinkie Pie as she returned her senses to normal, rubbing her eyes as bruise-like spots dotted her vision.

“The entire mountain is supercharged with magic,” said Twilight, exasperated from the short ordeal, “I can’t find the magic from the temple. Of course! The defenders would have done this to prevent the Imperium Magisters from finding the temple so easily. To stop those unicorns still loyal to the empire Luna toppled.”

“What do we do?” Pinkie said, sounding as uncertain as Twilight felt. The scholarly Warden could only shake her head.

“I don’t know.” She was admitting defeat to Twilight, saying such words. No plan, nothing to act on, nothing decisive to work towards. She didn’t know what to do.

The sound of smashed stone broke the ponies from their melancholy as Shale reared up and slammed both hooves into the rock face. Again and again the pony of rock struck the cliff until a hole in the natural wall was open. Shale took a few hoofsteps backwards only to ram the side of the mountain again, making the breach big enough for Spike to crawl through. Another ram against the wall and the hole was big enough for a pony.

“Open says me,” Shale said before ramming for a third and final time, careening into the breach it had created. Quickly Spike followed the golem inside, looking around before motioning the ponies inside.

The mountain then decided to help usher them into their new-found shelter, as a loud rumble echoed throughout the cold air. Fluttershy’s eyes went wide as several pounds of snow began to fall from the higher points of the cliffs.

“Avalanche!” she screamed, giving enough signal that it was time to gallop away from being buried in tons of snow and ice. Twilight channeled a protective barrier with her horn, shielding her friends from the falling frozen fragments. One by one they made their way into the hole in the wall, until all that was left was Twilight and Applejack.

As soon as Applejack was inside, a large shard of ice of fell onto the barrier, the icicle breaking into pieces but causing the shield to pulse in response. The sudden shock from the crash sent Twilight reeling in pain as the shield threatened to collapse.

“I gotcha Twi!” Applejack dove in front of Twilight, wrapping her forelegs with that of the mage. The others soon joined in, with Rainbow Dash biting on Applejack’s tail and Pinkie biting down on Rainbow Dash’s. Together they pulled Twilight into the newly made cavern just in time as the shield failed and the snow and ice covered the entrance sealed tight.

“Didn’t expect that to happen,” Shale remarked somewhere in the darkness. Twilight groaned as she got to her hooves, looking around only to be encased in pitch black. Her horn began to glow with a bright light, revealing the cavern and all her friends inside, catching their breath from the close brush with death by avalanche.

While the cave was not warm to say the least, it was a shelter that would protect them from the brunt of the frigid winds of the north. The rocky ground was also greatly preferable to that of the snow as a foundation to set up camp.

Twilight’s horn glowed bright again, this time summoning a small orb of fire that hovered in the center of the cave. Quickly the party stood around the fire for warmth, with Pinkie scooping up some snow from the avalanche inside a pot and placing it over the sphere of magical flame. The collected snow quickly melted, with Pinkie distributing the water first to Fluttershy and Trixie before collecting more ice.

They sat in silence as they drank the hot water and ate their rations, surrounding bear-Rarity in an effort to stay warm. To Twilight it was an odd thing seeing that this was the best position on the mountain they have ever been since starting from the base. As far as they knew, they were trapped inside a cold mountain rather than trapped outside. This was a good change; the winds did not slash at their skins and they could walk on rock without fear of collapse.

At least, that was what Twilight was hoping for.

There was something bothering Twilight about the cave. Shale was strong yes, but breaking into a mountain was a last ditch attempt to find shelter. She didn’t expect the golem to actually break through the rock and find a cavern they could use. It was too coincidental. Too good to be true.

She was too weakened by the journey to explore the cave further, though Spike and Shale did not look worse for wear and could easily traverse the cavern to see if it extended deeper into the mountain. The thought of sending Spike so far away on his own, even if he had a pony of stone as an escort, made Twilight uneasy. Fear of the unknown stayed her tongue. Fear of losing her oldest friend.

Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to gather both her words and the courage to speak them. She called both the little dragon knight and the stone warrior over to her as the rest of the party attempted to rest and even get some sleep.

“There is something wrong with this cave,” Twilight began as the two before her gave their utmost attention, “And what’s wrong is that it’s so right. We can’t send ourselves into the caves. Fluttershy and Trixie still need to recover, and we are all tired.”

“You can count on us Twilight!” Spike gave a salute, eager to prove himself once again. Shale raised a rocky eyebrow at the situation, even though Twilight was ready for the golem’s arguments.

“You want just the two of us to go into the darkest depths alone without the possibility of reinforcement?” Twilight had not thought of that, but now that it was pointed out, it was something that couldn’t be avoided. All she could do was nod slowly.

“Don’t worry about it you big old rock,” Spike said confidently, patting a sputtering golem who refused to acknowledge that it was aging, “We’ll find our way around this mountain no sweat.”

Shale could only mutter a slight “indeed” as Spike was already well enough ahead into the dark shadows of the cave. Twilight reached out with her magic, wrapping her levitation spell around the golem and lifting it just inches off the ground to prevent movement. Shale tried to protest only to be met by Twilight’s fierce stare.

“If anything happens to Spike at all, Shale, I will reduce you to rubble.” She could hardly believe herself, actually threatening another pony, let alone Shale. Spike’s well being was paramount, and Shale was going to safeguard that no matter what happened in the caves.

The golem appeared skeptical, before allowing a smirk to somehow form on its face. “Consider me impressed, purple one,” it said after Twilight released her hold on its body, “We will not engage any potential squishes without due cause, I assure you.”

“I trust you Shale,” Twilight replied, “Good luck.”

Shale harrumphed before bumping the dragon onto its back. With Spike’s flaming sword as a torch, they descended into the dark depths of the mountains until only a light could be seen from the sword. Eventually that too faded into the darkness. Twilight gasped a bit too loud for her liking seeing the light diminish, but this was necessary. It was needed to continue the journey.

She returned to the group, only to see everypony was asleep around the lying form of Rarity still in the form of a bear. Twilight couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at the sight. Giving the orb of fire a quick recharge, she joined the party lying against the bear, covering herself in her cloak.

Rarity suddenly growled, pointing a claw at some scratch marks she left on the ground. Twilight looked, reading the words We will never speak of this ever on the ground. “Don’t worry, mama bear,” Twilight joked as she nestled against the warm form of her transformed friend, “My lips are sealed.”

“Twilight? Twilight, wake up!”

If there was one thing Twilight was grateful for, it was this time, her sleep was not visited by images of the archdemon or some other monster. The second thing she was grateful of was that it was Spike that awoke her, looking just the same as he did when they left for the cavern depths.

Twilight quickly roused herself and the others, taking a moment to check on Fluttershy and Trixie to make sure they were all right. They admitted a case of the sniffles, but a quick drink of some of Pinkie’s concoctions from her big book made any illness slowly leave the body. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were fully alert, while Rarity was still sleeping very much like a bear in a cave thanks to the shape shifting magic of Flemeth.

The look on Spike’s eyes was concerning however, which motivated Twilight to get up quickly. He appeared stricken by some sort of sight as his eyes were wide and nervous, constantly looking behind his shoulder back into the depths of the mountain’s innards.

“All right, all right, we’re up,” Twilight said, still groggy and looking back at her blanket and the orb of fire with want in her eyes, “I’m glad you’re both okay. What happened down there? You must have found something?”

“Perhaps it is best to show all of the its that we found directly,” Shale replied before turning away and heading back down the path with Spike still on its back. After a moment of rubbing the sleep from their eyes and Rarity transforming back to her unicorn self, the party followed close behind, even though many were still weakened from exposure to the deep cold.

With staves alight with magic, the party journeyed again into the natural halls within the mountain. Their hoofsteps echoed throughout the cave, with only the occasional sneeze being released from a pony’s nose breaking the near silence. Twilight looked at the walls of the cave, noting that they were becoming less random and more uniform as they made their way deeper, as if a careful hoof had a hand in manipulating the ways of the mountain.

This has to be it, Twilight thought, this has to be halls of the underkings in Biblio’s poem. Spike and Shale found the temple!

A faint orange light at the end of the tunnel they were travelling in gave Twilight pause. It was too dim to be the light of the sun, but still enough to see the cave entirely. When Shale continued to trot into the light, Twilight gave a sigh of relief that it was still safe.

When they entered the illuminated hall, the party of ponies gave a collective gasp to discover that it really was a hoofmade hall, constructed with expert masonry and stone work. While she was no architect, Twilight could appreciate the effort into building such a temple inside a mountain. While this hall was relatively plain and without decoration, one thing stood out that brought a bright smile to Twilight’s lips.

High above the archway was a statue of Luna, still pristine after centuries of being hidden within nature’s sovereign, still looking down on those who passed the archway and into the temple proper. Twilight could not believe her eyes as she stared at the effigy of the moon goddess. They had done it. They had found the resting place of the Mane of Stars.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! YES! YES!” Twilight reared up and began prancing around in a circle, overjoyed with the discovery of a lifetime. Even through the cold winds of the northlands, suffering through sickness and pain, they had managed to discover a long lost relic of the past. What the Chantry would give to find this temple and all the artifacts within? Twilight found herself eager to explore and study the temple itself.

Her friends celebrated in their own way, some on the discovery, others simply by staying alive. “Well ah’ll be a donkey’s auntie,” Applejack exclaimed looking up at the statue, “This really is it. We found it! Now we just gotta find that Mane of Stars and bring it back to Red Apple! Big Mac and Applebloom are gonna be saved!”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy gasped, “This must be a sign from Celestia and Luna.”

“Sign or not, I’m just glad this trip wasn’t a total waste,” Rainbow Dash said, discarding her wing sheathes and stretching her wings to their full span, “Still, I hope this place gets exciting soon. Everything seems boring so far.” Twilight balked at Rainbow’s comment, wondering how travelling through a blizzard while climbing a treacherous mountain could not be considered “exciting” enough.

“It won’t be boring once we have a Temple Finding Party!” Pinkie Pie was already buzzing about what kind of party she could hold for such an occasion, until a calm hoof from Rarity slowed the energetic pony down.

“Remember the spectacular festivities we’ll have once this journey is done and over with, dear,” reminded Rarity, “Still, I am inclined to agree with Rainbow Dash, for a rare instant. This temple does seem rather plain. Perhaps it becomes much more luxurious the closer we get to the relic?”

Shale stomped one mighty stone hoof onto the ground, wanting everypony’s attention on it and Spike. They said nothing as they continued past the entrance way and deeper into the temple. Twilight raised an eyebrow but said nothing, only following the dragon knight with a golem for a steed.

When Shale finally stopped, Spike hopped off its back and pulled Twilight’s robes, leading her towards a vast chamber within the mountain. Twilight was expecting a room of religious iconography, of benches and pews for reverent ponies to pray in. She had expected books and tomes from a time lost to memory and legend.

She did not expect to find a chamber filled with eggs. Dragon eggs to be specific, noting their large size and colouration of crimsons and blacks. Spike looked at Twilight with sad eyes, before returning his gaze to the countless eggs each containing a young dragon similar to him. Several eggs were lying in pits of hot coals, while other eggs were being held aloft on pedestal cradles.

What was more distressing were the tables with assorted tools lining the surfaces. Callipers, bonesaws, various rods and needles and blades. They were not in the best condition, but they also did not appear to have been abandoned. Every tool was used recently, as there was no dust buildup around them, and the condition of the eggs showed that there were clearly living whelps waiting for their time to hatch. There was only one conclusion.

The ponies were not alone in the mountain.

---

Chapter 17 - A Dog and Dragon Chapter

Twilight examined the eggs closely while the rest of the party wandered about the rookery, warily watching the eggs  or the pathways for any signs of disturbance or intrusion. It was still unknown who, or what else was dwelling in the mountain, but the evidence of such dangerous and bizarre tools around the eggs, as well as weapon racks nearby, indicated that the denizens were well armed and very interested in the eggs of dragons.

As the eggs sat on their jewel-encrusted pedestals, Twilight focused her senses to become more sensitive to magic, seeing that the eggs were almost literally wrapped in lyrium. She could not find rhyme or reason for this, but so little was known about dragons; even Spike was considered an enigma. He would have been studied if not for his own demeanor and Twilight’s insistence that she was doing her utmost to “research” him, if only to keep Spike away from the poking and prodding of scholars from other Towers and the Chantry.

That was the only research Twilight was proud not to turn in a paper for.

What was known about dragons in the modern age was that it was that sightings were being reported on with greater frequency. They had long since been considered near extinct after being hunted down by skilled groups of warriors after the Imperium converted the once mighty empire away from dragon worship and towards the Chantry. Dragons were very large and terrible beasts that could spew flames from their gullets and wreck havoc throughout the world with little effort. Several towns and villages in the Yokalach and northern Filais were wiped out by a single rampaging dragon before it was felled.

Rumours of the intelligence of dragons went to both ends of the spectrum. Several scholars noted instances where dragons acted as simple-minded predators, using their vast size and power to steal cattle and attack ponies for a meal, while others reported dragons that created cunning plans to throw off pursuers and hunters. The presence of Spike indicated some dragons were capable of speech, though if anypony had conversed with a dragon, they did not live long to tell the tale. Shockingly the rarest sighting indicated that the largest and most powerful of all dragonkin were capable of using magic to a degree that even a trained elder unicorn would envy. Twilight simply concluded that Spike was incredibly intelligent due to his upbringing around other intelligent ponies, and that any dragon could share his wit and sharp tongue if they were raised in that sort of environment. She had no basis that this was true of course, but it was nice to believe she had some sort of influence on the baby dragon’s intellectual aptitude, no matter what range he was capable of.

The rookery they were in now was filled with eggs of all sizes, with several dozen eggs seated in beds of hot coals. They were all red with black spots, and were almost as tall as Spike. Twilight levitated a small rod made of glass from the table before tapping one of the eggs on the coals very gently, careful not to disturb the lines of lyrium around the eggs, lest they cause damage to the creature inside. Sure enough the shells were soft, and still needed the heat of their mother or, as the caretakers of the eggs had decided to use, hot coals.

Twilight brought the rod towards an egg being held aloft in a pedestal. She gently tapped the egg, listening intently for the sound of glass against the shell. Just as she expected, the shells of the suspended eggs were much harder, the glass instrument harmlessly bouncing off the protective layer. These eggs were ready to hatch soon.

It was becoming clear that whoever was inside the mountain and maintaining the eggs were taking them from a dragon to use for a purpose Twilight could only guess. What was more distressing was that somewhere close was a high dragon, the largest, oldest and most powerful variety of dragon, and that it would be out there, hungry for prey or angry that its eggs were being taken from it.

Spike was staring at the eggs, moving between each one and pressing his head against the shells he could reach, listening for the infant dragon within them. “Twilight,” Spike asked, looking up from the eggs, “Is this were dragons come from? Is there where the Tower got my egg?”

“I don’t think so, Spike,” Twilight answered, “Your egg was purple and green, just like you are. These are much different from the egg you were hatched from.” In truth, Twilight did not know where Spike’s egg had come from, only that Wise Eyes had met a strange merchant selling the egg and purchased it out of simple curiosity.

“Do you think they could be like me?” Spike asked. It was a fair question; he had only known ponies all his life and would likely jump at the prospect of meeting another dragon. Twilight did not know enough about dragons to answer what would happen if he were to meet another.

“I can’t say,” she said with a sad look, “You were raised in a different environment, Spike. I don’t know what would hatch from the eggs.” I’d rather not find out, Twilight thought guiltily. Without knowing who was taking care of the eggs, there was always a chance these dragons would become hostile and attack. If they did, she would be forced to slay them in front of her young ward.

The party eventually left the rookery alone, leaving all the tools and eggs where they found them as they left the great chamber into a long hallway lined with light crystals. As they walked, Twilight noticed that the walls were adorned with intricate carvings of both ponies and dragons in various scenes, those of them working together, of ponies enslaved by dragons, and dragons being hunted down by ponies. As rudimentary as they were, the scenes displayed by the carvings were very graphic, making Twilight’s stomach lurch.

Fluttershy gasped as she looked below the artwork in the stone, pointing a hoof at the writing that was left embedded in the mountain. “It reads just like the Chant of Sun and Moon,” Fluttershy said, “I had to study the Chant when I was in the cloister, but nothing sounds like this!”

Applejack leaned in close to the markings, squinting at the words and nodding her head in agreement. “They right drilled the Chant in our heads back in templar training,” Applejack added, “So ah know it like the back of my hoof, and ain’t none of this on that.”

Twilight also read the markings closely, reading the words of the Chant off in her head as she compared the writing on the wall to the original religious work. She had studied the Chant herself if only to get the sisters and templars off her back, but still took the lessons within to heart.

What she was reading seemed more like a history lesson from another time, completely at odds with what the Chantry was teaching. A thought sprang to mind as Twilight read the wordings; what if the temple was not lost but merely forgotten due to conflicting lore?

Twilight took a breath, as she moved to the edge of the hall, reading the words aloud for all to hear. “Let it be known for all who venture into these halls, those who read our words, and those and listen with both ears and souls know the truth of the final days of the Imperial Age. Know that these are the halls of Luna, the halls of the stars themselves, and the halls of Nightmare Moon.”

“Nightmare Moon?” Applejack asked, but Twilight ignored her, focusing on the name alone. No history books or even religious text Twilight had read ever had the name “Nightmare Moon”. The name sent chills down her spine, however, similar to the power she felt around Flemeth. Twilight continued reading.

“After the Time of Chaos, a time lost to history, the Unicorn Imperium rose up and conquered the land with spell, sword, and dragonfire. The powerful sorcerer Exarchs ruled the ponies of the world with iron hooves and the strength of demons.”

The diorama of stone above the words showed an image of the land, where small ponies bowed to tall unicorns dressed in fanciful robes and powerful armour. All paled in comparison to the next scene, where these mighty sorcerers bowed their knees to carvings of dragons.

“Yet it was the Old Ones, the six dragon gods who existed since the Time of Chaos, who truly ruled the Imperium. Their power was vast and potent, and their wrath swift and terrible. While they wore masks of benevolence, their cruelty was felt across the world without end. These are their names:”

Twilight shivered as she turned to the carvings of the names of the dragon gods. There was a cold bite against her ears, then the passive brushing of the air, making it feel like lips pressing against the flesh. Fear replaced the intimacy of such an act. She looked around at the others who also appeared cold and shaking. They were also appeared uncomfortable as if they had felt the same spectral lips across their skin.

“Palakash, Dragon of Virtue.”

Deception…

Twilight jumped, as did the others. They looked around wide eyed, sharing the same look of terror as the unseen voice had spoken to them through icy lips so close to their ears. They said nothing, only looking at Twilight who turned a shaking head back to the edifice. She could not hide the fear in her voice as she continued.

“Galonomei, Dragon of Charity.”

Avarice…

This is insane, Twilight thought as her breathing stopped for a moment, what kind of temple is this? Why am I so frightened by these names? How is everypony feeling the same fear I am? Are these the protective spells of the temple left behind? Are they trying to frighten us so that we turn tail and flee?

Twilight tried to turn away, but now there was a compulsion to continue, to read the names of the Old Ones aloud for all to hear. Whether it was the magic or her own need to know, Twilight continued to read the names of gods long dead.

“Mezzerak, Dragon of Zeal.”

Betrayal…

“Lianari, Dragon of Grace.”

Destruction…

“Uthemiel, Dragon of Mirth.”

Despair…

“Asha’Bellanar, Dragon of Victory.”

Instead of the voice whispering another word, Twilight’s heart stopped as a cold, cruel laugh echoed from within her. The others looked either in shock or in horror, with Fluttershy trembling in a corner and Pinkie and Dash holding each other in fright. Only Applejack seemed to shake off her fear to stand defiant against the fear they had all felt.

“Ah don’t know about ya’ll,” Applejack said, “But ah’m bettin’ my bottom bits that this is some kind of trap to keep ponies away from the Mane. Maybe a test to see if they are worthy, ah don’t know. Keep readin’, Twilight. We’ll be okay. Just gotta stay strong.”

Twilight nodded and then turned her attention back to the wall. Now the pictures showed carvings of Celestia and Luna from beyond the Veil and even beyond the Fade, looking down on the dragon-ruled world with sadness in their eyes.

“The Regents of the Sun and Moon influenced the world and the ponies from the Fade who heard the Chant with a subtle hoof in an effort to show them to live life in harmony with the world and each other. They watched as the world was ruled in the oppressive shadow of the Old Ones and how the ponies suffered under them. The Sisters could not interfere directly, as the Old Ones were great and powerful, using their own blood to act as a seal against Celestia and Luna. With powerful dark arts fueled by dragon blood, the Sisters could not aid the world, only offering words of wisdom through dreams of the Fade.”

“With an act of desperation to free themselves from the yokes of the Imperium and its dragon masters, the followers of the Chant spilled their own blood to counter the wards used by the Old Ones. Celestia recoiled from such use of blood magic, but Luna vowed to make ponies free from servitude and pain.  With the seals temporarily weakened, She descended from on high and became mortal.”

Fluttershy shook her head as Twilight finished reading another panel of stone. “This can’t be right,” the yellow pegasus said, her voice quaking with fear, “The Chant says that Celestia was able to open a door between the Fade and real world, and only Luna could descend. There was nothing said about Old Ones, only that the Imperium worshipped dragons. There was also definitely nothing about using blood magic to open the way.”

Somepony isn’t telling the truth, Twilight decided as she moved to the next panel, whether it is this temple or the Chantry. I don’t know which is worse. The next stone carving showed the image of Luna doing battle against the dragons to a stalemate, neither side ever gaining ground. It was then that Luna transformed into something more fitting for war and battle, something much larger with great power, and much more sinister.

“Luna did battle against the Old Ones, yet could not vanquish them, as they were still creatures belonging to the world. She offered them clemency many times if only to give the ponies mercy, but they refused and took their fury onto the mortals. Unable to reason with Old Ones, Luna felt she had no choice but to become the very power she had sought to defeat to match the might of the dragons combined. Channeling the magic of the dark side of the moon, she became the dreaded Nightmare Moon and, in quick succession, defeated the Old Ones in battle.”

“Despite victory, Nightmare Moon could not slay the Old Ones permanently. Instead, she destroyed their bodies and sent their souls into the blackest pits of the Dark Tunnels, sealing them with powerful magic so that they could no longer be a threat, all except for Asha’Bellanar, who fled from battle and hid her essence from Nightmare Moon. The Imperium was Nightmare Moon’s to command and control as she saw fit. A dictator had toppled the tyrants.”

As the ponies moved on to the next panel of carvings, the looks on the faces of Applejack and Fluttershy showed great concern over what they were hearing. Many of them had grown up knowing only the Chant of Sun and Moon, thinking that Luna had sacrificed herself to stop the Imperium. Now there was doubt where there was none, trying to decipher for themselves which version they were hearing was true.

Twilight contemplated the implications of such a temple and the works within if it were ever truly found by other ponies and the discoveries brought to light. Knowledge of this type was dangerous and could prove schismatic to the Chantry and ponies everywhere. There were enough wars in the world including those against the ponyspawn; they did not need to add more.

The panels continued, this time depicting Nightmare Moon being struck by six rays of energy from six magical stones, each being held by a different pony, with Celestia watching over the act in sadness while a dragon watched from afar.The edifice next to it connected what they discovered in the temple to the common readings of the Chant: the execution of Luna at the hooves of the Imperium.

“Because peace and harmony were not brought to the world by Nightmare Moon’s victory over the Old Ones, Celestia sent her most powerful magic, the Elements of Harmony, to be held by bearers worthy of the artifacts. These bearers did battle against Nightmare Moon, banishing the darkness within from Luna and restoring her. Weakened, Luna was easily overwhelmed by Asha’Bellanar and those in the Imperium still loyal and devout to the Old Ones. Luna, as well as the Elements of Harmony, was sentenced to burn by shadowflame at the stake.”

“The executioner took the mane of Luna as a trophy, giving the hair as an offering to the Dragon of Victory. As the flames consumed Luna, the last Magister Exarch of the Imperium, Lexicon, took pity on her suffering, converted to her cause, and slew her with his own blade. This act allowed Celestia to use her power to raise Luna to her Seat, destroy Asha’Bellanar, and bring about the end of the Imperial Age.”

When Twilight stopped reading the text, she noticed that they were now on the other of the lengthy hallway facing a large pair of oak doors. The text and the artwork ended, leaving only the room beyond to continue the tale made by the sculptors of old.

Before she could open the door, Rainbow rushed in front of her, holding Twilight’s hoof in place while looking at the door with cautious eyes. The assassin shook her head at Twilight before pointing a hoof at Shale to come closer.

“What’s going on Rainbow?” Twilight asked only to be silenced by the cyan pegasus’ hoof. All the ponies remained silenced with only the sound of Shale’s grumbling being heard. When the golem was standing in front of the doors, Rainbow Dash motioned for the rest of the party to fall back.

“I can hear something from behind the door,” she whispered, only to be met with Twilight’s incredulous gaze.

“It could just be the descendants of the temple’s guardians.”

“They are not ponies. I don’t hear hooves.” Rainbow then drew her dagger, while the rest of the party followed suit and readied their weapons. Twilight swallowed hard as she brought her staff to bear as they watched Shale stand in front of the door.

The golem looked backed at Rainbow who nodded slowly. Shale gave a sigh before rearing upwards, slamming both stone hooves into the door, knocking it clean off its rusted hinges and onto the ground with a powerful slam. From the dust came several arrows and spears which struck at Shale, only to bounce off the golem’s mountainous body harmlessly.

“I hate the speedy one,” Shale muttered before dust settled, revealing the attackers not to be ponies, but no sort of equine at all. Instead they appeared canine, similar to the wardogs used by the Equestrian military except much larger and standing upright. They were all armoured with plate mail, the emblem of the moon blazoned on their hauberks, and carrying varying heavy weapons such as war hammers and axes. They wore thick helms that completely covered the upper portion on their heads.

“The intruders brought a stone walker with them,” shouted one of the guard dogs, raising his hammer high, “they are allies with the underkings! Stop the heretics! Crush the unbelievers! Protect Luna!”

Twilight tried to argue that they were not an enemy, but the dogs barking and howling drowned out any other noise. Shale promptly charged out to meet their challenge, followed closely by Rainbow and Applejack. Despite not being an overly religious pony, Twilight still disliked that they would be fighting in what was one of the most pertinent holy grounds for the entire Chantry.

Fight they did though, as the dogs did not let up their attack despite Twilight’s protests. While not as nimble as the ponies, they proved to be quite strong, cracking the stone walls and floors with each powerful swing of their weapons. Their jaws moved about, snapping at any limb that moved too close, giving an additional powerful weapon with their heads.

The advantage they did have over the dogs was that they outnumbered them and had a varied group against a troop of soldiers. Wanting no further bloodshed, Twilight brought up her shield, just as she had against the possessed Applebloom, separating the party from the angered guard dogs who struck at her shield with heavy blows.

“Stop!” Twilight looked at both sides with eyes filled with frustration. “We came here to help ponies, not start a fight with… with… whatever you are! This is supposed to be a temple, isn’t it? Not a battleground!”

“These creatures are called Diamond Dogs,” Shale said, looking incredibly annoyed that it was being blocked off from potential squishing, “They are a subterranean race just as the donkeys and ponyspawn are. I remember something about them, mostly fighting them in the Dark Tunnels. Now I am remembering the incessant barking. I do wish to crush them into a fine paste before they can yap again.”

Well, Shale is recovering its memory, that’s always nice, Twilight thought, noting her thoughts were becoming as sarcastic as her words. All this warfare was making her cynical. The Diamond Dogs continued to snarl and growl, baring large teeth, but at least their barking stopped and they were listening. At least, that was the hope.

“Nothing in Brother Biblio’s notes or the poem said anything about Diamond Dogs as guardians of the temple,” Twilight said, keeping a careful eye on both the guards and Shale who seemed to seethe with anger towards the canines, “You said you wanted to stop us? That we were heretics and you were protecting Luna? Do you mean the Mane of Stars?”

The diamond dogs glanced at each other with blank expressions before huddling together, speaking amongst themselves in hushed tones. Twilight watched and waited, looking over at the golem who was so eager to take the fight to the temple guardians.

“I’m going to lower the shield,” Twilight said, making sure her voice was loud enough so that everypony, as well as the dogs, could hear her, “We will defend ourselves if provoked, but we mean no harm. That means no squishing, Shale. At all.”

Shale huffed, stomping a hoof in defeat before turning around and lumbering to the back ranks of the party. One of the diamond dogs took a moment to sniff the air around Twilight as soon as the shield was lowered, but otherwise making no further action besides a few growls and muttered words. The guards then put away their weapons, motioning with a paw to follow close.

“We will bring you to the Alpha,” one of them explained, “He will decide how much further up the mountain you will go. Stay close. You may ask questions, but we choose if we answer. No complaining. No whining.”

“Who would do such a thing?” Rarity said nonchalantly as she examined a hoof for dirt, keeping well away from the dogs by taking a place near Shale. They walked in silence through the halls of the temple.  Twilight noted that it seemed more in line with a soldier’s barracks than a place of worship. Weapon racks and armour stands lined the halls, as well as tools scattered on the ground. Bones of animals littered the floor, making Fluttershy gasp at every skull they passed.

Considering how the dogs had sharp teeth suited for the tearing of meat, it was no surprise that they hunted and trapped meat for their own diets. It was distasteful and made Twilight’s stomach lurch, but even creatures such as these dogs needed to eat somehow. Several guard dogs were sitting on the floor simply gnawing at the bones, trying to get some sort of meal from the leftovers of their hunts.

What Twilight did find both interesting and disconcerting was that while they were travelling further into the mountain temple, the scenes etched into the walls did not change. They were all about the time of the Imperial Age, of the Old Ones, and of Nightmare Moon’s victory over the dragons. She was expecting the tale to continue the deeper they went, but instead was met by the same iconography. The lavender mage tried to reason as to why the builders and artisans chose to do this, but simply could not fathom what ponies of old were thinking when they designed the place.

The group had one altercation as they made their way higher up inside the mountain. The walls were strewn with several containers holding countless precious and semi-precious gemstones. In baskets and buckets, chests and trunks were filled with every type of gem imaginable. From rubies to sapphires, garnets, beryl, and of course rare diamond, the diamond dogs had unearthed a king’s ransom worth of precious jewels.

Rarity and Spike both began to enviously eye the gems that were being pushed around by several smaller dogs, some sort of worker class Twilight guessed. A small dribble of drool leaked from the sides of Spike’s mouth as he eyed a particularly large opal.

“That looks delicious,” the little dragon said, reaching out towards the gem. One of the guard dogs snarled, snatching the opal away before the dragon could take a bite. Rarity also backed off from the jewels as the canine warriors blocked their way.

“These are for the whelps and as an offering to our protector Luna!”  The dogs quickly resumed the escort to the center of the mountain, but their growls were understood perfectly. Spike fled back to the safety of Twilight’s shadow while Rarity huffed that she was being denied precious gemstones.

While she understood that the dragon whelps they were incubating would need the gems for sustenance, Twilight wondered why they would offer gems to an alicorn of godlike power. Was it a simple ritual, or more? Her inquisitive mind had to know.

“You mentioned that Luna protects you,” she commented, causing one of the guards to look back at her, “What do you mean by that? The Chantry have said Luna ascended a thousand years ago. Even the walls of this temple state she was burned at the stake by the Imperium.”

“Luna protects us in the mountain,” the dog replied flatly as they came up to two large wooden doors, “She covers us in her wings and strengthens us for the coming trials. No more questions. We are close.”

While it sounded like something from a religious text, there was something else inside the voice of the guard dog that gave Twilight pause. Nothing in the Chant of Sun and Moon said anything about Luna’s protection alone. What of Celestia, and the two sisters working in tandem to protect all life in the world?

They soon entered a massive circular room, with a higher level branching off to several sections of the mountain and one stairway continuing upwards towards the summit. Unlike other areas of the temple, the construction was shoddy and the quality could not compare to the expert stonework seen throughout. Whoever built this had done so in a hurry, and Twilight suspected the craftsmanship belonged to the diamond dogs.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Rainbow muttered as she looked up at the edges to the massive chamber, “A big round room like this feels like the arena in Pura Raza. Bad things happen in arenas when you’re not in the stands.”

Before Twilight could comment further, one of the guard dogs howled, the noise echoing throughout the makeshift area. Several doors opened above them as the guards left, the sounds of barking dogs rushing throughout the temple. More and more of the diamond dogs poured onto the edge of the arena, barking and shouting curses. Twilight looked to see where their escort went, only to find they were now alone and surrounded.

“I… I don’t like this…” Fluttershy squeaked as the dogs’ barking became louder. Twilight cursed herself for believing they could avoid conflict. Perhaps they could still remedy the situation once the alpha showed up, but for now she had led the ponies into a trap.

From the top of the arena came the thunder of heavy pawsteps shaking the arena. The dogs stopped barking at once as the largest dog amongst them stepped forward into view. Twice as large as the biggest guard, the alpha male was massive compared to most creatures, smaller than a minotaur but nearly as wide, with his height and muscles being emphasized by spiked armour. In his hands was a giant hammer which was as long as he was tall, with a large head perfect for crushing stone.

What was most striking about the dog were his eyes. They were pure red with little black irises, similar to that of a reptile. They looked down on the party of ponies with contempt and hunger, a long slobbering tongue slipping out between his jaws, licking his lips with sickening anticipation.

“We seem to be having a lot of guests lately,” the alpha male remarked, picking up a hunk of meat from a platter offered by one of the lesser dogs, “All of them ponies, all of them looking for a false relic. All of them claimed by the mountain. Speak pony, and be quick.”

“False relic?” Applejack asked, eyes already blazing with anger at the words of the alpha dog, “We didn’t come all the way up this mountain just to find a false relic! My kin needs that Mane of Stars, and we need it now!”

“You will be silent when Alpha Lockjaw speaks!” The leader of the diamond dogs hefted his hammer high above his head, appearing menacing and powerful. Twilight’s eyes narrowed in defiance; while they were not going to start conflict, she was not about to have her group pushed around by anypony or anyone.

“A false relic sought after by heretics who do not believe in Luna’s glorious return!” began Lockjaw, motioning a paw at the assembled mass of dogs around him, “This temple was long abandoned when the diamond dogs first arrived, having fled from the donkeys in the Dark Tunnels. Hunted by the donkeys who were jealous of our riches on one front, slaughtered by the ponyspawn on another. The Dark Tunnels were no longer safe for my kind. Our ancestors came here to this mountain, and here we found gems to rebuild our glory. It was not enough. We could do nothing but watch as dogs perished in the harsh shadow of the mountain.”

“We were suffering here on this mountain. We hunted for game, but there was barely enough for so many dogs, thus we suffered and died from starvation and sickness. We tried to find repose in the words etched in these walls as our gods had abandoned us, but no divine comfort could be given to our fallen. First the elders began to die and then the pups, in pain and agony the likes of which we did not encounter since the war. Slowly but surely, our numbers dwindled.”

“The true light that turned our fortune was finding Luna and her gift to us. We found the dragon eggs. With the lyrium we unearthed, we could bend the drakes to obey us, to bring about new meat for the young and create a new army to retake the Dark Tunnels! To conquer and kill the donkeys just as they slew us!”

Large heavy doors opened all around the party, with the ponies falling flank-to-flank as the hiss of serpents echoed in the dark halls leading into the arena. From the shadows came three large drakes, powerful male dragons with long slender bodies, sharp talons and razor fangs. Though they lacked wings and the sheer size of full grown dragons, drakes were just as dangerous to any pony as their stronger sisters.

Each drake was leashed by three dogs holding thick nooses, struggling to control the writhing creatures. Spike’s eyes widened as he looked on at his massive cousins, unable to fathom just how large they were compared to him. Twilight was more concerned as to why they were being brought out. A show of force, or was this truly a trap?

At the sight of Spike, the drakes hissed and growled, snapping their jaws towards the party and tossing their heads about with force. Dragons were known to be very territorial creatures, especially amongst their own species, with most nesting and feeding grounds belonging to much larger females and the drakes getting scraps. Spike, no matter how small and completely different he was to them, would have been seen as a challenge.

“These drakes are the first to successfully mature and grow large. They will be given to Luna, and then we will have more eggs, more drakes, and soon, real dragons.” Lockjaw looked up at the mural in the ceiling of the arena, smiling with delight at the thought of ravaging the underground with an army of dragons and dogs.

“The greatest gift Luna has given us is not this temple, nor the dragons,” Lockjaw continued, pointing a claw at his crimson eyes, “It is blood all of the blessed chosen drink. The blood of the ascended. The blood of Luna.”

“What?” “Impossible!” “No!” The responses were varied but the feelings behind them were the same. Confusion and disbelief ran rampant on the faces of the ponies, none more clearly than on the Chantry sister Fluttershy. She looked at Twilight for an answer or simple guidance, fear of the dog’s words marring her features.

Twilight looked at Lockjaw and his eyes, piecing together the words of the alpha dog as well as the sights within the mountain temple. They were raising the dragonkin within the mountain for an army, supposedly given to them by Luna. They offered Luna gemstones as tribute, and supposedly drank her blood to obtain her blessing.

“The high dragon that lays all the eggs,” Twilight said, looking Lockjaw dead in the eyes, “You think the dragon that lives on this mountain is Luna!”

“We do not ‘think’, heretic!” Lockjaw bellowed as he pounded his hammer on the stone floor, “We know it to be true! Luna has been reborn in the skin of the enemy she has vanquished and returned to her final resting place to find her believers! The ponies were not here, so she showed her favour to the diamond dogs!”

Lockjaw wiped the spittle from his mouth, before turning to one his soldiers. He barked some orders in a tongue Twilight did not recognize, and watched as the soldier yelped and dashed into a hallway. Several moments later the guard returned, carefully carrying a small crystal phial holding dark blood within.

The alpha dog lifted the phial to its nose, lifting the glass stopper for a moment and wafting the smell of the blood, clearly desiring the contents while barely resisting the urge from devouring the blood himself. He held the phial in one open paw, as if offering it to the ponies below.

“Perhaps we can make believers of you yet,” he said, “You seek the Mane of Stars, the false relic at the summit of the mountain. There you will find a smaller temple, and within that a spirit known as the Guardian. No dog has been able to enter the temple and return because of this guardian who protects the Mane. Any we send is either returned to us, or does not return at all. The Guardian does not know of you and will let you enter. Once you are inside, take the strands of the Mane that you need, and then pour the blood of Luna onto the Mane. Without the power of the demonic artifact, Luna can take her place on the summit of the mountain, where the lyrium is richest. There the eggs will grow to become those of true dragons.”

“You did not want violence between us,” Lockjaw threatened with a sneer, “This will cement our cooperation and you will still have the strands of the Mane you seek. Unite the blood of the present with the mane of the past, and not only will our victory over the donkeys be assured, but we will also pledge our dragons to help you! Think of the destruction you could wreak upon your enemies with our combined might!”

Twilight held up a hoof, a motion to request to speak. “I’ll need to confer with the rest of my group,” she said. Lockjaw nodded, turning to speak with his own people as Twilight gathered the rest of the group around her.

Twilight herself felt at odds, which she explained in detail. The dogs were offering great power in the form of drakes and even dragons under their command which would surely tip the battle in their favour against the ponyspawn and their archdemon master. It also meant possibly defiling the remains of a goddess. Never had the Wardens saying of “do what we must” felt so vile.

“Having dragons on our side would be pretty awesome,” Dash suggested, keeping a wary, yet thoughtful eye on one of the drakes, “I just don’t like the idea of doing that to a pony’s body, even if it’s just a mane.”

“We need to cure Applebloom and Macintosh,” reminded Applejack, who also looked conflicted, “Ah never thought we would pay this sort of price. Ah may have hated bein’ raised by the Chantry to be one of their templar, but ah have nothin’ against the Chant or Celestia and Luna. This seems wrong Twilight. Mighty wrong.”

“We can’t do what Lockjaw says,” Fluttershy stated in a much more raised voice than usual, much to the surprise of the party and the anger of the dogs within earshot, “I know a lot of this seems strange and awful, but we can’t defile the Mane. Think about what it would do to the world if it were ever found like that, or never found at all! It was a symbol of hope!”

A symbol of hope that has already claimed the lives of countless knights and a poet scholar, Twilight thought to herself. Still, Fluttershy was right. They did not know enough about the Mane of Stars to judge whether it was real or not, and definitely not enough about the diamond dogs to believe their word was worth anything.

“It is too similar to blood magic for the Great and Powerful Trixie’s liking,” the boastful magician added, eying the phial of dragonblood critically, “Anything related to the Dark Arts gets her personal seal of disapproval.”

“They may be big and smelly,” Pinkie chimed in, “But there is something about their eyes that makes me think they are big meanie mcmeanerpants, and they are not wearing any pants!”

“I do not know much of the Chant,” Rarity said, deciding to add her two bits in the discussion, “But I must agree with Trixie, for once. Not about the Dark Arts, but something around here feels too similar to the workings of Flemeth. It was not until I felt the magic at work around the drakes and the dogs that I felt the same malevolent energy as I have sensed around her.”

“Never trust a dog,” Shale growled, never once taking its eyes off Lockjaw, “The large one may sound intelligent, but underneath the false brain is a savage ready to gnaw on your bones.” The party was therefore in agreement; they would not defile the Mane of Stars with dragonsblood. The question was what would the diamond dogs do, and seeing the aggressive actions of the alpha and his soldiers, there was no doubt in Twilight’s mind that battle was sure to come.

As the mage Warden began to silently weave a spell of protection around the party, she looked at the drakes and their dog masters. Lockjaw was awaiting their answer, and had both paws gripped tight in warning around his war hammer. Twilight took a deep breath, spell ready to be launched at a moment’s notice.

“We have to decline the task you want us to perform,” the lavender unicorn announced, keeping her protective spell prepared, “We don’t want to fight you, but we cannot perform something so close to blood magic on a relic that may or may not be real. There is a chance the relic is real, and it would be an act of sacrilege the likes no pony has ever committed to defile the mane with blood. We came here to find the relic and heal two very sick ponies, not to fight a people we didn’t even know existed. With all due respect, we refuse.”

Lockjaw regarded the purple pony and the group for a moment, before nodding to the dogs who were handling the drakes. “Just as the heretics before you, then,” he said, surprisingly calm until Twilight noticed he foamed from the mouth.

“Heretics make good eating. KILL THEM! CRUSH THEM! I want their blood in my bowl before the day is through!”

A new chorus of barking and growling dogs rang out throughout the arena as the drake handlers released their charges, shouting orders to attack the party. The drakes obeyed, hissing with anticipation as they advanced, their claws digging into the ground beneath them. The guard dogs attacked as well, launching a volley of spears and arrows at the group.

Twilight reacted quickly, erecting her shield in time to catch the first projectile assault. Trixie’s horn and staff began to glow as well, forming another barrier to overlap the one Twilight had cast. They were now protected from attack, but could not counter their enemies as long as they were in the shield.

I tried to avoid fighting, Twilight though as both her and Trixie’s intertwined shields were being pelted by all sorts of crude weapons, I don’t know these dogs. I didn’t even know their kind of species existed. Are they all like this? Is this why the donkeys warred with them? They are not ponyspawn or demons, I shouldn’t be fighting them.

“Are you going to just sit there and contemplate your hooves all day?” Dash asked with a voice filled with annoyance, “We have to fight now! Chastise yourself later, after we avoid being eaten by dragons!”

The assassin pegasus was right. It was them or the dogs, and too many ponies in Equestria needed them to succeed in their quest. She began to channel the shield to act as a concussive force, just as she did against the Desire Demon in Red Apple. It would knock the dogs off their paws and give the party a chance to counter attack.

Twilight began to shift the spell into the force needed, wordlessly merging strands of magic that made up her shield and Trixie’s together. The white-maned mage realized this and began to help, twisting the arcane bands properly while Twilight fed them power. It was interesting that the two who had gone on as unknown rivals back in the Tower would work so harmoniously together; Twilight brought the raw magical power of her special talents, and Trixie crafted the power with technique.

The others were preparing to fight as well. Applejack and Rainbow had their blades out and ready, while Pinkie primed a large grenade, twisting the arming mechanism to detonate in a few moments. Fluttershy shook with fright as the drakes drew ever closer, but the presence of Shale standing in front of her seemed to calm her somewhat.

“As the meek one stood for me against the demons, so too shall I stand in front of it,” Shale said, looking over at Fluttershy, “I do not wish to be in anypony’s debt. Ready your arrows, pegasus.”

Rarity’s horn glowed bright with magical power as the staff moved in between the group, marking the ground in a white light until it took the form of a powerful glyph. While she had not personally seen the white unicorn’s glyph in action, Twilight did learn that it was another facet of Flemeth’s magic at work. As per Rarity, however, the glyph was highly intricate as the staff swept across the floor like pen on parchment.

Before Twilight could give the word, Spike tugged on her robes to get her attention. The dragon knight did not have his sword out and blazing, and the look on his eyes spoke of grave concerns. “Twilight,” he said, looking at the drakes that clawed at the shield, “Those are dragons just like me. I don’t want to fight them. I can’t fight them. Isn’t there anything we can do to help them?”

Her fears were confirmed as she looked at Spike with sad eyes. More powerful than seeing the eggs in the rookery was the sight of mature drakes, giving a good example of what sort of dragon Spike would one day grow up to be. Now they were forced to fight and likely slay them, or be devoured themselves. Even if they could remove the influence of the diamond dogs, they would become little more than wild beasts hungering for flesh as well as gems, just as it seemed the dogs had trained them to act.

“I’m sorry Spike,” Twilight said, turning her gaze back to the oncoming battle, “It’s us or them. I didn’t want to come to this, but this is how Lockjaw forced it. I’m so sorry.”

The infant dragon shook his head, standing away from the drakes as they lurched forward. His eyes were filled with doubt and worry, his loyalty to his friends in conflict with some deep seated fear of bringing harm to the only fellow dragons he ever knew. With the party ready to fight, the Warden nodded to Trixie. Both horns and staves pulsed with magic, forcing the barrier to expand and push outward, slamming into dog and drake alike.

The diamond dogs were unprepared for such an attack with several of their numbers being knocked onto their behinds, losing or even breaking their bows and spears from the shockwave. The drakes on the other hoof were largely unaffected, whether it was because of some immunity to magic or simply their sheer size. They hissed before lunging forward, long necks craning their heads towards the ponies as their sharp teeth were eager to tear into flesh.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash sprang forward, narrowly dodging the biting head of one drake while cutting its soft underbelly with their blades. Shale charged into another drake, bashing its skull right into the belly of the beast while Fluttershy fired arrows. The third drake was being distracted and warded off by Pinkie’s grenades, as well as growling in pain the moment it stepped into Rarity’s glyph.

The fighting quickly turned to the party’s favour as Trixie began to channel one of her signature chants. As the magic from the chant swirled around them, Twilight could feel her body become lighter and stronger, and also felt warmer as her body took on a shining glow. Everyone in the group took the benefit of Trixie’s chanted spell, attacking the drakes with greater fervor. The twin bladed attacks of templar Warden and assassin in tandem with the debilitating glyph by Rarity had worked; one of the drakes fell with a loud quake.

At the sight of one of their precious drakes having fallen, chaos erupted amongst the dogs. Rage that one of ‘Luna’s’ brood had been killed and disbelief that their mightiest weapon was taken down by ponies. The diamond dogs were split as to what to do, with several taking up arms and barking curses, while others fled from the battlefield. They did not act in hostility however as they watched the battle unfold; fear for their lives held them back. If the ponies could take down one drake, what hope did a dog have against them?

Lockjaw howled his answer as he leaped into the arena with his hammer held tight within his paws as he spat the foam from his mouth. “Heretics! Unbelievers! You will all pay for your sacrilege! I will suck the marrow from your bones and bathe in your blood! Your skulls will be used to bring our offerings to Luna!”

“Wow,” Pinkie said as she bounced towards Lockjaw, “You really are a meany mcmeanerpants. And really hammy too, but I guess being evil means you’re allowed to be hammy!”

The alpha dog growled as he swung his war hammer, but even the mightiest blow from the hammer proved futile against the elusive Pinkie Pie, who deftly dodged the blow, leaving a short-fused lyrium grenade where she once stood. The grenade exploded, engulfing Lockjaw in bright blue flame.

The giant dog growled as the explosion burned his fur and flesh as well as melting the armour Lockjaw was wearing into his body. Despite the damage dealt, Lockjaw continued to swing his hammer at Pinkie, the attacks progressively getting closer and closer. He was moving his body quicker, and though he missed, the hammer was leaving larger craters in the floor.

“Twilight!”

The shout made Twilight spin on her hooves towards Trixie. The chanted glow was gone as the blue magician was being attacked by a drake, one of her hind legs bitten by the male dragon’s sharp teeth. A look of sheer terror was painted on her face as she screamed for help.

Twilight dashed towards the drake, jumping onto the creatures back before wrapping her hooves around the thick neck. Staff floating near, she began to pummel the drake with simple arcane blasts, trying to distract the giant wyrm enough to release Trixie.

The plan worked. The drake let go of Trixie’s leg, now focusing its attention on the annoying magical mare hanging off its scales. The monster swung its head to and fro, trying to dislodge Twilight. All she could do was curse futilely as she was being swung, chiding herself over not coming up with a better plan.

Pain struck Twilight as the dragon’s claws scratched deep into her flank, tearing at her robes and flesh. Her cutie mark was in bloody tatters as she let go of the neck, falling to her side on the ground below. The drake roared triumphantly over the wounded body of Twilight, then thrust its jaws forward for a bite of unicorn skin.

“No!” cried Spike as he moved to block the path between the waiting eager fangs and his unicorn caregiver. With a deep breath, he breathed a stream of green flames into the face of the drake, scorching the eyes of the large predator. The drake reeled back in pain, clutching its face in its talons, warding off further fiery forays. Spike took advantage of the drake’s temporary blindness, chomping down on the hilt of the flame sword while climbing across the scales of the larger dragon. His claws made climbing the monstrosity easy, and the young knight quickly made it to the top of the drake’s skull.

Twilight could only watch as she laboriously pulled herself up from her injuries. Pinkie had dropped her bag of alchemical materials in the midst of battle, leaving the poultices alone. Twilight levitated a pair of the healing medicine, one for her injuries and another for Trixie before turning back to the downed unicorn. As she poured the contents of the phial onto her flank, the lavender unicorn looked on in disbelief as Spike struck the male dragon’s head with stiff strikes from his enchanted blade. Pure fury was etched on his face as he scorched the drake over and over again, until he finally rammed the blade into the creature’s eye.

The drake could only give a weak growl as it collapsed; the flames from the enchantment more than enough to wreak havoc to the inside of its skull. Despite his victory, the baby dragon could barely stand after felling the monster that threatened Twilight. Spike soon collapsed under the fatigue, the burning sword clattering on the ground with its flame snuffed.

Exerting enough power to levitate Spike and bring him closer, Twilight looked on as the combined efforts of Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Fluttershy defeated the last of the drakes while Shale moved to assist Pinkie against Lockjaw. With the defeat of their drakes, many of the dogs were fleeing from the arena, not wanting anything to do with the ponies, baby dragon, and golem that slew their prized weapons.

As Twilight limped over to the downed Trixie, she winced as she looked over the wound. Trixie’s rear leg was completely mangled; blood flowed freely and bone was exposed by the light made from the crystals of the chamber. Twilight’s mage compatriot sobbed as she looked away from her ruined leg, even though Twilight was doing her best to apply the healing poultice to the limb. The red liquid worked slowly, twisting flesh together, but even a full phial was not enough to repair the damage done.

“I-it hurts…” Trixie moaned, tears streaming from her face, “I don’t want to lose my leg! I don’t want to die! Please…”

Twilight held Trixie’s hoof, only to have her own foreleg gripped by the blue unicorn’s limbs like a vice. She needed Pinkie’s expertise on alchemical medicines to help Trixie, but the pink earth pony was still engaged with the alpha dog.

Lockjaw was moving faster and stronger now, even though he had suffered grievous injuries. Whatever mirth held by Pinkie was soon lost as the alpha dog’s hammer inched ever closer. Even Shale had to be careful, knowing all too well that while blades and arrows were not a threat to its rocky hide, a good hammer blow could cause Shale to crumble.

“I can do this all day and all night, ponies,” Lockjaw said, as those still capable of fighting surrounded him, “The blood of Luna makes me strong! I am a reaver of heretics!”

Pinkie reached for her belt with her tail, clicking a grenade ready and tossing it into the air. Before Twilight or anypony could say she missed, the grenade detonated, shaking the rocks and stalagmites free. Gravity took over as the stone fell, one after another crushing Lockjaw under their weight. One stalagmite pierced the arm of the massive dog, forcing him to drop his hammer and cover his head.

The cave-in worked to smother Lockjaw, but it was also working to crush the ponies. They could go to the doors of the arena, but they would likely be sealed to prevent their escape. Twilight looked up to a large upwards staircase that Lockjaw had pointed to; that passage would lead to the summit of the mountain.

“The stairs!” Twilight shouted, “We need to get up those stairs! Rarity! Help lift Trixie!” Twilight tried to move quickly up the rocks, but the wound to her flank had not healed, and the extra weight from Spike made climbing the rocky side of the arena difficult.

Suddenly the magical Warden felt her body lifted from the ground, hooves dangling as she was carried away from the ground. To her left was Rainbow Dash while to her right was Fluttershy, both pegasi holding the unicorn aloft as they made their way to the staircase.

“Don’t worry Twilight,” Fluttershy said with a smile, even though her eyes were darting from Twilight to the falling rocks around them.

“We got you!” Rainbow added as they carried Twilight and Spike to safety. Rarity had already leapt up the rocks to higher level followed by Applejack and Pinkie. Shale was last as the white unicorn used her magic to levitate the wounded Trixie out of harm’s way.

Before Pinkie could join her friends, the massive paw of Lockjaw sprang from the rubble, grasping her hind leg as the alpha dog leered from beyond the rocks. “Heretics!” he growled, “I won’t let you bring harm to Luna! I won’t let you take away our destiny!”

“Do shut up.” Shale reared upwards before slamming both hooves into the face of Lockjaw, pressing the giant dog deeper into the rubble. Unceremoniously bumping Pinkie onto its back, Shale made their way to the top of the mound, with the entire party finally escaping the cave-in.

The party looked haggard and weary from the battle, but worse was the cave-in had sealed the way down the mountain. They were trapped, with the only way out to the summit. Twilight couldn’t help but smile however, as that meant they were finally on their way to the true tomb of Luna where the Mane of Stars awaited them.

However, the damage from the battle was dealt. Twilight’s flank still felt tender, but at least her wound was easily healed. Pinkie began trying to apply generous helpings of healing poultice to Trixie’s leg, but the damage was irreparable, and she was likely to be lame permanently. The worst case would be to remove the leg entirely should infection set in.

The blue unicorn did not want to say anything, refusing all attempts of condolence and conversations with a sharp word and a dirty look. The pain in her face spoke volumes of what the injury had done, not only physically but mentally as well. She spoke not a word as she was being carried by Shale through the tunnel.

“Twilight,” Rarity said as they walked slowly through the upwards cavern, “Look ahead.”

Twilight did, seeing that they were almost at the exit. She could see the stars and crescent of the moon high in the sky. They were close to the outside world since Shale forced their way into the mountain.

“Twilight, dear, look again,” Rarity pointed a hoof, “Was there not those awful storms when we were climbing this simply ghastly mountain?”

“Maybe the storms passed,” Twilight replied, though she was unable to believe her own words. The storms were made by the pegasi skylords of ages lost, charged by magic to storm forever. They could not see the clear sky on their way up the mountain, and there was no sign that the storm was simply going to lull itself over. As the party left the cavern and back into the open air, Twilight could see the effects of the storms; they were still raging strong, but against the outside of the mountain. Instead where they stood was perfectly calm, where even the air was comfortable.

They all stopped and gasped at the sight on the top of the mountain. Laying in wait on the summit was the most regal, most majestic, most powerful appearance any of them had ever seen. Something so large and so grand had to belong to something great, and there it was, waiting for the ponies to gaze upon the might of centuries.

“That temple is real pretty!” Pinkie chimed in as the ponies stood slack-jawed. “But get a load of that!”

There, sleeping on a ridge of the mountain near the tomb of Luna, final resting place of the Mane of Stars and long sought after treasure of pilgrims and believers everywhere, was the most powerful destructive force the natural world had ever seen. The high dragon.

---

Chapter 18 - Riddles and Regrets

Twilight watched the sleeping form of the high dragon carefully as the ponies made their way towards the temple. The great beast was dozing off somewhat peacefully, its tail waving against the wind while dark smog rose from its nostrils. The dragon’s deep breaths could be heard across the small valley that was between the true temple of Luna and the tunnel from where the party had just arrived. Underneath the dragon was a hoard of treasures, an assortment of gold and jewels as well as several artifacts and shining weapons. The high dragon clawed at its bounty while in deep slumber, tossing several coins off the edge of the ridge the mighty wyrm used as its nest.

They all gaped at the gigantic red dragon sleeping soundly until Applejack stepped forwards towards the temple. “Come on, y’all,” she said as she trudged through the snow on the mountain summit, “Ain’t no use starin’ and gawkin’. Let sleeping dragons lie and all that. We’re real close to the Mane.”

Twilight agreed, and the party continued on their way towards the true tomb. It was hard not to stare at the high dragon though, especially for Spike who could not wrest his eyes away from his much larger brethren.

“Is that what my mom looks like Twilight?” Spike asked as he sat on the mage’s back. Twilight looked at Spike and then back to the high dragon, trying to picture a beast with large spines across its back and a horned crest on its head, only green and purple like her favoured assistant.

“I think so Spike,” she answered, trying to decide how best to answer the question. Would Spike want to go and seek out the high dragon that laid his egg? Maybe find the merchant that had sold his egg to the Tower to find his dragon matriarch? Find other dragon eggs and whelps similar to him?

Twilight couldn’t bear the thought of losing Spike, but unlike battle against the ponyspawn, it would be something she could not stop if Spike truly wanted to search. He had every right to find his own family, though Twilight did not think most high dragons were too broken up about their eggs being taken. The fact that the diamond dogs had rookeries full of them seemed to indicate this particular high dragon had no love lost for her brood.

All around them the storms continued to surge, yet the calm on the actual summit spoke volumes about the powers held by the pegasi skylords of old. That their storm was still protecting the tomb of Luna after hundreds of years was a testament to incredible knowledge, but also a reminder of what the pegasi had lost. Twilight felt saddened that such knowledge was apparently lost to the mists of time, though her two pegasi friends did not seem so broken up about it.

Twilight rolled her eyes. They were too busy focusing on the dragon of course.

“For something so big and awesome looking, it sure has the right idea,” Rainbow said, “I could use with a power nap right about now.”

“A dragon is not awesome, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy replied, hiding behind Shale, only taking peeking glimpses of the dragon, “High dragons are scary and mean and…”

“And so are ponyspawn and demons.” Rainbow sighed in exasperation. “What’s

a dragon compared to the whole Blight or the Fade? We’ve gone up against things no pony in their right minds would stand against. You helped fight!”

Fluttershy gave an audible gulp. “Yes. Those were small, and mostly pony sized. This is different. That dragon can eat one of us in one bite, or could breathe fire and roast us, or roar and toss us off the mountain, or use its big scary claws, or...”

“That’s enough now, ya hear?” Applejack called to the back, “Yes, that dragon there is real big and real scary. But it’s also asleep, so if we mosey into the temple, find the Mane and leave right quick, we won’t have to worry about it wakin’ up and wantin’ a snack.”

They continued in much-needed silence until at last arriving on the steps of the great temple. Despite the storms and the considerable passage of time, the temple still looked pristine and shining in the dark of night, a beacon unparalleled in today’s age of battered buildings. Every marking and word was clear and readable, even though Twilight could not translate the ancient text.

“This is it,” Twilight breathed as they gazed upon the massive doors of the temple, “This is the final resting place of Luna. The home of the Mane of Stars.”

“Welcome, pilgrim ponies.” A voice, calm yet powerful, echoed through the doors. Unlike the voice that spoke to Twilight and the others in the temple when she read the names of the Old Ones, this voice filled the lavender unicorn with warmth, hope and courage. The doors opened wide, revealing the dark halls of the tomb until they were illuminated in a faint blue glow from crystal orbs hanging from the ceiling.

A visage of an earth pony formed from the darkness, with the shape of a strong armoured warrior comprised of a constellation. The pony of stars bowed to the party, almost in reverence before returning his gaze upwards. Twilight caught her breath at the sight of the starry equine; this was one of the wonders she had hoped to see on her journeys.

The pony of stars pulsed with magic, but each wave felt welcoming rather than warning. This was likely the Guardian that Lockjaw had mentioned, yet despite his title, Twilight felt no threat from him. She looked to her friends, who all seemed to bask in the warmth from the Guardian. Fluttershy did not look afraid or shy in the least, and even Shale seemed pleased to meet the sentinel of the tomb.

“For the first time in my long vigil, pilgrims have met the challenges of the mountain, of the storm, and of the temple. In life I was Hauberk, Element of Loyalty and follower of Luna against the Old Ones. Now I am Judicator of the Gauntlet and Guardian of the Mane of Stars.” Hauberk bowed again, this time with the party reciprocating in acknowledgement.

“I have watched many a power climb this mountain, only to be felled by the storm,” the Guardian continued, “I have seen my children and their descendants dwindle until there was no more. I could do nothing as the dogs arrived and in their foolishness saw the dragon as Luna reborn and cut down other pilgrims before they could reach this place. To you, Applejack, I am sorry for the loss of the knights of Red Apple. And you, Fluttershy, I am sorry for the loss of Brother Biblio of the Chantry. They were good ponies, who wanted to help their lord and bring light and hope to the world.”

“Wait a minute,” Applejack said calmly, “How do you know all this? We just met!”

“The stars in the sky speak, young one,” Hauberk answered, “I know of you all from what the stars have told me. I know you and Twilight Sparkle are Walkers of the Grey, or Grey Wardens as the order is now known. I also know Twilight Sparkle holds doubt in her heart that this quest to defeat the Blight will end in failure, and that she will be at fault. I know you, Applejack, fear the weight of the legacy thrust upon you, and that you feel you cannot bear the burden of your father’s crown. I know of your friend Pinkie Pie, the guard who lost her family but seeks them out. I know of Rainbow Dash the assassin, who lives with internal conflict as a result of her actions. I know of Rarity the unicorn who follows in the steps of the Mare of the Mire, even though she refuses to admit it. I know of Fluttershy the bard, who still holds fear of every creeping shadow.”

“I know of Trixie the magician, who still doubts her talents and abilities and fears their dark nature. I know of Shale the golem, who struggles between wanting to recover its memories and wishing to forget completely and enjoy ignorance. I know of Spike the dragon, who bears the burden of guilt with him and will not let it go.”

The words of the Guardian struck the listeners hard. Twilight looked around, watching as her friends looked away while taking in the words of Hauberk. She knew the journey would bring new weights to their shoulders, but she never realized how their old burdens still dragged them down.

What Hauberk said about her was true, when Twilight stopped to think about it. As much as she hated to admit it, she did fear that their quest was doomed. There were so many places to go, so many ponies to meet and convince. There were also many challenges to face and many battles to fight. All that they needed was to lose one, and all of Equestria would be covered by the evil tide that was the ponyspawn.

“You have come to this place on a noble quest,” continued Hauberk, “To save the lives of Arl Macintosh and Applebloom. Know that you will be able to enter the temple and face its trials.”

“Please wait,” Rarity interjected, “We climbed this horrible mountain, suffered the storm, and did battle against those atrocious dogs, and now we have to face more trials? Haven’t we done enough?”

“By the will of Celestia and Luna, the trials must be completed.” On this Hauberk would not budge, punctuating his statement with a stomp of a hoof.. Twilight groaned inwardly as Rainbow made her complaints known. There always seemed to be more challenges to overcome.

Twilight stepped forward onto the steps of the tomb, feeling the cold alabaster stone under her hooves. She took each step with respect, fully knowing that she was the first pony in years to ascend the steps, not including the dogs that had tried to enter and defile the relic within. Every hoofstep made her heart skip a beat, not about the upcoming trials, but rather about the wonders they were all about to encounter. Everything about the temple was a mystery, and Twilight wanted to plumb its secrets and study every stone.

When she finally made her way to Hauberk, Twilight was amazed at what formed the Guardian’s body upon closer inspection. The stars that made up his constellation were brilliant orbs of light, as if she was staring into the depths of night sky closer than she ever thought possible. Swirls of gas, dust and energy could be seen around the clusters, while blue lines linked the stars together like a simple skeleton.

Hauberk chuckled, catching Twilight off-guard. “The curiosity of youth,” he said, “How I miss that. Today is truly a wonderful day for us all. Come. The tomb and the trials await you.”

The rest of the ponies made their way up the steps except for Shale, who still had Trixie on its back. When Twilight turned a puzzled eye towards the golem, Shale could only sit on the snow, casting a careful glance at the sleeping magician mare, though not resting soundly.

“The loud one’s wound is great,” Shale said, “Admirable if I had been the one to cause it, but no good for traversing a tomb of tricks and traps. I have no need for such religious nonsense. I will stay here with it and keep it safe, relatively.”

Before Twilight could give thanks, Pinkie bounced over to Shale, dropping off several bottles of poultice as well as other concoctions at the golem’s feet. While Pinkie rattled off the exact usage of the medicines, Twilight looked down to Spike, noticing that he also did not take foot on the steps. His gaze was still fiercely locked on the high dragon nestled away on the rocky ridge.

“Aren’t you coming Spike?” Twilight asked, “We’re here. Don’t you want to explore the temple with us?”

“I can’t, Twilight,” Spike replied with a shrug, “I just… can’t.”

“As young as the dragon is, he is still a dragon,” said Hauberk, “All dragons carry the blood of the Old Ones, from the smallest eggs to the mighty high dragons. In the time of Luna, the Imperium used Reavers, those who drank dragon blood, to take on their power as their most feared assailants. They cannot enter, for the spells within will keep them out to protect the Mane of Stars. It is this that prevented the corrupted Diamond Dogs from entering the sanctuary. I am sorry.”

Twilight did not want to leave Spike alone, and especially from such a discovery as the tomb of Luna, but they did not have much of a choice. As long as Shale was with Spike and Trixie, and as long as the high dragon remained asleep, there was no threat to them. She hoped.

She nodded to Shale, who responded with a smug nod of its own, seeming to remember all too well the words Twilight had spoken the last time she left her ward with the golem. Twilight embraced Spike one last time, holding him tight before letting go and returning to the steps that the magic would not let him climb.

Once they were all on the stairs, Hauberk turned into the temple proper, closely followed by the six ponies. As they made their way into the antechamber, the heavy stone doors magically closed behind them, causing Fluttershy to squeak and Dash to go for her dagger. Twilight’s heart beat thudded louder, but she did not feel afraid of a trap. The soft blue glow of the crystals hanging overhead gave a sense of calm as Hauberk turned towards them once again.

“Before you all continue further, know that this is the first trial within the tomb of Luna,” Hauberk began, looking over the ponies assembled before him, “I will ask you all a question and all you must do is answer with clarity and honesty. I ask for nothing more, nothing less.”

“That’s it?” said Rainbow in disbelief, “That’s the dangerous first trial? Just asking a question? I thought temple trials were gonna be hard. If that’s all, then come on! Lay it on me!”

The Guardian regarded the cyan pegasus with a critical eye. “Rainbow Dash of Equestria, of Pura Raza. Assassin of the Wonderbolts. You journeyed from afar to return to your homeland to escape the ravages of life in Pura Raza. Here you hoped to escape from the memories of the day your mother died, which you saw in every house and every building belonging to the Council of Six. I ask you this: do you hold regret in your heart of what you have become?”

“What I’ve become? I’m awesome! I’m great! I’m better than ever!” Despite the confidence she portrayed, Rainbow’s ears flicked backwards as Hauberk continued to stare her down, clearly unsatisfied with her answer. Twilight bit her lip as she watched the question; if the cyan pegasus didn’t answer the question truthfully, all their journey up the Frosttop Mountains would be for nothing.

Dash trailed off her tirade as every ounce of bravado fell from her lips into nothing, looking away from the constellation guardian. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes as both her ears and wings drooped low. Hauberk simply stared at her, saying nothing as Dash mulled over what he had asked.

“I’m what my mom never wanted me to be,” Rainbow said at last, looking up into the starry depths of the Guardian’s eyes, “Mom was a killer, an assassin for a group no better than the Shadowbolts, especially under Reinhardt. He made the Shadowbolts look like charity workers once he took Despiadado’s spot on the Council, and I helped him get there. I became just like my mom, taking bits and killing ponies. Maybe I was angry at her, for not telling me the truth. For dying. Maybe I’m angry at myself.”

Dash took a deep breath before continuing. “I do regret what I’ve become. I’m everything my mom never wanted me to be. I can’t take back the lost years though, and what I don’t regret is finding all these great gals. Sure we met kind of bumpy, but I know they have my back with anything, in a fight, or in the Fade, or anywhere. I’ll never leave any of them hanging.”

The Guardian simply nodded his head as he smiled, showing no sign that Dash had either completed or failed the trial. What Twilight did notice that Rainbow Dash seemed brighter, as if a great weight was lifted off her shoulders. That must have been the purpose of the trial; to clear the mind of pilgrims of any doubt and have them face their regrets before continuing. Twilight couldn’t help but shudder at what question Hauberk would ask her.

“Pinkie Pie of Equestria,” Hauberk said to the pink earth pony, “Guard of Ponyring, bringer of merriment to those around you. You lived life to the fullest with your family, bringing joy to all you could. You also did your best to avoid conflict, fearing the unhappiness it would bring onto others. To that end, you encouraged a compromise between your sisters to stay in Ponyring, but found it was too late when the ponyspawn attacked. Do you regret your decision, or lack thereof, leaving your choice to fate alone?”

Pinkie’s mane and tail deflated, much like they did during battle or when she was depressed or angry. She looked up at Hauberk with sad eyes, tears already forming. “Yes,” she replied, though her voice cracked she still held back sorrow, “I do regret not making a decision sooner. I thought the danger wasn’t big enough to worry about. I thought everything was going to be fine and that the army was going to win and we could hold a big party with balloons and cakes and ribbons and everything. One decision made me lose track of my family, and who knows where they are now? I don’t!”

Her mane and tail then bounced back into curly proportions. “What I don’t regret is the same thing Dashie doesn’t regret!” Pinkie continued as she stretched her forelegs to grab everypony and bring them in for an impromptu hug, “I made lots of super nice friends, and they are the best friends anypony could have. I know they’re going to help me find my family, even if it takes us from party to party! I believe in them, and they believe in Pinkie!”

Hauberk chuckled at Pinkie, who also appeared brighter than usual. “Such joy. I have not seen such for centuries.” He then turned to Rarity, who seemed to be more interested in admiring a hoof than paying attention to the questions asked by the Guardian, “Rarity of Equestria, of the Potpourri Wilds. Mare of the Mire…”

“I’m sorry, dear, but that title is already owned by an unscrupulous and rather dingy pony,” Rarity interrupted, reinforcing her spell to protect her from dirt, “She may be dirty, but Flemeth is my adoptive mother, and the true Mare of the Mire. I may have been raised by her, but I still have standards.”

“Is that true?” questioned the spirit pony with a raised eyebrow, “You know of Flemeth’s magic of shapeshifting. You know of her glyphs, of her runes. You have finished reading the grimoire of Flemeth. Do you regret the knowledge you have learned, and the danger that knowledge will pose to you and your friends?”

Rarity shut her eyes and closed her ears, trying to block out the words and even the presence of Hauberk. When she finally opened her eyes, she sighed heavily, looking at the ground as if it was the most depressing thing she ever laid her eyes on.

“You were right, spirit,” Rarity began, “I am following in the hoofsteps of Flemeth, though not in any way I could recognize. I have learned powerful magic and simple spells, and wanted to bring a new level of beauty to ponies in a way Flemeth never understood. I wanted to live like the Filesians did, while still maintaining what made me different from her. Giving to ponies, not just taking. When she sent me on this journey, I thought she wanted me to learn and grow, as she did. After reading her book…”

The white unicorn turned to the rest of the party, levitating the thick black grimoire and placing it on the floor. “This book is a puzzle, and the result frightens me. I wish I never knew what was inside. It is a ritual Flemeth uses every time her mortal body is ready to die. She raises a unicorn filly and then takes that body for her own. The more powerful the filly, the better for Flemeth. I’m that filly.”

“What I truly regret is that I know what Flemeth will do if I try to escape her. She is vengeful, and she will hurt all of you to get to me. I could not bear the thought of her hurting my friends. I’m scared.”

This answer appeared to have been enough for Hauberk, but it certainly was nothing compared to the shock felt by Twilight and the rest of the party. Knowing what Flemeth had planned for Rarity was frightening to say the least. Unlike Dash and Pinkie, Rarity did not seem more uplifted from expressing her regrets. If anything, she seemed darkened, huddled away to wallow in her own despair. Twilight wanted to ask Rarity for more information, maybe using her special talent with magic to help combat the Mare of the Mire’s strange and twisted ritual, but Hauberk had already moved on to Fluttershy.

The yellow pegasus shrunk under the gaze of the tomb’s sentry, holding her amulet of sun and moon in her hooves as Hauberk loomed over her. “Fluttershy of Filais,” he said, ignoring Fluttershy’s squeaks of fright, “Sister of the Chantry. You have supposedly been visited by Celestia herself through dreams and prophecies. Such is a bold claim when Celestia has been silent since the time of Luna. Do you regret not showing courage in Filais as you have when you interpreted your dreams to match your own conclusions?”

Fluttershy hid behind her pink hair, shivering as she mewled her response. Hauberk simply kept his gaze until the Chantry sister rose from her seated position, looking around at her friends for support before matching eyes with the spirit guard.

“Yes,” she answered like the others, “I should have stood up to Artistic Finish earlier. I should have stopped being a bard when I knew I was happy living with the General, with Lady Elegant, with Glorieux and Magnifique. I should have shown courage during my escape from Filais. I caused so much trouble, so much pain, all because I couldn’t stand up for myself.”

“Twilight said I was brave, but I didn’t believe her at first. I was terrified by the monsters she was supposed to fight, and I hated fighting anything at all. But when I saw a friend in trouble, I knew I had to make a stand or lose them forever. I made my choice, just like I did when I had the dream, and when I saw the firebird. I don’t regret that choice.”

“Such bravery does you credit, Fluttershy of Filais,” Hauberk said and then turned to Applejack who stood tall, waiting for her turn to be questioned. “Applejack, heir to the Throne of Equestria. You, who bear the burden to defeat the Blight, restore your siblings to good health, and soon to face a succession crisis against the widow of the King. Do you-”

“Ah regret alotta things.” Applejack was quick on the draw, narrowing her eyes towards Hauberk who was taken aback by such brashness. “Yeah, I regret not telling Macintosh and the advisers where to stick their plan to send me to the templars. Ah regret getting all wound up and breaking my mama’s amulet just to prove a point. Ah regret not being with Duncan to the end, if ah could help him or even save him.”

“What ah do know is that regrettin’ don’t solve nothin’. You start lookin’ back; you ain’t lookin’ forward where yer eyes should be and where yer hooves should go. It may have taken me a while to learn all that, but if there is anything that I’ve learned on this mess of a journey is that. Learn from yer mistakes; don’t stay with em like a stick in mud.”

Hauberk seemed to smile at Applejack’s quick response. “You will make a fine queen for your ponies,” he said, “Should you accept your crown.” Twilight gulped as Hauberk turned to her, feeling herself grow cold in anticipation of the question he was bound to ask.

He looked Twilight over for a moment, from horn to hoof with a cocked eyebrow. “You seem hesitant, Twilight Sparkle of Equestria,” the Guardian said, “You have seen what I asked your friends. You should be well prepared with a response to my question.”

Twilight tried to speak, only to fall into silence with Hauberk’s raised hoof. Waiting for Hauberk to ask was nerve wracking, leaving Twilight to jumble all the possible responses in her head at once. There was of course the chance he would ask something she would not have an answer to.

Sucking in another breath of air, Twilight tried to remain calm as she waited for the question. All the Guardian of the Gauntlet had asked was a truthful answer to a question. That was it, just the plain and simple truth. It sounded easy, but Twilight wondered if it was something Hauberk cared for, or if the answer was something she was supposed to face on her own.

“Like Applejack, you bear the burden to defeat the Blight,” Hauberk said at last, “Unlike her, this destiny was thrust upon you by Duncan. Regret is born from choice, Twilight Sparkle, or choosing not to at all. To act or to be indifferent is a choice we all face. All of your friends made a choice, which lead to their regrets. So I ask you this now; what do you regret?”

Twilight’s ears folded back against her head, expecting this question but not having a direct answer for it. “I regret a lot of things,” she replied softly, as images of her journey flashed before her eyes. Every pain she could have avoided and every hurt she made with her magic against others. Just as the Guardian said, everything she had done in the quest to defeat the ponyspawn was her choice.

That was it. That was the truth of the question. “I regret a lot of things,” Twilight spoke much more clearly, lifting her head up and shaking the melancholy from her thoughts, “Sometimes I made the wrong decision. Would I want to go back and make the better choice? Of course I would. But I won’t regret the fact that everything up to now was decided by me. I made the choice. I will make the choice again.”

From the center of Hauberk’s body erupted a blinding white light, engulfing the room completely. The party averted their eyes from the flash, Twilight wondering if she failed the trial. She had answered the question truthfully; what if Hauberk was not satisfied with the answer?

When they could open their eyes again, Hauberk was gone and they were still in the antechamber. The only difference was that the door leading deeper into the tomb was now opened wide with the blue glow of hanging crystals giving only enough light to allow them safe crossing.

“You have passed the first trial,” came the disembodied voice of the Guardian of the Gauntlet, “Proceed to the Hall of the Elements, where those who followed the will of Celestia and Luna will give you the second trial. Sun and Moon protect you all.”

Without another word, Twilight stepped forward down the antechamber towards the next hall with the rest of the party in tow. As much as she wanted to confirm that they were all right from the questions posed by Hauberk, especially Rarity, forward was the only way to go, for now, until they found the Mane of Stars.

The Hall of the Elements was breathtaking.

The entire room was expertly carved from stone, just as the rest of the tomb was, but adorned in marvelous statues crafted from the finest crystal. All appeared to be polished to a mirror sheen, and they bore scenes of happiness and joy compared to the imagery of war and death in the lower temple. The hall was decorated with six statues of ponies, each carved from unique crystal: two earth ponies, two pegasi, and two unicorns. Each stood in a different pose, but all held a small stone orb near them with a different marking on it. They also had stone plaques with carved markings, though they were not written in any language Twilight understood.

Like the antechamber, the door on the other side of the hall was closed and likely not to open until the second trial was complete. Without the guidance of Hauberk, it was up to them to find the trial and complete it.

As the rest of the party split up to search the hall, Twilight was able to bring Rarity to a corner. The white unicorn still looked deeply upset from the ordeal of answering the question of regret. Rarity gave a look that plainly showed she did not wish to talk, but she was quickly pushed aside, leaving the two unicorns to talk in private.

“Everything I said was true,” Rarity began, “I am scared of what I learned from that black book. Flemeth is going to take my carefully perfected body. I mean, did you see her? She’ll make it all wrinkly and baggy and old.”

“This isn’t about just the looks though, isn’t it?” Twilight wanted to skip past the superficial aspect that Rarity always seemed so focused on and delve into the truth of the matter. Rarity sighed, looking away from her fellow unicorn.

“Flemeth is powerful and malicious, Twilight dear,” she said, “If she takes over my body, what if she goes after you and the others? I don’t care what happens to me, though I will admit I am frightened as to what happens to ‘me’ once she completes her spell. It’s the thought of harming any of you that pains me the most.”

“Don’t worry Rarity. We’re all here for you. We’ll figure something out to stop Flemeth and her magic.”

“I wish it were so simple,” Rarity sighed softly, “No use worrying about it in here. Let us help the others search. I must admit the décor of the tomb is rather appealing …”

They convened a short while later, noting that there was nothing in the hall except for the statues and words of text on the plaques beneath them. Twilight studied the plaques carefully, noting how similar they were to the scrap of parchment found with the old Warden treatise. Twilight grumbled in frustration; she couldn’t read the text on the parchment and now she couldn’t make heads or tails of the same ancient writings on the statues.

Pinkie leaned a hoof against one statue, tapping her chin with another hoof in deep thought. The idea that Pinkie’s gears were turning in contemplation made Twilight simultaneously appreciative of the effort and afraid of what those efforts would bring about. Knowing Pinkie, she would solve the problem with a muffin, a grenade or both: a party, in other words.

“I know!” Pinkie shouted in triumph, “What if we ask them nicely? Think about it, if Hauberk has been here for so long, maybe the temple itself just wants a friend to speak to! Those dogs were all ‘grr!’ so it wouldn’t do anything for them!”

Before Twilight could argue about talking to solid crystal statues, Pinkie was already bouncing about and talking to the motionless ponies. “Hi there! We were wondering if you could show us the second trial, please. It would be super great if you could!”

In what seemed like a response to Pinkie’s request, the stone orbs held by the statues began to glow,along with the writing on the stone pedestals which bore the statues. They watched in awe as the words shifted into readable Equestrian, the statues themselves becoming illuminated with powerful magic.

“Incredible,” Twilight breathed, looking at the stone edifices with awe, “Wait…” The unicorn opened her bag and pulled the small parchment with the strange ritual. Holding it up, she counted the six points on the page then looked up at the statues, realization dawning on her as she excitedly waved the ritual about.

“This! These ponies! This is what the Wardens wanted us to find!” Twilight’s eyes were lit up as she explained her discovery to the others in earnest, “Look, six points, six heroes, six Elements of Harmony! Now we just need to find out how they used them.”

“Maybe this will help,” suggested Pinkie, pointing at the writing underneath the statue of a strong-looking earth pony warrior who looked very much like Hauberk. They all huddled in front of the statue, watching in wonder as the old writings from ancient times glowed bright, shifting until they formed words in readable Equestrian. After the words were done changing, Twilight was able to read them clearly:

 “The bonds we forge are true as steel,

Never bending under our zeal,

Never falter in your conviction

To your friends give all devotion.

What am I?”

They all stood silent for a moment as they considered the riddle posed by the statue of Hauberk. Even Pinkie Pie had found pause. It was odd to be posed with a riddle in the middle of the temple, though it made sense that this was the second trial by how it was being delivered. It also meant that failure would mean ejection from the temple and failure to collect the Mane of Stars. It seems Luna favoured the clever, Twilight mused as she concentrated on the enigma. Showing her impatience and frustration, Rainbow Dash glared at the statue, stomping her hoof.

“How many trials do we have to go through?” she demanded, pointing a hoof at the statue of the crystalline equine, “We can’t spend our time answering riddles! Give us the dragon! At least then we can get some action and finish this quick! I thought we were supposed to save Equestria from the ponyspawn, not play guessing games.”

“The trials are to test the worthiness of all those who enter,” said Fluttershy, “Not just anypony can come in here and take a strand from the Mane. We have to show that we are both ready and worthy to receive the Mane.”

“Ugh, fine. The answer is loyalty.” Twilight wanted to shout out a warning or deny that this was the answer, seeing as how Rainbow had responded to the riddle too quickly. It was only when the orb by the statue of Hauberk began to glow, as well as the smile on the starry earth pony’s face, did Twilight realize that the cyan Pegasus had given the correct answer. The words on the pedestal also shifted from forming the riddle into something new.

“Loyalty,” read Twilight, “The ties that bind us, as we choose them. When the First Blight took the land by storm, it was our loyalty to Luna’s memory that we were able to stay true to being Elements of Harmony. Most importantly, it was what allowed us to stay true to each other.”

I’ll never leave my friends hanging. Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash, wondering if the pegasus had just pulled the answer from the air or if she knew the response to the riddle from the beginning. It was the right answer, to which Twilight was grateful that her friend knew what she was doing, even if her delivery left something to be desired.

There was something about the Elements of Harmony that seemed oddly familiar, though what it was, Twilight could not make heads or tails. They were a powerful form of magic that had defeated the dark side of Luna in the form of Nightmare Moon and were somehow linked with defeating the First Blight. Perhaps they were a weapon to be used against the ponyspawn or other such evils.

“Look, another riddle,” Rarity pointed out, who approached the statue of a rather bulky earth pony, although Twilight could not tell the gender. Rarity waited as the words shifted with magic, before reading the next riddle aloud:

“Great the bounty at our hooves,

An act of virtue this does proves

To give to those who lack the way,

Offer them the light of day.

What am I?”

“Generosity, darlings,” Rarity answered with a smile, as if she knew the answer before Twilight could even consider the conundrum, “Some of us do lead blessed lives. It simply is not enough to have or want, but we should do what we can to give as well, no matter what form that giving takes.”

The statue of the earth pony seemed to have accepted the answer, the orb under its left hoof shining with a magical aura just as the one with the statue of Hauberk. The name of the earth pony was revealed to be “Keystone,” and the riddle changed into information on the Element.

“Generosity,” Twilight announced, “After the fall of the Imperium, we gave everything to the ponies affected by the war against the Old Ones. Money, food, time; all was freely passed to those unfortunate. When the First Blight raged, we saw that generosity return to us tenfold in the form of a great alliance to fight back against the Archdemon.”

Answering questions and conundrums was all well and good, but these were not the kind of trials Twilight was expecting. There did not seem to be an element of danger in giving the correct response, unlike climbing the mountain and weathering the storms. The only threat was failure and being sent back the way they came, rather than a grisly demise Twilight envisioned and an ancient temple employing a great variety of traps to keep undesirables from the relic. Of course, being sent back in shame at failing the trials would also be devastating beyond repair.  This was something the lavender unicorn would do her best to prevent.

“Here’s another,” Applejack said, looking up at a rather dainty looking pegasus mare statue, “Looks like a confusin’ one. Here goes:”

“Like perfect crystal, neat and sleek

The answers sought are nothing meek

Never bring out lies and slander,

Only truth of utmost candour.

What am I?”

“Well that’s easy,” Applejack chimed, “The answer is the best policy: honesty. Ain’t no fancy words like slander and candour gonna confuse me.”

Another impressive light show of magic revealed the name of the pegasus to be “Crystal Clear”. The orb of stone she held in her right hoof glowed the same as the others. As with the others, the riddle turned into a lesson from the past.

“After the Ascension, we thought our time as Elements of Harmony were done. The Old Ones were defeated and the Imperium no longer had the power to hurt the world. Then the ponyspawn attacked, which only thrust us into battle once again. We were weary of war and fighting, and only wanted peace. We had to be honest with ourselves first and foremost however, and we all knew our place was against the ponyspawn and staying true to each other.”

With three stone orbs glowing bright with energy, all that remained was to answer three more riddles. Two statues of unicorns and a second pegasus were left amongst the ancient elements, their riddles forming as the party moved on to a unicorn wearing an ornate robe and a highly detailed staff, with the stone orb being used as the focus on the magical implement.

There was something about the air of the Hall of the Elements that caught Twilight’s attention, a feeling of being watched. It was not a vile or paranoid feeling, but rather like the feeling that the spirits of the past were showing pride at how much progress Twilight and the party were making inside the temple.

Without another word, Fluttershy stepped forward to the next riddle, her features becoming more solemn as she spoke:

“To those hurt and in great pain,

Life can seem like such a bane,

All it takes to do your part,

Is a warm smile and a gentle heart.

What am I?”

“Those words sound a lot like the Chant,” Fluttershy realized, looking over to her friends. “The part where we are told to be kind to one another, even in the darkest of times. It must be kindness.”

Just as soon as Fluttershy answered the riddle did the orb on the staff emit the familiar bright light, with the name “Exarch Lexicon” forming on the pedestal. Many stood agape as they read the name, the lessons of the Chantry echoing as the title of the unicorn before them rang bells.

“The unicorn who slew Luna out of mercy,” Applejack recalled, “How did he become an element of kindness? Maybe there’s a clue where that riddle was.”

“Kindness,” Twilight read aloud, “It was considered a kindness to slay Luna while she suffered, to end her misery as she burned in the shadowflame of Asha’Bellanar, Dragon of Victory. The most stalwart of the Old One’s servitors, the disciple who had given everything by the dragons and was the most powerful Magister in all the Imperium, stopped the executioner’s pyre and slew a goddess. Instead of being punished for this act, he was granted the Element of Kindness, not just for what he did, but for the kindness shown to him by the other Elements who did accept him, though it took some time. Lexicon did then show kindness by offering to repair the world with his magic, and heal the wounds caused by centuries of rule by the Old Ones.”

Twilight stopped reading the passage on the stone, taking time to consider the implications of the words. Lexicon was often called the redeemed villain by the Chantry, a unicorn heretic that led the entirety of the unicorn race into heresy, only to redeem himself through a single act of mercy, not of kindness but out of fear for his soul. What would the Chantry say when they discovered the statue here, showing them the truth of his actions?

It was no use pondering the actions of a unicorn who was not here to defend himself properly. They turned to the next statue, that of a pegasus balancing herself on the stone orb on one hoof while looking up at the sky with a smile on her face. Pinkie bounded over to the statue, jumping up and down as the words became readable.

“Ooh, ooh! Can I read this one next?” Pinkie asked, but before Twilight could give the go-ahead, the pink earth pony was already reading the riddle with some added mirth:

“All it takes is a little giggle,

That sets my mood all a wiggle,

A simple sound of joyful mirth,

That we know straight from birth.

What am I?”

Pinkie burst into a fit of giggles as she rolled on the stone temple floor, apparently enjoying the wording of the riddle. Despite her lack of answer, or because of it, the orb the statue pony was standing on ignited its light, joining in with the other four stone spheres. On the pedestal came the name of the Pegasus pony, “Surprise”, as well as the words of wisdom that took the place of the enigma.

“Laughter,” said Twilight as she read from the magical etchings in the stonework, “This simple light that can overcome any darkness, banish any despair. Through her smile, they learned to laugh again, to live life again. Not even the mighty forces of the Archdemon could crush their spirits.”

Five riddles answered, with five lights shining from the carved stone. With one riddle left, Twilight approached the final statue of a unicorn mare in a simple robe, and waited for the old runes to become readable Equestrian. As she did, she felt a sort of kinship with the unicorn being held aloft by stone, or at least some sort of familiarity. Wonders of what the stone unicorn had lived through wandered through her head, but as the words of the last riddle shone through with clarity; Twilight turned her attention to the task at hoof. The magic spoke to her, and she wondered if this was the same feeling the others had when posed with the other challenging plays on words.

“From the mountains to the Everfree,

This spark unites all harmony,

Holding true this one ideal,

The gentle spark we all feel,

From the Fade our gift aligns,

But with your friends this truly shines.

What am I?”

Twilight paused for a moment as she considered the riddle, mulling over the words. The last five spoke of the virtues loyalty, generosity, honesty, kindness and laughter. What was this riddle trying to say? Something that brought all the virtues together? The only clue seemed to be mentioning the Fade but…

Wait… From the Fade, our gift aligns… does the riddle mean magic? As Twilight wondered, she looked at the words closer, trying to find some sort of meaning. As she considered what purpose her friends had in making the “answer” to the riddle shine, she also began to remember how much she had learned about magic since the journey began. She had learned the true nature of the power she harnessed through her horn, as well as how it could twist a pony into a monstrous abomination. She also learned of the wonders she could accomplish, like bringing motion to a golem or protecting her friends with new and amazing spells.

“Magic.” Twilight answered at last, looking up at the statue of the unicorn with determination. The answer was accepted, as the stone orb near the unicorn glowed with arcane power, with the name “Dewdrop Dazzle” forming at the pedestal upon which the ancient hero stood. The riddle twisted its markings, allowing Twilight to read the contents.

“Magic. That which unites the dream world with the physical. That which allowed the Imperium to rule as masters of the world through the gifts of the terrible Old Ones. That which called to Luna and brought her to our world. That which allowed the Elements of Harmony to awaken and defeat evil. A Walker of the Grey who held the gift of magic brought ponies together and ended the tyranny of Nightmare Moon. A Walker of the Grey who brought the Elements together once again to expose the heart of the Archdemon of Destruction and ensured its end. Know of the sacrifices made in the name of harmony, and remember them. Know that the Elements will return when a force of darkness dares threaten them that no mortal pony can overcome on their own. Know that only ponies united in Loyalty, Generosity, Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, and Magic can awaken the magic and bring peace to a shadowed land.”

The Elements were used to defeat the Archdemons, and Dewdrop Dazzle was one of the Walkers, one of the first Wardens! Twilight had to calm herself after this revelation, her heart beating fast as new hope swelled within her heart.

Before she could express her elation, the six glowing stone orbs rose up from their statues, and a beam of light fired from their centers. Each beam struck the door on the other end of the hall with powerful arcane energy the likes Twilight had never felt before. Charged by the magic from the orbs, the door opened, revealing the next chamber which was shrouded in complete darkness.

Twilight put her thoughts on the Elements of Harmony as the door to the next hall, and therefore the next trial, was made open to the group. The darkness proved intimidating, and one of her bolts of light was quickly consumed by the shadows.

“I guess there is only one way to find out.” Taking a cautious step, the lavender unicorn stepped through the doorway and into the darkness as her friends followed her, until the sound the door closing and the utter loss of light elicited a sharp squeak from Fluttershy.

Then the ground vanished beneath them, the ponies screaming as they fell into oblivion.

---

Chapter 19 - Fires of the Gauntlet

Applejack rubbed her head with a hoof as she struggled to get back up. One moment they were finished with the riddles in the last hall, the next they had passed through the door and fallen into a pit. She supposed that the next trial would have been a doozy, but they were never warned of that first step being one as well.

“Where the hay am I…” Applejack trailed off as she looked where she was standing. A better phrase would be where she wasn’t standing; despite being upright with an apparently solid surface under her hooves, the former templar was not standing on anything. Instead she appeared to be floating in the middle of a vast night sky, with only the stars and the moon as her company.

The words would not come out; but then, Applejack could not decide what would be fitting for what she was seeing. It just seemed so impossible that she was standing tall and firm in the sky, despite how otherwise empty it was. At first she thought it was the Fade, only to decide against it. There were no signs of trickery so far from demons, and something about this place felt safe. This felt just the same as the Fade, where the illusion felt real and perfect.

It would have been much more comforting if the others were with her, to have Twilight’s reassurance or even Rainbow’s bravado. Applejack looked around, seeing no sign that her friends were with her, or anywhere close. Considering that “close” could be anywhere in the sky, there seemed to be no other answer but to go forward.

Only which way was forward? To that, which was back, or even down or up in the center of the night sky? There were no roads or paths to follow, and every time Applejack looked down, she just felt herself getting dizzy trying to look into the abyss of space.

“Come on Applejack,” the Warden said, trying to bring her nerves to bear, “Just like the mountain. One hoof in front of the other. Find the trial and move on. Applebloom and Macintosh need ya.”

Just as she was about to take another step on the seemingly invisible floor, several stars above her twinkled bright with white light until they formed an outline of an object in the sky.  Looks kinda like a ball? Applejack thought as she watched the constellation continue to shape itself, with three stars forming around the top in a slightly curved line.

Oh now I see it. If that’s a stem, then that must be an apple! What does it mean though? Stars don’t just move on their own. Is this part of the trial?

As Applejack pondered, the fruit made of stars slowly began to descend from the sky, growing smaller and smaller until it finally landed gently before her. Applejack didn’t know what to do with the apple, prodding it carefully to see if it was real. It certainly felt like an apple, and a part of Applejack wanted to bite it to discover the authenticity of the fruit.

The stars then swirled again, breaking the imagery of the apple until it reformed into a simple circle. More stars joined in, making out sharp points. Applejack turned away from the image, knowing all too well what it was.

“That there’s a crown,” she muttered, wondering if her friends or the spirits could hear her, “Ah know what yer trying to do. Yer trying to get me to put that there crown on my head. Well ah don’t need it, and ah don’t want it. You can take it back. Ah ain’t no queen.”

The crown rose up, dashing in front of Applejack. More stars descended around her, forming a circle as she watched them take on the shape of a pony from the hoof up. The figure before her was tall and strong, a stallion with regal eyes and full stature. The crown sat upon his head as if it belonged there, until the image of the old king looked on at Applejack and smiled.

“A true monarch chooses not the crown to bear,” he said, “They instead choose the task of becoming king or queen because it is best for their ponies. You belittle yourself, my daughter, when I see the makings of a wonderful queen. You listen to the counsel of your friends, which marks you as wise, you show courage in the face of danger, which marks you as brave, and you seek to aid others without thought for yourself. This marks you as benevolent.”

“When I was your age, I did not want to be king. I wanted only to see the Filesians expelled from Equestria and then live a life of adventure. It was my friends who showed me what I could do as king. Your friends will help you just as mine helped me.”

“What if ah can’t do it?” Applejack said, looking cross at the starry image of the old king, “What if ah make a mistake? What if the ponies hate me?”

“What if you fail to recruit all the races under the banner of the Wardens?” retorted the monarch. He chuckled, and then continued, “You will find being a queen is much easier than being a Warden against the Blight. Do not worry so much about the what-ifs, or else you will go mad and paranoid. Become a queen of today, and you will be one sung for the ages.”

“Remember, Applejack,” the king said, lowering his head so the crown would slide off, “Though we did not know each other for long, I will always be proud of the mare you have become. You are my daughter, and you have the strength of kings in your blood. I put my faith in you that you will do what is right. Honesty is our best policy; always remember to practice it with yourself first and foremost, and be more generous to yourself. You are a good pony, and will make a fine queen.”

The stars of the old king burst, returning to the night sky leaving only the crown behind. After hearing the old king’s words, Applejack didn’t look at the crown the same way. Instead of a burden, she was beginning to see potential. It was a tool, just like a plow or a shovel. May look nicer than shovel, but the idea was the same. Instead of moving rocks and dirt around, a crown could move ponies around, get them to do what was important real quickly, as long as she didn’t dig too deep or abuse her shovel.

She laughed despite herself. “Ah’m looking at a crown and seein’ a shovel,” she said, before taking off her hat. Maybe this was the purpose of the trial, to accept who she was and stop denying what she could become. Still, she didn’t like the idea of taking off her pappy’s hat and putting on some sparkly bit of gold. Unless…

Taking the crown in her teeth, the blonde earth pony set the piece of jewelry around the center of her hat. It fit perfectly, allowing both pieces of headwear to complement each other nicely. Softly biting down on the brim of the hat and giving a flick of her neck, the hat and crown combination twirled in the air until it landed perfectly onto her head.

Applejack had expected the crown to be heavy, maybe not in a literal sense, but in a strange place where apples made of stars fell from the sky anything was possible. Instead the crown only added a little to the weight on her head.

A light shone in the distance in the shape of a doorway, almost beckoning for Applejack to enter. With a smile on her face, Applejack galloped towards the archway of light, feeling her friends’ presences on the other side. They were waiting for her, and Applejack always came through for her friends.

“Oh my.”

Fluttershy had always admired the stars. They always seemed so serene and calm when compared to the bustle and hustle of the cities she lived in. Even during her time in General Puissant’s manor, she could not see the stars as clearly as did now with the street torches burning bright throughout the night. She felt at ease in this strange place in the night sky, though she was worried about all her friends after they fell through the passageway.

“I hope everypony is all right,” she said, though with nopony around she did start feeling a little lonely. She enjoyed moments of solitude, perhaps more so than many ponies, but even one as shy as the Chantry sister desired the company of others. Having endured so many trials with the party from the  Unicorn Tower to the mountain, Fluttershy had come to appreciate their very presence. They made her feel better about herself, when compared to mentors like Artistic Finish who were cruel and deceitful.

If I start walking one way, I’ll be sure to find them. Fluttershy decided heading in any direction was better than waiting, hopefully finding either her friends or the end of this trial. Still, she could stop once in a while and take in the sight of the stars. Maybe there was a clue there, and if Twilight could see the same sky, she would be sure to decipher it and bring them back together. Twilight was a smart, brave pony. If anypony could solve this, it would be her.

The stars above shone with crystal clarity, forming a constellation Fluttershy was unfamiliar with. From the shape, the yellow pegasus could see a butterfly outline form, then suddenly came to life without warning. The massive picture of stars fluttered down towards her, shrinking until it was the size of the real life insect.

The butterfly landed on Fluttershy’s nose, causing her to giggle as the light tickling sensation crept all over her face. “Hello,” she said, looking at the tiny perched creature, “I’m Fluttershy. You are a very pretty butterfly. I’m sorry I don’t have anything to give you, I don’t know what  celestial critters like you would eat.”

Before she could continue, the butterfly flew off her nose, dancing in the air until the stars of the wings moved about to show a new shape. More stars were added to the new constellation, turning into a dress fit for a pony mare of Fluttershy’s size. It was a beautiful dress, but also a familiar one; the same that Lady Elegance had given Fluttershy before being called to report to Artistic Finish. Immediately the wonder and joy given by the butterfly was gone, only to be replaced with sorrow.

“Why are you showing me this?” Fluttershy said in a barely audible whisper, “That dress was so lovely, and it was a gift from another pony to a pegasus. No pony does that, especially in Filais. I was content. I could have lived safe and sound in the manor. I should have stood up to Finish earlier.”

“Do not be so hard on yourself, Fluttershy,” came a voice. The stars moved on their own, taking the shape of a unicorn mare wearing the dress of stars. The distinctive posture of Lady Elegance was clearly defined, and Fluttershy found herself bowing with respect, much as she did in Filais to the lady of the general’s household.

“There is no need for that, dear,” said the Lady as she raised the pegasus’ head upwards with a hoof, “We are equals now, no longer lady and servant. Though I do wish it was under better circumstances.”

“I’m so sorry for all the trouble I caused,” Fluttershy said, “I must have brought you and the general so much grief.”

“Do not pain yourself on what has happened. Know that we are all safe, including the little ones. My husband is a general after all. His mind is sharp, from long hours of chess. Artistic Finish could not harm him even if she tried.”

Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief at the news. If there was any fear she had since being betrayed by the bardmistress of Filais, it was that the general and his family would come under harm. There was no way to get word of how they were in the prison, and during the escape communication was impossible. Sending messages from Equestria was also out of the question, lest they were discovered and somehow traced back to her.

“Please heed my words,” Lady Elegance continued, “You are the kindest soul I have ever known, and with all the darkness in this world, it needs a light to shine, no matter how small and faint it may become. You are a light that is neither, Fluttershy, no matter what you believe. The children loved you because of your warm smile and gentle heart. It is the same reason why I and my husband saw as you more than a simple nursemaid. It is the same reason your friends look to you, as a beacon they can follow when the world is grim.”

“But the world is so dark and frightening,” Fluttershy said, hiding her fearful face from behind her pink mane, “I don’t know how to keep going some days.”

“Darkness always ends, Fluttershy,” said Elegance, “Only if we bring a light to that shadow. You must be strong, and know that you are not alone to hold the flame high. Show the world that it can be bright.”

Lady Elegance is right, Fluttershy thought as she considered the words, I have to be brave and be a light for everypony. I have my friends; they can help me aid this world. They believed everything I said, everything I am. I can believe in it too.

Before she could thank Lady Elegance, the stars burst, rising to the night sky. As the stars took their rightful place, a white light flashed in the distance, a portal forming to escape the trial and continue on her way. All she had to do was keep her spirits up and move on.

There were no stars. There was no light. There was only a space of darkness, one of complete and utter void. At least, that was what Rarity wished for. She was not alone in the darkness of nothingness, though now she hoped the image before her would simply leave. There was nothing comforting in what she saw. Nothing warm in those sick yellow eyes.

“Hello again, my daughter,” Flemeth said as she stepped through the darkness, “It has been too long.” The unicorn hag had not appeared to have changed at all since Rarity left the wilds; the Mare of the Mire was still as old and wrinkled as she was weeks ago. The hair was still ratty, and her cracked lips were still curled in a frown. Rarity couldn’t help but cringe at the old patchwork dress Flemeth insisted on wearing.

What did change was the aura of magic around the old witch. Rarity had always known her adoptive mother was incredibly powerful, but now the aura was clearly in full force as the very lines of magic bent and warped around the presence of Flemeth. It took all of the white unicorn’s will to keep standing upright. She had to put on a strong stance towards Flemeth, or the old mare would surely see it as a sign of weakness.

“I see you’ve been reading my book,” Flemeth said, eyeing the black tome in Rarity’s saddle bag, “Have we learned anything from it? I did hope you would find the book, but so soon? Colour me impressed.”

“I know what you are planning, mother,” Rarity answered, though she could not hide the uncertainty in her voice, “You won’t succeed.”

“Oh ho! Little Rarity finally turns her teeth towards the hoof that fed her all these years.” Flemeth began to circle Rarity, her magical aura lashing out and striking against that of the much younger unicorn. Rarity grimaced at each ethereal strike, as if her matron was using a lash against her hide. Still, she would not bend her knee. Not to her.

“What, pray tell, makes you believe you can stop me?”

“I have power of my own. I have your spells.”

Flemeth laughed a cold echoing thing that sent chills down Rarity’s spine. Then there was another strike from the whip of the arcane. “Power is the only thing that is permanent, dear, if you have the will to make it so. What you possess is paltry compared to the power I accumulated through centuries, millennium.”

“I have my friends.”

“They will abandon you the first chance they get when they realize the price of saving you.” Flemeth’s eyes turned cross as she struck again. Rarity’s knees buckled, but still she remained standing. “There is but one way to stop me, and that is to slay me. Even if your friends do not leave you in the cold of night, they will not defeat me. If you run, I will find you. Or maybe I will hunt down your precious friends, one by one. It is within my power to do so.”

“No!” Rarity would not allow this monster of a mare hurt her friends, and she knew out of all of Flemeth’s boasting she would. She would find them and do horrible things to them all unless Rarity submitted.

“Please,” she whispered, falling to her knees in defeat, “I’ll return to you. Just don’t hurt my friends.”

Flemeth’s smile was something not even the worst of the Fade’s demons could ever conjure. The very sight was foul, evil, and showed that the Mare of the Mire had achieved victory. Never had Rarity felt so small and weak than how she felt now. Worst of all, she was ashamed to have come to this; to bow to Flemeth and seeing her not as her mother, but as her master in all things.

For you, my friends, Rarity tried to remind herself. It did not stop the tears from flowing.

“That’s a good filly,” Flemeth said, keeping her grin wide and unmoving, “Return to your friends. Help them carry out their journey and stop the ponyspawn. Then return to me. Your time is up, and mine continues as it always has.”

With that Flemeth was gone, her form ceasing into nothing. leaving Rarity only in the dark void with only a portal leading back to continue on to the temple. She did not move, not while the tears continued to pour out her grief. She would leave when she was ready. Not before. Maybe not even after.

Rainbow Dash was in her own little slice of heaven. Never had she felt as free as where she was now, in the open night sky with all the stars around her. There was no ground to limit her, no obstacles to duck and weave around, just her and the endless expanse of space to go as fast as she could go.

Trials shmials, I’ll get to it later, the cyan pegasus thought as she flapped her wings harder against the air, building up more speed. Loop-de-loops, barrel rolls, back flips and twirls, there was no aerial trick she couldn’t do here of all places. Nothing was here to get in the way, just Rainbow and her moves. No responsibilities, no worries, no fear. No problem.

I could get used to this. If there was one thing Rainbow Dash would have liked, it was something soft to take a nap on. Her mother always said that Rainbow loved her naps; it was how she had so much energy to pull off all her stunts. Clouds always looked nice and comfy from the ground; it was a shame no pegasus could remember how to harvest them and use them.

She gave her head a quick shake at the memory of her mother; it wasn’t going to do Rainbow any good to get depressed. All she had to do was find the trial and reunite with the rest of the party. Still…

It has been a long time. Taking a deep breath, the assassin landed on whatever this place in sky considered the ground as delicately as she could with a single hoof. It was a task on her body as well as mind to stay perfectly balanced on one hoof with her wings extended in the ready position.

Looking up at the sky, she began to remember the old stories of the pegasi, how the old geezers had said that when one passes on, they transcend the sky and join the stars in eternal peace and bliss. While Rainbow had never really paid much heed to such words, for some reason she always wanted to believe her mother was there, watching her from the night sky.

Rainbow stayed in complete balance for a while, finding a point of amusement that all her aerial dance moves had translated well into the life of an assassin. She never saw me once perform, a thought came to her as she steadied her breathing, or did she? She was an assassin, maybe she was watching from the cover of shadows. What if she was always watching and I never knew it?

Now she would perform for her mother and for all the stars in the sky because she wanted to, not because some fussy busybody wanted to collect some bits. With a flourish of her wings, she bowed her head to no pony in particular before closing her eyes. Even after so many years, Rainbow still remembered the precise movements, the way her wings and hooves would move in tandem to music. That what was missing, she thought as she looked at her audience of stars, music. I’ll make do without.

Jump, flap, and twirl then land. Rainbow paused, taking a breath to remember the next move. As she opened her eyes, the stars in the sky began to move with a cloud of dust forming overhead. She stopped her pose, eyeing the newly-formed cloud carefully as it became a much larger thunderhead, moving ever closer to her position.

Without warning a bolt of chromatic lightning struck near Rainbow, the roar of thunder echoing in the empty sky. Rainbow’s heart skipped a beat from the display of force, but did not move or flinch. She was not going to be intimidated by a storm. She had survived all the storms life had brought to her. She would survive this.

Another bolt of lightning struck the same place twice, this time leaving a pegasus mare seemingly made from constellations in its wake, much like the earth pony Hauberk. The pegasus looked at Rainbow for a minute before her lips curled into a smirk.

“Hey hotshot,” she said, turning her back on the assassin and taking to the sky, “Think you can keep up?” Before Rainbow could even think of a retort, the cosmic flyer bolted into the night sky, faster than any pegasus she had ever seen.

Faster than any pegasus except her. Gritting her teeth and flapping her wings, Rainbow launched herself after her new-found rival. She was enjoying this trial for finally being something she was great at: flying. Once she caught up to the pegasus, she would do something about finding her friends. Or celebrate that she was still the fastest, most awesome flyer in the world.

If only catching up to the flying star pony was easier. Her opponent was good, real good. Rainbow Dash was better though, and she was going to show it. With a forceful flap from her strong wings, she began to ascend higher into the sky, still keeping the distance relatively the same. It was a basic manoeuvre for closing the gap, but as long as the pony involved in this trial kept going straight, Rainbow’s plan would work.

Once Rainbow could see the pegasus moving just like a shooting star in the sky, she tilted in midair and gave another powerful thrust of her wings. Even though it appeared to be an endless expanse of night, there was still a “ground” which meant there was still gravity to help her build up velocity. With the right angle achieved, she nosedived down towards her fellow aerial racer, picking up impressive speed and closing the gap between them.

Until the other pegasus halted right on the spot, turning around in a nonchalant manner as Rainbow grew ever closer. Pull up! Pull up! instinct screamed at her as she flew ever closer. Not wanting to collide with the pegasus or invisible ground, she twisted her body upwards, streaming past the head of her adversary and into an elongated loop in the air. As she landed, frustration crept into her voice as Rainbow wanted nothing more than to deride the other pegasus for stopping their race prematurely.

“What’s the big… idea…” Rainbow stopped, the words failing to come out as she looked at the mare much closer than when they she first appeared in that flash of lightning. This had to be some cruel trick by the temple, or another Fade illusion. For some reason though, Rainbow didn’t care what it was besides what she was seeing now.

“Mom!” Without a second thought, Rainbow spurred herself forward, nuzzling her mother’s mane like she did when she was a filly. A part of her was surprised that the spirit of her mother felt so real, just like back when she was still alive. The other part didn’t care; this was her mom, and Rainbow was given another chance to be with her.

A creeping shame came over Rainbow as she pressed herself close to the apparition. “I’m so sorry,” she said in barely a whisper, “I became an assassin. Just like you. I ruined everything by being something you didn’t want me to be.”

Her mother hushed her, stroking the daughter’s mane with a tender hoof. Rainbow had never felt as safe as she did now. She didn’t want this to end, though she knew it was only the magic of the tomb that  had brought her mother back. Eventually, the reunion would have to end.

“You are exactly what I had hoped for, my little Rainbow,” her mother said, “You’ve grown up to be strong, beautiful, and most of all free. Free to choose your own path in life. That is all I ever wanted.”

“But I became a killer, a Wonderbolt under Reinhardt, not the heroes I thought they were…”

“And you broke away from them on your own,” replied her mother, “You chose to ask for help from new friends, who accepted you. The same friends you leap into danger for, despite not knowing them very long. They are wonderful, Rainbow, and they see you in the same light. You are not a butcher like I was. You are a free mare. You choose where to go in life.”

She was right. Rainbow did have freedom, something not a lot of pegasi could claim. She had no debts to a landlord, no oaths to a noble, or any other bind on her hooves or her word. Maybe the Wonderbolts would hunt her down, but unless their names were Soarin’ or Spitfire, she had little reason to worry. Rainbow also had her friends, who she could count on, just like they counted on her.

They stayed in an embrace for a time, the cyan pegasus not wanting this moment to drift away. However, the mother soon let go, moving away from her daughter and taking slow deliberate steps back.

“I miss you,” Rainbow said. Her mother nodded as the stars that made up her body drifted away.

“I will always love you, my little Rainbow.” With those words the stars that made up her body separated into a stream, flowing back into the night sky. Eyes wide, Rainbow took off from the ground and flew towards them, hot tears streaming from her face.

“I love you Mom! Always!” Rainbow Dashed found herself yelling at all the stars in the skies as she flew, until a doorway of pure light opened on her path. Narrowing her eyes, Rainbow was ready to meet the next challenge head on. She was free to do so.

Pinkie was ready. She narrowed her eyes, sticking out her tongue as she bent forward, ready to spring into action at the next pass. All she had to do was prepare for the right moment to leap. A meteor had caught her eye when she first found herself in this place so much like the clear night sky.

There it is! With a bright smile, the energetic earth equine gave a hop, skip and a mighty jump, bounding into the expanse of space and right onto the speeding meteor. The landing was rough and it took a moment to find two craters for her hooves to fit in, but soon enough Pinkie was holding on tight and loving every minute of this stellar ride.

“Weeeee!” Pinkie’s screams echoed throughout the cosmos, with the stars themselves appearing to cheer her on. If this was a trial to find the Mane of Stars, then this was easy and fun! Maybe the next trial will be a candy eating contest, thought Pinkie as she continued to sail through the sky, Ooh! Or maybe we have to make the spirit of Luna a delicious cake! I hope this place has an oven and ingredients!

This was fun and all, but somewhere inside Pinkie knew she had to get on with the trial and find her friends. They could come back here and ride the meteors just like she was! “Here trial, come here trial,” Pinkie called out, looking left and right for something in the star-filled sky, “I just want to complete you so I can be with my friends!”

The stars seemed to oblige her, forming the shape of a round constellation in the sky with a trail of stars flowing underneath it. With a push from her hooves, Pinkie moved the meteor towards the star pattern, watching as it became smaller and smaller the closer she became. As the meteor turned around the shape, Pinkie saw that the stars had taken the form of a round, full balloon.

“Just like my cutie mark!” said Pinkie as she moved the meteor to be under the starry party decoration. Balloons were rare to find in Equestria, as the materials had to be imported from so many different regions, so even a single balloon filled Pinkie’s heart with joy. She did not expect the balloon to pop, and she really did not expect another pony like Hauberk to fall from the remains and land next to her on her meteor transit.

Pinkie’s very loud gasp was enough to display her shock at the earth pony who was standing firm and still on the rapidly moving meteor.  The flying space rock halted in mid air, leaving Pinkie and her new guest completely still.

“Papa!” Getting on top of the meteor, Pinkie grasped her father in a tight hug, the brightest smile on her face since even she could not recall. “I missed you so much! Mama and Inky and Blinky miss you too!”

“Pinkamina Diane Pie, I missed you as well.” Despite the words, the use of the full name brought Pinkie to full attention and silence. Papa Pie only used the full name ultimatum when he had something important to say. She sat on her haunches, eyes wide and attentive as Papa Pie smoked from his pipe, also made of stars.

“Now, Pinkamina,” said Papa Pie as he looked down on his daughter with a stern eye, “I do worry that you have lost your way. You do know where your mother and sisters escaped to, don’t you?”

Pinkie wanted to turn away from her father’s gaze, but couldn’t. Not while his voice was filled with command, like it always had. Instead her hair fell flat around her head, the colour of her mane and coat darkening.

“I’m scared, Papa,” Pinkie said, “I’m scared that if I go, I won’t find them. Or if I do, they’ll hate me for leaving them, or what if something really bad happened to them! That’s why... That’s why I forgot...”

“I believe the rocks did not just make you forget, my dear,” continued Papa, “I believe you are afraid that if you go to them, they may not be there to meet you, having met a terrible fate. Believe me now when I say your mother misses you dearly and wants you to find them. All you have to do is say where they left.”

They left to where Mama Pie first lived before marrying Papa and sailing across the ocean to Equestria. They left for the place where Mama was born, the city state in the Free Plain and home to the Mustang ponies.

“Geldwall,” Pinkie said, “They went to Geldwall in the Free Plains, across the ocean. But Papa Pie! I can’t go there now!”

“I know you can’t,” said Papa, “You still have a very important task to do.”

“That’s right! My friends still need me!”

“That’s right,” returned Papa, this time with that small smile that spoke of his large heart, “You’ve made wonderful friends on your journey, Pinkamina, and they still need you. After all, if the ponyspawn are not stopped, nowhere in the world will be safe including the Free Plains.”

Pinkie’s colour returned as vibrant as ever. Her papa was giving her the knowledge that Mama Pie and her sisters were still safe and well, if only very far away. He was also giving her his blessing to continue the journey.

“Give your friends all you can,” he said as his form began to splinter into the stars that made his body, “I will always watch over you, Pinkamina.”

“Bye bye Papa Pie!” Pinkie shouted to the trailing stream of stars, “Pies forever till the end! Always! FOREVER!”

With a smile bubbling over her features and a white door way leading ever deeper into the temple, Pinkie bounded over to entrance to the next trial, looking forward to seeing her friends again.

One more spin on a super-fun space rock wouldn’t hurt…

Twilight was right where she always wanted to be: amidst the very stars in the skies that she watched eagerly every night. From this point she could discern all of the constellations from her books: Canis Major, Orion, Andromeda and others. The purity of the night sky was wondrous.

The memory of where she was before entering this open sky caused Twilight to snap back from her wonder. She was supposed to find the Mane of Stars and now find her friends, who were nowhere to be seen.

If I find Polaris, I can keep going north and hopefully find somepony, Twilight thought as she looked up at the sky. Then she looked left, and right, until finally looking down beneath her. With a heavy sigh, she resigned that line of thinking; how could she manoeuvre through the stars when they were all around her?

As Twilight looked around, dozens of stars began to glow brighter than the rest, swirling in the sky as they formed a new constellation that she was not familiar with. Lines of light formed between the stars, until they took on the shape of a triangle. Twilight cocked her head, trying to make sense of the triangle in the sky, noting how the triangle was getting ever closer to her.

As the triangle descended and its form much more defined, the magical mare could see that it wasn’t a simple three pointed shape, but rather a fully realized object with a slight curve. A shield, Twilight guessed as the star object fell to the “floor” with a metallic clang, despite the lack of floor or any indication it was metal at all. The shield was similar in size and shape to the grey shield that made up her cutie mark after the Joining, with even a small cluster of stars in the center to make the image complete.

“What are you trying to show me?” Twilight wondered aloud, looking down on the shield, “I know I’m a Warden. I know I have a responsibility to fight against the ponyspawn. That’s why I’m here; to find the Mane of Stars and heal Arl Macintosh so he can help us.”

The star spangled shield rose up, floating before Twilight as if staring at her. The stars in the center split from the main body, shooting past her head as the shield split into two perfect copies, taking their places parallel to each other. The stars then began to take the shape of a pony, with the shields acting as cutie marks. When the form of an earth pony was finished, Twilight could hardly believe her eyes.

“Duncan? This isn’t another trick, like in the Fade, is it?”

“I assure you, Twilight Sparkle, this is no trick,” said the spirit of Duncan, “I will bring no deception to you or harm. Indeed, this is my only opportunity to shed the light I could not in life. I do not plan to squander it.”

Duncan simply sat on his haunches, motioning with a hoof for Twilight to join him. The pair of Wardens sat in silence for a while, Twilight still stunned that the elder Warden was there before her, and not another Fade demon taking his shape. Something about the way he spoke and acted made her feel comfortable and safe.

“I am sorry for many things in my life,” Duncan began, “Many, many things. I am sorry for the deaths of Digger and Ser Magni. I am sorry for leading the Wardens into a foolish attack with a foolish king. I am sorry for taking away your life and giving you and Applejack a burden no pony should ever bear.”

“Duncan, don’t apologize,” Twilight said, interrupting Duncan before he could go on, “I know what it means to be a Warden. We do what we must.”

“An excuse used for centuries, since the dawn of the ponyspawn.” Duncan sighed, looking up at the stars wistfully, “I wish there was a better way, but there is not. Only with an army can you have the numbers to face the ponyspawn. Only with the Elements of Harmony by your side can you expose the heart of the archdemon. Only a Grey Warden can end the Blight. These are truths that are so terrible and so real, that we hid them from the world. We hid them from our own fellow Wardens. Now you pay for our secrecy.”

“I don’t know what or where the Elements of Harmony are,” said Twilight, “I also don’t know why only a Warden is the only one who can end the Blight.”

“We do not normally tell recruits this, for their own safety and sanity,” Duncan began to explain, “It is true I needed you and Applejack to collect ponyspawn blood for use in the Joining, and I already was in possession of the lyrium that would make the concoction stable. There is also a third ingredient, one more terrible than the rest: the blood of an Archdemon.”

Twilight turned away from Duncan, both in shock and horror at what she had just learned. Now things were making sense; the ability to sense when ponyspawn were near, the unnatural power in defeating them, hearing their heartbeats, and of course the nightmare with the Archdemon itself.

Already she could feel her heart thunder in her chest as Twilight turned to Duncan, disbelief stealing the words that should have been said. She didn’t know if she was supposed to yell or scream at the slain Warden before her, only that she was feeling sick and the endless night sky she was in was not making things any better.

“The Imperium learned too late that conventional means could not kill an Archdemon,” Duncan continued, “Nor could any spell out of their expansive library. When the Archdemon is slain, it will revive in only a few scant hours in the body of another ponyspawn, fully capable of continuing its slaughter. Only the First Walker, the First Warden who had consumed the blood of the Archdemon with greed in his heart knew he had the power to kill the monster.”

“I did not anticipate the betrayal by Loghoof. I had thought if we had won the battle the Archdemon would appear. I thought we had more time to teach you the Warden ways. I am but a fool.”

Twilight shook her head, placing one hoof on the shoulder of the starry apparition. Duncan was only doing his part as a Warden; no pony could foresee Loghoof quitting the field and the loss of Ostequus. There was no reason to be angry at the dead.

“Duncan,” Twilight said, eliciting the long past earth pony to look into her eyes, “I understand now. I understand why the Wardens need the blood, and the secrecy. I was just angry, and scared. I didn’t know what to expect or believe anymore. Now I do. I am a Grey Warden, because of you, Applejack and everything I have learned from the journey.”

“I also have wonderful friends who are with me until the bitter end. No matter what, I know I can rely on them against any horrors this world will throw at us. We will unite the ponies of Equestria, and find the Elements of Harmony, wherever they are.”

Duncan seemed satisfied with the answer, nodding solemnly as the stars that made up his spiritual body begin to drift back into the night sky. He bowed his head slightly, before dissipating entirely, his voice carrying through like an echo.

“I believe in you, Twilight Sparkle. May the Sisters light your path, now and always.”

A bright light flashed only a furlong away, until it took the form of an archway leading back to the tomb. With a revived smile on her face, Twilight galloped towards the door of light with a proud thought on her mind. Her heart beat not with the blood of monsters, but with the blood of heroes. The blood of Grey Wardens.

***

With a loud yawn, Twilight opened her eyes and looked around to find herself in a plain stone corridor surrounded by her friends, who were only just waking up themselves. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, alarms rang in her head as memories of where she had just been came rushing to mind. Wasn’t she just in an open night sky conversing with the spirit of Duncan? What about that white light doorway she had ran through? Could it had all been a dream or another illusion of the Fade?

The rest of the party seemed just as wary, as they looked around the stone hall with looks of confusion or frustration. Many asked the same questions Twilight was thinking, but the lavender unicorn had no answer for them.

“Well, we’re still in the temple, so that means none of us failed the trial,” Twilight said aloud, for her own comfort as much as the rest of the party.

“Look here,” said Fluttershy as she pointed a hoof at some markings on the archway in the center. The Chantry sister floated near the words, blowing away the dust with every gust from her flaps until the ancient writing was clear. Just as the carved text in the Hall of the Elements shifted into messages and riddles, the writings shifted in the common tongue, spelling out the words “Corridor of Night’s Reflection”.

“So it was another trial,” said Applejack, though her voice did not speak with the same irritable quality it usually held when she was being kept from her goals.

“Best. Trial. Ever.” Rainbow seemed to have a much brighter smile as she lead the way into the next room, with the others also appearing more confident. Twilight smiled as well, feeling stronger than ever, her head not as muddied with negative thoughts on their journey. The sight of Rarity however brought that uplifting feeling crashing straight down.

The white unicorn looked haphazard, her eyes wide and her body shaking. Rarity looked completely terrified, but of what Twilight could only assume with a very educated guess: Flemeth. “What did you see, Rarity?” she asked, only to have those frightened eyes close shut, with Rarity trying to calm herself down and appear in control.

“I’m fine, dear,” she lied, with Twilight keeping a sceptical gaze on her fellow sorceress, “I didn’t see anything important. Nothing significant at all. We should move on, no time like the present, chop chop!”

As much as Twilight wanted to continue her inquiry, Rarity had a point. They were getting closer to the Mane of Stars, and time was of the essence. Together they joined their friends who had stopped, waiting for them to rejoin the party.

They arrived only to find that the path lead to a dead end. They were in a new room, this one circular and wide, with the path continuing into a large hall filled with statues and murals waiting for them on the other side. However, the path from the Corridor of Night’s Reflection ended over a deep abyss, with no bridge to get across. On their side there were several panels on the floor covered in runes, but for what purpose they did not know.

“How are we going to get across this?” said Applejack as she looked down the pit. Twilight followed suit, staring down into the darkness that did not seem to end. Her staff glowed with power, sending a small bolt of bright violet energy down into the pit to see how deep it went. The bolt travelled far until it too was consumed by darkness.

Rainbow Dash scoffed at the chasm, flaring her wings wide. “You landlocked ponies wait here,” she said as she dug into her bag and pulled out a length of rope, “I’ll just fly right over and we can make our own bridge.”

With a strong jump, Rainbow took to the air only to watch as her wings forcibly closed well over the pit. She yelped in surprise as gravity took over, only to be pulled to safety by Applejack, who had her teeth clenched around the cyan pegasus’ tail. Once Rainbow was back and safe, Twilight looked to Fluttershy, who also had her wings locked tight, every effort to move them met with failure.

It must be the effect of a spell, Twilight thought as she looked over the empty expanse to the room across. It would be too easy to simply fly across; this was another trial, one they had to figure out if they were going to reach the tomb. Above the passage to the final room was a message that read “Bridge of Faith”.

“Split up everypony,” Twilight said, “Search the room for anything suspicious. I’m sure there is a way to make a bridge and cross into the next room. We just need to find it.”

Though they looked every crack and fissure in the stonework. There was no obvious way to make a bridge. Twilight tried to focus her magic into a spell to help them cross, only to watch as whatever spell she channelled fizzled out before coming to fruition.

“We came so far,” Fluttershy said, despair in her voice, “Why would the builders make a trial we can’t solve? Oooh… I wish I knew how to help.” Without noticing, the meek pegasus stepped on one of the floor runes, causing a large square block of stone to form over the bottomless pit as if from thin air. With a squeak, Fluttershy stepped away from the rune, the party watching as the block disappeared as quickly as it came.

“Wait, that’s it!” announced Twilight as she pointed at the other floor runes, “We need to step on the runes and make the bridge. Fluttershy, step on that rune again.” As her friend complied, Twilight looked to another floor panel and stepped on it, causing another block to form. This one was transparent however, a mere ghost of the first block.

Rainbow Dash, Rarity, took their place on other runes, causing more translucent slabs of stone to form making a somewhat proper bridge to the other side. Pinkie bounded onto the first block, bouncing up and down as she waited for the next block. “I can see another floor runey on the other side!”

“If we can make it to that rune, maybe it will make the full bridge,” Twilight said in estimation. It was the best bet, and the likely the answer to the trial. Applejack stepped on another rune next to Fluttershy, causing the second block to solidify. Pinkie bounded onto the second block, stopping only to wave to her friends.

Fluttershy made an audible gulp as she stepped off her rune to head to the next one, yelping in horror as the first block disappeared entirely. The rest of the party’s eyes balked, unable to do anything as Fluttershy stepped back on the rune to see the block not return. Only Pinkie remained undeterred.

“Don’t worry so much, girls,” she said, bouncing again as she waited for the next block to form, “it’s part of the test. I know you won’t let me fall.”

Ever so slowly did Fluttershy creep onto the next rune with the third block becoming complete thanks to the magic in the room. Pinkie crossed over to the next segment, waving a hoof signalling that everything was all right. Twilight could not tell what was worse; that her friend was hovering over a bottomless pit and the first instance of failure on their part would cause her to fall to her doom, or that the pink earth pony was completely undisturbed by that fact.

As Applejack stepped off her rune and onto the next, the second block of stone disappeared just the same as the first. A long, deep groan echoed throughout the room. “What was that?” Fluttershy said as she looked around, fright painted clearly on her face. Twilight looked down the pit again, only to see large discs of blades slowly emerge from their stone sheaths. Several of these discs began to reveal themselves, only to begin spinning, their sharp teeth glinting in the light from the crystals overhead.

This is insane! Twilight thought as she looked back up to Pinkie, who either did not notice the spinning discs of death or simply did not care. She was two segments away from the other end of the bridge. The unicorn took a deep breath before nodding to Applejack, who took her place on the next rune over, causing the fourth block to become complete.

As Pinkie made her way to the next block, Fluttershy’s eyes were filled with tears as they streamed uncontrollably down her face. “I can’t do this,” she said, “What if something goes wrong? What if I step on the wrong rune? She’ll fall, and I don’t want Pinkie to die. I’m scared!”

“We’re all scared, sugarcube,” said Applejack, “Well, except for Pinkie, but that’s because she believes in us. So we gotta believe in her. We’ll get her across as safe as an apple in a pie.”

Despite her fear, Fluttershy was able to step off her rune and step on the next marked panel. As expected, the fifth and final block solidified, allowing Pinkie access to the other side. What was not anticipated was that the slab under Pinkie’s hooves would vanish into nothingness, leaving the alchemist pony suspended in mid air.

All at once they shouted their fear that somehow they had failed and doomed their friend to the pits below, Fluttershy crying out the loudest as the block removed itself from existence. Pinkie looked back with a confused eye as she did not plummet into the pit, only hopping from the invisible block and onto the final stone segment, then onto the rune on the other side. The rune began to glow, and all the stone blocks reformed into a perfect bridge across.

Fluttershy fainted as the rest of the party breathed a sigh of relief. Twilight could still feel her heart thud in her chest as she watched the block disappear. “You silly fillies,” Pinkie said as they made their way across the pit, the buzz saws having returned to the stone whence they came, “Didn’t you read what the sign said? I knew you would never let me fall.”

“Bridge of Faith indeed,” Twilight muttered as she looked back up at the wording of the trial. All they needed was to have faith in the words of the Guardian, but more importantly, faith in each other to not let the brave pony who chose to cross fall. She was grateful that Pinkie seemed to have endless faith in her friends. With the path now open to them, the party advanced into the final chamber where their goal awaited.

Nothing had prepared anypony for what they were about to see in the Tomb of Luna. The walls were decorated in intricate frescos that no mortal hoof could ever appear to accomplish. Pristine statues and effigies of both Luna and Celestia lined the hall, each appearing in full glory with wings outspread and faces filled with triumph. The ceiling was painted pitch black, with the stars being made from only the largest and most dazzling diamonds. The moon was a great mosaic of pearls, cascading the room in luminescent light.

Waiting for them in the center was the coffin made from silver, adorned with ancient Imperium text and partly covered in a black funeral shroud, still whole and unchanged after a thousand years. A large statue of Luna made from obsidian kept watch over the coffin, the glassy surface reflecting the light from the marble idol of Celestia above her, holding an orb of pure light at the tip of her horn. From the orb a beam of light flowed onto the moon, giving the celestial body its light.

The true tomb was a marvel of artisanship and magic the like Twilight had never dreamed. It was a shame that such a temple had to be hidden from eyes, but she understood why it had to be hidden from dragon-worshipping desecrators. It was odd, however, that in this room of magnificent art, in the middle of the room was a large wooden pole, surrounded by kindling and smaller logs, as if waiting to be used for a bonfire.

Applejack did not wait to take in the sight, rearing up on her hind in a victory pose before galloping off towards the silver sarcophagus. “We did it! We did it!” she cheered as she ran, “We found the Mane! Now let’s nab us a strand or two and head ‘em on back to Red Apple!”

Before the templar Warden could make it to the reliquary, a wall of fire erupted between her and the coffin, the flames stretching out towards Applejack, who managed to skid to a halt in time. The others gasped as the wall of flame stretched all the way to the ceiling, high enough to prevent any pegasus from simply flying over. Using magic to cross the fire or put it out was not an option, as any attempt at spellwork was quickly silenced by the powerful temple enchantments.

“Horse apples!” Applejack cursed as she aimed her anger at the fiery barrier, “We’re so close! Why is the temple doin’ this now!”

“It must be the last trial,” Twilight said, “We have to complete it to get to the Mane.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Applejack began looking around, seeking out the clues to the next trial just as the party had done for the rooms previous. Twilight shook her head to clear her own frustrations away; they had travelled and suffered far for the Mane, yet now there was another obstacle.

Pinkie Pie called for the others, who quickly left their search to join her. When they arrived, the pink pony was pointing a hoof at the ground in front of the wooden pillar. Her mane was flat and her colours dull, but they all soon understood why when they read the message left for any who sought the Mane.

“No,” said Rainbow Dash as she looked down at the words, “No. No! We can’t do this! We can’t!”

“This is asking too much!” Pinkie sobbed, “How can it expect us to make this sort of decision?”

Twilight could hardly believe the words on the ground herself. She felt her throat dry up as she read the words over and over, looking on in fear at her friends, then back to the fires protecting the Mane.

“As she was given to the flame in sacrifice,

So too must a sacrifice be given to feed the everlasting hunger of fire.”

The final trial demanded a sacrifice to be burned at the stake much like Luna was at the fall of the Imperium. How could they make such a choice, though? After all they been through, one was going to be executed just like Luna. Who was going to choose to be burned alive, and how were they going to live with themselves after?

We do what we must.

“No,” Twilight muttered as Duncan’s words echoed, “We can’t make this sort of decision. We can’t just stand back and watch as one of us chooses to die.”

“I will go,” Rarity said as she stepped towards the stake, “Flemeth has made her intentions well known. I’d rather die by my own choice than be forced to lose everything I hold dear to that witch.”

“Rarity, please!” Fluttershy openly wept as she tried to pull Rarity away from the stake waiting for the sacrifice, “Don’t do this!”

“This is really generous of you, Rarity, but we will find another way!” Twilight called out, but the white unicorn shrugged everything aside. “We can stop Flemeth, just like how we can find another way to get the Mane of Stars and save Macintosh and Applebloom!”

“No. You. CAN. NOT!” Rarity screamed back, her horn glowing bright with magic as the same fearful eyes returning, “Sometimes there isn’t another way Twilight! Sometimes there is only one way. Macintosh will die from incurable poison. Applebloom will remain possessed forever. And you cannot stop Flemeth! You have no inkling to the kind of power the Mare of the Mire holds in a single hoof!”

“I am doing this for all of you! Please, don’t make this even harder than it has to be. You are all my dearest friends. I don’t want to see you hurt. Just remember me.” Twilight yelled in objection, only to find her movements to become sluggish. She looked down, finding that she, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Fluttershy were trapped in the glyph of slowness, a spell Rarity had cast during her fit. Twilight did not know an appropriate counterspell, and could only watch as Rarity continued towards the pyre.

Before Rarity could take her place on the sacrificial stake, she came face to face with Applejack. The two stared each other in the eye, with Rarity fighting back tears and Applejack seemingly incredibly calm, almost stone like.

“Can’t let you do that, Rarity,” Applejack said flatly, “Macintosh and Applebloom would never forgive themselves knowing another pony died for their sakes. Even a complete stranger.”

Rarity simply narrowed her eyes, her horn glowing once again from the surge of magical power. Her spellwork fizzled out, however, as Applejack continued to stare her down with the black, anti-magic infused eyes of the templar order. The glyph the unicorn had cast had been dispelled as well, releasing the ponies from its grip.

Twilight barely managed to say thanks to Applejack when the blonde earth pony turned towards the wall of fire, her eyes still black and draining the magic from the unicorns. “You tell Macintosh and Applebloom that ah love em to death, ya hear? Just like ah love y’all. Goodbye.”

Without warning Applejack dashed towards the silver coffin, ignoring the calls of her friends as she ran, her hat falling off her head and drifting to Twilight’s hooves. With a shout, the lavender unicorn tried to pull her fellow Warden away, but the anti-magic ceased all her attempts and casting spells. Rainbow Dash sped off to tackle Applejack, only to be met with a sharp buck to the chest which sent the cyan pegasus reeling.

Applejack did not hesitate as she leapt into the flames. The fire was already scorching her skin, leaving ugly burns in their wake as the fires first consumed the ribbons used to tie her mane and tail, then the long hairs themselves were ignited. With both hooves pressed against the side of the silver coffin, Applejack grunted as she lifted the heavy case up and tossed it through the wall of fire.

The coffin for the relic landed with a loud thud as it hit the ground. The wall of fire did not die immediately, still lashing Applejack’s hide with burning tongues as the flames gradually weakened. The earth pony could say nothing as she collapsed; her body a cruel, scorched mockery of what it once was. Covered in horrible burns, she laid sprawled against the ground, looking up as her friends surrounded her, ignoring the silver coffin altogether. She wheezed with laboured breaths as she tried to move weakly, opening and closing her eyes while Pinkie struggled to pour what seemed to be every poultice she had with her over her friend, to no avail.

“The Trials have ended,” a familiar voice cried out, “You have all done admirably. The Mane of Stars is yours to take a strand from.” Hauberk descended from the diamond filled sky, until he landed next to the silver coffin, a smile on his face.

Twilight’s face contorted with rage as Hauberk beamed at them. “This was your idea of a trial!?” she yelled as her eyes and horn glowed in unison of power unrestrained by tempered emotions, “Take a good look at the cost that was paid! No relic, no goddess is worth this!”

Hauberk looked at the body of Applejack then back to Twilight. She was not alone, as the other ponies had turned their fury towards the ancient Guardian. “She is courageous,” he said, “She leaped into fire she knew she would not survive to protect you all from the pain of having to choose which would be sacrificed. You have all learned sacrifice from this trial, a truly painful lesson. A lesson the Walkers of the Grey know all to well, though not even young Applejack understands the extent of their sacrifice.”

“A thousand years ago, a group of ponies used blood magic to call on Celestia and Luna to save them from the tyranny of the Old Ones. It was not their magic that broke through to the sisters, but instead the act of sacrifice which spurred Luna to action, as the two were unable to cross into our realm so long as the Old Ones exist, just as they cannot return now as the Old Ones have become the Archdemons. To give the ultimate sacrifice must be understood, just as it must be understood by friends who resist.”

Hauberk tilted his head towards the jewel-encrusted sky, his own eyes glowing as a single diamond fell from the ceiling and onto Applejack. The diamond then appeared to melt into the burned body of the earth pony, only for the entire form to glow as well, until a whole and healthy Warden was left in the wake of the powerful healing spell.

“Let no pony sacrifice themselves in the Sister’s names ever again,” Hauberk said as Applejack looked around, utterly confused at what had just happened, “My long vigil has ended. Ponies worthy have found the Mane of Stars and have learned the lessons of the trials. You may all take a single strand from the Mane, and know that Luna’s light will heal all ailments, no matter how severe. The way down the mountain is clear. Return to those who need you, heroes. Save your world. May the light of the Sun and the Moon guide your path, forever and always.”

The Guardian of the Temple bowed to the party before dissipating into the stars that made his body, floating away to the painted sky above until the stars became encrusted diamonds. Her anger abated, Twilight gave a small thanks to Hauberk, and a small hope that he would find peace in the next life.

“Well, uh,” Applejack said sheepishly, looking around at her friends, “Ah guess ah really don’t know what to...”

SMACK. Twilight looked at the shocked expression of her fellow Warden after delivering the strongest hoof-smack she had ever given. Granted it was my first hoof-smack but what they hay, she thought as she grabbed Applejack in a tight embrace.

“Don’t do anything so stupid ever again,” Twilight said, breathing hard as she held Applejack tight. Her friend was about to say something when Rarity followed suit and delivered her own hoof-smack, though it was more of a light tap more than anything.

“I would have never forgiven you if you had truly perished,” Rarity bawled, “You stupid, silly pony!”

SMACK. “I’m sorry,” Fluttershy said, though her voice caught between gasps of air, “I was so worried, so scared. Don’t do that again. Please.”

SMACK. “How could you do something so incredibly crazy!” shouted Pinkie who had her face pressed against Applejack’s, though her mane had resumed its poofy nature, “Acrobats on tightropes juggling grenades, that’s crazy! Oatmeal is crazy! This was crazy! You’re supposed to be the sensible one! And you obviously forgot about my super duper party I’m going to have after all this is done, because you did something so crazy like that and the whole thing will be ruined if you or anypony else couldn’t be there because they did something so incredibly crazy!”

SMACK! “What they said!” Rainbow Dash hollered, even though something told Twilight that Rainbow just wanted a turn to smack Applejack as much as to send a message. The orange earth pony rubbed her temple where she was struck gingerly before small giggles escaped her mouth. Then more laughing as she pulled all her friends into a tight hug, saying her apologies along with her fit of joy.

Once they had all calmed down, they all turned towards the silver coffin which somehow returned to its pedestal besides the hooves of the obsidian statue of Luna. They had faced the challenge of the mountain and completed the trials of the Gauntlet. They had found a legend amongst danger. The Mane of Stars was found.

---

Chapter 20 – The High Dragon

Everypony watched in awe as the silver reliquary opened with the help of Twilight’s magic. Once the lid was lifted and placed reverently to the side, Twilight peered inside, only to become lost at the sights within. The Mane of Stars was more than simple hair, appearing to be a fragment of the night sky itself. Each strand pulsed with ancient and divine power, together forming a perfect harmony of sacred magic. It almost seemed like blasphemy taking even one single strand from its resting place.

With the most precise levitation Twilight had ever done, she carefully lifted a wisp of the mane, holding it before her as she gazed in marvel. It was like holding a stream of perfect jewels, each twinkling of their own accord along with some unheard song of days long past.

Look at me waxing poetic, Twilight thought as she brought up a small crystal phial to keep what she called the “Star Strand” safe.  After tucking the phial away in her saddle bag, she repeated the process with five more strands, placing them in their own containers and then giving one to each pony, just as Hauberk said they deserved.

“It’s so beautiful,” Fluttershy said as she gazed deep into the phial, “I can’t believe we did it.”

“Neither can I, darling,” replied Rarity as she looked on with complete admiration of the relic in her hooves. “This single strand of hair is utterly divine, though I suppose I mean that in the literal sense. How would it look in my mane? I think it would really bring out my eyes.”

“That’s a relic of days long gone, Rarity,” Applejack reprimanded, then placed the phial in her bag, “Not a fashion accessory. This is gonna save Macintosh, Applebloom, all of Red Apple. Took us quite a ways to get here, but ah think we’re all the better for it. Stronger, wiser, all that.”

Twilight nodded solemnly as she closed the coffin and stepped away from the altar. She took one last look at the temple room, still in awe of the artisanship that went in to making this place. Knowing that donkeys were the constructors only helped the unicorn look forward to seeing an entire city crafted by their expert hooves.

With a quick confirmation from Applejack, it was decided then and there; their next stop was to bring the Grey Warden treaties to the donkeys of Orzamule after healing Macintosh and Applebloom. Twilight was at first apprehensive about meeting an equine folk who had no inkling of magic, but after seeing what they could accomplish compared to other ponies, Twilight was excited to learn more. It was definitely a change, looking forward to something that she could plan in advance for once, rather than making things up as she went, like how she dealt with this mountain.

There was still the danger posed by the Dark Tunnels however, the home of the ponyspawn. While Twilight was curious how the monsters survived in the underground, her curiosity was brought to pause, not wanting to dive headlong into the depths of an evil lair. She would have to learn all she could from the experiences of Applejack and Shale, both of whom had fought their fair share of battles in the dark recesses of the earth.

They crossed the Bridge of Faith and through the Corridor of Night’s Reflection, still marveling at the sight of the temple as they returned to the Hall of the Elements. Twilight stopped as she gazed at the statues of the Elements of ages past, still standing proud and vigilant in the temple dedicated to a goddess that lived.

It was not awe or admiration that halted Twilight, but rather uncertainty that ceased her hooves. As she looked up at the image of the first Warden, Dewdrop Dazzle, new doubts spread into her mind as she levitated the parchment with the ancient ritual. Not only did they need an army to fight the ponyspawn, but they also needed to find the Elements to stop the Archdemon as the guardians of the past once did. Unlike the treaties, neither she nor Applejack knew where to find the Elements, or how to call upon their celestial magic.

“We’ll be fine, sugarcube,” Applejack said, seeing the concern on Twilight’s face as she looked at the ancient ritual. “We have a lot in to worry about. No need to add more apples to our basket just yet.”

“We don’t have the time though,” Twilight replied, as she kept her eyes on those of the unicorn statue, “If we can’t stop the Archdemon, the Blight will continue unhindered. We need the army and the Elements.”

“Remember what that block of stone said,” reminded Applejack, “The Elements reveal themselves when their bearers most desperately need them. For all we know, they’ll come to us.”

I certainly hope so, Twilight thought as she wrenched her eyes away from the monuments and back to the door leading to the antechamber. She wasn’t particularly fond of surprises anymore, after having endured all manner of unexpected events in this endeavor, from the strange, cruel, to even downright lethal.

As they finally left the temple proper, the bright light of the sun cascaded over the entrance, temporarily blinding the party as they stepped back into the outside world. Twilight took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, noting that it was not as cold as it once was; indeed, the climate had actually turned rather pleasant with the sun’s warmth — a gentle breeze flowing through the summit of the mountain.

The storms that protected the mountain had also abated, and most of the snow had melted away revealing green grass and even flowers. The ponies looked in wonder as the works of both magic and nature worked in tandem as if to celebrate their success. True to Hauberk’s word, a stone path leading from the temple was revealed, branching to the lower temple once ruled by the diamond dogs and a new path leading down the mountain back to the mainland; one that would cut out climbing down the mountain completely.

There was still the case of the high dragon, which thankfully was still sleeping soundly on top of its hoard of treasure. Twilight sighed in relief, almost worried that the dragon was going to wake up and suddenly have a craving for pony meat.

“Twilight!” Spike called, rushing over to his unicorn caretaker as they stepped off the stone stairway and onto firm ground, “You made it back! Did you get the Mane?”

“We did,” Twilight answered, drawing out her phial and showing the Star Strand to Spike, “Now we can leave. How are Trixie and Shale?”

“I am bored, and desire to crush something very soon,” the golem said as it walked to the group, “As for the boastful one, I believe she is delirious again, and her leg has started to change colour. Do ponies naturally turn green when bitten? It does seem fascinating.”

Twilight and the others ignored Shale’s usual interest in bodily harm as they rushed to Trixie’s side. She was writhing on the ground in pain, as her forelegs holding her wounded hind leg tight. She was sobbing in pain, adding curses to her pleads to make the pain stop. The sight of the drake bite made Twilight cringe; the poultices hadn’t healed the majority of the wound and it had become infected while they were in the temple.

“It’s as bad as it looks,” Pinkie said as she took up her alchemist’s bag, digging for some sort of medicine to help, “I can only help ease the pain, but unless we bring her to a proper healer soon, we’ll have to… amputate.” To accentuate her point, Pinkie held out her hind leg, sliding her fore leg across it and making a chopping gesture.

“No!” Trixie snapped as she shot upright, eyes wide in fear, “No chopping! No chopping at all!”

It was grisly, but it may need to be done. Trixie was already lamed from the drake bite, losing a leg would just complete the process. Without a proper healer, the infection would spread and the blue unicorn’s fate would be sealed. Twilight then stopped and looked at her saddlebag. The Guardian Hauberk did say the Mane of Stars could heal any ailment. What about a maimed hind leg of a unicorn?

Fluttershy had a similar idea, already drawing out her phial and gripping the cork stopper with her teeth. With utmost care, the Chantry sister bit down on the Star Strand, lifting it with reverence as she placed the relic on the ugly wound. While this was impromptu to say the least, it was a good way to see the extent of the Mane’s healing power.

“Don’t worry, Trixie,” Fluttershy said softly, trying to keep the terrified magician mare under control, “Luna will help heal you.”

Almost as if the Strand reacted to Fluttershy’s words, the divine hair glowed bright with power as it sunk into the wound. The entire leg then began to glow, with Trixie sputtering as her body shone with magical energy. The rest of the party averted their eyes as the light overwhelmed them.

As the light abated, they opened their eyes to see that Trixie’s wound had simply ceased to be. There was no scarring, no torn flesh, not even a blemish in the skin or coat from where the drake’s teeth had sunk into her. Trixie herself seemed no worse for wear, actually appearing to be in better health now than when she first left the Tower. The Star Strand had not only healed the wound, but also every ailment and every slight deficit to the unicorn’s health. No healing magic known to ponykind could compare to the power of this ancient relic.

“I feel…” Trixie started, getting back up to her hooves and looking around at the rest of the party as they kept their eyes locked on the miracle performed by the Strand, “I feel great! No! Not great… Great and Powerful! The Great and Powerful Trixie is back!”

“You are still not the Supreme and Indestructible Shale, but I suppose it is good to have my banter partner back. I cannot wait to win again.” Shale looked on with a smug look on its rocky face, though Twilight smirked, knowing that it was just the golem’s way of saying it was glad Trixie was safe.

“Well, that sells me,” Applejack said, her grin wide as they took down the makeshift camp in front of the temple, “If the Mane can heal that, then it can heal anything! Let’s head back to Ditzy’s boat and git to Red Apple lickity-split! I can’t wait to see their faces when they wake up, better than ever!”

It was a good feeling, knowing that they had been successful, not only by recovering the Mane of Stars, but also with discovering the weakness of the Archdemon and how to defeat it like the first Wardens of old. The costs were still high to Twilight, however, since it took the tragedy of Red Apple to send them northward. There was also the attack by the cult of diamond dogs, something she had wanted to avoid at all costs, though Lockjaw made it impossible not to fight.

Spike gave one last look at the massive dragon sleeping behind them when he leapt up on Twilight’s back. It always eased her mind knowing that the baby drake was safe and well. “What was it like in there, Twilight?” He asked out of the curiosity that Twilight had always wanted to instill in her ward, though only because he wanted to know what he had miss rather than a genuine hunger for knowledge.

As they walked away from the temple and onto the newly revealed path, Twilight told the story of the trials within, of Hauberk and the Elements of Harmony. Spike hung off every word, asking questions about what Twilight had experienced personally. As she mentioned seeing the spirit of Duncan, the others spoke of their encounters within the Corridor of Night’s Reflection. Rarity avoided the subject completely, trotting up ahead of the rest of the group while Rainbow Dash and Pinkie recounted their meetings with their respective parent.

Fluttershy stopped while they all talked, staring at the ground. “What’s wrong, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, only to see fresh tears forming in the shy pegasus’ eyes.

“You all saw ponies who passed on,” she replied, “The old king. Your parents. Duncan. I saw Lady Elegance in the Corridor. If the ponies you saw are all gone that means… she said not to worry but I…”

Fluttershy broke down in soft sobs, covering her eyes with her hooves to stop the new river of tears, but to no avail. While the others tried to give some measure of comfort, it was Rarity who turned around on her hooves and rushed over to the former bard’s side. She levitated a frilly lace kerchief from her bag and used the cloth to help wipe away the tears.

“There there, dear,” Rarity said as gingerly wiped Fluttershy’s face, “You are quite lucky to have such a caring mare in your life. I’ve heard the tales of servants treated poorly, especially pegasus ones, but you were considered one of the family. That is something simply unheard of. Scandalous, one would say. She did it anyways. I wish I was as lucky as you. As all of you.”

The pink-maned archer blew her snout onto the kerchief, causing Rarity to cringe as she pulled the soiled cloth away. With a small pulse of magic from her horn, a minute jolt of electricity ignited the kerchief, reducing it to ash that blew away on the calm mountain winds.

The white sorceress closed her eyes for a moment, before looking at her friends who assembled around her. “I saw nothing but darkness in the Corridor,” she admitted at last, fear creeping into her voice, “No stars. No light, nothing but the black emptiness. And Flemeth. She told me that I had to go to her after our journey, or she would hurt you all.”

Now it was Rarity’s turn to well up as she recounted her experience with her swamp-bound benefactor. Twilight knew that Rarity was a proud unicorn, who had gained great power and skill on her own, but also knew that the prospect of facing down the Mare of the Mire was an uphill battle. Flemeth was old and powerful, and likely had an array of spells at her disposal, the power and ferocity of which Twilight could not even begin to imagine.

“Rarity,” Twilight comforted as she placed a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder, “Flemeth won’t do anything to you, not so long as your friends are here.”

“That’s right,” added Applejack, “We may not see eye to eye on a lot of things, but ah’ll be bucked if ah let any friend o’ mine get her body snatched from a marsh hag.”

“Even if we have to get through two Flemeth’s, we’re here for you Rarity,” boasted Rainbow, “Let her come. We’ll show her who’s boss!”

Despite the confidence and the bravado shown, Rarity turned away, saying nothing to neither allow nor deny her friends’ newfound determination. No matter how Twilight tried to bring that same confidence to her fellow unicorn, Rarity would only turn away, in her own way saying Flemeth was unstoppable.

We’ve done the impossible before, Rarity, Twilight thought as they resumed their march down the mountain, we want to help you. Why won’t you let us?

A sudden howl echoed through the frigid air, shaking the trees and alerting the ponies of a new presence. They spun around to see the diamond dog cult leader Lockjaw lumbering towards them. He was covered in several severe-looking scars, as well as countless bruises and lacerations. His left eye was swollen from the stiff strike by Shale’s hoof, and he was missing many of his teeth. Lockjaw was also walking with a limp, and in his left paw was a tube of bone, carved into some sort of instrument.

“Heretics,” he growled as he lurched ever forward, pointing a single claw at the party, “You will all feel the flame of Luna. Behold as I awaken the almighty one from her slumber, so that she may feast on your flesh and suck the marrow from your bones!”

“Grumpy puppy is being hammy again.” Pinkie’s taunt was ignored as Lockjaw brought the instrument to his lips. Twilight clenched her teeth as her staff floated to her side, battle-ready, as the others drew weapons. They were all tired from the trials of the gauntlet, but rest would only come after Lockjaw’s defeat. They all knew too well how the alpha dog was going to strike at them, and with his wounds, was going to call upon the high dragon to do so. Twilight took a sharp intake of air.

With a sharp intake of air, Lockjaw blew into the instrument, yet oddly they heard no sound. The lavender mage strained her ears to try to hear what Lockjaw was attempting to do, but could only hear the sound of the winds and Spike’s yells of pain. She turned to see the baby dragon fall from her back and onto the cold ground, writhing in agony as blood poured from his ears.

Twilight twisted around immediately, holding Spike in her hooves as he cried out, turning towards Lockjaw, eyes wide with fury. “Stop it!” she screamed as she raised a barrier around Spike and herself, “You’re hurting him!”

The bone whistle was not only causing Spike immense pain, but was also affecting the high dragon up on her perch. The monstrous reptile rose from its slumber, stretching its serpentine body to its full length. It opened its yellow eyes wide and craned its neck towards Lockjaw, who ceased his whistling and pointed at the ponies as he tried to hobble away from his dread mistress.

“Oh almighty Luna,” he said, bowing as he retreated, “I offer these heretics to you, great one, so that you may feast upon their bodies and purify them with your flame. Show these heathens your might! Show that you favour the dogs as your chosen, and that today is their day!”

The dragon roared in response, the terrible call from the wyrm shaking the ground and knocking the ponies down. With a great beat from its wings, the dragon landed near the retreating Lockjaw, abandoning its hoard of treasure to stare down the cult leader.

Several questions seemed to have been answered as the once powerful Lockjaw whimpered in the presence of the mythical beast he worshipped as a goddess. The dogs had delivered gems and sacrifices to distract the high dragon while they stole away her eggs. They used the bone flute to enrage the dragon, causing it to bleed from the ears just as Spike did. They then used the blood to become reavers just as Hauberk had described, and managed to collect the blood from this use. Who knew how many ponies and dogs died at the claws and flames of the high dragon to fuel the zealous hatred of Lockjaw and his blood drinking followers?

There, the reverence was one-way. As Lockjaw begged and pleaded to the high dragon he called Luna, the massive creature loomed ever closer, black smog flowing from its nostrils. “Please, spare me your wrath!” cried the alpha dog as he fell on his rump, “Your blood runs through my veins! We worship your very flame! These interlopers, they are the enemy! Not me!”

Rearing its head and spewing red hot streams of flames into the sky, the dragon roared again in fury before turning its fiery breath towards Lockjaw, immolating the dog leader as he screamed in pain. His howls of agony were quickly silenced as the roar of the fire consumed the large diamond dog, leaving only a charred skeleton in its wake.

The high dragon then turned its attention to the party of ponies, the fury of the mother wyrm not satiated from the gruesome act of execution. They all stared, wide-eyed, as the dragon lumbered towards them, a low hiss gurgling from its throat as it prepared another breath of fire. Trixie had already raised her arcane barrier, while Twilight reinforced the shield with her own magic.

“What do we do?” Pinkie called, only to back down as the dragon unleashed another torrent of fire onto the shield. From all her studies of dragons, Twilight had learned that they were creatures of pure destruction, their unmitigated fury consuming whole regions and threatening the livelihoods of entire nations when enraged. There were no reports of dragons simply leaving until the earth was completely scorched; only a dragon’s death ended their chaos. Especially a dragon so rudely interrupted in its slumber.

The drain of holding up the barrier was unparalleled to anything Twilight had ever faced before, including minotaurs and demons. Even with their magic combined, the high dragon’s flames were rapidly sapping their strength, and Twilight already felt weak and ready to faint. Trixie looked no better, already falling on one knee as she struggled to keep her staff aloft. Rarity joined her magic with theirs, in time for the dragon’s breath to cease, only to cry out as the beast struck the shield with its powerful claws.

“Please stop!” Fluttershy yelled, surprising Twilight as the yellow Pegasus stepped towards the edge of the barrier, attempting to plead with the high dragon, “I’m sorry that mean dog ruined your sleep, but we are not your enemy! Please, stop this and we’ll leave in peace. We don’t want to fight you.”

The dragon stopped its attacks, roaring once more before flapping the great wings on its back, the blast of air pushing snow, dust and ash into a cloud that blurred what was going on outside the shield. As the ash-storm settled, they all watched as the dragon flew off past the peak of the mountain, with Fluttershy giving the group a small smile.

“See?” she said, as she lifted some lyrium potions from her bag for the unicorns to drink, “All it takes is a kind word. Just like what the message said in the temple.”

Twilight was about to breathe a sigh of relief and release her magic, only for Shale to step forward and point a hoof to the sky. “Look again, meek one,” the golem observed, “I think all it gave the dragon was another idea on how to deal with us.”

The high dragon had turned around mid-flight, making a pass around the mountain, then swooped down towards the party and their magical shield, its mouth filled with draconic flame. Urging her magic to return to the shield in force, Twilight and the other unicorns pushed their spellwork to its limits, raising the barrier to incredible strength as the dragon assaulted them with another storm of fire.

All three mages cried out in pain as the flames lashed against the entirety of the otherworldly shell, the immense pressure of magic and stress causing Twilight’s horn to hurt. They could not keep hiding behind the shield forever. Sooner rather than later, the high dragon was going to crack the barrier and they would all be at its mercy.

“Meek one,” Shale said to a frightened Fluttershy, readying itself for a counter-attack, “We are not talking our way out of our fights. All our enemies, big and small, desire us dead. There is no reasoning with them. Take up the bow, and fight. Do not hesitate. You’ll get no second chance.”

Twilight noticed in shock that Shale had used the word “you” rather than “it” when talking to Fluttershy. As the dragon flew off to begin another pass, the Chantry sister readied an arrow and took aim, muttering an oath from the Chant of Sun and Moon as she tracked the dragon.

“Git ready, all of ya,” Applejack called through the bit of her sword, “It’s now or never.” Weapons ready, the fighters awaited the lowering of the shield to strike at the dragon itself. Fluttershy still had the bow trained, her body still yet somehow calm despite the situation.

“I’m ready, Twilight,” she said, barely loud enough for Twilight to hear, “This dragon wouldn’t listen. Just like the others. I’m sorry.”

Twilight’s horn and staff stopped glowing, no longer fueling the barrier as it dissipated around them. She protected Spike’s writhing body with her own, knowing that while a full dragon could recover from the impairing noise of the bone flute, a baby dragon would be in racking pain. Twilight watched as the others stepped forward, forming a line against the high dragon as it lowered itself to the ground, mouth filled with a new ball of flame ready to be unleashed. Fluttershy was at the forefront, keeping her aim steady as she took one last breath.

She fired.

The arrow flew through the air in an arc until it struck the high dragon in the eye. The great beast roared in pain, the fire in its throat dying out as the loss of vision sent the dragon careening into the mountainside. The dragon crashed against the rocky walls of the summit, howling in pain as it toppled to the ground. The jagged rock face tore into its wings, ripping large holes as more blood flowed from its now numerous wounds.

Applejack and the others stood ready as the dragon steadied itself on its large limbs. Fluttershy watched what she had done with her single arrow and promptly fainted, only to have the stone body of Shale act as her shield in front of her. “Get the archer to safety, purple one,” Shale said, “We are likely to do something completely stupid. But the squishing will be epic.”

“Sometimes it’s the stupid choices that turn out to be the most awesome,” Rainbow said with a smirk, “Got a plan, A.J.?”

“Sure do,” Applejack replied. Twilight levitated the unconscious Fluttershy away from the newly formed front lines as Applejack took command of the battle. “Shale, go fer the legs. Keep the dragon off balance. Rainbow, go fer the critter’s other eye. Keep away from its mouth. Ain’t in the mood to clean up after roasted boaster. Ah’ll be goin’ fer its belly, maybe under the chin as well.”

“Trixie, could use one of them chanted spells of yers, the one that makes us stronger and faster. Rarity, I don’t know what other magic spells ol’ Flemeth taught you, but now would be the best time to bust out the real impressive ones. Twilight, if you could blast the dragon with a spell here and there, I would be appreciating it somethin’ fierce.”

“Ooh! Ooh!” Pinkie Pie bounced, hoof raised in the air, “What about me?”

“Er...” Applejack was at a loss for the random earth pony before her, and then gave a simple shrug. “Throw grenades ‘till it dies! Here it comes!”

The high dragon bellowed in fury as it loomed over the party, jaws wide and eager for flesh to rend and maim. With a shout, Applejack lead the charge, quickly hopping back as the high dragon swept its claws towards them. The golem pony caught the massive talons with its head, pushing back against the dragon with strength that surprised not only the entire party, but also the dragon as well. Despite the effort, Shale was cracking under the pressure exerted by the drake matriarch. It would not be able to keep this test of physical might against the dragon for long.

Trixie followed her part of the plan laid out by the earth pony Warden, channeling her magic to work with the ancient spell-words she had studied so intently in the Tower. Twilight felt her body becoming stronger and healthier as the familiar entrapments of the blue magician’s strengthening spell worked its wonders on all of them, giving them a bright charged glow. With newfound strength, Twilight cast a small barrier over the bodies of Spike and Fluttershy while Rarity channeled another large powerful rune, the same she used against the drakes in the caverns.

The fighters launched their attack with speed and precision as Shale continued to test its might against that of the high dragon. With a small flash grenade primed and ready to be flung, Pinkie shouted a warning launched the explosive upward into the face of the wyrm. The bomb burst brilliantly, engulfing the area with bright light and blinding the already maimed dragon. It howled, clutching at its face with its claws, while the rest of the ponies averted their eyes and resumed their attack while the dragon was stunned.

Applejack charged forward, sword in mouth as she jumped upwards towards the high dragon’s belly, sinking her Red Apple sword into the belly of the beast. As the dragon was stunned, Shale assisted by tackling the hind leg. The glyph Rarity maintained worked as well, causing the feet of the dragon no little amount of pain as both she and Twilight fired bolt after bolt of arcane energy.

Not amused, the high dragon roared, blasting the area in front of it with waves of fire rather than directed flames, causing Pinkie and Dash to quickly break away from their attack. As Applejack and Shale readied another strike, the dragon turned quickly, slamming its strong tail into both and sending them flying into the rocky walls.

Despite their best efforts, the unicorns’ spells bounced harmlessly off the dragon’s scales. Descendants of the Old Ones indeed! Twilight thought as she and Rarity galloped away from the monster as it breathed another torrent of flame. How can we stop this thing? There has to be a way!

Rainbow flew circles around the head of the enemy beast, but could not find an opening as the dragon swung its sharp claws at the cyan assassin. Applejack and Shale slowly returned to their hooves, bruised and, in the Shale’s case, fissured from the crash against the walls of the mountain’s summit. Pinkie rushed to their sides immediately, applying a healing poultice to the earth pony and pouring liquid lyrium over the cracks in the golem.

They would not be able to keep up with the dragon for much longer. Twilight knew that a good half of their stamina came from Trixie’s spell, and there was no guarantee when that would simply cease. The threat of the dragon had to be ended quickly and decisively. With another look at the battlefield, the mage Warden looked with eyes attuned with the arcane, trying to find a solution in the mountain. It was a risk considering she was nearly blinded the last time she tried to look at the mountain, and like before, the mountain shined with incredible latent magical energy. The lack of the magically charged storms made it much easier to observe, but the mountain was still a font of power.

That’s it! Twilight turned to Rarity, who was looking at the ground with the same attuned eyes as Twilight was, as the dragon continued to chase after the annoyance that was Rainbow Dash. “Rarity,” Twilight said, pointing a hoof at the dragon, “I think I know a way we can take down the dragon. We need to use the magic in the mountain to do it though, and your lightning spells. Rarity I need you to use me…”

“This is hardly a time for being so forward!” As Rarity shouted, Applejack and Shale made their way over to the two unicorns with Pinkie following. Rainbow was still buzzing about the dragon’s head, narrowly avoiding snapping jaws and streams of fire.

“She can’t do that all day, Twi,” Applejack said, “We need to take that critter down, and fast.”

“As I was saying,” Twilight continued, “I need Rarity to use me like a staff. I’ll focus a feedback with the mountain through my horn, and then Rarity can channel the magic into her horn through me. I’m not going to lie; it is going to be extremely painful having that much power in our horns, but it’s the only thing I can think of to have enough power to summon a strong enough bolt to take down a high dragon.”

“This is where you come in Applejack. You and Dash are going to get close enough to embed one of your swords into its skull. The metal will act as a lightning rod, sending Rarity’s magic throughout its body. With the magic flowing from me into the spell, it should be enough to electrocute the dragon from the inside out.”

Applejack took a deep breath at Twilight’s plan, keeping an eye on both the high dragon and the blitzing pegasus. “Boy howdy, you sure know how to pick ‘em,” Applejack remarked, before gripping the sword-bit in her mouth, “Any idea how I’ll get up there?”

“Jump on my back,” Shale replied, “It will have to climb, but I will bring the bucking one close enough for it to jump onto the dragon.”

“Pinkie, get your healing gear ready.” This is going to hurt. The alchemist moved to the back where the barrier was still protecting Fluttershy and Spike as Applejack leaped onto Shale’s back, forelegs wrapped around the golem’s neck as they charged towards the dragon. With a ready breath, Twilight closed her eyes and focused her magic onto the energies surrounding her.

It had to begin gradually at first, slowly letting the magic that charged the mountain into her horn bit by bit. If she took in the magic too fast, Twilight would lose herself in the power and be useless, too drunk on the mountain’s magic to put it to proper use. Applejack would be unable to quell the surge, being too far to use her templar abilities. Too slow, and the dragon would make quick work of her friends.

We made it this far, we can’t fail now! Slowly Twilight opened herself to the magic within the mountain, letting the power flow through her and focused it on the tip of her horn. Eyes open, the unicorn mage noticed Rarity’s lightning already take shape in the form of a small orb high above the dragon’s head. Shale and Applejack were already close, and with a jump the blonde earth pony landed on top of the high dragon’s hindquarters.

Twilight flinched as the dragon swiped again at Rainbow, clipping the wings of the assassin and causing her to make an emergency crash landing. The high dragon roared in triumph, and was about to bring its massive maw down on the sprawled body of its fallen foe when a rather large piece of earth struck its blind side. Shale had stomped the earth in such a way that the golem had dislodged a large section of the ground. With a sharp buck, another chunk of rock flew towards the dragon with great force, slamming against its jaw and dislodging a fang.

The high dragon turned its attention to the new annoyance, ignoring or not even noticing that Applejack had boarded the beast and was slowly climbing across the scales. Twilight opened herself to more magic, feeling the power rush into her like a river, while still maintaining control of the flow. Her horn was starting to sting from the abundance of arcane power flooding her, but now Rarity was redirecting the magic towards her horn and then to the lightning bolt waiting to strike. Rarity had dug her hooves into the ground, bracing herself as more power flowed from the mountain to Twilight and then to her.

It was risky spellwork to use another unicorn as a staff. Usually they had to direct the magic from the Fade itself to make this process work, thus exposing themselves to powerful demons and presenting the threat of possession. Twilight counted her lucky stars that the energy was already in the mountain, and that a skilled sorceress like Rarity could refine the raw magic Twilight was drawing out. Now was the time to let it rush through her, now that she was used to the power.

Twilight grimaced as the immense power made her horn feel like it was on fire, yet continued to draw the power through her horn despite the crippling pain. The high dragon lifted one of its claws and slammed it on top of Shale, breaking off a foreleg as the golem was caught by the gigantic beast. Just as it readied another ball of flame to finish off the pony of stone, Twilight could see Applejack reach the skull, blade ready to strike.

Strike she did, sinking the sword into the dragon’s head with as much force as she could muster. The high dragon reared its head in pain, its roar echoing across the mountain and beyond, tossing the orange earth pony off and sending her crashing to the ground. She looked up to see the one-eyed dragon loom over her, the fiery breath it had prepared for Shale now ready to scorch the former templar to the bone.

“Now, Rarity! NOW!”

Rarity cried out as the power from her horn sailed through the sky, striking the orb with intensely focused energy. The ball crackled as it expanded exponentially, until it flashed downward in a powerful bolt of lightning towards the sword. The crack of thunder rocked the skies, only to be overcome by the deafening roar of the high dragon as it reeled its head upwards to the sky while the raw electricity surged through its body. It rocked back and forth slowly, a low rumble emanating from the throat of the great dragon. Unable to stand under its own power, the high dragon toppled to its side, crashing against the mountain’s summit. The ground quaked as its mass shook the summit, dislodging rocks, snow, and ponies alike from where they stood.

Trixie was thrown off her hooves from the earthquake, causing her chanted spell to be disrupted. As the effects of the magic drifted away from Twilight, she could no longer help but collapse much like the dragon did. Her breathing was ragged as she felt her head throb from having so much magic flow through her horn. Still, it was worth it if the threat of the high dragon had ended then and there.

All Twilight could do was listen, to hear if the dragon would get back up from the lightning strike. Instead all she could hear was the ringing in her ears from the combined efforts of the the thunder crack and the dragon roar. “I gotcha, Twilight,” she heard Pinkie say as she was turned over onto her back to be looked over by a pair of familiar blue eyes. Despite the close proximity, Pinkie sounded furlongs away as she rummaged through her bag of potions and poultices. Wrapping her tail around a small phial filled with orange liquid, the pink pony popped the cork off with her teeth and brought the glass to Twilight’s mouth.

“Let it all down easy,” she said as she tipped the phial. The liquid tasted of oranges, and Twilight found her eyes widening as a tingle went through her body, her body jolting with electricity as it awoke from the fatigue. She was still in pain, but now Twilight was awake and in pain and could move on her own power.

“Stamina draught!” Pinkie chirped as Twilight rolled back onto her hooves, “It used to taste like blech but then I added just a hint of orange. It helps to give the body the bounce it needs when feeling sluggy and cranky.”

“Thanks Pinkie,” Twilight said as she surveyed the field. Applejack had returned to her hooves and was checking over the body of the dragon as Rainbow Dash pulled herself together, gingerly flexing her wing that was damaged by the dragon’s claws. Shale was hobbling on three legs as it tried to lift its broken limb in place. Pinkie arrived with a flask of liquid lyrium, pouring the contents on the damaged golem as she helped reattach the limb to Shale.

Spike and Fluttershy were still unconscious on the ground, though thankfully they appeared unharmed from the battle. Trixie and Rarity joined Twilight’s side as they made their way to the carcass of the slain dragon that lay across the summit. Twilight could not find the words as she stared at the body of such a legendary creature. The high dragon, one of the most feared and powerful monsters the world would ever know lay dead at their hooves. While she had wanted to avoid such an unnecessary battle, there was a sense of pride forming as she looked at the body. Stories were written about heroes who struck down the rampaging beasts; now they joined the ranks of such legends. The archdemon took the form of a dragon, using the sight and strength to terrify armies and ponies alike. If they could best a high dragon, they could fight the archdemon.

“Well,” Applejack said, only to catch herself on her own words. She went to her sword, but found that the weapon had melted from the lightning and was now fused into the dragon’s skull. Shale said nothing as it limped over, the lyrium working slowly to reattach the limb fully. Only Rainbow Dash, her wing healed thanks to Pinkie’s potent poultice, stepped forward and looked at the corpse of the dragon with a smug smile, which she then turned towards the party.

“We are completely, utterly, ridiculously awesome.” The rainbow-maned assassin looked up to the perch where the dragon had previously dwelled and began to fly off.

“Where are you going?” Twilight called out. Rainbow spun around and looked at Twilight as if she had just grown a second head.

“We slew a dragon,” Rainbow replied, “That means we get its loot. Don’t worry, Twi, we won’t take too much time. I’ll find the stuff that looks useful. Magical stuff. Dragons always have the best loot.”

Pinkie joined her pegasus friend and, after some goading and bribery, hired Shale to carry the majority of the loot. Twilight shook her head as she rejoined Applejack and the two other unicorns, and with their help, lifted Fluttershy onto the earth pony’s back while Spike slept on Twilight’s. Taking one last look at the slain dragon, Twilight turned her attention towards the path made clear by their success in the temple of Luna, and made her way back to Ditzy’s ship.

The trip down the mountain was much shorter than the journey up, mostly in thanks to the much kinder path that was revealed by the magic from the temple. It was late at night when they finally approached the boat on the shore of Lake Blackwater, yet despite the late hour, little Dinky Doo rushed down the gangplank towards her mentor Trixie, jumping up and down and asking a dozen or more questions. The senior enchanter weakly smiled as she answered all of her pupil’s inquiries while the others made their way onto the boat.

Spike was still asleep, something Twilight thought the baby dragon needed most of all, and quickly descended into the cargo hold to place him in the small basket he had used as a bed. When she returned to the top deck, Rarity was sprawled on the wooden floor asleep, while Fluttershy kept watch on the mountain, having not spoken since she awoke on Applejack’s back.

The former templar had gone off on her own to make sure Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie made their way back safely, only to find two tired ponies and a golem bearing four saddle bags filled with treasure. Held in Shale’s mouth was a long sword which Twilight could tell was pulsing with powerful magic. The pony of stone also appeared different, with green crystals jutting from its rocky skin, and red crystals adorning its hooves.

“We used up all of my stamina draughts,” Pinkie started, only to lapse into a long drawn out yawn, “But we found a lot of neat things.”

“Hundreds of gold bits,” Rainbow added as the pony duo ascended the gangplank, “Countless gems. Applejack lost her sword to the dragon, so we picked up that one in Shale’s mouth. Might need to get it identified or something. Right now though, I could use a place for a power nap. Maybe a week sleeping.”

“Look what I found, purple one!” Shale said excitedly, waving a hoof at Twilight, “Augmentation crystals! Oh they look like regular mundane crystals you can find in any geode, but these have the trappings of magic in them. Green to harden my rocky shell, and red, well, I’ll show it when I need to squish something.”

Twilight could only smile at the golem who sounded unusually pleasant, and was now standing guard at the edge of the shore. With Rainbow and Pinkie collapsed on the deck, Twilight allowed herself a yawn as she found a comfortable corner of the ship to sleep in for the rest of the night. Before she could lower her eyelids, Applejack looked at her from her own corner and began to speak.

“Ah still can’t believe it, Twilight,” she marveled as Twilight closed her eyes. “Climbin’ that mountain, goin’ through that temple, actually findin’ the Mane o’ Stars, and beating a high dragon. We did all right, ah’d say.”

“Mmhmm.”

“Ah can’t wait to see Applebloom’s face when ah tell her everything. Ah can’t wait to see Loghoof’s face when he realizes just which mares he ticked off.”

“Applejack?”

“Yeah, Twilight?”

“Get some sleep.”

So they did.

---

Intermission: Fluttershy’s Song - Part 1

In the darkest of hearts and the blackest of pits, there is always a light to shine the way. Sometimes the light comes from the least likely of source.

Sometimes, there are those who wish to snuff the light completely. This is Fluttershy’s story of growth in a dark world. This is her story in the Pony Age.

The Solar Divine opened her eyes to the light of dawn, as was dictated by the tenants of old. They said the Divine could only look upon the light of her respective goddess, and so the Solar Divine could only see the world basked in the light of Celestia. She had never questioned the tenants, but it also meant she had never seen the stars in the sky, nor the moon. It was a depressing thought.

Since being declared Celestia’s representative for the world by the former Divine, she had taken many vows in line with the tenants of the Chantry to fully convert herself from a simple pony to messenger of the heavens themselves. She was young compared to the Divines of yesteryear, and was still being instructed by those more familiar with her duties and responsibilities. One such rule was that she could not see her nocturnal counterpart, save for only a few rare instances when the moon and the sun shared the sky.

As the Solar Divine looked out into the clear blue, she saw not only the light of the sun, but the shape of the moon as well. Such a rare occurrence marked that today was going to be a day of omens.

The sound of hoofsteps could be heard past her chamber doors, her chosen attendants knocking on the door with careful raps. With a sigh, she lowered her veil over her head before covering her eyes. The tenants said that the Divines could not look on normal ponies with their gaze, lest they feel the wrath of the alicorn sisters for millennia of sin. Never had she burnt anything to a crisp with divine heat vision, yet it was what the ponies believed. Who was she to go against centuries of doctrine and myth?

“Enter,” she said, turning to the direction of the door. Three ponies entered her chamber; her attendants, the unicorn White and the earth pony Scroll, as well as one other guest whom the Solar Divine had never seen before. When both Divines had heard of how much the two had suffered during their pilgrimage bring the Chant to the world, she and her counterpart had rewarded the duo with the positions of being the attendants to the Divines.

“The Lunar Divine wishes to see Her Radiance,” Scroll announced. The Solar Divine simply inclined her head, standing perfectly still as the two attendants left to busy themselves in another part of the Cathedral. As the large immaculate doors closed shut, she was able to remove the veil and see the chosen placeholder of Luna for the first time.

She was quite surprised at the pony that she now saw standing before her. The usual image of the Lunar Divine was a pony with a coat and mane of cool colours, not one of vibrant green like the leaves on summer trees. The Lunar Divine raised her own veil, revealing a pair of amber eyes. The Scion of the Moon smiled with a coy mirth as the Solar Divine attempted to hide her surprise.

“The sisters work in mysterious ways,” the green earth pony stated as she stepped towards the balcony. Like herself and her apparent need to see only the light of the sun, the Lunar Divine could correspondingly only see the light of the moon as was decreed in scripture.  To be able to bask in the warmth of daylight was an exceedingly rare treat.

“I have been having dreams,” the Lunar Divine said, walking through the Solar Divine’s chamber and taking a seat on a cushion, “Recurring dreams of a most curious nature. I see a wave of pink, amidst a sea of yellow going in the direction of Equestria, a land covered in shadows. Tell me, what do you know of the going-on outside of the Cathedral, Sonnenschein?”

The golden maned earth pony gasped at the name the Lunar Divine had just called her.  The doctrines demanded that the Divines were to relinquish their mortal names, to submit their very lives in servitude to the alicorns directly. To actually be called by the name her mother had given her so many decades ago was blasphemous.

Sonnenschein did not care. She was still getting used to the idea that she was one of the two most revered ponies in the entire Chantry, second in status only to the goddesses themselves. She tossed aside her veil and looked at the Lunar Divine. “I am woefully uninformed of the workings of the world beyond the Cathedral,” she replied. The green mare continued to smile as she too set aside the veil used to shield her eyes from the so-called “unworthy”.

“You may call me Artemis, if you so wish.” Artemis sat upright and headed back to the balcony, motioning for Sonnenschein to follow. “There was an uproar heading to the Hall of Justice. Last night, well over fifty ponies were arrested on suspicion of treason against the Empress. They will all be tried and likely to be executed.”

“We do not interfere with the realm of politics,” Sonnenschein rebuked as she again sat on her haunches next to Artemis, reciting the lessons imparted to her by the former Solar Divine while she was on her death bed, “All we can offer are our prayers that they may find mercy at the Sisters’ hooves, and avoid damnation in Black Canter.”

The new name for the fallen city of Canterlot, former seat of the Sisters, was meant to strike fear and guilt into the hearts of ponies, and even thinking the name of Black Canter was supposed to do the same. It was the corruption of the city that brought upon ponydom the wrath of Celestia, and their sin had created the first ponyspawn out of the bodies of the magisters. The Chant was clear; ponies who held sin and vice in their heart would be sent to damnation in Black Canter, to become toy things for demons.

That was what scripture had said. Far be it for her to go against the very words of the Chant of Sun and Moon. 

“There are also tales coming from Equestria and her Grey Wardens,” Artemis continued, promptly ignoring the words of the Solar Divine, “Ponyspawn incursions have been reported all across the countryside.  Small in scale, but their veterans say this is only the beginning of a complete Blight.”

“Excuse me if this sounds rude,” Sonnenschein interjected, catching Artemis’ gaze with her own, “But what does this mean for your dream? And how do you know all this?”

Artemis chuckled as she laid a hoof on Sonnenschein’s shoulders. Another blasphemy was even touching the Divine, though was it heretical if the offending party was a Divine herself? “I forget you are still new to the being Solar Divine. There are some ponies I would like you to meet.”

The Lunar Divine pushed gently for Sonnenschein to turn around, and as she did, the Solar Divine gasped. Kneeling before them were four ponies, two pegasi, an earth pony, and a unicorn, adorned in leather armour emblazoned with the markings of the sun and moon. They all wore masks hiding their faces. How did they enter without anypony noticing? Sonnenschein thought, the templars would be in hysterics if they ever found out about this incursion.

“These are the Seekers of Truth,” Artemis explained, “They are the eyes, ears, and sometimes the hooves of the Divines. Sometimes I like to call them the “Divine Intervention”. Of course, they obey only us, and are to be our tools to maintain harmony across the world. They are how I know so much about the world outside the Cathedral.” The Lunar Divine seemed to enjoy her nicknames for the armoured ponies, who were as still as statues. Sonnenschein could honestly say they unnerved her.

“In any event, I feel we must intervene in this case regarding the Halls of Justice. While it is regrettable that we cannot save them all from their wrongful fate, we can at least save the one who will have a hoof in preserving the world from the darkness that looms over Equestria. A pink maned pegasus pony with a yellow coat will be executed unless the Seekers rescue her from her fate. There is one problem, though.”

The Solar Divine turned to her contemporary in askance. “And that would be?”

“They need the command from you,” Artemis answered, “I have commanded them since the death of the former Solar Divine, but they will no longer obey my command until you have ordered them enough to restore the balance of power between us. The sun and moon must be equals, as you of course know.”

Sonnenschein looked over the Seekers who awaited her command. Before she could speak, Artemis held her shoulder with a hoof once again. The Solar Divine looked into her eyes, which no longer held happiness, but an iron will.

“They require your blessing, but know that they will conduct unpleasantness in our names. This must be done in good conscious, without doubt in your heart. I wish there was more time to explain everything before you make your decision, but a pony necessary for the survival of the world hangs in the balance. Can you make the decision? Can you give the Seekers your blessing?”

Unpleasantness? Was the Lunar Divine telling her that these Seekers committed murder in her name? Were the Exalted Gallops not enough bloodshed in the name of the Chantry?

What would be the fate of the world if the Artemis was right? If there is a threat, it was her duty to lead the Chantry to ease the suffering of ponies everywhere. If only there was more time to think about the decision.

Instead, she closed her eyes and turned to the blue sky, silently praying to Celestia to give her guidance. Sonnenschein looked back to the Lunar Divine, doubt still marring her features. “How come we cannot expose the framing of innocent ponies and the guilty parties behind them?”

“Many nations in the world are devout in their worship to the Chant, yet they are also very adamant that the Chantry must not become a powerful theocracy like the Unicorn Imperium. While we do not have the blood magics and the strength of ancient dragon gods behind us, I can see the ripple effect that interfering openly here would undoubtedly cause. That is why very few ponies know of the Seekers of Truth, and why they protect their secrecy fiercely.”

“It all seems so… clandestine.”

To this Artemis chuckled. “You were a Mother Superior in the Yokalach, far to the north near the borders of the Imperium. I understand you are still not used to how things are done in Filais. Still, the Solar Divine before you saw great promise in you, especially in a mare so young. So do I. Needless to say, time is short, and a decision must be made quickly.”

Sonnenschein turned to the Seekers who had not moved an inch since she had first laid eyes on them. They all seemed so taciturn, but she simply assumed this to be reverence for the Divines and the two goddesses they were meant to represent. There were always tales of fervent followers who formed rather brutal orders in the name of Celestia and Luna. Never mind that the Chantry endorsed one such order in the templars to keep unicorns and their magic in check.

It went completely against the message of Luna and Celestia to have ponies fight ponies, yet kings and lords would always find some excuse in the Chant to call the other a heretic or an abomination. With the constant strife against the ravenous ponyspawn, the wars with the foreign invaders of buffalo, known as Followers of the Buf, and the resurgence of dragon worship in the remnants of the ancient Unicorn Imperium, war would surely plague the world and the lessons of harmony would be quickly forgotten.

The ponies of the world made their own discord. They did not need monsters from the depths of the Dark Tunnels to aid them. With a motion of her tail, the Solar Divine grabbed the veil and lowered the decorated cloth over her eyes, blocking her sight to the Seekers. If they served the Divines with complete devotion, she may as well look the part.

“You will find this pegasus pony Her Luminousness has mentioned, and you will bring her La Maison du Soleil. I ask that you keep the unpleasantness also mentioned to a minimum, if you can avoid it.”

The masked ponies stood tall, bowing to both Divines before leaving. The pegasi taking wing from the balcony as the unicorn and earth pony followed, descending from the high chamber using the unicorn’s magic to levitate them all to ground level. As much as Sonnenschein wanted to ask for an increase in security around the Cathedral, something inside told her that it would only raise alarms. There was also the fact that they would not stop the Seekers even if they knew of them.

“La Maison Du Soleil?” Artemis questioned, tilting her head as she rolled the Filesian word with her tongue, “A good choice. That temple is near the border to Equestria, where the yellow pegasus is needed.”

“It is also where I will be,” the Solar Divine responded as she moved through the room blindly, though knowing that she was approaching the door to her chambers, “I wish to meet this dream mare for myself.”

“What will you do then?”

Sonnenschein stopped as she lifted a hoof to the door. Too many questions ran through her mind, but she would have the answers soon enough. If there were Seekers that Artemis was using to learn of the world, it was only fair that she use them as well. For now all she could do was the most basic of all tenants for the Seekers, for the pegasus, and for all those bards wrongly sentenced to death.

“Pray.”

***

They had placed a black hood over her head as they pushed the massive cart carrying Fluttershy and the rest of the bards into the Hall of Justice. The sounds around her were not muffled by the hood, as the shouts of anger from the Filesian peasantry called all manner of insults at her and the other bards. Over fifty ponies of earth and pegasi descent had been captured after their supposed leader, Artistic Finish, had betrayed them to the guards. Now they awaited the arrival of the High Justice, a member of the Empress’ court and one of her first cousins, who would surely sentence them to be executed.

Under the black hood, Fluttershy could feel warm tears stream down her face, which distracted her from the shackles binding her hooves to the massive cart. Not less than eight hours ago, she was with two adorable fillies who loved her singing. She had been given a beautiful Filesian couture dress as a gift from the Lady Elegant, wife of chevalier General Puissant. The Bardmaster had called the yellow pegasus, who was spying on the general, to return. There, all the bards were betrayed and captured.

Bards all around her shouted their innocence, curses at Finish, or prayed to Celestia and Luna to show them mercy. Fluttershy could only whimper as the cart hit a bump and the guards began to usher their prisoners into the courthouse. The Empress was a vindictive mare who saw only one proper response to treason or even rumours of such: death.

The sound of hoofsteps on wood grabbed Fluttershy’s attention as the hood was ripped away from her head. The sight of the Hall of Justice was as terrible as it was grand. The great hall was adorned in statues of Filesian heroes, such as the legendary chevalier Bon-Bon. Despite their visages, there were also highly decorative murals of ponies being punished for their crimes, including burning and beheading, as the sinful were sent to Black Canter and the good were welcomed with open hearts into the Seat of the Sisters.

Fluttershy swallowed hard as she tried to ignore the paintings. Filais was known not just for its art and culture, but also for its wide arrays of executions that it dispensed on its own ponies more often than others. All were made apparent by the frescos in all their gory glory.

Soldiers lined the massive wooden cart as the bailiff called for silence in the Hall. High above the prisoners and the assembled gallery of spectators was the bench where several officials had taken their seats, Including the bailiff, High Justice Froussard, and many other members of the nobility. Seated with the rest of the justices was Artistic Finish, who merely smiled as the bards had their hoods removed. The blue earth pony still hid her eyes behind magenta goggles.

“Let us get this over with,” Froussard said, waving a hoof for one of the attendants to place several sheets of parchment in front of him, “These ponies assembled before us all share the following charges, laid against them by Justice Artistic Finish. The charges are as follows: murder, conspiracy to commit murder, aiding and giving comfort to the enemy, perjury, counterfeit, slander, loitering, conspiracy to incite war with our allies, and of course treason and conspiracy to commit treason. I am sure you will all plead innocent, so for the sake of expedience we will move on to the evidence provided by the prosecution.”

Fluttershy balked as the High Justice spoke as though they were all guilty of the list of charges by default. While she was no expert on law, she knew that the bards should have been defended by some sort of council. There hadn’t even been a holding for questioning before the trial. It seemed to be that they would be caught like rats and sentenced to hang, or worse, within the span of a day.

No lawyer would dare try to defend a group of accused traitors as this, not when their livelihoods and names would be tarnished. Since gaining status and recognition from the Empress was everything in Filias, this would seal the bards’ fate; every moment without true legal counsel was just another nail in their collective coffins.

Thankfully, the General was not in attendance. What would Fluttershy say to a pony who had placed so much trust in her, despite that her entire purpose was to spy on him and his family for Artistic Finish? She would not have been able to face the disappointed gaze from the General’s eyes.

There was also the fear the yellow pegasus held for Lady Elegance and her daughters. Artistic Finish still had some sort of force, not only within the real traitors of Filais, but also with soldiers and likely the famed assassins from Pura Raza. The Bardmistress would know how fond Fluttershy was of the family, and would move to hurt them if she was not satisfied by the proceedings of this corrupt trial. This was likely the story of every bard here, knowing that their families were under threat from hidden blades and that only silence and acceptance of their fate would act as their last defense for loved ones.

Many of the bards shouted insults and pleads of innocence to the High Justice, while others created a chorus declaring Artistic Finish as the true traitor. The attendant to Froussard pounded the gavel for his master as the noble ignored the rabble, propping up his large curly mane and straightening his immaculate moustache.

“The court will be silent,” the bailiff barked. Only with the encouragement of swords from the guards did the bards eventually quiet. Fluttershy shrank to her knees and hid half her face with her mane, refusing to watch any more of this mockery of justice. Her ears, on the other hoof, made no such effort to stop hearing the proceedings.

“Tank you, High Justice,” Artistic Finish said as her attendant brought forward several documents, “Lords and Ladies of ze Hall of Justice, I have acquired many evidences connecting ze bard society of Filais to ze charges listed. Among zem were several false battleplans discovered by ze soliders under my command that were meant to be captured by the military of such nations as Equestria, Pura Raza, and the Yokalach. Needless to say, as wunderbar as Filesian might is, ve vould not be able to stand against a three-pronged war and not bring suffering to the people under the Empress’ vatchful gaze.”

“The Bard Society of Filais vas paid handsomely to betray their nation. Who vould suspect that a group of minstrels and poets vould be capable of bringing down all of Filais? Who indeed vould put such doubt in those travelling ponies who moved between city to city, without fear of being questioned or sought after, or those bards who served high ranking members of the nobility, many even having their ears to the wall to overhear sensitive information?”

Artistic Finish drew herself up to appear bigger, as she looked down on the assembled prisoners below. “I saw ze signs. I made ze right moves, and vas able to capture the majority of such a traitorous order, including who zey call ‘Ze Bardmaster’. I am, of course, speaking of Fluttershy of Equestria.”

I want you to play ze role of… ze patsy. Fluttershy whimpered, wishing she could hide her head with her forelegs to hide from the accusing eyes. The shackles hobbled that idea.

Instead, all she could do was endure the insults now being flung at her. The most damning of them all was the call to execute the traitor leader. She wept openly as she looked around the gallery, the angry nobles stomping their hooves in fury.

 “I have heard enough,” Froussard announced as the gallery went silent once again. “The information has been reviewed carefully and critically, and it has been determined that no defense you could possibly mount would stand against such damning evidence. As such, a sentence has been decided. While all the crimes are heinous, treason against the Empress will warrant capital punishment.”

“The fifty ponies tried and judged fairly here in the Hall of Justice are to be sentenced to death! They will spend the remainder of their days banished and imprisoned in La Détention Criminelle, with one execution per day by means of guillotine. As each day goes by, each execution will be a reminder to all in Filais what the penalty for even thinking of bringing harm to the Empress is, and it will remind all of you that you are damned to spend eternity in Black Canter!”

Thus “justice” was dispensed as the bards knew it would be. As the cart was pushed out of the massive hall, Fluttershy looked up to the center balcony to see Artistic Finish receiving accolades and praise from Froussard and the other nobles. Those who still held fury in their eyes and venom on their lips shouted curses and damnations to the bards.

One soldier, whether he was incensed by the accused betrayal or wanting to earn a name for himself, did not wait for the massive cart to leave the Hall before leaping onto the mobile platform. “Vive le Empress!” he rallied, before slicing a bound pegasus pony’s neck wide open. The pegasus tried to get away, but could only flap his wings helplessly as the soldier struck.

The murder did not go unnoticed, as several guards held the soldier back. There were no charges laid against him though, not even words condemning a lack of discipline. Just the guards telling the pony in plated armour, “The bards would soon meet their fate at the guillotine’s blade. No need to send them to Black Canter early.”

The cart was rolled to the main plaza of the Capital, which would lead to the Hall of Justice, the Empress’ Palace, and the Cathedral to Celestia. Peasants, as far as the eye could see, were crowded there to join in the collective anger aimed at the traitors. Several carts filled with rotten fruit and vegetables were lined and ready for ponies to fling at the accused.

So they did, rotten produce hurled by hoof and tail, smashing against the bards and covering them in foul muck. Fluttershy was not safe in the center as a blackened tomato struck her cutie mark, while a soiled squash smashed against her head, the contents of the legume dripping down her face and into her mane.

“Behold!” shouted a peasant pointing at Fluttershy’s flank, “The cutie mark of traitors! Rotten! Disgusting! Foul! Vive le Empress! Vive Filais! Death to traitors!”

Fluttershy tried to hide again as her fellow bards were pelted by produce. This was surreal, a bad nightmare that she was going to wake up from at any moment, and be told to bring the morning tea for the General and take care of the menagerie on the estate. The rabbits needed their carrots, the otters their fish, the birds their seeds. This isn’t happening this isn’t happening, please Celestia, please let this be a bad dream…

The smack of a rock against her head startled Fluttershy from her prayers. The peasants had apparently ran out of vegetables and began throwing rocks. Rubbing the wound with a hoof, she looked at the telltale red of blood as it trickled down her face, mixing with her tears and the rotten muck of the squash. Lowering herself as small and as unnoticeable as possible, she wept until she had no more tears to shed, and unconsciousness drifted over her until only the shouts of blame acted as an impromptu lullaby.

The roar of thunder awoke Fluttershy as she felt heavy rain wash over her. She looked up to the looming shadow of a fortress on the horizon, belonging to La Détention Criminelle, the largest prison complex known in the world. It was said to be impossible to escape from, in addition to being an impregnable stronghold. The prison was a sight of doom for any pony who was unfortunate enough to be sentenced there. Ponies with life sentences, prisoners to be interrogated, and those awaiting executions were sent to La Détention Criminelle. No prisoner had ever left there with a heart still beating.

Ponies around Fluttershy shivered in the cold from the thunderstorm or, more likely, from the sight of the prison. Many recited prayers and pleadings to higher powers for mercy, knowing that the guards would show them none. The great wooden cart came to a halt near the outskirts of La Détention Criminelle, until a detachment of soldiers emerged from the great gate to meet the prisoners’ escort.

The sound of turning gears underneath the bards alerted them that they were being released from their bindings. As she watched the shackles fall from her hooves, Fluttershy dared not move until given the command from the guards. Many of the soldiers were angry enough that they were escorting traitors; the bad weather was not helping their moods, as many were gripping weapon-bits tight in their jaws.

From the stronghold came a troop of guards, with a very large earth pony leading the group. Covered head to hoof in plate armour with a greatsword strapped to his back, the warden of the stronghold appeared to be a match for the great structure he commanded. He looked over the large group of prisoners with a disdainful eye before turning to the officer in charge of the escort.

“One’s dead already,” the warden observed, looking at the slain bard who was not moved since the city.

“One of ours did that, I am proud to say. A bit of zeal isn’t so bad, warden captain,” replied the officer, “They are going to die anyways. In any event, I hand over the responsibility of the prisoners to you. As per the High Justice’s orders, they are to be executed, one per day by guillotine.”

“I accept the responsibility.” The warden of the prison looked to the assembled huddling mass as the escort marched them towards the prison. He barked marching orders to both his soldiers and the prisoners as the guards kept spears trained. Fluttershy was pushed to keep pace as the rain continued to pour.

Unlike the Capital, La Détention Criminelle was devoid of any sign of Filesian culture. There were no etchings on the stone, no words from poems or stories, not even a menacing gargoyle or two. It was, in relation to other structures, a rather plain castle surrounded by equally drab high stone walls. However, this only added to the intimidation of the complex: a pegasus pony would have to fly a great distance to make it over the wall, and with several veteran archers keeping watch, they would be skewered by arrows in short order.

The storm did not lessen the image of a brooding monster that the prison rather aptly resembled. Fluttershy wondered if old pegasi magics were at work to create a permanent storm here, and that this was why the place had been chosen for the fortress. Rumours always abounded of the stronghold, the most prevalent was that the clouds never drifted away, and that the La Détention Criminelle had never seen the light of the sun nor the moon since the first execution here during the occupation of Equestria.

Celestia and Luna condemned this place, Fluttershy thought as she looked up to the sky, but do they also condemn the ponies sent here as well? Is it foolish to ask for mercy for a crime we did not commit?

The courtyard of the prison was also filled with guards watching the prisoners file in. They sneered and spat at the bards but were otherwise silent. One tried to shout a curse, only to be cut short by the quick gaze of the warden.

In the center of the courtyard stood the guillotine, the blade appearing eager for necks to sever. Fluttershy whined at the sight of the execution device as the bards were forced to a halt. The ground around the guillotine was stained with blood, the basket that awaited heads even more so.

The grinding of metal behind them signaled the main gate closing shut. Flutterhsy watched the warden approach the guillotine, nodding at a guard to bring a prisoner forward. With a shove, the guard brought an earth pony forward towards the block. She looked at the edge of the blade with terrified eyes as the warden raised his voice.

“As the gate closes behind you, know that none of you will ever leave this place, the Black Canter of the World, before you enter the damnation of the Black Canter in the Fade.” As he spoke, the guards forced the mare into the wooden yoke of the instrument, securing the yoke in place as she wailed for mercy and innocence. The executioner, a mare under a black hood, nodded to the guards as she locked the yoke in place and took the pull-cord in her teeth.

Fluttershy tried to look away, to avoid seeing yet another of her fellow bards beheaded in front of her. A guard drew his blade and pressed the flat side against her throat, forcing her eyes towards the guillotine.

Her knees buckled as she watched the preparations and heard the words of the prison’s master. Never had the yellow pegasus shook with fear as she did now. This was to be her fate the torture was wondering when she would be sent to the block. Tomorrow? Next week?

“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here,” the warden continued, “Pray that your name comes next on the morrow, for death is swift and painless. Life will bring you pain, the likes of which you will beg for the executioner’s blade before long.” With a nod, he signaled to the executioner, who smiled with the cord in her mouth.

With sadistic glee on her lips, the executioner pulled the cord, allowing the blade to fall. The screams of the bard were quickly silenced as the blade passed through flesh and bone like they were butter, the head rolling into the basket with a light thud.

Fluttershy froze in place. She did not know the mare personally, as many bards did not have much communication with another, but the sight of the body still standing upright, only to fall to the side, headless and bloody as the executioner lifted the wooden yoke, was enough to haunt her dreams forever. Her throat and lips were dry, despite the rain. She wanted to cry, but shock stole her tears. She wanted to shout, but horror silenced her scream.

Celestia, Luna… why did you abandon us? Fluttershy could not avert her gaze from the guillotine as she and the others were pushed into the fortress. Everything she had known, from being a bard, the memory of the General and his family, to even the trial in the morning simply ceased. All she could recall was the smile on the executioner and the sound of the blade severing the head: a fate she would soon share.

Thankfully, she was unable to see the severed head, but her imagination filled in the missing image quickly. She retched at the thought, only to be pushed into the waiting castle prison by the guards with the pommel of their swords.

The inside of the stronghold was no better than the outside. Dark and dank, the only light came from torches and candles which barely illuminated the halls of crafted stone. One by one, the bards were escorted to their cells throughout the castle, with Fluttershy being led to her cell in the upper levels. The stone was cold under her hooves, and a cold draft blew through the halls of the prison, chilling her to the bone.

The cells were worse than she imagined. Several aged prisoners were already in the tight, closed-in alcoves, many sickly and moaning either from disease or hunger, and very possibly both. The guard escorting Fluttershy pushed her into a cell with an emancipated earth pony, who weakly lifted a hoof to the guard as if begging for something to eat.

The room was cramped and smelled of rotten corpses, but at least there was a window she could look through. Unfortunately, it overlooked the courtyard and, most prominently, the guillotine. The guards mentioned that this cell was specifically requested by Justice Artistic Finish. This was a cruel “gift” for the falsely accused Bardmaster of Filais. How would she wrench herself away from the sight of the executions when they happened right outside her window?

The guard closed the door with a powerful slam, leaving Fluttershy and her sickly cellmate alone in the cold quarters. With a heavy sigh, she looked over her new accommodations. There were two small piles of straw to sleep on, with the sickly blue earth pony writhing on one. On the floor was a small bowl filled with grey gruel that appeared more like sludge than anything even remotely edible.

Fluttershy looked at the bowl and then back to her cellmate. Carefully she sat on her haunches and lifted the bowl up with both hooves towards her fellow prisoner, offering a small smile as raised the gruel to his face. Even if I’m in this awful place, Fluttershy thought as she waited for a response, I can bring some level of kindness to this place. I won’t be a monster like what Finish framed me as.

The prisoner opened one blood-shot eye, looked at the food offered him, and quickly dug in, burying his muzzle into the bowl. He ate with surprising gusto and not so surprising messiness, with portions of the gruel splashing out of the bowl and onto Fluttershy’s forelegs. The mess did not bother her; working with animals and foals made her accustomed to the sloppy eating habits.

Once he was done, the prisoner laid back against the straw stack as the yellow pegasus wiped her legs against her own bedding. As she was about to sit down and rest for the night, her cellmate coughed, then spoke in a low, raspy voice.

“What are you in for?” he asked, turning his head towards Fluttershy. The lack of proper light made it difficult to see, but she could tell that the circles under his eyes were heavy and black, trophies from years of poor sleeping habits. Fluttershy recounted the short, unfair trial and the trip to the prison, all while her new acquaintance nodded along to every word.

“Sounds about right,” he muttered, closing his eyes. “Nobles send ponies they don’t like here, not just criminals and war prisoners. Political dissidents, artists, a pony who cut them off or bought the last sweetroll they wanted. Empress fuels it all with her Game, to see who was the most intelligence or the most cunning. Filais will gut herself if they keep playing.”

“Then there are ponies like you, pawns of the Game for the players. Don’t do anything wrong, but still considered an expendable piece.” Talking sent the prisoner into another coughing fit with loud hacking from his throat causing Fluttershy to wince at the obvious pain he was in. She moved to his side and patted him, rubbing the bony back of her cellmate until he was in control of his cough again.

“If you don’t mind my asking, why are you in here?” She looked away as she asked, not wanting to offend him. He chuckled in between small coughs as he turned to contemplate the stonework of the floor.

“Officially, I’m here for murder,” he explained, “Though it was a framing, just like you. Didn’t have an alibi though… what I did commit was treason to my best friend. Couldn’t say anything at the trial because he was there, and on the night of the murder I… knew his wife. In the Chantry meaning of the word.”

Fluttershy nodded as she stepped back to her straw bed as she curled up best she could to get into a comfortable position. It was unfair for a pony to be framed for a crime he did not commit, but it seemed he had sentenced himself as much as the courts had. Every pony had their own way of judging themselves for the crimes they perceived that they had committed. All the same, they also had their own ways of punishing themselves when the guilt was great enough.

She did betray the trust of several ponies by acting as their caretaker while she was a spy. The family of General Puissant was in danger because of her. If anypony had the right to punish Fluttershy for the years of deceit, it was the General. More than anything though, all Fluttershy wanted was to see the faces of unicorns and earth ponies who trusted her and wanted her near.

“I’m sorry,” the cellmate said as he closed his eyes, “You seem like a nice pegasus. Shouldn’t be in a place like this. I’m sorry it had to end this way. Watch out for the black hood.”

Fluttershy closed her eyes as he spoke, trying to let sleep come over her. As her cellmate gave a long, drawn-out sigh, she shed more tears of sorrow for lives unfairly lost to the cruelty of ponies. Celestia and Luna protect us, she prayed, please redeem our souls. We don’t deserve this fate.

The iron door of the cell swung wide as three guards moved in. One carried his sword in his mouth and motioned for Fluttershy to move to the corner of the room. She stood still, expression blank as the two others checked on the body of her cellmate. Sure enough, they announced him dead and carried the body with little ceremony, more like a dirty old sack than a pony.

He wasn’t a bad pony; he just made a bad decision. “Wait,” Fluttershy said, only to be met by a brandished blade and a sour guard, “What about his last rites?”

“Are you joking, traitor?” ridiculed one of the guards, “Why would Celestia want any criminal like this scum to have any rites at all? Besides, we have no Chantry priestess here. None would ever come to a light forsaken place as this.”

“She’s right, though,” spoke another. “The Chantry speaks that all ponies should be treated well after death, and be sent to Celestia for judgment. He should be given his final rites, lest we take another curse upon ourselves.”

Even though she had only known her cellmate for such a short time, Fluttershy knew she had to do something for him. As they debated and all admitted not knowing the proper words of the Chant to give final rites, Fluttershy stepped forward, once again met by the hateful stares of the guards.

“I know the Chant,” she explained, “My mother taught me every morning and every night. I can help ease his passage into the Seat of the Sisters.”

The soldiers looked at one another in confusion. It must have seemed quite unusual for a known traitor to also have such intimate knowledge of the sacred text for ponies everywhere. Still, to them, it was the best and only solution they had. Stepping back to the doors, they laid the body on the ground as respectfully as they could while they waited for Fluttershy to begin the rites.

She had always found groups rather awkward, even if there were only three guards and a dead body. Still, for her new friend, Fluttershy would do the best she could. Closing her eyes and shutting out the world around her, she focused solely on her cellmate. I don’t even know your name, Fluttershy lamented, but I’ll try to give you what peace I can. It is the right thing to do. I hope you have forgiven yourself.

“…and so spoke Luna, after the deaths of a thousand ponies following her, and the deaths of the thousand ponies who served the false ones, ‘Know not fear for thy fate, for We extend Our light, forgiveness, and love to all who seek it. In this truth, lay thy fears to rest as thy body is laid to rest, for We wish harmony for all ponies who repent in their wickedness, and know that I seek to bring harmony to all under Our Sun and Moon.”

Fluttershy laid a hoof on the forehead of the deceased prisoner as she bowed her head. “Reposez en paix,” she whispered, then opened her eyes and slowly stood back from the body, so as to not alarm the guards..

“Reposez en paix,” the guards muttered back solemnly. Fluttershy could hear some hesitation in their voices, though she did not blame them. They believed what they were doing was right and in the best interests of their Empress and their nation.

“Let’s get him to the graveyard. Bury him properly.” They lifted the body much more respectfully now, the corpse being laid across the backs of two of the guards as they sidestepped out of the cell. The third guard, the one who had threatened Fluttershy with his sword earlier, stepped towards her, though did not make eye contact.

“I will speak with the prison warden,” he said, after clearing his throat, “but the dead do need their rites. Perhaps we can work out an understanding where you give their souls ease into the next world. You are still a traitor but now I… I should go.”

Fluttershy said nothing as the guard left. She looked around her empty cell, already missing the company of having another pony with her. It was awfully lonely in the cell and it no longer seemed so cramped, instead appearing too large and menacing as she heard the sound of water dripping from the cracks in the stone and falling to the floor below.

The next day, the iron door opened and the guards pushed a new pegasus mare into the cell. She was cursing at the guard in what sounded like a variety of dialects, from Filesian and Common to something sounding like the harsh language of the Yokalach. From what Fluttershy could catch, the white pegasus with the wild, stormy mane was making several lewd comments about the guards’ mothers and how much she apparently enjoyed certain bawdy activities.

“Mmm, mmm! Can’t wait to see your mothers again! Maybe I’ll do them all at the same time! Wouldn’t that make for a story?” The white pegasus laughed as the guards resisted the urge to beat her, simply yelling back as they closed the door and locked it shut. Once her laughing died down, she began to scan the room, pressing her hooves against every stone she could.

“Not here, not here, not there,” she muttered as Fluttershy moved out of her way, “This is going to be tougher than last time. Less time to do it all in as well. I do love a challenge though.” Fluttershy looked at her new cellmate, taking note of the whirlwind for a cutie mark on her flank, wondering what sort of special talent a tornado could specialize in. Her hooves were covered in large metal casings, each locked by small padlocks that rattled as she moved. Her wings were also bound by leather straps held together with their own padlock.

What stood out beyond the scars and the shackles, however, were the tattoos painted across the new prisoner’s face. Red ink marked her features, making her appear more bestial and savage. Fluttershy had heard of pegasi marking their faces with war paint, but tattoos and the application of them in such detail were the property of the Pegasi of the Eastern Dales.

Fluttershy kept her distance as the white pegasus searched the room. The dozens of scars lining her body were matched only by a few choice markings on her face. Every once in a while she would look at Fluttershy, only to scoff and begin her search anew.

“Spit and damnation, no loose stones.” Taking a deep breath, she turned to Fluttershy, eyeing the imprisoned bard with a critical eye as she moved to her haystack. She tossed herself on the bedding, still keeping watch of the yellow pegasus as she nestled herself against the hay.

Fluttershy was finding it hard keep her heart steady as it hammered her chest. This pegasus, whoever she was, looked the part of the hardened criminal who had been to La Détention Criminelle on more than one occasion. For all she knew, her new acquaintance was a real criminal who deserved to be locked up for real crimes.

Now Fluttershy, no need to make judgments so quickly, she chided herself; maybe she got those scars in an unfortunate farming accident. Or maybe she’s a political prisoner and all those scars were from a long career as a soldier, or maybe…

“Thirteen counts of murder, if you were wondering,” the white pegasus said, causing Fluttershy to squeak and hide her face under her pink mane, “At least that’s how much they know. They also only know of twenty-five counts of arson, one hundred and thirty-three counts of burglary, counterfeiting, vandalism, and impersonating a Chantry sister. That was a good time. The sisters in that chapel agreed.”

Oh Celestia and Luna on high, she is a criminal. Fluttershy turned away from the pegasus and focused all her attention on the wall. The guards had placed a dangerous offender of the law in the cell with her; what was the criminal going to do to her when she got bored? Fluttershy tried to shut out all her thoughts on the criminal and the prison, focusing on brighter memories as she heard the iron clods clang against the stone as the pegasus moved closer.

Think about the sun. The sun is nice in a bright blue sky, with only a few fluffy clouds overhead.

CLANG!

Oh! Don’t forget the birds flying high, with so many different coloured feathers. When they sing, they create such a lovely melody.

CLANG!

The flowers on the ground are nice too, with all their colours and aromas. All of the critters playing and running through the green grass like the bunnies and the…

CLANG!

Oh Celestia she’s coming closer, why won’t she leave me alone why won’t she turn around and just sit in her hay.

CLANG!

Please don’t hurt me, please don’t touch me, please just leave me alone and turn around, please please oh please…

Fluttershy looked up to find she was face to face to the white pegasus. She let out a small mewl as she stared into the grey eyes of her cellmate. The criminal opened her mouth in a wide leering grin.

“Hey there, Sunshine,” said the criminal, “I’m Twister. Looks like we’re gonna be great friends, aren’t we? We’ll be eating meals together of delicious grey slop, bunking together in piles of stingy straw under the cold oppressive stone. Real romantic like. Cuddle up real close as I figure out how to get out of here. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

Fluttershy could only tremble as she felt the breath from Twister rush to her face. This was it, then. She was going to die in prison under the guillotine but, before that, she was going to suffer the humiliation of being Twister’s plaything. There was no point in resisting or putting up a fight; she was too weak and helpless, and Twister would just hurt her more.

All she had to do was think happy thoughts, and get through each day and each night, and every morning with such a pony like Twister. All she had to do was endure, and be strong, and pray that Celestia and Luna would give her some measure of protection.

Fluttershy closed her eyes as she waited for the inevitable.

Then… there was nothing. No ravaging, no pain, no force. Fluttershy opened one eye to see a rather bored Twister sitting on her haunches as she looked over one of her manacles. “Didn’t you hear me the first time? I enjoy the challenge. You? You ain’t one.” Twister plopped herself against the hay as she tapped her forelegs together, the sound of the iron clods clanging against one another, waking Fluttershy from her stupor.

It took several moments of waiting and watching Twister pout on her straw bedding for Fluttershy’s heart to stop racing. As she sat on her own straw, Fluttershy took note of the tattoos once again, seeing how they snaked down from Twister’s eyes down her neck until they ended in sharp edges across her flank, just before the whirlwind cutie mark.

“So you don’t want any but you’ll stare at my flank,” Twister commented, causing Fluttershy to blush and hide away again, “You confuse me, Sunshine.”

“It’s your tattoos,” Fluttershy replied, though barely above a mumble, “They’re… nice.”

“Dal’nel’nier,” Twister replied, “‘Markings of the Sky Ponies.’ After the Dalish Sky Kingdoms fell to the Unicorn Imperium, those free Dalish pegasi marked their bodies with ink to show they were still free from Imperium oppression. Red ink like mine means ‘warrior’.”

“So you are Dalish?” Fluttershy was legitimately curious. She had never met a Dalish pegasi before, only hearing of them from other winged ponies who wished to join them and their roving bands across the land. Fluttershy had no desire to join the Dalish, knowing they were looked upon as marauding bandits, thieves, vagrants and worse: heretics who worshipped nature and animal totems instead of the Alicorn Sisters.

On more than one occasion, battles were fought between the Dalish and armies of the nations across the world, and there was an Exalted Gallop against the Dalish shortly after the second Blight recorded in Chantry histories. That horrific event all but ended Dalish power, turning the pegasi into the migrants they were now.

To meet a Dalish like Twister seemed to only reinforce the negative stereotypes the Dalish had endured, while adding a few more, like depravity, to the list. Twister nodded as she turned to look at Fluttershy, who broke eye contact. Twister could only sigh in frustration.

“Yeah, I’m Dalish,” explained Twister, “Born and raised along with my clan, as we travelled the countryside, from Equestria to the Yokalach to Filais. Wasn’t welcome most anywhere by earth ponies. Kept calling us thieves and squatters. I guess after a while you get angry enough, and you become what you are called. Then it’s just one hop, skip and jump right off the slippery slope.”

“Do you regret anything?”

“Hay no!” Twister pounded a metal clod hoof on the ground, causing the floor to crack. She looked at the cracked floor in surprise for a moment before turning an angry look at Fluttershy. “I don’t regret a damn thing. All those ponies I made kick the bucket deserved to be. Corrupt nobles, soldiers who tried to kill me, ponies who were going to hurt my clan. Sure the Keeper didn’t like my ‘aggressive negotiations’, but I kept the clan alive and safe. No stone prison or army of Filesian soldiers is going to keep me tied down. Not for long anyways.”

It was too much to hope for, but she was going to die in the prison anyways. If Twister had a plan to escape, Fluttershy knew she had to take it. Staying here and listening to more executions of her fellow bards would prove maddening until it was her turn to face the executioner’s guillotine.

Before she could ask Twister if she even had a plan, Twister laid down on the straw matting. “Sleeping now, escape later,” she said, “You can always join me if you like. Ha!” Sighing, Fluttershy curled herself up in a ball on the straw bedding near the cell window and waited for another fitful night of sleep to come.

The warden had agreed that Fluttershy would give last rites to the executed and the deceased to ease their souls into the next life. This was fine by her, as it allowed her to leave the confines of her cell and go into the outside world. All she had to do was obey the commands of the soldiers, recite the words of the Chant, and then follow them back to her cell.

Her new duty led her right past the guillotine, and the sight of the death machine was still frightening. More often than not, the guards had to make sure she did not faint. This proved difficult thanks to the sight of the blade, the smell of freshly spilled blood, and the black hooded mare who watched Fluttershy walk past as they headed to the graveyard. Every time they passed, the executioner smiled at her with a wide, toothy grin as she sharpened a large, brutal-looking axe.

“Hey there,” she cooed on a cold morning, “Time’s running out, pretty pegasus. One little grain of sand at a time. That’s what those ponies before you are. Little grains of sand. Chop. Chop. Chop. Maybe I’ll take your pretty neck with Choppy here. Been a while since he had a nice little neck to chop.”

Fluttershy recoiled as the executioner laughed, only to be pushed towards the graveyard by the guards. They seemed just as unsettled as she was, though, with several of the guards looking back at the mare with the black hood turning away, dragging the giant axe behind her in her teeth. Having never met such a deranged pony before, Fluttershy couldn’t help but wonder how the executioner came to be, and what sort of decisions she made to become this way.

After reciting the last rites to yet another executed bard and watching his remains become buried in an unmarked grave, Fluttershy was escorted from the path back to the prison by two new guards she did not recognize. Instead of returning to her cell, they took her behind a wooden shed. Without another word, they struck her with heavy armoured hooves.

No pony could have been ready to receive a beating then and there. Unready for the strikes, Fluttershy crumpled to her knees, sobbing as each hit caused another bruise, another open wound. They kicked dirt in her face as they laughed, their accents thick with the tongue from Pura Raza.

“This is a message from Artistic Finish,” sneered one of her assailants, “You are going to die here, slowly and painfully. We are here to make sure of that.”

For well over ten minutes the beatings continued. Thankfully that was all they did, and Fluttershy was strangely grateful they were not the creative kinds of torturers. They forced her back to her hooves and marched her back to the cells. Every time she fell, they beat her more until she became almost unconscious from the pain. She did not make it to the first staircase.

Fluttershy awoke in her cell a short while later, with several rags tied as bandages around her wounds. One of her eyes was covered in cloth, and her body ached all over. She looked up to see the concerned look of Twister, still dressing her wounds with red poultice.

“They gave half a bottle, and I’m pretty sure the stuff is older than I am,” Twister explained. “Did what I could. Had to cut up some of your clothes to make bandages. Hope you don’t mind. Nice legs by the way.”

Too weak to protest, Fluttershy turned away from her cellmate instead of talking to her further. She had never been spoken to like that by anypony, especially not a crass mare like Twister. Sure, there were the catcalls by drunken ponies who had lost their wits in wine jugs and tankards of Equestrian cider, but she could ignore those stallions and move on quickly. Having wings helped, even if she was not the strongest flyer.

This was just too close for comfort and entirely inappropriate. Granted, so was the giant guillotine that she was doomed to face. All Fluttershy could hope for was facing the executioner with some sort of dignity, but Twister kept challenging that every day and every night.

“How do you do it?” Twister looked over at Fluttershy, who in turn directed her good eye back to the scarred pegasus. “How do you keep being so meek and nice to everypony in a hellhole like this? Ponies who come here either go mad, give up on their lives, or become hardened. You? You go out and give last rites, then get beaten. Not once have I heard you complain. Not once have I seen you get mad at the guards, at me, at the world, at Celestia, anypony!”

“No use getting mad at something I can’t change,” Fluttershy replied, “They are not bad ponies. They just make bad decisions. I can’t be mad at the world. Maybe somewhere there is a place where life is peaceful and happy, but that’s not the fault of the world, just the ponies who make those bad decisions. I can’t be mad at Celestia either. She left ponies to make their own decisions, good or bad. She has no hoof in our lives, because she wants us to grow on our own.”

“They hurt you!”

“I know.” Fluttershy sighed as she looked up to the ceiling of their cell. “I forgive them. If I lash out at them, if I get hateful and hurt them, I’m just helping the cycle. Somepony has to stop the hurt.”

Twister looked away, contemplating the masonry of the floor before speaking again. For whatever reason she could not place, Fluttershy found the silence more awkward than whenever the lewd mare spoke. “Are you afraid of death?”

“Yes. I don’t want to die.” Fluttershy bit her bottom lip as memories of death announced themselves in full force. It was painful to remember, yet the pain eased away, as she felt comfortable talking about it with Twister. “I saw what happened to my mother during the plague in Filais ten years ago, when we lived in the pegasi alienage. She was in constant pain and delirium. I was with her every night, with no help from healers who were already overtaxed from helping the city’s earth ponies. What was one pegasus worth to them? I tried to bring her Luna’s Tears flowers every day. They were her favourite, and she always smiled when I brought them to her.”

“Then one day I came back home, and she was gone. No pony would tell me what happened. Some say that some corpse wagons came by and other pegasi in the alienage loaded her onto the cart. Others said she got up and left, not wanting me to see her suffer anymore. I don’t know what to believe, but I am very afraid of death. Of suffering.”

Fluttershy remembered the plague all too well. How it hit the alienage the hardest, reducing pegasi numbers in the capital city drastically. Several pegasi, she included, were somehow immune to the plague. Some said it was the work of the ponyspawn, others placed blame on dragon worshippers trying to attack the spiritual capital of the Chantry. Whatever the reason, Fluttershy did not care. Her mother died and she did not, and she was powerless to prevent it.

It was for this reason that a young filly off the streets made her way to the bard society, and found herself under the tutelage of Artistic Finish. Fate, as random and unpredictable as it was, had a sadistic streak when she looked back in hindsight.

Twister remained silent as Fluttershy closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to sleep away the aches and pains of the day. Her body screamed for some sort of respite, and she was going to comply, even if her legs burned and her stomach felt like it was simultaneously performing backflips and somersaults.

“Don’t you worry your pretty little flank, Sunshine,” Twister said, though Fluttershy was barely listening, “We’ll get out of here. Maybe I deserve to be locked up, but you don’t.”

Fluttershy tried to stay awake as Twister spoke, but the pain from the beating was too much, and her consciousness was slipping. As Fluttershy closed her eyes, she could hear Twister speak one last time.

“Fal’aniel du masare, Fluttershy. I’ll get you out of here.”

---

Intermission: Fluttershy’s Song - Part 2

Another five days and nights spent in La Détention Criminelle. Another five days and nights giving last rites to the beheaded and to those who died in their cells, whether it was a bard or another criminal. Another five days and nights of being beaten, yet thankfully the Pura Razans were getting bored of their work and beat Fluttershy less enthusiastically with each passing day. Another five days and nights being spent recovering in her cell, constantly teased by Twister while the Dalish dressed Fluttershy’s wounds with the old poultices the warden would give her.

It would be time for her to face the executioner soon enough, though. Bards were dying quickly, whether by sickness, the assaults by Pura Razan agents, or the new decree that the executions be expedited to two heads a day. At this rate, it would only be a week until Fluttershy was on the block.

As the despair crept onto her face, she noticed that Twister’s jokes had become much less frequent as the Dalish kept more to herself, sleeping most of the days or simply sitting and mumbling in the strange language of the nomadic pegasi. The only time Twister spoke was to suggest a bedroom activity which Fluttershy could only blush and turn away from.

It was odd then that in the dead of night, Fluttershy awoke to find Twister slamming her shackled hooves against the iron door of their cell. The iron clods had a steady rhythm, though what was more surprising was the stern expression of the criminal’s face. Never had Fluttershy seen Twister so focused and angry at something, and each strike against the door echoed throughout the prison’s hallway.

Several of their fellow prisoners began to shout in complaint at the racket Twister was causing, with a pair of guards causing equal noise as they rattled their swords against the door. Twister ignored them all, still pounding the door with heavy strikes as Fluttershy stood aghast. What was this crazy pony trying to do?

“You shut up or we will make you shut up,” called one of the guards, “I can wake Black Hood early, and get you on the block now. Warden wouldn’t miss one deviation from the schedule, and that crazy mare loves her work at any hour of the night.”

“Just like how I love your mother at any hour,” taunted Twister. “Night, day, afternoon tea, midday brunch. Yum yum yum.”

“One more word out of you and I’ll skewer you myself!”

“Word your mother.”

The guard swore, ordering his companion to ready his bow as he opened the iron door. Fluttershy shrunk back to her corner in fear as she watched Twister face the slowly grinding door with a ready face. It was then that she noticed that the padlocks on the Dalish pegasus’ wings and hooves were all unlocked.

As the door swung wide and the soldier charged forward with his sword, Twister laughed flinging the iron shackles with force towards the guards; the first struck the guard with the bow while the second clod smacked the nose of the other. The guard with the bow dropped his weapon, clutching his face, as the guard with the sword backed away while streaming a string of curses.

With a smirk, Twister rushed the pair, her wings flaring free of their bonds as she attacked. She struck with a ferocity Fluttershy had never seen before, a flurry of kicking and striking hooves that pummeled both guards, like an animal attacking its prey. This was the bestial wrath and savage fury of the Dalish pegasi warriors made real. The first guard was trampled under her hooves, while the second was quickly struck down by his companion’s stolen sword.

Fluttershy gasped as she watched the guard fall in a pool of his own blood before looking up at Twister with disbelief in her eyes. “Snuck a lockpick in my mouth when they caught me,” she said through the sword-bit, “Used it when you were asleep. I’m pretty darn nimble with my tongue. In more ways than one.”

Ignoring yet another lewd comment, Fluttershy pointed at the corpses in from of their doorway. “More guards will come soon. If they find us they’ll kill us!”

“You’re right,” acknowledged Twister before sliding the guard’s bow and quiver of arrows towards Fluttershy, “Do you know how to use these?”

“Yes,” answered Fluttershy, “When I was young, the foals were taught how to defend themselves against ponyspawn. But I never used a bow or any weapon against another pony.”

“Don’t think, act.” Twister was close now, serious instead of her usual jovial jibes she made when they were face to face like this. “Let them come to you. When you see the whites of their eyes, let fly. Don’t stop to think about the arrow, or who you’re shooting at. It’s them or you. It’s always them or you.”

Fluttershy looked down at the bow in horror, as if it had just grown fangs and was trying to eat her head. Twister was expecting her to kill with this weapon? How could she do that? These ponies were only following orders, they deserved a chance to repent and live a better life. What if they had families at home, or loved ones that needed them?

None of that mattered to Twister, as she searched the bodies of the guards and eventually found a ring of keys. Twister dashed off towards the hall, quickly using her mouth to unlock the cells with the keys. Doors swung open, releasing imprisoned bard and hardened criminal alike into the halls. The guards who rushed in were quickly overwhelmed, slain by their own comrades’ weapons as the escaped prisoners equipped themselves with whatever they could find.

“Riot!”

“Knacker them all!”

“Send them to Black Canter!”

“Kill the guards!”

Fluttershy kept close to Twister’s side as they moved with the rioting prisoners. Angry shouts and orders came from both sides of the conflict as the pegasi duo finally made it to the courtyard. Waiting for them was a battlefield where prisoner fought guard, with several of the bards tossing torches into the fortress. Before Fluttershy could question how the other inmates, burning debris fell to the ground in front of her. The fire spread quickly, setting the castle alight in an unforgiving orange glow.

Together they galloped through the battlefield, avoiding arrow and sword from anypony who attacked in their direction. Fluttershy squeaked as one guard tried to impale her on the spear attached to his saddle, only to have his throat cut open by Twister’s sword.

“The gate!” Twister pointed, “We make it through that, we’re home free! Let’s fly!”

Twister flared her wings, jumping into the air and quickly ascended into the sky. Fluttershy tried to follow, but the damage to her wings from the beatings made it impossible. She wouldn’t be able to get the lift required to fly, and even if she did, she would be too slow and would quickly be shot down by an archer.

“Hey there,” came a familiar, disturbing coo. “Time’s up pegasus. Trying to fly away? Tsk tsk. Can’t be having any of that, now can we? Time to chop you up. Time to chop you up good. Time to meet Choppy!”

Standing in front of the gate were the two Pura Razans and the executioner, Black Hood. She smiled as she lifted the terrible axe with her mouth, holding it level with surprising strength for a mare her size. The executioner’s crazed eyes terrified Fluttershy more than the axe itself as the advancing group moved ever closer.

Fluttershy backed away, her legs still stinging from pain as she fumbled with the bow. She had to defend herself, but a pony could not use such a weapon on the move; they had to stand still to fire. Instead she looked to the sky to find Twister turning in mid-air, sword in mouth.

The Pura Razans rushed the Dalish first, moving quickly for earth ponies as they brandished long daggers. One pony was tackled by Twister for his trouble while the other came to a halt, eyes wide as his compatriot was stabbed to death by a mad mare. Twister looked up from her work, eyes filled with the same savagery as when she had killed the two guards in the prison.

“Finish will find you!” The Pura Razan shouted as he shed his armour to reveal two pegasi wings, “She’ll gut you for this! You won’t live to see the end of the night!” Before Twister could reach him he took to the skies, flying away with both fear and purpose to report the prison riot to his mistress.

“What are you waiting for?” barked Twister at the timid bard, “Shoot him! Stop him or he’ll bring more soldiers!”

“I-I can’t!” Fluttershy cried as her hooves shook while holding the bow, “I can’t hurt him!”

“Damn it, do I have to-” As Twister cursed, the executioner smacked the back of her head with the blunt end of the axe, knocking the Dalish pegasus onto her stomach. Black Hood stood tall over the downed rogue, pressing one hoof against Twister’s head while leaning on her axe, her grin unwavering as she looked on at Futtershy.

“I have so many punishments to dole out for so many penalties,” the disturbed earth pony drawled sadistically. “Trying to escape from prison. Assaulting members of the soldiery. Yet another count of arson. I’m sure this counts as more treason too.”

“I love weak ponies like you”, she continued, “So easy to break, so simple to make them scream and cry and beg for mercy. I’ll have fun with you before I chop. I have so many wonderful toys in my personal boudoir. The iron mare. The rack. The scavenger’s daughter. Ooh, I haven’t put anypony in the brazen bull for weeks. I miss the serenades they sing as they are steamed alive. Filly needs her lullabies.”

Fluttershy balked as she listened to Black Hood’s twisted words. How could anypony take such delight in the torture of their fellow equines? How could a monster like her be allowed to ply her supposed “trade”? Everything Fluttershy believed in, such as kindness, forgiveness, and mercy to all living creatures, was being challenged right now by the mare who was threatening the one pony, her friend, who had helped the yellow pegasus cope with being inside prison. As crass and lewd as she was, Twister had given some measure of comfort in a place meant to break a pony’s will. If it were not for the Dalish, Fluttershy would likely have become lost to despair.

Her friend was being threatened. Fluttershy did not blink as she steadied her aim and calmed the hooves holding her bow, reciting that one thought over and over again. Time seemed to slow down as Black Hood chomped down on the handle to her axe, bringing it upwards with the intent of severing Twister’s head from her shoulders. With the strongest flaps from her wings as she could muster, Fluttershy took to the air, where it was easier to aim.

Don’t think. Act. Biting her lower lip, she let the arrow fly, concentrating on incapacitating Black Hood and getting her as far away from Twister as possible. The point embedded itself into the executioner’s knee on her left foreleg, causing Black Hood to drop her axe as she cried in pain from the attack.

Fluttershy fired again, this impaling the other knee, wincing as Black Hood howled from her injuries. The executioner fell to her side as Twister returned to her hooves, the look of sadistic glee erased entirely to be replaced by eyes wide in stark terror. The executioner turned her dull grey eyes upward to where Twsiter stood over her, who was pressing a hoof against the hooded face of the killer earth pony. Slowly, the Dalish rubbed her hoof across the face of Black Hood, until the hood fell off and revealed a mangy pony with mottled coat, stringy hair, and a pair of wide, terrified and very bloodshot eyes.

“Mercy!” Black Hood called out from under Twister’s hoof, “Please, I beg you! It hurts! I can’t walk! I can’t stand! I can’t hurt anypony anymore! For the love of Celestia!”

Twister sneered, pounding her hoof against Black Hood’s face, another shriek of pain lost under the roar of fire and ponies still in combat. She hurt others for so long, yet she never felt the same pain, Fluttershy thought as she landed on the ground, slinging the bow around her shoulder, I shouldn’t have hurt her so badly, just enough to keep her at bay, but now I have to stop Twister from taking revenge.

“Twister, that’s enough,” Fluttershy said, laying a gentle hoof on Twister’s shoulder, “She isn’t going to hurt anypony anymore.”

“How do you know?” snarled Twister, “The moment we get out, she’ll put on her hood and start sending more ponies to her knackery. Shattered legs are nasty business, but a quick poultice, or some healing magic and she’ll be good as new, hacking up some other unlucky soul. Slime like this shouldn’t be allowed to live.”

“Trust me, please. She won’t hurt anypony ever again.” Fluttershy looked down on the sprawled form of Black Hood, but instead of anger or fear, the yellow Pegasus looked at her once-executioner with deep disappointment. While she was disappointed in Black Hood for the path she had chosen, Fluttershy was more upset at what she herself had done to the executioner. The earth pony would likely never walk the same way again even if she received proper care soon, and if not would suffer longer from infection. Fluttershy wanted to do something to ease the pain, but she did not have any poultices or any other means of healing.

Time was also their enemy. The riot was still going strong and the fires consuming the prison stronghold were reducing most of the complex to ruins. If reinforcements did not round up the prisoners and kill them for the insurrection, the fires would surely do the job.

“Nasalmek shol shiar,” remarked Twister to the executioner as she spat Dalish curses, “You do not deserve her mercy. It is yours though, so do not squander it.” Twister turned to Fluttershy and motioned towards the heavy gateway leading to freedom. The executioner screamed at them, but whether she was shouting more pleads or curses, Fluttershy could not hear as Twister began to turn the crank.

“C’mon.” Twister coughed heavily as she turned the crank, spitting out some blood before smothering it with dirt. “We still need this gate open before the whole place burns our flanks. You keep watch; I’ll get the gate open.”

Gears and chains clanged together as the heavy steel gate rose up. The pegasi pair did not wait for the metal port-way to open completely, instead rolling under the sharp ends of the gate until they were well away from the large portcullis. They galloped into the night as the sounds of battle and fire continued to roar behind them.

Fluttershy turned around to watch as La Détention Criminelle burned. Even though she was there for less than a week, the scars, both physical and mental, she had accrued in the prison would remain for life. The sight of the guillotine would haunt her nightmares. The pain from the beatings would ache in her bones. The look in the eyes of the executioner, both of sadistic glee and sheer terror would stain her memories forever.

Twister said nothing as she slowed her gallop into a controlled canter, pointing out the border of the woods that would be their sanctuary, if for a little while. Fluttershy would pray for all those souls lost in the riot later. Right now, survival was the highest priority. As she followed Twister into the forest, Fluttershy swallowed hard as she once again entered the unknown.

***

The two pegasi mares breathed heavily as they stopped in the middle of the forest to rest. The sun was cresting over the hills and its rays streamed through the trees. While both the warmth and light of the sun were pleasant and welcome compared to the cold grey of the prison, the light hurt Fluttershy’s eyes nonetheless. They had traversed the forest all through the night until the prison was little more than a distant, if unpleasant, memory, but they had not taken any rest until now.

As Twister slumped against a nearby tree, Fluttershy took a moment to explore her surroundings. She had never been in a forest like this before. Many of the wooded regions of Filais being deemed too dangerous as they were homes to wild and terrible beasts, bandits, and lurking ponyspawn. Still, she had never encountered such an environment before, and every new experience pleased her senses.

The wind rustled the leaves of the trees, a rather soothing sound to which Fluttershy closed her eyes to listen. Not an unusual noise by any stretch, but the conjoined harmony of so many trees was something she was captured with. The trees in the gardens on the estate of General Puissant could not compare. The rustling leaves gave her a sense of peace as the wind continued to blow gently.

The smell of the forest was pleasant as well. The air was cool and fresh in her lungs compared to the prison’s dank and stale air. Noticing the fragrances from nearby flowers, Fluttershy took a moment to smell a large purple one with yellow streaks along the petals, taking in the aroma.

Of all the sights around her, the forest critters were Fluttershy’s favourite. Squirrels, birds and even the croak of a toad made her smile in delight. A cardinal high above glided away from its nest, sitting on a tree branch and waiting for its fledglings to follow. A raccoon emerged from a hollow tree and quickly dashed down the trunk towards a wildberry bush.

Fluttershy smiled as she approached the grove, ignoring her own fatigue and drawing closer to the animals. Her curiosity and awe pulled her towards the critters which were unlike anything she had ever seen. She was always good with animals, often taking care of the General’s prized pets and menagerie of exotic animals from across the world. This was different though; the animals were wild and free, and she was an invader to their homes.

A small hint of uncertainty held her hoof from taking another step. What if they did not accept her? Worse yet, what if they attacked, feeling threatened by a strange pony in their home? Fluttershy did not want to disturb the critters in their habitats.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Fluttershy turned around and began to make her way back to Twister’s resting place when a slight tug on her tail made her turn around. There, with one paw on her tail and another clutching a large pinecone, was the raccoon holding out the seed in offering. As she looked at the proffered pinecone, her stomach rumbled in demand for food. Having lived off of grey gruel and little else for a week, Fluttershy felt now was as good a time as any to have some real food, even if it was a simple pinecone.

“Thank you very much, little raccoon,” Fluttershy said as she accepted the pinecone, “Though, I wonder if you could help me find some food for my friend as well. Something to last a few days through the woods, please?”

The raccoon darted off, the action soon followed by several animals as they went into several directions, gathering more cones as well as barrels, bright leaves and several varieties of nuts. The critters placed their bounty on the ground in a pile in front of Fluttershy, who looked on the pile with a newfound hunger.

A whistle from pony lips blew behind her, following which Fluttershy turned to see Twister up and about, though still fatigued. “Well I’ll be a donkey’s uncle,” she commented as she looked at Fluttershy and her new animal friends. “I knew you were something else, Sunshine, but being salanah’ishiel? Colour me impressed.”

More Dalish, Fluttershy thought as she blushed and turned away from Twister. Why was she giving praise to her just for being kind to animals? Yet, as the brash pegasus approached, many of the forest fauna fled to their nests and burrows, though the raccoon and the cardinal stayed near Fluttershy. Twister rolled her eyes.

“Figures they run, but then I’m kalach,” Twister explained, “Dalish for warrior, goes with the red ink. If you were Dalish, you would likely be a herder or one who takes cares of the clan's animals, and would have green ink.”

“Salanah’ishiel,” Fluttershy repeated, “It sounds nice.”

In truth, Fluttershy was more curious about the Pegasi of the Eastern Dales now than she ever had before. Elders in the alienage had said that all pegasi could trace their roots to the Dalish, when the fabled skylords ruled in great cities made from the clouds. Fluttershy had always wanted to know more, but had to hold off on her quest for knowledge when her mother was sick with plague. Now that she was travelling with Twister, a real Dalish, she could learn more about a culture so foreign, yet so close to home.

Twister agreed to teaching Fluttershy about the Dalish, stating that she needed something to do as they travelled north. It was her plan to go to Equestria, where Filesian authorities had no jurisdiction. All they had to do was keep advancing north until they found a small chapel on a hill, La Maison du Soleil, then head east across the border. “The Frosttop Mountains will be in sight when we are close,” the wild pony said. “Then we will be free to live our lives how we want.”

They took refuge under large trees during the day, taking turns sleeping and eating, and moved out during the night. Travelling under the cover of darkness was difficult, as the moon was in a waning crescent, reducing the light to travel in. Making torches was out of the question according to Twister, who said scouts would be searching the forests for them and a flame would give them away too easily.

When Celestia’s sun was high in the sky, Twister would teach Fluttershy of the Dalish. First they started with language. Fluttershy learned simple words first, such as hello and goodbye, please and thank you. She found the language difficult and even harsh at times; despite the flow of the words, Twister said many of them in anger or bitterness. Whether it was the proper way of speaking in Dalish or just Twister’s frustrations, the yellow Pegasus could not know for certain.

Hello was “faram,” and goodbye was “keelu”.  Please was “meesha” and thank you was “melli san”. Twister then taught her the words for ponies; earth ponies were ‘hosan’, unicorns were ‘talla han’, and pegasi were the “nel’nier”. Fluttershy liked the language, as the words rolled off her tongue, and many seemed to fit just right. Kalach. Warrior. Massare. Keeper. Yethesh. Healer. Salanah’ishiel. Friend to animals.

“Does that mean salanah is friend?” Fluttershy asked.

“That’s right,” Twister confirmed as she curled up against a tree, coughing into her hoof, “One friend. One dozen. Works both ways.”

“Are we salanah?” It was an honest question. Not once since they had left the prison fortress had Twister said or done anything lewd towards Fluttershy, only focusing on heading north, gathering food, and teaching the yellow sky pony about the Dalish. Fluttershy hoped that their time together would mean something.

Instead, Twister ignored the question, becoming cross and distant as she prepared herself for sleep. Fluttershy did not press the issue, not wanting to bother the rogue any more than she already had. Laying down on the cool ground, she let a sigh as she looked up into the clear night sky through the branches of the trees. The summer day was quite warm, and Fluttershy did not feel the need to sleep just yet as she stared at the clouds.

As she gazed into the blue sky, something crept into her voice that she had not done since nary a week or so ago. It was a small thing at first, the sound emerging from her throat, until she hit a single note. It was something simple, nothing too high, nothing too low, just a simple “la” to test her voice; to see if she could still sing.

One note quickly became two, to three, until she was singing a simple tune. From there she expanded, changing pitch and rhythm until Fluttershy was singing a song she had not sang since the plague. The song her mother had taught her, which they would sing together every day until the plague stole her mother’s voice. The song became silent after the plague stole her mother.

Her soft melody was joined by the rustling of the trees in the wind, but otherwise Fluttershy was alone with her song. It was not until she saw Twister standing up, contemplating the ground, that Fluttershy stopped her voice cold. Instead of harsh words, Twister shook her head, keeping her eyes away from her companion.

“That was real pretty,” she admitted, “Reminds me a lot of the Keeper. She used to sing too. She sang Dalish stories instead of simply telling them. Made them more interesting, more heroic, more worthwhile to listen to.”

“Where are the Dalish now?” Fluttershy asked as she sat next to Twister. From what she could see, the Dalish pegasus was fighting back tears, eyes closed shut and tight.

“Heard a clan was living in the Everfree forest in Equestria,” Twister replied, “Another clan crossed the ocean to the Free Plains, in a rocky region outside of Geldwall. Sure there are other clans in the Yokalach and others living next to the Broncos down to the south. Lots of clans dying off or simply no longer existing. Merging with the cities of other ponies, no longer being Dalish.”

“My clan… My clan is gone, Sunshine. Wiped out by a ponyspawn attack. Every stallion, every mare, every foal. Eaten and worse. I was out with a scout party then. Just three of us were left. Can’t be much of a clan with just three pegasi.”

Twister turned her head to the sky, eyes still closed tight, as if forbidding any emotion. “I miss them all, Sunshine. I miss my clan. I miss the Keeper and the Healer and the other warriors. I miss the songs and the travelling. I miss them all so much.”

As Twister sobbed into her forelegs, Fluttershy came to her side and rubbed her shoulders to provide some measure of comfort. It was an odd thing to see such a strong and fierce pegasi so vulnerable. Fluttershy did not mind the display of emotion; all ponies had a vulnerable side and something that broke their barriers.

Twister shrugged away Fluttershy, moving into the shadow of a large tree. “Get some rest. We’ll be close to the chapel in a few days, and I still have to teach you how to fight.”

Fluttershy did not like combat training with Twister. She detested fighting in all its forms, and always tried to find some excuse to skip training when she was a filly. It was the look of worry on her mother’s face, and the knowledge that creatures like the ponyspawn existed and could not be reasoned with, that finally caused Fluttershy to take up the bow.

It was the same now, only with a Dalish pegasi who was a master of weapons, blade and bow alike. What disturbed Fluttershy the most was how good she was at using the weapons. She preferred the bow and arrow because she could fight at a distance, away from the heat of battle and from the eyes of enemy ponies. Yet as she remembered all too well from eyes of the executioner and her shot knees, no distance was great enough to make her ignore the eyes of the ponies she would fight.

Archery was easy enough to train with Twister. They shot mostly at trees and falling leaves, with the Dalish being impressed by Fluttershy’s accuracy. She was able to shoot accurately from great distances, and was even able to fire accurately through the heavy bush of the forest. As far as day one of fighting training was going, this was a success. Twister then decided that Fluttershy did not need more training with the bow, but close combat instead.

Whatever praise Twister offered for archery was soon replaced with shouting.

“Duck and move, duck and move,” the rogue barked, facing Fluttershy with a large branch clenched in her teeth. “Blades like these only have one side, so your flank is unprotected! You’re a pony, use those leg muscles to jump about, buck hard, and strike fast!”

To show her point, Twister jumped sideways, striking Fluttershy’s rump with a sharp rap from the stick. Fluttershy squeaked, dropping her stick as she shot her head up from the pain of Twister’s counter. Twister took advantage, poking Fluttershy in the chest with several jabs.

Every time Fluttershy picked up the stick in her mouth and moved to attack, she hesitated; Twister was moving too quickly and striking her too hard. If Fluttershy thrusted, Twister moved to the side and hit her. If she swung, Twister would either jump and hit, or duck and hit. Despite all this, however, Fluttershy did not complain. If they ever encountered ponyspawn or their pursuers, they would likely hit faster and strike with real flesh-rending steel.

“What are you going to do when a soldier or a ponyspawn is in your face?” Twister demanded with unusual aggression. “Are you going to play nice with it? Ask politely to stop gnawing on your wing? Maybe tell that soldier who finally has you not to slit your throat?”

“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy whispered. What was Twister expecting after just a couple of days of training? That she was going to become an elite warrior who hungered for blood and battle?

“You’re sorry? Is that it?” Twister attacked again, this time swinging her head and the stick together in a powerful slash that left a scratch on Fluttershy’s chest. The yellow pegasus yelped in pain as she fell, nursing her wound and completely ignoring Twister, who spat out the stick and turned away.

Fluttershy could feel the anger seething through Twister’s features. The white pegasus turned her head slowly, giving Fluttershy the feeling that she was being judged for her combat performance, and the score was not good.

“Why are you so damn hesitant to fight?” Twister shouted, “There are creatures and ponies out there that would gut you the first chance they get, and what do you do? You whimper and cry every time I hit you with a stick!”

“I’m not a fighter!” Fluttershy yelled back, standing on her hooves. “I hate hurting ponies! I hate the idea of bringing them harm! I can’t even crush a bug under my hooves, and you want me to shoot arrows into their hearts?”

She was surprised at her own raised voice, but Fluttershy kept her stare on Twister. She would not become a killer just because other ponies were making bad decisions. It was wrong enough what she did to Black Hood; that poor mare would likely never walk the same way again, let alone the trauma of taking two arrows in her legs.

“I’m doing all this out of the kindness of my heart to see somepony like you survive in this cold, harsh word,” snarled Twister as she moved menacingly towards Fluttershy. “Sticks and stones are going to break your bones, sunshine. I’m helping you learn how to use steel to stop hearts. Some ponies would do anything to learn how to move like the Dalish. You need to be hardened to survive, damn it!”

“I don’t want to fight,” Fluttershy replied, only to be struck by a hoof from Twister. Fluttershy held her face for a moment as she felt fresh tears stream from her eyes. She looked at Twister with horror as she stepped away from the angry mare.

How could she have done that? That was a real hoof-smack of anger, of abuse. Now Fluttershy understood why Twister had not said they were salanah. They weren’t friends, just two prisoners using each other to escape from imprisonment. There was one difference between the two, though.

“You’re a murderer,” Fluttershy accused as she backpedaled away from Twister. “You’re a killer, an arsonist, and… and… you’re a bad pony! You like hurting others, and you want me to be the same as you! If that’s what it means to be Dalish, then I want no part of them! I thought we were friends, but we’re not! You’ve made that abundantly clear. And my name isn’t sunshine, it’s Fluttershy!”

Before Twister could respond, Fluttershy galloped into the woods as fast as her hooves could take her. She cried as she ran, not wanting anything to do with the Dalish pegasi or fighting or Twister, only wanting a quiet place to be alone. Not even being in the presence of the forest critters or the rustling leaves would calm her nerves. All she wanted was some solitude and peace.

It was sunset when she finally slowed down to a trot, taking a moment to catch her breath. Looking back , Fluttershy could not see Twister behind her or anywhere. In fact, there was little around her except more trees and rocks. Suddenly the decision to leave Twister didn’t seem like such a good one.

There was a small mercy, though, in the form of a building nestled in the middle of the woods along a beaten dirt path. It was a wondrous sight to finally be near civilization for a change, with ponies that may be able to help her. Fluttershy noted the stained glass windows that decorated the sides of the building, as well as two small statues of Celestia and Luna outside. There were small, well maintained gardens in the surroundings, and a outdoor stove with a burning fire and the smell of baked bread wafting through the wind.

La Maison du Soleil. Fluttershy recalled the name of the chapel on the border between Filais and Equestria. Of all the places she could find, a simple chapel to the Alicorn Sisters was the best that could be offered. The Chantry sisters within would know the easiest way to Equestria, as well as some sort of comfort for all the pain Fluttershy had endured.

She stopped right in front of the doors to the Maison, looking at each of the statues. It seemed blasphemous to enter a house of worship as messy and disheveled as she was. One did not go into a temple with rags, bloodstains and scraped knees. Still, there was no place to wash up that she could see, and maybe the sisters would let her use their baths.

With a careful hoof, Fluttershy opened the door until she crossed the threshold, taking in the smells of burnt incense and the beautiful light shining through the stain glass. The chapel was just as Fluttershy imagined: impeccably clean with pristine statues of Celestia and Luna standing tall over an immaculate altar. The floors were clear and shining, and the shelves were lined with well-kept books and scrolls.

Kneeling before the altar was an earth pony mare, perhaps only a decade older than Fluttershy. She had a bright golden mane and an orange coat and was dressed in the robes of the Mother Superior. In her hooves was the amulet used for prayer and meditation, the amulet of the sun and moon.

The Mother Superior of the chapel turned as the door clicked shut, a warm smile on her face as she let the amulet fall from her hooves against her chest. She stood tall and proud while walking towards Fluttershy, who turned red in embarrassment for her condition and for interrupting the Mother Superior’s prayer time. She bowed to the religious pony, keeping her eyes to the ground.

“Forgive me, holy mother,” Fluttershy said. “I’ve been in the woods for a long time, I did not have an opportunity to wash up, or be presentable or…”

“Fret not, child,” the Mother Superior replied in a slight yet noticeable accent from the Yokalach. “The house of Celestia and Luna is welcome to all ponies, whether clean or not. As a house, one can expect a means to bathe. Come, I will help you as much as I can. You may call me Sonnenschein if you so wish. I like my given name over my title.”

After introductions were made, Fluttershy followed Sonnenschein down into the basement, where the living quarters were located, noting how plain the Chantry sisters lived compared to other ponies she had known. A life of worship and peace seemed like a dream to Fluttershy; everything was so serene and peaceful. There were no signs of the templar, which added to the appeal of the chapel. No templars means no issues with unicorns or their dangerous magic, as well as demons and other such monstrosities.

Sonnenschein ushered Fluttershy into a large wooden tub, only to then dump buckets of hot water over her head. The water felt amazing on her coat. The tub was soon filled half way, giving her ample room to soak and simply enjoy the warmth.

Suddenly she felt something cool applied to her hair, only to feel the relaxing application of hooves scrubbing into her mane. The liquid soap and massaging hooves into her scalp felt excellent as Fluttershy nearly melted into the tub from the feeling.

“So much blood and dirt,” said Sonnenschein as she continued to scrub, “I have to wonder how a pony such as you came here as such a mess. Did you run into some trouble in the wilds? Perhaps a wild animal that did not like you coming near? Running from an abusive coltfriend? You have my ear, my dear, not the ear of the Chantry.”

Fluttershy hesitated from answering right away, taking a moment to sink her mane into the water as she considered the implications. What could she say? That she was an escapee of the worst prison known throughout the world? That she had maimed a pony in self-defense, ran through the forest with a known killer, and now dropped her sorry flank on the door step of a chapel?

The truth will set me free, Fluttershy decided. If she could not trust a Mother Superior of the Chantry, the messengers of peace and harmony, who could she trust?

With a sigh, Fluttershy left the tub, looking to Sonnenschein with a sad look. “Can we do a proper confession, Your Reverence?” she asked, “I have a lot to say. A lot I am sorry for.”

Sonnenschein nodded, standing up and turning to the door. “There are linens to dry yourself, and a brush on the table. I will also leave you some robes. I have nothing for pegasi I’m afraid. There are not many pegasus Chantry sisters. Perhaps I should look into that.”

As the Mother Superior left, Fluttershy quickly dried herself and put on the robes offered before regarding herself in the mirror. The robes were clean, with the white and yellow of the sun on the left side and the black and white of the moon of the right. They fit well, although her wings did not feel comfortable under the fabric meant for an earth pony.

I look like a proper Chantry sister, Fluttershy mused as she took in the sight of herself. Could pegasi join the Chantry as proper sisters? Perhaps that was a life she could seek out if she ever made it across the border into Equestria.

Taking a deep breath to calm her quaking nerves, Fluttershy ascended the staircase into the chapel’s main hall. She found entering the confessional booth quite difficult, with the urge to gallop out the main door rising with every hoofstep. However, the moment she entered and closed the door, the tension seemed to cease even faster than it had appeared. The silence helped as she sat on her flanks and waited for Sonnenschein.

“Umm…” Fluttershy was unsure what to say, shaking as she heard a door slide open, but no outward sign that she was being listened to.

“As both heavenly bodies bring light to the world, so too does the admission of guilt and the deliverance of forgiveness.” Fluttershy jumped as the Mother Superior spoke, but quickly calmed herself down as she remembered she was safe in the chapel.

“Forgive me, Mother, for I have sinned.”

“Celestia and Luna will hear you.”

Fluttershy began to speak of everything: of being a bard and a spy in league with a real traitor, of betraying the trust of an innocent family of ponies, of not speaking in her own defense at the mock trial. She admitted her guilt in attacking the executioner, of shouting at Twister and leaving her in the middle of the forest. Throughout her confession, Fluttershy had to stop to sob once in a while, the old wounds from her time in the prison reopening even wider than before.

Sonnenschein said nothing as Fluttershy confessed, to the point where the pegasus wondered if she was even in the other side of the thin wall. Only when Fluttershy had finished pouring out the truth did the mother speak her words clear, concise, and warm.

“A great wrong was done to you, Fluttershy,” Sonnenschein soothed, “Celestia and Luna forgive your sins, though they were never done with malicious intent. You have a large heart, my child. Do not let guilt rule it. Come, I will help you in the best way I can.”

Both doors of the confessional opened, allowing the mares to stand before each other. Sonnenschein’s smile was bright and welcoming as she removed her amulet of the sun and moon from around her neck with her mouth. Fluttershy was surprised as the mother placed the amulet around her own head. The topaz and onyx pendant slid down her neck, and she took a moment to hold the jewel in her hooves. The surface shone in the light of the setting sun

It was the most beautiful thing Fluttershy had ever seen. Never before had she ever seen a simple Chantry sister, let alone a Mother, wear a piece like this. Before she could ask, Sonnenschein held up a hoof, requesting silence.

“You will go east into Equestria,” Sonnenschein explained. “You will go a small village called Ponyring and find the cloister to the north, on the road to Trotterim. Present that amulet to the Mother Superior there and she will welcome you with open hooves as a transfer sister of Filais.”

“This is very generous, Your Reverence, but…” Sonnenschien came close, causing Fluttershy to become silent once again. Her eyes held a strong will, one that would accept no arguments.

“I want to help you, Fluttershy,” the high priestess continued. “It is the Chantry’s way to give ponies in need as much charity as we can offer. I cannot help you if you are constantly in danger in Filais. Please, accept my gift. After a meal, you must travel at night to the east. Equestria is two nights canter away from here, Ponyring another night. Find a travelling group of merchants and stay with them if you can until you reach your destination.”

Fluttershy was immensely confused by the words of the Mother Superior of this chapel, feeling that something was being hidden from her. Still, it was the best option yet, and Fluttershy agreed that staying in Filais would be detrimental to her health. Artistic Finish would surely have heard of the prison break by now, and would scour the countryside for her.

The plan was agreed upon, and the two mares returned to the living quarters of the chapel to prepare Fluttershy for her journey. They found and packed several items, from woolen blankets, hard bread, canteens of water and a few bottles of healing poultice for wounds. Fluttershy hesitated when she saw her bow, only to sling the weapon around her shoulder as well as the quiver of arrows. The roads would be dangerous, but perhaps the presence of a weapon would deter any prospective bandits and thieves.

Like Twister, Fluttershy thought as she readied her supplies against the wall in front of the door, where is she now? Is she all right? Is she still mad at me? Why should I care? She’s a bad pony who wanted me to be like her.

Instead, Fluttershy leaned her head against the wall, still thinking of Twister. If only she could say she was sorry one last time before she left for Equestria. Then she would have a clear conscious going into the land where she was born. It did not feel right having loose ends.

They ate in silence on meals of bread and daisies, something Fluttershy enjoyed quite well. Having actual flavor besides whatever passed for food at the prison was a treat and a half, and she savoured every bite. Still, while Sonnenschein was pleasant company, she was no Twister.

It was after a bowl of milk that she heard the door open and the sound of a great weight slumping onto the wooden floor. Fluttershy and Sonnenschein galloped up the stairs to find a bloody and battered pegasus on the ground with several arrows jutting from her side in addition to multiple blade wounds.

“Twister!” Fluttershy ran to her side, fumbling for one of the healing poultices in her bag, only to stop as the mortally wounded pegasus held her foreleg back with a hoof.

“Save it, sunshine,” Twister said as she coughed up blood, “You’ll need it more than me. Ran into a group looking for you. Had that earth pony with the goggles with them. Made a good offer to turn you over to them for complete pardon.”

Twister turned her gaze to Sonnenschein, who looked at the bloody mess with horror. “I am loyal,” she said weakly, before turning to Fluttershy. “We went through the Black Canter of the world together, didn’t we? Said I’d get you outta there and into freedom, didn’t I? I don’t go back on my word. Call it Dalish honour.”

“We need to treat your wounds.” Fluttershy tried to find strength in the words, but could only choke on sobs. Twister chuckled, shaking her head.

“I’m done, sunshine. That Finish, she’s a wicked shot. Accurate for an earth pony, even with those goggles. Did what I could. Took out the rest of her group, including the one who got away. Oh… right. I’m in a temple. Forgive me Mother, for I have sinned.”

Sonnenschein said nothing as Fluttershy cried. “Don’t cry for me, Fluttershy,” Twister said as she closed her eyes. “You deserve to live. I’m a bad pony. I don’t.”

“You’re not bad! You just made bad decisions! I’m sorry I called you that!” Fluttershy was frantic now, looking for something to help Twister, who simply smiled as she lay in a pool of her own blood.

“Lellishan,” Twister said, snapping Fluttershy out of her sorrow, “Dalish name is Lellishan. If you ever find the Dalish, tell them that name. Let my name fly with the south wind.”

“You can tell them yourself!”

“Salanah… Fluttershy.” Twister lowered her head, and breathed no more. Fluttershy wailed as her friend from hell and back became cold in her hooves, ignoring the attempt at comfort from Sonnenschein. When her tears were spent, Fluttershy rushed out of the chapel with the Mother Superior shouting behind her.

Taking the bow off from over the shoulder, Fluttershy readied an arrow and waited. Hot anger fueled her every move as she breathed heavy, arrow trained and ready at the darkness. All she needed was the sight of Artistic Finish and she would end her then and there. One arrow, one shot. That’s all she needed.

“I’ll end this.”

I can’t kill.

“She deserves to die.”

What happened to mercy?

“She doesn’t get any.”

You are making a bad decision.

“I don’t care.”

You are going to become a bad pony.

Fluttershy stopped her hunt for Finish. What good was it going to be to finally end Finish if it cost Fluttershy everything she was? She survived the trial, the prison, and the trek to the chapel with Twister and still kept who she was intact. One kill, even to a monster like Artistic Finish, would end all of that. One kill and she would be no better than Twister or the Bardmistress.

Instead, Fluttershy lowered her bow, releasing the tension in the bowstring and letting the arrow fall to the ground. She would face Artistic Finish on her own terms, not with anger or rage, but the same emotion she delivered to the prison guards and to the executioner; with regret and disappointment for what they had done.

She waited in the darkness, listening to the rustling of the trees. The doors to the chapel were still wide open, with Sonnenschien covering the body of Twister with a blanket. Sonnenschein was under threat by Artistic Finish as well so long as the vindictive mare lived. Whether from violence or being framed like she was, Fluttershy would not allow the Mother Superior to be harmed under her watch.

A laugh made Fluttershy turn. There, standing at the edge of the forest, was Artistic Finish with an arrow trained on Fluttershy. Her neatly cut mane was disheveled, her clothes were torn, and even her goggles were covered in mud and grime. It would have been humourous to see the once proper Bardmistress so mangled if not for the deadly weapon held ready to strike.

“I haff been looking for you for a long time, patzy,” Artistic Finish said as she grinned, “So many troubles since you were sent to ze prison. First your friend ze General returns from his ponyspawn battle and starts investigating me. Me! A Justice of Filais! How long I had worked to attain the title, ze riches to finally move about the nobility as I pleased! Lords and ladies feared how I played ze Game. Now I am ze one being played!”

“What vas odd was that his information vas correct. His soldiers found my contacts from Pura Raza, found most of the mercenaries I hired. Had zem all bound and gagged all ze way back to Pura Raza with a note from the Empress detailing new treaties and trade sanctions for trying to incite rebellion. I vas able to misdirect my involvement to others, but then zey received pardons as soon as new information came to light thanks to your precious General!”

Artistic Finish stepped closer now, bow still tight and arrow ready to fly. Her face contorted into one of anger. “The only way they could have known was if somepony vas feeding zem information! I know it is you! Somehow you learned of my plans and are informing the General! Well that ends tonight, as do you!”

“You’re insane,” Fluttershy shouted. “Listen to yourself! I was in prison the whole time. How could I know anything, let alone send any information to General Puissant?”

“I do not know nor care!” Artistic Finish stopped and took aim for Fluttershy’s heart. “No more loose ends! No more tricks or elaborate plans! I should have had you killed when I had ze chance! Now I will finish you!”

Don’t think, act.

Fluttershy watched as the arrow was fired from Artistic Finish’s bow. With a quick and graceful step, she moved to the side, the sharp edge of the arrowhead slicing the air as well as a few strands of her mane.

Let them come to you. 

As she pulled an arrow from her quiver, an enraged Finish drew her dagger from its sheathe and charged. It was a simple shot to make. Taking aim, Fluttershy readied an arrow at Finish’s knees^[a][b], just like the executioner. She needed to do something, anything, to slow Finish down and make her escape to the border.

When you see the whites of their eyes, let fly. Don’t stop to think about the arrow, or who you’re shooting at.

Thanks to the goggles, Fluttershy could not see the whites of Finish’s eyes. Instead the gleam of moonlight would have to do as it reflected off fuchsia-tinted glass. Finish was getting closer now, the dagger shining in the light of the moon, ready to tear into flesh.

It’s them or you.

 It’s always them or you.

“I’m sorry.” Fluttershy fired.

CRACK.

Artistic Finish stopped suddenly, opening her mouth wide in disbelief, dropping her dagger in the process. She mouthed something, but whether it was a protest or a plea Fluttershy could not hear. The earth pony spy simply rocked on her hooves as blood leaked under her left goggle. More trailed down the arrow jutting from the cracked glass where the arrow had struck her eye.

She moved too quickly for Fluttershy to make the debilitating shot she wanted to. Finish had dived her head low with the dagger in her mouth, hoping to bring the blade up and slit the yellow pegasus’ throat in one swift movement. Instead of pinning the knee, her arrow flew into the blue earth pony’s eye.

Finish fell as life escaped from her lips without a single word. Breathing ragged and eyes wide, Fluttershy slumped to the ground, her bow clattering at her side. In disbelief, Fluttershy held the amulet Sonnenschein gave her.

“Forgive me Celestia for I have sinned,” Fluttershy whispered, though it was choked back on sobs. “Forgive me Luna for I have sinned. Forgive me, forgive me…”

She stayed there in the darkness of the night for a while, begging to the high heavens for forgiveness that she would never hear. She would never hear the jibes from Twister again, or any more lessons of the Dalish pegasi, or how her swordplay was terrible. She would never know peace of mind ever again.

Instead, Fluttershy stood up. Slinging the bow around her shoulder, she returned to the chapel to pick up her supplies. Sonnenschein said something, but she could not hear the Mother Superior of the chapel, hearing only white noise. She couldn’t hear anything but the rustling of the trees and her own voice.

“Please take care of Lellishan… Twister.” Fluttershy then slung the saddle bags meant for her journey into Equestria onto her sides. In a trance-like state, she left the chapel and its silent keeper, muttering the words of the Chant from the very beginning as she entered the darkness of the forest eastward into the unknown.

***

Sonnenschein stood in shock following what had occurred. She had seen wounded soldiers before in the Yokalach, but never death this violent, this brutal, and this swift. The plan she and the Seekers had concocted had succeeded in sending Fluttershy to Equestria, where the Lunar Divine had said she was needed.

Something had gone wrong along the way, as now the Solar Divine was left with both the body of a Justice of Filais and one of her Seekers. As she left to get a shroud for Artistic Finish, a figure moved from the shadows, levitating a sheet of linen with magic.

“I am sorry, Your Radiance,” said Bright Star, the tall unicorn Seeker who had insisted on keeping to the shadows throughout the whole affair. “We tried to keep the unpleasantness to a minimum. This was Twister’s plan all along though.”

“Was it?” Sonnenschein shot a dirty look at Bright Star. How many ponies had suffered through this entire torrid affair? Perhaps she did not want to know. “Was her plan to die in a blaze of glory, leaving only the leader of the conspirators, the one with the most history with Fluttershy, alive?”

“Yes.”

The way he spoke was matter of fact. His voice was so devoid of emotion that it chilled her to the bone. How long has Bright Star been a Seeker, she thought, how many times have you killed in the name of the Divines? How many ponies did you send to their deaths in the Sisters’ names? How many will you send in my name?

“Twister decided that if Fluttershy was going to aid in the defeat of the ponyspawn, she had to teach her how to fight, how to kill.” As Bright Star recited the plan the Seekers approved of, Sonnenchein moved throughout the chapel to find the supplies she would need to give both villain and hero the proper cremations used for the departed. “We were concerned that Fluttershy would strike out in anger, a start to a dark path, but I have seen different. She aimed for the knee, like she did in the prison against the twisted mare. Artistic Finish moved her face, and received an arrow in the eye for her troubles. Fluttershy’s mental health will be a concern, but we have Seekers at the cloister that will help her.”

“Blanc Masque took on the role as warden of La Détention Criminelle without raising suspicions. His ability to disguise himself is rather uncanny, but proved effective. He was the one who changed the list of the executions with proper reasoning to satisfy the guards and the lords. Fluttershy was spared from immediate beheading. Twister then arranged for the riot amongst those Seekers who disguised themselves as prisoners and guards. I will say, however, that before our presence in that stronghold, the Veil was incredibly weak there. Our unicorn brothers and sisters arrived as members of the Filesian Tower, and spent several days repairing the Veil. We could have had a major demonic breach on our hooves.”

“We also sent many Seekers to discover the truth behind Finish’s conspiracy against Filais. As it turned out, she had plans on top of plots on top of schemes. Cast so many nets, however, and eventually you get a few tangled knots. We were able to feed the information to General Puissant without him knowing who was giving him information. I would say he is an avid chess player, as he quickly confirmed our information with his own sources and moved several steps ahead of Finish, who thought she had won the game.”

Sonnenschein simply nodded as she readied the scroll of the Chant, as well as several candles and a torch. Bright Star’s horn began to glow, levitating all of the supplies in the air as well as respectfully lifting the body of his fellow Seeker.

“And of Twister’s death?” Sonnenschein looked to Bright Star as they exited the chapel towards the funeral pyre. “Was that necessary?”

“Twister believed so,” Bright Star replied as he lifted the body of Artistic Finish with his magic, “We live and die in the service of the Alicorn Sisters and of their representatives in the world, until the day they descend to us from the Fade.”

Sonnenschein grimaced as Bright Star continued to use his magic to lay neat stacks of wood to make for funeral pyres. Enough secrets. She wanted answers now.

“As Solar Divine, I give this command to thee: why did Twister die.”

Bright Star hesitated as he unceremoniously dumped the body of Finish onto her woodstack, yet still kept the body of Twister aloft. “She was dying, Your Radiance,” he explained. “A sickness that gave her months to live. Instead of waiting, she chose the time and place of her death. She was a meticulous planner. She even counted on Fluttershy not shooting one of Finish’s subordinates.”

“A good pony who is now gone from us.” The Solar Divine looked down on the still shroud holding the body of Twister. She stroked the head with a motherly hoof, trying and failing to hold back tears of her own. She died in your name, Sonnenschein thought in prayer to the Sisters in the Fade, show her mercy at your hooves.

“Two last notes I should report,” said Bright Star as Sonnenschein put on her divine robes, though neglecting the veil for Finish’s last rites. “Whatever friends and allies she finds to combat the ponyspawn will be very fortunate to have her. Such a heart only comes once in ten thousand ponies.”

“And the second note?”

“She will make an excellent Seeker.”

The rites for Finish were done and over without much ceremony. All Sonnenschein felt she could do was ask Celestia and Luna to show the bardmistress mercy when she arrived at their hooves.

For Twister though, the Solar Divine raised her veil with the help of Bright Star’s magic. Before lowering the fabric, the native of the Yokalach looked around as the sound of hoofsteps and rustling bush echoed in the dark of night. All around her came robed ponies of all kinds, all with their heads bowed in reverence to their fallen. Dozens of Seekers of Truth emerged from the bush until the funeral pyre holding Twister was surrounded by her comrades.

Sonnenschein raised a hoof to her chest, where her amulet would have been. She felt her heart thud in her chest as she silently prayed to Celestia and Luna to protect Fluttershy in her travels, and to heal her guilt ridden mind. Despite the prayer, she knew the road for all the ponies of the world would only be more difficult.

“Dear friends, brothers, and sisters in the light of the Sun and the Moon.” Sonnenschien began the prayer with a clear voice full of conviction. She was the Seekers’ Solar Divine. She had to be strong for their sakes. For her sake.

For Fluttershy’s sake.

“We are gathered here under the gaze of Luna to commend the spirit of the fallen, Lellishan Twister, Pegasus of the Eastern Dales and Seeker of Truth. She died so that others may live…”

---

Chapter 21 – Those Healing Hooves

In a rare moment of peace during their journey to rally allies to their cause, Twilight Sparkle found herself examining the loot pilfered from a high dragon’s hoard by members of the party she traveled with. Rainbow Dash Pinkie Pie, and Shale had managed to make off with a large selection of assorted jewels, as well as hundreds of gold coins.

Items of use included something Shale had called “augmentation crystals”, crystals charged with lyrium that the golem was now trying to convince Rarity to craft into exquisite shapes apply them to its body. Lines of blue lyrium were being applied to the regions around the crystals, pulsing like veins on Shale’s hard shell.

“The green crystals need to make me look invulnerable, prissy one,” Shale instructed, as Trixie levitated it just inches from the ship’s deck, “Perhaps a row of shields. Anything to make my enemies know they cannot harm me once they cast their pathetic gazes upon my lustrous form, and that their fate is sealed.  Oh, and the red ones on my hooves must be fierce, to show off the destruction I shall wreak with them. Flames? Fangs? Perhaps little dragons!”

“Perhaps you should let the designer worry about the designs, hmm?” Rarity took up a chisel, hammer, and a small pot of lyrium before beginning to work on the crystals. Shale closed its eyes, humming a tune to itself as the apostate worked, and seemingly enjoying being worked on like a fine artistic piece. Knowing Shale, Twilight assumed that the golem thought of itself as a masterpiece. Being the only golem in Equestria certainly did not help its ego.

Twilight looked over the loot once more, dividing the gold and jewels in equal parts for everypony in the party. She also set aside a bag of gold bits for Ditzy Doo, as thanks for all her help. She also hoped the gold would be enough to get Ditzy and Dinky to the Free Plains where they sought a new life.

Once all the treasure was divided fairly, Twilight, along with Applejack, turned their attention to the large sword the looters had found amongst the dragon’s hoard. The sword was unlike anything she had ever seen, with a blade curved to resemble waves. The weapon looked very old, yet the blade was still incredibly sharp and she could feel the tell-tale “pulse” of enchantment emanating from the metal. The hilt and grip-bit was also ornate, with several images of warrior ponies etched around valuable rubies and sapphires.

The weapon was found for her fellow Grey Warden and former templar Applejack, who had lost her sword in the fight against the high dragon. As Twilight looked over the blade, Rainbow Dash joined her side, observing the weapon with keen interest of her own.

“That’s a kris,” Rainbow explained as Twilight held the blade with levitation. “Saw a few of them in Pura Raza on mercenaries from faraway lands. The blade is a real piece of work, as the waves make a wound bigger and cut up more veins and such. Never seen one this big before though.”

Pura Raza was far away. If this blade had come from someplace even further, then it truly was a rare and powerful artifact to be in a dragon’s treasure trove. Applejack looked at the curved blade with a look of disbelief.

“Mighty fancy lookin’,” Applejack muttered. “Even the sheath is done up like a fancy piece o’ art. Still, looks like it could so some real damage.” The sheath was highly decorated, made from an assortment of delicate fabrics woven into a pictograph of ponies in some sort of ritual involving the blade. Despite the age of the kris and the conditions it had been under for only Celestia knew how long, both weapon and sheath were in pristine condition. Twilight held no doubt that the masterful enchantments on both were the cause of such preservation.

Applejack approached the kris, taking the grip into her mouth as Twilight lowered her magic around the blade. The blonde earth pony swung the sword about with powerful thrusts and slashes, before replacing the kris back into its sheath around her waist.

“It’s certainly light,” Applejack noted. “Real light. I sorta feel like I can cut through anything with that blade.”

“Does it have a name?” Rainbow Dash looked at the scabbard with no hidden envy. “All the cool weapons have names.”

“There were markings on the hilt,” Twilight pointed out, “But I couldn’t understand the language.”

“Silverbite,” Applejack decided as she looked to her friends, “Because it looks like silver and looks like it has a real bite to it.” With the new name of the blade decided upon, Applejack and Rainbow went off to another side of the ship to discuss how to properly use the kris, while Twilight continued rummaging through the collected loot.

What she found next simultaneously surprised and horrified her. Inside one of the larger sacks was an assortment of incredibly hard scales that had once belonged to the high dragon. The scales varied in thickness and density, and was no question who had the strength to pull the dragon scales off of the dead. Whether Shale wanted a trophy to feed its ego or had some other purpose in mind, Twilight would find out soon enough.

Twilight sighed as she looked down at the dragon scales with sadness. The battles they had fought on the mountain had proven to be the most difficult yet, mainly because of Twilight’s hesitance to fight creatures that were not ponyspawn or demons. The diamond dog cult and their leader Lockjaw did not offer many options except for committing an act of terrible sacrilege on the remains of Luna. Lockjaw then forced their hooves again when the high dragon attacked, thanks to his antagonizing dragonbone whistle. Even with the loss of its eye and wings, the dragon had not quit its attack until it was slain.

The one who was most affected by the dragon’s demise was Spike. When he finally awoke from being injured by the screech of the dragon whistle, he had holed himself in the cargo bay of the ship. Any attempt at conversation was met with simple grunts. Twilight had decided that it would be best to give the infant dragon some space.

Twilight had no experience with personal issues like this. It was not a book of spells or history, nor was it something she could channel through her horn and hope magic would solve the issue. Merely thinking about Spike made her ears flatten against her head as she sealed the bag and tossed it towards the golem.

She needed something to distract herself as the ship continued to sail to Red Apple. Taking a break from counting coins and gems, Twilight stood up and stretched her limbs. A walk around the deck to see how her friends were doing would do her some good.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were still talking about fighting techniques. I wonder what it is like to wield a sword instead of spells, Twilight thought, only to banish and imprison the thought immediately thereafter. Her magic was a deadly force already, knowing how to kill a pony with a blade was a frightening thought.  She gave a quick prayer that diplomacy would prevail the next time she attempted it, though somewhere in the back of her mind she knew it would be doomed to failure.

Rarity was still working on Shale’s augmentation crystals as they conversed about designs. Trixie’s horn was still aglow with power as she held the golem aloft while she instructed the grey unicorn filly Dinky about the finer works of spellcraft. Twilight was impressed at how much Trixie had matured since leaving the Unicorn Tower; while still embellishing her own traits, none of the magician’s advice and teachings were wrong or inaccurate. Dinky drank up the font of knowledge that was Trixie, and Twilight smiled, as the relationship between mentor and student was the prime factor in Trixie’s maturation as a wizard and as a pony.

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were together on the port side of the ship, working together as the pegasus worked a pestle and kiln while Pinkie continued to hammer away at a grenade shell. Unlike other shells Pinkie used, the finished ones around her were bright pink, much like her coat, with the halves of the grenades closing together to form a great big heart.

“Oh, hello Twilight,” Fluttershy greeted as she dropped the mortar from her mouth, “I was just helping Pinkie finish her work. She’s really excited about it.”

“You bet!” Pinkie bounced over to Twilight holding a bright pink grenade in her tail. “This is the fabled ‘Healing Grenade’ I told you so much about! And I finally totally made a bunch!”

Twilight lifted the healing grenade up with her magic, looking over the device with a critical eye. Appears to be one of the clockwork variants rather than one with a fuse, Twilight observed, turn the halves to set the time until detonation. With a spark of lyrium it will ignite, just like all her other bombs, but how is this one supposed to heal? Ditzy did mention she brought sarsaparilla leaves for Pinkie, but what would that have to-

“Twilight,” Fluttershy said while nudging the violet unicorn’s side with a hoof, “Twilight, you’re… um… zoning out.”

“Oh. Uh. Sorry.” Twilight blushed as she was caught over-analyzing an object of her interest once again. Returning the grenade to Pinkie’s pack, she looked to the party pony, her curiosity getting the better of her. “How do the grenades work?”

“Oh that’s the second-best part!” Pinkie exclaimed, “See, the ingredients are the same as healing poultice, only with enough for four bottles of the stuff and of course a lyrium blasting cap! I added a bit sulfur and saltpeter to give it a BANG, and just a hint of vanilla extract to give the smoke a better taste.”

“Now let’s say some big Meanie McMeanerson comes up to you and bonks you on the head with a hammer. You’d be pretty messed up! But with Pinkie’s personal pain prevention powder projectile, patent pending, you’ll be back on your hooves in no time! It blows up like a regular splodey, but bursts with a cloud of healing smoke that seeps into your coat and heals all your wounds!”

To say Twilight was impressed would be an understatement. As she looked over the heart- marked bomb, everything Pinkie had told her about wanting to see ponies happy and not using her alchemy knowledge to hurt others had culminated in the healing grenade. Something like this was simply unheard of, but if anypony could make it work, it would be Pinkie.

“That’s not all.” Pinkie dug into her bag, before holding out a slightly larger pink grenade. It was marked with a heart as well, but in the center of the heart was a five pointed star. “I made a super healing grenade. The same idea as the smaller ones, but I put my Star Strand into this one!”

Pinkie’s use of the legendary relic was unconventional to say the least, but it was her strand to do with as she pleased. Twilight’s head was already filled with what the empowered healing grenade could pull off. She hoped they would never need it.

The southern shore of Lake Blackwater could be seen from the deck, with Red Apple Castle sitting on the large hill overlooking both the lake and surrounding farmland. Applejack stood at the fore of the ship, staring out towards her home with fierce eyes. Twilight nodded at her friends as they readied to dock, heading towards the cargo hold to retrieve Spike.

The little dragon knight was sitting alone with the vast array of Ditzy’s stock, moping about as he had done the moment he had awoken on the ship. “Spike?” Twilight said softly as she stepped down into the ship’s berth, “Spike, we’ll be nearing Red Apple soon.”

“I’ll be up in a minute.” It was the first complete sentence Spike had said since coming aboard. Approaching the infant dragon from behind, Twilight laid a gentle hoof on his left pauldron, trying to give Spike some measure of comfort. He did not wrench away from Twilight’s hoof, but neither did he respond to it in a positive manner. Instead, he simply sighed, shoulders sagging as he continued to gaze at the woodwork.

“I guess I should feel lucky,” Spike admitted, “That whistle Lockjaw used really hurt. Like when I use my claws on chalkboards, only ten times worse.”

“You were really small back then,” Twilight recalled, hoping a memory from the days of the Tower would distract Spike. “But you went after the chalkboards in the Tower like a demon. I had to clean brushes for a week after all the disturbances you caused while you were scratching.”

They shared a laugh in remembrance of the days when Spike really was a gurgling baby dragon. Those days were a simpler time, and Twilight would always look back on them  as the happiest of her life. Days we’ll never get back, Twilight thought as she pulled Spike closer to her. Days that we can only look on fondly, but know we’ll never see them again. Everything has changed too much. We’ve changed too much. I’ve changed.

Instead of returning to deck, Twilight and Spike stayed together in the hold of the ship, recounting memories from life in the Tower, from days of a simpler life. When they ran out of funny stories involving a broom, a light crystal, and the First Enchanter’s beard, they sat together as keeper and ward much as they did during their younger days. She sighed happily as she nuzzled her charge; it was the cozy moments like this she cherished most. 

What felt like hours later, Twilight was snapped back to the present as the sound of grinding gears and clanking chains signaled the lowering of the anchor. With Spike on her back, the pair left the cargo hold to step into the noontide sun, just as the others were saying thanks to Ditzy for another safe and properly navigated trip across Lake Blackwater. Horn glowing with magic, Twilight picked up the sack of gold meant for the grey pegasus, presenting the offering with a smile.

“This is for you,” Twilight said. “For all your help in our journey. I hope it’s enough.”

“Oh you didn’t have… to…” Ditzy trailed off as she opened the sack, her mismatched eyes aligning themselves properly as she stared at all the gleaming coins within. Ditzy looked up to the grinning face of Twilight then back on the sack of coins, a look of complete bafflement painted on her face.

“This… I’ve never seen so much gold in one place!” Ditzy still stared with disbelief as she looked to Twilight. It felt right to give Ditzy the lion’s share of the gold, and Twilight knew the pegasus would use it to support Dinky. She divided the gold evenly amongst the party, but they had made it this far without the need for a king’s ransom. Might as well give it to a pony who would put it to good use.

“With this kind of money, I can leave the lyrium smuggling business for good!” Ditzy was elated, fluttering about the sack of golden bits. Seeing the display only made Twilight smile wider. “We can head to the Free Plains now, and I can spend the rest of my life raising Dinky. Oh thank you so much! Thank you!”

Applejack’s call from the dock made Twilight turn around. Of course, they still had a job to do. With one last goodbye to Ditzy, Twilight quickly rejoined the party who, with the former templar in the lead, galloped through the community of Red Apple to the hill leading to the castle.

Conversation ceased as they galloped until they passed through the main gate. The soldiers of the keep cheered at the return of the party, hope in their eyes that their arl would be healed. The main doors of the inner keep opened, with Bann Braeburn standing amidst his Appleloosan guards.

“A.J.!” he called as made his way to Applejack. “Didja find it?”

“Found the Mane o’ Stars and a whole lot more up in them mountains,” Applejack replied, ascending the stairs with her cousin at her side. “I’ll tell you more once we fix up Mac and Applebloom.”

They quickly made their way through the throne room, up the stairs, and into the bedchamber area of Red Apple Castle. Applejack took a deep breath as they neared Arl Macintosh’s room, with Healer Redheart waiting for them outside the chamber doors.

“How are they?” Applejack spoke barely above a whisper, while the party waited behind her. Each held anxiety in their eyes as they waited for the answer. Healer Redheart shook her head, a grim look on her face. Twilight felt her heart beating fast. Were they too late?

“There has been little change for the better,” Redheart informed them as she opened the door to the Arl’s chamber. “His breathing has become more and more labored, and he is often shaking with a cold sweat.”

“Applebloom has not been improving as well. The magic the unicorns cast to seal the monster in her ‘horn’ has started to fade, and that monstrous thing attached to her head has been glowing stronger and brighter each day. She’s in great pain, but if something is not done soon, we fear that demon might rise up again.”

“Ain’t no fears anymore. We found it,” Applejack replied as she dug her muzzle into her saddle bag, drawing the crystal phial holding her Star Strand. Braeburn and Redheart leaned in close to marvel at the small piece of the relic, their eyes reflecting the stars in the single strand of hair.

“Well I’ll be,” Braeburn said, awestruck, “You really did it, cousin. You found the Mane o’ Stars. Let’s hope Luna smiles on us, and gets Big Macintosh on his hooves.”

They stepped into the Arl’s room one by one, Applejack leading the group with the Star Strand in her mouth. Her tall, bulky brother was still held in fitful sleep as beads of sweat dropped from his forehead, eyes clenched tight in pain. The ponies formed a semicircle around his bed, with Applejack approaching as she popped the corked of the phial.

Quietly and with all reverence due to the relic, the blonde pony lifted the cosmic hair with her teeth until she laid it across Macintosh’s forehead. Sitting on her flanks, Applejack took off her hat and laid it on the bed before looking up towards the roof.

“Luna, if you’re listenin’ right now, we could really use the help.” Just as Fluttershy’s share of the relic had healed Trixie, so too did the strand begin to glow with divine power as it sunk into Arl Macintosh’s head. Once the Star Strand had been absorbed into his coat, Macintosh’s body began to glow bright white as the power of the Strand overtook him.

Braeburn and Redheart gasped as they watched the divinity work, though the party of ponies simply stood back and watched. White light from the body of the great earth pony enveloped the room, the chimes of crystals being heard from the working of magic. Twilight watched the process with keen interest as she felt the ebb and flow of power in the room.

When she looked with eyes sensitive to the inner workings of the arcane, all she could see was the same white light the rest of the ponies saw. There were no ley lines of magic or effects of lyrium from the strand. The Star Strand really was divine.

The room began darkening as the divine power of the Star Strand slowly dissipated. The ponies stared in nervous awe as the red coat of Macintosh came into view, the noble appearing to be sleeping calmly rather than fitfully as he was earlier. Of all the ponies, Applejack looked to be the most on edge, her prized hat clenched tightly by her teeth.

Slowly, Macintosh began to stir, stretching his long limbs in bed as he yawned away the slumber. Strong yet kind green eyes opened, staring back into the eyes of his sister.

“Big Macintosh?” Applejack whispered, her hat falling from her mouth to the ground. “Are you okay? Speak to me.”

The Arl of Red Apple turned his half-lidded eyes toward Applejack, and then stood up on his bed. “Eeyup,” he said at last, getting out of bed and landing his heavy hooves onto the wooden floor. The room shook with his landing. Twilight stood in awe of the largest flesh-and-blood pony she had ever laid eyes on. Impressive in stature and deed: there was no doubt as to why the ponies of Red Apple looked up to Macintosh as their Arl.

He looked over to a small bowl filled with tall grass he could chew on, with Twilight remembering that was how the assailant sent by Arl Rendon Maim poisoned Macintosh. The Arl looked on his favourite chewing grass before tossing it into the fire with a strong bat of his hoof.

“My Arl,” Healer Redheart said as she approached, “Are you feeling all right? You’ve been sick for well over three weeks from deathweed poisoning. The fact that your body survived after a day is less than extraordinary. Are you feeling all right?”

“Feelin’ fine. Strong as an ox,” Macintosh asked, looking around the room, “Where’s Applebloom? If you’re here A.J., then Applebloom should be with you. Ever since you left for the templar order, all she ever talked about was the next time you would visit.”

“Oh my gosh, Applebloom!” Applejack burst from Macintosh’s room and headed straight for her little sister’s chamber. Macintosh made his way out as well, followed by Braeburn and the rest of the party.

Applebloom was being watched over by another healer and a guard. The little olive filly was bound not only by magic, but by chains to weigh down her limbs and make it difficult to move. Her face was drenched in sweat as she struggled against her bonds, the false horn glowing even more sickly purple than before, with several more veins of magic spreading across her head.

“What in tarnation is going on here?” Macintosh’s eyes were wide in anger as he stared down at the suffering body of his filly sister. Twilight stepped back from Macintosh as he seethed, though she knew it was out of concern for his family. Still, she felt bad for any pony caught in the wrath of the Arl.

“Lotta things happened since you’ve been sick,” Braeburn replied. “We’ll go over it all later. A.J., do you have another one of them Star Strands?”

“You may use mine.” Rarity’s horn began to glow as her crystal phial floated out of her bag towards Applebloom. The stopper was removed and the Star Strand was lifted towards the false horn radiating with dark energy. “You were right of course, dear. The Strand is not an accessory. If it means helping another pony be free of a demon, I would gladly give it up.”

Rarity magically wrapped the relic around Applebloom’s false horn. Unlike a maimed leg or a disease, exorcizing a demon took great magic. It was not an ailment a healer could treat. Yet the Star Strand sunk into the false horn just as it did Macintosh’s body, causing the fake font of magic to glow with divine white light.

“Get ready,” Twilight warned. “We don’t know what the demon will try to do.”

Macintosh watched with a stern expression, blinking once at the mention of a demon. They all stood around the bed of the little filly, who screamed out in pain as her body glowed brightly. It was not the scream of Applebloom that escaped her lips, but the howl of the Desire demon in great pain. Strings of curses in tongues horrible and bizarre echoed in the room as the demon was purged, the false horn peeling away, flake by flake, into the air. Despite the scream echoing from her mouth, Applebloom’s body was relaxed as the divine light spread throughout her body. The demon of the fade was suffering; the filly was being healed.

With the last of the false horn broken and sent back to the Fade, everypony stood still with nervous breath, watching to see if Applebloom would awaken as healthy as her older brother had. Slowly the young earth pony opened her eyes, looking around the room groggily. Applebloom sputtered for a moment as she looked into the concerned faces of her older siblings, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Applejack… Big Macintosh… I only wanted to help.” Applebloom broke down in the forelegs of her older sister, who stroked the filly’s mane with her hoof. Twilight motioned with a hoof for the others to leave the family together as they grieved the loss of the people of Red Apple, as well as the loss of innocence. Twilight saw the haunted expression in Applebloom’s face as she stared into space. While the demon controlled her body and her actions, Applebloom was conscious and fully aware of everything the desire creature had done. She likely blamed herself for all the death the demon caused.

While the rest of the ponies left Applebloom’s bedchamber, Twilight stayed back to give one final check over the filly for any residual damage from the false horn. To her surprise, every trace of magic both sinister and benign was gone, completely eradicated from the little one’s body. It was almost unheard of in magic circles around the world; the effects of a dispelled false horn usually led to brain damage or insanity at best, complete vegetative state at worst. The fact that Applebloom was physically fit after exorcism was beyond extraordinary.

The repair of the psyche would be something else entirely. Applebloom knew of every evil act the demon had committed, the violence and terror she had done to her two best friends, and the death toll that had wracked the Red Apple region. It would take a skilled counselor and plenty of months, if not years, to help Applebloom cope with the actions of the Desire demon if she could ever forgive herself.

As Twilight left the chamber to allow the family time alone, Twilight focused her attention on their journey to unite the folk of the land together against the Blight, gathering her friends together as she closed the door behind her.

“With Macintosh healed, we might be able to get some of the Equestrian nobility on our side,” Twilight realized, “If anything, he can put a stop to the fighting between ponies and try to direct Loghoof’s energy and forces towards the ponyspawn. Just as we decided in the mountain, we’ll be heading to the donkey city-state of Orzamule next. With the exception of Applejack and Shale, the rest of us have not had much experience dealing with donkeys or the Dark Tunnels. I’ll be in the study to see if Red Apple Castle has any books on the subject.”

“From what I could tell the last time I looked at my maps, the entrance to Orzamule is on the cusp of the Frosttop Mountains. If we sailed across Lake Blackwater, we would still have to walk west towards the entrance over rough terrain. Instead we are going to use the merchants’ road from Red Apple. It will take us a week’s worth of walking but it’s the most direct route.”

Twilight took a deep breath before continuing. “I want you all to know that the Dark Tunnels are home territory of the ponyspawn. Though I don’t want it, there is the chance we could be sent into the Dark Tunnels. If anypony has any objections, tell me now, please.”

“I for one look forward to the squishing,” Shale replied with a hint of sadistic glee. “So many creatures make their homes inside Dark Tunnels. All of them go squish, squash, squosh. Oh, I suppose being in the underground will jostle my memory.”

“It’ll be fun to see donkeys at work and at play!” Pinkie chimed in. “Ooh, I wonder what they do when it’s time to party!”

“Not a fan of going underground,” Rainbow huffed, “No wind, no sun, no sky, no clouds. How do they donkeys live with rocks always over their heads? Still, we came this far, no use leaving you all hanging. Not that I would do that.”

“Maybe it won’t be so bad,” Fluttershy said, “It sounds really scary, but I wonder what little critters live under the earth. I can’t wait to see them all.”

“I’m with you, Twilight dear,” Rarity assured, “Even if we must go to the dirtiest places ever known. I’ll have to reinforce my ‘dirt repelling barrier’.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie will certainly not be left out,” the boastful unicorn concluded. “She will dazzle the donkeys with displays of magic their eyes have never seen before!”

Twilight smiled at the gathered ponies, thankful to have a group of loyal, wonderful friends at her back. “Thank you all,” she said. “Let’s use this opportunity to rest up. Tomorrow we’ll gather supplies needed for the journey north to Orzamule. We’ll leave on the third morning.”

***

It was sundown when Applejack, Macintosh, and Braeburn stood on the northern parapet of Red Apple Castle. Poor Applebloom had cried herself to sleep in the forelegs of her older siblings, blubbering out apology after apology before she dozed off, tired from the strain. Applejack had tried to comfort her little sister, but the filly would not accept forgiveness or consoling so easily.

With Applebloom asleep, Macintosh walked in silence to the parapets, followed closely by Braeburn and Applejack. The two then filled the young Arl of Red Apple in about the dire events plaguing Equestria, from the death of the King and the betrayal of Loghoof at Ostequus, to the traitor proclaiming himself regent and the resulting civil war between the teryn of Glenwell and the arlings loyal to him against the Bannorn.

Braeburn brought up more recent and much more troubling news. Ponyring was razed to the ground, and the ponyspawn had begun blighting the land with their black blood, as well as digging a massive tunnel to the underground. Of Bann Meyer and her force of four hundred strong ponies conscripted from Ponyring and the outlying farms, only she and thirteen others had survived the assault of an invasion force near triple that size.

That was only the advance force. The majority of the ponyspawn host were still in the Potpourri Wilds, lashing out at the Bronco tribes that called that region home, as well as blighting the lands they invaded. Soon enough, the ponyspawn would turn their gaze to Equestria proper, and little would stand in the black tides way as it swept through the nation.

“Eeyup,” Macintosh finally said after Applejack and Braeburn brought him up to speed. “Sounds like a right mess we’re in. Dang Loghoof never knew when to point his sword at the right direction.”

“What should we do? Civil war ain’t doing us any favours.” Braeburn was suffering the most from the war. Appleloosa was small compared to other regions of the Bannorn, and he started with a force of two hundred and fifty strong soldiers. Now those numbers had been reduced to two hundred fighting the combined might of Loghoof and Arl Maim.

“Gather up every battle-capable pony you can from the Red Apple arling,” Macintosh answered, though his eyes were filled with regret. “Should be six hundred last count. Gather up the knights, and we’ll go reinforce Loghoof.”

“Reinforce him?!” Applejack stared at her elder brother in shocked disbelief. How could he think of wanting to reinforce the traitor who left them all to die at Ostequus, who abandoned the King?

Who let Duncan and the rest of the Wardens die?

“Eeyup. Reinforce.” Macintosh walked over to the east side of the parapet, pointing a hoof towards the Equestrian mainland. “This may sound like fancy mathematics, but one side of ponies fightin’ another side of ponies while a third side of monsters buildin’ up their strength just doesn’t add up. Instead of fighting each other, ah’m goin’ to his side to help him against the monsters. Then I’ll challenge the claim Loghoof has on the throne at the gatherin’ of all the terynirs, arlings, and the Bannorn: the Landsmeet.”

The Landsmeet was a meeting of the various heads of regions and the King to discuss how Equestria would function for the coming year. It was also called during disputes between lords and ladies of the land, to settle them in debate or sanctioned duels. The Landsmeet was also where the nobility would rally behind the heir to the throne and proclaim their support for the new sovereign of the realm.

“Braeburn, ah gotta talk to my little sis. Been a while, and we have a lot o’ catchin’ up to do.” The bann of Appleloosa nodded at this polite dismissal, tipping his hat as he headed down the stairs and into the castle proper. Applejack gulped as Macintosh continued to stare out into the sunset; they were going to have the dreaded “talk” and it was not going to be about the birds and the bees.

“A.J.” Macintosh began, only to clear his throat. Applejack stood next to her older brother as he tried to find the words to say. They needed each other right now more than ever, even if the conversation was something she did not want to have. Still, if there was a time to talk, it was now.

“Never really apologized for what ah said and did back when ah was sent to the templar,” Applejack said at last, breaking the silence. “So ah’m sorry. Should never have said those things to ya. I was just so angry to be sent away from mah home.”

“Eeyup,” replied Macintosh. “Ah understood that anger right well. Deserved it too, ah reckon. Should have let you had a say. It was for yer own protection, though. Suppose the point is moot now, since you got picked up fer the Wardens.”

“Suppose so,” Applejack sighed, until she looked to see Macintosh digging in his bag and drawing out an amulet of the sun and the moon. She gasped as he held the amulet over her head, draping the chain around her neck. Lifting the face of the amulet, Applejack could still see the cracks where the stone had split when she tossed it in rage, the small crevices filled with sticky paste in a rough repair job.

Her brother, blood be damned, kept her mama’s amulet and even repaired it himself. Applejack could tell that just from the look in Macintosh’s eye that this was what their reunion was supposed to be. She nuzzled her brother’s neck, and the two siblings stayed silent for a while in the setting sun.

All could not be at peace for long though. There was still a war to fight against the ponyspawn and they still had to bring Loghoof to justice. All this Applejack knew and more; at least she could count on a reliable pony like Twilight to begin preparations for the journey to Orzamule. Something inside told her that the party would be ready to move in a couple days thanks to the violet unicorn.

“We need to talk about the throne,” Macintosh began, though Applejack hesitated to give her brother a response. “Yer the true heir to crown, being as you’re the only last living child of the old king.”

“Ah know,” Applejack replied, “Ah just never imagined myself queen o’ anything. Just a Warden the rest of my life, and before that, just helpin’ keep order around Red Apple. Buck some trees and what not.”

“‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown’, and ah’m not talkin’ about the weight of that hat.” Macintosh nodded to the staircase, and the pair began their descent into the castle proper. “Ah know you don’t like it, but Equestria needs a queen.”

“What about Armeria?”

“We don’t know if her loyalty lies with her pappy or Blueblood’s memory,” answered Macintosh as he opened the door to the castle halls. “While she’s as smart as a whip, the ponies won’t rally to her. She’d make a good chancellor, but what the ponies need is a queen they can look up to in times o’ strife. They need a pony that’s rolled around knee-deep in the mud and blood of battle. One that carries the name of the royal line.”

They walked in silence towards Applebloom’s chambers, Applejack still trying to wrap her head around Macintosh’s words. Being named queen of the realm was not something Applejack neither desired nor wanted, but what Macintosh said about having a pony to rally behind made a sick sort of sense. The nightmare Twilight had about the Archdemon was also shared by Applejack, and the constant reminder of “despair” gave Applejack an idea of what they were dealing with. The ruined temple spoke of the Old One named Uthemiel, the Dragon of Mirth, and how the cold voice said despair after Twilight spoke its name.

If this dragon really was the personification of despair, then the ponies of Equestria truly would need somepony to rally behind. If they could not stand firmly against the Archdemon and its ponyspawn legions, then they would surely crumple under fear and terror.

Uthemiel, the archdemon of despair, Applejack thought to herself, sounds like a right cruel critter. I’ll have to talk to Twilight about this. Maybe she’ll have insight I don’t.

“Don’t think too hard about it,” Macintosh insisted, gaining Applejack’s attention. For the first time since he awoke, her brother had a small smile on his face. “You still gotta a whole lot on yer plate. Ah know yer a Warden first, everything else second…”

“That ain’t true,” Applejack interjected, “Ah’m for mah family first.”

Macintosh shook his head. “Blights are bigger than me, or even Applebloom. I don’t know much about the Wardens, but ah do know that it was a terrible mistake for Loghoof to abandon them. All them stories about the Wardens fighting off Blights and Archdemons, well, there has to be some sort of truth to them.”

“Doesn’t stop the fact that ahm mighty worried yer just gonna get hurt going up to Loghoof like he’s one of yer drinking buddies.” Every time Applejack even thought the name Loghoof she wanted to spit bile. Shame they were in her little sister’s room. Instead, all the blonde earth pony could do was grimace and snort at the name of the traitor.

“He won’t do nothin’,” Macintosh said, quite sure of himself. “Be quite a scandal to attack a pony who is trying reinforce their position against ponyspawn. Even more if Loghoof acknowledges what he tried to do. Nnnope. Gonna fight this battle with politics. Sticky, messy, dirty politics.”

When they arrived, Applejack opened the door to see Applebloom asleep in her bed, eyes still red and puffy from hours of crying. Resting her head on the bed was the filly pegasus Scootaloo, who had not left her friend’s side since Macintosh allowed her to stay with Applebloom. When Macintosh approached, Scootaloo quickly awoke, rousing herself from slumber to stand as tall as she could for the Arl.

“You done fine,” Macintosh said. “Now get along to bed there, Scootaloo. We just came to say our goodnights to Applebloom. She’ll be right as rain soon enough. Going to Trotterim and find her the best help myself.”

“What about Sweetie Belle?” Applejack turned away as Scootaloo looked up to the lord of Red Apple with big purple eyes. The little unicorn filly was still locked in the dungeon mostly for her own safety rather than punishment; many of the townsfolk still blamed her for the calamity that had struck.

Applejack had omitted to the party what the templars would do to Sweetie Belle for such vile acts as granting another a false horn and consorting with demons. If they did not outright kill her, they would saw off her horn and sever her connection to the Fade permanently, so that she would become one of the Tranquil and never be able to cast magic again. As a result, the unicorn would become little more than an emotionless automaton, caring little for anything except to complete the tasks of whatever templar master they served. It was a cruel fate that was becoming more and more common, if they did not kill unicorn mages immediately.

“Sweetie Belle will be fine,” Macintosh reassured. “Ah’ll do what ah can to help. You run along now. Gettin’ mighty late.”

Scootaloo nodded, leaving the room only to give one last look at Applebloom. Applejack shook her head; it was a steep thing to promise to stand in the way of the templars, especially when apostate unicorns were their jurisdiction. This might be a promise Macintosh couldn’t keep.

Rarity would react badly as well. For whatever reason, the primadonna sorceress had taken a personal interest in Sweetie Belle’s well being. As much as she would like to stand up against the templars, Applejack was a practical-minded pony and starting a conflict with the templar order would not do the cause of the Wardens any good, even if they were the deciding factor when it came to saving Equestria’s Unicorn Tower.

“Ah sure hope we all know what we’re doin’,” Applejack muttered, though loud enough for Macintosh to hear.

“Eeyup,” he replied, before turning back towards the castle halls. “Don’t ferget to get some sleep too, A.J.”

“Ah will,” she said, giving Applebloom’s mane a few more tender strokes. “Just gonna say goodnight to Applebloom.”

Macintosh left the room with surprising silence for a pony his size, leaving his sisters alone. Applejack nuzzled the sleeping filly gently before standing up and removing the amulet with a quick shake of her head. Clutching the steel chain in her teeth, Applejack carefully laid the amulet around Applebloom’s neck without disturbing her slumber.

“Want you to have this, Applebloom,” Applejack whispered as she resumed stroking her little sister’s red mane. “Ah loved that amulet with all my heart, cause I loved our mama with all my heart. Same as how ah love you with all mah heart. Ah know things are gonna be real rough for you for a while, and ah know yer tears won’t run dry. Just remember yer one of the Apple family, and that we always come back stronger and wiser from anything thrown our way.”

“You wear that amulet with pride. It’s been passed down from our mama to me, and now ah’m given it to you. You know that mama and pappy and Celestia and Luna will watch over you as long as you wear that around yer neck. Just like ah will, one day.”

Thirty years, Applejack reminded herself. Just like Twilight. Just like all the other Wardens that came before her. Just like Duncan.

“Good night Applebloom,” Applejack smiled, giving a quick kiss to the forehead, “See ya bright and early in the morning.”

***

Rarity detested sneaking about like a mouse with a stolen piece of cheese. Not only were mice filthy creatures in their own right, but the act of skulduggery was hardly becoming of a lady such as herself. Even if her upbringing was being raised in a swamp with a witch for a mother.

There was also the fact that she used the shapeshifting spells of Flemeth to actually become a mouse. The castle floors at this angle and height were atrocious to walk on with every dirt clod, dust bunny, and stale crumb in clear and horrid view. Then there was avoiding the shrieks of the maids as they tried to stomp on Rarity whenever she scurried into view. The nerve!

It was worth it though, to listen in on the plans Arl Macintosh had for little Sweetie Belle. Rarity needed to know what was to be done, and she dared not ask the Arl directly. Though she did not think he would give the filly over to the templars easily, having allowed the apostate child to live in secrecy in the castle for how long, eventually the templars would take Sweetie Belle away to kill her for a crime she had no hoof in.

With a little shapeshifting magic and an ounce of courage, Rarity decided to take matters into her own hooves... er... paws. With all the speed the rodent form allowed, Rarity moved from the bedchamber of Applebloom down the darkened halls of the castle until she made her way to the sub-levels, to the cellars and finally to the dungeons.

With the exception of Sweetie Belle and a single sleeping guard, the dungeon of Red Apple Castle was devoid of activity. There were no criminals or other miscreants; all those who had been jailed away were done so at the behest of the desire demon, and had long returned to their lives in Red Apple.

The guard was sleeping rather noisily, snoring up a storm as Rarity snuck past him and into Sweetie Belle’s cell. The filly was also in deep sleep on a small pile of straw, with Rarity wincing at the sight of many bruises and cuts that had not completely healed. Poor dear, she thought as she crept ever closer on mouse paws, magic and alchemy may heal those scars, but what of the ones in your heart and soul?

Rartiy’s body shimmered as she shifted from the form of a rodent back to her usual fabulous self.  She looked back through the locked doors of the cell to make sure the guard was not awoken by the light show. Thankfully he was still asleep, although the same could not be said for Sweetie Belle, who awoke with wide eyes at seeing the apostate mage transform in front of her. The white unicorn offered a smile to the frightened filly, hoping to keep Sweetie Belle silent.

“Hello, dear,” she soothed as she laid herself in front of the youngling. “It has been a while, hasn’t it?” The two had not spoken since before Rarity had left for the Frosttop Mountains, and the words they shared had been very minimal. It was a shame they were not able to get to know each other better; for some reason Rarity could not describe, she felt a connection to Sweetie Belle the likes of which she had never felt before.

This same connection was what spurred Rarity to action in defense of the young mage, going so far as to commit herself to this cause.

“Hello again, Rarity,” Sweetie Belle replied, though her eyes were still downcast. “I’m glad you’re back. That means Applebloom is safe. That also means the templars will come and take me away.”

“I do not believe so,” Rarity said as she lowered her horn towards Sweetie Belle. “I can teach you magic that will help you escape the templars. Just touch your horn with mine, and I’ll share the knowledge with you.”

Rarity did not know if Twilight, Trixie, and every unicorn who ever studied in the Tower worth their salt would condemn the act of sharing magic like this. It was quick, replacing years of study and practice to a moment where one mind simply told the other how to perform certain magic. It was also dangerous as well, as unpracticed use of magic led to madness and demonic possession, as was shown by Applebloom and her false horn. Still, there was no other way to save Sweetie Belle from her fate when the templars arrived. She had to share the knowledge of Flemeth’s shapeshifting if the filly was to escape the Chantry’s judgement.

Sweetie Belle was hesitant at first, and Rarity could not blame her. The last time she had fooled around with magic for a good cause, a powerful demon took full advantage and nearly wiped Red Apple off the face of the map. Yet the fear of templars’ blades won out, and Sweetie Belle eventually touched horns with Rarity.

Now for the tricky part, Rarity thought as she began to channel her thoughts, her memories, of shapeshifting magic to the horn of Sweetie Belle. It was similar to magical feedback, only involving the sharing of more than just magic, but memories as well. Just as Flemeth had passed down the knowledge to her, Rarity chided herself as the words of the Guardian of the Guantlet echoed in her head. I truly am becoming more and more like her, whether I want to or not.

The difference was that she was helping another with her magic, rather than Flemeth’s sole desire to stay a hermit in a swamp, teaching magic to her daughters and then stealing her bodies. This would be Rarity’s last and greatest defiant act in the face of Flemeth; that the magic of the Mare of the Mire would be known to another outside her little master-apprentice system, and used for a good cause rather than than greed for power.

Rarity kept her concentration on the act of sharing even as Sweetie Belle’s own memories flooded over her. Memories of playing in the fields of Red Apple with Applebloom and Scootaloo, learning to read and write with her friends from scholars of the Red Apple Chantry, to silly little games and trials to achieve their cutie marks. She chuckled despite herself as she watched the memories rush by; this was why Sweetie Belle had to protected, so that she could still hold these memories in her heart and live a long life to make more.

It was to Rarity’s great surprise that Sweetie Belle’s earliest known memory smashed into her psyche like Shale barreling down a hill into a stone wall. She heard the echoes of screaming and felt the heat of flames. Curiosity as well as concern forced her hoof, and she delved deeper into the memories of Sweetie until she was seeing only small parts through the eyes of a very young foal.

“First you take one daughter, and then you come after another!”

“Not again! We won’t let you!”

The roar of a high dragon echoed throughout the land as its shadow loomed over the foal. In front of her were her parents, a unicorn stallion with a bushy moustache and a unicorn mare with a large beehive mane. They were standing in front of a basket where the foal Sweetie Belle lay, crying from the pain in her ears and the sight of the beast.

“YOU ARE NOTHING TO ME. I TAKE WHAT I WILL, AND I WILL HAVE YOUR OTHER DAUGHTER TO ENSURE MY VICTORY OVER DEATH. YOU MAY LEAVE WITH YOUR LIVES AS YOU HAVE DONE SO BEFORE. STAND AGAINST ME, AND I SHALL KILL YOU.”

“I’ll hold her off! Get Sweetie Belle to safety!”

“DIE.”

The father charged towards the dragon, his horn blazing with power in an attempt to buy time as the mother gripped the basket with her teeth and ran off. The mother turned her teary eyes back to her husband, who was facing the dragon-witch alone. With a snort of dark smog, the high dragon opened its mouth and let loose a violent stream of fire. Immediately his scream of pain was silenced by the roar of draconic fury until there was nothing left but cinders and ash. Letting only the slightest sob escape her, the mother tightened her grip on the screaming foal’s basket, galloping as fast as her hooves could take her until she stopped without warning. Her eyes went wide and the pupils were dilated as she turned to face the monster.

Slowly her horn began to splinter, falling piece by piece to the ground and into the basket with the crying Sweetie Belle. As Rarity watched, she recognized it as magical feedback , at a magnitude Rarity had never before seen, nor she suspected had anypony else. She was reminded of the feedback between Twilight and Hubred, compared to Flemeth that would have been seen as miniscule. There was no link, no arc, no warning. Just a final flash of immense magic, and then the mother was no more.

The familiar, chilling sound of laughter filled Rarity with dread as she looked through the eyes of the victim filly. Staring down before her were the cold yellow eyes of the Mare of the Mire, Flemeth. “You’ve caused quite a bit of trouble, little one,” Flemeth hissed, only to crank her head to the west as the shouts of soldiers were heard in the distance. Among them was the sound of a younger Arl Macintosh, leading soldiers in the direction of a dragon attack.

“It appears your parents were partly successful. No matter. I prefer to think of you as a… contingency plan.”

Rarity snapped back into the present, her breathing ragged as she recalled the memories that she had just witnessed. It all made sense now; her connection to Sweetie Belle and how easy it was to share knowledge with the filly. “You’re my sister,” Rarity muttered, as Sweetie Belle was still dazed by their magical link.

Hot anger began to rise within Rarity as she focused on the memory she had just lived through. Flemeth was the cause of their suffering, all to prolong her false immortality and preserve her power. She ruined lives to extend her life and further her strength, and for what? Power? Some long forgotten vendetta? It did not matter; no pony should dictate lives as callously as Flemeth had, no matter how much power she possessed. The fact that she transformed into a high dragon during the memory caused Rarity to think with caution. The party had barely managed to defeat a wild dragon in the mountains; what hope did they have against an old and powerful witch?

“Rarity?” came the voice of Sweetie Belle, pulling the white sorceress away from her troubling thoughts. “My horn is all tingly now.”

“Just the after effects of sharing memories,” Rarity soothed, “You’ll be right as rain in a few moments.”

“What you did. I feel like I know magic now. It doesn’t burn like the spells from the unicorn’s book. The spell that made Applebloom mean.” At the thought of the possession of her friend, Sweetie Belle recoiled back into her melancholy. Rarity tut-tutted, horn glowing with magical power.

“I taught you a very useful, if a bit bestial, spell, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity explained as her body shifted back into the form of a small mouse. Sweetie Belle almost squealed in delight at the magic performed before her. Instead, she mimicked the weaving of magic through her horn, grimacing as she channeled the spellwork as closely as Rarity had done.

Rarity watched as Sweetie Belle’s transformation imitated her own to a tee. It was the desired result of a horn-link after all. They were her memories being used; of course they would be immaculate and perfect.

They both transformed back into ponies, with Sweetie Belle’s face contorting with glee. Whether it was actually using a spell without a demonic invasion being the reason for her happiness, or now having a way to escape the templars, Rarity could not tell. Still, it gladdened her heart that the old hag’s magic would be used to help another, rather than to kill and corrupt.

“Now Sweetie Bell,” Rarity warned, “This magic is as useful as it is dangerous. Do not use it unless you feel your life is in danger. I have to go rejoin my friends before we leave for Orzamule in the morning.”

Rarity turned away from Sweetie Belle and was about to transform again when she heard the little filly speak. “Will I ever see you again?”

Hesitating only a moment to find the words, Rarity turned around and flashed her most dazzling smile. “We will meet again. I promise you, dear. Now get some sleep and behave yourself. No more helping with strange magics. And stay safe.”

Sweetie Belle said nothing as Rarity shifted back into mouse form, waving a small hoof in farewell as the magically disguised unicorn scurried off through the dungeon until she was in the castle proper. She had done well today, all things considered. There were still many dangers to face. Orzamule lay ahead of them all.

---

Chapter 22 - The Gate to the Depths

Time passed far quickly for Twilight as she walked down the hill from the castle towards the township of Red Apple. All her friends would be waiting for her after spending two days and two nights thanks to the hospitality of their host, Arl Macintosh. It was good for the ponies to take some time away from their troubles, and Twilight was glad everypony was able to find something to keep them occupied as they readied for their journey along the Merchant's Road to Orzamule.

Applejack spent a majority of her time with the recovering Applebloom, walking with her and Macintosh as they travelled through the Red Apple region, helping in any way they could to make the recovery process easier on the ponies. When she did travel with them, Twilight could still see that haunted look on Applebloom’s face, even though Macintosh and Applejack explained to any who asked that it was a magical accident caused by a demon.

This explanation tided many ponies over, but those who still demanded justice wanted to see the unicorns involved punished for their crimes. With the death of Arl Maim’s agent during the retaking of Red Apple Castle, all that was left was Sweetie Belle, who spent the majority of her time with Rarity in the dungeon of the castle with Rarity. As long as she was in the dungeon, she would be safe from those were still angry from the undead attack. Talk and rumour of the unicorn filly's involvement had spread, however, and the templar order would arrive soon enough to take the filly away.

It was unfair, but Twilight could do little to stop it. She had argued on Sweetie Belle’s behalf to try to get Arl Macintosh to protect her. Yet in all regards concerning apostates, the templars will was law, and not even an Arl could do much to stop them. All she could do was be there for Rarity when it was time to go and leave Sweetie Belle to her fate. Yet when she did speak to Rarity, she seemed rather cheerful in the face of Sweetie Belle’s imminent doom and the threat from of the Mare of the Mire. Twilight would have to ask Rarity what there was to be so cheery about.

Fluttershy had used her time to aid the recovery of Red Apple in her own way. Along with the other sisters of the Red Apple Chantry, she had brought the wisdom of the Chant to those ponies who would listen, as well as directing funeral services for those who needed it. It was somber work, but Twilight could think of no better pony to lend a kind hoof to any who would take it.

Pinkie and Trixie had spent much of their break near the docks; Pinkie had worked on her alchemy and making baked goods while Trixie conducted her lessons with Dinky in relative peace and quiet. Every time Twilight came aboard the ship, there was always the fresh aroma of baked goods or lyrium blasting powder.

When it was time to go, Twilight went to collect Trixie from the docks only to arrive as mentor and student were locked in a tight embrace. Neither wanted to depart from the other, having learned so much about magic and friendship. Ditzy was going to sell her lake barge after landing near Trotterim and take the money to secure passage to the Free Plains to start a new, safer life for Dinky there. Trixie left the ship when Twilight came to collect her and Pinkie for their journey to Orzamule. The haughty mare still had her nose in the air, but from the corner of her eye, she could still see the tear stains after saying goodbye to Dinky.

Shale had secluded itself away from pony society, wanting nothing but to be left alone until it was time to go and resume squishing things. At least, Shale attempted to seclude itself. Instead, ponies from across Red Apple proved themselves rather curious about the golem, especially the little fillies and colts who wanted to hear how Shale helped saved the community.

Instead of chasing away its new adoring public, Shale soaked in all the attention, especially from the younger generations. Whenever Twilight found Shale, the pony of stone was often seen sitting with a rather sizable group of children, telling tales tall and true to anypony who would listen. Twilight cringed whenever the golem decided to tell every little messy detail, but the little fillies and colts seemed to enjoy the stories for their content, and their parents never came to pull them away from the golem.

What Twilight could tell of Rainbow Dash’s activities was that she had used most of her time either sleeping or showing off for Scootaloo. The youngling hung on Rainbow’s every word, expressing amazement and awe at every act of flight, whether it was a series of loops or simply hovering in mid-air.

After receiving more accolades from Scootaloo, Rainbow was the last of the party to be rounded up to head to the centre of Red Apple. Twilight looked to Spike, who was riding her back with a smile, feeling almost eager for the journey. She had spent whatever time she could studying books on Orzamule and its donkey citizens, being amazed how they had amassed an impressive empire underground before the rise of the ponyspawn. What she really wanted to know was how a folk living under the earth so close to the Dark Tunnels survived without magic.

“Ready to go?” Twilight asked as she approached the waiting party. They all nodded, their saddlebags filled with rations and other supplies for the voyage north to Orzamule. With a smile to Spike and the rest of the group, Twilight took the lead on the road out of Red Apple.

“Wait!” called a loud voice from behind them. Twilight turned to see Arl Macintosh and Bann Braeburn, as well as Ditzy, Dinky, Applebloom, Scootaloo, and what appeared to be the entirety of the Red Apple community. They all had the same expression of gratitude on their faces for all that the party had done for them. Macintosh stepped forward with Braeburn at his side, both armed and ready to march against the ponyspawn.

Though the plate armour and massive sword made Macintosh looked intimidating, the giant pony’s eyes still held that calm that eased Twilight’s concerns. Woe betide the ponyspawn or soldier of Loghoof who stood in his way, however.

“Wanted to give y’all a proper send-off,” Macintosh said. “Seein’ as it’s thanks to all of you that ah’m walkin’ at all, that Applebloom isn’t speakin’ in tongues, and that Red Apple isn’t just a zombie infested stain of Equestria. We all owe you a debt we can never repay.”

“Whether Loghoof listens or not, ah just want y’all to know that the Grey Wardens have friends in Red Apple and Appleloosa. The Blights of the past were all defeated by Grey Wardens, and I believe that hasn’t changed any. Y’all go about yer Warden business and raise that army. We’ll wait for you in Trotterim, with or without Loghoof’s support.”

“Thank you, Arl Macintosh,” Twilight said on behalf of the group, “We promise we won’t let you or anypony in Red Apple, or Equestria down.”

Everypony said their goodbyes to all their new friends made in Red Apple as one by one the party stopped waving their hooves and turned towards the Merchant’s Road north, back to the Frosttop Mountains. Hearing all the well wishes from the townsfolk made Twilight smile; it was that warm feeling of having somepony rely on you rather than look at you as a source for demons to possess or some mad wizard. Being a Warden was a tough life, but the rewards more than made up for it.

As the road stretched past the farmlands of the Red Apple arling into the horizon, Twilight gave silent thanks that the weather was more than agreeable. The sun was shining high overhead amidst a blue sky, and there was nary a cloud in sight. She couldn’t ask for a better day to start another leg of their adventure.

“On the road again, huh?” Rainbow Dash said, despite hovering well above the road, “Hope those donkeys are ready for us. We seem to bring awesome everywhere we go.”

“Rainbow Dash, this is a mission of diplomacy,” Fluttershy replied, “Donkeys are isolationists. We need to treat their society with respect. After all, they functioned during their entire existence without magic, or the Chant. At least, I’ve never heard of a sister or brother going down to Orzamule to try to teach them.”

“It makes sense why they wouldn’t believe if you think about it,” Twilight added as she looked up to the sky, “They can’t see the sun or the moon. The Chantry bases the imagery of the Sisters heavily on those celestial bodies. For all we know, there are donkeys who have lived full lives and never once stepped outside their mountain.”

As they walked, Twilight began to recall all her meetings with donkeys and those who had met donkeykind before. The Merchant’s she met when travelling with Duncan to Ostequus had interesting wares, but she was more interested with everything outside the Tower rather than the donkeys themselves. The jenny, as they apparently called their mares, who served drinks at the tavern on the edge of Lake Blackwater seemed like a typical barmaid. All of Applejack’s experience travelling with the Grey Wardens in the Dark Tunnels would be invaluable, and Twilight found herself interested in their architecture from what she could gleam from Applejack and from the recorded texts.

It was the encounter with the diamond dogs that shook Twilight’s curiosity. Those dogs had been pushed to consume the blood of dragons to the point of becoming a cult after being expelled from the Dark Tunnels by the donkeys and the ponyspawn. While she knew the ravenous hordes of ponyspawn would show no quarter against any foe, the idea that the donkeys would not unite with the dogs against the monsters and instead seemingly aid in their destruction did not make any sense. There were too many questions that desperately begged for answers.

“Everything all right, Twi?” Applejack asked, looking over her shoulder as Red Apple was becoming a mere speck in the horizon behind them, “We haven’t really had a chance to talk much since that high dragon critter.”

Thankfully, Spike was well enough behind the group ogling at Rarity to hear Applejack mention the great wyrm. Twilight let out a sigh as she kept her eyes fixed on the mountains north of them.

Twilight looked at Applejack before explaining. “I was thinking about what Lockjaw said, about their wars with the donkeys. I want to see what the donkeys are, how they live, everything. But I’m worried since they did almost wipe out an entire race. What could push a people to do that?”

“Can’t rightly say,” Applejack said, “Could have been a long standin’ grudge, like what Equestria has with Filais. Could be the donkeys had their own version of Loghoof who took the reins and forced them to fight the dogs rather than the ‘spawn.”

That made a certain amount of sense. There would be others like Loghoof out in the world who desired power or the fulfillment of some vendetta during a major crisis. For every power hungry fool who was challenged by the ponies of the land, there was likely another who was able to continue on his or her agenda without dissent.

There was only some hope that whoever was leader of the donkeys would listen and honour the treatise with the Grey Wardens. Yet as she continued to walk, doubt spread within Twilight. While she was fascinated with what they could build after seeing the marvel that was the Tomb of Luna, actually meeting the donkeys proved to be something Twilight somehow was not looking forward to.

They just seem so… different. Twilight shook that thought from her mind immediately. So are all your friends. A former templar, an assassin that tried to kill you, a bard turned Chantry Sister, an apostate, a baby dragon, a golem, a braggart of a unicorn, and a pony who carries a small arsenal of high explosives.

It was unfair to judge the donkeys on the words of a clearly insane and corrupted diamond dog, and while Twilight still felt apprehensive, she would give the donkeys a fair chance. It would do nopony any good to go into their underworld with prejudices. As a unicorn, Twilight had felt the brunt of such for a long time. It was not her place to judge another pony. Or donkey.

“Twilight,” Applejack said, “Got another thing ah wanna talk to you about. Again, from the temple. Do you remember that nightmare about the Archdemon you had?”

“I do.” Twilight shivered as she recalled the memory of the nightmare. The sight of the Archdemon was still printed firmly in her mind’s eye; even the roar of the monstrosity still reverberated in her skull.

“Well… ah’ve been having those nightmares too,” Applejack continued, “Real… real frightenin’. All the death and destruction. Seeing all mah friends bite it. And you were right about the black fire. Still can’t get that horror outta mah head.”

“What ah put together was what the Archdemon said. How it kept goin’ on about ‘despair’ and all that. Do you remember all them ‘Old Ones’? That dragon god?”

“Uthemiel.” If the memory of the nightmare made her shiver, speaking the name of the Dragon of Despair made her ice run cold. Power, ancient and terrible, existed in the name of the dragon god that ruled the Unicorn Imperium in ages long past. Simply saying the name of Uthemiel seemed like enticing a curse.

“Your hypothesis is that Uthemiel, the Dragon of Mirth, is now the Archdemon of Despair,” Twilight stated, working Applejack’s guess in her head. It made sense, but only made their task all the more daunting. They had slain a high dragon, one of the most powerful creatures to have ever existed. Now it seemed small in comparison to that of the Archdemon, a god in a high dragon’s scales.

“Now don’t get yerself all worried there, sugarcube,” Applejack said, “Just think about it like this: this is gonna be the Fifth Blight. There were six dragon gods. If we make it through, when we make it through this, the world will only have to stay strong for the last Blight.”

Twilight had never thought about it like that. This could potentially be the second to last Blight the world would ever face. She smiled as thoughts of a world no longer threatened by the evil tide of ponyspawn filled her head. The world would still have its problems, but they would be pony problems, not crises caused by ponyspawn hooves.

“It’s something to look forward to,” Twilight said, and the two wardens rejoined the party on the road, moving as one with their friends towards the mountains once again.

The journey was uneventful to the point of eeriness, as there was no sign of life on the northbound road. There were no merchant caravans, travelers, guards, or even refugees heading west into Filais. The lack of any activity disturbed Twilight greatly; there were not even roving bands of bandits or marching soldiers. The lonely road bothered her as they continued walking, the complete lack of life completely alien to Twilight. There were no roving bands of ponyspawn to battle, no caravans of refugees fleeing Equestria or groups of soldiers on platoon. There was only them and whispering winds..

What they did see was the aftermath of the ponyspawn invasion. As they made camp along the side of the road, they searched the area to find several destroyed carts, scorched segments of land, and many, many shallow graves. The corpses of the monsters littered the ground, the ground soaked in their black blood. Bodies of soldiers and civilians alike that could not be buried baked in the sun, leaving a foul smell in the air. Twilight stopped in front of a corpse of thelock, studying the ground intently as the others moved the far away camp away from the road.

“This is what it means by the Blight,” Applejack explained as she approached Twilight’s side, “Ponyspawn try to kill everything alive. Ponies, animals, plants, even the soil. Nothing grows in the Blightlands around the world. The stories Duncan told me of the Blightlands he visited near the Imperium only helped me make darn sure the ponyspawn don’t do that here.”

The Blightlands, as Applejack described, where regions in the world where the Blights of the past had managed to kill off the land. The largest was near the Imperium, a barren wasteland covered in snow and black dust where nothing lived. Filais, the Yokalach, and the Free Plains had their own, each as dead as a tomb. All that remained in the Blightlands were collapsed and well-guarded canals that lead into the heart of the Dark Tunnels, once used by the ponyspawn to rapidly reinforce their numbers.

This was likely the fate of the ruins of Ostequus and the wilderness around there. For whatever reason, the ponyspawn stopped their invasions to cover the land with their spilt blood, killing life and any hope for any life to grow their every again. They also used their mighty minotaurs to dig through the earth, allowing them to reinforce their numbers with direct access to the Dark Tunnels. It was frightening to think of Equestria as a dead land teeming with ponyspawn if they failed. The need to stop the ponyspawn was never in doubt, but seeing what their black blood could do on a small scale reinforced the need to stop the Blight.

As night descended, everypony busied themselves with their own activities, whether it was sleeping, keeping watch, preparing meals, or keeping the fire burning. Only Shale kept its distance from the group, not even stopping to banter with Trixie. Twilight found this odd, knowing how much Shale loved to boast about itself. She walked over to the golem’s side, sitting next to it as the pony of stone looked up at the night sky.

“Do you like the stars, Shale?” Twilight decided some small talk would help ease into the conversation. Shale did not turn its gaze.

“They are fine enough, I suppose,” Shale replied, “Certainly a lot more interesting than the ground. I must have counted the rocks and pebbles where I was frozen a thousand upon a thousand times over. Look at how they twinkle and… sparkle. Not referring to the magical one.”

Twilight chuckled as she looked up to the star-filled sky along with Shale. “Is something wrong, Shale?” she asked, her eyes staying put on the heavens to not make Shale feel uncomfortable with her questioning, “You seem distant. You’re not bickering with Trixie.”

“Winning against the boastful one.”

“Not showing off your strength.”

“Always formidable.”

“Or talking about squishing things.”

This caused Shale to look at Twilight indignantly. “I suppose I have been acting different,” it said, “Something about the mountain mutts and what they said about the donkeys. When I saw them, when I remembered my time in the Dark Tunnels, I hesitate to return to there.”

The lights in Shale’s eyes darkened, as if the golem was closing them. As Twilight watched, the mountainous pony reopened them; its eyes narrowed as it stood up on all fours and looked down at the ground.

“I see darkness. Then I see light from crystals used to illuminate the Dark Tunnels. I see the forces of the dogs and donkeys meeting in battle in the caverns. I look to my right. There is a donkey in armour. He is giving me commands. He has the control rod hanging to his side. He orders me to kill. I charge. Dogs are crushed underneath my hooves.”

As Shale was recalling the memory, the golem moved about on its own, almost reenacting the scene only it could see. Vicious stomps on the ground woke up those members of the party who were asleep, and those on guard came to see what the commotion was about. Twilight raised a hoof to keep them away as Shale continued to thrash about.

“Dogs left and right. They cannot harm me. I see other golems. They too crush the foes. Then an explosion. I look to my right. A hole has been made by a minotaur. From the hole come swarms of donlocks, with a few thelocks and ornlocks as a vanguard. The minotaur charges towards me. We fight. I crush it. Before I could turn my hooves to the donlocks, I hear a scream of pain. I turn to see the donkey with my control rod. He is being roasted alive by the magic of an ornlock. Without his commands, the rod is useless. I am no longer a threat. I seize up. I cannot move. I am… useless.”

Shale walked off towards the edge of the camp, sitting down on its haunches. Shale hates feeling helpess, Twilight thought as she walked over to Shale’s side once the golem stopped moving, Decades unmoving in Stableshire. Who knows how long Shale was frozen in the Dark Tunnels. It would drive any pony mad.

“Magical one,” Shale said, looking down at Twilight, “When we arrive at Orzamule, it must wear the control rod. I will act the part of the obedient servant. I do not want to be poked and prodded by donkeys who may still remember what a golem is. I Will Even Speak Like This, Like A Good Golem Servant. Yes Master, Of Course Master, I Will Squish In The Name Of The Master.”

“All right, Shale,” Twilight said, “I’ll help you. Maybe we can find something to help restore your memories in the Dark Tunnels, if we find the time while we get help against the ponyspawn.”

“I have lived, for various meanings of the word, for a long time, magical one,” the golem replied, “Perhaps there is a reason I have forgotten my past. Perhaps I am less than what I say I am. Perhaps more. It is the knowing that I am hesitant to obtain. Sometimes, ignorance truly is bliss.”

The air became much colder as they drew ever closer to the mountains, though not nearly as harsh as the journey to the temple of Luna. Twilight still wrapped her cloak around her head like a shawl, the others bundling up much in the same way. As the road followed the incline of the hills towards the mountains, Twilight noticed large stones carved with shapes and symbols she did not recognize from any book or tome on the sides of the road.

“This it is, everypony,” Applejack said, “Those stones are signs on the way to Orzamule. It won’t take long now.”

They continued in silence as they climbed the hills onward to the donkey city. Twilight looked up to the great mountain before her, sizing the landmass up. Compared to the cliffs that housed the temple of Luna, this mountain was smaller but wider, with several objects that appeared to be large chimneys or smokestacks jutting from the rocky face. Grey smoke billowed in the air, with the smell of ash and soot filling Twilight’s nose.

As they rounded the bend, Pinkie Pie bounced forward, pointing a hoof. “Look!” she called, jumping up and down excitedly. As expected, the entrance into the mountain of Orzamule was carved from the rock into the shapes of two donkey soldiers guarding the way. The artisanship was impressive, though paled in comparison to Luna’s final resting place. Still, reverence brought out the best in every pony, and seemed it was the same to donkeys as well.

Standing side by side and keeping sentry to the entrance were two flesh-and-blood donkeys partly covered in shining bronzed armour, with large battle axes slung across their backs. They were slightly shorter than ponies but much stockier, with rounded faces and dark eyes. Just as Applejack had described, they bore no cutie marks on their flanks, and their coats were drab grey and brown respectfully. One even had a long beard tied in a braid.

What Twilight did not expect was what appeared to be marketstalls forming a crescent around the entrance, filled with vendors both of donkey and pony origins. Merchants hawking wares from Equestria, Filais, to Orzamule itself shouted for anypony to hear them as several folks, donkey and pony alike, milled about.

“Twilight, look there,” said Applejack as she pointed a hoof at a tall earth pony soldier. Twilight looked to see that the armoured equine was bearing the banner of Loghoof’s cutie mark on his sides, signifying himself as a subordinate of the teryn of Glenwell.

One soldier was not going to stop Twilight from approaching the gate. All she had to hope for was that this was not going to break out into a fight. Thankfully, as they approached the gates, Loghoof’s soldier seemed to be in heated discussion with the guards.

“I demand to be allowed access into Orzamule so I can talk to your king or your lords or whoever is in charge! I have an important message from Regent Loghoof!”

“And we are saying that no outsiders will be allowed in Orzamule at this time, pony,” the guard with the braided beard replied, “So tell your regent that his message can wait.”

“Is there a problem, guardsdonkey?” Twilight asked, putting on her brightest smile. Things did not look good if Orzamule was locked away from surface ponies. They needed to bring the treaties to the king and get the donkeys support, but if the city was closed, that task seemed incredibly unlikely.

Unless of course a skilled unicorn mage brought a golem along with her to interest the guards. The violet unicorn had taken Shale’s advice to heart, and was wearing the control rod against her side on a length of rope. The stone warrior kept close to Twilight’s side, eyes continuing to gaze outward at nothing in particular.

“Great, more outsiders…” The guard blinked as it looked up to the imposing image of Shale looming over him. With an audible gulp, he looked back to Twilight. “By the Stone, pony, is this a real golem? I only heard about them when I was a colt.”

“Oh this old thing?” Twilight laughed as she tapped Shale’s hide a few times with her hoof, “A lot of study, digging and most of all patience. Say hello, Shale.”

“Hello Shale.” As it spoke, Twilight swore she could feel the imagery of the golem crushing her skull with a stone hoof flooding over her. Keeping her smile bright and cheery, she turned her attention back to the bearded guard.

“Now, is there a problem as to why you are not allowing guests into your city?”

The guard sighed out of annoyance as he wrenched his eyes away from the golem towards Twilight. “King Endrin Hammerfall is dead,” he explained, “Died two months ago in his sleep after the deaths of his two eldest heirs. Now there is a bitter battle between his youngest son, Prince Bhelen, and Lord Harrowmount, Hammerfall’s chief advisor. No visitors are allowed into Orzamule during this time. We don’t want outsiders to watch as we have yet another succession crisis.”

There were several groans, mostly coming from Rainbow Dash at yet another delay on their quest. The donkeys are having an issue with their throne as well? Twilight thought, this is bad. Really bad.

“Listen, is there some way we can, you know, skirt the rules a bit?” Rainbow Dash asked, “We are in a hurry.”

“The Senate ruled complete isolation during the succession problem,” answered the other guard, “No one gets in. Not no way, not no how.”

Twilight’s horn glowed with soft light as she lifted the treatise from her saddle bag, floating them towards the guards. Perhaps they would be more amicable with the seal of the Wardens calling the donkeys to aid. “My friend Applejack and I are Grey Wardens,” Twilight said as the donkeys looked over the levitating parchment, “We’ve come with this treatise to ask the donkey kingdom of Orzamule for aid against the Blight.”

Loghoof’s soldier gasped as he looked at Twilight’s cutie mark, and the star bangle shield that adorned her flank. “You’re the Wardens my lord told us about!” he shouted, drawing his blade, “Guards! Arrest these traitors to the regent!”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack reacted as expected, with blades singing from their sheaths as Loghoof’s soldier looked over at the donkey guards, his eyes begging for aid. The guard with the beard simply shot him a disapproving look, then turning his gaze back to the document.

Twilight held her breath as the tension between the teryn’s soldier and her friends continued to rise while the donkeys spoke in hushed tones. She could not recognize the tongue they were using, likely their own language or some sort of code. With a nod from the bearded guard, Twilight rolled up the document and placed it back in her bag.

“Your treatise bears the mark of King Rumblerock, from well over a hundred years ago,” the guard said, “No donkey would forge such a mark. You and your allies will be allowed access to Orzamule. Just abide by our laws, and hopefully the mess with the throne will be sorted in short time.”

“You’re going to allow these traitors in but not an emissary from the regent of Equestria!?” The soldier had replaced his blade, but this time his eyes were painted with both anger and fear. He was surrounded by enemies, and the donkeys would not aid him should a fight break out.

“Unlike the horner here, you have done nothing but make demands of us and posture like bloated casteless covered in cheap glass beads trying to pass himself up as a noble. These ponies have brought official documents bearing seals that pertain to the safety of Orzamule. You? You annoyed us. Now you better gallop off before we get real antsy.”

The bearded guard kept his stony gaze on the soldier while his compatriot drew his battleaxe. Twilight was impressed by the strength of the donkey; the weapon was almost as large as he was, and he carried the axe with ease and experience. The donkeys were a people not to be trifled with.

Thank the magic of diplomacy, Twilight thought as the donkeys pushed the doors of the Orzamule gate open. One by one, the party entered the tunnel leading into the city proper, as the shouts and curses from the soldier of the traitor teryn became more and more quiet the further they went. Soon they arrived at a circular room with no exits besides the way they came. In the center of the floor was a large lever.

“This is the Lift,” the bearded donkey said as he approached the lever, “We’ll be descending several leagues under the earth. Whatever you do, stay calm and stay in the Lift. Falling would be… hazardous.”

Twilight looked around as the donkey flipped the switch, but all she could see were the confusion in the eyes of her friends save Applejack ,who walked over to a safe distance from the edge. She turned her head, motioning for her friends to join her.

“C’mere,” she said as she smiled towards the rock face, “This will give y’all the best view.”

The sound of gears grinding underneath Twilight surprised her as dirt fell around them. Fluttershy squeaked as the floor began to move, slowly descending until the first lights of the city could be seen. Twilight gasped, followed by a chorus of surprise by her friends as they stared into the city.

“Welcome to Orzamule.”

They all stood over the edge of the Lift and looked down on the shining city before. Twilight would never have imagined that such a place would have existed in a mountain, save for all the stories of underground metropolis in storybooks. Hundreds of donkeys milled about the streets of Orzamule as the Lift finally set down, kicking up a torrent of dust below.

Twilight hopped off the elevator and looked about with eagerness in her eyes. There was a city to explore the likes she had never dreamed, and she wanted to learn every secret from this place! Already she could see two groups of armoured donkeys approach one another, likely soldiers doing drills to her estimation. Yet as they came closer, many turned their lips into snarls, and the guard who had managed the Lift held a hoof up to hold Twilight back.

“This is going to get ugly,” he said. Twilight watched as several of the soldiers drew weapons as their officers shouted at each other.

“Fancy seeing a stinkin’ Harrowmount supporter here! Trying to skip town before your lord is publicly humiliated and executed when Prince Bhelen takes his rightful place as King!”

“Ha! I would say it was you trying to escape to the surface like a couple of pony foals! We all know Bhelen is no different from a terrasprite, consuming all he can and leaving only crap behind! When Lord Harrowmount becomes King, you will all beg for mercy at his hooves!”

The two sides stared each other down until one of Harrowmount’s supporters charged forward, a sharp sword held between his teeth. There came a shout from Bhelen’s soldiers to rouse themselves to battle, as several city guards approached. Twilight was glad to see them at first, only to watch in horror as not only did the guards fail to stop the violence, they were actually egging it on!

The first attacker was quickly dropped to his knees with a strike to his legs as his friends were occupied with the enemy. He did not get up in time as Bhelen’s soldier dropped his battleaxe onto the spine of the follower of Harrowmount. His body convulsed for a moment before stilling, at it was this act of blatant murder in front of guests that finally spurred the guards into action.

Twilight simply stood there, staring aghast at the open display of violence the donkeys had just displayed. What was first a wondrous city inside a mountain quickly became a terrible den of horror if killing was not only ignored, but outright encouraged.

“Welcome to Orzamule indeed,” Twilight said to herself as she followed their escort into the city.

***

“Welcome to the camp, my Teryn.”

Loghoof of Glenwell nodded in silence as he was escorted by one of his officers towards the center of the camp, with Ser Sunsword walking briskly by his side. The military outpost was up to his strict requirements: soldiers were drilled in constant rotation by their officers, units were being told of the strategies and tactics he had devised to combat the ponyspawn threat, and arms were being maintained to his impeccable standards.

The mares and stallions under Loghoof’s command were the finest soldiers Equestria would ever see. They stood ready to fight with their lord through thick and thin. In battle, there was no other force Loghoof would rather have at his back when fighting against either ponyspawn or worse, Filesians.

However, morale was low after only fighting battles against fellow Equestrians, and having mixed units with Arl Maim’s soldiery did nothing to help. Maim had been sloppy in his work; what was supposed to be a quiet disposal of Teryn Highlander so Loghoof would not have opposition to claim the regency was now coming back to haunt him. Instead of subtlety, Maim had chosen to ransack Highlander’s castle and kill everypony inside, including the Teryn and his family. Now there were tales that the teryn of White Fortress’s son was alive and that he was leading his father’s forces which were considerable on their own. An oversight by Maim had lead to a disastrous folly.

Now Loghoof needed to rally his forces with a victory over the ponyspawn to show that they only needed the strength of arms and proper military discipline to defeat such monsters. Legends and tales of Grey Wardens would not save the day. Only the sharp mind of an experienced warrior and leader would achieve victory.

As he approached his personal tent, however, Loghoof could hear the music of a particular noble trying to undermine his efforts. Sure enough, there was Arl Maim drinking wine and bobbing his head to the music from his personal minstrel.

“Play it again, Midli,” the Arl of Amarethine called out as he stopped his hooves, “I do love that song.”

Instead of continuing to play on his flute, the minstrel Midli dropped his flute as Loghoof and Sunsword entered the tent. Before Maim could cast a scornful look at his minstrel, the sight of his lord caused the arl to rise to his hooves, a sheepish grin on his face.

“I was… er… just trying to make Your Grace feel more comfortable by having a quality minstrel perfrom, to raise spirits.” Arl Maim shot a glare at the minstrel before continuing. “I can see that perhaps it was not the best decision. Midli, return to Amarethine. Post haste.”

As the minstrel bowed to the lords and out of the tent, all Loghoof could do was glare at his subordinate. “Maim,” Loghoof began as he made his way to the center table where a map of the Ponyring region was laid out before him, “You have made multiple blunders since our forces united. Do not endanger Equestria through your negligence, or it will be through my hooves that you feel penalty for your ineptitude.”

Arl Maim seemed to sink away as Sunsword joined Loghoof at the table. With a stick in his mouth, the old earth pony soldier pointed to the region of Ponyring, where the ponyspawn were supposedly keeping still.

“We will liberate Ponyring by using a pincer maneuver,” Loghoof explained, “I will lead my forces here to the west of Ponyring, and then advance on the area. Maim will take the secondary force and strike from the east.  Sunsword, I need you to take the high ground and position our archers at the hill without being detected. Once we route the ponyspawn forces towards Ostequus, the archers will rain down arrows, killing any caught in the path.”

“A fine plan, Your Grace,” Maim said, though Loghoof pretended not to hear him. Sunsword shook her head however, and pointed at the hills south of Ponyring.

“They may have some sort of fortification here, Your Grace,” she explained, “And if it would please him, I would remind Your Grace that the ponyspawn are equipped in ways we are not. Their flyers are a dangerous threat on the battlefield, and they field their own sort of unicorn mages. I would suggest moving our archers to high ground in the northern hills, fanning out and striking down any screamer or ornlock that comes into firing range.”

Ah yes, Loghoof thought as he closed his eyes, I forget I am not fighting Filesians or bandits or other pony threats. I am fighting monsters. Terrible creatures with abilities I must be ready for. Thank the Sisters I have Ser Sunsword and her youthful wisdom.

“What is that noise?” Maim said as he looked about overhead. Loghoof turned his ears upward as he and Sunsword listened for whatever Maim had heard. Something was making a strange noise, and at first Loghoof had thought it was Maim’s minstrel playing some sort of ditty for the soldiers. The sound was more like a whistling noise though, and it was getting closer rather than farther away.

An explosion quaked the ground around them as the tent was ripped from its moorings and into the air. Ser Sunsword immediately rushed to her teryn’s side, knocking Loghoof to the ground as Maim flipped the table and hid behind it. Cursing, Loghoof looked up to see more balls of fire sailing through the air and crashing into the camp, detonating with magical force. Each explosion sent ponies flying or scorched their bodies with flames.

“Counter-attack!” Loghoof shouted, “Go, Sunsword! Maim! Push these monsters back!”

Drawing his sword, Loghoof galloped as fast as he could, leading his army personally as he moved to strike back at the attackers. Ser Sunsword lifted her namesake, a blade as brilliant as the first rays of dawn, and joined her teryn’s side. Maim had taken to the shadows caused by the chaos of war, his specialty in any situation.

The fireballs ceased, only for the new threat to arrive from the air. While the majority of the ponyspawn advance force surged from Ponyring, several thelocks were dropped to the ground by screamer carriers. The monstrosities landed with force, kicking up great clouds of dust before savagely attacking the unprepared soldiers.

Loghoof stood face-to-face with one of the thelocks, this one much larger and more armoured than its brethren. The creature hissed through its sword-bit, the rusted blade still having a razor edge eager to tear into flesh. Loghoof kicked up some dirt with a foreleg, his eyes narrowed as the thelock charged towards him. With a quick step to the side, Loghoof countered with a strike of his own, a quick thrust into the thelock’s side.

The monster roared as it turned from the attack, black blood pouring from its wound as it sliced into Loghoof’s unprotected flank with its rusted blade. The pain was superficial, but the cut to his armour only made him wonder how much strength the thelock possessed and just how they managed to keep their cobbled weapons together.

The teryn had never fought a creature like this before. Every time the thelock missed with its blade, it would swiftly strike with a clawed hoof. The monster pony also proved incredibly nimble on its hooves, making their duel some sort of twisted dance. Still, as the thelock fought, Loghoof could see the weakness in its savage stance, and exploit the opening a monster would not think of.

It was time to end this. Parrying another mighty blow, Loghoof used all his strength to force the thelock to stumble a few paces in to the right. As the thelock turned to snarl, Loghoof tossed a hoofful of dirt right into its visor and into its eyes. The thelock reeled from the unexpected trick, snapping its head back and forth out of frustration to blindness.

Now or never, Loghoof thought as he charged forward, sinking his sword deep into the neck of the thelock. The creature choked for a moment before slumping, with the pony leader stepping away quickly to avoid the poisonous black blood of the ponyspawn.

Despite his personal victory, the thunder of hundreds of hooves still resounded in the midday air. He turned to see the sickening, fanged grins of a swarm of donlocks galloping towards them, flanked by a thelock vanguard. The ornlocks that had attacked his camp with a barrage of fireballs, horns still charged with arcane power.

“Come at me, monsters,” Loghoof swore as he rose to his hooves and lifted the blade clenched tight in his teeth, “Come at all the sons and daughters of Equestria. You won’t take this country without a fight.”

The sound of a horn broke the through the roar of battle as shouts and hisses were silenced. Loghoof turned to the source of the horn to see a large and imposing figure standing on top of the hill, surveying the battlefield. To his left was the familiar face of Bann Braeburn, the upstart noble of Appleloosa, and to his left was the banner bearing a shining red apple.

Arl Macintosh and the army from both Red Apple and Appleoosa descended into the battlefield with the mighty red pony leading the fray. As they smashed through the ranks of donlocks and thelocks, Loghoof shouted for his ponies to rally with him and join the fight. A roar of acknowledgement rocked the field, as Equestrian soldiers from all corners of the nations joined together in defense of their homeland.

They fight together now, but what happens when the last of the black-blooded fiends fall? As Loghoof joined Sunsword in taking down a group of donlocks, another thought came to mind: Arl Maim has failed me again. Macintosh is here in battle. I must have a long talk with Rendon if we survive the day.

Once the battle was done and the last of the ponyspawn were skewered on spears, Loghoof took a moment to dunk his grime-covered face in a bucket of water. As he came up for air, Loghoof’s face was covered by a linen cloth, with a gentle hoof drying off his wet mane. When the cloth was removed, Loghoof found himself looking into the amber eyes of his chosen knight, Ser Sunsword.

“We won, Your Grace,” Sunsword said, “The ponyspawn have been slaughtered, thanks to the timely arrival of Arl Macintosh and his allies.”

Loghoof turned to see Macintosh standing by the tent, keeping tabs on his soldiers mixing with those from Glenwell. He chuckled despite himself now that Macinstosh was here; while the Arl of Red Apple appeared simple and slow, Macintosh was no fool. He was as savvy as any experienced politician, just as he was as fierce as any honoured warrior.

“You came right at the nick of time, Macintosh,” Loghoof said, offering his hoof to shake, “I did not know you had a flair for the dramatic.” As he spoke to Macintosh, Loghoof could see Arl Maim sulk back into the shadows, eyes locked with fear as his supposed target was not deceased or even mildly ill, but walking and talking as any healthy stallion.

“Nnnnope,” Macintosh replied in his usual slow manner, “That was Braeburn’s idea. Give the troops a bit of a hope spot. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Just glad we could get rid of that scout force.”

“Scout force?” The disbelief in Sunsword’s voice mimicked the one in Loghoof’s head. The size of that ponyspawn army resembled those of a full battalion of soldiers. How could that have been just a simple scout force?

“Eyup.” Macintosh punctuated his point by pointing at the corpses. “Ain’t no big ones on the field called ‘minotaurs’. If there were, the force would have looked like what attacked Ostequus.”

Just as Loghoof was expecting, Macintosh bringing up Ostequus. The teryn closed his eyes as he began to organize his options. I do not have any, he concluded as he looked back on Macintosh. The Arl of Red Apple’s gaze did not change, simply staying as they always have: calm, collected, and in complete control.

“Braeburn and I are gonna stay with your boys and help keep the ponyspawn at bay,” Macintosh said, “First chance we get though, I’m using my right as Arl, with the support of Bann Braeburn and other Banns to call the Landsmeet. We have a lotta issues to work out, Loghoof, and we’re gonna work them out right quick before the ponyspawn swallow Equestria.”

Loghoof’s only reply was a nod as he turned away from Macintosh and headed back to his ruined tent. His rule as regent was now openly challenged, and there was nothing he could do stop Macintosh publicly. He needed to move quickly, or else he would surely lose control of Equestria and her means of defense.

“Get Maim,” he said to Sunsword, “Bring him to me now. I would have words.”

---

Chapter 23 - The City of Orzamule

Despite the gruesome welcoming they had encountered with the supporters of Harrowmount and Bhelen, Twilight still felt the urge to explore Orzamule as she watched the city unfold before her. She had never seen a city before. She had only heard stories from other unicorns and templars who had been to places like Trotterim or the Filesian capitol. Tales of the cities of Pura Raza from Rainbow Dash did not help her eager curiosity, and her appetite for knowledge was whetted to insatiability by Applejack and the books Twilight read on Orzamule.

Actually being part of the city itself was wonderful. Many donkeys milled about the large roads linking the city together, and a marketplace bustled before them at the foot of the lift. She could hear the echoes of donkeys shouting for customers, all of them hawking the wares produced by the local industry. Hammers striking on metal resounded from a smoky sector of the city while the grinding of chains and gears echoed in the background.

“I can’t wait to learn about all about this place!” Twilight exclaimed, giddiness rising in her voice. She approached a nearby donkey who was laden in armor and had a bored look on his face. “Excuse me, sir, but could you tell me a little about Orzamule while we make our way down to the Senate?”

The bearded donkey guard rolled his eyes as he looked over Twilight’s bright grin. “What’s with you adventurer types?” he grumbled. “Always asking the same damn questions. ‘Can you tell me about this place?’ ‘Who’s the king of Orzamule? What’s his story?’ ‘I’m looking for the Bridle of Swank Iron, have you seen it?’”

“Orzamule has little need for outsiders. You want some history? Fine, here’s some. Orzamule was founded by a mule named Orza well over a thousand years ago. Now because he was a mule, he didn’t have any heirs. No heirs means succession crisis. Succession crisis means bloody civil war.”

“You didn’t have to be rude about it,” Twilight muttered as she resumed staring at the city bathed in the light of mighty sun crystals hanging from the stone walls of the mountain. She wondered if all donkeys spoke as curtly as the soldier, then quickly assumed it was just stress from the job and from the situation of having a leadership crisis of their own.

Once they were settled, Twilight looked up to see a trio of guards approach them from the city proper. The guards stood back, standing at full attention as their commanding officer stepped forward, looking at the bearded donkey who had controlled the lift with a critical eye.

“The Senate ruled that no surfacers be allowed to the city, grunt.” The officer frowned, looking past Twilight and the others. “Explain yourself and these… ponies.”

“Sir!” The guard stomped both hooves down as some sort of salute. “The purple and orange pony are Grey Wardens, and they bring the treaties ratified by King Rumblerock. Warden, please show the officer the documents.”

Twilight’s horn glowed with magic as she levitated the Grey Warden treaty with the kingdom of Orzamule towards the officer donkey. He quickly looked over the parchments before nodding towards the guard.

“Very well. These documents appear legitimate. You may return to your post. I will take care of things from here.”

“Yes sir!” The bearded donkey took his place near the switch, activating the mechanism and causing the lift to clank back up towards the surface. Twilight watched the lift ascend with trepidation; they were now, for better or for worse, trapped in Orzamule at the mercy of the donkeys. Thankfully they were proving an amicable people thus far, if a bit rude.

“Ponies, welcome to Orzamule,” the officer greeted, “We do not get many visitors these days since King Endrin Hammerfall‘s unfortunate death. His son Bhelen and chief advisor Lord Harrowmount have scrambled for the throne, causing all kinds of disorder. Senate will be called to session in three hours. At that time I will bring you before the nobles if they are not too preoccupied killing each other. For the remainder of your time, I would encourage you to explore our humble city. If you would be so kind as to follow me, I would be honoured to give you a quick tour.”

Twilight smiled as she accepted the officer’s offer. For the first time in their journey, they had finally arrived in a place where their lives were not threatened the moment they crossed through a threshold. It felt good to finally go somewhere where the Wardens were respected.

“You may have noticed the many statues of donkeys surrounding our fair city,” he continued as they walked towards Orzamule, “They are our Paragons, heroes and champions that all exemplify everything a donkey of their caste should become. For example, Paragons like Korgan the Warrior, who defeated legions of diamond dogs and ponyspawn alike to liberate Khalok Thaig. The most recent Paragon was Branka the Smith, who invented smokeless coal. Thanks to her, the black lung disease was almost eliminated and production increased five-fold. She was lost in an expedition into the Dark Tunnels, but her memory lives on in the Stone.”

Twilight looked up at the statue of the Paragon Branka, who was carved with a smithing hammer in her mouth and was surrounded by large piles of coal. The eyes on the sculpture were fierce, as if they stared ahead at some sort of monster, and gave off an air of incredible determination.

“This is the Golden Sector,” the officer explained as they travelled through the busy roads. “Named after the exchange of gold coins for services rendered. While nobles and kings may call the Diamond Sector the heart of Orzamule, there would in fact be no Orzamule without the businesses and industry that bring this city its prosperity.”

“It is also the crossroads of the city, leading to the Diamond Sector, the Iron Sector, and the Proving Stadium. Orzamule is a very tidy city, with everything running like clockwork, and we plan to keep it that way. But I digress; please take a moment to explore the Golden Sector. Peruse the shops, perhaps there is something you will like. I will be on hoof should you need anything.”

Giving thanks, Twilight turned towards the marketplace with eagerness in her eyes. Her friends seemed to mimic her look as they walked around the heart of donkey commerce. “Well, what are we waiting for?” Twilight asked as she turned to the others. “Let’s have some fun while we wait for the Senate.”

As if on cue, the party galloped to different directions, violently spinning Twilight around with Spike holding onto her neck for dear life, save for Shale who stood next to Twilight and continued acting the part of the silent bodyguard. After the whole of Orzamule stopped spinning for a minute, Twilight shook her head clear and looked back to the different stalls, trying to see if there was something that caught her eye.

Many of the stalls held typical fare: food, weapons, and armour, all fit for donkeys. There was very little that caught her attention as she browsed the offered goods, her magical senses trying to find something unique about donkeys. Disappointment marred her face as her senses revealed nothing; donkeys could not use magic after all due to their lack of presence in the Fade. For a unicorn scholar of all things arcane, the market held little interest for her.

Heading over to a stall where an armourer was shilling his steel, Twilight noticed that all of the smith’s wares were perfectly symmetrical.  She held up a steel helmet with her magic to examine closer and assuage her own disbelief at the craftsmanship; both sides were perfectly even. Such things were generally impossible under normal circumstances, as perfect symmetry by ponies’ hooves was usually the result of magic.

“Greetings, pony,” said the soot-stained smith as he smiled towards Twilight, “I see you’re marveling at one of my finest works. That helm alone took me two weeks to complete. Let me tell you, I had to work my hooves to the core to get the symmetry just right.”

“Is symmetry important?” Twilight asked as she looked over a chest plate. Like the helm, the two sides mirrored each other perfectly. The violet unicorn looked up to see the smith staring at her as if she had just bucked an innocent bystander’s head clean off.

“Of course symmetry is important!” he huffed, “I don’t know what they teach you on the surface, but we donkeys must always act in an orderly way to stave off discord and chaos. It is the Will of the Stone, as has been told by the Shaperate for centuries.”

Now this was something Twilight was intrigued about. Thanking the smith for his time, she left to ponder what she had learned about the donkey’s belief system. It echoed what the officer had told her, of having “Orzamule running like clockwork.” They believed in order as well as their Paragons, but was this something all donkeys believed in? Twilight made a mental note on her checklist to talk to this “Shaperate” if she could, and find out more of the donkeys’ faith system if time allowed.

“Hey Twilight, look over there!” Spike pointed a claw over to a larger stall. “That donkey is selling gemstones, Twilight. Can we go over and see if he has something tasty? I’m getting a little hungry.”

“Sure thing, Spike,” Twilight replied. “I don’t think a little amethyst or garnet would hurt.” (especially not with all the bank we’re going to make after this part of the main quest)

“How about a great big ruby?” Twilight rolled her eyes as they walked over to the jeweler’s stall, shaking her head at her little dragon’s voracious appetite. When they arrived, Spike immediately began to lick his lips as Twilight browsed the rest of the wares offered.

Amongst gemstones, both cut and uncut, were a wide selection of jewelry, mostly necklaces and hoof bracelets. However, Twilight noted that, unlike the blacksmith and his goods, this jewelry was asymmetrical, and no two pieces were identical. One pendant ended in a curved fang carved from emerald, while another showed two donkeys in combat, with one clearly in a position of power.

“Beautiful baubles, amazing apparel, and generous gemstones for the pretty pony,” recited the merchant as she waved a hoof towards her shining treasures, “My husband crafted each piece here with his artistic eye. Don’t worry about the lack of symmetry, not all of us are hardlined followers of the Order of the Stone. Stone itself is not orderly unless hooves work it. If there is anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask. It’s been so long since we’ve had pony customers. Usually it’s just Wardens, may the Stone rest their souls.”

“Actually, I’m a Warden,” Twilight informed her with a smile. “I am interested in that ruby though. Spike here would love it.”

The jenny merchant pushed the hoof-sized ruby across the table with a look of delight on her face. “That will be five gold bits, friend.” As Twilight levitated the coins to the shopkeeper, Spike held the ruby in front of his eyes, marveling over the gemstone before taking a big bite out of the side. The donkey gasped in surprise as it watched the dragon consume the precious stone, looming over her stall in disbelief.

“By the Stone, in all my years I have never seen anything like that.” The donkey was clearly flabbergasted by Spike’s display of hunger, until a thought occurred. “Are creatures like this ‘Spike’ common on the surface? Perhaps I can expand my business.”

“Oh no,” Twilight quickly replied, remembering all too well what a customer a high dragon would make. “He’s very special for a dragon.”

Once the subject had been changed away from Spike and dragons, Twilight resumed looking over the wares of baubles and luxury jewels. Each were beautiful in their own right, if impractical. I wonder if Dinky could enchant these like she did Spike’s sword, Twilight thought as her eyes swept past the pendants and bracelets until she spotted something that appeared familiar.

Sitting on the fair right of the stall was a golden mirror, stylized with two ponies on the rim seemingly chasing after each other in some kind of joyful game. It reminded Twilight of the mirror Rarity had mentioned during one of the first few nights the party had camped together, and as Twilight held it up with her magic, her thoughts quickly turned to her fellow unicorn.

She moved the mirror around a bit, looking her face over for the first time in a long while. After weeks of travel, danger, and battle, the effects were as plain as day on her features. Her purple eyes were slightly bloodshot, while dark bags were under her eyes after nights of fitful, nightmare-fueled sleep. A few scars had also left their permanent mark from the few times her face was attacked by beast or iron.

This is the face of hardship, Twilight thought, waxing poetic once again. This is a face chiseled by fate, battle, and suffering. A month ago I would not have recognized myself. I can scarcely believe the mare looking back at me is me.

“Spike, look,” Twilight said, “This is just like the mirror Rarity told me about, the one Flemeth smashed.” As she mentioned Flemeth, Spike stopped collecting more gemstones to purchase and looked up to Twilight and the mirror. She lowered the mirror to Spike, who looked at it once before beginning to pose.

“Hey there, good looking,” he cooed as he smoothed out his scales. “Who is that little dragon hero? What’s that Rarity? Of course I’ll save you from that evil hag, Flemeth. I am, after all, a knight of the realm.”

Once Spike was finished boasting, he looked over the mirror once more, sadness forming on his face as held the object in his claws. “Can we get this for Rarity?” he asked. “She seemed so sad and scared after we left the temple. I bet she’d be really happy! I’ll even use my share of the treasure!”

It is a good idea, Twilight considered as she lifted the mirror towards the merchant. Rarity hasn’t been herself since we left the temple. This mirror would be the perfect gift. I hope she accepts it.

After trading a hefty amount of bits for the mirror, Spike held the precious object in his grasp, looking around for the white unicorn. Sure enough, Rarity was near a tailor’s market stall, and much to Twilight’s chagrin, she was berating the donkey on nearly every aspect of the clothes. The poor donkey mare looked like she was about to cry.

“These robes you have are just utterly drab,” Rarity complained as she held up a robe with her magic, “Have the donkeys never heard of colours? Everything is grey, brown, or another shade of brown. Have you even attempted embroidery? Here let me show you. I believe I have some thread and such for just an occasion…”

Twilight shook her head in bemusement as Rarity levitated needle and thread with her magic, humming along as she made the needle work its way across the donkey’s cloth. The tailor could only stare agape as the display before her continued, and the unicorn sorceress finished her work in no time. She winked as she returned the now much-more-dazzling piece of attire to its owner, showing off several colours of red and gold inlaid into the robe.

“Now doesn’t that appear much more regal? A robe fit for a king, if not a noble. The next time a surface trader comes by, see if he has some colour thread or dye. I guarantee business will increase tenfold and you will take pride in bringing a new level of fabulosity to all of Orzamule.”

Rarity smiled as the donkey continued to stare agape. Without another word, Rarity turned to see Twilight and Spike waiting for her, both shaking their heads at their friend’s insistence.

“Now, darling, I know what you’re thinking,” Rarity said as they left the confounded donkey and her new robe. “‘Oh, Rarity, your generosity knows no bounds, helping that poor dear bring some life and vibrancy to her work and to all donkeys everywhere.’ Truly the work of a fashion master never rests.”

Twilight rolled her eyes as Rarity went on while they walked to a small corner in the market place. Once he was sure they had a moment of privacy, Spike approached Rarity holding up the golden mirror. Rarity looked down on the offered gift in surprise before wrapping the mirror in her magic.

“This mirror,” she whispered, looking at Twilight, “It’s almost like the one Flemeth smashed. Did you get this for me?”

“Of course,” Spike replied, “You just seemed so sad. I thought this would make you happy.”

Rarity looked at her reflection in the mirror with trepid eyes, looking down on the waiting Spike before returning to gaze at herself. “It’s beautiful,” she said, barely above a whisper, “It’s the first time anypony… anyone has given me anything like this. Thank you, Spike. Thank you so much for this kind gift.”

The mirror still in a magical grip, the white unicorn lowered her head and gave Spike a kiss on the cheek, much to the dragon knight’s joy. Twilight turned away to let the two have a moment of privacy, looking out towards the Orzamule market as Rarity lowered the mirror so Spike could see.

“You are a true gentlecolt, Spike,” Rarity continued, choking on the words through tears, “I hope that you’ll one day find that special dragon for you.”

“Rarity…” Spike was about to say more, only to be gently silenced by Rarity’s hoof pressed against his lips. Levitating a small kerchief to her eyes, Rarity turned towards Twilight, a smile on her face the like of which she had not seen since before their journey to the mountain. 

“Spike, why don’t you go have some lunch while I talk to Rarity.” She didn’t want to simply dismiss Spike after his display of affection, but she needed to talk to Rarity alone. Twilight had to confront Rarity about this depression and her refusal to face Flemeth. As old and powerful as the witch was, she could be defeated. The “how” could be left until later. What was certain that Twilight would do everything in her power to prevent Rarity from being taken by Flemeth.

Twilight walked with Rarity for some distance away from the market until she was sure they were alone, or at least away from listening ears. Once they were isolated, Twilight held Rarity’s gaze as she spoke.

“Rarity, I know things are looking bad now, especially between you and Flemeth, but enough is enough! Ever since you encountered Flemeth in the mountain, you’ve been distant. This is not only hurting our friendship, but it is clearly hurting you! I just wish you would open up and let your friends in so we can help you.”

Rarity looked away for a moment before returning Twilight’s gaze. “As long as I’ve been alive, I have only known Flemeth to be my mother. A cruel and punishing mother, yes, but she did provide for me. And if I hadn’t read that book, I’d still be calling her Mother.”

She took a deep breath. “I touched horns with Sweetie Belle while we were at Red Apple, Twilight. I wanted to protect her from the templars, so I showed her my shapeshifting magic by merging our magic together. We also shared memories. She’s... my sister.”

Twilight gasped at the information being shared with her. The similarities were there, certainly, and while she was upset with Rarity for using a very dangerous method to share knowledge and experience with such a little filly, she could not fault her. Protecting Sweetie Belle was noble of Rarity, so after discovering that they were sisters, Twilight could only assume Rarity felt obligated to do what she could to save her only sibling from the templars.

Rarity continued, explaining everything that she saw when her mind was melded with Sweetie Belle’s. Everything from the heat of the fire, to the sight of her true parents dying, to the transformed Flemeth, to the declaration by Flemeth that she would return for Sweeite Belle. Tears flowed freely from Rarity’s eyes as she recounted her tale.

“I never knew my real parents,” Rarity continued, “I can only imagine what Flemeth could have said or did to force them to give me to her. But they would not let Sweetie Belle be taken without a fight. I will not fault them for defending their child, though I do wonder why they gave me up to that witch. Flemeth... I still fear her, Twilight. She is incredibly powerful, and very, very monstrous when she wishes to be. I don’t fear her for my sake though, but for Sweetie Belle’s, and for all your sakes.”

With her handkerchief, Rarity wiped away the last of the tears. Twilight saw in her eyes that Rarity appeared much better, her breathing clearer and more concise while her eyes held fierce determination. “Thank you, Twilight. I needed to get that off my chest, as it were. Come dear, let’s find the others. I’m sure they are having wonderful experiences here in Orzamule, and I’d like to see if they found anything interesting.”

(Rarity and Spike segment seems weak, needs revision)

Once they returned to the marketplace, Twilight spotted Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash talking to a donkey vendor, who was surrounded by dozens of cages. As they drew nearer, Twilight crinkled her nose while Rarity covered hers with a cloth as a strange and unpleasant smell emanated from the cages. It was something akin to old cheese, leather, and dung, yet for whatever reason, Fluttershy would not leave, much to Rainbow’s consternation.

“Fluttershy, these things stink!” Rainbow complained as she held a hoof to her nose, “Can’t you pick one and get on with it?”

Twilight looked into the cages for herself to see what the fuss was about. Inside were strange little creatures barely reaching her knees in height, resembling a cross between a pig and a rat, with pink mottled skin and long whiskers. They also had long ears like a rabbit as well as grasping “hands”, much like the hands of a rage demon. Many of the creatures were sniffling about inside their cages as Fluttershy swooned at the sight of them.

“The donkey told me they’re called nugs,” Fluttershy explained. “I wish I could take home all of them. Oh Twilight, can I bring one of these nugs with me? They’re just so cute; I need to give at least one of them a good home.”

“I don’t see why not,” Twilight said as she looked away from the cages. “I just hope you give whichever… nug… you choose a bath.”

“Oh, I will,” Fluttershy promised as she resumed looking at the arranged nugs, “I’ll clean it and feed and call it Mister Schmooples.”

“Mister Schmooples” Dash let out an exasperated sigh. “Really? Of all the names you could choose, you pick the most uncool of them all.”

“Hmm, you’re right Rainbow.” Fluttershy bent down towards one of the lower cages. She gave a small smile at a much smaller nug with white skin and black, beady little eyes staring back at her. The nug sniffed the yellow pegasus’ face curiously as she neared the cage, the tiny creature’s twitching whiskers moving much more rapidly after the meeting.

“This one please,” Fluttershy squealed with delight. “He looks so precious. Like a little angel. I know! I’ll call him Angel.”

The nug keeper was all too happy to accept Fluttershy’s gold bits, taking the key in his mouth and releasing the nug back to freedom. Angel Nuggy bounded out of his cage towards Fluttershy, nuzzling her leg. She giggled as the whiskers brushed against her coat, before allowing the nug to climb up and sit upon her back.

“Ugh, I hope we don’t wait too much longer,” Dash complained as she hovered above the party’s head, “Orzamule is so cramped. I don’t know how the donkeys get through the day without any open sky. How do they even know when day or night is?”

“Doing fine so far, considering how long they survived under a mountain,” Twilight mused as she looked around for Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Losing track of her friends was not something she wanted to happen, yet as she looked around, all she could see were the browns and greys of donkey coats. Instead of trying to spot them visually, Twilight perked her ears upward, listening intently for any sound of a high-pitched laugh or a southern accent that would give her friends away.

Sure enough, the sounds of Pinkie’s laughter resounded in the air over the sound of hawking merchants. It came from a large building with two heavy barrels connected outside that was roughly twice the size of the average pony. A sign hung outside the building that read “The Nug and Whistle”, though what the sign could mean, Twilight had no idea. The sound of laughter besides Pinkie‘s soon ranged out, enticing Twilight’s curiosity.

Inside the building, the party found Pinkie standing on top one of the tables surrounded by laughing donkeys, with Applejack waving a hoof towards Twilight and the others. It appeared that Pinkie was entertaining the donkeys, as Applejack was gasping for breath after another fit of laughter.

“And then I said, ‘You’ve gotta be crazy to add oatmeal to a grenade!’ Next thing I know, KABOOM! Oatmeal everywhere. In my mane, in my tale, on my snout, and every linky-link in my chain. I was a real Pinkie Oatmeal Pie, let me tell you.” The donkeys roared again in amusement, stomping their hooves in applause. When the pink earth pony spotted the rest of the party, she bowed to her guests before jumping off the table.

“Thank you so much for letting me tell you all my jokes, we’ll be here all week!” Her smile was bright and cheery and rather infectious if the faces of all the donkeys within earshot were any indication. Pinkie bounded over to Twilight’s side, bouncing up and down as she pointed a hoof excitedly at the table she and Applejack were using.

“Oh, I’m super happy you all made it!” Pinkie exclaimed, “Now we can eat! Me and Applejack wanted to find out what‘s the very bestest best to eat in Orzamule, so we ordered a bit of everything off the menu! Now that you’re here, we can really start chowing down! Come on!”

The rumble of stomachs concurred with Pinkie’s plan, and one by one they sat around the table just as they had in the tavern on the edge of Lake Blackwater. Soon enough, a donkey jenny approached with a tray of mugs balanced on her head, one for everypony and Spike, laying the tray with precious liquid, before heading back into the kitchens.

“What’s this stuff?” Dash asked as she looked at the mugs, taking a careful sniff of the contents.

“Donkey beer,” Applejack replied as several ponies, Twilight included, tipped back their mugs to drink. “Ah didn’t believe it at first, but apparently they make it out of lichens and dirt.”

Whether it was the mention of the ingredients used to make the drink or the actual taste itself, Twilight spat out the contents of her mug, gagging while her friends did the same. Only Spike and Applejack could stomach the drink as the little dragon chugged his flagon, quickly moving on to other mugs passed to him.

After replacing their beer with much more drinkable water, Twilight looked around the table to her friends. When the barmaid returned with a much larger tray filled with hot food, Twilight licked her lips as she helped the jenny lower various plates of food onto the table.

What made its way onto their table was something less than appetizing. For the most part, the meals consisted of mushrooms and soups made from various roots, though a few tubers and other vegetables Twilight could not recognize were laid out before them. Still, she would not complain; the food smelled appetizing, at least compared to the lichen-dirt beer, and the sight of Pinkie munching away without a care lessened Twilight’s hesitations.

The mushrooms were interesting to eat; they had a leathery texture and an earthy taste, both of which were foreign to Twilight’s palate. They were enjoyable, though something felt missing. As she was not a cook in the slightest, Twilight shrugged away the thought before turning to the root soup. The soup that was offered had a salty taste, though she found the soup was plain and uninteresting.

The tubers proved to be the best of the donkeys’ choice of meals, as many of their choice meals were made from various different types of potatoes in even more forms. Boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, and potatoes in stew made their rounds to the ponies at the table. Whether the potatoes were brown, red, or sweet, any meal made from the earthy root was delectable.

“Guess it’s true that ‘taters are called ‘apples of the earth’,” Applejack remarked after another helping of mashed potatoes. “Still, donkeys could go for some real flavours. Could be some real trade opportunity if we could get Orzamule open again.”

“Let’s focus on getting the donkeys to adhere to the treaty first,” Twilight reminded. “Then we can look to business opportunities.”

The doors to the tavern quickly burst open, with a wide-eyed Trixie looking about. Spotting Twilight and the others, the blue magician quickly galloped under the table, hiding from something. Twilight looked to the door to see a thick donkey solider covered in heavy plate mail lumber in.

“Don’t tell him I’m here, please!” Trixie looked up from her hiding spot, begging to Twilight as the magical mare continued to watch the newcomer carefully. “The Great and Powerful Trixie was just showing these deprived donkeys her skill in magic with a few choice displays when that oaf smacked my rump! Do you have any idea how humiliated Trixie feels just for admitting that?”

He was built much like the other warrior donkeys they had seen, and his thick forelegs labeled him as strong and capable in a fight. His mane was a dark red and cut short, though still an unruly mess of spikes. He had a long beard tied into two braids that hung from either side of his mouth.

From his swagger to the reeking stench from his mouth even at a distance, Twilight cringed as she knew all too well that this donkey was drunk out of his mind. With the biggest smile she could produce, she watched as the donkey walked over to the table, bloodshot eyes looking each pony over until he turned his gaze down to one of the refused mugs of beer.

“Don’t mind if I do,” he slurred, greedily snatching the mug in his teeth and chugging the contents with one gulp. Spitting out the mug onto the table, the donkey leered at the collection of mares in front of him.

“I was looking for that pretty blue pony earlier, but the Stone saw fit to give old Oghren multiple choices.” He laughed as he slid towards Fluttershy, who turned her head away in nervousness, holding Angel Nuggy close in her forelegs. “Hey! Somedonkey get us another round of beer. Oghren is feeling lucky, and just wants to know one thing: is he taking back one pony to his kip or six?”

“Oghren!” shouted the familiar voice of the officer. “By the stone, get away from the Wardens and their friends! We don’t need somedonkey like you giving all of Orzamule a bad name!” Twilight breathed a sigh of relief as the officer distracted Oghren.

“Need I remind you that you are one offense away from exile?” the officer continued as he stared down Oghren, “The Senate decided that sending you to the surface was too good for you, remember? One more mistake and you go down to the Dark Tunnels!”

“Well maybe I wouldn’t make so many mistakes if I wasn’t figuratively castrated!” Oghren roared back. “First you take my axe and strip me of what it means to be a warrior. What else do I have?”

“Your axe was taken because you are a chaotic menace, Oghren! All you do is get drunk and get into fights!”

“Maybe I wouldn’t get drunk and brawl if those useless rutters for nobles would give me the help I need to go into the Dark Tunnels and bring back Branka!”

Twilight looked back and forth at the exchange, trying to piece together what was going on. Whoever this Oghren was seemed to want to go into the ponyspawn-infested Dark Tunnels to find the Paragon Branka. For reasons likely linked to safety and security, they hadn’t sent further expeditions to recover their most recent Paragon.

Oghren soon gave up his tirades as a pair of masked guards appeared at the entrance of the tavern, shaking his head as he turned to leave. His face drooped as sadness took hold, giving one last look at Twilight before leaving The Nug and Whistle. The officer harrumphed before turning back towards the party, with Trixie finally leaving from under the table.

“Sorry about the disturbance, Warden,” the officer explained. “Oghren has been like that since Branka disappeared. They were married you see, but Branka left for her expedition into the Dark Tunnels without him after he got drunk at a party. Took their entire clan with her, but left her husband. Tells you what kind of jack… er… male Oghren was to her, huh?”

“In any event, the Senate will receive you soon. We had better get there quickly before they explode into another squabble. Please, follow me.”

Leaving the tavern and offering a fair amount of gold for the food, Twilight and the rest of the party left towards the Diamond Sector. Together, with Shale still playing the part of dutifully silent servant, they followed the officer into a new sector of the city which more than lived up to its name.

Unlike the Golden Sector, the Diamond Sector was filled with luxurious buildings carved from marble and alabaster. Imported cloth from the surface hung as banners of many noble clans, while art work derived from runes lined the homes of nobles. The air was cleaner thanks to the sector being located so far from the industrial core of Orzamule.

“It is here in the Diamond Sector that the nobility and their houses make their homes,” the officer informed them as they toured the home of the aristocracy, “It is also where one can find the Shaperate where we keep all our records and the Palace of the King. Of course, the most important building is the Senate, where nobles and the king dictate our laws.”

The Senate was massive compared to other donkey buildings, with statues of Paragons acting as silent stone sentinels to any who walked under their gaze. Twilight could feel a sense of disrupted order as she and the others entered the hall of government, as a low murmur could be heard from the stone doors leading to the building’s center. The rumble of arguing donkeys grew louder as they approached, only for the noise to explode as they entered a large amphitheatre.

Laid out in a semicircle, many donkeys stood up as they bickered amongst one another, some with more vitriol than others. In the center of the room stood a dark-maned donkey who looked tired and ancient as he tried to bring order to the assembly.

“Senators, we will have order!” he called, pounding his hooves on the stone dais upon which he stood. “You will address everything to the Speaker, as is tradition!”

“Tradition is what is killing our people, Speaker Cranky Doodle,” rebuked a youthful donkey with a brown coat and orange mane, dressed in shining bronze armour. “As I have stated time and time again, tradition stops our progress as a people, as a nation. Listen to me, all of you! As king, I would bring change to Orzamule that will see us prosper again! We would fill the ranks of our armies with flesh blood, move into the Dark Tunnels and take back our thaigs! Our cities lost for centuries! The ponyspawn have pushed us back for too long! Choose me as king, and I swear to you, the line will be drawn and we will push back!”

Donkeys who agreed with the noble in the bronze armour stomped their hooves enthusiastically, cheering for Prince Bhelen Hammerfall to take his rightful place as king. Twilight watched the Senate assembly fall into silence as an older, far more grizzled donkey with a long grey beard approached from his side of the theatre. Pure rage filled his eyes as he spat his words.

“Your father made me swear upon his deathbed that you would never have the crown of Orzamule laid upon your brow,” he growled, “You are Kinslayer! You represent everything we donkeys have struggled against since the Time of Chaos! You killed your brothers, your sisters, your own father, Bhelen, just to have the throne! You would bring down our society and have those wretches, those casteless, join honoured castes like our warriors in battle, like our tradesmen in the forge! If we donkeys forget who we are, forget what makes us strong in the eyes of the Stone, then we do not deserve to have a place in this world!”

Another chorus of approval and stomping hooves echoed in the theatre. Cries for Lord Harrowmount rang out for both long life and blessings from the Stone. Twilight looked to her friends, who simply watched the display of governance in stunned silence. Bhelen laughed as Harrowmount finished before making a retort of his own.

“You have no proof of your claims, old jack,” Bhelen jeered, “My father died of sickness, my sister murdered my brother, and the law demanded she be sent to the Dark Tunnels to live out her days. You are just so blinded by petty jealousy of my right to the throne that you will do everything you can to stop me. I bring change to Orzamule, something an old jack like you can never understand. That which you do not understand, you fear, like a cowardly dog with its tail between its legs!”

Lord Harrowmount did not take kindly to the insult, immediately barking back with his own counter while his supporters drew weapons. Soon Bhelen’s supporters did the same, shouting and rattling their weapons. Twilight watched the display of anger with trepidation; the donkeys of the city seemed so peaceful and orderly. She found it rather ironic that their leadership devolved into utter chaos like this. However, it was these donkeys that she needed to persuade to follow through with the treatise. With a house divided, that prospect became much more distant.

“There will be order!” Gripping a large maul in his teeth, Cranky Doodle hefted the hammer with astounding strength before swinging the blunt head towards a gong. Everyone, from the ponies to the donkeys, quickly found themselves silent as their ears rang and their heads shook as if an earthquake had struck the halls of Orzamule.

“You both should be ashamed!” scolded Doodle. “You both act like suckling foals braying over spilt ale! If the common donkey were to see what was going on in their Senate house where the laws that affect them are made, they would surely see that chaos rules in here and there would be fear in the streets! Why do you think so many of our people have fled to the surface? Because they believe that there is more order up there than there is down here! And you act in ways unbecoming of nobles in front of honoured guests! What are the ponies supposed to think when they see us at our worst?”

That every donkey in this hall is crazy. Twilight opted not to say that particular thought out loud, but could not deny that was exactly what the Senate hall appeared to be. The Speaker then turned to her and the rest of the party, pointing a hoof in her direction.

“I will give the floor to our guests now,” he announced, “Perhaps they will show you jackasses what real courtesy and poise looks like. Grey Wardens, you have voice in the Senate.”

Twilight gulped nervously as all eyes turned to her. Shaking off the nerves and stepping forward to the centre of the amphitheatre, Twilight bowed her head to the assembled nobles before speaking. “Lords and Ladies of Orzamule,” Twilight began, hoping she had not offended anyone with her opening remark, “Thank you for the privilege of standing before you in your Senate. I bring dire news from the surface that affects us all, and of old treaties signed by your ancient king Rumblerock to request your aid.”

“The surface land above you known as Equestria is currently under attack by the ponyspawn in a Blight. Our war against the monsters does not go well and we, as Grey Wardens, are travelling about the land with the ancient treaties to request aid from our allies of old. We have already obtained the support of the unicorn mages and members of the Equestrian nobility. We now seek to humbly request the aid of Orzamule and her armies to combat the Blight. What affects the surface will surely affect this city, and we must stand united against the evil tide.”

A soft murmur rose above the nobles of Orzamule as they spoke amongst themselves.

“A Blight on the surface? How is that our problem?”

“Let the ponies have the ponyspawn for a change. See how we survive and thrive with their threat over our heads.”

“Orzamule is under threat if the ponyspawn get a hoof hold on the surface. Remember what the Shaperate said happened to Onagon in the First Blight. Completely wiped out in a matter of days.”

“We must honour our treaties with the surface, lest they think we are nothing but cowardly dogs.”

While dissent and support made their rounds throughout the nobles, Prince Bhelen and Lord Harrowmount remained silent, speaking only in hushed whispers to their aides. Speaker Doodle shook his head before addressing Twilight.

“What you ask for is impossible at the moment,” he started with some hesitation. “Only a king can command the full armies of Orzamule to go to the surface. We have no king, just two sodding fools who spend the majority of our Senate meetings arguing and rattling their axes. Until a king is decided by unanimous vote by the Senate, we cannot send troops to the surface to combat the Blight. I am deeply sorry.”

Twilight’s ears folded back as the donkeys began another heated debate, unsure if she had said anything wrong. Only Bhelen and Harrowmount stayed out, still speaking only to their aides before the Speaker called for attention once again.

“Due to the troubling nature of the news from the surface, as well as to have a moment to cool our tempers, I am hereby calling a recess to the Senate to be continued tomorrow.” He nodded at Twilight before turning back to the assembly. “The Grey Wardens and their friends will be treated as honoured guests until such a time as a king is decided upon, or until their departure. Strength of the Stone be with you all.”

Twilight grimaced as she watched the nobles disperse with Bhelen and Harrowmount leading their own respective factions. They didn’t have the time to wait for considerations and debate. The Blight was happening right now, and the ponyspawn would not be patient for the Wardens to wait out politics.

It wasn’t until she felt a slight tap of a hoof on her shoulder that Twilight looked

slightly down to find a donkey with a short beard. He was the aide who was advising Prince Bhelen earlier. Out of the corner of her eye, the help to Lord Harrowmount was talking to Applejack as well. Both ponies’ eyes met, with a small nod conveying the only message. They would hear what the two had to say.

“Excuse me, Warden,” said Bhelen’s aide as Twilight left the group to speak to him alone. “Prince Bhelen Hammerfall saw an urgency in your eyes when the Speaker declared Orzamule could not be of help against your Blight. If Prince Bhelen were king, he would surely give you all the troops you would need to defeat the ponyspawn.”

Why does it feel like I’d rather stare down the muzzle of a minotaur? Of all of Twilight’s experiences against ponyspawn, demons, and other ponies, politics seemed to be a worse mire than the Potpourri Wilds. It left a bad taste in her mouth just speaking to Bhelen’s aide in such a cloak and dagger way. Still, she had to hear what the donkey had to offer. She just needed to play it safe and offer the donkey little tells.

“I would believe Lord Harrowmount would give the Wardens a similar offer,” Twilight reminded him, careful not to name anypony, especially if loopholes were involved. “I am listening to what you have to say, however.”

“I’m sure we can make an agreement between my lord and the Grey Wardens.” The aide smiled, offering his hoof to shake. “Come see me near the Proving Grounds. We can speak more there amongst the crowds.”

Nodding his head, the aide left to return with Prince Bhelen. Twilight walked over to Applejack, who had finished speaking with Harrowmount’s assistant, who breathed a sigh of relief after the donkey was long out of earshot.

“This is what everypony wants me to get into,” she grimaced, “Darned politics. Now Ah feel all dirty, and not in a good ‘hard work builds character’ way. Bhelen’s boy talk to you?”

“Mmmhmm,” mumbled Twilight. “I don’t like it, but we may have to pick a side in this conflict. It’s the only way to get the donkeys to come together, choose a king, and get us the army we need. Now I’ve been thinking we can go see Bhelen’s assistant in the morning and…”

“Now hold on just a minute there, missy.” Applejack raised an eyebrow as she looked at Twilight incredulously. “You heard what that Harrowmount said. Bhelen is a kin slayer, and no killer of kin is gonna get my support. That Harrowmount looks like a more upstandin’ citizen. We should at least give him a chance over Bhelen.”

By now, Twilight noticed the rest of the party had circled around them. Rainbow Dash hovered above Applejack’s head, a glare in her eyes. “You don’t know Bhelen did that! For all you know, Harrowmount is just lying!”

“I don’t know about that, Dashie,” Pinkie interjected, “Bhelen seems like a real Meany McMeanerpants. I can tell by the way he talks, the way he speaks. They all point to bad things.”

“Bhelen at least has vision,” Rarity added. “If what we heard is true, Harrowmount is stuck in the old ways, and that is killing the donkeys.”

“Tradition and guidance is important, not that an apostate like you would know,” Trixie retorted. Twilight watched in horror as the ponies began to squabble exactly as the donkeys had.

Spike, Fluttershy, and Shale took a few steps away from the chaos that was bubbling over the group. “We can’t just let a big meanypants sit on a throne!” Pinkie’s eyes were unusually fierce. “That Bhelen is a right piece of work, I can just tell. He makes my nose twitch, and my ears twitch, and not in any fun way! He probably holds parties where there only donkey who has fun is him!”

“Pinkie, we don’t know any of that!” Rainbow stepped forward. “Look at all the junk Loghoof’s been spewing about the Wardens, about them being traitors and responsible for King Blueblood’s death. We know that’s not true, so why should we believe Harrowmount is telling the truth as well!”

The two sides continued to argue until Applejack whistled over the din, bringing everypony to silence. “Now listen here, all of ya,” she frowned, “We can’t be disagreein’ on donkey issues, but we have to face facts. We need the donkeys to have a king if we’re ever gonna get anywhere. They also know the lay of the land better than we do. We have to play nice with the donkeys.”

“So ah got a plan. Twilight and those who think Bhelen should be king will go and meet with Bhelen’s guy. Those who like Harrowmount better will come with me. Once we figure out and agree who we should support, we all decide who gets to be king, help them get the crown, and move on.”

“Agreed,” Twilight said. “Let’s just make a promise here and now. No matter what happens, we remain friends in the end. Politics won’t tear us apart.”

Taking a deep breath and watching Applejack and her group head off, she saw Fluttershy following. “Fluttershy, you’re going with Applejack too?” she asked, surprised.

“Oh, um…” Fluttershy hid her face behind her pink mane, before turning around. “I’m sorry, Twilight. They need somepony to watch out for them. I really don’t have an opinion on either donkey. You have Rainbow Dash and Rarity though. I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

As Fluttershy left, Twilight turned to see Shale simply standing behind her, gazing out into the distance. “Don’t you have an opinion too?”

“I Go Where You Go, Master.”

Twilight did not feel better.

---

Chapter 24 - A Game of Donkey Thrones

The party had been split up before, but usually due to powers beyond their control or a plan to put an end to a threat. It had never come about because of a difference of opinions. There was still hope that Applejack’s group would learn something or convince Lord Harrowmount to help them with the Warden treaties, but things in Orzamule had suddenly became a lot more complicated.

Spike, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Shale followed her out of the Senate Halls. Twilight grumbled as she made her way to the Shaperate their tour guide had mentioned earlier, knowing all too well that more ponies of the party followed Applejack. It didn’t help her morale that Spike always went with her no matter what, and Shale was still playing the role of dutiful servant.

“Where we going, Twi?” Rainbow asked as she hovered slightly overhead. “Is this where Bhelen’s guy is going to meet us?”

“The officer who led us to the Senate said this was where the Shaperate was,” Twilight replied. “Bhelen’s aide is at the Proving Grounds, but we are supposed to meet him in the morning. I want to do some research on Orzamule and the donkeys before we do anything else. It’s better to have a wide range of knowledge on the subject at hoof than to go in blind.”

Rainbow, Rarity, and Spike groaned in unison as Twilight attempted to push the stone door of the Shaperate open. Twilight rolled her eyes in bemused irritation at their response as she pushed harder against the door. Yes, she was going to do a little bit of reading, but it was of paramount importance to learn everything she could, from Orzamule itself to the donkeys’ war with the diamond dogs.

If only I could get this door open, Twilight thought as she pushed her entire body against the stone door. Still it would not budge, not even with the collective strength of her friends. It was not until Shale nudged the door open with a hoof that the ponies and Spike tumbled into the Shaperate, dazed and eyes spinning.

“Gee, thanks Shale,” Twilight muttered as she matted down her mane. The golem simply resumed staring into space.

“I Simply Wanted My Master to Move With Purpose And Dignity.” Glaring daggers at Shale, Twilight looked up to see several grey-bearded donkeys in robes staring at her. They all immediately rushed to the golem, marveling at the stone specimen with hushed tones of amazement.

“By the Stone, the records mention golems but I have never seen one,” one of the historians gaped. “You, pony. Where did you find such a relic?”

Twilight silently sniggered as she watched the quiet form of Shale almost seethe from mention of its age. “We found Shale and its control rod in a village on the surface. After some tinkering with the rod, I gained command over it. Say hello, Shale.”

“Hello. Shale.” The golem slowly turned its head to Twilight while the donkeys fussed about. If Twilight’s stare was meant to bring slight harm back at the Frosttop Mountains, she could feel Shale was wishing for bloody squishing, judging by the return glare she was receiving.

“Remarkable,” continued another of the donkey scholars. “A working golem. Appears to be much smaller than stories of old, but we would love nothing more than to study this subject at great lengths! We’d give a mountain of gold and more just so we could investigate this historic piece of donkey craftsmanship and skill!”

Now things were starting to take a turn for the interesting. She had been expecting answers of a different kind, not history on Shale. “I’m afraid Shale isn’t for sale,” Twilight apologized with a smile. “But I am now curious on the history of golems. I’m actually a scholar myself, and would love to learn more about them.”

“Of course, of course. Please, come this way.” As the elderly donkeys turned away towards the inner halls of the Shaperate, another chorus of groans sounded from the ponies. Twilight ignored them as Shale and she walked side-by-side into the Shaperate proper. This was something she had been waiting for: a chance to enter halls of knowledge so rarely visited by ponies.

Massive stone shelves lined the Great Hall of the Shaperate, each shelf filled with hundreds upon hundreds of scrolls. It was a bona fide records room and library merged into one, with all of the donkeys’ recorded knowledge ready to be accessed. Twilight levitated several scrolls off the shelves, finding many were written in the language of the donkeys, yet many more were written in the common tongue.

What was different about the Shaperate, compared to the libraries of the Tower, were the great stone pillars that lined the room. They were not architectural supports as one would assume, as they jutted out from the ground but never reached the roof. On these pillars were millions of markings, runes and donkey tongue intertwining in some sort of large memorial. It was both beautiful craftsmanship and intriguing history molded together.

“The Shaperate was founded by Orza well over two thousand years ago,” one of the scholars informed them, “It was his answer to the fact that so much donkey history occurred during the Time of Chaos. As the Order of the Stone spoke of complete order, so too did Orza say perfect records contribute to order. The Stone never forgets, and as such, neither will the donkeys of Orzamule. It is a great honour to become a historian of the Stone and to keep the records of the Shaperate in tidy and honest condition. The Shaperate takes no side in war or politics. We simply record and state the facts.”

“Now let’s find information on your golem, yes?” The scholar looked at the very top of the stone pillars until he pointed to one near the center of the room. “There we are, pillar number seventeen after the Time of Chaos. Three hundred years ago. Give me a moment while I check the pillar markings."

“Many smiths have tried to recreate the process of making golems, and all of them have failed,” the scribe said as he scanned the pillar. “We often get many smiths who want to learn firsthoof how they were created, including Paragon Branka. The memories in the Stone say that golems were once our greatest weapons against both the diamond dogs and the ponyspawn. They were powerful constructs of stone and metal, where one golem was worth a hundred soldiers in the battles against our enemies.”

“If I may ask, why did the donkeys go to war with the diamond dogs?” Twilight looked at the runes the donkey was reading, but could not make heads or tails of the markings. “We met some in the mountains far to the east.”

The donkey responded by laughing. “You cannot be serious. The dogs were wiped out during the war. Queen Cragaxe ordered their destruction after they dug too deep inside the Dark Tunnels and gave the ponyspawn access to many important roads. The dogs never accepted surrender, and so the golems were ordered to eliminate them. If there are survivors, they would be the last of their kind.”

Twilight suddenly felt sick to her stomach as the historian turned away to study the records set in stone. When they had fought and defeated the diamond dogs in the Frosttop Mountains, they did not only end a threat to other mountaineers and free the path to the temple of Luna, but also ended the remnants of a society and a species as a whole. There was no telling where the dogs were now, or even if they had managed to survive.

I tried to reason with them, Twilight reminded herself, it’s not my fault they didn’t listen. It’s not my fault Lockjaw attacked us with his drakes. I should have done more though. I could have done more, couldn’t I?

“Please, keep going about golems,” Twilight interjected. The donkey nodded and then returned to reading the runes.

“According to the pillar,” continued the donkey scholar, “Paragon Cairidan the Smith was their creator, using something called the Storm Forge. However, his thaig, forge, and Cairidan himself were lost after the battle of Four Point Chasm, deep in the Dark Tunnels. The way to Four Point Chasm is lost, however, and our maps leading towards that region end leagues before entering heavy ponyspawn hives. Any who venture that way are lost, just like Paragon Branka.”

“Cairidan,” Shale muttered, which surprised Twilight as the golem was apparently trying to maintain the façade of servant. Pony and donkey alike turned to Shale, who simply stared out at nothing in particular.

“Astonishing!” gaped the historian. “It would appear your golem still possesses some knowledge of who Cairidan is, or at least responds to the name. Perhaps it is some residual command? It is very unclear how golems work, after all. I hope this answers your queries about golems. Do reconsider selling the subject. Studying an intact golem would be immeasurable.”

“Thank you. That will be all.” Though she regretted leaving the Shaperate so quickly, she’d rather not have the donkey scholars continue to poke and prod Shale while they had much to do. Leaving the Shaperate with her friends in tow, Twilight soon found herself drawn to a secluded corner of the Diamond Sector. Hiding herself in the corner overlooking a great chasm, Twilight laid herself onto the cold stone, hooves over her eyes as she could hear her friends approach.

Despite their presence, Twilight felt the need to be alone. Covering her eyes, she turned her thoughts completely to the mountain and to the dogs she had doomed. Was it the pressure to save Arl Macintosh and Applebloom that thrust her to fight, or was it the threat that demanded battle? Did she really do enough to avoid combat, or was fighting now the excuse for everything?

What frightened Twilight the most was how easy it was to resort to violence. Killing the drakes in the temple complex, to watching as Lockjaw was burned alive, to coming with a plan to take down a berserk high dragon. It was of little solace that Twilight and the party never started any of the fights they were forced into; they were just efficient in ending them.

“You were right, Rarity,” Twilight muttered as she looked up to her fellow unicorn. “It does get easier. The fighting, the killing. I wish it wasn’t so.”

“Don’t we all darling,” Rarity replied, her hoof tenderly stroking Twilight’s mane, “If there was a better way, we’d know.”

“Don’t beat yourself up too much, Twilight,” Rainbow added. “We’re here for you. Yeah, we have to do some dirty deeds. Most of the time we do it dirt cheap too. But we need you strong, Twi. Equestria’s counting on you. We’re counting on you.”

Twilight looked up into Rainbow’s fuchsia eyes and slowly got back to her hooves. “I’m sorry, everypony,” she apologized, “I’m just so tired. Hearing about what the donkeys did to the dogs made me realize what we did to them, even if it was out of self-defense. We took down an entire society of what they had left. I’m just scared that things will become easier as the time passes. What if we have to fight another people? What if we have to end them as well?”

“Purple one,” said Shale, stepping forward and easily parting Rainbow and Rarity away from Twilight. “There is something I want it to know. I do not say this often, and when I do it is begrudgingly said. I am a golem. It appears I have come from the Dark Tunnels, and the name Cairidan I do remember. But if I appear to enjoy squishing my enemies, it is because that was what I was made to do. I was made for battle, for war, for squishing the insignificant heads of my enemies. Of which I am pretty damn good at.”

“It, like all other ponies, was not made for war. It was made to do something else with its life. War was thrust upon it, and it has performed adequately to my ever increasing and already incredibly high standards. Do not believe this is low praise either. If I wanted to call it and all of its squishy friends idiots, imbeciles, and inbreds, I would likely have done so after I was done crushing their skulls in their sleep. I am sincerely impressed by its ability to lead and to fight despite its obvious hesitation to do so. You should feel very honoured right about now.”

Whether it was the fact that it was Shale’s or its unique way of trying to cheer her up, Twilight couldn’t help but begin to laugh. It was a simple thing to laugh at the world, and sure enough all her friends were looking at her like she was crazy.

“Did I say something amusing?” Shale asked. Twilight chuckled while shaking her head, before walking off towards the Golden Sector.

“You just said what I needed to hear. Thank you, Shale,” Twilight replied. “Come on. Let’s get some rest. Tomorrow we get to have an audience with the prince.”

***

Whether it was morning, noon, or just late at night, Applejack could not tell. After spending the night with her group at an inn on the north side of the Golden Sector, they immediately awoke and headed to the address given to them by one of Harrowmount’s servants. The building was just as grand as it was unnecessarily luxurious in Applejack’s opinion.

It still ate her up inside that the Grey Wardens were split in two with the decision to help two rival donkey lords. Since the battle of Ostequus, she believed they would be partners until the end against the Archdemon. Now with this split, she was not so sure.

“Here we are,” Applejack said as she looked up at a large stone estate. “This is where that ol’ Harrowmount told us we’ll be meeting him.”

“Um, Applejack?” Fluttershy squeaked as she stood beside the orange earth pony, “I know we need the help of the donkeys, but maybe we should try to get into an understanding with Twilight?”

“We ain’t making any decisions without her,” Applejack reassured. “All ah’m doin’ is finding out what Harrowmount’s position is, is all. Find out what we have to do to get a crown on one of their heads and get us a donkey army.”

The doors of the estate slowly ground open as two burly donkey warriors pushed the stone slabs aside for the ponies to enter. With Pinkie and Trixie in tow, Applejack and Fluttershy entered to see what otherwise would have been called a palace. Furniture and other decorations lined the main hall, themselves lined with precious gemstones. Trophies of bone, skin and leather were hung on the walls, each eliciting either a squeak or a gasp from the wide-eyed Fluttershy.

“It’s really shiny in here,” Pinkie commented as she looked at her reflection on a metal vase. “But why is it so nice in here, and so boring and plain out there?”

Because this particular donkey has a taste for the finer things in life. Applejack held back her distaste as Lord Harrowmount joined them, descending from the stairs of the upper levels of his manor. Flanked by two guards and twice as many servants, the elder donkey looked like he was living the life of a king already.

Still, while Harrowmount lived extravagantly compared to common donkeys and had a gruff exterior, Applejack still figured he was the better partner. No matter what creed or way of life, using the term “Kinslayer” to describe a rival was something she could not fathom. Rainbow Dash did have a point that there was no proof, but there had to be at least a crumb of truth behind such an insult.

“Good to see one of the Grey Wardens having the sense to meet with me.” Harrowmount inclined his head in greeting. “My clan has been supporters of the Grey Wardens for centuries. We greatly honour the sacrifices of the surface ponies who come to the Dark Tunnels to end their days in battle against the hated enemy. Come, we can have some refreshment in the parlour as we discuss what is needed.”

Applejack was feeling less comfortable around the fancy enjoyments of Lord Harrowmount as the group travelled, under guard, to another room that was no less lavish than the main hall. A grand table stood as the center attraction with the top covered in platters of food. The smells of delicious meals from all across the surface world made Applejack’s mouth water. The aroma of a freshly baked apple pie was more than enticing.

“Wardens and their allies shouldn’t dine on the stuff of the common donkey,” Harrowmount said. “My clan is old and rich, and I will share my bounty with you all. All I ask is that you consider why it would be in the best interest of not only Orzamule, but also the surface world, that I claim the throne.”

“We’ll listen to what ya have to say pardner, but like yer Senate, us Wardens have to be on the same page.” It was the best Applejack could come up with to keep her group aligned with each other, while still open to Harrowmount’s suggestions. While Pinkie immediately began to devour the food provided, Fluttershy hid herself away under her mane from the prying eyes of the donkey noble. Trixie was quick to attempt her own form of diplomacy, much to Applejack’s chagrin.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie would just like the Honourable and Noble Harrowmount to know that we have every intention to provide whatever assistance possible to a donkey such as yourself should we find ourselves sharing the same road.” Applejack just stared at Trixie blankly as she continued to sweet talk Harrowmount. Whether it was to butter up the old jack or trying to influence the way the group should think, Applejack could not tell, nor was she pleased by this.

Still, Harrowmount was enjoying the attention, chuckling while staring deep into Trixie’s eyes. “You are making me blush, my dear.” He laughed as he swallowed a large serving of wine. “I do take pride in the honour and heritage of the Harrowmount House. For a time, I served the Hammerfalls with the same sense of pride as I did my own house, until that kinslayer Bhelen took over his father’s estate.

“To understand what I am fighting for, why I need to be crowned king of Orzamule, one must understand what it means to stand against the ever-growing threat of chaos. Donkeys are separated into different castes from birth as determined by their same-gendered parent. A donkey whose father was a warrior would become a warrior. A jenny whose mother was a crafter would do the same in her life. It is a strict, yet tidy system. There is no confusion, there is no indecisiveness. All donkeys know their place the moment they are born.

“There are those donkeys, however, that are born without a caste. They are the stain on our bloodlines that are best forgotten. A donkey becomes casteless because of a great crime that strips them of their honour, of their family name. A donkey without honour, a donkey that falls into the pits of chaos, is less than the dirt under our hooves. All of their children carry the same chaotic taint; they all carry the crimes of the parent house. There are the slums where we pile our refuse that the casteless call ‘Dust Town’, under the Golden Sector. There, the dregs of our society beg to their betters and form violent, brutal gangs they call ‘Cartas’. These Cartas have run unchecked for too long, and have become more bold since King Endrin Hammerfall’s death. Only a king can unite the Senate. Only a king can bring order and honour back into the hearts of Orzamule.”

Learning about the caste system made Applejack uncomfortable. It was good to know where one’s place was in the world, but to have it predetermined by what one’s father or mother did in life was unfair. Where was the choice? Where were the hopes and dreams? She started to feel sorry for the donkeys; in their fear of chaos, they had attempted to eliminate all aspects of random chance, and now a case of death was biting their order in the flank.

The noble donkey’s disdain for the casteless also left a bad taste in Applejack’s mouth. The venom he spat when he spoke of the beggar and criminal donkeys seemed genuine, and he believed that the foals of outcasts carried their sins. It was a flawed system, one that Applejack could not understand how or why the donkeys kept it after thousands of years.

Harrowmount stood up and walked over to a large map of the Dark Tunnels that adorned the wall. Taking a look for herself, Applejack noted many runes along the map indicating places, likely the thaigs she kept hearing about. This was a map of the Dark Tunnels before the ponyspawn overran them.

“Orzamule is in decline,” Harrowmount rumbled, “This I know all too well. Many of our people are leaving for the surface, for fear of the ponyspawn in the Dark Tunnels as well as the increase in crime in the city. With so much uncertainty and discord in the streets, Orzamule needs a king that will keep order, tradition, and honour strong and thriving within the city.”

“Somethin’ ah can appreciate, milord,” Applejack replied. “But how can us Wardens and friends be of use to you?”

“Ah, that is the question, isn’t it?” Harrowmount walked over to a chest in the far end of the room, sliding the top open with his hooves. Taking a scroll of parchment in his mouth, he laid the sheet across an open section of the table.

“This is a part of a map of the Dark Tunnels known as ‘Four Point Chasm,” Harrowmount explained as the party looked over the map. “A crossroad in the tunnels, if you will, that leads to many lost thaigs. They are filled with ponyspawn, and we even believe that one of their hives is situated in the heart of the Chasm. It is the same crossroads that the Paragon Branka and her entire house were lost in.”

“The only way to break the stalemate between myself and Prince Bhelen is to find the Paragon Branka, who ventured into Four Point Chasm years ago and convince her to support me. The donkeys in the senate will fall into line if a Paragon, the very perfection of a donkey’s skill and devotion to Orzamule, shows their support for me. I will not lie to you; she was lost in the deepest pits of the tunnels, and as I told you, what scouts we sent, and of the few that made it back, report it to be infested with ponyspawn.”

“That sounds dangerous and s-s-scary,” Fluttershy stammered, shutting herself away again from behind her hair.

“It is,” Harrowmount responded. “But it is better than the alternative. Weeks of debate. Months of plots. Years of bloody succession war. If the Wardens want an army of donkey warriors fighting the Blight, then they will go into the Dark Tunnels and find Branka.”

Applejack looked over the map carefully, taking in all the notes scribbled in both Equestrian and Donkey. It was strange at first to see readable text on one of their maps, but then a grey shield on the corner of the map where the compass would be caught her eye. It was thankful that Wardens helped chart the Dark Tunnels, likely to make their final days easier.

Still, the map itself was missing an entire section. While the road to Four Point Chasm was known, every path to the east was lost as the map was damaged. Pointing a hoof at the torn segment, Applejack looked to Harrowmount with a quizzical expression.

“Excuse me, but where is the rest o’ the map? And how the hay do ya even know Branka is alive? Ya said it yerself, them pits are filled with all sorts of nasty ponyspawn. How could one donkey survive fer so long on their own?”

“Branka took her entire house, save her husband, into the Dark Tunnels seeking something called the Storm Forge.” Harrowmount rolled up the map and nudged it towards Applejack. His eyes were fierce as he turned to the large map of the kingdom of Orzamule. “She is a resourceful donkey, skilled with the hammer both for the forge and for war. She is out there. If she truly has perished, you will find something, anything made by a Paragon. As long as I am the one who holds it, the Senate will believe the Paragons and the Stone itself has chosen me.

“Bhelen holds the other half of the map. This is good; your Warden friend went to meet with him and he likely gave her the other half. I will leave it to you to reunite the two sides. Just remember, Warden, that all of Orzamule rests on the decisions you make with your friends. I await news of your success.”

With a nod of his head, Harrowmount left the dining room, leaving the ponies alone. Pinkie walked over to Applejack’s side, watching the donkey leave until the door closed behind him. “What are we going to do?” she asked. Applejack simply shook her head.

“We’re findin’ Twilight and then we’re goin’ to the Dark Tunnels.” Her blood ran cold just from uttering the name of ponyspawn home. It was truly a den of evil, and they were going to dive in head first.

***

“The chairs are made of stone. The beds are made of stone. The tub was made of stone. I would have slept on the floor, but look, dear! More stone!”

Twilight gave a heavy sigh as her group walked towards the Proving Grounds. Their night in an old inn on the north side the Golden Sector was neither restful nor remotely comfortable. Add Rarity going on about the lack of beauty sleep, and every member of their group was a little on edge.

They stopped as they neared the bridge that lead towards the coliseum in the center of the mountain. The heat emanating from the depths under the bridge was dizzying, and as Twilight looked down over the edge, she discovered why. Far below their hooves, what was likely several furlongs’ distance between the bridge and the lower depths, were rivers of lava flowing freely with waves of heat rising to the bridge.

Wiping her brow with her hoof, Twilight gulped as she resumed her walk towards the Proving Grounds. It was a long way down to the lava rivers below, and Twilight didn’t want to stay in the sweltering heat any longer than necessary.

“Do you think there were ever any accidents?” Twilight asked as she looked to her friends. Shale looked over the edge of the bridge and merely chuckled.

“I am certain there were a few accidents,” it said, “but more than likely a few donkeys angered the wrong lord and were merely tossed off. I imagine the screaming would echo in the caverns for a while before silencing in a ball of fire. I approve wholeheartedly.”

Twilight shook her head as Shale enjoyed itself with glee, continuing to move forward where a sizable crowd of donkeys were waiting in line to enter the Proving Grounds. Waiting for them was the aide to Prince Hammerfall, who quickly approached them with an eager look in his eyes.

“Ah, good to finally see you again, Warden,” the aide greeted the party. “Come. We can skip the crowd and head to my lord’s private box. Today is a special day, where Prince Bhelen is hosting a tournament in the Proving Grounds in honour of his late father, King Endrin Hammerfall. Nothing is more sacred to the donkeys than the Grounds, except of course our Paragons. It is the hall of honour, where warriors meet and fight to see who is most worthy in the presence of the Stone. It is also where disputes between donkeys are settled with honour, courage and fine donkey steel.”

The inside of the main hall of the arena had little different from the rest of Orzamule. Statues of Paragons of the past, mostly warriors, lined the halls where donkeys conversed with each other over fighters and past battles. Like the Golden Sector, there were plenty of vendors hawking their wares to the nobles and other attendees who would give them the time of day, selling mostly confectioneries and other memorabilia. Twilight could see a mental image of Applejack, now with a stand of her own, selling apples to passers-by, and the valuable import attracting attention from donkeys everywhere.

Twilight blinked away the image as quickly as it arrived. She had Warden business to attend to.

Several donkeys, decked in heavy plated armour and with large weapons slung across their backs, stood tall around the main hall, though their mismatched or otherwise custom armour clearly made them out as contestants in the fights rather than the usual donkey guards. Many posed for awed fans, while others spoke to other donkeys dressed in lavish robes: likely sponsors of some kind.

Many donkeys took notice of the ponies and golem that entered, with some moving to whisper gossip while the warriors looked on with disdain. Several began to draw weapons, not to attack but rather to show off their strength. Rainbow Dash responded by rolling her eyes and stretching out a yawn.

“Snore. None of these donkeys look all that tough.” Twilight shook her head at Rainbow to be quiet as a rather muscular donkey in spiked armour approached.

“Not so tough?” he asked through gritted teeth. “Why I outta see you out there in the Grounds and show you ponies what a real fighter is worth, except I don’t wanna stain my mace with the blood of fillies. Go back to the surface and leave the real fighting to real stallions.”

As the large warrior left in a huff, leaving a tirade-ranting Rainbow in his wake, Twilight sighed and looked at the aide in confusion. The servant to Prince Bhelen was laughing as he wiped a tear from his eye.

“Your pegasus friend has stones, Warden,” the aide grinned. “That was Jorgen Blackmace, one of the most respected and feared fighters in the Proving Grounds today. His record is that of thirty-to-three, of which my lord Prince Bhelen is a proud owner of one of those victories. The other two were handed to Blackmace by Oghren, whom I have heard you met. Come, Prince Bhelen awaits us.”

The Prince’s private box was just as extravagant as Twilight estimated, filled with imported foods and goblets of wine as Bhelen looked down from his box onto the arena floor below. To his sides were jenny servants, as well as two guards standing watch at the door, allowing his aide and the ponies into the booth with a curt nod. Bhelen’s bronze armour and circlet shone in the light from the crystals overhead.

To the right of the private booth was a large podium where Twilight saw Speaker Cranky conversing with several other donkeys. The podium was much larger than the private booth, with plenty of room for all the spectators in the Grounds to both see Cranky and hear him clearly.

“Warden, thank you for coming,” Bhelen said as he turned to Twilight. “Come, sit with me while we wait for the first match to begin. I do so enjoy a day in the grounds watching Orzamule’s very best challenge each other to combat. What I enjoy more than the Grounds is laying the stones for Orzamule’s future, which I hope the Wardens realize will not only help Orzamule, but also their war against the Blight.”

Twilight sat next to Bhelen while the others stood near the edge of the prince’s bastion, watching as more attendees milled into the Proving Grounds. A lull came over the crowd as two warriors entered the arena, staring each other down as the Speaker took his place on the podium.

“Honourable donkeys of Orzamule, from workers, crafters, warriors and nobles, as well as our special guests from the surface world, I bid you all welcome! Today we celebrate the life of good King Endrin Hammerfall, who had ruled over Orzamule for well over seventy years, and brought both security and prosperity to all who dwell within our great halls. Through strength of arms and steel, we honour his memory, and urge his spirit to become one with the Stone!”

A chorus of cheers erupted from the grandstands as donkeys shouted for King Endrin to be taken with the Stone. Twilight took careful note that the voices were unanimous, the only moment in all her time in Orzamule that two sides were not diametrically opposed. Speaker Cranky was wise not to bring up the current troubles between Endrin’s son and Lord Harrowmount, and was doubly so by not bringing up order or chaos. Instead, it seemed the donkeys really did care for the life of the former king as chants for Endrin’s name began to drown out the Speaker’s voice until he smashed another gong.

After a few quick words, the match was underway, and the two combatants began what Twilight would have described as two rocks slamming against each other. The fight was brutal, with both donkey warriors swinging their weapons and kicking their hooves with reckless abandon. Rainbow and Spike were getting into the tournament, shouting for no combatant in particular, while Rarity kept away from the event, paying closer attention to her hooves than the choice form of donkey entertainment.

“Does anydonkey get hurt in these bouts?” Twilight asked Bhelen, who simply stared off into space with a bored expression in his face.

“Often,” he answered, turning his brown eyes to hers. “Bruises and broken bones are common. Deaths are few and far between, but they happen. It is part of a warrior’s training to fight without killing when the need arrives. Losing warriors in the Proving Grounds means less to fight against the ponyspawn. It is why some martial schools are not permitted to enter the Grounds, like the Berserkergang. I heard you met one such berserker, Oghren. Almost killed Blackmace twice in the grounds, and took down several guards in one of his berserker furies.”

The fight ended as brutally as it began, with one donkey bashing his opponent clean with the hilt of his axe before almost dropping the blade to the throat. The speaker rang the gong, signaling the end of the match before the axe-carrying donkey could deliver a final blow.

“Do you know what the biggest problem facing Orzamule today is?” Bhelen asked as the arena was being cleared of both blood and the combatants. “Decline. We lose more donkeys every year to the surface or to ponyspawn attacks. Not only that, but every time a criminal is condemned and stripped of their caste, they become nobodies who do nothing for Orzamule as a whole. They become criminals and murderers, and why should they care if we call them such? They are already casteless, damned in the eyes of the Stone. They do not pay taxes, do not fight wars. They are nothing.

“It is an old way of thinking, Warden. One I stood against because it only hurts Orzamule. My father supported the Order of the Stone and the old ways, as did my elder brother and sister, as does Lord Harrowmount today. Hundreds of donkeys could contribute to Orzamule if only they were given a chance. That is only if I become king.”

“They called you ‘Kinslayer’,” Twilight muttered, not meeting Bhelen’s eyes. “It is a serious accusation.”

“So it is. Still, there is no proof. And I was always taught sacrifices needed to be made for the greater good. If I was responsible for the deaths of my family, it would be for the good of Orzamule.”

Twilight’s blood ran cold as she watched two new fighters entered the arena. Bhelen may as well have just confessed to the entire stadium, for whatever good it did. She was a pony in the kingdom of donkeys, an outsider who had no voice in the grand scheme of Orzamule. The idea to give destitute donkeys a place in society, to be productive, was something she could get behind. However, The fact that its proponent was a lord who subtly admitted to killing his own family made her sick to her stomach.

“The Wardens want an army, but only the King of Orzamule can command the entire warrior caste,” Bhelen continued as he watched the fights with disinterest. “That means either wait for the debate to continue for months, which means the surface will likely have fallen to the Blight by then, or for a civil war which will decimate our ranks even further, or we take a third option.”

Bhelen stamped his hooves on the ground once. From his side, a servant with a large wooden case in his mouth came forward, laying the case on the table. With a flick from his mouth, the case was opened, revealing a portion of a large map of the Dark Tunnels.

Twilight studied the map intently, looking as both donkey and Equestrian writing marked the parchment. A leftover of Warden ventures? Twilight wondered as she regarded the map. Notes such as “likely a trap” were written nearly everywhere on the roads towards a great star in the corner that read Storm Forge.

“Several years ago, the Paragon Branka left Orzamule with her entire house except for her husband, who was drunk in a ditch,” Bhelen explained. “This is half of the last known map to Cairidan’s thaig where the Storm Forge lies. When I learned of Harrowmount snooping around for the last known location of Branka, I decided I had to act first and cut the map in half. I cut it to make sure Harrowmount knew I had the other half and that his greed would prevent him from destroying his portion. I am going out on a limb and suggest the other half of your party was given the other piece. The words of a Paragon, the personification of donkey achievement, will sway the votes in favour of one lord. I hereby put the fate of Orzamule in your hooves, Warden. Find the Paragon Branka or the Storm Forge. Otherwise you will not have your army.”

Twilight took a deep breath as the next fighter entered the arena. In the back of her mind, she knew they would have to travel into the Dark Tunnels for some reason or another. Whether it was to stop ponyspawn attacks on Orzamule for a brief time or for another mission, Twilight had mentally prepared herself for such a venture. It was the fact that she knew all too well that she was being used that disgusted her. Being near Bhelen was enough to make her want to turn away and back.

She immediately began to think about Applejack and her decision to go to Harrowmount and wondered if the earth pony had made the right decision. Or was likely being manipulated herself by the older noble. There was something about politics that Twilight had grown to dislike, and she felt badly that this was the fate of Applejack if she did take the throne.

The sad truth was plain as day though. To get the donkeys to lend their warriors against the Blight, the party would need to enter the Dark Tunnels, find Branka or Cairidan’s Storm Forge, and crown a king. Two players in the game, but only one could wear the crown.

She needed Applejack, and quickly. This was not a decision to make lightly, nor alone.

“Bhelen!” cried a voice from the arena floor. The prince, Twilight, and everyone else in the Proving Grounds looked down on the dirt floor below to see Jorgen Blackmace pacing back and forth in the center of the floor, his eyes hot with anger as he glared at Bhelen. True to his name, a large black mace with a spiked head was slung on his back.

“Bhelen! You coward! You cur! Kinslayer! Come down and face me in battle, or do you have no honour left! Will you hide and let weak, sniveling ponies do your work for you?”

“Who are you calling weak and sniveling!” Rainbow leapt up (onto) the ledge of the private booth, seething as Blackmace made his challenge. Twilight looked up with concern; while she did not appreciate the insults being hurled at her and her friends, she did not want to cause an incident with the donkeys.

Bhelen had other ideas, however, as he stood up and approached the edge of his private seat and looked down at Blackmace. There was a glint in his eyes Twilight was uncomfortable seeing that reminded her of a ponyspawn staring down its kill.

“You believe my friends and allies are weak and sniveling?” Bhelen responded, causing Twilight to flinch by being referred to as his “friend”. “Perhaps this pegasus warrior would like you to eat your words. Or perhaps we can find that old lout Oghren, and have him beat you a third time, piss drunk without his weapon!”

Blackmace reared, grabbing his weapon in his mouth before swinging it wildly in a display of force and savagery. Before Rainbow could fly out to meet the challenge, Twilight held her back with her magic. If she could stop a scene from happening, she would. They were already on tentative grounds.

“What gives, Twilight?” Rainbow asked furiously as Twilight folded the assassin’s wings together, “I’m not gonna let that jerk say whatever he wants without a challenge! Can’t you see our honour is at stake?”

“We’ve barely been down here a day and you’re talking about honour like a donkey,” Twilight hissed back. “We don’t want to cause an incident with the donkeys.”

“But Twilight, we can’t let that bully talk to us like that!” Spike argued, “I’m not even a pony and I feel he’s calling me a coward!”

“Twilight is quite right though, Spike,” Rarity interjected, “I disapprove of going down to such a barbaric level just to appease some brute.”

Shale said nothing.

“If you don’t fight, all these donkeys here will think you’re besmirching their honour, acting like true cowards, and weaken the overall view of the Wardens and of surface folk in particular.” Bhelen had overheard everything and leaned in to join the group as they debated, making his point a strong enough one to make Twilight release her spell on Rainbow. Damned if I do, damned if I don’t.

“Now that’s more like it!” Rainbow announced as she flew around the arena, showing off to the crowd as boos and hisses drowned out any cheers she may have received. As she landed a good distance away from Blackmace, Speaker Cranky made his voice boom through the stadium to announce the impromptu matchup.

“The following contest is an honour proving,” shouted the Speaker for all to hear. “Under the watchful eyes of the Stone and of the Paragons of Orzamule, may both fighters show their strength and prowess to the fullest. The match shall continue until one fighter is defeated, or they submit to their betters. To my left hoof is Jorgen Blackmace of the Warrior Caste, descendant of Markus Blackmace, Warrior Paragon! To my right hoof is Rainbow Dash, pegasus pony of Equestria. Fight with all your might, and may your steel sing true!”

Twilight watched with her nerves wracked as Rainbow and Blackmace circled slowly in the center of the ring before the donkey warrior launched himself into the air. With a twist of his head, Blackmace crashed his weapon onto the ground, moving with speed that surprised even Rainbow. Barely managing to avoid the attack, Rainbow leaped away from Blackmace, dagger held clenched in her teeth.

With a growl, Rainbow took off into the air, quickly flapping her wings towards Blackmace. Her intent clear, the donkey began to smack the head of his mace into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and dirt. The quickly created sandstorm was enough to not only blind Rainbow, but the stadium as well.

Ponies and donkeys coughed as the dust finally abated, only for Twilight and her friends to gasp in horror as Blackmace slammed his weapon into Rainbow’s side. The sound of cracking ribs and Rainbow’s cries were all Twilight could really hear as she looked down to Rainbow, who was struggling to keep steady. Her friend was faltering from the pain, and there was nothing she could do to prevent it.

“Tosh narok. You are brave, little pony.” Blackmace moved closer to strike again. “Brave, yet stupid to step into the ring with me. After I’m done with you, you’ll be little more than pony paste.”

Rainbow said nothing, only flapping her wings to give herself distance from her adversary. Once again, she prepared to dive towards Blackmace, and once again the warrior reared up to stamp on the ground, laughing all the way as he did. Twilight had no idea what sort of plan Rainbow was coming up with, but as far as she could tell, Rainbow was being stubborn with the repeat performance.

Blackmace was kicking up another storm, laughing as the dust rose from his hooves. Rainbow Dash smirked as her enemy laughed, halting in midair before Blackmace and keeping a stable hover. With her wings she began to flap hard, pushing the dust towards Blackmace. Unfettered by Rainbow’s display, Blackmace continued to kick up his own storm.

It was then, while Twilight was watching the bout, that she noticed Rainbow was hovering closer towards Blackmace. As soon as the two were in striking distance, the smirk disappeared and Rainbow quickly tossed her head in a violent attack, sinking her dagger deep between the folds of the donkey’s armour. Blackmace howled as blood poured from the wound, his attacker drawing her weapon and pushing him down to his side before holding the edge of the blade to his neck. The black mace fell from his mouth and thudded against dusty arena floor.

“The winner of this bout is Rainbow Dash of Equestria!” Cranky shouted after ringing his gong. Quickly, Rarity leaped to Rainbow‘s side as the fighters were separated, all of Rainbow’s adrenaline running dry from the bout.

Before Twilight could join them, Bhelen smiled as she turned to leave. “Just remember, Warden. All of Orzamule leaves their fate in your hooves.” Twilight eyes narrowed at the donkey prince returned to his wine. Bhelen likely thought he had this contest for the crown in the bag, and had no problem sending the ponies into the Dark Tunnels. After descending the stairs and making her way to the arena, she levitated a bottle of healing poultice.

Rainbow quickly took the poultice in her hooves and chugged the healing fluid before coughing heavily and clutching her ribs. “I thought Pinkie made these to have cherry flavour,” she complained, making a gagging motion with her tongue. “I never taste cherries, just blech. And how come it feels like the potion is tearing my insides apart?”

“Because you just drank poultice, which you rub on the skin,” Twilight chided as she helped Rainbow stand. “Still, I can’t think of a better way to get the healing to your sides. Do your ribs feel broken?”

“They feel fine now, Twilight. Just a lot of burning.” Rainbow winced as they left the arena to where the boos and the cheers of the donkeys seemed to conflict more fiercely than the combat within.

When they finally made it to the main hall of the Proving Grounds, Twilight tried to collect her thoughts. First she had to find Applejack, then get ready to enter the Dark Tunnels. A shiver went down her spine as she recalled everything she had learned about the home of the ponyspawn, but there were few options left to get the donkeys onto their side against the Blight. No matter what, they needed to unite with the dwellers of the underground. If that meant doing into the abyss, then that was what it was going to take.

Thankfully, they did not have to wait long to meet up with Applejack and her share of the party. Soon the two Wardens were face to face, looking sheepish as they both knew that the leaders they had just met had lived up to be less than expected. Bhelen proved to be a manipulative and possibly murderous despot who had good ideas about changing donkey society for the better, if only for his benefit. Harrowmount was an honourable type who wanted to keep the status quo the same as it had always been, even if it caused the stagnation and eventual decline of Orzamule and the donkeys within.

Both leaders seemed to agree with the same thing though, even if they never met on the subject. To break the stalemate, the Paragon Branka had to be found and choose a king. Thankfully, together the Grey Wardens had both pieces of the map that detailed all of the Dark Tunnel regions as well as Four Point Chasm leading to Cairidan’s Thaig.

Twilight felt disgusted at both leaders. The donkeys worshipped the Paragons, yet both nobles had held back the map for a proper expedition to find Branka for political reasons. Those same reasons were the only thing that made them want Branka now, not for spiritual or moral reasons. Just to have a donkey of importance choose who wears the crown instead of trying to save a life that would have inspired a city.

“We’ll have a good night’s rest before we go to the Dark Tunnels,” Twilight explained. “This is going to be the toughest part of the journey yet. The Fade, Red Apple Castle, the mountain, nothing compares to the Dark Tunnels. We are going into the very heart of the ponyspawn and Celestia knows what else dwells down there. Now that I think about, no sun or moon means they don’t know.”

“The T-T-Tunnels sound awfully s-s-scary and d-d-dangerous.” As Fluttershy shook out of sheer fright, Twilight bit her tongue. For a Chantry sister, going into the Dark Tunnels where the light of the celestial bodies could never reach was a special kind of torment.

“Gotta be brave, sugarcube,” Applejack soothed, laying a comforting hoof on the trembling pegasus’ shoulder, “It’s what we gotta do. If there was another way, ah’d take it. But there ain’t.”

“I won’t say I do not hold trepidations on this venture,” Rarity added. “But if we must, then we must. I will just have to reinforce my protection against dirt spell. The Dark Tunnels sound hideous.”

“It sounds awesome!” Rainbow made a couple of loops around the party’s heads before stretching a foreleg around the nervous Fluttershy’s shoulders, “Think about it! We are going into the very heart of evil itself! Ponies just don’t do that sort of thing! We’re going to legendary… uh… legends after this!”

“We just have to stay together, giggle at the ghastlies that lurk in all their lurkiness and try not to get eaten!” Despite Pinkie’s unusual optimism, it couldn’t help Twilight this time. The Dark Tunnels beckoned to her, and they beckoned with a haunting gurgle of black blood.

“Needless to say, the Great and Poweful Trixie does not fear these Dark Tunnels!” Twilight raised an eyebrow towards Trixie, who immediately coughed and made a follow up. “But she will practice due caution when exploring the dark recesses of the world. She’d rather not be eaten, you know.”

“I look forward to returning to the Dark Tunnels,” Shale said. “If my memories serve me correctly, it was there that I faced my first and only defeat. Revenge shall be swift, plentiful, and anything with more teeth and fangs than it ought to have will be squished in rapid succession.”

“I’m glad we have these talks right before venturing into certain danger and who-knows-what that could possibly maim, maul, or masticate us in brutal, barbaric, and baneful ways.” Twilight tried to smile, but the Dark Tunnels forced it into something more akin to a donlock’s slasher grin.

“Warden! Wait!” Twilight sighed, as it seemed right before they were about to go anywhere, there was always someone telling them to wait. The party turned around to see the drunken donkey from the other day galloping towards them.

As Oghren drew near, Twilight was ready to rankle her snout at the smell of stale ale that permeated the dishonoured warrior, only to find that Oghren smelled somewhat sober. He took a moment to catch his wind before speaking, thankfully his breath not reeking of fungus booze.

“Hey, Warden, sorry about the other night,” Oghren apologized as he finally settled down, “Got drunk, you know the story. But I heard from Bhelen and Harrowmount’s goons that you’re going into the tunnels to look for Branka. I’m coming with you, Warden. I know the Dark Tunnels like the back of my hoof, and I know just exactly what you’ll be facing inside. I’m also pretty darn good with an axe, if I do say so myself.

“Branka has been missing for years, and those sods in the Senate never lifted a hoof for her until now. I’m begging you, Warden; I need to go with you. I want my wife back!”

Twilight took a moment to consider the offer made to her by Oghren. It would be good to have a guide and another capable warrior to fight the ponyspawn with. It would make a perilous journey just that much easier.

On the other hoof, she wondered if her sanity would last while a drunken lech like Oghren was in her company. The donkey berserker let out a tremendous belch, scratched his flank with a hoof, and leered at Rarity while Spike stared daggers in his direction.

Better than stumbling around in the dark. “All right Oghren. You have yourself a deal. We’ll be going to the Dark Tunnels in the morning.”

Oghren laughed as he shook hooves with Twilight. “I promise you, Warden, you won’t regret it. Now who wants a drink and a good time with ol’ Oghren?”

---

Chapter 25 - Heart of the Pits

Twilight instantly regretted bringing Oghren along. He spent nearly an hour packing what he called “supplies”, all of which seemed to be varying degrees of alcohol. When asked why he was packing so many drinks, Oghren stated that everything he was packing was necessary. Sighs and groans of exasperation resounding in Oghren’s home, Twilight remained unimpressed as he continued to pack more alcohol.

When the group reached the gates of Orzamule that led into the Dark Tunnels, the guards were waiting for them with more practical supplies, as well as returning Oghren’s axe. Among the gifts were small light crystal torches, and plenty of rations made from a hardened substance Twilight didn’t dare to identify.

At the final gateway leading out of Orzamule, a couple of the guards walked up to Twilight. “There is very little foraging for food in the Tunnels, save the mushrooms, as anything found within is either poisonous or dead.” They produced two large satchels from their saddlebags, offering them to Twilight. “These are gifts to aid you from both Harrowmount and Prince Bhelen. Surface rations, canteens of water, and light crystals. To find fresh water, just look for underground streams. They are mostly untainted. Just don’t drink the black stuff.”

After receiving the packages and saying their farewells, they approached the road leading into the regions beyond Orzamule. Twilight swallowed her fears in an audible gulp. Just as the name implied, the Dark Tunnels descended into pitch-black caverns several leagues away from the city. Nothing but silence emanated from the bowels of the stone except for the echoes of cautious hooves on stone.

The Dark Tunnels were as rank as Twilight imagined, possibly even more so. The smell of mold permeated in the caverns closer to Orzamule, while smells from massive mushrooms made many of the ponies gag. The rock did not help matters, as the very stone was dark enough to make every twist and turn appear like a dead end. Every once in a while, Oghren would stop the march through the Tunnels to point out which mushrooms were edible and which were deadly poison. Knowing that relying on rations would deplete their foodstuffs quickly, Twilight listened to his advice and stopped the group to harvest whatever food they could.

The pungent stench of blood smelled the strongest inside the Dark Tunnels. More often than she was comfortable with, they would stumble across various bones and unmarked graves of those who fell in the dark. Ponyspawn and donkey remains alike stained the ground with blood, and leftovers of pyres could be seen to stretch for entire caverns until they came to a crossroad.

The map they used to navigate proved no better thanks to the utter darkness. Instead, they tried to create signs to show the way they were going, whether they were scratches on the ground, arrangement of rocks, or setting the bones of the slain in the shape of arrows. It was morbid to use a donkey’s bones like simple signage, but there was no way around it.

The first night camping in the Dark Tunnels was nerve racking to say the least. After what felt like a full day of marching, they stopped under a large rock formation that jutted from the walls. After Applejack started a campfire, pieces of edible mushroom and small cups of water were passed along to everypony. Shale kept watch as the others ate in silence, though the quiet was as comfortable as the noises coming from the caverns. Hisses echoed in the dark air while what sounded like grunts, growls, and even a scream reverberated in the empty stone corridors.

It took all of Twilight’s resolve, and then some, to try to keep her image of brave leader up. Yet even she could feel it in the air: the sheer oppression as the weight of the world bore down on all their shoulders and that they were in the darkest regions of the world. Somewhere in the Tunnels were enough ponyspawn to dwarf the force that attacked Ostequus, and they were heading right in their direction.

She looked to Applejack, and her fellow Warden appeared no better than she did. They said nothing, but both knew what the other was hearing: a hundred different heartbeats beating in chaotic unison above, below, and all around. Twilight tried to cover her ears when she attempted to sleep, but that was a futile gesture. She could hear the heartbeats as if they were her own until the sound was in harmony with her own thundering heart.

It was maddening, hearing the heartbeat of hundreds, if not thousands, of ponyspawn at once. There was no telling if they were close or near, if they were small donlocks or large minotaurs coming or going near their campsite. Every shadow seemed to hide a monster just waiting for Twilight to let down her guard. Her eyes widened as the shadows shifted into rusted ponyspawn blades, razor tusks and crushing hooves cloaked in the black abyss, twisting their way towards the group past the vigilant golem and eager for flesh.

They were getting closer. Had Shale gone blind? How could it not have noticed the ponyspawn approaching? Was the golem out of energy and needed the control rod to recharge?

“They’re coming!” Twilight shrieked as she readied her staff to fight off the attackers. “Everypony! Get up! The ponyspawn are here!”

Quickly the party stood up on their hooves and readied weapons to defend their camp from attackers. Fluttershy’s eyes were wide with fright as she ushered Angel Nuggy behind her, her hooves shaking as she attempted to ready an arrow. Trixie looked no braver as she leveled her staff forward, ready to strike with magic missiles against the darkness.

“Where are they?” Rainbow Dash said through the bit of her dagger. “I can’t see anything! Somepony get some light over there!”

Rarity complied, her horn glowing with magic as she pushed her staff towards the shadows. The magelight engulfed the area, but showed nothing but an empty rock cavern.

Applejack’s hoof on Twilight’s shoulder steadied her, and the violent shadows quickly recessed back to harmless corners. Blinking rapidly, she looked to where Rarity’s staff hovered, seeing that indeed, they were truly alone.

“Twilight,” Applejack said, “Yer hearing a lot of ponyspawn at once, somethin’ yer just not used to. Just calm down, and take deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. One and two… one and two…”

Twilight listened to her friend and followed her advice, taking deep breaths as she tried to drown out the noise of the ponyspawn hordes and their heartbeats. When she was sure that the beats sounded at least similar to her own, Twilight looked up to Applejack gratefully.

“This is gonna be the worst part of being a Warden, bein’ here in the Dark Tunnels,” Applejack explained. “We can hear them all. The deeper we go, the more we’re gonna hear. They’ll be loud, worse than wardrums until you hear their black blood flowin’ like it does in you. There is one benefit though.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, incredulous that there could be a benefit. “What’s that?”

“They can’t sense us either. Too many of them, and we sound just like the monsters. Now get some rest. We still have a long way to go.”

Sleep did not come easy, and many times Twilight’s eyes shot open whenever a particularly loud heartbeat thudded in her chest. Whatever sleep she did get was plagued with nightmares, always about the final battle against the ponyspawn horde on the surface. The Archdemon made his appearance known in the nightmares as well, covering the land in black fire and shouting the victory of despair.

Unable to sleep, Twilight roused herself to her hooves and stepped away from the slumbering members of the party. Her staff followed her as she walked the outside perimeter of their camp, its light glowing bright to reveal the stone hidden in the darkness.

Shale was still on watch to the south of the camp, being that it did not need to sleep, but Oghren had just taken over for Rainbow Dash to guard the north tunnel. He was more concerned with drinking and sharpening his axe than he was keeping sentry, though Twilight did attempt to hide her displeasure when she stood next to the donkey berserker.

“Warden,” Oghren said in greeting as he rubbed the blade of his axe across the whetstone. “No time for a romp right now. Gotta keep my eyes open for any ponyspawn.”

Twilight coughed as Oghren made his intentions known. This was starting off well. “For a donkey who wants to find his wife so badly that he would brave the Dark Tunnels with a group of strange ponies, you certainly don’t act very faithful.”

“I have been faithful.” Oghren looked at Twilight for a moment before slinging his axe across his back. “There is only one filly I love, and by the Stone that’s Branka. Rutting’s got nothing to do with it. The first time we met, we brawled for six hours. Did I get any then? No. The second time we made a huge ruckus of shouting and swearing that every colt and filly in all of Orzamule were repeating what we said, much to the horror of mothers everywhere. I still didn’t get a roll in the hay. It was when I finally cracked her over the head with a mug when she thought she had me down for the count that we finally started to bump uglies.”

“We got married, she became a Paragon, and then she went out to find that blasted Storm Forge. For years I always wondered what happened to her after she left for that sodding forge, and now I’m going to find out.”

“But why didn’t you go with her when she first left?” Twilight questioned, “And why did it take you so long to attempt a rescue?”

“You’ve seen the Senate firsthoof Warden,” Oghren snarled. “How they fight amongst themselves rather than do anything useful, even for a Paragon! Without their support, how is one donkey going to go into the Deep Pits, the very home of the ponyspawn where the Forge is supposed to be? I couldn’t go by myself, that’d be suicide. As for why she left me behind and took the entire Clan we had together, well… I just don’t know. I woke up drunk after she held a party, and next thing I know, she’s gone.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Twilight whispered as she stared into the darkness. What would it have been like to find out the pony you loved had left in the middle of the night with all your family and friends? It spoke volumes about why Oghren was a drunk. Something told her the booze was either to help him forget or cope, maybe both.

“Eh, we’ll find her, I’m sure of it,” Oghren reassured. “I trained her in the same school of fighting I belong to, the Berserkergang. She’s also the best example of a smartass in all of Orzamule. If anydonkey could survive in here, she could. She’s probably already at the Storm Forge as we speak!”

“Berserkergang School?” Twilight asked, cocking her head in confusion.

“‘School’ may be pushing it.” Oghren chuckled. “Some folks need to control their anger. That’s essentially what the Berserkergang teaches, except instead of shoving it away, berserkers embrace it. We get so sodding mad, everything looks like a diamond dog or a ponyspawn and we just want to hack it to pieces. We’re so close to chaos, we’re told from the moment we become berserkers that the Stone will just spit us out when we die. My dad was a berserker and his dad before him, so I figured, why not? Let’s get drunk, angry, and cut up ponyspawn all the easier.”

Oghren gave a great laugh at the thought before clenching a bottle of foul smelling alcohol in his teeth and downing the contents. He smiled after he finished, tossing the bottle into the shadows before drawing out another.

“Come on, Warden, have a drink with old Oghren. It’s my own special blend.” Twilight looked at the bottle with a critical eye, noting the brown fluid within and its smell that resembled something from the Unicorn Tower’s cellars after a fireball had wiped out the mutated rats. The unicorn looked up at Oghren with fear in her eyes.

“I have to drink this?”

“Damn right,” Oghren said. “If you want to be battle buddies, we drink!”

Twilight could only give forced chuckles as she lifted the bottle with her magic. Oghren leered at her as she tilted the bottle back, and then took a big swig of the drink. At first she thought she had drank mud as it flowed down her throat. Her throat started to burn and her eyes began to water, and then came the coughing and the itchiness in her hooves.

Then there was darkness and a loud thud.

***

“What did you do?!”

“Just gave her my own ale recipe.”

“And what exactly is in this ale?”

“Usual stuff like fungus, lichens, dirt. Added some various surface herbs and spices to give it more kick. Oh, some lyrium and rubbing alcohol. To get drunk quicker.”

“What?!”

Twilight groaned as she leaned up on her hooves, her head pounding with a painful headache. The stone caverns appeared to be spinning until she pressed her head against a hoof. There was a disgusting after taste in her mouth that made her wretch, and her throat felt inflamed and sore.

“Oh, darling, you look simply awful,” Rarity gasped as she helped keep Twilight steady. After a fit of coughs, Twilight motioned for a cup of water, unable to speak except for raspy squeaks. She tried to recall what she had drank before falling over, only to have the memory of Oghren’s unique brew make her recoil in horror.

“Guess she couldn’t take her liquor.” Oghren chuckled, only to be smacked in the shoulder by Applejack.

“Steady now, steady,” Applejack soothed gently. “You fell over after drinkin’ that swill. How do you feel?”

“Like horseapples,” Twilight replied. She lifted the small cup of water with her magic and downed the contents. It was warm and stale, not refreshing at all. However, compared to that drink she had just consumed, it was the best taste she had ever experienced.

Pinkie passed over one of her stamina draughts which Twilight drank quickly. The orange drink was invigorating and also acted as a good distraction from the rest of the aches. It was as if her body was in open revolution against her, from her head to her hooves.

Oghren eventually apologized for making Twilight sick, if only because Applejack was looming over him threateningly. Camp was broken soon after, with the party ready to resume their march to Four Point Chasm. The path was still pitch-black, and every once in a while, Twilight had to stop to drink some more water to remove the taint of foul booze from her mouth. Only drinking the potion from the Joining could match the foulness of whatever Oghren had given her.

With another day of uneventful travel completed, camp was set up again inside a smaller stone formation. Using her staff as a source of light, Twilight drew the map from her saddle bag and set it down on a flat surface, the party joining her in studying the twisted maze that was the Dark Tunnels. The map pointed out two ways of travel: one that would take them through long abandoned roads used by the donkeys to travel between Orzamule and the outlying thaigs, while another, much shorter path lead straight to the Chasm. Skull and crossbones marked the passage way.

“I don’t like the looks of that,” Twilight commented as she pointed out the shortcut. “Maybe we should stick to the main roads.”

“That’s too long!” Rainbow complained as she shoved a hoof towards the shortcut. “We don’t have a lot of time, right? We should take the faster route and be that much closer to the Storm Forge.”

“We can’t just rush in blind.” Applejack looked on at the map with worry. “Wardens helped chart the course. Whatever is down there that they feel it necessary to leave old bones on a map worries me somethin’ fierce.”

It was a dilemma to be sure. Fast yet dangerous, or slow yet relatively safe. Twilight rubbed her chin as she looked at the map before turning her eyes to Shale. The golem merely stared back at her before letting out a long, drawn out sigh.

“The purple one wants me to scout again, doesn’t it,” Shale said dryly. Twilight nodded as she pointed out the shortcut.

“You’re the strongest of us all, Shale,” Twilight explained. “Blades and teeth don’t hurt you, you don’t tire, and you are immune to the ponyspawn poison blood. If anyone can scout ahead, it’s you.”

“Very well,” Shale consented, “But I will need a source of light. I may be all that you described and much, much more, but I still cannot see in the dark.”

“I’ll go with Rocky,” Oghren volunteered, standing beside the golem and ignoring the death-stare Shale was giving him. “I know the Tunnels. We’ll scout out the shortcut, see what’s going on, and then come on back.”

The party agreed, and with light crystals secured against their hides, the golem and donkey duo departed into the shortcut. Twilight sighed as she watched the light of their torches slowly be consumed by darkness; she would now have to play the waiting game.

It was difficult, waiting for Shale and Oghren to return as they sat in the cave with only the light from a campfire to give comfort. Tension was high as Twilight could still hear the heartbeats of hundreds of ponyspawn around them, and no amount of study or distraction could peel her thoughts away from the sound of hearts beating with black blood.

They ate charred mushrooms in silence as they waited, with only the barest amount of conversation spoken. It was not until Fluttershy opened her saddle bag and noticed that some of her rations and collected pieces of mushrooms were missing did the party become alert.

“We’re not alone,” Rainbow muttered as she looked around their shelter. Twilight perked her ears as her friends readied themselves for battle. Listening intently, Twilight could only hear the thudding of monstrous hearts and her heart ringing in her ears.

Fluttershy shivered as she stepped backwards into the rock; Angel gripped her head as she moved away. She jumped into the air with fright as she bumped into something that also leapt in shock, running away on its hooves into the Dark Tunnels.

“After him!” Rainbow called, taking flight to give chase to the thief. The others soon galloped after the assassin, trailing behind as Rainbow disappeared into the darkness with a torch in her mouth. With a curse, Twilight urged her staff forward to give them light; the hot-head had rushed into the unknown, and it would be all too easy for something to catch her unawares.

A crash up ahead and the sound of falling rocks worried Twilight until they found Rainbow sprawled on the dirt, rubbing her head. “The thief knows the tunnels,” she spat, “Knew all the twists and turns. We have to catch him!”

“Follow me!” Twilight said, lowering her glowing staff like a torch as they ran through the tunnels. Galloping hooves broke the silence of the caves as they ran in chase of the thief, whose heavy wheezing betrayed his location.

As they gave chase, the tunnels became narrower, with more arcs and bends until it became difficult for the party to continue at full gallop. They slowed to a trot and formed a single file line, with Twilight taking point. Oddly, the heartbeats she heard from the ponyspawn became slightly quieter the deeper into this cavern she went, as if she was moving away from the bulk of the horde. She looked to Applejack, who had her sword held tight in her mouth; her fellow Warden gave a slight shrug, and then turned her attention to the cave.

Eventually they emerged from the narrow cavern into a wider one, the glow from several light crystals illuminating the rocky den. Inside, piles of refuse and junk lined the walls while a small campfire gave the room some warmth. There, trembling in a corner of the cave was a sickly donkey, dull eyes looking at the encroaching ponies with utter terror. Littered about the room were corpses of ponyspawn, mostly donlocks which were in various stages of decay. They all appeared to be half-eaten.

Twilight held up a hoof to keep the others back. Like any cornered creature, this donkey would become dangerous if threatened. With a slight look at her staff, the magelight dissipated, and the staff floated behind her. She looked to the other ponies, who slowly put away their weapons.

Her heart broke as she took cautious steps forward to the donkey. He was the most wretched equine she had seen in her journeys. Emancipated, his ribs showed clearly against a mottled coat of grey, and his hooves were lined with cracks. A good portion of his tail was missing, as well as a large chunk of his right ear. From the donkey came an incredibly noxious smell, which Twilight could only guess was years of sweat, blood, and dirt building up against his coat.

His eyes were the most disturbing, being bloodshot but with black veins instead of red. His irises were languid grey, and he had huge black pits under his eyes, denoting a complete lack of proper sleep. Behind those eyes was fear for his life as Twilight tried to step forward.

“Go away!” His voice cracked in mid-sob. “Go away! Leave Ruck be! No hurt Ruck! Ruck do nothing! Ruck no hurt you!”

“Shh…” Twilight soothed as she tried to communicate. “I’m not here to hurt you. None of us here will. Your name is Ruck? My name is Twilight. I’m a Grey Warden.”

The mention of the Grey Wardens made Ruck’s whole ear perk upwards. He took a few tentative hoofsteps forward until his features could be clearly seen in the light of the fire. Rarity let out a gasp at Ruck’s squalor, though she made no further comment.

“You Wardens?” he asked, “Your heart, beat like monsters. Beat like Ruck. But not monster. Wardens nice. They give Ruck food and wood and water when they come. They don’t stay though. They go to the Pits. They go to die. Make Ruck sad.”

“Twilight, careful,” Applejack said, standing next to Twilight. “Ruck’s a ghoul: somepony who got raw ponyspawn blood in them. If the blood doesn’t kill outright, it will make a pony become like the ponyspawn. Only becoming a Grey Warden can cure it. Never seen a donkey ghoul though; maybe they’re more resistant to the Taint.”

Ruck was closer now, and Twilight could see the lines under his eyes and just how dirty and bruised his body was. With his good ear hanging low, Ruck spoke in a shaky voice.

“You… you not donkey,” he said, pointing a hoof at Twilight. “You different. You pretty. You clean. But not like clean donkey who hurt Ruck. Not like Master Branka. She yell at Ruck. She hurt Ruck. Then she goes to Pits. Says Ruck should be eaten by the ‘spawn.”

“Ruck no want die then. Ruck want live. Ruck find ‘spawn who get lost from horde. Ruck kill. Ruck eat. Ruck feel sick, but Ruck live. So long Ruck do this. Just Ruck in the Tunnels, eating monster and mushroom. Always hiding. Always listening to the beat of hearts. Can’t remember face of other donkey, except for Master Branka and…and…”

The wretch broke down into sobs, vile black tears oozing from his eyes as he cried. Fluttershy mustered herself forward, holding Ruck steady as he cried. She looked up at Twilight and Applejack with tears of her own as Ruck continued to weep. The sound of hooves against stone made them all turn to the entrance of Ruck’s cave to see Oghren standing there. His face was dour, but he remained silent. Shale was not with him, being unable to fit into the narrow passage way.

“You were with Branka?” Twilight asked. “What happened? Were you with her house when they searched for the Storm Forge?”

“Ruck was good worker, wanted to make mama proud,” the desolate donkey replied. “Branka promised wealth. Many donkey go with her to the Tunnels. We find thaig in gorge, Branka say ‘fix thaig’. Ruck good worker. We find monster in the dark. Hoofs and wings and teeth! Branka say ‘fight monster’. Ruck good worker, not warrior. Scared. Then we go to Pits. Branka says ‘go die’.”

“Traps! Monsters! Every time we go into Pits, more and more donkey fall. Blood everywhere! Jacks die! Jennies taken! Ruck run to Master, but Branka has new house. House of stone. Donkeys of stone. Branka find Ruck. Branka beat Ruck. Tell Ruck to die.”

“Ruck live in Tunnels. But Ruck no sleep! Ruck eat monster, hear their hearts as his! Always close! Ruck find tunnel where he be safe. Monster don’t find Ruck. No monster. No teeth or hammer. But Ruck tired. So tired. Ruck want sleep. Ruck want no nightmares.”

As Fluttershy stroked Ruck’s messy mane, Twilight felt anger rise within her. Branka was supposed to be donkey perfection, a hero amongst her people. How could she have asked her entire house to enter this place called “the Pits” and die for her? How could she discard her House?

Then there was the line that worried Twilight. Branka had a house of stone, donkeys of stone. If Ruck was right, Branka had found golems just like Shale, and she had many of them. Branka would be well protected, but was she worth finding now, knowing that the Paragon of Orzamule had willingly sent so many to their deaths?

“Branka…” Oghren muttered, only to trail off and stare at his hooves. Fluttershy looked up at Twilight.

“We need to help him,” Fluttershy said. “We can use our Star Strand on him. Heal him of the Taint.”

“We need to save those strands for emergencies,” Trixie countered. “We only have three left.”

“Ah hate to agree with Trixie, Twilight, but fer another reason.” Applejack sighed, shaking her head. “We saw that the Star Strand could heal Applebloom’s body, but her mind was still in shambles. It will take months, if not years fer her to let the wounds of the mind heal. Even if the Strand could heal the Taint, he’d still have the mind of a ghoul. We don’t even know if he’ll survive without the ponyspawn blood.”

“Maybe Ruck can get help,” Twilight said, looking to Oghren. “If Ruck was no longer a ghoul, could he go back to Orzamule?”

Oghren shook his head. “If the guards don’t kill him on the spot for being a suspected ghoul, they’ll kill him for cowardice. Donkeys who go into the Tunnels are only supposed to return if they made some sort of progress. One donkey coming back would look bad enough. Once they confirmed who he was, they’d kill him for abandoning a Paragon.”

Twilight’s ears drooped as she looked to Ruck. There was no way to win; they could heal him, only to leave him to his fate as an insane donkey in the Dark Tunnels. Orzamule would kill him. Leaving him like this would only prolong his suffering.

Damn it, Twilight cursed, Why? Why can’t I help him? What good is being a Warden if I can’t help one broken donkey against the ponyspawn and their blood!?

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a cracked hoof touch her face. Ruck was looking into her eyes, almost pleading. “You look like Mama,” he said. “Kind eyes. Thoughtful eyes. Ruck no want scared anymore. Ruck want sleep. Please. Mercy.”

Lowering her head, Twilight had to make a decision. Leave Ruck, try to heal him, or give him what he wanted. Give him a merciful death. She felt cold as she considered her options. Nothing was right, everything was wrong, and she had to choose how this one life was going to end.

She took her breaths deep and slow, in the same calming way as First Enchanter Wise Eyes taught all the students of the Unicorn Tower. She took air in through the nose, then out through the mouth. Her body trembled as she looked down at the begging Ruck, who remained silent.

Her mind’s eye went back to the day of Rainbow’s ambush in the fields of Equestria, of freezing the pegasi assassin Redwing with arcane ice. If there was one thing she was grateful for, it was that during their journey to unite the equines of the land, she had not slain another pony. Monsters, demons, and a high dragon she could deal with. They could not be reasoned with.

This was something else. Something inexplicable that Twilight couldn’t wrap her head around. There was a sick logic behind it which made her ill. Yet who was she to deny a donkey his final wish?

“Leave us,” Twilight ordered as she brought her staff forward. “I don’t want anypony to see this. What I’m about to do.”

Everypony stayed put, much to Twilight’s relief and dismay. “No can do, sugarcube,” Applejack objected, “We can’t just leave you to suffer this alone. If you want, I can do it.”

“I’ll do it,” Rainbow offered. “I’m used to it. Assassin and stuff. I can make it quick and painless.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said softly, her smile weak. “But I feel I have to do it. Just… thank you for helping me.”

Ruck turned away, walking slowly towards his campfire before lying down, as if to sleep. Twilight followed with Fluttershy beside her, both somber as they looked down on the donkey before them. Then, much to Twilight’s surprise, Fluttershy began to sing.

“Hush now, quiet now,

It’s time to lay your sleeping head,

Hush now, quiet now,

It’s time to go to bed...”

It was difficult for Twilight to focus the magic needed. As a donkey, Ruck had some natural resistance to magic, though the Taint weakened this somewhat. If she used her staff, Twilight would have had an easier time, but this was something that had to come from her and her alone. Not amplified by an instrument.

Strands of magic flowed from her horn towards Ruck’s body until they found his heart. As Fluttershy continued to sing, she twisted her magic until it formed a vice around his organ. Tears in her eyes, Twilight raised a hoof towards Ruck’s face, stroking it tenderly as a mother would her foal.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered while Fluttershy ended her song. “I should have done more.”

“No sorry,” Ruck said back. “Ruck want sleep. Ruck get sleep. Thank you.”

It was now or never. Before she could hesitate or release the hold on his heart, Twilight gave a sharp cry, turning away as her horn flared with magic. Ruck exhaled one last time and peacefully fell asleep.

Nary an eye was dry as Twilight hurled herself against Applejack’s shoulder, weeping bitterly as the others looked on at the body. Even Oghren allowed a few scant tears as he paced the length of the cave, muttering obscenities. Rainbow kicked the wall in anger as Pinkie held her face in her hooves. Fluttershy stood over the body with Angel standing next to her as she cried. Rarity pressed a kerchief to her eyes. Spike took Twilight’s foreleg in a tight embrace, which she reciprocated by nuzzling against his scaly head.

Oghren then began to move with purpose, scouring the room for rocks of all sizes and shapes and pushing them towards the body of Ruck. “What are you all waitin’ for?” he asked. “Help me out. We’re giving this blighter a cairn.”

They worked in silence, moving rocks towards Ruck and reverently placing them over the body until the entire donkey was covered in stone. Oghren stood over the cairn, before placing both hooves onto the cairn.

“Stone keep you. Stone protect you. As we are born of the Stone, so we return to the Stone. All who lay their eyes and hooves upon the Stone where you now lay beg that you find peace.” Suddenly Oghren reared up before slamming his hooves against the cairn three times, each time followed by a strange donkey curse. The cairn did not budge no matter the strike.

“Not a religious jackass,” Oghren explained, “but I figure the blighter needed a good sendoff after living like he did. All because of Branka. Come on, Warden. Me and that golem of yours have some news, and you won’t like hearing it.”

They walked through the winding tunnels of the cavern before emerging on the other side. Shale was waiting for them, light torches still hanging from its side. “Good, the ponies and the drunk have returned,” it remarked. “Though the fear on the faces before has been replaced. What has happened?”

“We’ll tell you soon enough,” Twilight said, her voice flat as she looked on into the Dark Tunnels. “Oghren said you have news?”

“Oh yes. We explored the small short tunnel briefly, and it is indeed a much quicker route. I don’t see any problem using that route.”

“That’s because you’re not telling them about the terrasprites,” Oghren snapped. “Damn tunnel is filled with them. Think flying mouths filled with sharp teeth and you’ve got an idea what they are. Some say the ponyspawn corrupted a surface critter with their blood to make the terrasprites. Dunno if it’s true, not that it matters. They make crawling through the tunnels murder though.”

Twilight let out an exasperated sigh. The shortest route was infested by flesh eating insects, so of course Shale wasn’t worried thanks to being made of stone. That left the long route.

“Now there is a bit of silver in this mine,” Oghren continued. “The floor is completely covered in their crap. There’s enough that even old Rocky here can walk through as silent as a nug. Terrasprites are blind, and they rely on sense of hearing to get around and find blighters to munch on. As long as we’re quiet, we can walk right through the pass to Four Point Chasm and cut a week of travel with only a few hours in this cave. Or we go the long road.”

There was tremendous appeal to cutting a week of travel time between here and the crossroads. While the idea of walking through feces was repugnant, it was nothing Twilight couldn’t handle. Rarity was making her objections well known, however.

“Darling, you cannot possibly be considering going into such a disgusting, revolting, simply vile cavern filled with… dung.” Rarity looked at Twilight with quivering lip and huge eyes, hoping beyond hope that such a display would sway the party leader. Twilight’s face was as solid as stone, adamant and unflinching.

After a quick moment of pouting from Rarity, the party resumed their march in the Dark Tunnels, heading towards the shortcut as detailed on the map. Twilight kept looking back behind her as the thrum of a thousand beating hearts joined hers in chorus, thinking back on Ruck and his impromptu tomb.

With the threat of ponyspawn lurking around every corner and the constant beating in her heart, the sense of adventure and accomplishment before entering the caves had diminished. In its place were only uncertainty, fear, and trepidation. Every shadow was an enemy, and every rock was a tombstone for all who had fallen within the darkness.

They approached the entrance of the shortcut with hesitation as black droppings flowed like a sickening river from the mouth of the cave. Twilight peered in, looking about the pitch-black hall where no light crystals stood to give a sense of direction. There was a scraping noise from the cave, but Twilight dared not hazard a guess if it was the terrasprites’ wings, or their fangs.

“Oghren,” Twilight said as she turned to Oghren. “Ruck mentioned something called the ‘Pits’.”

“Makes ya shake with anticipation, doesn’t it?” Oghren replied, chuckling. “The Pits are the darkest, deepest regions of the Tunnels where no light crystals are found. It’s where the ponyspawn hives are at their thickest, and not even the warrior school Legion of the Dead dare go. They say lost donkey thaigs and cities are in the Pits, but nodonkey goes that far in. If Ruck is right, Branka is down there, and so is that blasted Storm Forge.”

Twilight nodded as Oghren moved to the fore of the group. “I’ll take point,” he said. “Get old stone-flanks to watch the rear. We can use light, but whatever you do, don’t make a sound.”

Light crystal torches were held secure and magelight sparked from the unicorns’ staves before they braved the passage. Walking in single file, Twilight ignored the squelching noises under her hooves, focusing on what was roosting above her head, brimming with savage hunger for flesh.

The terrasprites were just as Oghren described. As large as a pony’s skull, they were little more than mouths on four large insect wings, with gaping maws breathing slowly. Their teeth were yellow and moldy, but still holding razor edges to bite and shred skin. They had spherical bodies covered in black fuzz, and they had no discernible eyes.

The slightest squeak from Fluttershy as the magelight revealed the sleeping abominations made the swarms above their heads shake for a moment. Everyone stopped suddenly, staring up at the terrasprites, waiting for anything to happen. Fighting such beasts would be difficult inside such a narrow cave. With a flick of her magic, Twilight moved her staff between the group and the terrasprites in case they woke up. On her back, she could feel Spike shift about, moving a scaly hand towards his burning blade.

A single terrasprite dislodged itself from its roost, flying about the cave on buzzing wings. Every once in a while it would screech as it flew, with others of the colony replying with their own screeches. Each pony stood as statues, fighters slowly craning their necks for their weapons in the event of an attack.

After a few passes overhead, the one terrasprite returned to roost. If she could, Twilight would have breathed a sigh of relief. Oghren continued to move, prompting Twilight and the others to keep close. When she turned to look at the others, the terror she felt was clearly painted on their faces.

As the crystal torch that hung off Oghren’s side dipped, noting a decline in the cave, Twilight held back and kept her magelight bright as she let the other ponies past. Pinkie stepped by her first, the worry in her eyes a stark contrast from her usual jovial nature. The Dark Tunnels were getting to her as much as they were getting to Twilight. Rainbow Dash followed behind, her wings flexing and begging to be used, though the close confines of the Tunnels denied this.

Applejack kept her eyes on the roof of the cave when she stepped past Twilight, giving short eye contact and a quick nod of assurance. This was deeper than Applejack had ever gone to, and her experience ended before this shortcut. Behind her, Fluttershy shivered as she moved, muttering prayers to the Sisters while Angel never took his little eyes off of the terrasprites. Trixie came soon after, eyes just as wide as the nug’s as she traversed the cave.

Rarity was next, who looked at the ground like it was lava from a flowing volcano, and her hooves were being burnt alive. No anti-dirt spell would save her now, and if it were any other situation, Twilight would have found Rarity’s disgust humourous. The Dark Tunnels were not a place of jokes, Twilight decided, and said nothing as her fellow unicorn disdainfully continued her march.

Shale was last in line, and after checking to make sure no terrasprites would follow, Twilight used her magic to levitate the golem gently onto the feces ground below. She flinched as Shale’s hooves made slopping noises as it landed, shooting her head upwards to see if the buzzing monsters were disturbed. Thankfully, they remained asleep.

Twilight wished they were moving in utter silence, but for Twilight the heartbeats of the ponyspawn were only getting louder, thousands of beats ringing in unison. Her head on a swivel, she looked about the cavern as she did the first night in the Dark Tunnels, eyes searching for any ponyspawn ambush that was bound to happen. She could hear them all; surely they could hear her and Applejack as well.

There was no sign of ponyspawn or of anything except the terrasprites that made their home in the small cavern. Despite the small mercy, Twilight still felt she was trotting on the razor’s edge. One small sound could alert the entire colony into a feeding frenzy.

The sound of a crack alerted everypony, who turned to see a small group of terrasprites bundling up against a stalagtite. The pushing of the terrasprites caused the rock to crack until it fell into the dung-filled floor below, splashing Rarity with excrement.

Twilight winced as she watched Rarity shake with anger at being splashed. Her eyes trailed to the roof of the cavern as thousands of wings hummed to life at the sound of the falling rock. The terrasprites did not move, however, only buzzing their wings as they continued to sleep. Twilight took a deep breath. They were too close now for simple accidents to jeopardize everything.

She then felt a rumble, not from the earth but in her chest, one that she had not felt since Stableshire. Twilight pressed a hoof to her chest as her ears perked up, listening as one heartbeat ruled over all others including her own. A minotaur was nearby.

THUD.

It knows we’re here. Twilight cursed, focusing her magic into her staff and preparing a spell of arcane cold. As her staff began to ice over, the other ponies drew weapons. This was between the maws of the terrasprites and the jaws of the ponyspawn in the very heart of darkness. If it were anything else, Twilight would have laughed.

THUD.

“With me, my friends.” Twilight looked to the party, who stood ready to fight.

The walls of the caves burst open, rocks and dust flying everywhere as the minotaur stuck its head through the hole, roaring with primal fury. Donlocks moved about under him, hissing and chattering their teeth as they surged forward. Above it all, the terrasprites awoke, gnashing their teeth as they swarmed towards pony and monster alike.

Shrieks, shouts and charges happened all at once to turn the small cave into a chaotic battlefield. Three forces fought in a chaotic dance of savagery and desperation. Shale rushed forward, slamming its rocky head against the chest of the mintotaur. Applejack gave a battlecry through her sword-bit, pushing back the donlocks along with Rainbow and Oghren, while Trixie, Rarity, and Fluttershy held off the storm of terrasprites at range.

“Shout havoc!” Oghren laughed, swinging his axe to and fro, cleaving any donlock that got near. “Crying is for foals! Let loose the dogs of war anyways! Ha ha! Tosh narok!”

Oghren charged, challenging several donlocks on his own. As he fought, Twilight turned her staff to the terrasprites, her cone of cold frost blasting from the top of her staff in a spray, freezing the carnivorous insects. Those frozen by the ice fell to the ground, bursting into shards.

Another hiss echoed, and more ponyspawn struggled to pile into the cavern. Thelocks now joined the fray, their mouths dripping with black ichor as they urged themselves into the cave, eager to rend flesh against their tusks. Pinkie held them back by launching several grenades, each blast shaking the earth above their heads. Rocks fell, slamming against pony, terrasprite, and ponyspawn heads alike.

“Pinkie!” Twilight called after blasting an incoming thelock in the face. “No bombs! We can’t let this cave fall on top of us!”

The fighting continued in earnest with the ponies pushing for the breach made by the minotaur. As they entered into a much wider cavern, Twilight saw Shale still fighting the minotaur, but unlike the massive monster it fought in Stableshire, the golem was making much faster work of the battle. The augmentation crystals on its body glowed with magical power. The green crystals shone like emeralds every time Shale took a blow, absorbing the damage from the minotaur. The red crystals glowed like fire when Shale attacked, setting its hooves on fire and scorching the creature’s flesh with every strike.

Rainbow took advantage of the wider cavern, taking flight and moving like a razor wind, slicing terrasprites in one pass and cutting the minotaur with another. The combined strikes from golem and pegasi were too much for the minotaur, who succumbed to his wounds with a loud crash.

Twilight basked in the victory until she felt her heartbeat feel like it was slamming against her chest. Another minotaur. She turned with Applejack to the direction the Warden senses told her, to see another of the beasts cresting over the hill, this time with a passenger balanced on its shoulder.

Jumping from its ledge, the ornlock was unlike any Twilight had encountered. Tall and slender like its brethren, sporting a curved horn jutting from its forehead, this ornlock had a mouth of blunt, black teeth with a long chain gripped within. Similar chains were wrapped around the ornlock’s eyes, seemingly rendering it blind, while other metal links were tied around its hooves and torso. The creature hissed, looking about at the ponies before giving a blood curdling scream. Behind him, more donlocks and thelocks emerged from the shadows, charging forward to continue the fight.

The chained ornlock felt powerful and old, much more than any other ponyspawn Twilight had ever encountered before. It stood on its vantage point, looking down on the battlefield and barking orders in whatever black tongue the ponyspawn used for speech.

“Defensive lines!” Twilight called. “We need to stay together!”

Shale and Oghren ignored her, the former going after the second minotaur, and the latter lost to the berserker lust for battle as he continued to laugh and fight. The pair moved together to meet the foe at once, causing whatever kind of cohesion the party had to be strained. The terrasprites seemed to be endless as they poured from the crevice near their roosts.

“Pinkie! Use a bomb on the cave! We can’t deal with the terrasprites and the ponyspawn!” Pinkie nodded, priming a grenade and flinging it with her tail, the brass ball bouncing for a moment before detonating in blue fire. It was a poor decision, Twilight knew, to close off their only means to return to Orzamule. It had to be done, lest they fight on two fronts.

As focus turned from the terrasprites to the new force of ponyspawn, Twilight cried out in pain as a sharp point pierced the flesh of her foreleg. She looked down to see a hook embedded in her leg near the hoof, tightly coiled and the point pulling her coat open to expose the wound. The other end was held tight by the ornlock.

Eyes focused on the ponyspawn mage, Twilight channeled her magic into a quick arcane burst to weaken the hold on the chain. The dark metal then began to glow, stinging her from hoof to horn and forcing her concentration away from her spell to the chain. The chain shone with eerie blue light, just the same as lyrium.

“Twilight!” Applejack called, only to be blocked from helping by a large thelock. Twilight reeled from the pain of the hook, trying to clench the chain in her mouth and pull it off. She looked up to see another of the ornlock’s chains float near her by its levitation, hook ready to grab and pull.

A sharp grunt from another alerted Twilight that the ornlock’s attack had failed against her. She looked up to see the chain swung tightly around Rarity’s neck, the hook damaging her once pristine coat with rust marks and blood.

“Rarity!” Twilight looked at her hoof to find that the chain had dislodged itself, being reeled back towards the ornlock who launched another chain at Rarity. Whatever purpose this dark wizard had was simple; he was trying to capture Twilight only to decide to make do with another unicorn. For what purpose Twilight dared not guess.

It would not be Rarity’s fate as well.

Staff near her for support, Twilight hobbled forward, firing blast after blast of power at the ornlock. Her attempts to ward off the ponyspawn were for naught, as each shot grew weaker and weaker in strength and the ornlock deflected the spells easily with his chains. Rarity looked to Twilight, horror in her eyes as more chains bound her hooves and restricted her movements, her screams for help echoing in the caverns.

The fighting in the background shifted as the ponyspawn responded to their commander’s orders, their tactics now properly defensive and keeping the ponies away from rescuing Rarity. The minotaur in particular knocked Shale away and quickly fell back to the ornlock’s side.

“Help!” Rarity cried as the ornlock’s magic dragged her away. “Please! Twilight! Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy moved quickly, faster than Twilight had ever seen her move and fired arrow after arrow at the ornlock. Like Twilight’s magic, the ornlock easily deflected the arrows before shouting in guttural speech to the minotaur. The great monster slammed its fists into the walls, with the other ponyspawn aiding the minotaur in breaking down the halls.

“Rarity!” Summoning every ounce of magic she had, Twilight reached out to pull her friend away from capture amongst the ponyspawn. Her magical might was countered by the ornlock, who pushed back with surprising force.

The ornlock spoke. “Despair.” From its wide mouth came a disgusting grin as the minotaur caused more rocks to fall. Whatever ponyspawn were left fighting continued their savage attack, knowing that their master had abandoned them. Their new frenzy made it impossible to safely reach Rarity.

“No!” Twilight cried, urging herself forward only to fall thanks to the wound in her leg. “No! Rarity! Rarity!”

Rarity’s screams continued to echo as the ornlock and his escort turned away, the cave-in preventing all manner of chase. When the last of the rocks fell with the last of the ponyspawn, the party was left battered and bruised as they looked on at the tumbled stone, with Twilight shouting.

“Rarity! Rarity!” Her cries went unheeded as a cold silence drifted over them all. There were no screams from Rarity, nor the rumble of a collapsing cave. Just the heartbeats of the ponyspawn, the dead quiet of the Dark Tunnels, and the knowledge that she had let her friend be dragged down to the deepest, blackest Pits.

---

Chapter 26 – Broodmare

Every bone in her body ached. She tried to open her eyes, but her left eye stung from pain and had swollen shut from a massive bruise. Her right eye was slightly open, but all she could see was pitch black. All she could hear was the ringing in her ears and barely audible whisper in the wind.

Rarity groaned as she tried to keep her wits about her. It made sense at the time. Try to catch one of the chains tying Twilight with her magic in an attempt to save her friend from capture. She never considered that the ornlock would try again against her. Still, she had saved her friend from a cruel fate, and likely stopped whatever plan Flemeth had for her by being taken by the ponyspawn.

Whatever the ponyspawn had planned for her would be paltry compared to the Mare of the Mire. At least, that was what Rarity hoped.

She tried to move, only to find her limbs bound in some sort of sticky substance. Rocks dug into her back as she was held against the cave face by ponyspawn glue, feeling incredibly exposed in the heart of darkness. As time passed, Rarity was starting to second guess her plan; at least her mother was the devil she knew. The ponyspawn, on the other hoof, were known only for wanton slaughter. The idea of them making use of captives was unheard of.

A thought occurred to Rarity; she was captured in front of Twilight, and if there was one thing that mare never did, it was give up on her friends. They would make an attempt to rescue her, or die trying. If these were the Pits that donkey Ruck had mentioned, the latter was all the more likely.

“Curious, isn’t it?” came an all too familiar, all too cold voice. “You’ll do everything in your power to escape me and the fate I designed for you, all to protect your friends, and instead you jeopardize their lives further.”

“It can’t be…” Like in the mountain, the image of Flemeth formed in front of Rarity’s eyes. She gave no light to the cave, but the old unicorn could be seen as clearly in the dark as if it were a sunny day. Her yellow eyes pierced through the dark to Rarity, who tried to look away.

“Surprised once again? Tsk tsk… You should know that when it comes to limits, I break them all.” Flemeth’s mouth curled into a small yet sinister smile as she paced the cave in front of Rarity.

“Your plans have failed.” Rarity put on a defiant face, in hopes that it would do something to the old crone. “The ponyspawn have me. They’ll kill me. There will be nothing left for you, old mare.”

“For a unicorn who knows so much, you know very, very little,” Flemeth shot back. “The ponyspawn don’t manage to capture a unicorn every day. You and your little friend will make quite the prize. Besides, I long ago planned  a contingency, in the event you fell. I’m sure Sweetie Belle would not object to magic lessons if I were to tell her they could be used to save you.”

“Stay away from her you monster!”

“Ha!” Flemeth’s laugh chilled Rarity’s rage. “I find it amusing that you would repeat the same warning as your parents. No, Rarity. If you are to be converted, then I will move to Sweetie Belle and begin anew. You helped, in a way, by linking your horn with hers. Saves me the trouble of teaching her. I haven’t been a filly in centuries. Maybe I’ll try again.”

Rarity wailed while Flemeth continued to smirk. Her plan had backfired; Flemeth would take Sweetie Belle’s body, and she would be stuck here in the claws of the ponyspawn. This was a complete and utter nightmare.

“Do you hear that, my dear?” Flemeth said, holding a hoof to her ear. “I hear the Jailer returning. He’s bringing his tools for the conversion process. I hear the first few stages are utter torture, and then you see them as complete bliss. I wouldn’t want to get in his way. Still, it is very dark in this cave, isn’t it? You can’t see your future in here. Allow me to show you the light.”

Flemeth disappeared in a burst of light, her laughter the only echo in the cave as she departed. In her place was an orb of magelight that illuminated the cavern in white light. Rarity’s eyes widened as far as they could to the point where it hurt.

Not the appearance of the Jailer, his chains, his tools, or the noise of scraping metal could distract her from the sight Flemeth’s magic revealed. In her moment of despair, Rarity screamed, and screamed, and screamed…

***

Twilight stood in shock as Pinkie dressed the wound caused by the ornlock’s lyrium hook, staring into the rubble of a cave-in. To a seasoned military commander, the battle would have been considered a success; the enemy was routed and they had taken minimal losses. Under the circumstances they were faced with, by having ponyspawn on one front and terrasprites on another, the history books would call this a victory.

Twilight did not agree in the slightest. The ornlock with the chains had escaped with Rarity, and not even Celestia knew what ponyspawn did with captives. She didn’t even know the ponyspawn took hostages. The fate of the prisoners was to be torment, that much was certain.

To her, losing Rarity was a defeat so profound that it would match the massacre at Ostequus. Rarity was her friend, and she just let her go. She didn’t fight hard enough against the ornlock, against the ponyspawn. Now she was paying for her weakness.

“Damn,” Twilight cursed as she slammed her forelegs into the ground. “Damn. Damn, damn, damn!”

“Twilight…” Spike looked to Twilight for guidance. He looked to Rarity as a source of inspiration, the maiden a knight would be sworn to protect. Twilight had failed him too.

“I wasn’t strong enough! I was fighting that… that thing and I couldn’t do anything to stop it and it took Rarity like it was easy! What good is all this magic? All my studies? What good is it if I can’t save lives?”

“It’s not your fault.” Applejack tried to console her, but Twilight shrugged her away. Just like Ruck, Twilight had failed to give hope to Rarity. What good was being a Grey Warden if the ponyspawn could defeat them so soundly?

“Twilight.” This time it was Fluttershy, the one closest to Rarity. The two had always talked to one another on the road, helping each other with the mending of clothes and chatting about Filesian fashion. If anypony was affected by Rarity’s capture, it would have been Fluttershy.

At least, that’s what Twilight thought. When she looked up, she was staring into the teal eyes of the Chantry sister. Her eyes were wet with tears, but they held a fierce fire Twilight had never guessed was brewing inside Fluttershy.

“Twilight,” Fluttershy said again. “Rarity needs us. She’s probably scared and hurt. She needs her friends to rescue her from the monsters.”

Twilight nodded.

“We’ve been through so much together. We can’t just leave her behind now. We need our leader. We need our friend. We need you, Twilight. Rarity needs you.”

Twilight blinked away the last of her tears. Fluttershy is right, she thought as she stood up. I’ve been acting like a foal. I need to act like a leader. A light in the darkness of the Tunnels, of the Pits. I need to start acting like Duncan. Like a Grey Warden.

As she stood up, Twilight focused her magic all over her body; it pulsed with power as the arcane swept over her. The heartbeats of countless monstrosities around her no longer mattered. This was the moment to show the ponyspawn exactly what she was made of; as a unicorn, as a pony, as a Grey Warden.

Too long had they fallen back into defense when they were attacked. This time they would go on the offensive. They would make the ponyspawn know them not as prey, but as their hunters. As the Wardens who would end the blight with strength of arms, of magic, and of the unity they held as friends and as a people.

“My friends, I’m sorry I’ve been acting like a foal,” Twilight began, a new determination in her eyes. “We lost a dear friend today. The ponyspawn took her by chains and dragged her to the Pits. We are going to go after her. I’m not going to lie to any of you. This will be more dangerous than the Fade and the mountain combined. What we thought would be just a quick trip in the Dark Tunnels has turned into a rescue mission in the blackest depths of the very earth itself.”

“Warden, you are out of your mind!” Oghren argued. “Listen to yourself. You want us to go into the Pits, where not even the most seasoned Wardens come back from. It’s suicide!”

“I know. We all know. I don’t care. I’m going to bring Rarity back. No pony gets left behind. No one gets left behind.” Twilight looked over to Spike for strength and support. Since the very beginning of this mess, he was with her, and for that she was eternally grateful. “The ponyspawn have given us a bloody snout. They want us to run and hide under our beds like colts and fillies. I say no. I say we go into the Pits and make the ponyspawn run away from us!”

Twilight galloped up to the crest above near the rockslide. “I am going to go and do the impossible! Just like we have before. The Fade! The Mountain! I can’t do it alone.”

“You’d have yer head in a barrel of rotten apples before Ah let you go into the Pits on yer own,” Applejack said. “We’re Wardens. More than that, we’re friends. Friends don’t let friends stay in the clutches of ponyspawn. Ya have my sword.”

Rainbow Dash hovered for a moment before landing next to Twilight. “No ponyspawn is going to have their way with any of us! You have my dagger!”

“And my grenades!” Pinkie jumped up. “No meanies are running away with our friend!”

“I’ll use my bow to help,” Fluttershy offered. “We have to be brave! We have to be strong! For Rarity! For all of us!”

“You’ll have the complete repertoire of spells from the Great and Powerful Trixie!” With a tip of her starry hat, Trixie gave a smirk filled with more confidence than Twilight had ever seen.

“You get the whole damn golem,” Shale added. “I do not like losing, and losing the prissy one is a defeat, and I will not stand for such! Let the purple one lead us into the depths. I’ll squish and squash and pound and smash every ponyspawn from the Pits to the surface and back again!”

“Don’t forget about me, Twilight,” said Spike. “Burning sword and all. We’ll get Rarity back!”

“Gotta say, Warden, I’m impressed.” Oghren shook his head, looked at the flask hanging on his flank, then back to Twilight. “This is an insane, suicidal plan that no one has ever come back from.” 

Twilight raised an eyebrow to the donkey berserker, who laughed heartily. “I can’t wait! This is gonna be the most fun I’ve ever had sober!” Oghren belched. “Well, mostly sober.”

Smiling at her assembled friends, she turned to the rubble that was blocking the way to the Pits. Focusing her magic, she concentrated a blast of pure concussive force to clear the way. Thoughts of her fellow unicorn filled her heart with anger as her horn flared, the magic flowing from her and being amplified by the staff.

She gave a shout as the staff slammed against the ground, the invisible blast wave slamming against the rocks, splintering them into shards and then again into harmless dust. Another wave of her staff, and the magic changed from a force to a wind as she willed the dust to settle immediately.

As she led the charge past the cave-in into the Pits, Twilight felt a power growing in her that she had never before realized. It wasn’t just for Rarity’s sake; if it had been Pinkie Pie or Fluttershy who was captured, she would have done the same. What she felt was true purpose, a reason to put her power as a unicorn to true use.

She was not scared anymore. She had no fear of the ponyspawn while Rarity was under greater threat. She could use the full extent of her magical power on the ponyspawn without fear of retribution. She was no longer under a mental limiter.

They galloped through the caverns with Twilight noting that the caves were getting larger and wider, with enough room for Rainbow and Fluttershy to take to the air and scout ahead. They followed the tracks left behind by the ornlock with the magic chains, seeing many hoofprints in the dirt as well as a large body apparently dragged through the Dark Tunnels. Every once in a while, they came across a small splotch of dried blood.

Rarity… It would not do to dwell on her friend now, Twilight decided. She was hurting, and the only way to get to her was to smash through the ponyspawn front lines.

There was a dim light coming from the end of the tunnel, which Twilight hoped came from some light crystals. As they exited the road, they came upon a massive stone fortress with statues of donkey warriors and runes etched into the rock. A long stone bridge connected the tunnel to the fortress. Below the bridge was a black abyss that stretched down to unknown leagues.

“By the Stone, we made it,” Oghren whispered. “Four Point Chasm.”

The fortress that was Four Point Chasm was little more than a massive stalactite with bridges going in four directions. With a large enough force, the bridges could be made into excellent choke points for controlling traffic. Twilight gasped as she took in the magnitude of the fortifications, her mind already racing at how such a place was managed in the days of donkey superiority.

Waiting for them on the other side of the bridge was such an army. Countless donlocks, thelocks, and screamers hissed and gnashed their fangs. Two ornlocks menaced the party with shows of power, their horns crackling with magic. Three minotaurs stood ready to charge, their mouths foaming with black ichor.

It was the largest, most powerful force of ponyspawn Twilight had ever encountered. What she needed was a plan. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see more ponyspawn rushing from the bridge on the other side of the chasm. If there was a small mercy, it would be that they were coming from one bridge she could see rather than the others.

It was time to get to work. “Pinkie, I need the biggest bomb you can make to take out that bridge,” Twilight ordered. “Fluttershy, your arrows will take the bombs over to break the bridge. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Ogren, Spike: stand with me as we advance. I’ll create a shield to protect us, and every once in a while I’ll lower it to let you get at the ponyspawn. Rainbow, you’ll focus on the screamers. Applejack, you are on the ornlocks. Oghren, the thelocks. Spike, the donlocks.”

“What of my purpose?” Shale asked, eager to get into the fight.

“You’ll be working with Trixie,” Twilight replied. “Before she casts her empowering chant, she’ll increase the power coming from your red augmentation crystals. You’ll be a pony on fire against those minotaurs. Think you two can handle it?”

“Trixie can handle anything!” boasted Trixie. “She is a Great and Powerful Senior Enchanter after all!”

“I look forward to being the one to bring the burn,” Shale said with a hint of murderous glee. “Squish and scorch. A delightful combination.”

“All right then. Let’s do this.” Horn blazing with arcane might, Twilight called upon the most powerful shield she could summon, a shimmering violet dome of solid magic. Once all her friends nodded, Twilight began to walk forward towards the awaiting force of ponyspawn.

The ponyspawn reacted immediately, first with a volley of arrows and fireballs. Each strike made Twilight wince, especially the enemy spells, but she focused her magic further. The bulwark of magic would not fall to these monsters. Not so long as Twilight had the will to press on and fight back.

The missile barrage ended, followed by the first wave of the ponyspawn counter-attack. Donlocks and thelocks rushed forward, baring rusty weapons and sharp fangs as they charged to break down Twilight’s shield. Just as planned, Twilight thought, opening small pockets in the shield for the ponyspawn to pass through.

As the ponyspawn rushed through, they were immediately cut down by the fighters on the front lines, unable to slow their momentum. Oghren in particular shouted with glee as he swung his axe, his braided beard swaying with every strike.

“First bomb’s ready!” Pinkie called, looking to Twilight as Fluttershy tied the bomb to the end of her arrow. With a jerk of her head, Twilight opened a small hole in her barrier, just enough for Fluttershy to fire the arrow. The bomb flew through the air with grace, the fuse lit and ready to blow.

The first bomb landed on the center of the bridge where ponyspawn reinforcements were coming, detonating with surprising force, sending all manner of donlocks and thelocks to their doom into the chasm below. Responding to the threat to their reinforcements, the ponyspawn pushed harder, sending in screamers to scratch and claw at the shield while more donlocks and thelocks charged. The ornlocks on the other side of the bridge also began fighting in earnest, channeling sustained spells to tear down Twilight’s magic.

Twilight pressed on with her advance, despite her magic now becoming very strained with each attack. They were halfway across the bridge now, but there was still a sizable force of monsters to deal with and more on the way.

“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “Let me out of the shield! I’ll take on the screamers! If any of them can out-fly me, I don’t deserve to be called a pegasus!”

“You’re right, Twi,” Applejack called. “No more hiding! No more playing defense! We have to take the fight to them! Let us out! We’ll show these varmints exactly what we ponies are made of when pushed!”

With a shout, Twilight did not release the barrier, instead causing it to burst outward in a powerful attack. The ponyspawn were dazed by the forceful blow, only to be set upon by the ponies in earnest. Spike and Oghren worked together to clear the way of donlocks and thelocks. Flaming sword and crushing axe swung with reckless abandon, with Spike’s battlecry “For Rarity!” echoing in the halls when they were not silenced by Oghren’s berserker shouts.

Just as Rainbow had said, she went after the screamers with incredible speed and agility. Ducking and weaving past their sharp claws, she attacked with fury, slicing the wings off their backs and sending them into the chasm or onto the bridge, where they were finished off by Oghren or Spike.

Trixie’s growth in her spellwork continued to impress. It was a wild shot, asking for a spell that was completely unknown to any of the unicorns, but the magician was able to pull it off. Twilight could feel the latent magic energies inside Shale’s augmentation crystals awaken to their full potential. The golem was set ablaze, appearing to be made of magma fueled by its inner lyrium.

“I come for you now!” Shale shouted, galloping at full tilt and setting a trail of fire behind it. “Burn and smash! Burn and smash! All your little guts and your big guts! Burn and smash them all!”

Ignoring the extravagant bloodlust Shale was demonstrating, Twilight could only watch in awe as the fiery golem smashed through the ponyspawn ranks, tossing donlocks and thelocks aside as it reached the minotaurs. The giants struck back, only to recoil away from the flames. With a loud neigh, Shale began to buck wild, the fire fueling its frenzy as powerful hooves struck the chest of one minotaur and sent it plunging off the side of the stone bridge.

Applejack took advantage of the carnage wrought by Shale, leaping past the corpses of ponyspawn hewn by Oghren and Spike towards the ornlocks commanding the ponyspawn defense. With Silverbite clenched tight in her teeth and her eyes darkened with the anti-magic of the templars, Applejack made her attack on the ornlocks, ceasing their magic and bringing the magical blade of her kris to their hides, lines of silver signifying the phantom blade’s impressive abilities.

“Trixie knows her magic is impressive but it won’t last long,” Trixie said as she stood next to Twilight. “The spell is burning through Shale’s supply of inner lyrium. That pile of rocks will run dry quickly.”

An explosion stole Twilight’s attention as a second bomb-head arrow detonated on the bridge used by the ponyspawn reinforcements. The explosion crippled the bridge at its weakest point, sending several ponyspawn down the chasm as stone collapsed onto stone and fell into the gorge below. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief.

The sounds of grinding chains alerted the party as the massive iron gate of the donkey fortress slowly began to open. From the gates came another sizable force of ponyspawn, eager to join the fray. Stepping out of the shadows was a familiar if unwanted face; the sounds of chains dragging behind him, the ornlock who had captured Rarity hissed as he stepped in the magelight.

“You...” Twilight’s eyes narrowed as The Jailer slammed his chains against the ground, shouting in the black speech of the ponyspawn for his brethren to attack. As both sides fought on the stone bridge leading to the fortress, the chained ornlock struck as it did before, its lyrium chains lashing out towards Twilight. She narrowly avoided the hooks, using a rock from the bridge to deflect the hooks.

Twilight took a deep breath as her magic flared to life, readying to face The Jailer. You won’t get anypony ever again, she thought as she charged forward, hoping that closing the distance would reduce the threat of the chains. The Jailer struck again, countering Twilight’s strategy by enclosing itself with his weapons and snapping the hooks against her like snakes.

All around her, the ponyspawn were being pushed back. With the bridge destroyed, Pinkie and Fluttershy rejoined their friends, adding mace and bow to their already formidable weapons against the creatures. The Jailer saw this as well, striking with enchanted metal as it took cautious steps backwards towards the fortress.

Only the pair of minotaurs remained, fighting off a blazing Shale when the golem’s fires faltered, leaving the stone pony inert. Shale’s lyrium lines and augmentation crystals simply ceased glowing, leaving Shale as just a simple statue. Twilight watched in horror as one of the minotaurs tackled into Shale, sending the golem sailing over the edge of the bridge only to be caught by the blue magic of Trixie.

“I can’t hold it like this!” Trixie yelled, eyes wide with both strain from the spell and fright. “It’s too heavy!”

The minotaurs took the opportunity to attack, trying to repeat their attack with Oghren and Spike. The dragon knight leaped upwards, holding onto the minotaur’s chest with his claws while slashing at the hide with his burning sword. Oghren simply grunted, aiding his battle partner by slamming his axe into the left knee of the minotaur, forcing the beast to cease its attack and succumb to a broken kneecap.

The other minotaur fared better, grabbing Rainbow Dash from the air and pulling her closer to its black, drool-filled mouth. Despite her struggle, Rainbow could not escape the grip of the brute, flailing in its hand and only managing to make a few scratches with her dagger. A shriek pierced the stone halls of the Dark Tunnels, snapping everyone’s attention to Pinkie who was charging forward, hair flat and mace tight in her mouth.

Moving with surprising speed, Pinkie launched herself at the minotaur, slamming the head of her mace against the creature with the strength of her earth pony blood. The minotaur let go of Rainbow, focusing its attention on Pinkie, who continued to assail it with sharp hammer blows. Letting go of Rainbow was a mistake, as the assassin quickly took advantage of her freedom, slicing the minotaur behind the knees until it too fell.

As the minotaurs were dealt with, Twilight felt two stinging pains on her back, only to look to the see the lyrium hooks embedded into her shoulders. The Jailor chuckled despite its force being undone as its wicked horn glowed black, dragging Twilight closer to him.

“Despair,” it said, licking its massive, moldy teeth in anticipation. Twilight dug her hooves into the bridge, pulling against the chains and the pain caused by the hooks. Both unicorn and ornlock struggled, until Twilight focused her eyes to see the magic within the chains.

I’m a mage for Celestia’s sake, Twilight chided herself. Those chains are made from the essence of magic! I just need to find the right magical font…

A feedback! Twilight began to channel her magic into the hooks themselves, lifting them out of her back as the ornlock roared in anger. As her magic linked with that of the lyrium chain, Twilight found the flaw in the ornlock’s weaponry; the chains it used to cover its eyes held the same magic, but ironically had none of The Jailer’s focus.

Twilight had to use the advantage, and quickly. Releasing her magic from her end of the chains, she forced her way to the chains surrounding The Jailer’s eyes. With a quick jerk of her horn, she twisted the chains to grind against the monster’s face, ignoring its howls as it tried to fight back, whipping its head back and forth.

“You will never hurt another pony ever again,” Twilight said through gritted teeth. Wrenching the chains away from his eyes, Twilight had her first glance at The Jailer’s true face. Blood red eyes stared back at her as the chains fell from his face to his neck, his snapping teeth and black tongue shouting obscenities that she did not understand. Bringing the chains around his neck, Twilight focused all her anger into the chains, choking the ornlock as it struggled against both the chain and her magic.

“Applejack! Now!” As Twilight shouted, her fellow Warden charged towards The Jailer, slamming her hind hooves into him with a powerful buck. As the ornlock careened over the side of the bridge, Twilight held onto the chains with her spells, using the hooks to brace themselves against the stone.

The Jailer dropped, stopped, and snapped. Breathing a sigh of relief and a shudder of revulsion, Twilight released her hold on the hooks, letting the lyrium chains and the body of The Jailer fall into the pits of the chasm. For the first time there was silence in the caverns as the force of ponyspawn were defeated, leaving only the party and the old donkey fortress.

“Still need help here!” Trixie shouted, bringing all attention to her and the immobile Shale. Working together, both unicorns lifted Shale and placed the golem on the bridge, panting heavily after the heavy exertion of magic. With help from Pinkie’s potions, Twilight’s fresh wounds were healed and Shale’s control rod was reinvigorated with lyrium. Oghren laughed as he slapped Twilight’s still stinging back with a hoof.

“You’re all right, Warden.” He chuckled as he waved a hoof towards all the ponyspawn corpses. “This the most fun I’ve had in years. And think: we’re the first to step hoof into Four Point Chasm in centuries, ever since the ponyspawn overtook it.”

“I was expecting a bit more resistance,” Twilight admitted, only slightly in reply to Oghren. “Most of the ponyspawn must be deeper in the Pits or in the Blight at the surface. Come on. Rarity must be inside.”

The inside of the fortress was dark as most of the Tunnels were, but a moment of illuminating light from Twilight’s staff revealed an abandoned donkey fortress, weapons still lining their racks and the dry bones of centuries-old soldiers lining the floor. Twilight took in a gasp of stale air before moving on; the stench of ponyspawn was overpowering to say the least.

“By the Stone, look at this place.” Oghren gaped. “There are runes on the walls, telling travelers where to go! Look: ‘To Ongoran.’ That was a city Orzamule was at war with a long time ago! We lost contact with our forces there, and reinforcements only met ponyspawn. That must have been where that old stone bridge was leading before Pinkie blew it up.

“This one reads to the Cairidan’s Thaig! Someone give me a drink! We found the way to Branka and that damn Storm Forge!”

While it was good news on that end, they still needed to rescue Rarity. “Now that we know where to go, we can backtrack once we find Rarity. We have to hurry.”

They marched in silence as they made their way down throughout the fortress of Four Point Chasm. Despite leaving a battlefield behind them, the party still felt their nerves wracked by the sheer silence of the necropolis surrounding them. Every stone that cracked made them jump, and the heartbeats of thousands of ponyspawn grew in volume the deeper Twilight delved into the darkness.

It was the sound of marching hooves that made the party cease their advance in front of a passageway. As she peered around the corner, Twilight felt a pounding in her chest the likes of which she had never experienced before. Her heart battered her chest like a massive drum, the pain giving the largest hint as to what was ahead. Light from torch fire, rather than magical crystals, filled the long cavern.

Twilight looked to Applejack, to see if her friend could hear exactly what she was hearing. Instead she was met with a look of stark terror, even worse than Applejack had worn when she had discovered her sister was being possessed by a demon. It was a feeling Twilight was starting to emulate.

“Look!” Pinkie pointed a hoof through a crack in the fortress. Everyone pressed their heads through the opening, each sharing their own expression of dismay and shock at what their eyes beheld. Before them was a massive stone road leading towards the surface, with hundreds of screamers swarming on the rocky ceiling, clawing away at earth and rock. Below, legions of ponyspawn hissed and growled, all of them shouting in a unholy chorus of destruction.

The evil tide, Twilight thought as she looked at the sea of black scaled monstrosities before them. It was easy to surmise that the only reason the Wardens and their allies were not discovered by the ponyspawn was because their heartbeats were the same as every other creature down below, unable to be detected in the noise of thousands.

“The Blight.” Applejack let her fears be well known until a sound more concussive than thunder, more terrifying than the force of ponyspawn below them, ripped through the Dark Tunnels. Twilight stood statue still as she watched the shadow of great black wings hang over the ponyspawn, roaring towards their master in praise.

The Archdemon. Towering high above their heads, the great black dragon stood over its ponyspawn hordes, bellowing as its servants looked up and shouted at their fallen god. The sight of the Archdemon made Twilight tremble, her knees buckling at the sight of the terrible dragon. Massive in scale compared to the High Dragon of the mountain, the Archdemon towered above all other beasts in the world. Black scales lined its body, as a crest of pointed horns rose from its head. It had but one glowing red eye, the other covered in a large metal plate. Fangs and claws, terrible and deadly, made their presence known as the Archdemon looked down on its expansive host of monstrous servants. 

At first she thought she heard Fluttershy whimper behind her, only to find that every pony was looking on at the Archdemon in terror. Twilight’s own fear was being vocalized as well as she quietly muttered prayers of salvation. From the Archdemon came a feeling of dread Twilight hoped to the heavens itself she would never again recall.

“We can’t beat that,” Rainbow gaped, all pretenses of bravery gone in an instant. “Look at the size of that thing! Those teeth! Those claws! Everything is going to be ruined by that thing alone! Never mind the army it has under those great big wings!”

The Archdemon then unleashed a torrent of black fire; the heat from the unnatural flame was felt even from the protection of the rocks the party was hiding behind. The sight of the shadowflame made them shout in fright. Fluttershy hid in a dark corner and pressed Angel against her as if her life depended on it. Pinkie was with her, trying to laugh away the fear, and failing.

“By the Stone, it was a mistake to come here,” Oghren groaned. “This place, these Tunnels. That great big ugly beastie! There is no way anydonkey or pony or anyone could survive facing that monster in combat. Branka is lost, just like we’re all lost. There’s no hope.”

“They’re right,” Applejack said, “Look at it. Ain’t two Wardens gonna bring down a critter like that. Ain’t no way. We came all this way, suffered all this for nothin’. Twilight, what are we gonna to do? How are we gonna win?”

Trixie was reduced to huddling in a corner in a fetal position, muttering “We’re going to die,” over and over again. Twilight said nothing, only staring off into the distance at the Archdemon as it flew towards the surface, clawing and scratching at the rocks to make a hole. Black blood flowed from scratched scales as the monstrosity continued its labour.

On the ground, ponyspawn of all types clamoured for the fallen blood of the Old One, drinking in the smallest drops and becoming changed from the exposure. A thelock grew massive horns, and its face consorted into something out of nightmare. A screamer grew another pair of wings, becoming longer, bulkier, and more snakelike. An ornlock sprouted another horn and used its new-found power to vaporize several donlocks in a single blast.

“Dragon whelp, they seem to be in some sort of shock thanks to the wyrm,” Shale commented. “Help me move them away from the hole. We won’t continue if they keep acting like mewling foals.” With Spike’s help, Shale moved most of the party away from the crack, though Spike was having difficulty moving Twilight. She simply stared at the blood falling from the Archdemon as it continued to dig, until her fear was abated by realization.

The Archdemon is bleeding, Twilight thought. It’s bleeding! I know what I have to do! Reaching out with her magic, Twilight focused on the smallest drop of Archdemon blood she could grip, just enough to hold on to. The others looked up from their despondency as they watched Twilight work her magic.

“What are you doing?!” Rainbow hissed, “You’re going to get them to notice us! We’re all going to be killed!”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take to snap us all out of the Archdemon’s influence.” Twilight focused her magic on the small drop of blood, pulling it towards her. Her eyes darted between the blood drop and the ponyspawn, hoping that none of the monsters would take notice of her magic. Thankfully, the ponyspawn’s attention was focused on the Archdemon and little else. Their hive-mind was diverted towards their master, and nothing else.

Pulling the small globule of blood towards her, she looked to Pinkie’s alchemy set and withdrew a small phial. Once the blood made it past the hole, she placed it into the phial and sealed the stopper. She had seen enough ponyspawn blood to last at least two lifetimes, but while it was dark their blood still had a crimson tinge to it. The blood of the Archdemon was pitch black, the likes of which Twilight could only describe as an empty void where no light could enter or escape.

I drank this stuff. The thought was revolting, but this small phial of archdemon blood was the rallying banner they needed.

“Look at this,” Twilight ordered as she lifted the phial in front of her friends. “Look at this! That creature wants us to fear it just by looking! The Archdemon wants us to give in to despair! But look! It bleeds! Just like any other living creature. It bleeds. It can be hurt. It has a weakness we can find, and exploit. All this means we can beat it.

“There is too much on the line to give in to despair. If we submit here and now, we leave Rarity to a fate worse than anything we can dream of. If we give up, we’d be letting all of Equestria, no, the world plunge into the eternal darkness of the Blight! I need you to find it yourselves to resist the despair!”

As Twilight held the phial up, she looked each member of the party in the eye, almost challenging them to prove her wrong. Her heart still beat rapidly from both terror and the ponyspawn nearby, but if she did not put on a brave face, who would? They needed to be united in the cause. They needed to find courage in the face of horror.

Applejack was the first to stand up straight and shake off her fears. “Ain’t no use being a scared little filly when so much rests on our shoulders,” she said. “Ah’m still scared. Terrified. But as long as we’re together, we can do this.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie won’t let you have all the glory, Sparkle,” Trixie piped up, having come out of her stupor at Twilight’s words. “But I want you to know, trying to fight that thing is insane.”

“Insanity is half the fun.” Oghren took a quick gulp from his flankflask, giving his head a shake from the stiff drink. “Can’t believe I was cryin’ like a filly. I’m a berserker for crying out loud.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow added, though her eyes betrayed her newfound bravado. “I’m not afraid of anything! Bring ‘em on!”

“If Dashie’s ready, I’m ready,” Pinkie quickly added. Twilight took note that her hair did not resume its curls. Fluttershy was still scrunched a corner with a squeaking nug in her grip. Twilight approached, offering a hoof to help Fluttershy stand.

“If we stay together, we’ll be all right,” Fluttershy said. Twilight simply nodded until Fluttershy took her friend’s assistance, standing upright on shaky knees. With a jerk of her head, she motioned for everypony to move towards the hole again. They had to look at the Archdemon and not retreat if they ever wanted to face it in battle.

The Archdemon roared a final time as it burst through the rock ceiling of the Dark Tunnels, a single ray of sunlight flowing from the nearly bored hole between the underground and the surface. The ponyspawn hissed at the breach, until several began to erect ladders and scaffoldings to make their way to the top.

“The Archdemon has revealed itself,” Twilight said to the assembled group. “The ponyspawn have made a sizable breach in the surface and are going to pour through into Equestria unhindered. Time is now rapidly running out. Let’s move out!”

Diving into the depths of the Pits proved more difficult than Twilight had hoped. The fortress was very old and decrepit, and the pathways were tricky to maneuver. It did not help that light came only from the tips of staves and crystal torches, and that the rocks were covered in black grime. The smells were nauseating, something akin to what Twilight could only describe as “vile”.

What was most disturbing about the fortress was how silent and empty it was. Whether all the ponyspawn defenders were slain in the defense of Four Point Chasm or had all gone to join the Blight was a mystery. Twilight could tell for certain that the lack of ponyspawn did nothing to ease tensions in herself or with her friends. They jumped at every twisted rock and every moving shadow, even if it was propagated by their own bodies.

It wasn’t until the caverns under the fortress were getting larger and filled with more bones did Twilight begin to wonder if they were walking into a trap. When Oghren’s ears perked up and he began to sniff the air, Twilight and the others ceased their movements. He took a few tentative steps forward, tasting the air as he searched.

“Donkey nearby,” Oghren reported. “It could be Branka! Branka! I’m coming, jenny!”

They followed Oghren and his sense of smell through the winding caves. When Oghren stopped, Twilight directed her arcane light in front of the party, gasping in horror at what the light revealed.

Hanging before them was a donkey female, though only barely recognizable as such, hanging from a noose along with several bodies of ponyspawn. Her robes were stained with black blood, and her eyes were marked by the same dark bags that plagued Ruck. Oghren slumped, looking up at the corpse while shaking his head.

“Oghren,” Twilight said, “Is that… is that Branka?”

“Not a chance, Warden,” Ogrhen replied. “That was Hespith, one of Branka’s favoured servants. The two were inseparable back in Orzamule. Wouldn’t think they’d get separated in the Dark Tunnels. If Branka’s here, she’d have at least tried to protect Hespith.”

“Look here!” Pinkie called them over, pointing a hoof at the ground. A portion of parchments was left behind on the rocky floor, readable in clear common and written in what Twilight hoped was simple black ink. The writing was crude and messy, though still legible. As she lifted the book, Twilight looked at the words with puzzlement.

“Looks like a message,” she muttered, then began to read aloud:

“First day they come and catch everyone
Second day, they beat us and eat some for meat
Third day, the men are all gnawed on again
Fourth day, we wait and fear for our fate
Fifth day, they return and it’s another girl’s turn
Sixth day, her screams we hear in our dreams
Seventh day, she grew as in her mouth they spew
Eight day, we hated as she is violated
Ninth day, she grins and devours her kin
Now does she feast, for she’s become the beast.”

Twilight shuddered as she turned the pages, looking up at the body of Hespith. She flipped the page to find more lucid thoughts, though what she was reading was no less disturbing.

“I am the last,” Twilight read aloud. “The last of our House under Branka. She is gone, gone to another Thaig, returned to Orzamule, I do not know. I see her shadows some nights when the ponyspawn bring light. Sometimes I still hear her voice whispering my name as she did on all those cold nights.

But that is no more. I am the last to these monsters, the last they will use. The men they killed outright. Used their flesh as food, to feed them and to feed us. The men received mercy. We are not so lucky. Those who do not survive are also used for food. Laryn now eats her own kin. She ate her own husband, with glee. She eats and she grows. The ponyspawn are pleased. She is no longer a donkey. She is one of them. Broodmare.

It is my hope that one day the Grey Wardens bring purging fire to the Pits. To release us all from this torment. What they need to know from my last written words, above all, is the crime. The greatest crime committed was not that it occurred, but that it was allowed.

The Jailor leaves again to hunt for mares. I have made a length of rope from my mane, from my tail, from my coat and from the hair of all my friends. I will not give them the satisfaction. I will not create for them. I will not breed for them. I give myself to the Stone that has abandoned me.

Branka. Why?”

Twilight released the hold on the journal, letting it fall without ceremony as she felt her body grow numb under the body of Hespith. No one said anything as they let the words sink in. The ponyspawn captured mares and did horrible, unspeakable atrocities to them, creating monsters out of the mares to further breed more monsters. It was vile knowing full well what the ponyspawn did to increase their ranks. They were truly unnatural monsters and parasites that lived only to corrupt and destroy.

It was this fate they had to save Rarity from.

Oghren shook his head as he looked back at the journal then back to Hespith. “I don’t know what to say, Warden.” The despair in his eyes was hidden only by the faintest veneer of rage. “By the ancestors and the Stone and my own beard, what did Branka do? What could have driven her to destroy her own house like this?”

“The Storm Forge,” Twilight said. “I’m sorry, Oghren. The evidence is damning. Branka abandoned her people to the ponyspawn. If she’s still alive, she has a lot to answer for. For now, though, we have to save Rarity.”

Nodding, Oghren went back into line, hefting his axe ready. Past the body of Hespith was another tunnel covered in dark grease, and the light from Twilight’s staff pierced the darkness. More bodies were found, those of ponyspawn and donkey alike hanging from the walls, plastered against the stone by a black sticky substance.

Deep breathing could be heard from the other end of the tunnel, as well as a single resounding heartbeat echoing within Twilight. There was a massive ponyspawn nearby, one even larger than a minotaur. Twilight took a deep breath of fetid air. They were getting closer.

All fear vanished when her magical light revealed a large cavern and, more importantly, Rarity bound by sticky black goo against the face of the stone. The party immediately rushed to their friend and cut her free with Rainbow’s dagger. Rarity was badly wounded: several lacerations across her body, bruises, and a broken leg amongst black spots denoting the poisoning of the ponyspawn.

“Rarity!” Twilight exclaimed tearfully as she held her friend close. “Thank goodness we found you! We’ll use a Star Strand to heal you, don’t you worry!” It was a miracle that Rarity was still whole, though her body was covered in repulsive wounds. Blood flowed from her ruined flesh, and her breathing was ragged and in short gasps. If Twilight had found her friend looking like some sort of twisted creature like what Hespith’s diary had mentioned...

“I’m so sorry,” Twilight said, keeping her embrace tight. “We’re here for you now. We’ll make sure everything is better.” Twilight’s heart raced as she struggled to find her Star Strand. “Just stay with us, Rarity. Everything will be fine!”

“Twilight…” Rarity’s voice was weak as she tried to lift a hoof towards the danger. “Behind you…”

The breathing that echoed in the cave was louder now. Twilight’s blood felt cold as she turned around, moving her staff towards the source of Rarity’s fear. They looked on in horror as the light illuminated a creature of pestilential mass. Towering even over a minotaur, the ponyspawn before them was an obese monstrosity, its upper torso rippling with disgusting folds while the lower section continued into a long birthing tube. Black veins pulsed with blood as sweat and grime dripped from its body.

From the body were its forelegs, stretching even longer and wider than normal ponies as clawed hooves scratched at the ground. Massive tentacles of flesh uncurled from the creature’s back as the light shone on it. Its face was a scrunched up mass of flesh, the eyes hidden by skin, its snout sniffing the air before it to find the intruders to its lair. What was most twisted was just how much like a donlock this creature resembled, down to the wide grin filled with sickly yellow, yet immaculately razor teeth.

“Broodmare…” Twilight looked up at the twisted abomination of ponyspawn flesh and blood and furrowed her brow. Weapons were drawn around her as the tentacles from the broodmare hovered precariously closer to them. The broodmare was a threat not only to them but to the world. It had to die, there was no question about it.

It roared a terrifying scream that shook the caverns, rocks crashing down around them. From the recesses of the caves came the chattering of donlock teeth and the pounding of their hooves; this was an ambush.

“Shale! Oghren!” Twilight yelled, her staff blazing to life, violet energy storming around the head. “Block off the entrances! We can’t let the ponyspawn into the cavern!”

Both golem and donkey grunted in response, charging off towards the caves and meeting stiff, if clamored, resistance by donlocks. The rest of the party formed a semi-circle around the broodmare, the massive monster matron spitting black bile towards them. The ponies were able to get out of the way, only to watch as the substance left a sizable divot in the stone. Spike took up a position guarding Rarity, fiery sword held firm in the clasp.

Tentacles, giant hooves and acid spit, Twilight thought as she readied a barrage of arcane blasts. Concentrating, Twilight fired off her spells in quick succession at the center of the broodmare’s mass, each blow bludgeoning and burning the flesh of the grotesquerie. The orbs of magical might did little against the flesh of the broodmare, however, and it answered with a powerful slam of its hoof. Twilight was not as quick on her feet, and the black hoof slashed hrough her robes and against her hide.

“That thing was a donkey once!” she heard Oghren yell while he cleaved a donlock in two. “We have a resistance to magic and lyrium! Magic won’t do squat!”

Despite being completely stationary, the broodmare was proving more of a challenge in combat than any ponyspawn they had faced before. With all its appendages acting independently of one another, they created a perfect defense against blade and bow. Each tentacle was busy warding off another adversary, whether it was Applejack’s sword or sacrificing itself to take one of Fluttershy’s arrows.

While they fought, several donlocks had swarmed past Oghren and Shale, rushing towards Twilight who stood as Rarity’s guardian while her friend was weakened. Thankfully, the spawn of the donkey broodmare did not share their “mother’s” magical resistance, and were felled by powerful spells of ice and energy.

They could not fight like this forever. First they had to stop the flow of reinforcements. “Close the caves!” Twilight called. “Stop the donlocks from helping their broodmare!”

Shale looked around the battlefield for a way to plug the passageway as more donlocks pressed and trampled one another. Spotting a rather large boulder, it looked over to Trixie, who was in the middle of casting one of her channeled empowering chants.

“Boastful one,” Shale shouted. “Bring your meager magic over here and hold off the creatures as I and the drunk one move this boulder to block the entry way.”

“I’m a magician, not a battlemage!” Trixie’s complaint made sense in another way; if she was helping Shale ward off the incoming donlocks, she was not casting the spell that allowed the entire party to fight with greater strength and clarity. Making her decision, Trixie galloped to Shale’s side while Twilight provided cover with magic blasts. Pointing her senior enchanter’s staff at the cavern, Trixie shouted a warning to Oghren, who quickly moved out of the way.

Pressing a hoof to her pointed hat, Trixie’s horn glowed with a blue hue matching that of her staff until a stream of fire flowed freely from the tip. Donlocks howled as the flames engulfed the cavern, scorching all foes within. Shale and Oghren moved to the boulder, pushing the massive rock until it overcame the donlocks, crushing one underneath until the stone was in place.

The broodmare hissed, fountains of acidic spit flowing from its razor mouth. Cut off from its children, the broodmare brought its defensive to bear in earnest, tentacles lashing out at Rainbow and Applejack, both unable to make a significant attack against the creature. With a swift motion of its foreleg, the broodmare struck back, narrowly missing Applejack and Rainbow. The black hoof did connect with Pinkie, slamming against bone and sending her sailing across the room against the stone wall.

“Pinkie!” Twilight’s magic gripped the alchemist as she brought her friend away from danger. The damage from the broodmare’s attack had knocked Pinkie out, and trails of blood were leaking from her skull. Rainbow looked back at her downed friend, her face contorting with rage at the sight. Without a word she flew above the head of the broodmare before attacking the tentacles, slicing at the tendrils of flesh with her mother’s dagger.

With reinforcements cut off and the broodmare focusing completely on Rainbow, the time to attack was now. The fighters attacked in unison, Oghren’s axe hacking into the broodmare’s obese flesh while Shale rammed its head into a foreleg, the sound of a bone snapping echoing in the cavern. Applejack followed through with several strikes from Silverbite, the phantom slashes marking up the hide of the broodmare.

Unable to assist with the attack, Twilight instead fumbled around Pinkie’s alchemy kit for some healing poultices. Lifting up a sizable bottle of the healing liquid, Twilight poured the contents over Pinkie’s head, watching as the wounds closed themselves up and Pinkie starting to stir back to consciousness.

“Owie…” Pinkie muttered, rubbing her head. “Why do all the big meanies go after my head?”

Before Twilight could answer, the broodmare let out another deafening roar, Rainbow pressing her hooves against the back of the monstrosity while sinking her dagger into its meaty neck. Black blood sprayed like a fountain into Dash’s face, causing her to fall from the broodmare and onto the back of Applejack. Rainbow continued to spit ponyspawn blood as Applejack brought her over to Twilight’s defensive line.

The broodmare writhed in pain as the wounds festered and grew, unable to move to escape the attacking party. Black blood flowed freely from the gaping wounds, the broodmare’s death throes only worsening the damage. They all moved away from the dying beast as it slumped against its own body. It still tried to resist and, more frighteningly, still tried to kill, but in its death throes it appeared nothing more than a pathetic lump of flesh, unable to do anything.

Twilight looked on at the savage broodmare with pity. How the ponyspawn were able to transform a normal donkey into a creature so vile she could not guess, nor did she want to. She was just thankful that the terrible deed of slaying the broodmare was done and more importantly, that Rarity was saved from the same fate.

They all took a moment to breathe as the broodmare became still until several loud screeches shook them out of post-battle stupor. Shale moved over to the blocked entrance where the donlocks were coming through, pressing its head against the stone.

“It would appear the fragile creatures are running away,” it observed, sounding a little disappointed. “I can hear their little terrified hooves clamouring away in defeat. Must never have thought one of their breeders could ever fall. Shall we give chase?”

Twilight shook her head as she approached the corpse of the broodmare. It was a donkey once, protected by ornlocks. The Jailer had taken Rarity to convert her into a broodmare as well. A unicorn mare would have birthed ornlocks. A minotaur broodmare had to come from some sort of buffalo cow. “Celestia… They were going to take Rarity and turn her into one of... one of those. To breed ornlocks.” Twilight’s eyes went wide in horror.

“If ornlocks come from a unicorn broodmare, ya mean an earth pony makes thelocks?” Applejack said in revulsion.

“And screamers come from a pegasus?” Fluttershy’s voice broke in terror at the prospect. They were a travelling group of mares. If they had not become proficient in dealing with ponyspawn, they would have all shared the same fate as Hespith and the other donkeys. Twilight turned away from the broodmare in disgust.

“Now what?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking sickly, coughing into her hoof. “We beat that… thing. Where do we go from here?”

“First we need to heal up,” Twilight replied. “Rarity’s been badly wounded from the ordeal. Then we keep going towards Cairidan’s thaig to find Branka and get an explanation for all this.

“Sounds… good…” Twilight turned to see Rainbow’s eyes roll to the back of her head until she collapsed. Pinkie was the first to rush to her side, with everypony hovering over Rainbow as she convulsed on the floor. Applejack shook her head, looking up at Twilight.

“The Taint, Twilight,” Applejack said, “She’s got the Taint. She’s gonna die unless we… unless we make her a Warden.”

---

Chapter 27 – Tempered Bodies and Souls

Pulling both Rarity and Rainbow away from the shadow of the broodmare corpse, Twilight looked down at the two as they breathed heavily from their poisoning. Rarity’s wounds were severe; the black infestation crept along her cuts and bruises, her left hind leg mangled and broken as well. Pinkie shook her head sadly as she went through her alchemical kit; there were no simple antidotes that could eliminate the poison.

Like Rarity, Rainbow was already taking on the severe symptoms of ponyspawn blood poisoning. The Taint was moving quickly throughout her body, causing sickly black splotches to form wherever the disease touched. Her eyes were bloodshot, tarnished with dark streaks and black bags formed under her eyes. Twilight gasped as she noticed a shocking resemblance between the madness-stricken Ruck and her longtime friend and ally.

Twilight bit her lip as she looked to Applejack for guidance. Applejack’s suggestion for making Rainbow a Warden had its merits, but could she take the role of Duncan and possibly watch her friend die? They could use Rainbow’s or her own Star Strand, but that would leave them with none left, save for Pinkie’s special grenade, since one would be needed to cure Rarity.

She opened the flap of Rainbow’s bags with her magic and searched for her friend’s Star Strand until she procured the phial containing the mystical mane. Twilight still marveled at the fact that she was staring so closely to the stars, but quickly shook those thoughts away as she undid the cork. There was no better reason for the Mane of Stars to exist than to heal the ailments of friends.

Lifting the single strand in her magic, Twilight was ready to place the strand onto Rainbow’s chest. “I’m sorry, Rainbow,” she whispered. “I hope you can hear me, but we need to use your Star Strand to heal you. You don’t want to be a Warden. Trust me.” Rainbow was there when Applejack mentioned shortened life spans and she knew what the eventual fate of the Grey Wardens was; to fight ponyspawn until the Taint overtook them, or die fighting in the depths of the Dark Tunnels as they were doing now.

As she was about to lower the strand onto Rainbow, her friend lifted a hoof and held Twilight back. “Save it,” Rainbow muttered through darkened eyes. “Use mine to help Rarity. Me… I want to be a Warden, Twilight. I want to be an honest-to-Celestia hero, like you and Applejack.”

“No you don’t!” Twilight shouted back, surprising the party around her. “You heard what Applejack said! Do you want your life to be cut short so soon?”

“I’m a pony of action, Twilight,” Rainbow replied. “I always have to keep moving and for once I’m fighting the good fight. I want to be something more than an assassin. I want to be a Warden. I want to be that pony who helps others against the ponyspawn and the Blights. You know something? I sometimes think growing old would be the worst thing that could happen to me. I wouldn’t be able to help fight or anything because I would be old or weak. This is for the best, Twilight. Let me be a Warden, and use my Strand to save Rartiy. Keep yours; you’ll need it.”

Twilight looked to the others, who all simply stared at the scene wordlessly. Pinkie was holding Rainbow’s hooves in her own, looking up at Twilight with straightened hair and pleading eyes. Twilight swallowed hard as she turned to let Trixie grip Rainbow’s Star Strand in her magic as she levitated the phial with a small amount of archdemon’s blood in it. Rainbow Dash had already ingested more than her share of ponyspawn blood. With a quick word to Pinkie, Twilight began pouring a small amount of lyrium into the phial.

“You know the words?” Applejack asked as Twilight waited for the concoction to be ready. Twilight nodded in reply. She would always remember the words spoken by Duncan when she was brought into the order of the Grey Wardens. Just as she would remember the deaths of her fellow Warden hopefuls, Digger and Ser Magni, and she prayed Rainbow would not join them as well.

“No more secrets, Applejack,” Twilight muttered. “Maybe, just maybe, it was the secrecy of the Wardens that caused the ponies of the world to look at them like rogues, like strangers who could not be trusted. Perhaps it was the secrecy that made Loghoof take matters into his own hooves. But these ponies are our friends. They deserve to know how we came to be. No more secrets. No more hiding. The truth will set us free.”

She looked to Trixie, who lowered the Star Strand onto Rarity’s chest. Like Trixie, Applebloom, and Big Macintosh before her, Rarity’s body shone with the pale light of the moon, her wounds healing rapidly and the marks of poisonous infestation leaving her body. Rarity opened her eyes wide as she took a huge gasp of air, her body suddenly looking pristine and healthy. Once she was back on her hooves, she looked to each of her friends wordlessly, embracing all of them until finally reaching Rainbow.

“Rainbow, your strand…” Rainbow waved Rarity off, only to find herself in the tightest hug Rarity could give. Once she let go, the sorceress looked over at the corpse of the hulking broodmare before shaking.

“Thank you. Thank you all,” she said. “It was… terrible. Worse than anything anypony could ever imagine, and that was just after a short time being captured. What that creature did to me… what it had done to countless donkeys before. Is he…?”

“Gone,” Twilight answered quickly, and not without a hint of satisfaction. “The Jailer won’t be capturing any more mares. I’m just happy we found you, and saved you.”

“I will never forget this. Any of this. The pain of the tortures, and more importantly, that my friends came for me.” While Rarity sobbed, Twilight held her friend close, almost cradling Rarity as she wept bitter tears. She then took a look at the mixture of Archdemon blood and lyrium. It was ready.

“Everyone,” Twilight announced as her friends gathered around her. “What Applejack and I are about to do for Rainbow is something the Wardens have guarded with fierce secrecy since the days when they were known as the Walkers of the Grey. We are going to commit the ritual known the ‘The Joining,’ where a pony takes in the blood of the ponyspawn, the archdemon, and the essence of magic.”

Twilight gulped as she turned towards Rainbow, who was propped up against Pinkie for support. “Not… not everypony who takes in the Joining survives. This is why this is our secret. The secret we share with all of you. Our friends. You all deserve to know the truth.”

Duncan… Am I doing all right, Duncan? Am I honouring your memory, and the memories of all the Grey Wardens who died at Ostequus? “Since the first Joining, these words have been spoken during the ceremony.” Twilight took a deep breath before looking to her fellow Warden. “Applejack, if you please.”

Applejack bowed her head and spoke in the same reverence as she did when it was Twilight’s time to join the Wardens. She shook as her friend spoke the words once again. Even after all this time, Twilight still knew them by heart, for how would she ever forget them? They were the words that changed her life. “Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we remain vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day we shall join you.”

The duty that cannot be forsworn. Twilight prayed to Celestia and Luna and any other deities who would listen to her pleas to spare Rainbow certain death as she levitated the phial to Rainbow’s waiting hooves. Rainbow looked down into the contents, clearly disturbed that she was going to be drinking the blood of a massive black dragon before looking at Twilight. Unlike Duncan to Ser Magni, she was not going to gut Rainbow if she refused at the last second. She had made her choice, secrets be damned.

Rainbow lifted the phial to her lips, downing the contents in one quick gulp before throwing the phial towards the cavern wall. As the glass shattered, Rainbow began to cough up a storm as she gripped her head with her hooves. Twilight could not  watch as Pinkie tried to keep Rainbow steady as she moaned from the pain of a strange brew working its way through her body.

“She’s hurting!” Pinkie cried, though Twilight made no motion to help. This was all part of the Joining as she remembered it. The pain, the agony. None of that mattered, only surviving this ordeal. With a shout, Rainbow’s head twisted upwards to look towards the ceiling, her eyes rolling back as her mouth wrenched itself wide open in a silent scream.

It was with great relief to Twilight that she was able to see Rainbow’s cutie mark change before her eyes. It was the sign she was hoping to see, unlike the memory of Digger choking and dying from the lethal cocktail. Grey splotches formed on Rainbow’s flank until they joined together around her familiar cloud-and-lightning-bolt cutie mark. Once the shift was complete, there was now a shield with a lightning emblem on the front, the same as Twilight and Applejack’s changed marks.

The others watched Rainbow convert into a full Grey Warden with looks of revulsion, horror, and in the case of Shale, genuine interest. Once Rainbow’s coughing had subsiding, the others began to speak at what they had just seen. “Just drink a cocktail?” Oghren said rather nonchalantly. “Doesn’t seem too hard.”

“It’s like blood magic,” Trixie realized. “This is too unreal. No wonder the Wardens kept such a thing secret. I no longer envy you, Sparkle. I pity you, having to drink that. Having to become like them.”

It was Spike’s reaction that Twilight was worried about the most. The dragon knight simply stood there and stared at Rainbow, then up to Twilight. “You drank their blood?” Spike asked, though he obviously knew the answer, “Twilight, I’m…”

“Spike, none of this was your fault.” He still feels guilty over me being a Warden, Twilight thought as she wrapped a foreleg around Spike. Is there anything I can do to ease his mind? To make him understand that he could never have known what life as a Warden would entail, what she would have to do to become one.

“Please stop blaming yourself,” she whispered. “Being a Warden was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I’m using my magic to help ponies survive against a threat never seen in Equestria before. I’ve met so many wonderful friends in my travels, as have you. We have saved lives, Spike, when they would have been doomed if we hadn’t been there. Being a Warden means we can bring good to the world.”

“But look at all we’ve suffered since then!” Spike retorted. “All the fighting, the blood, the death! This… this isn’t what was supposed to happen. We were supposed to go on adventures to stop the ponyspawn. We’ve seen monsters tear ponies apart, we’ve seen evil everywhere! Rarity almost became one of those things!”

Spike was angry, confused, but most all he was acting his age. He was still a very young dragon, and all of the protective walls Twilight had built to shield him from the harshness of this world had been breaking apart since they left the safety of the Unicorn Tower. Now the Dark Tunnels had finished the job, showing just how brutal this world truly was.

His shoulders slumped, Spike looked away from Twilight. “Can we still win?” he asked. It was the question that was on everypony’s mind. Twilight responded by standing as tall and as dominant as she could, to give an air of leadership and determination they could follow. They needed all the inspiration they could get.

“We can win. We will win.” Twilight moved to the side of the broodmare’s carcass, giving it one last disgusted look before turning her attention to the party. “This has been our toughest quest yet. We are in the very belly of the beast. But we won’t give up. We’re too close to the Storm Forge and to Branka now to just turn around. We move forward. Always forward.”

With Rainbow resting on the back of Shale, they left the broodmare’s chambers to find the halls of Four Point Chasm completely deserted. There was no sign of ponyspawn reinforcements to bring about retribution; indeed, there was no sign of ponyspawn at all. It was as if they had all left turned tail and fled. Even the heartbeats of the ponyspawn seemed to abate, their echoes being near silent. Either they were moving away from concentrated ponyspawn forces, or the monsters were all heading to the surface.

Regardless, Twilight found herself feeling both glad they were finally making progress in the Dark Tunnels, but hesitant for her rapidly approaching meeting with Branka. If the Paragon of Orzamule was still alive, Twilight debated how she was going to deal with her. After what Branka had down to her entire house, including tormenting Ruck and sacrificing females like Hespith to become Broodmares, Twilight wondered if a stiff buck to the face was too lenient.

There was still the question of Oghren and what he was thinking about all of this. He had proven himself a stalwart fighter capable of holding his own against the throngs of spawn that tried to maul the party, even if his choice of drinks and constant imbibing of alcohol wasn’t exactly endearing. Twilight had to know if Oghren was going to side with his wife when they eventually confronted her.

“Oghren, may I speak with you for a moment?” The berserker sighed before nodding, both falling back to the end of the line. He appeared haunted, yet still attempted to put on a tough face. Underneath his mask though, Twilight could tell that Oghren was hurting from discovering just what kind of mare his wife had become.

“This is about Branka isn’t it,” Oghren muttered. “Yeah, I know she did a lot of bad things...”

“She forced her house to fight a losing battle, tormented one of her faithful followers to seek suicide and sentenced her helpers to become horrors!”

“I know! I know.” Oghren stopped, looking Twilight dead in the eye. “I need to talk to her, Warden. She’s my wife. I need to know what she’s been thinking all this time, if at all. You gotta understand, I love her. I just don’t love the Paragon she became. Day in, day out, all she ever talked about was the Storm Forge, about Cairidan’s Thaig and about finding the sodding place.”

“Fine,” Twilight relented. “I’ll let you talk to her.” Twilight stopped to meet Oghren with her own pointed glare. “But if she threatens any of our friends, I won’t hold back. She’s dangerous, Oghren, and she committed terrible acts I would only have expected from the ponyspawn. Maybe the search for the Storm Forge drove her insane, I don’t know. But I do want answers.”

“You’ll get them, Warden. I want ‘em too.” Oghren’s distress was hidden under a veneer of churlishness and disgusting habits, but that disguise was thin and revealed a husband who truly wanted to find out the true fate of his wife. It was touching, in a strange way, though Twilight could not hold back her distaste over Oghren’s ways or of Branka’s atrocities to her fellow donkeys.

They moved in silence afterwards in the halls of the abandoned fortress, listening only to their own breathing and the occasional banter between Shale and Trixie. It was when Shale suddenly stopped in the middle of a long and narrow corridor did Twilight raise her staff in preparation. Shale never left an argument half-way through; that would have been conceding defeat.

“Karach no Cairadin, tolag megran thaig,” Shale said, causing Oghren’s ears to perk up. “I do not believe it. Quickly, take the speedy one off my back. I know where Cairidan is!” Applejack stood next to Shale as it unceremoniously dumped the unconscious body of Rainbow Dash onto her, before galloping off through the halls of Four Point Chasm. Twilight gave chase as the rest of the party followed close behind, not wanting to lose sight of the running golem for a moment.

“What’s going on?” Twilight asked Oghren as they galloped. “You looked like you recognized what Shale was saying.”

“It’s from the old donkey tongue, before common took over,” he replied. “It’s the same thing Branka used to say as well, before she set off on her expedition. ‘Karach no Caridian’. ‘The Smith Cairidan.’ ‘Tolag megran thaig.’ ‘The thaig is what I seek.’ If that old rockhound is on the right trail, it will lead us right to Branka!”

Oghren spurred himself faster, moving ahead of the group in his effort to keep up with Shale. As the golem’s pounding hooves echoed in the caverns, Twilight’s mind raced at what they would find. Being so deep in ponyspawn territory, there was the likely possibility that another hive of the creatures made their home in the long sought after thaig. There could also be rogue golems similar to Shale, though Twilight hoped they were at least half as talkative and half as confrontational as the stone soldier.

Then there was Branka and, if Ruck’s word held true, she had golems of her own to make for a new “house”. How she was able to command her own force of stone ponies was beyond Twilight, but that just made Branka all the more dangerous to deal with. Shale was formidable on its own, but what if Branka had two golems similar to Shale? Three? What if they were even stronger or made of metal compared to Shale’s stone?

We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, Twilight reprimanded herself as she continued to charge out of the fortress and into a long stretch of road. Shale was visible as dim light from century old light crystals illuminated the way, just as they did to the entrance of the large structure built out of the stone before them. It had a massive stone gate, similar to many buildings of donkey make, though this gate had a very large breach stretching from the cavern floor to the very top of the building. Like Orzamule, this building was adorned with statues of paragons from days long gone. Unlike the city of donkeys, however, the effigies were all defaced and ruined. Several runes were written into their stone bodies and, from the amused snorts from Oghren, none of them transcribed into anything friendly.

“Whoever did this really hated the paragons,” Oghren commented as he studied the rune-work. “Many would call this heretical. But hey, I’ve seen a paragon fall first hoof after all.”

Shale stood in front of the massive stone gate of the building, simply staring at the damages caused by whoever vandalized the statues. “Is this Cairidan’s thaig?” Twilight asked, receiving a shake of the golem’s head in return.

“This is merely a passageway informing visitors that they are close to the thaig,” Shale replied. “It is a welcome mat, warning and garrison all in one. There would be a force of soldiers, or in Cairidan’s case, golems protecting this gateway from intruders. Now there is no one guarding this old place. Still, I know this place. I’ve walked this road many times. We are on the right track.”

They rested on the other side of the lonely gateway, Shale never leaving its spot and keeping its vigil over the road ahead. While the others slept, Twilight walked over to Rainbow Dash’s side as Pinkie and Applejack watched over her. The newly inducted Warden was tossing and turning in her sleep, moaning and uttering oaths of fright and terror. Pinkie looked up as Twilight sat with them, her eyes filled with tears and worry.

There was no doubt in Twilight’s mind that Rainbow was experiencing the worst that could come from her newly acquired Warden senses. Being so close to the heart of the ponyspawn, Twilight could only shudder, thinking about the nightmares Rainbow was living in now. Visions of the archdemon suddenly invaded Twilight’s mind as she thought back on seeing the master of monsters for the first time in the flesh. It caused incredible pain until she felt a firm yet gentle hoof hold her back.

“Easy there, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “Can’t have two Wardens down for the count. Besides, we’ll need to be here for Rainbow when she gets better. Help me get some food out for her. You remember bein’ mighty hungry after your Joining, right?”

Twilight nodded as her horn glowed with her violet aura, levitating some apples, potatoes, and mushrooms for Rainbow to eat when she woke up. She did remember her ravenous hunger after the Joining, devouring apple after apple that was set in front of her and eating with the same table manners often displayed by Spike.

“She’s going to be all right, isn’t she?” Pinkie asked. “Dashie said she was going to come with me to Geldwall once we helped save Equestria. Don’t forget about the big super fun party I’m going to have once this is all done! She could still do that even if she is a Warden, right?”

“Of course she will.” Twilight smiled, though it was a pale reflection of Pinkie’s wide grin. There was something about Pinkie’s never ending optimism that was simply infectious. Even in the deepest pits, Pinkie still beamed with her unique type of radiance. It was a calming thought.

Rainbow then started to stir, slowly at first and with great labour, until she was sitting upright and coughing up a storm. Pinkie moved to her side immediately, patting Rainbow on the back while trying to coax her friend into drinking stamina droughts. Rainbow obliged, chugging down the orange liquid until she was done, panting heavily as she looked about.

“I’m hungry,” she said weakly, only to have her magenta eyes open wide at the bounty of food laid out before her. Without so much as a thank you Rainbow dove headfirst into her meal, gobbling up whatever hapless foodstuff was in her path. She ate with messy abandon, causing Applejack to laugh as she jabbed Twilight in the ribs.

“Ah seem to remember a certain unicorn pony being a lot more conflicted about joining the Wardens,” she said. “Granted that seems like ages ago, but still she is taking to being a Warden kinda well, isn’t she?”

Twilight winced. All things considered, she didn’t know if Rainbow had had it easy by having her Joining in the Dark Tunnels and see no other hopefuls die. “I think she’s just solely focused on eating every bite of food we have.”

Rainbow let out a loud burp as she patted her stomach, finally full after her session of consumption. Once she was satisfied and resting against the cave wall, she looked at her flank and smiled proudly at the new grey shield that marked her. “I guess I’m a Grey Warden now, huh?” she said smugly. “Rainbow ‘Warden’ Dash. Kinda has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

“Now Rainbow, being a Warden is a big responsibility for anypony,” Applejack warned. “It means standing up to the ponyspawn and the Blight. It means making the tough choices. We do what we must, after all.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Rainbow replied. “But it sure is a heck of a whole lot better than being an assassin. Folks don’t respect or hail assassins as heroes. They fear them. Being a Warden? I was meant to be this.”

It was somewhat uplifting to hear Rainbow take the role of a Grey Warden with open forelegs. She really was fearless when it came to fighting or the ponyspawn. It was a shame Duncan hadn’t found Rainbow Dash as a potential recruit for the Wardens earlier. How would the battle of Ostequus have gone if they had just another set of hooves on their side? With Rainbow’s skill in flight, could she have warned Duncan and the King that Loghoof would quit the field?

For want of a nail. It was an old proverb, often repeated to young unicorns that even the smallest actions, or lack of, could lead to heavy consequences. It still rang true today, all things considered. Easy enough to look back on the past and say things could have been different, but Twilight knew that was only wishful thinking. They still had a job to do, and they were ever closer to completing it. Saying her good nights, she laid her head on her saddle bags for another night of uneasy sleep.

“Sparkle! Sparkle! Get up now!”

Slowly standing up, Twilight yawned as quaking hooves and a frantic voice shook her from her slumber. Standing over her was Trixie, looking completely disheveled with a large bump protruding from the side of her head. Her worried expression only alerted Twilight more and she quickly found herself wide awake with her staff levitating by her side.

“It’s Shale!” Trixie exclaimed. “It’s gone! Shale told me to follow it deeper into the tunnel as it talked about its time in the Dark Tunnels. Then it said ‘I’m sorry.’ Trixie was surprised, to say the least that Shale was actually apologizing, and Trixie believed that Shale was finally going to admit her superiority!”

“Next thing I know, it hits me over the head! When I came to, Shale was gone!” Twilight looked ahead into the darkness of the cave that led towards Cairidan’s Thaig, but could see nothing. Why would Shale go off on its own? What was in Cairidan’s Thaig that it had to leave the party, and even resort to smacking Trixie?

Immediately rousing the slowly awakening party, Twilight led them through the long stone road towards the thaig as they gave chase to the vagabond golem. While Shale was not always the easiest thing to get along with, Shale had proven itself time and time again to be not only capable as a fighter, but also loyal to the group in its own unique way. They owed it to Shale to at least look for it, and Shale owed it to them to explain why it would feel the need to wander off.

They had been travelling for hours until the party finally came across another massive stone gate, this time illuminated by much larger and much more brilliant light crystals. Like the waygate before it, the statues of donkeys long gone were all defaced and damaged. Unlike the waygate, however, the stone gate remained untouched, and there was no sign of Shale anywhere.

“Spread out,” Twilight instructed. “Shale has to be around somewhere. This has to be Cairidan’s Thaig.”

“Of that it is,” confirmed an unfamiliar voice. Twilight’s ears perked up as she looked around, only to turn her gaze upwards to a cliff face that lead into a cave. Looking down on them all was a donkey mare in a full suit of spectacular golden armour, being flanked by four golems, which Twilight estimated were all approximately three feet taller than Shale. She was brown-coated like Oghren, with a short-cut mane and appeared rather clean for a donkey who had been trapped in the Dark Tunnels. There were also three control rods hanging from her side as well as a large and ornate hammer.

“I know that sweet voice anywhere!” Oghren shouted, elated at the discovery. “Branka! It’s you! By the Stone, I finally found you!”

“Wonderful,” Branka said with no lack of sarcasm. “After how long, Oghren, did you finally muster the stones to come after me? Are you going to drunkenly stumble about as you always do and ruin years of preparation and hard work? You come with ponies as well, yes? That must mean they want something from me if they had come all this way, and not the Storm Forge itself.”

“We came here to find you, Branka,” Twilight spoke up, though she did not hide her spite. “The donkeys of Orzamule are having a succession crisis and we were told a living Paragon would be able to choose the rightful king. There is a Blight on the surface and we need the support of Orzamule, of you.”

“So, old king Endrin is finally dead,” Branka replied sardonically. “Tell me, did he choke on his own fat after being fed lies upon lies by Harrowmount? Or did his son Bhelen finally slit his throat out of impatience? No matter. Politics mean little to me now, pony, not when I am so close to Cairidan’s thaig and the Storm Forge.”

“Your arrival is most fortuitous. Perhaps we can help each other ” As Branka continued speaking, she paced the length of the cliff while her golem guards stood watch. “I was beginning to wonder if the ponyspawn were ever going to make it past Cairidan’s rather impressive array of traps he laid out in his thaig, but if you were able to crawl through the Pits and kill my broodmares, then you are also equally capable of advancing where hordes of ponyspawn could not.”

There was no pony who did not look up at Branka with newfound shock and horror. Twilight’s mouth hung wide open as she looked at the donkey paragon with revulsion; Hespith’s message was right, Branka was the one who delivered her own people to the ponyspawn to be devoured and turned into broodmares.

Twilight’s blood began to boil as she glared up at Branka. All this time as a Warden, she thought the worst monsters she’d face would be ponyspawn and demons. They held vicious visages, were savage and could not be comprehended like a regular pony could. Enemies like Hubred were possessed ponies under influence of demons, or like Lockjaw who were corrupted by the blood of a high dragon.

Branka, though, showed no outward sign of corruption, just an insatiable desire for the Storm Forge. A desire so fierce that it led her to sacrifice her entire house in the mad quest to recover it. She left jennies like Hespith to die or worse, become broodmares. This was unforgivable. Branka had to meet justice for her crimes.

The smith paragon still had the upper hoof, though. The party still needed her support to shift support to either Harrowmount or Bhelen so they could have the donkey’s army against the Blight. As much as it pained Twilight to admit it, Branka would get away with her atrocities. For now. We do what we must.

Oghren looked pained as well, his braided beard swaying as he shook his head furiously in disbelief. “Branka, can you even hear yourself?!” His anger echoed in the caverns, though Branka seemed unaffected. “Hespith was your favourite hoofmaiden! You tortured that blighter Ruck! All for what? The blasted Storm Forge!”

“The Storm Forge is the greatest relic of all of donkeykind,” Branka shouted back, her cool visage failing almost immediately. “It was thanks to Cairidan and his Forge that golems even exist to begin with! When his soldiers of stone marched through the Dark Tunnels, that was a golden age for all donkeys! Armies of golems walking shoulder by shoulder, diamond dog and ponyspawn alike being crushed underhoof with nary a care.”

“But something happened. The production of golems ceased, the Storm Forge and Cairidan’s Thaig were lost. Golems went rogue or simply stopped working and the ponyspawn took the place of the diamond dogs as our most dangerous enemies. I will find the Storm Forge and return donkey dominance to the Dark Tunnels, and I will do whatever it takes to achieve this. I have no need of weaklings like Ruck, and lovers like Hespith must be used in any way possible. You want my support in choosing a new petty king of Orzamule? You will have that and more. Go into Cairidan’s Thaig, solve his traps, and clear the way for me to get to the Storm Forge. Then not only will I support a new king, but I will also craft for you an army of golems to bring to the surface to fight against the Blight. That is my deal.”

As Branka turned away, Oghren shouted at her one last time. “Branka! What happened to the filly that became my wife? She was never this obsessed with a piece of work like the Forge.”

“She’s still here,” answered Branka, never turning to face him. “And she is your Paragon.”

Once Branka and her golem guards left through their tunnel, the party turned to each other with looks of disgust and confusion. Now Branka was offering them a very ideal offer of having an army of golems like Shale fight by their side against the ponyspawn. Shale on its own was impressive against the flesh and blood monstrosities; Twilight could only begin to imagine what havoc ten or twenty golems could wreak upon a battlefield.

On the other hoof, Twilight grimaced at the thought of leaving Ruck and Hespith and countless donkey deaths unanswered for. The way Branka so flippantly dismissed her house was callous to the extreme, and for the first time, the mage found herself desperately wanting to blast the paragon’s face off with a full force of magic.

“We have to find Shale,” Trixie said, breaking the cold silence at last. “That pile of pebbles couldn’t have gone far. The Great and Powerful Trixie believes Shale must have entered the thaig, and we will go after it.”

Good plan, Twilight thought as she approached the stone gates of the thaig. Focus on finding Shale instead of worrying about Branka or the Storm Forge. Twilight studied the entrance for a moment as she considered Branka’s words and how Shale would have gotten in. Being a golem, it would have been strong enough to open the doors, Twilight surmised. If golems came out of here, maybe they are immune or are allowed through the thaig without triggering the traps, or maybe Shale’s memories allowed it to bypass them completely.

“Everypony, help me push the gates open.” Twilight stretched for a moment before pressing her entire body against the stone door, her horn glowing bright with brute magic in an effort to wedge the door open. Soon Rarity and Trixie were adding their magic to her own, while Applejack, Oghren and Spike added their muscle to the task. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew above the rest of the party, pushing their hooves against the gate with all their might.

The stone door refused to budge, even with all their exertions. “Everypony, push again at the count of three!” Applejack called, “It’s no different than timing your bucks right during harvest! One! Two!”

“THREE!”

Magic and physical strength worked in tandem as the stone slab moved ever so slowly across the stone floor. Once the gate way was open a small crack, the rush of the foulest stench anypony had ever had misfortune of smelling overtook them all in a fit of coughing and gagging. Twilight could feel her eyes water from the rank odours as she looked back at the slightly open gate.

“It smells worse than Red Apple Castle did during the zombie attack,” Rarity coughed. “Ugh, I can’t believe we have to go in there. It’s probably foul and disgusting and all sorts of… of… blech!”

“Shale’s counting on us,” Fluttershy replied. “We can’t let a bad smell stop us from helping it!”

“On the count of three!” Applejack said, backing up until she was well enough away from the gate. “Follow me and buck as hard as you can!”

“Rarity, Trixie,” Twilight called, “focus your magic on the door. We’ll let them push with their hooves while we push with our horns. Follow Applejack’s lead.”

The party ready, Applejack made her count again, charging towards the gate to Cairidan’s Thaig with malicious intent. As the other ponies charged forward, Twilight led her fellow unicorns into applying as much pressure to the door as possible, the stone glowing with the united auras of violet, white and blue.

Applejack and her retinue of door-buckers turned on a dime, slamming their hind hooves into the door with as much strength as they could muster. The attack did the trick and the gateway to the thaig was now wide enough to admit a single-file line of pony and donkey adventurers. Instead of advancing forward however, they all backed well away from the entrance to the thaig and more importantly away from the wretched smell.

Only Oghren was unbothered by the smell, squeezing between the gap in the entranceway and moving on ahead. Sucking in a huge breath of air, Twilight followed the berserker with the rest of the party staying close behind her.

“It’s dark,” Fluttershy whispered, choking on the stale air as she looked around. With only the faint light from the entrance giving any sense of direction, Twilight’s horn came alight with magelight before she took a few cautious steps forward until she stepped on something squishy.

“I got this.” Spike drew his flaming blade, the fire from the enchanted weapon illuminating the room. Shrieks and gasps of fright echoed in the hall of the thaig as the fiery sword revealed a den of horrors. Corpses of donkeys and ponyspawn lay strewn across the corridor, impaled on spikes or sawed in half by partially-hidden and long rusted blades. Twilight looked down to see she was hoof deep in a black blood puddle. She recoiled for a moment before shaking the ponyspawn blood off her hoof, and resumed looking around the halls of the thaig.

At first glance, Twilight thought she saw more defaced and ruined statues, but as she investigated further, she realized that they bore a striking resemblance to Shale. Corpses of golems, Twilight realized as she looked about, no wonder Branka never came in here herself and used ponyspawn in an effort to clear the way. Cairidan made this a death trap to protect the Storm Forge.

“Come on!” Trixie called as she moved forward. “Trixie would have words with that overrated boulder, and she will not be able to claim her victory if we keep staring at dead bodies!"

“Trixie, why are ya so gung-ho on gettin’ Shale back?” Applejack asked. “You two snipped and spat at each other more than two snakes in the grass. Ah’d imagine ya would be happy for once that Shale ain’t around to bicker with.”

“Trixie does not care for Shale!” the magician quickly stammered. “I… I mean, Trixie is simply wanting to make sure that her debt to Shale is done and over with. For its defense when Trixie was unable to protect herself on the mountain.”

As Trixie lead the way, she stepped on a small panel in the floor, causing a clicking noise from somewhere in the room. Pinkie’s tail twitched at the sound, and without warning she tackled Trixie, just as another impaling spike rushed out of the wall, piercing its way right through Trixie’s hat. Trixie looked up at her hat with wide eyes and shaking knees.

“Sweet Celestia!” Trixie gaped. “What... how... pointy spikes!”

Pinkie looked at the spot where Trixie had stepped, tapping the stone with her hoof. The stone seemed to have been hollowed, the tapping echoing from within. “Seems like a simple pressure plate trap mechanism,” Pinkie explained. “You step on it, something happens! Hey, that sounds like a great idea for a party! Step on a plate and suddenly confetti!”

“We have to be careful,” Twilight warned. “Branka must have been sending through whatever ponyspawn or golems she could find to get to the Storm Forge for years. Whatever traps remain stopped her advance. Follow me, and walk where I walk.”

Those words were easier said than done as Twilight made her way through the first hall. With Spike on her back and his blazing blade shining the way, she kept her eyes open for any strange or irregular patterns. There were a few obvious traps, thankfully, like protruding stones and those marked by runes. It was with morbid thanks that the donkeys and ponyspawn Branka had sent into the thaig had triggered most of the traps.

A click echoed from behind Twilight, causing her to snap her head back as two saw blades rushed outward towards Fluttershy, the razor-sharp edges grinding against the stone, causing sparks to fly. With a shout, Twilight cast a barrier around Fluttershy, catching the saw blades before they could slice the Chantry sister open. They spun wildly against her barrier until Applejack and Rainbow kicked the mechanisms of the blades out of alignment.

“Th-thanks.” Fluttershy hyperventilated as she stared at the implements of death. “This place is like a twisted, evil version of Luna’s temple!”

Twilight couldn’t help but agree, noting the similarity between the two. The donkeys must have quite the penchant for protecting what was important to them with very lethal traps. While Twilight understood the need to protect one’s valuables against thieves, this was simply too excessive. Unless the Storm Forge was worth it, of course.

Branka certainly believes so.

As they made their way through the massive hallway of the thaig, they came across another door with donkey runes overhead. Oghren squinted as he looked over the runes, reading them aloud.

“Trespassers who have come to steal my life’s work, I give but one warning. Turn back now, and forget this place. If the blades do not claim you, the air of death will.” Oghren snorted. “Now he gives the warning? Looks like Cairidan wanted to keep his precious Storm Forge to himself.”

They entered the next room with trepidation and awe, as it was much larger than the entryway and surrounded by statues. As before, they were all horribly vandalized save for one very tall statue in the center of the room, an expressionless donkey of stone who simply stared ahead at the newcomers of the room. Surrounding the statue were four levers of unknown purpose.

There were also piles of corpses, both of donkey and ponyspawn, inside the room, arranged terrifyingly high in the corners of the great chamber. Many of them were a sickly colour of green, while some also had crushed bodies or heads.

“I wonder what Cairidan meant by ‘the air of death’,” Rarity pondered aloud. “We should be cautious darlings. This place is utterly dreadful.”

The door behind them slammed shut in response. Shouts of worry echoed as Applejack moved to kick the stone door to no effect. Twilight kept her focus on her surroundings as she looked around at the stonework. There was something strange about this room, about how there were holes in the walls and the floors that did not seem to serve a purpose. Part of the trap, Twilight concluded, but what kind of trap?

Her query was answered by a low yet resonating hiss as green gas flooded the room. The gas was rancid to smell and worse to taste and everyone began coughing heavily from the toxins. Twilight’s eyes started to water as she tried to raise a magical shell, only for it to falter and fade from the debilitating effects of the gas.

“The levers!” Applejack shouted before coughing up a sickening amount of green bile. The poison in the gas was working quickly, and as more gas leaked into the room, Twilight looked over to the piles of corpses. She did not want to be added to that particularly gruesome collection.

Her horn glowed with arcane power as she gripped the lever, forcing it to move with a tilt of her head and a twitch of her magic. There were several clicks in the room as many of the holes were covered up by stone, but still the toxic gas filled the room. Just as she was able to grip the second lever with magic, a loud groan echoed throughout the room, a cacophony similar to rocks upon rocks.

The statue in the center of the room began to hum with the power of lyrium. Runes glowed bright with arcane power across its stone body until an all too familiar mark of a hoof formed on its forehead. The lines were red, however, instead of the blue that were characteristic of Shale, and the newly awakened golem looked down on Twilight with murderous intent.

“Intruders Will Be Neutralized.” The golem charged at Twilight, breaking her grip on the second lever as she dived out of the way. The chaos of battle erupted amidst the party, along with the plague winds that were blowing from the vents. Twilight could not stop coughing, and turned to see that Rainbow was vomiting, still sick from her Joining. The poison gas was now a green haze as the golem ignored all others, focusing  its attention on Twilight.

“It’s after me!” Twilight called out. “Somepony get to the levers, quickly!”

Rainbow Dash responded to Twilight’s call, flying over to the switch and wrapping her hooves around the device. As she pulled, Oghren tried to attack the golem with his axe only to watch the blade of his weapon bounce harmlessly off.

“What are you trying to do?” Applejack asked confusedly. Oghren shrugged.

“I thought I could hack away at its knees until it fell over.” Another resounding echo of mechanisms clicking into place alerted the golem that the levers were undefended, turning its attention solely to Rainbow. While Rainbow was difficult for the golem to attack from the ground, the newly inducted Grey Warden would not be able to keep her flight for much longer while  the toxic gas was leaking into the room.

Rarity approached the third lever as the golem continued its hunt for Rainbow, all attacks made against it dealing nothing in the effect of damage or even slowing it down. As Rarity pulled the third lever, the golem changed its target, focusing solely on the sorceress as Rarity tried to shriek.

“Twilight!” Pinkie shouted as she pulled a grenade from her satchel. “Maybe this will work! High explosive!”

Twilight let loose another torrent of coughs as she tried to see what Pinkie was holding. Her vision was blurred while her magic attempted to grip the offered grenade, looking up at the golem as it cornered Rarity. If weapons could not stop the stone warrior and their magic was being choked away by the gas, perhaps a detonation would do the trick.

“Oghren, go for the last lever!” Oghren immediately complied, galloping towards the lever and clenching the rod in his teeth. As he pulled, Twilight readied the timed charge until she heard the last of the poison gas trap’s workings click shut. The door leading out of the thaig opened as well, allowing the gas to spread itself outward.

As expected, the golem changed its focus onto Oghren, crushing stones underneath it as the berserker stood his ground and snarled. With every ounce of her strength, Twilight threw the grenade at the golem, pressing it against its neck with the aid of magic. Her concentration was tested though, with the toxic gas still twisting her lungs and interrupting her breathing.

It was then that she saw a blue aura surround her violet one, keeping the grenade pressed tight against the attack. Twilight turned to see Trixie’s horn and staff glowing with her own potent magic, giving her a quick nod as the grenade counted down.

The bomb exploded in a brilliant fireball that everyone had to avert their eyes from as the light and heat of the attack washed over them. All that could be heard was a loud ringing in their ears as they were tossed about from the concussive force of the grenade. Twilight looked up to see the golem covered by a black cloud of smoke. Once the smoke cleared the golem still remained, only now without a head. It teetered for a moment before falling on its side, kicking up another storm of dust.

Twilight felt nauseous as she slumped to the ground, the last of the gas dissipating. It was No wonder the ponyspawn or the donkeys never made it past this trap, being assailed by both toxic fumes and a violent golem defender. Pinkie moved about, giving healing antidotes to everyone as they all took a moment to catch their breath.

“By the Stone,” Oghren muttered as he wiped the sweat from his brow. “Warden, if we make it through this alive, all the drinks will be on me.”

“Ah hope ya’ll make due on that promise,” Applejack coughed. “That Cairidan really didn’t want anyone taking his Forge.”

“No sitting or waiting!” Trixie shouted, somehow able to stand up and move ahead. “Shale is waiting for us, and Trixie will be damned if we waste any more time!”

Standing on weak knees, Twilight and the rest of the party followed Trixie as she made her way through the thaig. Looking back on the golem, Twilight came to appreciate the strength of those creatures of stone, and thought back on Branka’s offer to make the Wardens an army.

I have to do what is best for Equestria, Twilight reminded herself, but can I ally myself with a monster to fight the ponyspawn?

They followed Trixie through another pathway, leading them into a large cavern that made Twilight’s horn itch with anticipation. She could feel the familiar tingle of refined lyrium being processed, magical energy scratching at her head in a pleasant manner.

Gasps were let loose as they stepped inside a massive golden apparatus. Hundreds of shining pipes filled the ceiling, carrying raw, molten lyrium to be processed. Several implements of blacksmithing were strewn about, including a forge and a great anvil, as well as hammers and tongs. The mass of pipes all lead to a narrow one and below this central exhaust was a large mold made of stone in the shape of an equine.

“This must be it!” Twilight exclaimed excitedly. “This is the Storm Forge.”

“Indeed it is, interlopers.” A thundering voice echoed through the Forge’s great hall until a golem that dwarfed Shale by several feet approached them. “Whoever you are, you should not have come here. I will crush you to protect the sin that is the Storm Forge! No one will reproduce the tragedies brought into this world by Cairidan!”

Weapons were drawn as the party looked up at the great golem before them. Twilight looked to her friends, hoping one of them had a plan to deal with this one. Unlike the Shale and the guardian in the room of poison gas, this golem shined in the burning light of the Storm Forge, indicating it was made of metal. Such a golem would prove monumentous to overcome.

“Cairidan, wait!”

Twilight’s eyes lit up as a familiar voice called out to the metal golem. Shale approached the party before standing next to the golem it had called Cairidan. That raised many questions alone, but before Twilight could ask them, Trixie burst through the group and pointed a hoof dangerously close to Shale’s face.

“You!” she screeched. “How dare you strike Trixie in the back of the head like some commoner! I demand an explanation for your actions! Why did you hit me? Why did you run off like that!”

“Did you not hear what I said?” Shale replied, “I sought Cairidan, and I found him. Welcome, squishy mortals, to the Storm Forge, and I would like to introduce you to my creator. This is true paragon of Orzamule, Cairidan the Smith.”

---

Chapter 28 - The Renegade Paragon

The party looked up at the golem that called itself Cairidan, still in awe as the giant creature made of steel came to Shale’s side. Like Shale, Caridian was covered in lines of blue lyrium and a rune the shape of a hoof on his forehead. Twilight had felt small before in the presence of larger creatures, and that feeling was coming back to her under the shadow of the steel golem.

“Shale,” Cairidan said, looking over to Shale. “What are these creatures? I only recognize one donkey among them, though they are similar to donkeys. They seem familiar, yet I do not remember. Why have they come here? Why do they seek my Storm Forge?”

“These are surfacers called ‘ponies’, Cairidan,” Shale answered, “Small and squishy creatures that are somehow capable of impressive feats of magic and might. They have not come for the Forge, but rather for the aid of a Paragon.”

“Paragon?” Cairidan spit the word with spite and malice as he shifted on heavy hooves. “Paragon!? A useless term that was soiled in my time in Orzamule. Why have you come here, ponies? Surely there is another Paragon in Orzamule after three hundred years? Surely you would not have ventured all the way to the Pits and my lost thaig for more than just a Paragon? Surely you would not have escaped my traps, destroyed my guardian and not seek the ultimate form of blacksmithing that is the Storm Forge.”

As Cairidan spoke, Twilight could feel a tinge of sadness from his hollow voice, a sound of pain and guilt. As he spoke, he glanced at Shale occasionally, as if seeking approval or forgiveness. Shale appeared oblivious to Cairidan’s expression, instead looking to the elder golem with what Twilight assumed was awe and respect. For once, Twilight thought Shale was genuinely happy, and not after another murderous rampage.

It was odd to see emotions from Shale that were not either complete contempt or sadistic glee. Something about Shale’s demeanor changed around Cairidan, like how a child looked up to its father with complete trust. Twilight wondered if it was a lingering after-affect to all golems, to see Cairidan as their creator or father.

“Master Cairidan,” Twilight said as she bowed towards the Paragon. “We did not come here seeking the Storm Forge, though we were after a donkey who was. We came to the Dark Tunnels seeking the Paragon Branka, a smith like you, to help choose a new king of Orzamule. There is a Blight on the surface, and we need the help of the donkeys to fight it back.”

Cairidan creaked for a moment as he looked down on Twilight before turning back and looking at the machinery that was his Storm Forge. “Even in three hundred years, nothing changes. The monsters of the Pits still seek the surface world and the lords of Orzamule still fight amongst themselves when in grave jeopardy. Tell me, pony of magic, why does this other paragon seek my Storm Forge?”

“She claims that with the Forge will restore donkey glory,” Oghren interrupted, clearly frustrated by the slow-speaking Cairidan. “By the Stone, you should know about that! Come on, Warden, if we can take the Forge we can have Branka back and get out of this sodding hole.”

Oghren looked ready to bring out his axe, only to stop as Twilight held out hoof to hold him back. Shale moved forward, eyes glaring at Oghren while scraping one hoof against the stone floor. Cairidan shook his head as he paced the length of the bridge between his thaig and the Storm Forge.

“Glory?” Cairidan replied, “There is no glory to be found here, berserker. Only pain and despair and death. This Branka seeks my Storm Forge? She will not have it! She knows not how golems are made, not the price that must be paid to make them!”

“What are you speaking about, Cairidan?” Shale said, “Are golems not of stone and lyrium? Are we not a product of greater things compared to the bone and blood of squishy ponies?”

“You do not remember Shale. Perhaps ignorance is bliss.” When Shale did not immediately answer, it looked to Twilight, confusion in its expression as Cairidan continued. “I will tell you how golems are created, and you will decide if the Storm Forge is the treasure it was told to be.”

Cairidan motioned for the party to sit around him, which they did, forming a semi-circle around the steel giant. Shale joined Trixie’s side, giving Twilight some relief that their golem friend was back with them, even if only for a moment. Once they were all settled, Cairidan began to speak.

“In our long wars against the diamond dogs and the ponyspawn, Orzamule was facing disaster. Fighting on two fronts was costing the city many of our finest warriors, and no amount of weapons or armour I could forge could change this fact. There were movements to introduce conscription to the casteless, but the warrior caste was adamant that only they fight on the fields.

I tried to forge as many weapons as I could, and even mastered the art of weaving lyrium into arms and armour, yet it still wasn’t enough. The dogs and the ponyspawn were just too numerous. As I walked through the halls of Orzamule, I looked at the statues of Paragons long past, and I wondered why they did not come alive and protect us, as we so often prayed to the Stone to do.

It was then that I wondered if I could make the stone of our tunnels come alive and serve as soldiers. There was plenty of stone to be quarried and crafted into statues; surely we could build entire legions from the rock. Try as I might however, I could not create life from nothing. The first golems were nothing but glorified statues and could not fight. I needed something more. I needed actual life.”

Cairidan then turned to Shale before looking away. “I asked Queen Jaggedstone for donkeys who would not be missed. Criminals, casteless, I did not care. I needed subjects to experiment on. Once I had the donkeys I needed, I crafted another statue, only this time hollow. I placed the unfortunate soul inside the stone casing and then poured molten lyrium within. The screams still haunt me to this day, pony, but at the time I did not care. I had succeeded, somewhat. The first golem came alive and completely rampaged through my smithy, killing guards and workers. I knew it would be dangerous, but the I was too overjoyed by what I had created. The process worked.

I then invented the control rod, to keep the golems sedated when not in use on the battlefields. With my success, I went to Queen Jaggedstone to ask for volunteers to become golems. Warriors, workers, any donkey who wanted to pay the ultimate price to protect their homeland. I had thought we were bringing glory to Orzamule with every dog that was crushed, and every ponyspawn that was slain. The golems proved to be the ultimate weapon. I was declared a paragon by the Senate and Shaperate. I was given my own House. My own thaig. It was here I made the Storm Forge to mass produce golems. It was here you became a golem, Shale.”

Shale continued to be silent as it took in all the information. The party did the same, giving looks of horror as they realized what Cairidan had done to create golems. Blood magic, Twilight thought immediately. Like many Wardens, Cairidan had thought only of how to best defeat the Blight. We do what we must.

“You mean I was not always the Indestructible and Forever Superior Shale?” the stone golem asked, “I was once a squishy donkey meatbag?’

Cairidan seemed to ignore Shale, only to look down on it sadly. “One day, scouts reported a massive throng of ponyspawn coming to my thaig, and we had not prepared our defenses. Many of the warriors of my House, including one very brash and headstrong jenny, came to me and volunteered to become golems. For the first time in my life, I hesitated in creating golems. I had become friends with them, and to this jenny more than such. But the threat loomed over us and they would have destroyed my Storm Forge. I made the choice to agree to their wishes.”

“I turned my friends including you, Shayle of the Warrior Caste, into golems. My heart was broken by what I had done. I had turned the mare I loved into a golem, and I could no longer bear to look at you.”

Shale stood up, having heard enough. She walked around in a circle, the red augmentation crystals on her hooves glowing bright with magic and fury. “I was a donkey,” Shale muttered, “A mare. Shayle of the Warrior Caste.” If she could spit, Twilight only surmised she would. “Not very creative name after conversion, now is it?”

Trixie approached Shale and tried to place a hoof on her shoulder for comfort, but Shale only shrugged it off as she stared at the Storm Forge, its brows shifting against her rocky face. The runes that adorned her body glowed brighter, her eyes flashing red for a moment. Twilight had no idea what to say in this situation. What could be said? Shale was once a donkey and had been made an immortal golem of stone by her own choice.

Cairidan turned away from everyone, refusing to look Shale in the eye as she fumed across the stone floor. He shook his head before turning his attention back to the rest of the party. The remorse could be felt from the steel golem, and Twilight could not help but pity him. His creation of golems was deplorable, yet he also seemed genuinely regretful of his actions, especially considering Shale.

“When Queen Jaggedstone brought casteless and political prisoners to be turned into golems rather than volunteers, I refused her.” Cairidan now spoke with anger, as it reverberated throughout the Forge. “I would make no more golems for her, or anydonkey. We had defeated the diamond dogs. We had taken back many of our thaigs from the ponyspawn. The golems we had were enough! But she wanted more golems and she wanted her political opponents removed in one fell swoop. I refused again.”

“The queen responded. I was tossed into my own Storm Forge in a specially made steel casing devised by my apprentices. I learned that day exactly what pain and agony I had inflicted to so many others as I felt my own body burn under the molten lyrium. I felt myself merging with the steel case that would become my new body. I was reborn a golem, like so many created by my hooves. But my apprentices made one fatal flaw. They forgot to create a control rod for me. I killed Queen Jaggedstone and all who followed her. I then converted my thaig into a death trap so that none could uncover my greatest sin and use it once more.”

Cairidan regarded the guests of his thaig before speaking again. “You sought a Paragon to help you choose a new king of Orzamule? I will be that Paragon. Help me destroy the Storm Forge, so that my sin can never again be repeated. I cannot destroy it myself, being a product of the Forge.”

Twilight quickly agreed, much to the surprise of everyone around her. They looked at her quizzically, especially Oghren, while she shook her head at the Forge. Yes it was a marvel of lyrium and artisanship, but the artifact was something that could easily be abused. The donkeys would find volunteers at first as Cairidan said, only for a future king decided to repeat the desires of Queen Jaggedstone.

Prince Bhelen proved a ruthless yet cunning leader, who would likely see golems as just another tool to be used. Twilight could see the son of the deceased king sending everyone from his opponents to donkeys he didn’t like to be turned into golems. Lord Harrowmount was no better, likely deciding that the Forge would give the casteless a use and send them to become golems. Either way, the possibility of abuse of the Storm Forge was too great. It had to be destroyed.

“Twilight, wait,” Oghren said, “Think about it. If we destroy the blasted thing, Branka is going to become more unhinged. I came to the Dark Tunnels to save her!”

“Look at what Branka did to her House, Oghren,” Twilight explained, “If you had come with her, what would have been your fate? She sent her lover to become a Broodmare. What would have happened to you? You’d probably be dead, at best.”

“She’s my wife!”

“She’s your Paragon.” Twilight took in a breath as she pointed towards the sealed doors of the Storm Forge. “Think back to everything she has done, Oghren. Can you really take her back when she’s so driven to obtain the Storm Forge? Oghren, I know you’ve been waiting for this moment to reunite with Branka, but she’s not here to reunite with you. She’s here to take the Forge and turn donkeys into golems.”

“I know… I know…” Oghren’s conflict could be seen as he scrunched up his face. “I need a freakin’ drink, Warden, but you’re right. I couldn’t believe it when I heard her before we came into this damned thaig, but… she cares more about finding this Storm Forge than she does about me. If she could do what she did to Hespith, then you’re right, what chance do I have? Destroy the sodding thing. If Branka has a problem with it, I’ll answer her.”

With everypony in agreement, Twilight turned her attention to the Storm Forge. She looked at the artifact with eyes attuned to magic, watching the lyrium lines converge to a point. The essence of magic was mixed with the molten metal of the forge to pour down on the hapless donkey underneath. It was a breathtaking union of skilled artifice and magic, the likes she was not expecting to ever see created by the hooves of a donkey. Still, it had to go. Cairidan had convinced her of its potential for great harm.

Once she was sure they were all ready for the destruction of the Storm Forge, Twilight focused her magic into one spot where the lyrium would take over and cause a chain of destructive force. Just as Twilight was ready to unleash her spell, the sound of rumbling earth broke her concentration.

Everyone turned to the stone doors of the Storm Forge, watching as the massive doors shook with the sound of pounding battering rams. Twilight raised her staff towards the door, steadying herself as small rocks and dirt fell from the cracks forming along the doors. Each hit against the doors shook the entirety of the Storm Forge, metal smacking against metal in a strange melody of foreboding.

Branka was coming, and she would not let the Storm Forge go easily.

The doors finally collapsed, a cloud of dust overwhelming everyone, only to swept away by Twilight’s magic. Branka walked past the threshold, flanked by two of her guards, all the while marvelling at the relic with wide eyes and an even wider grin.

“This is it...” Branka said, cherishing her discovery. “All this time spent, all the suffering, the Storm Forge is finally within my hooves! You have done well, ponies. I am very pleased indeed. With the Storm Forge, I can begin making golems to serve Orzamule once again.”

“You know not what you sought, Branka,” Cairidan challenged, walking towards her in threatening steps. “The pain this Forge has created must be forgotten! It must be lost forever, and these ponies have agreed to destroy it all! Turn back now, or you will be slain and buried along with my greatest shame!”

“No!” Branka yelled. “I have spent too long, sacrificed too much just to watch the Storm Forge slip through my hooves! I’ll kill each and every single one of you before I lose the Forge to some ponies!”

“Is the Storm Forge so important, Branka?!” Oghren shouted back, “Look what it did to you! You’re obsessed with the damn thing! Just come back with me to Orzamule! It’s not too late!”

“Quiet you fool! I am your Paragon!” Branka’s eyes were wide and crazed, yet still focused on the Storm Forge. “I left you in Orzamule because you were too soft! You would have stood in my way as I did what was necessary for Orzamule! For all donkeykind!”

“You are too far gone, Branka! You are an insult to the name Paragon, just as I am!” Cairidan reared on his hooves, causing the ground to shake as he landed. “I will end you and your search to use my Forge for your ambition! Ponies! To my side!”

Branka laughed as the steel golem charged towards her, casually drawing a control rod from her saddle bag. “You are not the only master smith here, Cairidan. You are just another golem now, and all golems are made to obey! STOP!”

Cairidan’s charge simply ceased as he was brought to a halt in mid-step. He could not even speak as his form relaxed and then turned towards the ponies. Twilight watched in horror as Shale did the same, taking up a familiar battle stance, this time against them.

Shale… no!

Twilight reacted in the way she had wanted to against Branka for a long time. Since discovering Ruck in the Dark Tunnels, to finding what she had sentenced Hespith to suffer, Twilight wanted to nothing more than to give Branka the justice she deserved. Channeling her magic and refining it through her staff, Twilight directed the fiercest arcane blizzard she could muster at Branka.

The magic within her horn burned, yet Twilight ignored the pain as she focused her anger towards the Paragon. Waves of arctic cold crashed around Branka, who looked nonplussed as the storm gathered strength. Twilight’s vision began to blur as white light engulfed her, her eyes burning with power.

With a shout she unleashed her spell, the blizzard ripping forth and surrounding the enemy with blasts of magical sleet and cold. The golems shifted about, though they storm barely hindered them. Branka simply stood still as the winds ripped against her.

Once Twilight could see again, she gasped as the magic simply weaved around Branka. The Paragon smirked as her body began to glow in response to the magic, lines of blue trailing over her coat like the runic weaves within a go. The blizzard soon dissipated, leaving Branka and her thralls little worse for wear.

“I have survived in the Dark Tunnels by ingesting countless amounts of lyrium, pony,” Branka explained as she stepped forward. “They call it the essence of magic. Couple that with a donkey’s innate magical resistance and I am immune to you. Golems, crush them all. I will take my prize.”

Twilight watched in horror as the party was soon attacked by the very pinnacle of physical might, including Shale and Cairidan among the ranks of the enemy. Lines were quickly broken as the golems ran roughshod through the party, where blade and arrow were useless against their rocky hides. Spells were only marginally useful, and Pinkie hesitated in the use of her bombs, not wanting to injure the manipulated Shale.

Branka’s attacks were brutal and immediate against Twilight. Using the control rod as a mace, the donkey swung with precision showing her warrior training as well as the strength of a master smith. Each blow was timed expertly and Twilight found herself using her staff as a means to parry the blows as she backed up towards the Storm Forge.

Applejack breathed heavily as she narrowly avoided a ramming tackle from one of the other golems. Oghren was using his surprising strength in a hope to block off his target while Spike used his small size and agility to keep his golem away from him. They could not keep up this twisted dance forever though, and as she looked over to where Twilight and Branka dueled, she knew it would be a matter of time until Twilight was simply overpowered.

“If anyone has a good idea, I’m all for it,” Applejack said as she brought Silverbite across the flank of a golem, watching as both blade and phantom strike did nothing but scratch the surface.

Rarity attempted to launch a bolt of lightning from her staff, but she was weak and did very little except to mar the surface hide of a golem. “We can’t keep fighting like this!” she shrieked, backing away from her assailant. “Attacking the golems does nothing!”

Oghren looked around the Forge for something that could be used against the golems. He was in a giant smithy, surely there would some kind of weapon he could use. A bludgeon or warhammer, anything to crack open the soldiers of stone rocky hides. All he had to do was find a weapon rack of some kind. Of course, he still had to make sure he was not going to be flattened by the golem.

Stray steel pipes lay along the ground, used to repair the Storm Forge during its glory days. Setting down his battle-axe, Oghren took up the pipe in his mouth, taking in the metallic taste in his mouth before galloping towards the golem attacking Applejack. With a sturdy swing, Oghren’s pipe connected with back leg of the golem, splintering shards of rock from the wound though also warping the pipe so that it was no longer effective.

“Oghren!” Pinkie called, “Catch!”

Pinkie’s mace flew through the air, clattering on the ground towards Oghren, it’s gleaming head waiting to slam into an enemy. Oghren spat out the pipe before picking up the mace, adjusting the weapon for a moment before turning his gaze towards the golem. His adversary took lapse in attention to its advantage, smacking Oghren with a stiff strike from its hoof. Oghren rocked on his hooves for a moment, shaking his head furiously before glaring at the golem with eyes filled with berserker fury.

With a savage how through the bit-handle, Oghren charged the golem, smashing the mace into its face, creating large fissures along its features that cracked and revealed the lyrium underlay beneath. Another growl joined another bashing strike as Oghren broke one of the golem’s legs completely off, sending the hoof flying across the room.

Now unbalanced, the golem was now easy prey for Oghren. Raising the mace high, he brought down hammer blows, one after another, onto the golem’s head, exposing the bright blue core of lyrium that was its brain. “Rarity!” Oghren shouted, “Get yer shiny tush over here and give this sucker a zap!”

“Don’t you dare talk about my backside, you ruffian!” Though indignant about Oghren’s remarks, she saw the weak point he had created. Her horn arced with lightning, and with a shout she sent a bolt flying into the skull of the fallen golem. The lyrium reacted spectacularly, detonating the golem’s head in rain of lyrium and stone fragments.

Oghren took a deep breath as he tossed Pinkie’s mace back to her. He winced as he moved his jaw, spitting out a bloody tooth. Picking up his axe, Oghren looked towards where Branka was beating on Twilight. His eyes narrowed as he readied his weapon, aiming for either reconciliation with his wife…

Or the final confrontation.

 

 

Trixie looked up at the attacking form of Shale with pleading eyes. “Shale! It’s me! Trixie!” Despite her best attempts, Shale made no outward display that it could hear the magician, attacking with powerful stomps and kicks as Trixie tried to keep away from being crushed.

“Don’t let Branka control you!” she yelled, “We came too far into this journey together!”

“I cannot… resist…” Shale was able to say, just as she reared up and brought her hooves down onto a quickly prepared barrier. The shield cracked and fizzled from the strike, but held strong still. “Her control rod is too… powerful…”

“Is she too powerful?” Trixie demanded, “I thought you were better than this, Shale! I thought you were mighty and strong!”

Shale stomped again, this time breaking the barrier causing Trixie to shout out in pain. Rainbow dove towards her, pushing her aside before the golem could trample the weakened Trixie. Pinkie bounded over to Shale, jumping onto her back and holding her forelegs around her a tight squeeze.

“Shale! Remember when we first met!” Pinkie shouted, trying to reach Shale. “Remember the party I’m going to have once this journey ends! Remember that invitation I made you! We’re your friends! Nothing can stop that!”

Shale let out a loud groan as it tried to shake Pinkie off, bucking hard while the rest of the party was focused on the other four golems. While Applejack, Oghren, and Spike where trying to keep the two golem guards Branka brought at bay, Fluttershy was being chased by a rampaging Cairidan. She screamed as she tried to escape as she tripped over some loose rocks, falling over as Cairidan closed in on his prey.

Fluttershy’s wings locked up as Cairidan brought down his hoof, only narrowly rolling away from the impact in a desperate attempt to flee. The stone floor splintered under Cairidan’s strength, sending shards of rock flying in every direction. She raised her bow towards Cairidan, firing arrow after arrow in a futile attempt to hold him back. Each missile struck against the golem’s face and harmlessly bounced off, Cairidan’s advance unwavering.

“I am… sorry…” Cairidan said as he raised a hoof to crush Fluttershy. From within her mane, Angel leapt out onto the face of the steel golem, stretching its body to cover his eyes. Cairidan thrashed his head about in an effort to remove Angel from his face. Fluttershy’s screams were now those of worry as Angel was in harm’s way.

Fluttershy flew over to Cairidan’s face, trying to wrench Andel off Cairidan, but Angel held on tight with sticky paws. The steel golem’s response was to turn towards the walls of the cave, galloping hard in an effort to crush both pegasus and nug together. At the sight of the incoming wall, Angel let go, bringing both him and Fluttershy to fall and skid across the ground.

Cairidan crashed against the stone wall at full force, with several stalactites falling from the cavern ceiling. Unhindered and unharmed, Cairidan continued his attack on Fluttershy and Angel. Collecting Angel in her hooves, Fluttershy strained her wings, trying to take flight to get away. Spike ran towards her, brandishing his firebrand in hope to keep Cairidan away.

Spike attacked with his blade, the searing heat melting a portion of Cairidan’s leg. He made no sound against the damage, backing away as he looked at his wounded leg. Gulping, Spike jumped out of the way of an incoming hoof as it crashed down on the floor.

“Trixie, if you’re gonna get Shale on our side again, make it quick!” Spike’s call was quickly interrupted as he ran from Cairidan, only to be picked up by Fluttershy. Trixie stared down Shale before allowing her horn to glow with the preparation of a spell. It was a simple one, but for this the difficulty was in maintaining multiple versions and controlling them all at once. Her specialty was illusion magic, and she was going to make the most of it.

One by one, images of Trixie popped into existence, all directed at Shale and looking very smug. They spoke in unison, which the others found almost as disconcerting as the golems trying to kill them. The only way for them to tell which the original Trixie was was the fact that her horn was glowing bright with the power of her spell.

The golems looked around the throng of Trixies in confusion, stomping their hooves at any image that was near, only to watch as their strikes passed through the illusions. The real Trixie grimaced as she struggled to maintain her spell, with the rest of the party forming a protective perimeter around her.

“All I ever heard was big talk about Shale being this impressive golem amongst golems,” the illusions said in perfect chorus. “Now I’m looking at a pile of pebbles wimping out once the bits are down. You’re weak, Shale, to be under the thrall of a control rod once again. I thought you were Great and Powerful!”

Shale roared in defiance as she smashed and bucked every illusion of Trixie she could. Instead of worry, the magician smirked as sweat dripped down her forehead. She looked to the others before muttering under breath.

“Shale is breaking through,” Trixie said, “Trust me. We just need to be ready when the illusions fail. Rarity, you have to transfer what magic you have to Shale’s augmentation crystals, the defensive ones.”

“When are yer illusions gonna fail?” Applejack gritted her teeth around Silverbite’s hilt as she watched the golems get closer realizing they were attacking illusions. Cairidan shook Angel off from his face, the nug skidding across the floor. Fluttershy stood over the prone body of Angel, staring up at the steel golem as it loomed over them both.

“Now…” Trixie’s eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fainted, the illusions quickly dissipating. The rampaging Shale stopped her thrashing as she looked around, though still obviously fuming from Trixie’s remarks.

“I’ll crush you, Trixie,” Shale growled as it approached. “I’ll crush you and your stupid hat and your flashy cape and then I will show you who is the Great and Powerful one is.”

“Shale! You’re back with us!” Pinkie squealed in delight as she bounded over to Shale. “And you even called Trixie by name! And said you!”

“Quiet, Pinkie Pie, I am preparing for long awaited squishing.” Shale stopped right before she approached the unconscious form of Trixie, blinking for a moment before looking towards Pinkie. “By the Stone, you are right! This is both wonderful and unsettling at the same time!”

As Pinkie cheered, one of Branka’s golem guards charged from behind. In a swift motion on blazing hooves, Shale leapt over Pinkie’s head and landed in front of the opposing golem. The golem ignored Shale until she struck against its neck with a powerful strike, causing its attention to be ripped away from Pinkie. Shale attacked again, slamming both hooves into the enemy golem’s head until it burst in a violent explosion.

Shale’s attention then turned to Cairidan, who was busy attempting to trample both Fluttershy and Angel. She charged at the steel golem just as Rarity began to channel what little magic she had to fuel Shale’s defensive augmentation crystals. With a strong tackle, Shale budged Cairidan slightly, drawing attention to herself as her maker turned towards her.

“Shale… you can… resist…” Cairidan said slowly as he responded to Shale’s tackle with his own. “I am… pleased… you are still… strong.”

“All right everypony,” Applejack called, “We need to hold off Cairidan and make sure Twi can get that control rod away from Branka. Let’s keep the pressure on them varmints and help Twilight. Oghren, help Spike keep that other golem busy.”

“Uh, Applejack?” Spike yelled. “Oghren went running after Twilight!”

Twilight grimaced as Branka struck a bashing blow across her sheild. Branka’s face held no emotion as she fought, only clenching down on her control rod with each strike. Twilight’s body stung with pain while Branka readied herself to continue her assault. The Paragon was much faster and stronger than expected. Added with her apparent immunity to magic and Branka was the opponent Twilight had feared to face. She was no fighter, and each time she blocked a strike with either magic or her staff, she could feel the sting of each blow as if it landed on her own flesh.

Her staff was also cracking under pressure. Each blow from Branka came stronger and stronger, until Twilight was pressed against the apparatus of the Storm Forge used to create golems. With a shout, Branka slammed her control rod against Twilight’s staff, splintering the arcane tool in two.

She watched in horror as her staff no longer floated before her, but fell in shards as Branka stood back and looked at her work with smug satisfaction. Her staff was as much a companion of the journey as anypony was, and it was her one link to the ponies of the Unicorn Tower she called home for so long. It had been a gift from Wise Eyes for completing her Harrowing, for being chosen to go with Duncan and become a Grey Warden. The staff was a precious memento.

Now it lay in ruins before Twilight as Branka stood over her.

“What good is a unicorn without their vaunted magic?” Branka stomped at Twilight’s stomach with force, causing her to moan and clutch her abdomen as it rebelled in pain. Twilight looked up only to receive another smack by Branka’s hoof, her jaw aching in pain as the hoof connected. Another moment came another strike, this one against her eye. It became swollen quickly as she tasted blood.

Brutalized by the far superior fighter, with each blow from Branka Twilight felt herself weaving in and out of consciousness. Branka was a far more physical being than Twilight could ever be, and without her magic, the Paragon was right. What was she compared to the physicality of a warrior of Branka’s caliber? She had left the actual fighting to real warriors like Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Now she was paying for her lack of knowledge in the martial arts.

“I am a calculating and practical mare, unicorn,” Branka said before clenching her teeth around the collar of Twilight’s robes, forcing her to her hooves. “Everything is a resource to be exploited and used to further a goal. The iron ore found by the miners, which is then smelted into steel, which in turn is crafted into a weapon. That weapon is then given to a soldier, who fights at the command of a leader. The leader is given their commands by their superior, all to accomplish their goals.”

“Tell me, unicorn, have you not seen your own friends this way? As merely tools to be used to defeat the ponyspawn?” As Branka spoke, she adjusted levers and buttons on the Storm Forge, bringing the artifact to life. Brass manacles sprang out, holding Twilight’s legs in place no matter how much she struggled. Her spells proved useless again; the manacles were lined with lyrium.

“I don’t use my friends like tools to be discarded,” Twilight said, though each word caused more pain in her chest. “Like the way you treated Ruck, the way you tossed Hespith and the other mares to the ponyspawn to become Broodmares!”

“Oh Hespith…” Branka turned away for a moment as she fought back tears, only to turn back with the same stone expression. “Nothing else matters, unicorn. Nothing but me possessing the Storm Forge and creating a new army of golems for Orzamule. You could have reaped the benefits, but now you will be nothing more than a test subject. Cairidan only used donkeys to create golems. I am very curious what the effects of the conversion process have on a pony such as you.”

Branka turned away and resumed her work with the Forge, turning cranks and levers as the ancient relic hummed to life. The lyrium held above Twilight’s head began to glow with power as the magically enchanted pipe works caused hot magma to flow towards the crystallized essence of magic.

The heat from the molten rock helped to melt the lyrium, which flowed through the pipes to a center funnel, just waiting to open. Twilight looked up in fear, struggling against her bonds while Branka continued to command the contraption. To Twilight’s sides came two halves of a massive iron suit, and both were being slid towards her. The insides of the casing had many tools to keep Twilight in place despite her struggle.

Twilight tried to shout as the massive casings closed in on her, only to choke and cough up more blood. Her friends were still occupied against Branka’s golems, though from the distance Twilight could have sworn that there were now multiple Trixies standing about. All became dark as the casing swallowed her, cold metal braces holding her body, neck, and head still until not a single ray of light could shine through except for the very top of the casing.

Trapped in a coffin of metal, Twilight held her breath as she tried to cast a spell, any spell to get her out. Only the drowned sounds of battle could be heard from behind the metal casing. They were out matched physically, and Branka had neutralized Twilight’s only tool. Without her magic, she was completely helpless.

It was then that there was excruciating pain coming from the top of her head that felt like her every inch of her head was on fire. Twilight screamed and choked within her confines, horn glowing to spread the pain out and make it easier to bear. Her innate magical defenses reacted quickly to a single drop of molten lyrium, causing it to spread down her mane. Now Twilight’s fears had increased tenfold. If the pain from single drop could do this to her, what torments would she experience when the floodgates were open?

Spike… Twilight thought as the pain from the lyrium and the thought of her oldest friend flooded over her, I’m so sorry. Please escape the Tunnels. I failed.

A loud metal groan echoed throughout the Storm Forge, shaking Twilight within the casing. Closing her eyes tight and awaiting the end, she gave a prayer to Celestia and Luna that her death would be swift, that Spike and all her friends would escape the Dark Tunnels and that if she did become a golem she would not be used against them.

Her prayers seemed to have been answered as light cascaded over her as the two halves of the casing separated. Rarity was turning the controls while Spike rushed over to Twilight’s hooves and began hacking at the manacles. She looked up to see Shale no longer under Branka’s thrall and dueling Cairidan, while the others dealt with the rest of the golems. There was no sign of Branka except for exasperated grunts.

“Twilight, darling, are you all right?” Rarity said as she helped Twilight keep steady. “What happened to your mane?”

Rarity levitated her mirror towards Twilight, who took a moment to look at her wrecked face. Besides the bruises and cuts endured from the beat down by Branka, there was now a long strip of white trailing down her mane alongside the strip of magenta. An effect of the lyrium and my being a unicorn, Twilight assessed before looking around the Storm Forge.

“Where’s Branka?” Twilight said, ignoring the change to her looks and resuming focus on the battle at hoof. Spike pointed behind her, and as she looked could only watch as Oghren was swinging his axe wildly while Branka could only parry the blows with her control rod.

Husband and wife battled each other near the edge of a cliff overlooking the rivers of magma. From where Twilight was watching, both were evenly matched in terms of martial prowess, with Oghren’s greater strength being offset by Branka’s precision. Twilight would have called it a strange dance between two donkeys if it were not for the fact that they were trying to kill one another.

“Branka,” Oghren said through the axe bit as he blocked another strike. “Is this Forge really everything to you? What about all our good times we had? All the drinking and the sex? Wasn’t that fun?”

Branka spat her words. “None of that mattered you fool. All of it was a means to an end. Only the Storm Forge matters to me.”

“Figured as much.” With that, Oghren’s attacks became even fiercer; his eyes glazed over with fury as he began to foam from the mouth. The onset of the berserker surprised Branka, who quickly fell back and attempted to block each blow.

Branka yelled with each of Oghren’s slams, her jaw becoming numb from the sheer strength of the warrior attacking. The blows became too much for Branka, until eventually her control rod mace slipped out of her mouth along with a few bloody teeth. The weapon skittered across the ground until it dangled perilously off the edge.

“No!” Branka shouted, galloping towards her control rod. She tried to reach it with her mouth, only to be held back by Oghren. The two struggled, Branka punching Oghen in the face, yet still unable to dislodge her husband. There was no mirth in Oghren’s face though, despite being on top of his wife. Extending his hoof, he stretched to reach the control rod, nudging it into the magma pits below.

The control rod fell to the magma below, with Branka screaming in denial as her greatest weapon was lost. She looked at Oghren with wild eyes, all control suddenly gone as she drew a dagger from within her armour.

“I’m your wife you stupid jackass!” Branka howled, “Everything is lost because of you! The Storm Forge! The glory of Orzamule!”

Branka moved in for a quick strike, hoping to sneak the dagger through Oghren’s plate and into his heart. Twilight winced as Oghren brought down his axe and sank the blade into his wife’s neck. As Oghren removed the edge of his axe from Branka’s body, the dishonoured Paragon fell to her side, a sizable pool of her blood forming around her until her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Her blood glowed with the lyrium she had ingested, only for it to weaken and fade into nothing.

“You’re my paragon,” Oghren muttered, “Too bad I was never a religious jackass.” He stepped away from Branka’s corpse, dropping his axe and sitting on his haunches before gripping his canteen of “special brew,” greedily chugging away at the volatile alchohol until it was gone. With an upset huff, he tossed it aside until it fell into the river of magma.

Twilight tried to lay a hoof on Oghren’s shoulder to help ease his suffering, her legs buckling as she became off balance. She faltered and press against Rarity as her stomach gave another turn of pain. Pinkie approached with her alchemy kit, preparing a remedy as Rainbow and Fluttershy lifted the unconscious Trixie.

With the control rod destroyed, the other golems ceased their attacks, Cairidan regaining control over his body while the two remaining guards stopped moving altogether. Shale and Cairidan continued to press against each other in a struggle though, even with Shale apparently laughing.

“I remember it all now, Cairidan,” Shale said, “Being here in the thaig with the other warriors. With you. I became a golem to protect you. You were not a warrior. You were the reason I came to be a golem.”

“It still broke my heart, Shale,” Cairidan replied, “But now my long grief will end soon. I will be free, and my burden will be gone.”

Both golems broke away before joining with the rest of the party as they stood around the corpse of Branka. “Ponies of the surface, I wish to thank you,” Cairidan said as he walked over to his Storm Forge. “She would have used my forge to make countless donkeys suffer. I will uphold my promise, and take up the smith’s hammer once again. I will not only craft you a crown worthy for the King of Orzamule, but also trinkets and armour that will protect you. Your road is one of pain and suffering, for the Grey Wardens and those who choose to follow in their hoofsteps. If I can ease the pain somehow, I will gladly do so.”

Cairidan turned to the Storm Forge, grasping a hammer in his mouth before beginning his work. As the sound of steel shaping steel echoed through the caverns, Twilight lowered herself to the ground with Spike staying close to her side. Battered yet victorious, Twilight still could not smile. The journey in the Dark Tunnels had come to an end, but the costs were high.

“She was a crazy jenny, but I loved her,” Oghren mumbled, “She didn’t see the same thing in me though. All she wanted as that damn Forge. I’ll be glad to get rid of that thing and get back to Orzamule. Still…”

Ignoring the pool of lyrium-laced blood that he had spilt, Oghren dragged Branka’s body across the floor until he was up against one of the stone walls near the entrance. He called for one of Pinkie’s few remaining grenades, then armed the explosion before tossing it into the air against the wall and making a hasty retreat. The detonation caused several rocks to fall onto the carcass, making a rather impromptu cairn for Branka. Oghren stomped one hoof on the ground several times in some kind of salute before turning back to the party.

“You’re taking this rather well,” Rarity said as Oghren resumed his seat on his haunches. He merely shrugged in response.

“That’s because I ran out of drink,” he replied, “Wait till we get to Orzamule and its barrels of ale. I promise you, I’m gonna be a drunk mess and come after your sweet flank, I tell ya what.”

Cairidan soon returned with a large crate of silver bracers, each adorned with runes etched by lyrium. “These bracers are what I call the ‘Embrace of Nakkum’. Nakkum was a Paragon in ages past and a beloved leader and friend to all he commanded. These bracers will all you to feel the presence of your friends, even across some distance. I made one for each of you, donkey, pony, golem, and lizard thing.”

“I’m a dragon,” Spike muttered, though Twilight couldn’t help but be amused. Everyone took one of the bracers, with Twilight having a feeling of calm rush over her as the silver locked into place around her left foreleg. There was a twinge of magic brushing against her, but it was pleasant.

“I have also created this crown. Use it to choose the new ruler of Orzamule.” Twilight levitated the offered crown, holding it high for the others to see. It was very tall and made of gold, appearing to be very heavy if ever worn. Inside the crown was a seal of various runes which Twilight surmised was Cairidan’s seal as a paragon.

“Thank you very much Cairidan,” Twilight said, bowing her head. “Now if we could only get your help in choosing a proper successor. Now there are two donkeys, Prince Bhelen and Lord Harrowmount and…”

“No.” Cairidan turned away from the group and walked over the cliff overlooking the magma. “I do not care for Orzamule’s petty politics any longer. You will have to choose the new King. I have done my part, now I ask for you to honour your agreement. Destroy the Storm Forge. End my suffering that I have wrought for years.”

He was right. They did make an arrangement and Twilight was not a pony to go back on her deals. She was too weak to destroy the Storm Forge herself, but a grenade would do the job just as well. With a mighty toss by Pinkie, the explosion rocked the entirety of the Storm Forge, causing pipes and runes to burst as the molten lyrium and magma flowed freely.

The explosion worked too well. The party ran to the other side of the great hall as the Storm Forge continued to collapse, stone and molten rock falling around their ears. Only Shale and Cairidan stood still amidst the chaos, with Cairidan looking down at the plunge.

“Cairidan!” Shale called as Twilight watched, knowing all too well Cairidan’s intention to end himself, “Come with us! With me! There is no need to toss yourself into the Stone!”

“There is. For my sake.” Cairidan turned to Shale, his voice filled with regret. “Shayle. Go with your new friends. Help them protect the world. I have spent so much time bringing it harm. I must go. I must answer for my crimes and become one with the Stone.”

“Have great and powerful vengeance on me, Shayle, for all I have done to you. Do what I could not. Live free. Live well.”

As the Storm Forge crumbled to ruins around him, Cairidan nodded one last time before leaping off the edge of the cliff into the magma below. Shale said nothing as she watched the cave-in continue unabated, until nothing but rubble remained. Pinkie kept tugging on Shale’s hind leg to hurry with them, but she would not move.

“...Doska no Cairadin. Tolag megran thaig.” Shale reared up, slamming her forehooves into the blocked entranceway. Her voice was strained, as if she was choking on something. For a while all she did was pound away at the rocks, with nopony interfering in Shale’s grief. Twilight did not move to stop Shale or hurry her along. She respected Shale’s need to grieve her friend.

 “I found you, damn you. I found you.” Shale stopped her brutalization of the cave-in, her head bowed low. “Stone keep you. Stone protect you. As we are born of the Stone, so we return to the Stone. All who lay their eyes and hooves upon the Stone where you now lay beg that you find peace.”

“Curse you, Cairidan,” Shale said, “I made my choice, and do not regret it. I am Shale, Indestructible and All Mighty. I’ll crush anything that says otherwise. When the boastful Trixie awakens, I will thank her for reminding me of this. Then crush her head like a pigeon for her completely inaccurate remarks about me.”

Twilight looked back on the remains of the Storm Forge before returning to her friends. The Dark Tunnels would soon come to their merciful end, but she felt more battered and bruised than ever.

---

Chapter 29 - A Throne Decided

The party had travelled uninterrupted for five straight days after leaving Cairidan’s thaig, and with the exception of a few spoken words to point something out or ask a question, they travelled in complete silence. They were just a few days away from reaching Orzamule, and the effects of their journey in the Dark Tunnels were finally taking their toll. Twilight shook her head as they walked the lonely depths of the earth. With the horrors of the Tunnels behind her, Twilight prayed they would never have reason to return.

Shale had become more sullen and withdrawn since the death of Cairidan. With the very limited exceptions of Trixie and Pinkie Pie, Shale refused to talk to anypony, preferring solitude and quiet contemplation during patrol and guard duty. When approached by Twilight, who showed concern for Shale, the golem simply shrugged her away and grumbled “wait until we get to the surface.”

Rarity secluded herself from the others as she let her scars caused by the Jailer to heal. She would stare blankly into nothingness for the time, answer questions vaguely and ate very little until Twilight essentially forced her to consume more food to keep up her strength. Twilight kept an eye on Rarity when she could, for when Rarity was left alone, she often spent her time staring at the grimoire of Flemeth. Never reading it, but simply watching, as if she feared that the Mare of the Mire herself to pop out from the pages and attack.

Of course, Oghren proved to be no help to Rarity, or anypony for that matter. Seemingly hiding behind his usual crass self, he walked over to Rarity with a leering eye. “Hey toots,” Oghren said as he sat next to Rarity, much to her chagrin. “Notice you sitting all alone over here. Wanna have a roll in the hay? It’ll do you some good.”

Rarity’s eyes widened violently at such forwardness, especially from the recent self-made widower. “I beg your pardon!” she shrieked. “But that cannot possibly, possibly be appropriate right now, if ever! And even in the incredibly desperate situation where I would require companionship, it would certainly never, EVER in a thousand years be with you!”

“Pinkie Pie’s gonna be there,” Oghren replied with a big grin. “Come on, it’ll be fun. You can blow off a lot of steam with a good old roll in the hay.”

“Pinkie Pie!?” Rarity looked at Oghren, completely aghast and nearly beside herself. “I know Pinkie Pie is very impressionable, but taking advantage of the poor dear is simply atrocious! And to even dare suggest I join you and her? Have you no shame, Oghren? Have you no conscience, no morals?”

Oghren blinked in confusion. “What are you going on about, you crazy nug? I just offered a nice roll in the hay. Look!”

Sure enough Pinkie Pie rolled along on a flattened pile of hay bedding, merrily humming to herself as she enjoyed her simple pleasures. Rarity sputtered for a minute while Oghren snickered, before belting out into full laughter.

“Heh, if that’s what you wanted, we could do that too.” Oghren wiggled his eyebrows at Rarity, who turned away in disgust. “Come on! Old Oghren could show you a trick or two. Or three. Hey, I’m a quick learner too! I’m up for taking down some new techniques! Hey Pinkie, Rarity gave me a great idea…” Twilight sighed before applying her hoof directly to her face. She walked away, having cleaned her hooves of this mess. Oghren’s advances were rebuked by Pinkie with a loud snort and a torrent of giggles.

Rainbow walked slowly whenever they made progress through the tunnels, her eyes sunken with lack of sleep. Twilight recognized it as she slept as well, hearing the sounds of the ponyspawn hearts in the Tunnels. While it was faint now, and growing quieter still as they approached Orzamule, it was forever beating with whatever reserves the monsters left to defend their hives. Unlike Twilight, who was given more time to be able to ease in to her Warden senses, Rainbow was not given that opportunity.

“Do you hear them all the time?” Rainbow asked. “I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep since we got away from Cairidan’s thaig.”

“We hear them now because we are close to their hives,” Twilight explained. “Things will get easier once we are back on the surface. You don’t have any regrets about being a Warden, do you?”

“Hay no,” Rainbow quickly replied, putting on her strongest face. “‘Rainbow Dash the Grey Warden.’ I like it a heck of a whole lot better than ‘Rainbow the Assassin’ or ‘hey you, pegasus!’ I feel like I’m even more awesome than I was before!”

“Now hold on a minute there, sugarcube,” Applejack warned. “Bein’ a Warden is a huge responsibility. It means more than just fightin’ and killin’ ponyspawn. It means standing tall and holdin’ the line when the time comes. Ya’ll saw that army with the Archdemon. They’re on the surface now, if not soon. We don’t have a lot of time left.”

“Applejack’s right,” Twilight added as she looked up at the stone ceiling of the caverns as if looking towards the surface. “We still need to bring the crown Cairidan made and choose a new king of Orzamule. Not only that, but we have to recruit the Dalish Pegasi, stop Loghoof and still figure out how to use the Elements of Harmony to help us. There’s still so much to do and we just don’t have the time to do it.”

Twilight lowered her head as the crushing burden of their quest finally cast itself on her shoulders. With the bulk of the horde moving towards the surface world and the Archdemon now revealed, everything seemed so far away. What they accomplished was nothing compared to the very real and very final threat of the Blight on Equestria. If they could not succeed, the entire world would be darkened in the Archdemon’s shadow.

“It sure is a tall order, but we made it this far,” said Applejack. All three Wardens stood side by side as they looked into the darkness that was the depths of the Pits. “We have ourselves a lot of road to cover still. The Dalish Pegasi have their camp in the Everfree Forest, and that’s on the other side of Equestria. We just have to keep movin’, one hoof in front of the other, just like we always have.”

Twilight was definitely looking forward to being back on the surface soon. She wanted to feel the sun on her face and the wind in her mane once again, rather than the stale dank cavern air that reeked of blood and corpses. Seeing trees and grass would also be a step up from the countless mold and mushrooms that littered the Dark Tunnels. It felt like she had been underground for months.

Getting away from the oppressiveness she felt in the air was also something Twilight looked forward to. The scars she had gained in the Tunnels, such as the white strip along her mane, were nothing compared to the uncertainty she was facing within. Killing Ruck out of mercy made Twilight pause and consider her actions, constantly wondering if there had been a way to save him. Seeing the true nature of the ponyspawn in their hives made her skin crawl.

I wanted to kill Branka, Twilight thought furiously as she walked over to the campfire and sat down next to its faint warmth, I wanted to end her myself, with every spell I could muster. I didn’t want to end a life and I did. I wanted to end a life and I couldn’t.

I feel so small. Helpless. I’m just a unicorn who knows a lot of magic against monsters within and without. Twilight let out a sigh until she looked around. All of her friends were suffering some form of torment thanks to the Dark Tunnels. They needed a distraction.

“Applejack, Rainbow, I’d like to ask something of you two.” Both Wardens joined their fellow by the fire as Twilight explained her request. “The fight with Branka made me realize I need to expand my horizons, so to speak. She broke my staff and was immune to my magic. What if we face something like that again?”

“Can’t you just get a new staff?” Rainbow asked. Twilight shook her head.

“Staves are powerful tools crafted for unicorns on an individual basis, usually by the First Enchanters themselves if they are not apostates. We don’t have the time to go back and get First Enchanter Wise Eyes to make me a new staff, and using offensive magic is very taxing to use without aid. What I would like to ask the two of you is if you can train me with a sword.”

Applejack and Rainbow looked at each other, dumbfounded for a minute, before bursting into laughter. Twilight’s cross expression did little to help, only leaving her to sigh and stamp her foot to get their attention. “You’re not exactly a... physical specimen, Twi,” Rainbow said between guffaws.

“I’m being serious,” she frowned as she paced the ground in front of them. “Branka made me realize how woefully incompetent I am in martial skills. What if we face something like her again and I can’t do anything? If I can join you all in the front lines, I can use my magic and a sword to help fight.”

“There’s a big difference between knowin’ how to fight and knowin’ if you can swing the blade when it counts, Twi,” Applejack added, drawing Silverbite and stabbing it in the ground for emphasis. “They may not open a gate for demon critters to crawl through, but weapons are nasty business. You have to get in close and make the killing stroke count. No ifs, ands, or buts.”

“Gotta agree with Applejack with this,” Rainbow said as she cast eyes towards her mother’s dagger. “Fighting up close isn’t for everypony. It’s an adrenaline rush, sure, but you have to know exactly what you are doing. Most of all, you have to know that what you are going to learn will be used against ponyspawn, demons, and likely other ponies too, up close and personal.”

“I know… I know.” Twilight still held doubts if she could actually take on warrior training, let alone use it against another creature, but what else was there for her? Without a staff to be her focus, she would burn through her magic at an astonishing rate until she exhausted herself. Magical barriers, barrages of ice, any spell she could think of, save the most basic of levitation, was now an exercise in her stamina.

“I still want to learn,” Twilight continued. “Until I can find another staff, or some other magical focus, I need to keep my magic as a reserve. That said, I need to make sure I can contribute to the group as well. If that means I’m learning how to fight with a sword, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Applejack nodded to Rainbow before giving a faint smile to Twilight. “All right then, sugarcube. Ah’ll help ya train. We’ll find ya a sword in Orzamule, then we’ll git ya into fightin’ shape. Gotta say though, ah don’t think ah’ve ever seen a unicorn fighter before. Ah can teach ya about how to use a sword. Rainbow can teach ya how to move. Probably go to Oghren too and… and…”

They turned to see Oghren chatting up Fluttershy and leering at her much as he did Rarity and Pinkie Pie. One lewd comment later and Fluttershy gave a loud squeak, with Angel nuggy leaping onto the face of Oghren. He thrashed about for a while, as Pinkie and Shale laughed at him from a distance.

Applejack shook her head. “Whatever it is Oghren can teach you.”

Rainbow continued to snicker at the idea of the bookish egghead learning swordplay before turning in for the night. Twilight did not think it was strange at all, and she was a very fit pony even if her physical strength was lacking. She had endurance and stamina to maintain her concentration for all her spells, as well as managing through the journey to begin with.

Still, learning how to fight would be both exciting and terrifying. Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash were right in saying that such lessons would be harsh, both in body and mind. Being taught to use a weapon was asking how to get in close and make the kill. Rending flesh and spilling blood was not something she looked forward to, but Twilight had to know first hoof what fighters like Applejack and Rainbow thought with a blade bit clenched in their teeth.

The lessons were likely to be harsh, but they would be nothing compared to what Twilight had already endured. The Blight still threatened Equestria with a black hoof, and Twilight knew all too well that every bit of her was going to be needed in the battles to come, whether using her spells or a blade.

All she wondered now was if they were too late to save anypony.

The gates of Orzamule loomed over them as the party approached after another three days of travel. Tired, exhausted, and very hungry, Twilight looked up to see several of the city’s guards galloping about and shouting orders, several of them taking positions with crossbows pointed at the returning group.

“We’ve returned from the Dark Tunnels with news from the Paragon Cairidan!” Twilight called, “Open the gates! We’re not tainted by the ponyspawn! Orzamule is safe!”

The guards looked at each other in confusion before their commanding officer gave the order to open Orzamule’s iron gates. As the metal doorway swung open and many warriors milled out to inspect Twilight and the party, the officer they had met during their initial stay came to greet them.

“By the Stone, you all actually made it,” he said with disbelief. “I thought the Dark Tunnels would have swallowed a few of you. You all seem no worse for wear.”

“We have our scars,” Twilight replied, stroking the white strip of her mane. “But we are very fortunate indeed.”

“Got a lot to say and not a lot of time to say it in, grunt,” Oghren said. “Let’s just get this over with. Is the Senate ready to receive us, or do we have to wait until they have another useless vote?”

“The Senate is in session now, and it’s worse than ever,” the officer responded while he led the party through the streets of Orzamule towards the Diamond Sector. “Bhelen and Harrowmount are rattling their axes, and there has been more fighting in the streets. Stone preserve me, I wish one would just kill the other and be done with it!”

“I could help with that,” Shale rumbled. “Squish both of those prats for you.”

Ignoring Shale, they approached the Senate building with trepidation, the officer giving one last look to Twilight and the Paragon’s Crown she held in her magic. “I sure hope you can end this stalemate before it becomes a succession war for the ages. Orzamule can’t afford for us to spill each others’ blood anymore.”

He opened the door to the Senate chamber, and Twilight was immediately assaulted by the sound of the nobles constant bickering. Above them all were outright hateful words of Prince Bhelen and Lord Harrowmount, as they attempted to shout down one another, usually with threats of bloody murder.

Twilight shook her head when she entered the Senate. Speaker Cranky Doodle was trying to bring order, but nothing he could say could resolve the anger that was out in force amongst the nobility. He turned to look at Twilight, then towards the gong he had used before shaking his head. Apparently the large brass instrument was nigh useless in this struggle.

“I hope you brought good news, pony,” Cranky shouted over the tremor behind him. “All of Orzamule is buzzing like terrasprites, hoping this ordeal will finally come to an end. Neither of these two jackasses knows that in their struggle for the throne, they are becoming the very chaos we donkeys have fought against for generations! The Stone frowns upon this! This isn’t Order!”

Looking around the Senate building, Twilight knew they needed something to get their attention quickly and decisively. She whispered to Rarity, who simply nodded before her horn became aglow with magic. The blinding light of an ensuing lightning bolt and the roar of thunder rocked the Senate chamber, with many of the nobles gasping in fright. Knowing the donkeys have never seen a lightning bolt before, it was the most effective form of crowd control Twilight could think of.

“Thank you. Now let’s get this session under way while my ears have time to recover.” Cranky took his spot on the center podium, looking around at his fellows before clearing his throat and officially beginning this round of the senate. “Nobles of Orzamule. For the first time in years, joyous news has come from the Dark Tunnels, thanks to the efforts of these ponies from the surface and the once disgraced member of the Warrior Caste, Oghren. I will let them deliver their news personally, and demand that they be shown the respect of honoured guests.”

Twilight took her place on center stage as she regarded both candidates for the crown. Bhelen looked incredibly smug as he waited for Twilight to speak. Harrowmount continued to stare daggers at the prince. Neither of them are fit to rule this city, Twilight thought morosely as she looked at the two candidates with disdain, but they are the only choices I have. Somedonkey has to rule Orzamule so we can get their support.

“Nobles of Orzamule, thank you for this rare opportunity to speak.” Twilight’s heart raced as she felt the weight of every eye in the crowded Senate building. She looked back to her friends, who smiled and nodded to her with encouragement and support. “Today I bring news of our journey into the Dark Tunnels. We were sent to find the paragon, Branka the Smith. Unfortunately, she was no more when we found her. I am sorry for Orzamule’s loss.”

There was a low murmur as the nobles whispered amongst themselves at the loss of their last living paragon. Twilight bit her tongue. She knew all too well that the donkeys of Orzamule idolized their paragons as the pinnacles of existence, as something to aspire to. If only they knew the truth of Branka and her mad desire to claim the Storm Forge.

Twilight also wondered how the donkeys would have reacted to the Storm Forge itself, and more importantly, what Bhelen and Harrowmount would have done with the Forge. She could only surmise that both would have used the Forge much like Cairidan had intended at first, only to then force others into the molds of golems. Bhelen would have sent his enemies into the forge, and Harrowmount would have sent the casteless and others he deemed as “undesirables.”

The whispers of the nobility became louder, more heated, and directed at Twilight once the shock of the death of Branka had fully washed over the Senate. Many directed their ire at Twilight, calling her a coward or too weak to rescue their paragon. She took their assaults in stride, taking some measure of comfort as her friends, especially the loud ones, protested in her defense.

Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight could see Oghren and Shale speaking in hushed tones. What they were discussing was beyond Twilight as the roar of the Senate drowned out any other noise. Knowing those two, she had every reason to be worried.

“If you have not returned with the paragon, then why return at all?” Bhelen asked. “Come, my fellows. These ponies have wasted our time. Let us put the matter of the throne to vote, as it should be!”

“There shall not be any vote!” Twilight spun to watch as Shale and Oghren approached the center stage, Shale’s booming voice silencing everyone in the amphitheatre. Cranky looked to Twilight with a face of confusion that matched hers. Whatever those two had planned was coming to fruition and all she could do was watch with both keen interest and abstract horror.

“Control your golem, surfacer,” Harrowmount said, “This is no time for—”

“I am not controlled by this pony or any other! I speak with the voice of the paragon, Cairidan!” Mentioning the long lost paragon brought another wave of murmurs from the assembly. Twilight took a spot next to Pinkie and watched the proceedings with mouth slightly agape.

“What are they doing?” Twilight whispered.

“Oh, they are just going along with my plan,” Pinkie answered while munching away at a bag of popcorn. Before Twilight could ask where she got the snack, Pinkie pointed towards the stage. “Trust me, Twilight, everything is going to be okey dokey, artichokey.”

“By Cairidan’s will, I have been given voice to show the donkeys of Orzamule the errors of their ways and to show them the path to virtue as detailed by the Paragons!” Twilight had to stifle her laughs as Shale made her debut in acting. It seemed crazy, and it was, but all the donkeys in the Senate were listening. Whatever Shale was doing was working.

“Oh, uh… I’m here too, representing... Branka! You know. My wife, who was also a Paragon!” Oghren fumbled with his words, likely due to never having to speak to a large group of nobles before. Shale bumped him aside, taking in the attention before continuing.

“Both paragons have left their mark on who should be the next king of Orzamule!” Shale stood tall as the Senate waited with bated breath. “Behold, the Crown of the Mountain! Forged in the legendary and very much lost forever construct of Cairidan, the Storm Forge! Look upon the seal of the paragon, of which no mortal donkey would ever dream to recreate!”

Twilight took the hint and quickly gripped the large crown with her magic, then levitated the headpiece over to the assembly. Sure enough many expressed their doubts, but those who looked at the crown all agreed; the seal was genuine, and it would only take someone who was insane to forge a copy.

“By the Stone, this is Cairidan’s seal. You must be a messenger from Cairidan and the very Stone itself!” Cranky looked like he held a long lost holy relic, as did the rest of the Senate and Lord Harrowmount. Bhelen looked at the crown with longing greed.

“Branka left a message too,” Oghren said, quickly butting in much to Shale’s displeasure. “Leaving a message on who she would have supported as king. With the wisdom of the ancestors and of the paragons and of the Stone itself, we will reveal the new king of Orzamule!”

“Lord Harrowmount!” Shale bellowed, trying to get attention back on her. “You are found to be a donkey of honour and dignity!”

Many of his supporters gave a cheer, with Harrowmount looking relieved and Bhelen looking furious. The cheering was short lived as Shale continued.

“You are not the new king of Orzamule! You may be a loyal follower to the Stone, but you would doom Orzamule with stagnancy for your refusal to change with the times! The casteless are not mere objects to be cast aside! They are donkeys and should be treated with respect! It is what Cairidan would have wanted, and you fail to meet his high expectations!”

Bhelen gave a great laugh as Harrowmount bowed low to Shale in shame. Already his supporters were proclaiming him king. Twilight’s ears drooped as the choice was made. It was for the best though. Oghren and, to an extent, Shale were donkeys. They knew who to pick to be the best candidate as king.

Oghren cleared his throat as Bhelen celebrated, which caused the joyful nature of the room to simply cease. “Now hold on there, chuckles,” Oghren interrupted with a sneer. “You aren’t fit to be king either! Branka talked to the Stone! She knows what you did to get to where you are now!”

“Kinslayer! You killed your brother, your sister and your father out of jealousy and greed! Now both have cost you the crown you want to get your grabby little hooves on! So speaks the Paragons!”

Bhelen’s face contorted with rage at the denial of his prize. “The paragons know nothing of what I had to struggle through! The years of planning for this day and you try to take it all away in an instant!? I was the youngest foal of three! Three! The throne would never have gone to me otherwise! I have vision! I have purpose! Orzamule will die without me as king!”

“That’s a confession as I ever heard one.” Cranky nodded to the Senate guards, who quickly apprehended the screaming son of the king. As Bhelen was forced down, Cranky looked to Shale. “If neither Bhelen nor Harrowmount is to be king, then who is?”

Twilight was curious as well, only to turn her head towards Trixie as she felt the familiar tug of magic being cast near her. Trixie muttered a chanted spell in a near whisper, her hat hiding her glowing horn from onlookers who could not sense magic. When she looked back at Shale, Twilight understood what her fellow mage was doing.

Shale’s augmentation crystals blazed to life, torrents of green and red energy swirling around her as the rest of her body shone with the blue light of lyrium. Those donkeys in the hall who did not gasp in fear of the light show averted their eyes.

“By the path carved for us by the Paragons of Orzamule! By the guidance of the ancestors! By the Stone that brings Order to us all! I, Cairidan’s herald, hereby proclaim you, Cranky Doodle, to be King of Orzamule! You have been deemed worthy in the eyes of the Stone for your honour and your vision to ensure long life and prosperity to this city and its donkeys!”

“What?” was the common word spoken amongst the donkeys and from Twilight as well. The confusion was short-lived, however, as Shale began to stomp her hooves in a two-beat tempo, followed by Oghren joining in as he placed the crown on Cranky’s head.

“The Stone has spoken!” proclaimed Harrowmount, and he too joined the chorus of stomping hooves. Soon the rest of the assembly stomped their hooves as Cranky looked about in both frustration and confusion to every donkey as they shouted cheers for their new king.

Pinkie joined in, stomping her hooves in time with the rest of the Senate, grinning widely at Cranky. Soon the rest of the party joined in, Twilight included, as they shared in the coronation of Orzamule’s new king. Twilight smiled once she saw the hesitation in Cranky’s eyes slowly give way to fierce determination. Somehow her friends pulled through and found a good third option.

“I didn’t ask for this,” Cranky muttered. Oghren shrugged.

“We don’t ask for a lot of things, Your Majesty. They still happen. Sure your wife Matilda is gonna be thrilled with this, heh.” Oghren and Shale returned to the party, both chuckling along the way as Cranky took his place in the center of the assembly, this time as King instead of Speaker.

“There’s gonna be some changes around here,” he declared once the stomping of hooves died down. “My first act as king of Orzamule is to honour the treaty with the Grey Wardens! Our armies will join with the ponies of the surface and help fight back against the Blight!”

Another chorus of hoofstomps erupted, the especially stomping with great enthusiasm. She beamed at Applejack as she held the treatise high for all to see, the strength of the donkeys now added to their effort against the Blight. For the first time since coming to Orzamule, Twilight felt a great burden lift from her shoulders.

“Thank you for everything you have done, Grey Wardens. Orzamule will not squander this chance at Order that you have given us. May the Stone protect you all.” King Cranky then turned his attention back to the rest of his fellow nobles as the party left the Senate building in high spirits.

The air of the Diamond Sector smelled sweeter than ever as they basked in their success. All that remained was getting the Dalish Pegasi of the Everfree Forest to join their war effort. Shale walked weakly behind them as Pinkie applied several bottles of lyrium to her hide.

“Shale, Ah gotta say, Ah didn’t think ya had that in ya,” Applejack said.

“Do not worry, Applejack,” Shale replied. “When it is time for you to put a crown on your head, I will give another wonderful performance during your coronation.”

Applejack gulped at the reminder, though Twilight laughed at the thought of Shale’s over-the-top tirade happening in front of several noble ponies. A slight tug on her mane by Spike took her attention away as she looked to where Spike pointed.

Walking behind them, much as he did in the Dark Tunnels, was Oghren. Having thought he was going to stay with the rest of the donkeys in the Senate hall or go to the nearest bar for a drink or twenty, Twilight was surprised to see the berserker still with them.

“Uh… I ain’t to good with words like this, so I’m keeping this short,” Oghren began. “I don’t have anything left here in Orzamule. Branka’s dead, I don’t have much to mine name except my axe, armour, and favourite drinking mug, and I get the feeling old King Cranky isn’t gonna like hearing about my bar room brawls. I need someplace to be, and I was wondering…”

“Oghren, would you like to join us?” Twilight offered her hoof in friendship. Oghren shook her hoof with the most genuine, sober smile Oghren had ever given her.

“Those ponyspawn won’t know what hit them now, heh ha!” Oghren smiled at the rest of the party, who each returned the affection as well. Spike seemed especially pleased, knowing he was no longer the only male in the group.

“Um, Mister Oghren, sir,” Fluttershy squeaked, “Now that you’ll be travelling with us, could I ask a teeny tiny little favour? Could you, um, not stare at my backside?”

“No can do!” Oghren laughed, “You’re stuck with me now, sweetflanks.”

“Oh. I see. Angel?” Angel Nuggy leaped from his spot on Fluttershy’s head and onto the face of Oghren. A flurry of donkey curses broke out as the party laughed their way to the Lift and towards the surface.

***

Loghoof glowered as the nobility milled into the Trotterim palace. Maim stood at his left, though whenever Loghoof turned his gaze towards the Arl of Amarethine he visibly shook. Ser Sunsword stood to his right: ever vigilant as more reports were being detailed to him and the rest of Equestria’s nobles.

The battlefronts against the ponyspawn were not boding well. Arls Greywolf and Cheerilee were still holding back the bulk of the tide, but their front was faltering quickly. The arls themselves would arrive soon for the Landsmeet, perhaps in another week, but their letters to Loghoof were very strongly worded. Greywolf especially worded his message to add insults to Loghoof’s mother while recounting how his forces needed reinforcements immediately.

The majority of the Bannorn were also here in Trotterim, many of them rallying behind Bann Braeburn and Meyer, the latter who had healed rather quickly from her wounds. With Ponyring destroyed, Meyer was now a rallying point for the other Banns to stand against Loghoof, saying that it was he who had let Ponyring fall by not bringing aid in time.

Arl Macintosh stood as still as a statue as always, something the Teryn found rather disconcerting. He was too cordial for a stallion who was almost killed by poison, especially since Maim stood so close. There was no rage when Macintosh spoke, nor any hint of anger. Just expectancy. What he hoped for, Loghoof could only guess.

“Two weeks until the Landsmeet, Macintosh,” Loghoof said once the last of the messengers left. “Are you certain this is a wise course of action, especially in a war against the Ponyspawn and the Filesians breathing down our necks?”

“Nope.” Macintosh stared ahead at nothing in particular until he turned his green gaze towards Loghoof. “We shouldn’t be fightin’ each other at all. We are though, because you made some decisions that just ain’t good for the kingdom. As long as you’re regent, you’ll still make those decisions. Ah aim to put a stop to that.”

“Bite your tongue, cur,” Maim snarled, only to have a harsh look from Loghoof silence him. The damage was done, however, as Macintosh stood up taller and straighter than he did before, revealing the true extent of his mass. Maim inched away, looking towards Ser Sunsword for help as Macintosh bore down on him. Sunsword did nothing to help Maim except keep her eyes locked on the massive earth pony.

“Because of you, my lil’ sister was hurt. Ah don’t take kindly to that.” Macintosh snorted, blowing hot air into Maim’s face. Maim winced as the Arl of Red Apple looked ready to strike him with a heavy and powerful hoof. Instead Macintosh stepped down, looking back at Loghoof as he joined Braeburn and the rest of the Bannorn.

“There ain’t no Filesian threat,” Macintosh said. “You’d know that if you didn’t let yer hatred get the better of you. That army of chevaliers? They’re waiting for the word to come and help us against the Blight. You can go on and believe whatever you like, but Ah just want you to know what your blindness is doing to the nation you say you want to protect.”

Macintosh and his supporters left the palace, leaving only a fuming Arl Maim and a contemplating Loghoof in their wake. The Teryn of Glenwell shook his head as he found refuge once again in his thoughts and his goblet of wine. Loghoof was a leader of ponies, a military mind who wanted only what was best for his nation. Why didn’t Macintosh and the Bannorn realize this?

“I could remove Macintosh from the equation, Your Grace,” Maim offered. A stern look from Loghoof quickly silenced that train of thought.

“You will return to the Arl of Trotterim’s estate, Maim. I will be sending Armeria there to be under your protection until the Landsmeet is done and I can solidify my support against the Blight and the Filesians. Ser Sunsword shall be my military advisor from now on.” Maim had failed one too many times, so now he was going to be in charge of protecting Loghoof’s daughter instead. Armeria quickly became a hindrance to Loghoof’s plans, always asking inconvenient questions and generally getting in his way. Loghoof loved his daughter dearly, but in a war such as this, it was better to keep her under lock and key.

Maim grumbled, though he still bowed his head to Loghoof. Maim would do well to remember whose word swayed the old king to give him rule over Amarethine and delivered him the title of Arl of Trotterim. Maim was too greedy, and his general incompetence in the last few weeks made Loghoof wonder if the capable Maim during the war against Filais was dead and gone.

One of the castle staff entered through palace doors, approaching Loghoof and his subordinates with bowed knees before looking up at the regent. “Your Grace,” he said, with a bit of nervousness in his voice. “There is somepony who wishes an audience with you. A pegasus from Filais. A Grey Warden.”

Loghoof’s eyes narrowed in anger at the mention of Filais. What sort of damned Filesian fool would enter his palace during the middle of a war? Also the fact that he was another of those foolish, superstitious Grey Wardens did not help the newcomer’s chances. No doubt he was here to say the same thing that Duncan had said before the battle of Ostequus: that only the Grey Wardens could defeat the Blight.

Loghoof would prove that wrong if he had any say in it.

The pegasus from Filais entered the great hall, walking with a confident stride until he stood before Loghoof. He was a grey pegasus covered in dirty leather armour and with countless knives and swords strapped to his body. His mane was brown and dirty, and his face was covered in stubble. His eyes were a dull brown, yet haggard with weariness after years of fighting the ponyspawn. Loghoof could respect the pegasus for being a fighter against such monstrosities; if only he were not a Warden and a Filesian.

“Honourable Teryn Loghoof Mac Tir, I am Riordan of the Grey Wardens. Thank you for this opportunity for an audience.” Riordan rose with Loghoof’s acknowledgement. “I know of the deep animosity between the nations of Equestria and Filais, but I hope you realize I come as a Grey Warden, who are nationless. We stand against the Blight, and must do so together.”

Loghoof merely nodded, waiting for Riordan to continue. “I come seeking the other Grey Wardens of Equestria, hoping to give them aid against the Blight. I have also come with a message from General Puissant of Filais, saying he has three hundred of his chevaliers ready to serve under your command against the ponyspawn. He only wishes to know when he will be able to cross the border to provide you aid.”

It took all of Loghoof’s willpower not to shout out “Never!” and not run Riordan through right there and then for even entertaining the thought of Filesian troops entering his country. Still, he had to play the role of diplomat for this encounter, even if he bristled with rage.

“Filesian support is completely unnecessary, as is the support of the Grey Wardens,” Loghoof replied. “Your order was wiped out during the Battle of Ostequus. You should return to Filais and be ready for any ponyspawn incursion there.”

“Not all wiped out, Your Grace. I have heard word from Red Apple and the Unicorn Tower that two Wardens survived, and are collecting aid to fight against the Blight.” Loghoof once again restrained his emotions, trying hard not to show surprise.

The assassins Maim sent failed. It made sense now. Somehow that unicorn and earth pony had escaped their deaths and were now raising an army against him. Macintosh and the Unicorn Tower were in league with them. There were always more enemies to face.

As much as he loathed admitting it, Loghoof still needed information from the Filesian. “I am sure your fellows will come to Trotterim eventually,” Loghoof said, as much a lie as it was a hope that the two Wardens would arrive; “You may stay in the Arl of Trotterim’s estate in the meantime. I’m sure Arl Maim will help you be comfortable while you wait.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Grace,” Riordan replied, bowing his head to Loghoof. “I will accept, of course.”

“Excellent. Arl Maim?” Loghoof looked to his subordinate with a gaze that spoke for itself: Find out everything you can. I do not care how.

“Indeed.” Maim’s disdain apparent in his voice, but he would obey. His riches and his life depended on it. “Tell me, Riordan, do you like wine?”

As the two walked out of palace, Loghoof downed the rest of his drink before returning to his quarters. With Ser Sunsword following him as she always did, Loghoof would need the distraction. The war had taken a turn for the worse, and now the Filesians were in his country working with traitors. Celestia preserve me, Loghoof thought, can you send any mercy my way?

---

Chapter 30 – The Shadow of Ostequus

Flemeth opened her eyes to the world, not in the way a normal pony would, but in a way of something far older, far more powerful. She regarded the world not as one full of life, where ponies worked and struggled against the darkness caused by demons or the ponyspawn, but as a world rich with potential. Potential that was hers to cultivate into whatever she needed.

To Flemeth, victory was everything. If one was not at the top of the ladder, the king of the hill, the most dominant of all, then one was nothing. For centuries, she had to share the power and the glory with her siblings, with those far weaker and insignificant compared to her. How she detested them. How she loathed their very existence.

Until one day, they were all defeated in a single battle. Flemeth had the foresight to escape the wrath of the one who had destroyed her siblings, and when the time for vengeance was nigh, she took it. With black fire and great fury, her vengeance was swift and terrible. For a moment, Flemeth was the sole dominant force in the entire world. She relished in her power, in her glory, in her victory.

Only for everything Flemeth had conspired for to be cut short by Celestia herself. While the sovereign of the sun did not personally descend onto the world, she did send the accursed Elements. The one source of magic that made Flemeth nothing compared to their power. She was a lesser creature in their light. She was just like every other pony.

Small. Helpless. Weak.

It took all of Flemeth’s will not to shout out to the heavens in the rage that consumed her every waking moment. She had spent the last one thousand years crafting the very visage of calm serenity, of calculating ruthlessness. She would have her dominion again. So she hid from the Elements, from the Blights, and from the wars of mortals as she built her strength up. One by one she saw the Archdemons, the only creatures that could pose a serious threat to her, rise up and fall to the Elements of Harmony.

Only now this Blight was different. Uthemiel, the Archdemon of Despair, knew that her rival in power was here. She moved her Blight to destroy all of Equestria just to find Flemeth. The old witch would have been almost insulted by this if Uthemiel was not trying to kill her.

The timing could not have been better. Everything was ready for Uthemiel to meet her end, so long as the newest generation of heroes found their way to the Archdemon. Subtly, Flemeth had influenced all their battles to go well. Victory was still her domain, even without followers. If a pony rolled a die, she was the force behind his receiving gold or a blade in the back. When an army fought against another, she chose who took victory on the battlefield, especially if the reward for such was grand.

Thus it was to her great surprise when the heroes fought against the ponyspawn and defeated them without her intervention. Those creatures of the Deepest Pits were not under her domain, only ruled by chaos and the Archdemons. She could not influence whether they found victory or defeat on the field of battle. She could only watch and estimate the heroes’ chances.

Thankfully, they did not disappoint. As expected, they had defeated the ponyspawn who stood in their way, though they had taken scars while doing so. It was of little consequence, as long as they made their way to Uthemiel and slew her.

To that end, there was one last item on Flemeth’s agenda that she had to account for. One last thread to weave into her plan before quietly stepping aside and watching the race unfold before her.

Without shifting her form, the seemingly elder unicorn began to ascend into the air from her swamp home, before flying at impressive speeds towards the Red Apple region. It was a short flight between her mire and Red Apple Castle, of which Flemeth was grateful. Time, as always, was of the essence, and it would be all too soon before Rarity and her friends were close to Ostequus.

The villagers of the Red Apple community were still busy cleaning up the recent attacks caused by a possessed child. Flemeth had felt the corruption as far back as her home, though she did very little except influence how the battles would go. Perhaps it would give the ponies a new respect for the power of the Fade and of demons. Unlikely, of course. Ponies were weak, fickle creatures. They deserved only to be lorded over by their betters.

As she approached the castle, Flemeth’s body shimmered for a moment before shifting into the form of a light mist, nearly invisible to the naked eye; only the most perceptive of ponies would be able to spot her. While it would be easy to simply walk into Red Apple, Flemeth needed some measure of secrecy for this task. Razing this castle to the ground would come at a later date, she was sure.

Flemeth followed the trail of magic towards the castle’s dungeon. Though the magic in the air was weak, she was all too familiar with its source. Her contingency plan was waiting for her, whether Sweetie Belle knew it or not.

The mist form of Flemeth hovered over the cells were Sweetie Belle was being kept in. On the other side of the iron bars was a little orange pegasus filly. The two seemed to be in hushed discussion while the guard slept soundly at the dungeon’s entrance. Intrigued, Flemeth continued to watch as the two conversed.

“I heard from one of the villagers that the templars will be here in a few days,” the pegasus filly whispered. “I’m scared Sweetie Belle! I don’t want you to be taken away, and neither does Applebloom!”

Flemeth could taste the fear in her voice, just the same as she could savour the fear in Sweetie Belle. Fear was a very powerful weapon when harvested and deployed correctly. With even a small manipulation of a pony’s fear, Flemeth could break the morale of legions until nothing was left but a fleeing herd of cowards.

“I know, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle replied. “I’m scared too. But I’ll be fine! Rarity showed me some magic that will help me escape!”

Now this is different, Flemeth thought as she watched with keen interest. Sweetie Belle’s horn glowed bright until the light of magic engulfed her entire body. Scootaloo gasped in surprise, taking a few cautious steps away from the bars until Sweetie Belle’s form shifted from that of a pony into a little white mouse.

You are a clever mare, Rarity, Flemeth mused, teaching my shapeshifting magic with such a quick and dangerous method. I am quite surprised.

Sweetie Belle squeaked and darted in and out of the cage before a delighted Scootaloo, before returning to her cell and shifting back into her natural form. Scootaloo stomped her feet in quiet applause, making quick glances at the guard to make sure he did not awaken from all the noise.

“This is great!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “With that, you can escape the dungeon and the templars! We can go get Applebloom and leave Red Apple! We can be heroes just like Rainbow Dash and have awesome adventures and everything!”

Her ears drooping at Applebloom’s name, Sweetie Belle looked away from Scootaloo. “How is Applebloom doing?” she asked. Scootaloo’s excitement was quickly erased by melancholy.

“Not so good,” she answered. “The few times I do see her, she’s either crying about what that demon made her do or looking out from the battlements towards Red Apple. Healer Redheart is with her every day, but that doesn’t help. I wish Arlessa Cheerilee was here. She’d know what to do.”

Ah yes, the Arlessa of Cherry Hills after the old Arlessa left to found Dodge Junction over in the Free Plains. Flemeth was reclusive, but she was not ignorant at the political landscape of the realm. It was another weapon to be honed and used against those who would be her enemies. Anything that can be used to achieve victory must be used.

“With the war against the ponyspawn, Cheerilee is probably helping fight them,” Sweetie Belle said. “I wish there was some way we could help Applebloom.”

There is my opening. Flemeth concentrated her magic to surround the entire dungeon in a thick fog, shrouding everything from the guard to even the bars themselves that separated the two fillies. Flemeth reformed, though still out of view of the younglings before shifting her form into a beacon of pure light, as well as changing her voice into something more heavenly, motherly.

Take a look, Celestia. Watch as I take your image and use it against your precious ponies! They are all so weak, so pathetic they will latch on to any sighting of you, even if it is not true! This vengeance is sweeter than I could ever hope!

“My little ones,” Flemeth soothed, her voice serene as its melody echoed through the fog. “I have heard your pleas and have come to help you. Take my hoof, and I will lead you away from danger. There will be no more hurt. No more war. I will lead you to my paradise.”

Both fillies stared in awe as the silhouette of a goddess stood before them and offered them escape from the darkness. Flemeth smirked, her plan working, until Sweetie Belle spoke up. “Can we bring Applebloom too? She’s in a lot of pain. Maybe you can help her!”

“It is too late for your friend Applebloom,” Flemeth said with Celestia’s voice. “She is too far gone. The demon is still inside her psyche. There is nothing anypony can do for her. The demons of the Fade have claimed her. Now come! We must be swift!”

Instead of following her immaculate visage of the sun alicorn, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stood their ground. Against her. Flemeth could feel the anger rise in her throat. No one denied the Mare of the Mire. No one denied the Dragon of Victory.

“If you really were Celestia, you would do everything you could to help Applebloom!” They glared at the false Celestia together, looking almost ready for battle. If it is a battle they wish, then they shall have it.

“Enough of this charade.” With only a nod of her head, the illusion burst into a blinding light, leaving the fillies clutching their eyes in pain as Flemeth took her unicorn form again. Sweetie Belle’s bravery instantly crumbled as she recognized Flemeth, the terror at her parents’ killer paralyzing her.

Scootaloo rushed at Flemeth in a feeble attack that was quickly quelled by ancient yet simple magic. With the pegasus in her grip, Flemeth tossed Scootaloo against the nearby stone wall, a sickening crack of a filly’s wings resonating only for her and Sweetie Belle to hear.

Sweetie Belle cried out for her friend, only to find herself now in the grip of Flemeth’s magic. “I told you I would find a use for you, little one.” Flemeth sneered as she lorded over the crying and hysterical unicorn. “Come, let us see what Rarity has learned over the years. We’ll see her together. Like… family.”

In a flash both were gone, leaving only a whimpering Scootaloo and a very confused guard as the last of Flemeth’s fog drifted away.

***

Stepping out into the cold night, Twilight smiled as the cool evening wind washed over her, the feeling of goose bumps under her coat quite pleasant. The others smiled as they looked up to the starry sky, Rainbow especially pleased as she stretched her wings and took flight. All were happy to be outside again except for Oghren, who stayed firmly still at the cave entrance towards Orzamule.

It was amusing watching a rough and tough donkey warrior become suddenly afraid of stepping out into the surface world. Oghren looked up at the moon in particular, waving his hoof towards it as if he could swat it away. Rainbow took the opportunity to laugh at Oghren’s trepidation, while Spike approached with a confused look.

“Something the matter, big guy?” he asked. “It’s just outside. Haven’t you ever been to the surface before?”

“No,” Oghren replied, glaring at the moon. “Never left Orzamule or the underground. Now I’m wondering if this was a good idea. I feel I could fall up into that big sparkling mess. How high is that thing? And all those sparkling things?”

“You mean the ‘moon’ and the ‘stars’, right?” Rainbow let loose another hearty laugh, rolling on the ground as she enjoyed Oghren’s fear. “Just wait until you see the sun!”

For once Oghren looked at a mare not with leering eyes, but with the intent to use his axe. However, after taking a few seconds to calm down, and with Spike coaxing him, Oghren took each step out of the cavern and onto the surface world while keeping his eyes fixed on the moon. Once he was wholly certain he was not going to fall up, he walked with more and more confidence until he finally reached the rest of the party.

“This ‘outside’ thing isn’t so bad,” Oghren said as he looked around. “Smells funny though. Different. Kinda nice. Hey, what do you ponies eat up here? More importantly, what do you drink? I could use a bit of a pick-me-up after all of this excitement.”

“Plenty of apples and other fruit,” Applejack said. “If ya got a real cankerin’ for eats, you could always graze.”

“Applejack, please. Grazing is barbaric.” Rarity turned her nose upward until she saw Oghren rush over to a patch of grass, eagerly munching away with a big smile on his face.

“You ponies have free eats just growing out of the ground? I should have come up to the surface years ago! Now where is the fountain that pours beer? You gotta have one of those.” While Oghren searched frantically for his mythical ale-spewing fountain, Twilight chuckled at the sight of Oghren exploring and asking questions about things most ponies took for granted. It really was no different than her first time out of the Tower.

Unfurling her map, Twilight called the group together as she plotted their journey to the Everfree forest. While the merchant’s road did not go into the forest, it did run close once one was a few day’s trot past Ponyring. At full gallop without any stops, save for a quick night’s rest, the journey would take five days. Applejack was not pleased with the plan as it would mean not stopping to visit Red Apple. Still, she knew that time was of the essence now that the Archdemon had revealed itself and that there was no time for visits.

They took a moment to restock their supplies in the makeshift marketplace around the entrance to Orzamule, spending what gold they had on restocking alchemical reagents for Pinkie as well as ample supplies of food and water. Twilight had even taken the time to browse some weapon and armour stalls.

Her staff destroyed and her robes in tatters, she asked for assistance in choosing proper protection. With the help of her friends, Twilight had created a hybrid of leather armour with choice steel plating protecting what she thought would be her vulnerable side when she fought with a blade. The sword she bought was nothing exciting like Silverbite, but it was finely crafted donkey steel and well balanced.

When she took the hilt in her teeth, the weight was off-putting for a moment. Her head sagged to the side with the blade often, and it took plenty of jeers from Rainbow and Shale to find her balance. Her heart was not helping either, always thudding against her chest loud enough for her to hear as she finally found the right stance with the sword. She was holding an actual, flesh tearing weapon.

Twilight felt her body trembling as she stood ready.

Deciding it would be best to rest until morning, Twilight directed the party to set camp some distance away from the market. Instead of sleeping, however, Applejack had chosen now to begin Twilight’s training. Using a dead tree trunk as a training dummy, Applejack struck several blows against it with Silverbite, explaining what such strikes would do against a ponyspawn.

Or a pony.

Twilight grew an appreciation for Applejack’s strength, stamina, and martial training as she watched her friend attack the helpless stump. Despite wearing such heavy plated armour, Applejack moved and bucked as quickly as she did without, almost as if the plate was a second skin for her. Her movements were not graceful, but they were effective.

When it was her turn to practice on the dead tree, Twilight’s movements were effectively like a drunken buffalo trying to dance. Every strike against the wood was hesitant, sloppy, or simply weak. Applejack gave a weak smile of encouragement while Twilight rubbed her aching neck with her hooves.

This was to be the routine as they journeyed down the merchant’s road south. If it wasn’t sword training with Applejack, it was movement training with Rainbow Dash. The newly inducted Warden was having fun with this training, treating it as both a game and a chance to mock Twilight’s lack of athleticism. It took a full night’s training, or in Twilight’s case, chasing Rainbow Dash all over the road until Applejack stopped Rainbow and chastised her for not really helping Twilight in learning how to fight.

“We have to teach Twilight how to fight properly, Dash,” Applejack frowned. “She needs to learn how to move and hit, not help ya with yer ego! You have to show a bit of patience and move with her!”

“I am teaching!” Rainbow shot back. “How else is she going to know how to move against a nimble screamer, or a fast and strong thelock? If she can learn how to move like me, she’ll be the second best fighter in Equestria.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“You and your heavy armour just makes you super slow and easy to pick off!”

“At least Ah have a hide that can take a beating! Ah bet yer wings snap like twigs!”

Twilight placed a hoof firmly against her face as her supposed mentors bickered about the best ways to teach her. While they argued, Twilight made good of some free time to sit by the fire, levitating both her sword and a block of whetstone. If there was one thing she had learned from both of them it was how to maintain her own weapon and armour.

With Spike laying asleep to her left, Twilight grinded the whetstone against the edge of her sword until she was able to hold up a strand of her mane and split the hair in two. She then looked at the face of the blade seeing her reflection staring back. Twilight let out a small laugh of disbelief as she regarded her own face. Small cuts and burns marked her coat, though other spots of dirt and dried blood clung to her body that no amount of water could ever wash away. Her mane was no different, darkened by the stains of battle, frazzled with more loose ends than she dared count, as well as the white stripe caused by the molten lyrium of the Storm Forge. Of all the changes, the most depressing seemed to be the heavy sacks under her eyes.

How long had it been since she had a good night’s sleep? One that wasn’t plagued with nightmares of the ponyspawn or the archdemon, or laying wide awake as the haunting sound of battle still echoed in her ears. Twilight could only vaguely remember the beds of Red Apple Castle and the small inn on the shore near Unicorn Tower. What she wouldn’t give to sleep on an actual bed with blankets and a feather pillow again, rather than some loose hay on the cold ground.

She looked around to her friends, many of whom were sitting around the warm campfire as they milled about or slept in its light. They were just as tempered in the heat of battle as she was, each sporting their own scars from what felt like a lifetime of struggle. For some of them, that was true. Whether the scars were physical or emotional were inconsequential in the grand scheme of things; they still hurt all the same when one touched the scars.

Twilight shook her head, regaining her concentration as she noticed her whetstone had stopped moving. Resuming the work to sharpen the blade, she counted the strokes of the heavy block against the metal, until she was counting her breaths, and then started to count her heartbeats. It wouldn’t do anypony any good to see her in such a disrupted state. It was best to keep morale up by putting on a strong face.

“Um… Twilight?” Twilight turned her attention away from her sword to look up at Fluttershy, who had laid down in front of the fire by Twilight’s side. “I saw you sitting alone here, and I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind some company. If that’s ok with you, that is.”

Gently placing the whetstone on the ground and the sword back into its sheath, Twilight gave a tired smile to Fluttershy. “I would love some,” she replied sincerely. Fluttershy was a kind soul even in the face of evil. Twilight relied more on Fluttershy’s very presence than she ever let on. It took a lot of spirit and courage to carry on like how she did.

They sat in awkward silence, Twilight simply staring at the crackling campfire, while Fluttershy fidgeted with an antsy and apparently hungry Angel. Twilight lowered some food for the nug, who consumed the offered food with ravenous gusto, leaving them to eat on its own.

“We’ll be meeting the Dalish pegasi soon,” Twilight said in an effort to break the quiet. “It should be quite the experience for you as much as it will be for us. Stories and books of the Dalish say they are very different from the pegasi living in cities.”

“They are,” Fluttershy replied. Her answer surprised Twilight, never guessing that somepony like Fluttershy would have ever had known a wild nomadic pegasi of the Eastern Dales. “When I was imprisoned, my cellmate was Dalish. Her name was… Lellishan.”

“Lellishan?” Twilight thought about the name for the moment. It didn’t sound like a typical pony name.

“Yes… Rainbow would have liked her. Or liked her for a rival.” Fluttershy stared into the fire before continuing. “She was a warrior, or kalach, in their language.”

“You speak Dalish?” Would the surprises coming from Fluttershy ever cease tonight? Fluttershy seemed to catch on to Twilight’s awe, blushing and turning her head so that all that could be seen was her long pink mane.

“A little,” she admitted. “Lellishan taught me a few words here and there. Nal’nier toram Dalah. Pegasi of the Eastern Dales. Talla han means unicorn. All of our friends would be considered salanah.”

Dalish sounded like a pretty language, and Twilight was eager for more. “What happened to Lellishan?” Twilight asked, “Did she go back to the Dalish living in the Everfree? It would be great to have a friend on the inside.”

Twilight quickly regretted her words as Fluttershy turned to face her. Streams of tears poured down her face as she spoke. “She didn’t escape Filais with me,” Fluttershy explained. “Artistic Finish got her while she was trying to protect me. Twilight, I was so angry, so mad I wanted… I wanted to… kill…”

Unable to keep her tears in check, Fluttershy sobbed into Twilight’s shoulder. Applejack and Rainbow stopped their arguments to come over to Fluttershy’s side as Twilight tried to comfort her with a caring hoof. When Fluttershy pulled away and regained her composure, she pointed a hoof at Twilight’s sword.

“Lellishan taught me to fight just like Applejack and Rainbow Dash are doing,” Fluttershy said while choking back sobs. “It’s those same lessons that helped me kill Artistic Finish. Not a day goes by where I go back and wonder if I could have done something different, for both of them. Please Twilight; look at that sword and really think if you can use it against another pony. You… you might have to.”

Fluttershy walked away to her tent, leaving only a depressed Twilight looking long and hard at her sword once again. “I’m sorry,” Twilight said, to both Fluttershy as well as to herself. “But this is something I have to do. I accept this.”

She did not sleep well that night.

The training continued on the road, though now both Applejack and Rainbow had come to a compromise on how to best teach Twilight. No more was Twilight dueling against a stump or a rock, but engaging Applejack in mock sword play, learning how to strike quickly and lethally against another pony. At first frightening, Applejack was also able to teach her moves that were slower, but also just as effective means to attack a pony that merely crippled hindered her opponent. Twilight took a cold comfort with those lessons; she would save the deathblows for the ponyspawn and demons and hope there wouldn’t be a need for the lethal techniques against ponies.

Rainbow Dash had stopped treating the training as a one-sided contest between herself and Twilight and was showing surprising competency as a mentor. She turned hoof movement lessons into a game even Twilight recognized, where stones, stumps, and patches of dirt were “safe” while the grass was lethal “lava”.

Spike joined in with the lessons, of which Twilight was grateful to have him as support as both a training partner and a source of morale. In time, Oghren joined, bringing his unique form of instruction with him. With the silhouette of Red Apple Castle in the distance, Oghren taught aggression and the need to find the killer instinct inside.

“You can’t just go into a fight all smiles and giggles!” Oghren barked to the ramrod stiff Twilight and Spike. “You need to get angry! You need to move with rage! With purpose! The ponyspawn are your enemy! They want to hurt you and your friends!”

Twilight felt beads of sweat drip down her face once more as the normally lecherous Oghren drew his axe, appearing to be on the brink of his berserker state. She understood the lesson to find the inner frenzy that would overtake her in battle. She had to go against the very nature of a pony and become a beast capable of killing.

“Remember this, Warden,” Oghren growled through the axe gripped in his teeth. “It’s them or you. It’s always them or you. You care for your friends? You hack your enemy up into chunks, because that is exactly what they want to do to you and your friends.”

To accentuate his point, Oghren quickly leapt onto a large log with murderous intent, as each blow produced a spray of splinters. Fluttershy shook her head in the distance before busying herself with another session of alchemy with Pinkie. Twilight sighed as she tried to attack the log with the same fervor the berserker had shown, only to find she could not. There was no rage, no fury, and no hatred. There was just hesitation where the killer instinct should be.

Those lessons halted as they left the comforting shadow of Red Apple to a more oppressive one. After a full days gallop past Applejack’s home region, Twilight and Applejack stood still at dusk as they looked up at the tower they thought they would never see again.

The Observatory of Ostequus.

A foul wind blew in from the old Imperium ruins as the party stood in the shadow of Ostequus. Memories of her first major battle against the Blight flooded over Twilight as she looked in silence over the dead land. The landscape itself felt like a corpse, with all the trees shriveled up and gnarled, bleached bones littering the landscape, and the stain of the ponyspawn’s black blood spread throughout the ground.

As the rest of the party took a moment to look around the ruins of Ostequus, Twilight regarded the ruins with her eyes attuned to the Fade. Instead of seeing the ley lines of magic flowing from the Fade to the real world, there was nothing. Even the magic in Ostequus was slain by the workings of the Blight, as there was no tear in the Veil to the Fade as there would have been. The overcast above them did nothing to help the image; it was as if Celestia herself had turned her gaze away from the haunted land.

Ostequus was the start of the Equestrian Blightlands, of that Twilight was certain. How far the Blightlands would extend, she did not dare guess. As far as Ponyring was her best estimate, though if she could hope for anything, it was that Loghoof and his army could at least hold back the tide of ponyspawn just a bit longer.

What was most eerie was the silence. With the exception of the wind, there was no sound coming from Ostequus or anything. There were no carrion eaters of any description searching for an easy meal, or any insects scuttling about the grounds. Any and all vegetation was a dry, dead husk of what it once was. All Twilight could hear was her breathing, the hoofsteps of her friends, and her solitary heartbeat.

“So this is the place where you fought your first battle,” Trixie whispered as she looked about the ruins. “Trixie is sorry for you, Sparkle. She wouldn’t know what to do on a battlefield like this. ...I would have the horseapples scared out of me.”

There were no ponyspawn nearby, of that her Warden senses were certain. They had conquered Ostequus and Blighted the region as quickly as any storm, and left just as quickly to continue their attack on Equestria. They had stopped only to dig a tunnel to allow the Archdemon and the vast reserves of ponyspawn loose from the depths of Dark Tunnels.

“It’s as if the very essence of the life around here was slain,” Rarity said, looking over Ostequus with a shiver. “And to believe all this happened so close to my home.”

Rarity looked away for a moment. “Twilight… we are very close to Flemeth’s mire. We should leave quickly.”

“Agreed.” Yet as Twilight called for the party to regroup, Applejack was galloping deep into the old ruins, with Rainbow following her. The others looked at the running mare with confusion, though Twilight knew all too well what Applejack was looking for.

“We have to make sure Applejack is safe,” Twilight said, galloping after her fellow Wardens while the others kept close. Ostequus seemed to darken the further they ran, shadows moving on their own through tricks of whatever faint light could spill through the cloud cover overhead. All they saw along the ground were bloodstains and corpses of ponies and ponyspawn alike.

Twilight called Applejack’s name again and again, only to be ignored. Her grief over Duncan’s death isn’t over, Twilight reminded herself. She needs closure on her mentor. I need it too.

Applejack stopped suddenly, allowing her friends to catch up with her. Before Twilight could say anything, she looked up to what Applejack was staring at. Her eyes widened at the horrid form slung on a dead tree, several rusted blades jutting from his body and holding him in place. Behind this demonstration of brutality, many more ponies were held aloft for the sun to see. There were no words to describe such a grievous insult to the dead as this.

Rarity gasped and choked back a sob. Pinkie cried out at the sight of terror along with Fluttershy, fresh tears flowing freely at the fate of the dead. Rainbow cursed at the ponyspawn, while Oghren muttered at the sight being worse than any drunken nightmare. Spike looked up at Twilight, fear chief on his face. Even Shale remained quiet and respectful.

Stabbed into the trees that made up the once luscious apple orchard of Ostequus, the same orchard where Applejack and Twilight shared their first meals together, were the bodies of hundreds of soldiers and Grey Wardens. Among the first to be crucified against the trees was King Blueblood, his mangled and crushed body held high for all to see. A word written in blood across their chests marked each corpse: “Despair”.

The body of Duncan did not hang with the rest of the foul cemetery.

“Celestia… Luna… By all the mercy ya’ll can give, please show these brave ponies peace.” Applejack wept bitterly as she lay against the ground, taking off her hat in respect to the fallen. Each pony did the same, sitting down and repeating the prayer. There was nothing else to be said to the dead.

“Applejack,” Twilight whispered as she placed a tender hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.” Twilight wished she could say something, anything, more to comfort her friend but, in the face of so much death and pain and horror, what could she possibly say?

“Look at ‘em all, Twi,” Applejack replied. “Ah knew these Wardens. Trained with them. Ate with them. Drank with them. Laughed with them. Fought with them. They didn’t deserve this. The Wardens, these soldiers, King Blueblood… None of them deserved this.”

Twilight looked at the twisted forest the ponyspawn had created before walking up to the body of Blueblood. Her horn glowed softly as she cast a simple spell around the blade keeping him pinned to the tree. With a grunt, her magic wrenched the rusted ponyspawn blade free from his chest, the body falling in a disingenuous heap. Tossing the blade aside, Twilight lifted the corpse of Blueblood and laid him on the ground with reverence.

“We can help them,” Twilight explained as she moved to the next body, this one a Warden. “We can give them a proper burial. We can give them the respect in death that they were denied in the last moments in life. We won’t let the ponyspawn win here.”

They all began the somber work of undoing the ponyspawn’s desecration with nary a word spoken. With the help of Rarity and Trixie, Twilight continued removing blades from bodies and laying them with respect on the ground. Applejack, Oghren, and Shale worked on removing the dead trees, chopping them up into firewood and arranging them around the slain. Fluttershy gave the deceased their last rites while Rainbow took to the skies above and Pinkie walked about the ruins, patrolling Ostequus for any sign of ponyspawn that would attempt to ambush them during their work.

As Twilight worked, she found that she could not look the dead in the eyes and quickly closed them with a swift brush of her magic. The pain she could see in those eyes for brief moments were too much for her to face. She looked to the others, and they moved with similar purpose to give the dead some measure of peace. Whatever corpses of ponyspawn they found were quickly and unceremoniously dumped into a pile, ready to be set alight by flames.

The oppressive air of Ostequus added to the burden they had chosen to take on, but as Fluttershy spoke words of the Chant, Twilight heard the others add names of remembrance. New tears fell across her cheeks as the words of the Chant echoed in the dead air, but as Twilight wiped them away, she looked to her hooves. They were dirty.

“As the Sun sets every night, and the Moon sets every morning, so too does life set. This is the great pain and mercy of life…”

Pinkie continued to make her patrol, though her subdued colours and flattened hair made her the image of a despairing pony. Twilight stood by and watched, reminded of Pinkie’s doomed town so close to the edge of the ponyspawn invasion. Now nothing remained of the town she had helped make happy except for a pit into the Dark Tunnels and hundreds of monsters.

“Watch for our light, for it will lead you to my Seat where all ponies wicked and pure will be seen with forgiveness, should they accept it.”

Trixie took off her pointed hat in respect to a fallen unicorn after removing her from another tree. How many had died in Ostequus and the subsequent demonic invasion of the Tower? It was a closed community, with Twilight and Trixie being on first-name basis with nearly every unicorn in the Tower. So many familiar faces gone. So many names forgotten.

“Keep true in all your hearts that all those who perish will find peace in the next life. A life of happiness and harmony…”

Twilight said a silent prayer as the last of the bodies were brought down from their trees, wood piled along the ruined orchard and ready to be set alight. She recognized many of the soldiers she had seen when she first explored Ostequus, and now they were all gone. Betrayed by a pony who let paranoia rule his judgement. Destroyed by a force of evil that seemed to never end, that only hungered to spread more death and decay throughout the land. The dead would never smile again. They would never laugh or cry. Loved ones and family to a special somepony somewhere, now lost in the grey shadow of Ostequus.

She remembered Digger and Ser Magni, the two Warden hopefuls that did not survive the joining. Thankfully they quickly buried the bodies, not wanting to spend more time in Ostequus than necessary. They did not endure the same fate as the rest of soldiery. They were not lost like –

“Duncan!”

Applejack sprinted towards a hill overlooking the ruins, falling to her knees at the remains of the elder Grey Warden. Crushed by a fallen minotaur, Duncan’s face was horribly mangled and near unrecognizable, save for his beard and grey eyes. Twilight sobbed at the sight of the once-brave Warden brought down so low. Yet despite this, Applejack laughed as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Look… look at the minotaur,” she said, “Duncan did what he always said he was gonna do. Go down fightin’. Ain’t no ponyspawn just gonna up and get him. Twilight we need to… need to get him with the other Wardens. He’d like that.”

Shale moved the body of the minotaur, allowing Twilight to lift Duncan onto Applejack’s back. Laying in an indent on the ground under the minotaur was a shield, seemingly crafted from bronze. It was incredibly dirty, stained with blood and mud, but was in working condition otherwise.

Twilight lifted the shield and examined it, feeling the flow of enchantment on the protective equipment. On the back was a motto: “As I walk through the tides of darkness, I shall not hold fear in my heart, for I am the toughest son-of-a—”

Applejack laughed as she looked over the shield for herself after gently lowering Duncan’s body to lay with the other Wardens. “Never expected Duncan to ever have that written on his shield,” Applejack said. “Lot of good it did him, though.”

Twilight held the shield in her magical grip and undid the straps and buckles, bringing it closer to Applejack’s left side. Her fellow Warden looked away from the shield in shame, but otherwise did not object to Twilight strapping it against her foreleg. Applejack shifted for a minute uncomfortably while Rarity took a moment to clean the shield with a quick spell.

“I’m sure Duncan would be honoured and happy to know that his shield is still being used to defend Equestria,” Twilight said to despairing Applejack. “You are taking his shield into battle once again against the ponyspawn. Not a soldier, not royalty, but another Grey Warden. This is what he would have wanted.”

“Thanks, Twilight,” Applejack replied, standing a little straighter with the bronze shield now shining brightly. “You’re right. Duncan would want a Warden to keep strong and carry on. This is our fight, and we’re gonna finish this Blight no matter what.”

They turned their attention at the mass grave before them, with the corpses of soldier, Warden, and royalty alike all aligned and ready for the torch. With the party standing still in silent, solemn reverence, Fluttershy sang a soft hymn for the fallen as Spike lowered the first burning log onto the massive funeral pyre. With the aid of magic, the fire quickly spread throughout the now lost orchard, engulfing dead body and wood alike. Black smoke rose high into the sky and drifted towards the rest of Equestria.

Ostequus. Once the southernmost outpost of the Unicorn Imperium. The site of what would have been the greatest battle the realm had ever seen. Now it is nothing but the largest cemetery of ash and bones. Twilight looked back on the consuming fire with sadness, ignoring the wretched smell of burning flesh.

“Hey Warden!” Oghren called from the wrecked tents of the warhost. “Found something here you might want to see.”

Twilight walked over to Oghren, who had a stack of unsent letters and scrolls lying at his hooves. All of them bore the wax seal of the King. Twilight looked to Applejack for permission to open the letters, thinking something important was likely to be held within. Being as she was the true heir to the throne, Applejack nodded to Twilight.

The letters proved uninteresting in the beginning. Most were simple reports from the corners of Equestria, while others were letters from courtiers and other members of the nobility. One letter, written in more fanciful stationary, piqued Twilight’s interest as the seal was already broken. Opening the letter, Twilight quickly scanned it, her eyes widening in realization.

“Well, don’t leave us in suspense, Twilight,” Rainbow huffed. “Tell us what’s in the letter!”

Though the letter had not been opened, the smudged words and stained paper from long exposure to the elements made it difficult to read. Along with Blueblood’s poor writing skills, most of the letter proved illegible. Still, Twilight read aloud what she could:

“If I want to keep the nobles off my back, I have to cut off my ties to you. It’s not Armeria who I am concerned with, but her father Loghoof Mac Tir. He is powerful, influential, and has a severe hatred for Filais. If he were to find out about our affairs, it would be ruin for Equestria and worse, for me. That stallion still hasn’t let the old wars go, even in the face of the Blight.

There is also the fact that I still love Armeria, even if she can’t produce any heirs. Her patience with me is something I have not known since my mother was alive, and I do feel guilty for turning my back on her. This letter, then, is my final goodbye to you. I hope Equestria and Filais can still be allies despite our history, both personally and as nations, but”

Twilight shook her head. “The letter ends here,” she explained. “I think King Blueblood was writing it before the battle of Ostequus. I think… I think somehow Loghoof got hold of the letter. Reading that Blueblood was cheating with a Filesian against his own daughter must have driven him completely over the edge.”

“Why that cheatin’, lyin’… argh!” Applejack stomped her hoof in anger. “This entire mess started because my so-called half-brother couldn’t keep his hooves off another mare. Still doesn’t excuse Loghoof abandoning all of Ostequus and the Wardens for his petty revenge.”

Twilight silently agreed, tucking away the king’s final, incomplete letter in her saddle bag. It would be good evidence against Loghoof when they arrived in Trotterim. With dusk falling around Ostequus, Twilight decided it was best to leave the mass grave they had created, if only to ease their nerves.

As they walked out of the old ruins, Rarity approached Twilight with the same fear marked in her eyes as when they were back in the Tomb of Luna. “We need to get out of here, now!” Rarity whispered frantically, her voice cracking with terror. “I can feel Flemeth watching us!’

“Will she attack?” Twilight looked towards the swamp where Flemeth made her home, her sword drawn and ready to defend her friend. Rarity shook her head, eyes never leaving the direction of the mire.

“This is all a game to her,” Rarity said, “She wants us to come to her!”

The others drew weapons as a thick fog soon enveloped Ostequus, blanketing the region and reducing visibility completely. The towers and the ruins were soon out of sight, and even the massive fire was lost from vision. Standing back to back, they waited for the inevitable strike of the Mare of the Mire. Twilight held her breath as she clamped down on her sword. If there was ever a reason to use the weapon, it was now.

“…help…”

“Did you hear that?” Rainbow asked, hovering overhead. Rarity looked even more frightened, but this time a creeping rage was flooding over her as well.

“…help!”

“Sweetie Belle!” Without warning or further hesitation, Rarity galloped into the fog, all sense of fear forgotten with the threat of harm to Sweetie Belle. Twilight cursed inwardly as Rarity was quickly lost in the fog.

“Rarity is running into a trap!” Twilight shouted, “We have to get her back before Flemeth can do something horrible to her!”

“Then what are we waiting for!? A party invitation?” Pinkie reared up and charged into the fog, followed closely by Rainbow. Applejack nodded to Twilight as the pair galloped towards the screaming Sweetie Belle—

Only for the fog to thicken and Twilight to lose sight of everypony. Even Applejack, who was literally right next to Twilight was gone, leaving her all alone in Flemeth’s trap. Sword gripped tight, Twilight looked around frantically, calling out Applejack’s name, Spike’s name, any name she could think of.

The reply was only a chuckle in the wind.

“Welcome to my parlour, said the spider to the fly,” said the familiar, cold voice. “Ah, Twilight Sparkle. What a delight. To what do I owe the pleasure of such a visit?”

“We came to stop you, Flemeth!” Twilight shouted towards the fog. “We know what you are planning to do with Rarity. We’ve come to save her from you, and Sweetie Belle too!”

“It appears I have been found out.” There was a slight poutiness to the voice, but still no sign of Flemeth’s presence beyond that. “If you wish to face me, you will have to prove worthy. All of your friends will have to prove worthy.”

“Who are you to decide the fates of ponies so callously!?” Rage fueled Twilight’s words, overcoming all sense of fear. A chilling silence drifted over her as a silhouette appeared through the mist. Unlike the old unicorn she expected, Twilight was now faced with a beauty similar to that of Rarity, adorned in a crimson robe and studded leather armour with epaulets made of black feathers. Her hooves were clad in spiked steel boots, while a crown of iron adorned her head. Her mane was completely white, and stylized into four horns flaring outward, red bands tying off the tips.

The unicorn horn was missing from this new form of Flemeth, yet Twilight could feel the arcane power simply seething from her adversary. The only thing that matched the old Flemeth was the piercing yellow eyes and the dragon silhouette for a cutie mark.

“Something far more powerful than you could ever hope to be.” With a flash of light, Flemeth was gone, leaving Twilight utterly, completely alone.

---

Chapter 31 – Asha’Bellanar, Dragon of Victory

Spike had run into the fog after Twilight, flaming sword gripped tight in his claws as he prepared himself for battle against Flemeth. She seemed like such a cool old pony too, Spike thought, but if Flemeth is going to hurt Rarity, I have to be her knight!

As he ran, he left the fog to find that he was back staring at the ruins of Ostequus along with Oghren, Shale, and Trixie. They looked around in confusion; there was no sign of Twilight, Rarity or the others. Spike turned around to see the intense fog behind them all, almost mocking them for their inability to help their friends in the Potpourri Wilds.

“This must be some kind of trick!” Shale rumbled as she paced the length of the fog line. Spike said nothing, instead charging into the fog again. Just as before, he ran right into Oghren, unable to penetrate the magical shroud.

“Flemeth’s magic is concentrated throughout this fog,” Trixie observed, her staff probing the trick Flemeth had left for them. “Trixie doesn’t think even Sparkle could dispel this illusion.”

“We have to do something!” Spike shouted. “We can’t just leave them against Flemeth! They’ll need all the help they can get!”

Spike stared daggers at the fog as he took a deep breath. In a hope to dissipate the magically-induced weather, he breathed a small stream of green fire towards the wall. Yet no matter how much flame he blew, the fog did not disappear. He continued until he was breathing hard, shallow breaths until felt a hoof on his shoulder.

“You won’t be doing anyone any good by getting yourself tired, kid,” Oghren muttered. “The best we can do is sodding wait for them to come out.”

Trixie looked at the fog closely with eyes sensitive to the arcane before turning to Spike. “There is something I can do, but it will be difficult,” she said with uncharacteristic humility. “I’ll try to unweave the magical energy from the fog, but from what I can see of the spell it is incredibly complex with hundreds, if not thousands, of weaves. If Flemeth is concentrating on the fog, everything I do will be for nothing and I’ll know it. She’ll rearrange the lines faster than I can move them.”

“And if she’s not concentrating on the fog?” Spike asked, turning towards where Twilight and Rarity had ran off into. Trixie sat on her haunches, lifting her hat off her head and setting it down before allowing her horn and staff to glow bright with power.

She took a great lungful of air before closing her eyes, diverting all her focus towards the fog. “Then she’s focusing on something or somepony else instead of maintaining her spell. Now be quiet… Trixie needs complete concentration to show everypony her mastery of magic.”

Spike was about to glare at Trixie’s return to snootiness when he looked at her face. Beads of sweat already poured down her coat as her eyes scrunched shut, the look of struggling against great pain being told for all to see. She really was doing all she could to help Twilight and the others, and Spike left her to work.

Sitting next to Oghren, Spike sighed until he heard a thud next to him. He looked to see that Oghren had dropped a bottle of a brown muddy liquid and pushed it towards Spike. Taking the bottle in his grip, Spike undid the stopper only to recoil at the stench of the liquor.

“This isn’t your ‘special brew,’ is it?” Spike asked, plugging his nose.

Oghren laughed as he downed the contents of his own bottle. “Nah, this stuff is mild compared to what I gave Twilight,” he replied. “Now come on! Lad like you has to learn what real stallions are made of when they can do nothing but sit on their flanks.”

Spike looked at the offered drink with extreme hesitation. “Aren’t I a little young for this?”

“Come on, I was drinking with my dad when I was your age. At least, what counts as your age?” Oghren nudged the bottle with his hoof. Spike looked to Shale, hoping for some sort of relief. Shale, however was busy fuming over being unable to join a supposed excellent fight.

“Uh… why don’t you drink it and tell me some stories while we wait for Twilight and the others to come back.” Oghren seemed to like that idea, as he swiped the bottle and quickly chugged the brown drink down in a few hearty gulps. After the bottle was done, Oghren cleared his throat and began recalling his tales.

“Let me tell you about this one time I was buck naked and drunk in Dust Town…”

***

The fog faded around Twilight as she stood her ground against Flemeth. The witch said nothing, but continued to stare and smile at Twilight as images of other ponies approached, giving Twilight much-needed relief. Her friends were with her, surrounding Flemeth in a circle. As the fog around them disappeared completely, Twilight saw that they had somehow returned to Flemeth’s hut in the marshlands. There was no sign of Spike, Shale, Oghren, and Trixie, which concerned her greatly. What if Flemeth had got to them first?

There was also an unconscious Sweetie Belle under Flemeth’s front hoof. Rarity’s face contorted with fury at the sight, her horn and staff crackling with electricity before she pointed both at Flemeth.

“Get away from her, you witch!” Rarity shrieked, joined with a bright bolt of lightning released from both her staff and her horn. Twilight looked away as the blinding flash of power sailed towards Flemeth, though her cruel stare did not blink and her smile did not waver even in the face of the deadly lightning bolt.

The lightning approached Flemeth quickly, only to arc and sail harmlessly around her into the sky as if she was being protected by an invisible shield. Rarity sputtered in disbelief until she launched a volley of lightning bolts, with each being deflected by what appeared to be Flemeth’s force of will alone.

“Such anger. Such fury, dear Rarity. Is this what you have been learning in your time away from home?” Flemeth lifted her hoof off of Sweetie Belle’s head, only to kick the filly towards Rarity. “Have you not gained new power? Have you learned nothing from the world? I see only weakness and a failure, whose selfish desire to save her ‘sister’ will not only lead to your demise, but the deaths of all your friends. How is that for your final moments? Not only are your friends doomed, but Equestria will be consumed by the ponyspawn.”

Rarity did not respond to Flemeth, ignoring everything around her as she clutched the form of Sweetie Belle in her forelegs. Sweetie looked up at Rarity with bloodshot eyes, her mouth moving in an attempt to speak, only for no words to come out.

“Such a pity,” Flemeth said, “I only wanted to continue the education you began, Rarity. You connected her horn with yours and taught her magic. I did the same. She could not handle the sheer amount of magical knowledge and power I was going to give her. I hope you don’t mind.”

Rarity choked on a cursed as she continued to cradle Sweetie Belle. Twilight stood aghast, watching in stunned silence as everypony tried to help Sweetie Belle recover. Flemeth stood perfectly still, her sinister grin unwavering. Sweetie Belle coughed violently, her chest heaving in big lurches. The chest movements ceased slowly, as the last light of life left her eyes.

A strong wind picked up with Flemeth as its source, Rarity watching helplessly as her little sister turned to salt within her grasp. Rarity’s sobs echoed in the mire as the salt blew away in the wind until Rarity was holding nothing at all.

“A shame,” Flemeth mocked as she began to pace. “You came all this way through the Blightlands to rescue a young, innocent filly, only to find she is already gone. But that is the nature of life, is it not? So weak and so fragile. Why do you think I’ve been fighting against it for centuries?”

“You… you killed a filly,” Fluttershy whispered while choking back her own tears. “What kind of cruel pony are you?”

“Ah.” Flemeth regarded her own armoured hooves for a moment before looking up to Fluttershy, her face clearly bored by the question. “Perhaps I am not a pony at all. Perhaps I am a dragon who has taken the form of the most numerous form of life in this world? Perhaps I am something greater than even that? You look with your eyes, but still you are all blind and ignorant.”

It took Twilight great effort to suppress her anger and simply shout at Flemeth, though fear also played a part as well. The sheer oppression emanating from Flemeth was incredible, stronger than even the mountain of lyrium. There was nothing raw about her power, as everything about Flemeth spoke of countless ages spent honing and refining her magic to levels Twilight could never even think possible.

Flemeth stood against them. There was no plan Twilight could think of that would be effective against their foe. Magic against Flemeth had already proved ineffective. There was the chance that if one of them could get close to use a weapon, Flemeth would crush them immediately with but a thought.

With tempers flaring thanks to Flemeth’s murder of Sweetie Belle and the despair of knowing the Mare of the Mire’s limitless power, Twilight did not know how they were going to win this battle. If they could.

“I see the fear in your hearts, ponies,” Flemeth sneered. “I killed a foal. Twilight Sparkle knows just how powerful I am. I ask you, what hope do any of you have in fighting against me?”

“I therefore have a counter-offer. Instead of a futile battle against me, I will lend you my power against the Archdemon Uthemiel. Know that her power is more formidable than my own, but together, we will defeat the Archdemon and her Blight. All I ask is that Rarity submit her life to me, so that I may continue as I always have for another hundred years.”

Twilight could not believe her ears. Flemeth wanted them to surrender their friend, the mare she had raised like a daughter just so her life could be prolonged. Utterly sickened, Twilight was about to object when Rarity stood up. Her eyes downcast, Rarity took uneasy steps towards Flemeth.

“I’ll give myself up to you, Flemeth,” she said in barely a whisper. “Sweetie Belle is gone. I don’t want any of you hurt because of me. If it means your safety I will give myself up. Nothing else matters.”

“That is a good filly,” Flemeth chuckled. “Come to mother. You are doing what is best for your friends after all. Now come. I’m not getting any younger.”

“No.”

Flemeth looked away from Rarity to turn her icy gaze towards Twilight as she approached the witch with confidence in her eyes. Rarity’s mouth was wide in disbelief as Twilight stood face to face with the Mare of the Mire, while Flemeth’s lips curled into a smirk.

Twilight pushed all sense of fear away as she stood tall against Flemeth. “I could have taken the easy road often on this journey,” she said, standing between her foe and her friend. “I was offered the power of demons. The strength of golems. The might of dragons. All I had to do was give up a part of me for that power, whether it was my soul, my dignity, or my belief. Now you offer me your power against the Blight by wanting me to just surrender my friend to you.”

Her eyes narrowed at Flemeth as a surge of anger rose within. “Never. These ponies are my friends, and I will never give any of them up for power. The Wardens have always said ‘We do what we must,’ well I am doing what I must. I’m standing up against you, Flemeth. You may be old and powerful, but I would never be able to live with myself if I just surrendered the life of my dear friends to a monster like you!”

Fluttershy walked next to Twilight, a surprisingly brave move from the Chantry sister that Twilight couldn’t help but smile at. “You are a cruel, devious creature, Flemeth! Everything you ever did was for your own ends, and now you want to use Rarity! You won’t hurt my friend! I won’t let you!”

Applejack stood to Twilight’s right, eyes fierce as she readied herself for battle. “Me and Rarity ain’t never seen eye to eye on most things, but that don’t mean Ah’m just gonna give her up and let her down when she needs us the most. Ya want a rodeo, witch? More than happy to oblige!”

Hovering over everypony’s heads, Rainbow shouted at Flemeth. “There is no way I’m going to let some old hag like you win because I didn’t do anything to protect my friend! You want Rarity? You’re going to have to get through me first! I will never leave her or anypony else in danger. That’s my business!”

Pinkie bounded over to the rest of the group, her voice ringing with the steel of conviction. “You are the biggest meanie ever! The Archdemon destroys things because that’s what an Archdemon does, but you? You have a choice! You could use your power to make ponies happy, but you don’t! Well, you won’t have the chance to make Rarity or anypony else miserable ever again! If I have to fight you so I can keep happiness alive, then that’s what I’m going to do!”

“Don’t fight us, Flemeth,” Twilight said as she felt the very air around her charged with the confidence from all her friends. “Leave Rarity in peace. Help us against the Archdemon. If you truly can’t, then leave us be. We don’t wish to fight you, but we will if we must. For our friendship is something worth fighting dragons for.”

If Flemeth reacted to her words, she did not make any outward signs of emotions as her smile faded and was replaced with a look of contempt. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath while Twilight and the others stood around her in a semi-circle.

A low rumble resounded near the hooves of Flemeth as several rocks jumped about and the water of the swamp bubbled all around them. Before Twilight could react with even a defensive spell, Flemeth moved first, casting an incredible concussive force that sent everypony sailing through the air, crashing against rocks, trees, or the muddy ground. Twilight skidded across the mire, groaning in pain as she looked up towards Flemeth.

“Is your friendship worth so much to you?” As Flemeth bore down on Twilight, all of the mage Warden’s bravery drained away. Flemeth was glowing with power as magical tendrils lashed against the surrounding area. Her eyes glowed bright red, filled with murderous intent as she made her approach.

“Friendship is nothing. Everypony will betray you. They will lie to you. They will be cruel, they will show you rage when you fail them and they will do everything they can to appease their own ends. I have lived for millennia, mortal. I have seen the darkness within ponies. They do not need the ponyspawn to show their darker sides, they already mastered it! See how they treat those who are different from themselves! See how they become turncoats when there is something so petty to gain!”

Flemeth’s power pulsed again, slamming against the ponies and tossing them to the ground once again. “This world requires order, and for a time I had achieved it. I will have it again, mortal. None of you will stop me. This is an race old Flemeth has ran with others before,” Flemeth said as her power chilled Twilight to her core. “Let me see if I can remember the gait.”

“Like hay we won’t!” Rainbow took off with incredible speeds, her mother’s dagger held tight in clenched teeth as she sped towards Flemeth. Turning her head slightly to the side, Flemeth smirked again, the buildup of magic recognizable to Twilight as a powerful spell was cast.

Rainbow was quickly enveloped in the powerful gale, spinning uncontrollably as Flemeth worked her magic into a supernatural tornado. As Rainbow spun, the old witch twisted her head towards one of the many boulders that decorated her swamp. Unable to stop herself, Rainbow was sent back first into the rock, the sound of snapping wings echoing throughout the mire.

“Rainbow Dash of Pura Raza… An assassin turned Grey Warden. A lost bird from a dying flock.” Flemeth held the broken and battered Rainbow aloft in front of her face, the former assassin barely stirring after the sheer brutality of Flemeth’s attack. Bruises marked her body as fresh blood soaked through her feathers, her mangled wings punished by Flemeth’s magical grip.

“You have tried to find your place in this cruel world. You do not want to be forgotten like so many pegasi before you. Who remembers the ancient pegasus heroes of old before Lianari, the Dragon of Destruction, annihilated the skylords? Who remembers Commander Hurricane and her glorious victories that allowed the skylords to rise during the Time of Chaos? No one. Just as no one will remember a turncoat assassin and a Grey Warden who failed to stop the Blight. This is what your loyalty to your friends has caused you. Broken wings and a painful fall.”

Twilight screamed for Flemeth to stop hurting Rainbow, charging with the others to somehow break the grip she had on the assassin. Flemeth smiled before tossing Rainbow’s weak body towards Twilight. Stopping, Twilight checked Rainbow’s pulse and thanked Celestia that she found one, no matter how faint. She needed to get help for Rainbow quickly though, as blood continued to flow without any sign of stopping.

Pinkie took exception to Flemeth’s brutal assault on Rainbow, responding in kind with a barrage of grenades. Flemeth looked bored as she caught each explosive with her magic. She regarded each lyrium grenade as an oddity before she spoke.

“Ah yes, Pinkie Pie,” she noted with nary a concern for the charged explosives. “It is my hope that you see this isn’t one of your silly parties, but the very real struggle of life and death. There is no laughter that will stop the pain of life. You laugh to lie to yourself, to escape the pain of living. The joy is fleeting. As are you.”

Flemeth threw Pinkie’s grenades right back at her with a push of magic. Pinkie was helpless as they sailed towards her as fast as any arrow, leaping out of the way only to be caught in the explosion. Pinkie’s eyes held the terror of meeting her own grenades up close as she struggled to get back on her hooves.

Twilight levitated Rainbow on her back before galloping towards Pinkie. As she approached, Twilight let a sob of horror escape her as she looked at the charred remains of Pinkie’s face. The explosion had consumed the majority of her mane and tail, her limbs blackened with scorch marks. Pinkie opened her mouth to speak with only the barest audible and intelligible words leaving her mouth.

Even with massive burns destroying her body, Pinkie still struggled to reach her burned satchel, digging through it for something. As Twilight lowered Rainbow next to Pinkie, she stopped digging through her bag to extend her good hoof towards her battered friend.

Flemeth then turned her attention to Fluttershy, whose moment of bravery was quickly killed, yet still she had an arrow trained on the witch. “Oh dear Fluttershy,” Flemeth mocked, “Celestia won’t save you now. She didn’t even bother to save her own sister a thousand years ago. I’d know, I was there. Your blind faith means nothing to the power of gods, as does your need to be kind in such a dark world as this one. You will only be abused by your betters by showing kindness, and they will respond with cruelty. By being such, you are insignificant to everyone who is your greater.”

To accentuate her point, Flemeth used her magic to snatch away Fluttershy’s ready arrow as well as the rest of the arrows in her quiver. Fluttershy looked up in fear as the arrows arranged themselves in a circle around her. With a nod, Flemeth launched the arrows to pincushion the frightened Sister.

In an effort to save at least one of her friends, Twilight let go of her sword and channeled a shield around Fluttershy, stopping the arrows in mid-flight. She grunted as the force of the attack took its toll on her, but at least Fluttershy was safe.

So she thought. Flemeth’s evil smirk returned, and with it another wave of magic pulsed through the air. The arrows backed themselves up in the air, each arrowhead glowing bright red to match Flemeth’s magic. With another nod the arrows struck at the shield, passing through the barrier like a hot knife through butter and skewering Fluttershy’s hide with abandon. Fluttershy yelped in pain before collapsing from the shock. Once she had fallen, Angel crawled out of her mane and nudged against Fluttershy, to no response.

“Valiant effort, Twilight Sparkle, but utterly useless,” Flemeth grinned viciously. “Have you all learned your lesson yet? This is just a minor extent of my power. Now submit to my will, or lose the rest of your friends.”

“Ah’ll never give up, ya monster!” Applejack charged towards Flemeth, Silverbite tight in her grip and eyes black with the anti-magic of the templars. Flemeth’s smirk did not leave her face as she attacked Applejack with a powerful blast of magic, only for it to warp around the Warden warrior and fly off into a tree.

Twilight brought the crippled body of Fluttershy close to the others, desperate to find something in Pinkie’s alchemy satchel to act as a curative for their wounds. Finding the long-awaited healing grenades, Twilight lifted the one Pinkie had put her Star Strand into, looking over the mechanisms carefully. She only had one shot to make the detonation count, yet as she turned to watch Applejack and Flemeth continue their duel, her thoughts turned back into doubt. Even if she did use the healing grenade, what good would it do if Flemeth could crush them again so easily?

A loud scream distracted Twilight, forcing her to turn in the direction of the battle. Applejack was panting heavily through her sword-bit, yet with a smile of satisfaction. Flemeth staggered for a moment, pressing her hoof to the side of her face. Crimson blood leaked from the wound caused by Silverbite, and whatever smug smile Flemeth held was now replaced with shock.

“Moonsteel…” Flemeth muttered as she looked at her bloody hoof. “How long has it been since I felt your sting, Luna? Even after all these years, I can’t seem to be rid of you. Enough of this.”

Flemeth’s eyes flared with crimson energy, gripping Applejack’s body and ignoring her templar abilities. Applejack struggled as the spell lifted her high in the air, swearing oaths as she tried to escape. Flemeth’s eyes flared once more, followed by Applejack’s head being twisted in an unnatural angle and a loud snap echoing throughout the swamp. With a look of disdain, Flemeth tossed the body towards Twilight, Applejack’s signature hat falling into the mud.

“You could have had an entire nation bow to you, Applejack, daughter of kings,” Flemeth sneered. “You just had to learn ruthlessness. The truth would do nothing to serve you but only your enemies! Now the only honest truth is that you are going to die with a broken neck, like a commoner against a brutal pony who does not care for the consequences.” 

Rarity shouted in despair while Twilight stood dumbstruck as Applejack fell. Whatever life was still held by her fellow Warden was barely noticeable as Flemeth bore down on her. Just as she found the Star Strand grenade, Twilight let it fall next to a crying Pinkie as she stood face to face again with Flemeth.

“You made your point!” Rarity begged, unable to stand up against the evil witch who raised her, “I surrender! Just please… please stop hurting them.”

Flemeth looked down on Rarity before pushing her away with a mere thought. “No,” she said as she returned her gaze to Twilight. “I think not. Believe me when I say this, Twilight Sparkle, but I am very disappointed. If this is all your friends can muster against me, then what I am doing will be a mercy compared to the might of Uthemiel.”

Twilight was about to make a retort when she felt her body seize up and a burning pain spread through her horn. Eyes wide in shock and horror, she knew that Flemeth had seized her in a magical feedback between Twilight’s magic and her own. The fact that she could do such without any warning, without any casting, only made her situation direr.

She could feel every bit of magical power Flemeth had to offer in the feedback, and it was such she had never felt before. Not the power of a Pride Demon or a mountain filled with lyrium could match the near endless reservoir of arcane might the Mare of the Mire held within her. The strength of Flemeth could not be matched. There was no hope.

Slowly, Twilight pushed her head against the thrall of the feedback to see Rarity pushing against Flemeth and trying to break her concentration. Her efforts were in vain as all of Flemeth’s focus was on Twilight and the feedback loop, each second pressing against her magic and her horn. Small fissures broke across the bone, each crack sending agonizing pain throughout her body.

I’m sorry everypony, Twilight thought as tears flowed down her cheeks, I failed Equestria. I failed you all, my friends. I failed you, Spike.

There was no pain. There was no feeling. As the feedback led to its inevitable conclusion of a splintered horn, Twilight thought her last moments would be one of constant torment. As Twilight watched shards of her shattered horn fall, she gave thanks that her death was not painful. Slowly she rocked on her hooves before falling over, all strength and will to live gone along with her horn.

“It is done,” Flemeth said as she looked down on Twilight. “So much potential. So much waste. You were Uthemiel’s greatest threat, Twilight Sparkle of the Grey Wardens. It is not your skill with magic that would have stopped her. It was the fact that you, one pony per generation, had the heart to summon the Elements of Harmony, the only magic that could expose the heart of an Archdemon. You were so close. I had to test your strength for myself, and I found it… wanting.”

Flemeth leaned down towards Twilight’s paralyzed face, a new smirk on her lips. “You were never going to win this battle. I’ll tell you a secret why. I am older, and more powerful than any save my sister. I fought against Nightmare Moon, and though she wounded me, I am still alive, whole and pure.

“I am the Dragon of Victory. I am the sister of Lianari, Mezzerak, Galonomei, Palakash, and Uthemiel. I am Asha’Bellanar.”

Twilight could not believe the burning name Flemeth uttered. The old witch who lived alone in the Potpourri Wilds was one of the ancient dragon gods of the Unicorn Imperium. They had fought the most powerful demons, the most brutal ponyspawn and even a high dragon. Yet compared to all of those threats, a god was something else entirely. How were they supposed to stand against that which only another divine being had beaten?

Flemeth basked in her victory, throwing her head up to the sky as she reared on her hooves. “Look at what I have wrought Celestia! Luna! Look at your champions of Harmony, how they are all broken! Descend from your thrones! Descend from the Fade and take your vengeance! Blood has been spilt in your name! I spit on your names! This world will belong to me, as is my right! Where are your Elements of Harmony now? Where is the wrath of the heavens to strike me down for my atrocities? I tell all my witnesses here… that Celestia and Luna do not wait for them in the Fade. They are dead! Dead and gone, leaving this world to its true ruler. Once Uthemiel is gone, there shall only be Asha’Bellanar. Will you finally descend to stop me then, Celestia? Do I have to set this world alight to get your attention?”

Twilight could nothing but watch and listen as Flemeth made her tirade against the heavens. Everything she said seemed so right though. Where were Celestia and Luna? How come they allowed a creature like Flemeth to live and torment ponies so? Where was the justice in the world?

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Pinkie and Rainbow begin to stir. Crawling on only one good limb, Pinkie made her way to the Star Strand explosive while being joined by her friend. Drawing the number three into the ground, she batted the grenade to Rainbow, who nodded slowly as Flemeth continued to rant.

Easing herself out of her fury, Flemeth looked around at strewn bodies around her. “I will leave you all alive,” Flemeth said as she made her way to Rarity. “I will let the pain of your injuries be miniscule compared to the pain in your hearts as you watch your precious friend become a part of me. Her soul will be destroyed, and in her place I shall become stronger than before. I thank you all for Rarity’s growth as a sorceress. When my time comes to retake this world, it will be because of all you that it was made possible.”

Taking hold of Rarity in a red aura, Flemeth dragged her foster foal towards her, simultaneously casting two glyphs on the ground. One glyph was under Flemeth’s hooves while the other stood glowing under the levitating form of Rarity.

Twilight wanted to shout, act, anything to slow down the eventual hostile takeover of Rarity’s body by Flemeth. Yet the crippling paralysis would not allow her and all she could do was watch as the ritual continued unabated, blood from her shattered horn trailing down her face.

Click…

“Now dear, you knew this was going to be inevitable,” Flemeth said, almost comforting. “You have grown quite a bit. Alas, your time is done. And mine continues as it always had.”

Click…

“Unfortunately for your friends, they will have to die. Fear not, for I will ensure their passing is as quick and as painless as I can possibly allow them. They were, after all, supposed heroes.”

Click!

The thunderous crack of an explosion deafened Twilight while the air filled with glittering smoke, clouding her vision. Twilight felt herself becoming calm under the effects of the star-filled fog, her pain easing as she watched the stars swirl around her body. Several of the lights lowered themselves near her horn, lifting the shattered pieces and reassembling it like broken pottery. As her horn reassembled, Twilight felt all her wounds close under the healing light of the Star Strand until she could move again.

Standing tall once more, Twilight looked up to see a silhouette in the smoke before her. Alarmed at first, Twilight’s worries vanished in an aura of benevolence; the shadow in the smoke did not belong to Flemeth, but rather somepony of great yet gentle power. Though Twilight could not see exact details, she could tell that the silhouette was tall, had wide wings and a long horn.

“We have not forgotten the world,” the silhouette said, “Thou should know our love for the world and all ponies is eternal. Be healed, Champions of Harmony. For it is through you we act until the day we may return.”

Is it possible? Could it really be…?  Twilight thoughts trailed as she looked over to Applejack, lifted off the ground in the healing magic of the starry smoke. The stars wrapped themselves around Applejack’s broken neck, repairing the damage caused by Flemeth. Applejack’s eyes opened to find she was being lowered by divine magic, confusion on her face as the stars rushed to heal another.

The stars from the Star Strand danced around the ruined body of Fluttershy, each star taking hold of an arrow. Angel backed away from the healing magic. Each arrow was pulled gingerly out of the body and the wounds caused by the missiles quickly closing. Fluttershy opened her eyes with a loud gasp as she looked straight at Angel before grasping the nug in a tight embrace.

With Fluttershy healed, the stars moved on to Rainbow Dash. Lifting her off the ground, the healing magic corrected Rainbow’s shattered wings and cleared the bruises along her body. Eyes open and watching the spell work, Rainbow smiled as the stars restored her body until she was able to flap her wings on her own.

Pinkie cracked a smile from her burnt face as the stars made their way to her. “They tickle!” she giggled as she watched the stars cure all her burns, making the bouncing alchemist whole once again. With a smile, Pinkie waved goodbye to the stars as they dashed off to Rarity.

The cosmic orbs circled the levitated Rarity, their light too much for Flemeth as she backed away in surprise and anger. Her glyph was quickly shattered by the pale starlight of the Star Strand come to life, freeing Rarity who quickly galloped away from Flemeth. As Rarity joined the side of her friends, the stars surrounded the Mare of the Mire, who cursed at them with unbridled fury.

“You think I have forgotten?!” Flemeth shouted at the stars as they reformed into the alicorn silhouette. “You think I have forgiven?! You and your despicable sister ruined my family and our Imperium! We gave this world order and stability after the chaos!”

“Thou art cruel, Asha’Bellanar.” The stars spoke with a reverberating voice that filled the sky. “We had no choice but to do what was needed to bring this world to Harmony. The blood seal cast by your brothers and sisters prevented us from giving aid. We act through the Elements of Harmony, who rise up along with the Archdemons to stop their madness.”

“I am not an Archdemon!” Flemeth laughed as she pointed a hoof threateningly at the ghost in the smoke. “I still live! I keep the blood seal strong! There is nothing you or your sister can do to harm me.”

“So long as thou art wicked and refuse harmony into your heart, you will succumb as the other Old Ones have.” Stepping towards Flemeth, the star image of the alicorn extended her hoof forward in a surprisingly friendly gesture. Her commanding tone became less so, soft and gentle.

“We do not have to be enemies, Asha’Bellanar. Accept my friendship. Accept my sister’s friendship. Together we can bring a golden age of peace to all who live upon this world. Please…”

“NEVER.” Flemeth’s voice shifted from the old hag she was to something deeper, more ancient and powerful. It was frightening to behold, as it sounded so similar to the voice of the Archdemon. Rarity’s eyes widened in fear as Flemeth spoke, as if she had heard this voice before.

“I WILL NEVER ACCEPT YOUR FRIENDSHIP. I WILL NEVER ACCEPT YOUR RULE. THIS WORLD WILL BE MINE ONCE AGAIN, OR IT WILL BE ASH AROUND ME!”

Flemeth snarled before rearing on her hooves, her body glowing with power as the crimson wings of a dragon formed in mid-air. The wings wrapped themselves around Flemeth as a torrential wind emanated from Flemeth, blowing away the last of Pinkie’s Star Strand grenade, save the starry image of the alicorn, who shook her head sadly.

“Heroes, I beseech thee,” the stars whispered as they slowly dissipated into the sky. “Do what you must to defeat Asha’Bellanar. Her hatred must be humbled, through words or through arms. Become those that aided me against my inner darkness in an age long past. Become your destiny. Become the Elements of Harmony.”

Twilight blinked to make sure she was not hallucinating, only to watch as an incredibly advanced magical sigil formed around her hooves. A soft hum overcame the Potpourri Wilds as the magic from both the sigil and Flemeth worked in both concert and opposition to each other.

On her head, Twilight felt the weight of an object conjured above her. Looking over herself, she also found a glowing suit of armoured robes taking the place of her tattered leather armour. A brilliant sword materialized by her side, and it floated near Twilight as a staff would, waiting for her arcane command. A tiara with a star much like her cutie mark took shape on her head which was quickly followed by the feeling of immense power. Unlike other surges of magic she had experienced, this one felt completely natural, almost as if Twilight had known it for a long time.

One by one, her friends also experienced new, glowing armour and weapons. Applejack was outfitted with resplendent plated armour, and Silverbite became longer and more regal. Rarity donned the robes of a beautiful sorceress, her staff changing to one more graceful and pulsing with power. Golden scale mail replaced chain links, while Fluttershy’s bow looked like something out of legend. Pinkie’s mace hardened into a white orb humming with enchantments. Rainbow’s leather repaired quickly and improved to something one would only see a royal in, her dagger shining and ready to strike. All wore pendants of incredible artisanship, each styled to their cutie marks and brimming with divine strength.

Twilight stood agape at the new armour and weapons before looking down on the sigil. It had grown to have six points, and each point was occupied by one of her friends. The ritual on that scrap of parchment… this is it! The Elements of Harmony!

Her reverie was short lived as a thunderous roar rocked the party on their hooves. Flemeth’s dark wings opened, and instead of the old mare they had fought before there now stood an ancient, powerful, and furious dragon. Covered in crimson scales, Asha’Bellanar stared down the Elements of Harmony with eyes of piercing gold. Black talons clawed against the ground as smoke fumed from her nostrils.

“ELEMENTS OF HARMONY. HOW LONG HAVE YOU WAITED TO FACE THE DRAGON OF VICTORY, I WONDER.” Asha’Bellanar roared again to accentuate her point, only for the party to stand their ground against her. “YOU HAVE COME TO DIE. UTHEMIEL WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY PONIES GRANTED THE GIFTS OF THE HEAVENS, BUT BY HER OWN SISTER. I WILL END YOU ALL HERE AND NOW! THE CYCLE ENDS!”

Asha’Bellanar struck first, opening her gaping mouth and unleashing a mighty stream of flames. Staring up at the incoming fire, Twilight lifted her new sword towards the attack thinking only of a powerful shield to protect her friends. The sword acted in the same way as her old staff, channeling her innate magic and improving on it exponentially. A barrier formed between the party and Asha’Bellanar’s attack, with Twilight grimacing as the fire assaulted her shield. Yet it held, though Twilight’s bones shook by the magnitude of the attack.

“We still have to fight,” Twilight realized while gasping for air. “The Elements will help us, but we still have to fight her.”

“If it’s a fight she wants, boy howdy, we’ll give her one,” Applejack grinned. “Ya’ll ready for this?”

“Let’s use this as a practice round for the Archdemon!” Rainbow smirked as she rubbed her hooves together. “She’s going to pay for even thinking of breaking my wings.”

“I’m not afraid anymore,” Fluttershy said as she readied her bow. “We need to defeat her. We need to protect this world from monsters like her. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Big Meanie McDragonpants is going down hard!” Pinkie bounded to Twilight’s side, juggling grenades on her head. “Oh, Twilight! Did you see what my healing grenade did? Wasn’t that super? I knew it was going to be great, but not even I expected that!”

Rarity took her place with the rest of her friends, staring down Asha’Bellanar with fierce determination in her eyes. “I refuse to run from you anymore, monster! To think I once called you mother! You will never hurt anypony ever again!”

“COME TO ME, MORTALS,” Asha’Bellanar bellowed. “COME AND FACE YOUR DOOM AT THE CLAWS OF YOUR BETTER.”

Asha’Bellanar attacked again with a stream of flames, only to be blocked by another shield. As Twilight held the Old One in a deadlock of magic, her friends split into a multitude of directions, each sharing the fierce drive to defeat the elder dragon. With a fierce battle cry, Twilight shoved the fiery assault into the air, much like how Flemeth had done to Rarity’s lightning.

Hovering in the air with her bow at the ready, Fluttershy did not prepare an arrow from a quiver, but merely pulled back the drawstring and watched as a bolt of pink light fitted itself against the bow. The bolt flew from the weapon towards the dragon, splitting into several and each striking against the scaly hide.

With a roar of pain, Asha’Bellanar turned her massive maw to bite Fluttershy, only to meet several grenades striking her face. After only a few moments they detonated into rose-coloured flames, the dragon holding its face in pain as Pinkie batted several more using her mace.

The Dragon of Victory tried to react, but every move was quickly countered by the sweeping strikes of Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Both ponies worked in tandem with each other, Applejack attacking low and Rainbow striking high, both too quick for Asha’Bellanar’s claws and her long tail.

Rarity did not attack Asha’Bellanar directly, instead showing great control over her anger by weaving an immaculate glyph with her magic. Her staff danced around the battlefield, encircling the body of the dragon until the glyph was complete and glowing with her white magic. With a smile, Rarity tapped the glyph gently until it hummed to life, the power of the glyph bolstering the party’s already formidable abilities while causing Asha’Bellanar no little amount of distress. Already Twilight felt even stronger than she had before, and her friends continued to attack with newfound vigor.

Twilight concentrated her magic through her sword, focusing a simple yet powerful barrage of arcane blasts to strike against Asha’Bellanar. As the Old One aimed her fury at the others, Twilight gave a sharp cry as orbs of crackling arcane force flew against the hide of the Old One. Each blast burst into shards of violet ice, attacking Asha’Bellanar again with every hit.

Asha’Bellanar roared in frustration, unable to contend with the Elements of Harmony in battle. Her breathing, ragged and forced, she watched her enemies form up in front of her defiantly. “It’s over, Flemeth,” Twilight shouted. “You were offered a hoof in friendship! Don’t throw that away!”

“I… I WILL NEVER ACCEPT THE FRIENDSHIP OF MORTALS.”  Asha’Bellanar drew to her full height, wings spread wide as her eyes turned dark crimson. Twilight nodded to Rarity, both unicorns ready for the next assault.

What came next was right out of Twilight’s nightmares. Asha’Bellanar attacked not with the flames of dragons, but with the dreaded shadowfire of the Archdemons. Black flames struck against her shield, and she was only barely able to protect everypony with the help of Rarity. Both struggled against the might of the shadowfire, Rarity falling to her knees while Twilight shut her eyes in pain.

“Look out scaly! Here comes Shale!”

The flames of darkness ceased as Shale burst through the heavy fog and collided with Asha’Bellanar in a reckless tackle while Oghren followed close behind, swinging his axe and taking several shots at the dragon’s hindquarters. Spike arrived as well, flaming sword in his grip as he ran towards Twilight while Trixie stumbled through the fog looking completely fatigued.

“I did it,” Trixie gasped with a smile before collapsing onto her knees. “The Great and Powerful Trixie broke through Flemeth’s fog! See… she really is… a good unicorn…” Trixie turned to see Asha’Bellanar fight off the warriors of the group with claw and shadowflame, only to promptly faint at the sight and power of the Old One.

“Twilight!” Spike ran towards Twilight as she lowered her shield, gasping for breath after the strain of holding off the all-consuming fire. “What’s happening? Where’s Flemeth? Why are you fighting a dragon? Why are you all shiny and glowing?”

“First, that dragon is Flemeth. Everything else has to wait.” Twilight looked around as the battle continued and more streams of shadowflames continued to pour from the maw of Asha’Bellanar. There had to be a way to use the Elements of Harmony to end the threat of the Old One once and for all, but how?

Asha’Bellanar did not wait for her to decide on her plan. Looking towards the hut her pony form had called home and motioning one of her forepaws towards it, the door of the hut swung open, and, floating in a bubble of magic was the unharmed yet unconscious form of Sweetie Belle. Rarity gave a shout in surprise while the Dragon of Victory held the magic bubble in the palm of her claws.

“I TRICKED YOU, ELEMENTS,” Asha’Bellanar taunted as she backed away. “I STILL HAVE THE FILLY. ALL YOUR ANGER AND FURY WILL BE FOR NAUGHT. SURRENDER THE ARTIFACTS OF POWER TO ME, OR I WILL BRING HER TO HARM.”

Twilight grimaced as the battle came to a standstill. The party regrouped near her with Rarity taking point, her teeth clenched in both anger and worry. Asha’Bellanar had outsmarted them and pulled her trump card in the form of Sweetie Belle. To accentuate her point, the Old One’s body glowed dark crimson again as her wings wrapped around her body until she shrank back to the size of a pony and Flemeth stood before them once again.

“Foals, all of you,” Flemeth cursed as she kept the orb holding Sweetie Belle aloft. “Give me the artifacts of Celestia or she dies. This is no trick. You’ve seen what I can do. How I have no regret for my power.”

Cursing how quickly the battle had changed to Flemeth’s advantage, Twilight levitated the tiara off her head and moved it to sit at her enemy’s hooves. (But) As the tiara approached Flemeth it vanished, only to reappear on Twilight’s head.

“Do not play games with me, mortal!” Flemeth hissed, “Surrender the artifacts!”

Know that the Elements will return when a force of darkness dares threaten them that no mortal pony can overcome on their own. Know that only ponies united in Loyalty, Generosity, Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, and Magic can awaken the magic and bring peace to a shadowed land.

Twilight blinked as she heard a gentle voice speak directly into her head. It was the same saying as on the pedestal of Dewdrop Dazzle, the first Element of Magic. Images of battles against the Archdemons of the past rushed through her mind until she knew what must be done. The Elements had to be used once again against the Old Ones.

“You want the Elements, Asha’Bellanar? You can have them!” Twilight’s tiara began to glow with white light until a stream of white fire erupted from the gemstone centerpiece. The white flames surged towards Flemeth, striking her square in the chest. Soon the pendants of the other Elements began to glow as well, each emitting the white light and blasting Flemeth with cleansing flames.

Flemeth cried out in terrible anguish as the flames engulfed her, dropping the orb holding Sweetie Belle to the ground. Oghren rushed in under the white fire, pushing the magical cell away from the onslaught.

They all looked on in horror as Flemeth’s chest literally opened from the magical attack by the Elements, flesh and bone separating to reveal her accursed heart. Instead of a heart of beating flesh and blood, there stood a source of crimson energy the likes Twilight had never imagined. It was more than just Flemeth’s heart; it was her soul now bared for all and vulnerable.

Flemeth’s eyes widened in disbelief as her soul was wide open for attack. With a cry that echoed throughout the wilds, she gave one final, hateful look to Twilight. “Chaos take you, mortal,” she spat as the flames consumed her. “We will meet again, and I will kill you all.”

With one last smile, Flemeth exploded in a grand fireball of light, blinding everypony as the Potpourri Wilds brightened from the detonation. After a moment to give her eyes to adjust, Twilight looked to see where Flemeth had stood, only to see a burn mark in the earth.

Everyone looked around, tired and confused as the adrenaline rush of battle came to a quick and sudden stop. Slowly, the brilliant armour and weapons provided by the Elements of Harmony faded into the ether, with everypony’s original armour in their place. As Spike and those not involved in the battle against Flemeth looked at their allies with puzzlement, the ponies stood about in complete shock.

“We… won?” Pinkie said, her eyes wide as she checked herself for any burn marks. “Did we really… I mean it was… I need a freaking cake after that!”

“We died…” Fluttershy muttered as she held onto Angel with a vice-like hug. “At least, I think we died, or were really, really close.”

“That was awesome! Even if we got by on the skin of our teeth.” Rainbow slumped on the ground, tired but with a triumphant smile on her face.

“Ah dunno, everypony,” Applejack said as she scraped the ashen scorch mark. “Kinda getting’ the feelin’ she was playin’ with us. Still… we survived. We won.”

“We can fight the Archdemon,” Twilight muttered at last. “We know the Elements of Harmony will come to us against the power of the Old Ones. We are the Elements. Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, Generosity, Magic. We have the power.”

Oghren snorted. “Can I be the Element of Drinking?”

Twilight’s smile never faltered as she replied. “No.”

Rarity ignored everything as she galloped to Sweetie Belle’s side, quickly checking the filly for any injuries Flemeth had caused. She breathed a sigh of relief as Sweetie Belle’s eyes fluttered open.

“Rarity?” Sweetie Belle rubbed the sleep from her eyes before standing up straight. “Oh my gosh! We have to go back to Red Apple! That mean witch hurt might have hurt Scootaloo, and…”

“Hush, hush,” Rarity said soothingly as she held her sister close. “Everything is okay. Flemeth is gone. She won’t hurt you ever again, I swear it. You’re safe.”

Realizing what she had said, Rarity looked up to Twilight. “You were right, dear,” Rarity admitted. “We stood up against the Mare of the Mire together. I should never have doubted my friends.”

“You had every reason to worry,” Twilight replied. “Flemeth almost killed us all. If it wasn’t for the Elements, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. But now I’m worried for Sweetie Belle. We can’t bring her back to Red Apple; the templars will likely kill her on the spot.”

Rarity looked at the abandoned hut in the middle of the Potpourri Wilds in deep thought before looking down at Sweetie Belle. “Flemeth is gone. She did refer to me as her daughter…  Her cottage would now be considered mine, yes? Sweetie Belle can stay there until after the Blight is defeated. We can all stay there tonight. My home is your home for all of you, my dearest friends.”

One by one, everyone entered the cottage in the wilds, each pony falling asleep out of pure exhaustion. As Twilight settled herself down a comfortable spot near the fireplace, she felt Spike nestle himself against her side as her eyelids became heavier, almost as if they demanded sleep. Closing her eyes, Twilight thought of nothing except sweet slumber.

---

Chapter 32 – Cold Winds Blow from the Everfree

Twilight awoke from a night of thankfully uneventful slumber to the aroma of fresh porridge being cooked over the cottage’s hearth. As Twilight stood up and stretched her limbs, she looked around to see everyone in the group stirring awake, and saw Pinkie working several pots of porridge to be ready for breakfast. Shale was sticking her head into the cottage through the window, her stone body too large for the door way.

“Good, you are all awake,” Shale rumbled with a hint of discontent. “I was bored all night. I was hoping that dragon would come back so I could fight it, but nothing came. Not even a foolish pigeon came across my path. How typical of them. Only the prissy Rarity and boastful Trixie are outside working on some magical nonsense instead of conversing with me.”

Rolling her eyes at Shale, Twilight walked outside to see what spell Rarity and Trixie were working on. Both unicorns were enhancing individual aspects of their arcane work, with Rarity focusing on a large glyph and Trixie chanting some spell or another. Twilight watched them with eyes attuned to magic, noticing that both their horns and staves were working in tandem with each other to produce a much more powerful spell.

What was also interesting was that they were using the remnants of Flemeth’s protective magics to fuel their work. Despite her demise, the Mare of the Mire’s spells did not diminish, holding strong and feeding off the natural lines of magic from the Fade into the real world. If Flemeth had not tried to kill them, Twilight would have wanted to spend time and learn such magic.

“Good morning, Twilight,” Rarity said as she noticed Twilight approach. “We were just working on getting Flemeth’s protective spells to work for me now. We can’t possibly bring Sweetie Belle with us, and she’ll just be captured by the templars if we bring her back to Red Apple. As long as she’s here and we use Flemeth’s spells to protect this region she’ll be safe.”

“We’ve been weaving Rartiy’s glyphs, Flemeth’s enchantments, and the Great and Powerful Trixie’s chanted spells into one ultimate protective illusion.” As Trixie explained the spell, her staff etched sigil after sigil into the ground, reinforcing the spell with arcane writing Twilight recognized from old spellbooks in the Tower.

Twilight studied the spell for a moment, taking note of every magical weave and thread incorporated. However impressive this spell was, they were still piggybacking on Flemeth’s old magic. “What if Flemeth returns? That she is powerful enough to return from the dead?” Twilight wondered aloud, voicing the concerns that Rarity held within.

“I don’t believe she will. Even if she could raise herself from the grave, she knows we hold the Elements of Harmony, the means to end her permanently, and that we still need to defeat the Archdemon. Honestly, I think the battle yesterday was some sort of cruel test.” Rarity looked around as if expecting Flemeth would swoop down upon them then and there in the form of Asha’Bellanar. When no dragon ambushes occurred, Twilight noticed Rarity relax for the first time in a long while.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Twilight was eager to lend her special talent to the work, yet was instead met with shaking heads.

“This is taxing spell casting dear,” Rarity explained. “We’ve been using our staves heavily to channel the necessary magic. You would just become tired after, and we need to make our way to the Everfree Forest.”

Trixie took the moment to puff herself up, straightening her hat to make her appear taller. “Don’t you worry your little pony head about this, Sparkle,” Trixie said, patting an indignant Twilight on the head. “We can work on these spells on our own. You go and rest, or practice swinging your sword about. Leave the magic to Trixie.”

Twilight responded to Trixie’s chiding with a smile. “I’m glad you’re here to help Rarity, Trixie. You’ve really grown as a mage since leaving the Tower. It’s also nice to see you making so many friends.”

The unexpected yet sincere words from Twilight caught Trixie by surprise, causing her to stumble on her words. Chuckling to herself, Twilight turned to return to the cottage while Trixie resumed her work on reinforcing Flemeth’s enchantments. It was true what she had said though; the change in Trixie from the arrogant student of Hubred to a trusted friend that Twilight could rely on in battle and in their journey was astonishing, and completely welcome.

She turned to watch the interaction of Trixie and Shale for a moment before choking back a laugh. Distracted by the unexpected compliment, Trixie was not ready for Shale to come at her with a barrage of playful insults. As Twilight returned to the hut, she thought she heard somepony claim to the other that “the only thing harder than diamonds is your thick head, which is perfect for a battering ram.”

As she went inside, Twilight found herself shoved towards the table in Rarity’s kitchen and a bowl of steaming porridge placed in front of her. She blinked as Pinkie dashed about the cottage, placing ponies both awake and still in the grips of slumber alike near the table and giving them their warm breakfast at speeds Dash would have been envious of.

Twilight leaned towards her porridge, sniffing the contents until the delightful smell of apples and cinnamon filled her snout. Coupled with a healthy serving of oats, breakfast smelled delicious and the rumbling of Twilight’s stomach agreed with the assessment.

Once everypony was sat at the table, Pinkie took her place and bowed with flourish to her friends. “As the Filesians would say, ‘Bon Appetit!’” Pinkie giggled as she sat, hoof to her chin. “They have a bunch of funny words. ‘Un. Deux. Oui. Le chateau du fromage.’”

“Enough talking in tongues, it’s grub time!” Oghren slammed his head into his bowl, devouring the porridge in a sloppy mess. Spike looked up at Oghren and followed suit, much to Twilight’s dismay. Pinkie, laughing all the while, joined them in the messy consumption of their food.

Once the clowns of the party had gone to collect a second helping, the others began to eat with far better manners. The apple and cinnamon porridge was impeccable, and Twilight found she enjoyed her meal with gusto as well. With breakfast finished, they all began to prepare to continue their trek towards the Everfree Forest.

There was one last goodbye to say.

Sweetie Belle held on to her older sister tightly as Rarity prepared to leave. Sniffing away tears, Rarity nuzzled her sister as she spoke in a quiet whisper. “I’m sorry I have to go so soon, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said as she looked into Sweetie Belle’s eyes. “But I have to go with my friends. I have to help fight the ponyspawn to protect you.”

“I know,” Sweetie Belle replied, tears swimming in her eyes. “But we hardly know each other, and I want to be with my sister. And it’s going to be so lonely here in the Wilds by myself.”

“Just for a little while, my dear, until the Blight is defeated. Then I’ll come back and we can live here. Together.” Rarity held Sweetie Belle in a tight embrace while Twilight considered what was still ahead of them. Getting the support of the Dalish pegasi was their next challenge, and there wasn’t a lot of time left to do it.

Knowing time was of the essence, Rarity hesitantly broke her sister’s embrace before walking away. Sweetie Belle waved goodbye as Rarity left with the party out of the Wilds, both teary-eyed while Rarity’s horn glowed, closing the door behind her.

“We have to win,” Rarity said aloud. “For the sake of everypony. We will win, yes? We know where the Elements of Harmony are. We can win.”

Twilight did not reply. Even with the Elements of Harmony, they were only barely able to defeat Asha’Bellanar who practiced some restraint. When they faced off against the Archdemon, they would go up against the terrifying driving force of the ponyspawn in all its horror and unmitigated might. Victory would be won in blood.

“We will win,” Twilight said, loud enough for everypony to hear. “We are going to raise the greatest army in Equestrian history, and we will defeat the Archdemon. Most important, we are going to win together, as friends. No matter what.”

They left the Wilds without a word, the improved magics of Flemeth now shrouding their path behind them in near-impenetrable fog. The ruins of Ostequus watched them leave as they returned to the road with refined purpose, onward to the Everfree Forest.

***

The road they travelled continued on its own way towards the capital city of Trotterim, yet their journey took the party off the beaten path and towards the Everfree Forest. Massive clouds hung over the dark forest, appearing just as foreboding as the shadows cast by the trees themselves. Despite being well documented as a home of Dalish pegasi and terrible beasts, the forest was largely still a place of mystery to most ponies. Thanks to the aforementioned clan of isolationists and other monsters lurking in the woods, not many explorers were able to delve deep into the heart of the forest and discover the secrets within.

History books told that the Everfree Forest was once a place of arcane research for the Unicorn Imperium during the height of their power. In her youth, Twilight had always wondered what sort of experiments the Imperium had conducted in this place of natural yet malevolent energies. That morbid curiosity came to the forefront now out of concern for her friends; being the most powerful empire ruled by Maleficar and ancient dragon gods, whatever they were researching in the midst of the forest was likely not for the benefit of all pony kind.

Twilight looked up at the closest thing to an “entrance” the forest had with a shudder. A place so close to nature likely held both its beauty and its feral ravages underneath the emerald canopy. Looking at the forest with magical senses, Twilight could feel the untouched ley lines of magic leading from the Fade into the forest. It was something she was looking forward to discovering: a font of magic untouched by unicorns or demons, though the Veil separating the two realms was weak. They would have to tread carefully.

“Look,” Fluttershy said as she pointed to the ground. “Tracks. This long one belongs to something large and drawn on wheels, like a carriage, but these… I’ve never seen them before.”

They stopped to look at the tracks Fluttershy discovered. The divots created by large wagon wheels were simple enough, but it was the prints left next to them that Twilight was interested in. Several times larger than a pony’s hoof print, the tracks were dug deep by something very heavy. Instead of hooves, they were similar to large grasping paws of a lizard, with claw marks digging into the ground.

“Do y'all think it’s the Dalish?” Applejack asked, looking at the tracks. Fluttershy shook her head.

“I don’t know. I’m sorry.” Fluttershy hid behind her mane while still studying the tracks. “My time with a Dalish was very short. I don’t know if they use carriages or giant lizards.”

“It’s all right, Fluttershy, you did great.” Twilight smiled at Fluttershy, then turned her attention to the forest. “If we think about it, it makes sense. The Dalish are nomadic and need to move from place to place quickly. They’ll likely use large carriages for their tools and such rather than carry everything individually. They also may have found and tamed large reptiles to act as beasts of burden instead of pulling the carts themselves.”

“They could still be in the Everfree. Let’s go find them.” As Twilight concluded her deductions, the party entered the woods in pairs, with Twilight in and Applejack in the front while Oghren and Shale took the rear. With Rainbow and Fluttershy in the air, they were in a good formation to protect each other should anypony or anything accost them.

The Everfree Forest was as dark on the inside as it appeared on the outside, with the large and ancient trees blocking out the light of the sun with their massive branches and thousands of black leaves. Shrubs and plants dotted the ground, looking just as sinister as something out of Twilight’s nightmares. Several of the plants had thorns and prickly leaves, while others just seemed monstrous. She watched as an innocent fly buzzed about until landing on top of a plant that appeared to have teeth, only to be snatched up in its leaf-like mouth.

The noises from the Everfree did not help matters at all. Animals known and unknown made their calls in the dark, giving the forest a spooky ambiance. Twilight could have sworn she saw glowing red eyes peer down on them from atop the branches, only to look and see they were gone.

Twilight felt exposed and vulnerable in the dense foliage of the forest. There were too many vantage points for ambushes, both by armed marauders and beasts of all shapes and sizes. If the ponyspawn were here, they could likely be planning an attack, even though Twilight could not sense their heartbeats. If the Dalish were watching, they were probably wondering who the clumsy group was that was traipsing through their territory.

Suddenly, a loud snap sounded which brought everypony to full alert. Weapons rang out from sheaths as they looked around for whatever had caused the disturbance, Twilight baring her sword tight in her mouth as her eyes darted to and fro.

“It was just a twig,” Trixie muttered, kicking away a broken branch with a stiff kick. “Trixie refuses to apologize for stepping on dead wood.”

Twilight laughed despite herself, finding the whole thing comical for whatever reason. “Look at us, bumbling through a dark, scary and potentially lethal forest. We’re getting jumpy over broken twigs. Isn’t that silly?”

There were a few nervous chuckles from her friends as they looked at each other for support. Twilight continued to laugh until she felt the point of a weapon press against her back. Her blood ran cold and her eyes widened as, all around the party, pegasi in hoods and drawn bows approached from out of nowhere.

Shale reacted as Twilight expected, launching herself on the ambushers with reckless abandon, the pegasi just barely to get out of the rampaging path of the golem. “Call off your thrall, hara tan,” growled the feminine voice of Twilight’s assailant. “Or we skewer you all.”

“Shale, stop,” Twilight ordered as she calmed down. Shale looked at Twilight as if she had grown a second head, yet complied with her request. The pegasi approached Shale, keeping their arrows trained on her while the rest of the party stood still, waiting for whatever was going to happen next. They were at their ambushers’ mercy. Shale looked down at their attackers with disdain.

“Harm a single hair on their coats, and I will make sure to tear your wings off and feed them to you.” Twilight took a deep breath as Shale made her threat. Knowing the golem, she would make do on her words in the most painful method possible.

Twilight was finally able to get a good look at her assailants as they all stared at the stony guardian, and noted that they were all pegasus ponies in form-fitting leather armour and low hoods. What parts of their coats she could see were covered in ink markings, all as red as blood. When the arrow tip was removed from her back, Twilight allowed herself a sigh of relief. The other pegasi did the same, a good sign if there was any to be had.

Slinging her bow around her shoulder, the pegasus jumped into the air and landed in front of Twilight. Her hood flew off, revealing a youthful face framed with long red hair and blue eyes. Her scowl was likely an attempt at intimidation, but when one faces down the hordes of evil and a high dragon, Twilight simply stared back with a look of contempt, utterly unimpressed.

“I am Zharia, Chief Warrior of the Dalish here in the Everfree,” she said with a sneer. “Your kind are outsiders and are not welcome here. What business do you have in our woods?”

Before Twilight could respond, Fluttershy stepped forward to Zharia. It was surprising to see Fluttershy approach a warrior so mean-tempered as this Dalish, though she did cast nervous glances to her friends before gulping. Zharia looked down on her, waiting with an expression of extreme annoyance.

“Faram,” Fluttershy said, further surprising Twilight as she spoke in some strange tongue that was neither Equestrian or Filesian. She pointed a hoof at each of her friends before continuing. “Hosan. Halla tan. Nel’nier. Dogan. Spike. Shale. Salanah. Meesha.”

“I didn’t know you could speak Dalish,” Rainbow said in amazement and perhaps a hint of jealousy. Zharia cursed at Rainbow’s words, barking before returning her piercing gaze towards Fluttershy.

“So you know some of our words, nal’shem,” Zharia said, “but you are not one of the People. None of you are. You may not be a threat, but I’d sooner trust a torak makar before any of you! Speak, unicorn! Tell us why outsiders are here before I decide to make you all leave. With arrows in your flanks if need be.”

Twilight kept her calm as Zharia continued to berate them, her horn glowing as she levitated the Grey Warden treatise for the Chief Warrior to see. “We’ve come seeking the aid of the pegasi of the Eastern Dales against the Blight that is ravaging Equestria.” There was a collective gasp from the gathered Dalish as Twilight announced the reason for their visit. She let the information soak in for a moment. “The Blight will not rest until it has consumed the land, including the Everfree Forest itself. We’d like your forces to join ours as we stand united against a common foe. We already have the aid of the Unicorn Tower and the Kingdom of Orzamule.”

Zharia looked over the treatise for a moment, just as many had done before whenever Twilight brought them up. It was amusing, in its own way, how bringing up the Blight and showing off old documents to enlist the help of would-be allies seemed to work. This was dangerously close to becoming routine, something that surprised Twilight considering the impending crisis that the ponyspawn represented.

“Ya’ll gotta understand that this forest isn’t gonna keep ya safe from the Blight,” Applejack piped up as Zharia continued to read. “If Equestria falls, everything is gonna turn into Blightlands, including these here woods. Only by comin’ together can we stop the ‘spawn from devouring everything.”

Once she was done reading, Zharia said nothing as she turned away to consult with the other warriors of her clan. They did not feel the need to be subtle or silent, talking in loud and rapid Dalish that Fluttershy could not understand. Twilight kept her attention focused on the fighters of the Dalish as they spoke, taking some satisfaction that their speech was hurried and filled with quick, exasperated words.

With a loud curse, Zharia broke up her impromptu meeting and turned her attention to Twilight. She looked at Twilight with another dry sneer as she said, “Your treatise bears the seal of the Keepers of old. We will bring you to our wise leader Boreas of the Winds, Keeper of our clan. If anypony can help you better, it will be him. Follow close, and we will lead you to our camp.”

With a smile, Twilight nodded to Zharia as the Dalish trotted deeper into the Everfree Forest. With some measure of success at hoof, she beckoned for the others to follow. The Dalish led them through winding, intricate paths that the party would not otherwise had found. It impressed Twilight greatly how well the pegasi were entrenched in the Everfree and how much they knew of the forest.

Oghren was the first one to speak up as they traversed the woods with greater speed. “Something ain’t right, Warden. These ponies, they have the looks of seasoned warriors from recent battles. I’ve seen the look before on young bucks fresh out of training and thrown to the ponyspawn in the Dark Tunnels. They’ve seen things, and the markings on their coats are fresh. They were made recently by something really nasty. Not ponyspawn, or they’d be dead from the tainted blood. Something else though.”

Recent battles? Twilight closed her eyes as she strained her ears to listen for any ponyspawn that could have been lurking in the depths of the woods. Only the rustling of the leaves met her ears, confusing her further. She looked through the forest with senses attuned with magic, and found no sign of demons either. Perhaps the Dalish were at odds with other ponies, or some kind of forest creature. Whatever it was, she would have to be on her guard.

Once they were past the great woods, the party had found themselves in a great clearing filled with several large carts and many pegasi milling about. The ramshackle camp of Dalish pegasi hummed with activity as warriors patrolled the treetops, and those with green ink tattoos kept watch over very large and very fearsome looking lizard creatures. Twilight looked in surprise at several pegasi moaning on the ground, covered with bandages, while Dalish healers chanted psalms and coated wounds with salves. One pegasus screamed as a healer looked over his wing, or rather what was left of it.

Many of the lizards were hitched to the wagons, and all of them had eight legs and wore blinders over their eyes. “Those are basilisks, our beasts of burden and primary defence for the camp,” Zharia explained. “Our salanah’ishiel care for the basilisks, and in turn they prove to be most effective defence for our people. Their gaze paralyzes any who makes eye contact, and their venom will kill in moments if their great maws don’t do the job.”

The basilisks were frightening from a distance, but Fluttershy paid little heed to the dangers of approaching the great reptiles, hovering just above one’s head and stroking the scales with a gentle hoof. Several of the Dalish animal tamers were wary at first that a newcomer was so close to one of their pack beasts until one eventually flew up to Fluttershy and both began a dialogue about animals. Twilight was pleased that Fluttershy was getting along so well and so easily with the Dalish and their animals. Zharia was not.

“Pah. Nal’shem. She shouldn’t be so close to our basilisks. None of you should be here.” Zharia’s contempt for the group seethed with every word, and the way she said “nal’shem” gave Twilight the impression it was a heavy-hoofed insult. Rainbow took offence and flew up to Zharia’s face. Both pegasi met in mid-air, staring daggers as they circled each other with malicious intent.

“You keep calling us shem,” Rainbow Dash growled, challenging Zharia. “What does that mean? Are you insulting us? Because if you are…”

“And what are you going to do about it!?” Zharia shot back. “You may look and act like kalach, but you are just the same as any other ground walker. You have no honour! You don’t know what it means to be a pegasus! Your mother should have pinioned you when you were a foal and leave the real flying to true pegasi! To the Dalish!”

Dash reacted as Twilight expected her to at the end of Zharia’s insult, tackling the loud warrior in the air, bringing both of them tumbling to the ground. Both pegasi struggled against one another as a sizable crowd formed around them, the sounds of cheering Dalish supporting their chief warrior against the newcomer. Twilight pressed a hoof to her face; this was no way to begin relations with the Pegasi of the Eastern Dales.

“Zharia, enough! Boreas commands that guests be treated well, whether they be pegasus or anypony.” A pegasus with a purple coat and green mane glared at Zharia. She was dressed in flowing green robes, with blue ink marking her coat. Her eyes were milky white, and she appeared to have a difficult time walking.

She’s blind, Twilight thought as the newcomer stood still, somehow cowing Zharia. Rainbow turned away from the struggle as the blind pegasus appeared to look about, her ears twitching for a moment before she spoke again.

“My name is Silphia, apprentice to Keeper Boreas,” the newcomer greeted. “And what my good sister is calling you is shem. Outsider. Flightless. Most earth ponies and unicorns ignore it. But saying it to a pegasus is a grave insult. Zharia will request forgiveness now.”

Zharia bowed her head low. “As the Keeper wills it, I apologize for my harsh words.” The apology lacked sincerity, but Twilight could only guess that Zharia respected the wishes of her clan’s Keepers over the feelings of outsiders. Rainbow simply glowered before turning away, either accepting or ignoring the apology.

“Thank you for your patience,” Silphia continued. “Boreas will receive you shortly. Please understand, he has been very busy since the attacks started. More of us fall to the savages living in the forest every day. If it were not for Zharia, her warriors, and our basilisks, we would be no more. You may wander the camp at your leisure for now, until I come and collect you again.”

Twilight nodded to Silphia as both she and her sister left them to their own devices. Looking around the camp, she realized just how strange and alien everything was. Besides the towering basilisks and the awkward language of the Dalish, there were also wood totems surrounding the camp, and many pegasi having their coats worked on with the special ink used for tattoos. For a moment, Twilight felt lost as to where she should go to learn more about the Dalish.

It was thanks to Pinkie that her attention became focused on a group of pegasi sitting around a campfire. “Look, everypony!” Pinkie exclaimed as she bounded over to the small gathering. “Too laid back to be a party, but not silent enough to be a funeral. And one of those pegasi sounds like he’s telling stories!”

Interested, Twilight walked with Pinkie towards the storyteller, who looked up with a mixed face of surprise and interest. He did not introduce himself, remaining rather silent as the party approached, offering them all a seat in front of him with Dalish foals that were nearby. Once they were all seated, Twilight waited patiently for the storyteller to acknowledge their presence.

“It would appear we have an interesting group of guests,” the storyteller said, “Perhaps you may wish to listen to the history of the Dalish pegasi? I always remind the foals where they come from, so that they may always feel pride and know that they have a purpose within the clan.”

He scooped up a small pile of purple dust with his hooves and tossed it into the fire. The flames flared dramatically, awing the foals and Pinkie Pie as what appeared to be images began to form while the story teller began to speak.

“A long time ago, before we were known as the Pegasi of the Eastern Dales, the pegasi were a once united people under the wise and benevolent rule of our Skylords. We ruled the air with great fortresses of clouds, and claimed dominion of the farthest reaches of the eastern continent now known as the Free Plains all the way to what is now known as Equestria. Our kingdoms were vast and our power was great, as the very weather which allowed the land to become green with the bounty of nature was ours to control and command. Through the pegasi, the world flourished.”

The flames appeared to move on their own, the smoke rising high until it formed a miniature sky fortress of its own, with little pegasi soldiers patrolling the perimeter. Pinkie stomped her hooves in amazement while Twilight looked at the display with curiosity. There were faint traces of magic in the show, but from where? Pegasi couldn’t use magic.

“But there were those who were jealous of our might, of the blessings given to us by the very winds. The Unicorn Imperium, far to the north, did look on our kingdoms with lust and greed, and set their armies to conquer us. We prevailed in our battles, as the magic of the unicorns and the strength of their demon servitors were no match to our ability to summon lightning and tornadoes. We thought we were invincible.”

The clouds billowed again, this time forming an army of unicorns and demons to march against the cloud fortress. The cloud rose higher as the pegasi soldiers retreated to its safety while it rumbled like a thunderhead. A small spark of lighting struck against the Imperium’s forces, scattering unicorn and demon alike. The foals cheered loudly at the might of the pegasi, with Pinkie joining in, equally as excited.

“How wrong we were. When their blood magic and their demons failed, their dragons made swift work of us. Terrible creatures of razor claws and melting flames, the Imperium struck us with a terrible vengeance the likes of which we had never seen before. In a matter of weeks, the skylords were vanquished and our great civilization was brought low.”

From the smoke, where the scattered remnants of the Imperium’s army laid battered and broken, rose six shadows of great dragons, each more terrible than the last. They circled the sky fortress with frightening malice, terrifying even as mere wisps of smoke, until one took a quick swipe at it with its claws. The cloud castle disappeared as the dragons celebrated their triumph, much to the despair of the young audience.

“The Imperium claimed the pegasi as their prize, and used us as slaves to command the weather for them. For centuries after, our people suffered under the yoke of their magic and of their dragons, until the rise of Luna and the fall of the Imperium. Once we were free, our people tried to rebuild. However, the long years of slavery made us forget. We had lost the ways to command the weather and to craft dwellings from the clouds. It was our only safeguard against the Imperium, to never teach our young how to command our once-treasured gifts. Without leadership, we were lost. Without gifts, we were broken. We took on a new name, one of the lands of our origins, the Eastern Dales. We are the Dalish pegasi, the Ponies of the Wind.”

Each of the young pegasi stood up, their wings flared wide open as the violet fire died down and the smoke dissipated into the air. The storyteller and the foals spoke in unison at the conclusion of the tale, which perturbed Twilight and the others.

“We are the Dalish. Our wings will never be bound. Our eyes will never be blinded. The Wind will set us free.”

The familiar voices of both Zharia and Silphia spoke the oath behind the party, alerting Twilight to their presence. With a nod of their heads, the pegasi sisters turned towards a glade where Twilight assumed the Keeper of the clan was waiting.

Silphia led the party through the woods, being able to manoeuvre through the forest thanks to the aid of her sister until they reached a small grove. It was a serene sight, with several small trees decorated in beautiful blossoms surrounding a small altar. On the altar was a stone carving of four arrows, one pointing in each of the nautical directions. Around the altar were several offerings of candles, each burning around the four points.

Kneeling in front of the altar was a tall stallion with a pale blue coat, a perfectly bald head and many blue markings along his skull and face. His cutie mark was a powerful blowing wind with several leaves caught in the gusts. He looked very calm as he meditated in front of the altar, breathing deeply in rhythmic movements. Finishing his meditations, the Keeper of the Dalish clan stood up, stretching his impressive wings for a moment before turning around to meet his guests.

Despite the kind smile on Boreas’ face, Twilight felt cold around him. Perhaps it was the icy wind that rushed through the Everfree Forest on occasion, but it was especially frigid here. She could feel the skin under her violet coat grow goose bumps in response to the cold. Boreas responded to the party’s shivering with another smile as he made his way towards Twilight.

“Grey Wardens. Welcome to our camp, as much as it is. You honour us with your presence.” Boreas bowed his head to Twilight, who matched his gesture with her own. “Please, come and sit with me. Silphia, Zharia. Get some refreshment for our guests.”

Silphia bowed, though Zharia snorted as they both turned away from Boreas and headed back to the camp. Twilight smiled at the Keeper, glad to finally meet the leader of the Dalish. With a flick of her magic, she drew the Grey Warden treatise for Boreas to read. As he took in the words of the treatise, Twilight made her case to the leader of these Dalish pegasi.

“Keeper Boreas, we’ve come to request the aid of the Pegasi of the Eastern Dales to help us fight against the Blight,” Twilight began as Boreas continued to read. “The ponyspawn have already established a hoofhold in the region of Ponyring, and the Archdemon has revealed itself. We already have the support of the Unicorn Tower, the Templar Order, many Equestrian nobles, and the Kingdom of Orzamule. With your added help, we can save more lives against the ponyspawn.”

Boreas hummed for a moment as he turned away from the treatise, returning his attention to the altar. “You have caught us at a disadvantage, my friends,” Boreas replied. “Your treatise bears the seal of my mentor from a long time ago, and with that I would offer help against the ponyspawn with little questions asked. The threat of the ponyspawn is greater than anything.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. “But…?”

Boreas did not look at Rainbow, focusing only on his altar. “But we are currently under attack by another force that will not let us leave the Everfree Forest. Somewhere, deep in the heart of these cursed woods, is a flock of savage beasts known as hippogryphs. They are fearsome foes, half-falcon and half-pony, but they are completely vile. They have been ambushing our camp and supply lines for weeks since we arrived in the forest.”

“I’ve never heard of a hippogryph before,” Twilight said, surprised that she had already encountered two creatures she was unfamiliar with in their short time in the Everfree Forest. “Why would they attack you?”

“Because they are monsters! Cursed beings who hunger for flesh and to pass on their curse to the Dalish under my care!”

The cold winds picked up around Boreas as he let his anger flare, something Twilight did not anticipate from a pegasi. She knew of the old stories, of how the pegasi were once able to command the weather and the clouds overhead after hearing about the skylords in Luna’s temple. It could not be coincidence that Boreas was commanding the winds now, but the real question was how?

The Keeper seemed to calm down for a moment as her rubbed his smooth head with a hoof. “I’m sorry if I startled you,” he said. “You have seen what the hippogryphs are capable of. Many of our finest warriors have already fallen to their talons, or are crippled and maimed. Those are the lucky ones. Many pegasi who are bitten by hippogryphs contract the curse that runs in their blood. The hippogryphs are not natural creatures, but the result of a centuries-old curse. When I arrived with my clan to the Everfree, I thought such things as nonsense. How wrong I was.”

“Now the hippogryphs are attacking us with a hatred I have not seen since… my youth. If it were not for our basilisks and Zharia’s warriors, we would be no more, and the Everfree Forest would only be filled with fierce savages. Worse yet, there is a creature from old Dalish legends that appears to have organized the beasts: the Thunder Roc, Notus.”

The party looked at one another, confused, save for Rainbow Dash, whose eyes widened with uncharacteristic fear. “The Thunder Roc is real?” She almost squeaked the words out of fright, which did not help the already skittish Fluttershy. “My mom used to tell stories about the Thunder Roc when I was a foal. Little things like ‘eat your barley or the Thunder Roc will come and snatch you away!’ It’s supposed to be this massive bird, made out of the most violent of storm clouds! But it’s just an old pegasus tale!”

“A tale that has become all too real,” confirmed Boreas, a grim look on his face. “Notus is an elemental of the winds, of lightning and thunder. He is a terrible foe, and the source of the hippogryphs’ power. We believe they have their nest in the center of the forest, but there is a thick fog that surrounds it that only the hippogryphs can navigate. He patrols the skies, is never seen because of the cloud cover, yet also prevents our escape! As long as Notus lives, we cannot leave the Everfree Forest.”

Somehow the Dalish had brought down the wrath of the hippogryphs upon their heads. Twilight rubbed her temple with a hoof as a migraine was coming on. How was it that everywhere they went to, there was doom and destruction waiting for them?

“Don’t think so hard,” Pinkie said as she patted Twilight’s shoulder. “It’ll just make your brain do back flips and front flips and side flips and flip inside out…”

“In any event,” Rarity spoke up, ignoring Pinkie for a moment. “I have this distinct feeling that we will not be getting the aid of the Dalish unless we take care of your hippogryph problem, yes?”

Boreas continued. “I would not ask for this if I knew there was another way. The hippogryphs know us too well. They know how we fight, how we fly, which paths we take. They do not know of you and your diverse party. If you could find the heart of the hippogryph’s flock and slay the Thunder Roc, then the beasts will surely scatter.”

Twilight was not sure how to respond. Before, it was always a request for the Wardens to find something or someone to bring a people into the fight against the ponyspawn. In the case of the Tower it was them arriving at the nick of time. Everything Twilight had fought and slain attacked her or her friends first, and many proved far too gone to be reasoned with. This time, Boreas was asking for them to kill something that may have reasons of its own for attacking the Dalish. What if they had intruded on some kind of sacred ground?

Yet there was little to do but consider the implications of refusing to help Boreas. It meant the Dalish pegasi in Equestria would be slowly hunted to extinction at the talons of the hippogryphs. It meant not having their support against the Blight, which would prove invaluable to counter the already clear advantage the ponyspawn had with their screamers.

“We’ll do what we can to help stop the hippogryphs’ assaults on your people,” Twilight offered. “If there is a way, we might be able to reason with the hippogryphs, perhaps.”

“No!” Again, another rush of cold air swept over the party, causing surprise and shivering in the wake of Boreas’ sudden gale. “I don’t think you understand what exactly is going on! Those monsters are treacherous! Ruthless! They all deserve to die for what they have done to my people! To my family!”

Twilight waited until Boreas controlled his temper, his near-arctic winds finally dying down again, leaving only a panting pegasus in their wake. “Forgive my outburst,” he said as he turned towards his altar yet again. “I… suffered for a long time. The hippogryphs have caused me much pain, it is difficult to think straight. I need more meditation. Please…”

“We’ll do what we can.” Twilight bowed her head before leaving Boreas and his small glade, followed close behind by the others. Waiting for them were Silphia and Zharia, one appearing concerned while the latter had a cross expression on her face.

No words were said as the group passed by the carts of the Dalish camp until they were well away from prying ears. Zharia paced the ground for a while, cursing in Dalish as her sister contemplated hard on what she had heard.

“Charming fellow, isn’t he?” Shale muttered, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “I must say, I for one do look forward to squishing a myth. We do that on a regular basis, yes? Defeat the impossible?”

“Only because our enemies force our hooves.” As Twilight said this, she was soon face to face with the chief warrior of the Everfree Dalish. A strange look of desperation and anger was in her face as they stared each other down.

“We need your help! We can’t fight the hippogryphs hoof-to-talon, and they have the very storms on their side. They won’t expect you! If you help us, you’ll be saving lives! Our injured, our elderly, our sick! Think of our foals! The basilisks and my fighters can’t hold out forever! We can’t hunt the animals in the Everfree to feed the basilisks, and the hippogryphs know it! And we dare not venture too far into the woods. Not when the bite from a hippogryph turns us into… into them!”

“Please understand the stress my mentor has been under.” Silphia turned her head in the direction of the wind before breathing deep. She seemed to get her strength from the winds around her. “Many years ago, when Keeper Boreas was young and was under tutelage just as I was, our clan was attacked by a group of earth pony bandits. They assaulted the camp at night, burned down the tents, and galloped away with many mares, including Boreas’ daughter. When the bandits were found, the mares were… defiled.

In his rage, Boreas led the bandits on a chase into the Everfree where they were soon attacked by the spirit of fury, the Thunder Roc. Those bandits became the first hippogryphs. The clan left the forest, and every ten years Boreas was able to return to keep both the hippogryphs and the Thunder Roc in check. Something has changed this time, though. They act with intelligence mixed with complete savageness.”

“My sister may be brash, but she is right,” Silphia continued. “We need help. If you can do anything to help, my people would be in your debt, more so than you can ever imagine.”

It was then that both pegasi bowed towards Twilight, practically begging her for her aid. As they laid themselves low, there were murmurs from the other pegasi in their strange language that Twilight could not understand. Many were angry, but many more were frightened, having their eyes scan the treetops for attackers.

“We want to avoid conflict at all costs if we can,” Twilight explained, which netted her a glare of death from Zharia, though Silphia seemed much more lenient. “We’ve seen what this kind of cycle of hatred and revenge can create. It drives unicorns to become Maleficar, or make pacts with demons. It can bring ponies to want to destroy entire families. We saw it wipe out an entire people who could have been instrumental in defeating the ponyspawn. We will stop the hippogryphs from attacking the Dalish, I promise you that. Just give us the chance to solve this without violence.”

The pegasi sisters said nothing, regarding each other for a moment. The two held a silent conversation, Zharia watching her sister’s body language while Silphia’s ears twitched at every noise the former made with her wings and hooves. It was Zharia who turned her head towards the party, nodding.

“We leave our fate in your hooves, Warden,” Zharia eventually said, joined by many of her kalach warriors. “Do what you deem right. We need every bit of hope we can get to save our people. But when you fight them—“

“If we fight them,” Applejack interjected.

“When you fight them,” Zharia shot back. “Show no mercy, for they will give you none.”

The chief warrior continued to speak as the party moved with purpose towards the edge of the Dalish encampment. “We will lend your group one of my best scouts, Blitzer. He’s from the Yokalach originally, but he is a true Dalish who has helped fight against the hippogryphs many times. He will lead you to the edge of their cursed fog that protects the center of the Everfree Forest.”

“Take the blessing of the winds with you, salanah,” Silphia said as she flared her wings. “Our hope lies with you all. Winds are with your wings, and give you flight. Ground is soft with your hooves, and give you rest. Soral nel’nier hial mek tallach.”

Both sisters, as well as several of the Dalish pegasi who had begun to circle around them, bowed towards the party again. Twilight bowed her head in return until she felt it was time to leave. Joined by a spry young pegasus stallion who she assumed was Blitzer, they made their silent march to the edge of the forest, with nary a word said between the lot of them as they left the Dalish camp.

To Twilight, this was her chance to show the Dalish that they did not need to resort to violence to stop the hippogryphs. Yet that was up to the beasts themselves and if they could be reasoned with. She hoped beyond all hope that to bring the pegasi into the fold, they could use calm and rational thought to solve the day.

If not, both that hope and the hippogryphs would have to be put to the sword.

Boreas watched the Grey Wardens and their allies leave the forest with one of his own pegasi before retreating unnoticed into the woods. This was his first chance in decades be rid rid of Notus and save his people from the hippogryphs. There was just that small issue of the lavender unicorn’s insistence on trying to use peace to resolve the conflict.

Notus and the hippogryphs deserve to die, Boreas told himself as he flew back to his altar, Notus never killed those bandits. He made them into something much worse. He went against his purpose, and now threatens my people once again!

Kneeling in front of his altar again, Boreas looked up at the sky through the hole in the treeline. I still have friends in the winds, he thought as the cold air picked up around him, I still have the power over the north wind. Kill Notus and the hippogryphs, Warden. With every fibre of my being, how I want you to kill them brutally. Painfully.

Because if you won’t…

^[a]

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Chapter 33 – Hooves and Talons

Twilight could scarcely believe that a forest could darken as much as the Everfree did as the party traversed ever deeper towards the forest’s heart. Whatever small rays of the sun did manage to peek through the foliage only managed to somehow aid the creepy ambiance the dense foliage provided, and the mage light from the staves of Rarity and Trixie did not help matters either. Still they pressed on, and Twilight hoped they would be able to catch the trail of the hippogryphs sooner rather than later.

Their quarry was elusive, however, as they left neither tracks nor feathers in their wake. What markings they did find were more of a threat to the Dalish than simple talon scratches, and they all bothered Blitzer to no end. Their guide flexed his wings with every warning left behind by the hippogryphs, his head like a swivel aimed towards the tree tops above.

Twilight felt disconcerted to have to watch the treeline for swooping enemies, but the party was used to such tactics from the ponyspawn screamers. Twilight’s main concern was the Thunder Roc Notus, the storm spirit that had somehow organized the beasts to fight against the Dalish. Her naturally inquisitive mind wanted to know how such a spirit came into being, yet her Warden instincts demanded a way to defeat the creature to get the promised aid of the Dalish.

Instead of a disturbed focus on the Thunder Roc, Twilight decided that now was a good time to learn about Blitzer’s culture from a real Dalish. “So, Blitzer. Not a typical Dalish name, is it?”

“I was from the Yokalach before I escaped that life and the winds brought me to the Everfree clan,” Blitzer said. “I was happy with the clan, learning their ways. Before the hippogryph attacks, of course.” He did not meet Twilight’s gaze as he answered, still focused on the tree tops.

“Umm… Some Dalish clans allow city pegasi to join them,” Fluttershy said as she walked up to Twilight’s side. “The Dalish pegasus I traveled with in Filais said it was not very common, but many clans are dwindling. I thought you might like to know.”

“Oh.” While she was grateful for Fluttershy’s answer, Twilight had hoped for Blitzer to open up. They had a good record of turning most ponies into friends and allies after all. Perhaps she needed to ask a more practical question. “What other sorts of creatures live in the Everfree Forest besides hippogryphs? We need to be prepared and all.”

Twilight heard Blitzer give a loud gulp as his wide eyes turned to ground level. “Sometimes we find manticores in the forest,” he replied, “Big ones. Small ones. Tainted ones. We call those Manitskarns. When we find one, we spend a week looking for the corpse of the ponyspawn that the mantiskarn fed from. Then we spend another week trying to find the larger force. We then have to contend with cockatrices, river serpents, and other creatures out of our nightmares.”

“This forest is evil, and the hippogryphs are just the ones that are actively fighting against us. Boreas says we can’t leave though. He says that the forest is a trial and we’ll become strong for passing through it. I don’t care about being strong; I just want the hippogryphs to stop killing us!”

Twilight laid a gentle hoof on Blitzer’s shoulder, only to wince as he shrugged it off. He resumed his careful watch of the treetops. The group resumed their march through the Everfree as Blitzer fell silent. New fears of ponyspawn and monsters filled their heads as they traveled. Twilight steeled her resolve, and took the lead once more, pushing their pace ever closer to the center of the Everfree.

It was only after a few leagues of walking that Rarity let loose a chilling shriek. Alarmed, they brought their weapons to bear as they waited for the attack. Twilight drew her sword, clenching it tight in her teeth as she readied herself for battle. When they looked to where Rarity pointed, Twilight opened her mouth in shock.

It was a slaughter. For every eight pegasi corpses there was perhaps one hippogryph. Blood and feathers littered the clearing where the battle had taken place, with mangled and deformed bodies of the Dalish strewn about. Weapons lay broken and ruined around the field as they investigated the bloody scene. They all looked on at the ruins with anger and sorrow over the butchered bodies caused by the hippogryphs. Only the ponyspawn had them beat in terms of pure savagery.

Not a single Dalish had survived. All of them bore fatal wounds with their throats torn out either by talons or powerful beaks. Twilight could barely look at the desecration of the corpses, yet her mind could not stop imagining the sheer brutality from the hippogryphs. Applejack shook her head sadly as she looked over the battlefield.

“This just ain’t right. Look at ‘em all. Don’t need to be a genius to see that this was a proper bushwhackin’.” Twilight couldn’t help but agree with her fellow Warden. It took real malice and hatred to conduct an attack like this. As she thought of the reasons for the war between the Dalish and the hippogryphs, Twilight shivered as a cold wind rushed over her. The cold air haunted Twilight, and they reminded her of the frigid winds that had washed over the Dalish camp.

Twilight took a moment to look over the body of one of the hippogryphs. It was larger than a pony by about a head, with the upper body resembling that of a crow or a raven while the hind quarters belonged to those of a grey earth pony. Its forelegs ended in long talons, bloodied from battle. Several arrows jutted from its side as its beak lay open, almost in disbelief that it was felled. The creature even had a cutie mark much to Twilight’s surprise, though it resembled a talon scratch rather than a symbol of its special talent.

Unless the tearing and ripping of flesh was its special talent. Twilight shuddered at the thought.

“Those hippogryphs are going to pay!” Rainbow shouted in fury as she took to the sky. “For every one pegasus killed, two – no, three of them should die!”

“Don’t say that, Dashie!” Pinkie fired back as her voice trembled in anguish. “Remember what Twilight said. We need to stop the bloodshed, not make more of it!”

Another cold wind rushed through the forest, with everypony instantly bundling up against winter-like wind. There was strangeness in the cold, a sort of maliciousness Twilight could not identify. Whatever it was, it made her uneasy as she shifted about, ears perked high and attentive.

A loud crack echoed through the silence of the forest as a branch snapped in two. “It wasn’t me this time!” Trixie said in defense of herself, though Twilight had turned her attention eastward towards the source of the sound. Something or somepony lurked in the woods, yet she was unable to pierce the shroud that the forest provided. Whoever was out there had the advantage.

“Everypony stay close,” Twilight warned. “Keep an eye on the tree tops and on our surroundings. We don’t know if it’s a hippogryph or something else.”

Pinkie giggled. “If Ditzy were here, she’d be able to keep one eye on both! I’m sure it’s nothing though. Maybe a wild animal, or a friendly hippogryph, or maybe something else! Like those scary-looking trees over there!”

Twilight looked to where Pinkie pointed, only to recoil in fright. The pale light and the shadows gave several gnarled trees monstrous appearances. Several appeared to have long faces filled with jagged teeth. These trees began to surround them, each more horrible than the last.

Oghren gripped his battleaxe tight in his teeth and looked at the twisted trees with eyes wide in fear. “What kind of surface monsters are these! Giants! Really tall things! Come on you sodding blighters, we have to chop them down!”

“Oh Oghren, just relax,” Pinkie replied, patting Oghren’s head. “These silly trees are funny! Can’t you see? OH! This calls for a song!”

Oghren’s ears drooped as Pinkie burst into song. “I’m gonna need a sodding drink.”

“Even when the darkness hides the light

Listen to your heart, it will guide the way,

When with your friends just feel their might,

Together you’ll find a brand new day!”

Rarity rolled her eyes at the song and dance number. “Pinkie, dear, this really isn’t the best time.”

Rainbow’s eyes darted up to the tree line as several leaves fell from the branches. Twilight followed suit, keeping an eye on the foliage yet unable to see what disturbed the canopy of the forest. She kept her horn charged with magic, a simple yet effective arcane shield ready to be unleashed in the event of an ambush. Pinkie didn’t seem to notice, singing away in some sort of attempt to keep morale high.

As Pinkie continued to sing, the screech of a bird echoed in the forest. The party looked up, their attention drawn to the source. Eyes wide with alarm, Twilight was only barely able to call upon the shield as a hippogryph marauder dove down to attack. Pinkie’s song stopped and she opened her eyes to see that several hippogryphs had descended around them. They screeched their fury and clawed with powerful strikes at Twilight’s shield, each blow a punishment for Twilight’s attempt at pacifism.

Grinding her teeth in pain, Twilight felt every blow against her shield as if they were made against her own hide. Another wince of pain and she started to feel the pain of strikes against her shield through her horn alone. Her magic screamed in her bones to release the tension that built within as each talon strike by the hippogryphs made the shield falter.

Each blow struck hard against her shield as if it were her body. The others stood around her, unable to help; the shield kept them in as much as it kept the hippogryphs out. She didn’t want to fight, but what other options did they have?

“Sparkle! Let the Great and Powerful Trixie take up the shield!” Relenting from fatigue, Twilight let her magical grasp slip from her as Trixie took up the barrier. Violet energy flared into blue as the hippogryphs continued their assault. Trixie grimaced as her shield was struck, but kept strong in the face of their new foe.

Twilight allowed herself a sharp gasp of air as she looked up at the angry hippogryphs attacking them. They outnumbered the party two to one, and each held a savage fury in their eyes. Blitzer looked on at the beasts with fright in his eyes, and his knees shook as he hid behind Rainbow and Oghren. Shale pressed herself against the shield and stared down a particularly large hippogryph with several scars and marks on his face and beak.

“Let me out so that I may go and crush these featherheads.” Shale growled the last word, pacing the edge of the magical dome. “They remind me too much of pigeons. They’ll crap on me soon enough, mark my words. How I desire vengeance on that feathered menace. Against all feathered menaces!”

Instead of allowing Shale to go on one of her rampages, Twilight approached the edge of the arcane dome and looked one of the hippogryphs straight in the eye. They were eerily similar to pony eyes if a pony was lost in a berserk frenzy, something Twilight found herself disturbed by the longer she looked. Still, there was intelligence behind those eyes in the way they darted about, yet whether it was animal instinct or sentience, she could only guess.

Only one way to find out…

“Please stop,” Twilight said as she stared down the hippogryph, “We did not come here to fight you.”

“Says you.” Oghren became silent when Applejack shot him a sharp glance. Twilight continued unabated.

“We just want to know why you are attacking the Dalish pegasi. We are trying to get help to stop the Blight, but if the hippogryphs continue to hurt the Dalish, we won’t be able to get the support we need to stop the ponyspawn from destroying us all!”

The hippogryph with the scars screeched again and scraped his hooves against the ground in angry kicks. “Lies!” the creature snarled, answering Twilight’s question on intelligence. “We know you serve the Dalish! We saw you leave their camp! You were sent to kill us! But we… we will kill you!”

The flock of hippogryphs cried out with the proclamation of their leader with a frenzy. They continued their attack on Trixie’s shield in earnest. Her body shook as the barrier shimmered with each attack, while beads of sweat dripped down her face. Twilight cursed at the display of violence and the fact that she was unable to prevent or help against it.

The lead hippogryph reared on his hind hooves, his talons raised high to the sky as if in victory. “Hear me, brothers and sisters! I am Quick Kill, flock leader! These intruders would have your heads! How will we respond?”

“With the fury of the storm!” A new rage overtook the hippogryphs as they assaulted the shield, the magic fading with every attack. With a gasp, Trixie fell, now with the party exposed to attack. The hippogryphs were met head on by Applejack, Rainbow, Oghren and Shale, who took to the fight with earnest. Blades sliced the air against razor claws; Twilight drew her sword and took up position beside Spike. Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy took up the rear.

Her eyes wide and alert for attackers, Twilight kept herself away from the melee while Spike warded off two hippogryphs with his flaming sword. She regretted placing Spike placed in such a position, but the hippogryphs kept themselves at bay thanks to his fiery blade.

The hippogryphs were incredibly quick, and they proved to be ferocious in their attacks. With talons and beaks, they aimed to tear at flesh and to rip throats apart. Twilight gave a shout, and her friends immediately took advantage of their variety and their experience in fighting brutal monstrosities. Shale, with her near-impervious stone hide, was able to fight off the hippogryphs with wicked efficiency. They swarmed Shale, only to be blasted off her with a powerful buck from her hind legs. One hippogryph was unfortunate enough to take the brunt of the attack, sailing overhead until it collided with a tree. A sick crack sounded through the battlefield; the hippogryph soon lay prone and broken on the forest floor.

Applejack and Rainbow moved together in tandem, a stark contrast to how the two would often bicker and compete against one another on the road. Despite their own agility, the hippogryphs could not match the speed of Rainbow making effective slashes against their hides with the greatest of ease. Applejack used the phantom slashes from Silverbite to hold the great beasts back, the hippogryphs unable to answer the magical sword.

The hippogryphs struck back hard, and used their gift of mobility to great effect. Oghren swung his axe at the air, unable to hit them. A long stream of donkey curses, the likes of which that made Twilight’s ears feel dirty, erupted from Oghren’s mouth while circled by a hippogryph. His frustrated curses grew louder as his armour took on a relentless attack of talon-scratches, blood from some of the wounds seeping through.

With a shout of anger, Oghren charged at the hippogryph, axe still in his mouth but mostly forgotten as the berserker simply rammed into his enemy. The hippogryph squawked as he felt the strength behind the battering ram that was Oghren, until he looked up to see the donkey with a mad look in his eyes. With little more than a grunt, Oghren raised his axe and dropped it onto the weakened hippogryph’s neck. Blood splashed on Oghren’s face as the hippogryph was still, and he gave a shout of victory.

Blitzer’s contribution to the fight was minute. His hooves shook with nervousness as he tried to join in the battle, yet fear held him back. One hippogryph turned towards him, leering at Blitzer as he advanced towards the frightened Dalish. Blitzer shakily drew his sword, only to drop it as the hippogryph let loose another loud screech. Blitzer fell on his rump as he tried to scramble away, and the hippogryph smiled with vile intent as it reared back and jumped—

into the powerful mace of Pinkie Pie. The hippogryph clutched its broken beak as it reeled away, a defiant Pinkie standing over the crumpled form of Blitzer. “And don’t come back you big meanie!” Pinkie nodded with satisfaction before moving to Oghren with a healing poultice bouncing on her tail.

The leader, Quick Kill, snarled as he took to the skies before he dove towards Twilight, talons ready and eager for flesh. Sword raised, Twilight braced herself for the sudden and very painful impact of the much larger assailant. Instead of crashing against her, however, Twilight watched as a single arrow became lodged in the hind leg of Quick Kill. The wound sent him careening towards the ground in pain. Twilight looked at Fluttershy, who had shot the arrow, in shock as she glared down Quick Kill, causing Twilight to back away slowly. She never knew Fluttershy could act so aggressively and with such fury.

“How dare you!” Fluttershy’s shout resounded throughout the forest, forcing pony and hippogryph alike to stop their battle and simply watch. “We came into the forest not wanting to continue the war between the Dalish and the hippogryphs, but to end it! We made our intentions clear during our first meeting that we wanted peace, but you attacked anyways! You attacked my friends!”

As Fluttershy stared at Quick Kill, the flock leader reached one talon towards the arrow. He snapped it in two before he tossed the rest of the shaft aside. Hippogryph and pegasus stared each other down. Fluttershy’s eyes filled with an uncanny determination while Quick Kill only wanted to live up to his name. Yet as the stare down continued, Quick Kill took a few cautious steps away from Fluttershy.

“You attacked!” Quick Kill growled, “Three of my brothers are dead, many more wounded!”

“We. Were. Defending. Ourselves.” Fluttershy kept her stare focused on Quick Kill. “We are trying to do what is best for everyone, from the Dalish to the hippogryphs. The Blight is bigger than both of you, but you are just so consumed by… by hate to see it!”

Twilight watched the exchange between Fluttershy and Quick Kill with keen interest. Never had she seen Fluttershy act so assertive, and against such savage creatures as the hippogryphs. Fluttershy never wavered as she stood tall and waited for the hippogryphs to make the next move. The others stood around, locked in silence. Even Shale did not move to take advantage of hippogryphs’ sudden immobility.

“Perhaps now we can have a true parlay,” Twilight ventured. She shook her head as her words instantly brought Pinkie next to her with a wide grin, having misunderstood what was said. After she put away her sword, Twilight turned her head upward to see if any more hippogryphs lurked above them. Now was her best chance to negotiate with the hippogryphs despite their anger.

Yet as she made her way towards Quick Kill, the crack of a branch alerted Twilight to another presence. High above them all was a lone hippogryph unaffected by Fluttershy’s stare. The amalgamation of pony and bird-of-prey dove from the treetops, talons ready to rend pony flesh as it dove towards Fluttershy.

Her hooves pushed off the ground in a mad gallop, as Twilight rushed to Fluttershy’s side before the hippogryph could get to her. She gave a silent apology as she rammed into her, knocking Fluttershy off her hooves and sent her crashing to the ground. The hippogryph’s talons sunk deep into Twilight and tore into her leather armour and flesh in equal measure. Twilight cried out in pain as she felt the talons of the hippogryph dig into her hide.

Twilight gasped in horror as the enemy’s momentum did not shift. Instead, the hippogryph lifted her into the air, his claws boring deeper into her as he ascended away from the ground. Twilight struggled against the grip and kicked her hooves in the air helplessly.

“Twilight!” Rarity glared at Twilight’s captor, while her horn and staff crackled with electricity. A bolt of lightning flew from the magical focus towards the hippogryph. Twilight watched as the attack sailed towards her, her eyes shut tight in preparation for the blast. Rarity’s accuracy with needle work and glyph-craft could not be compared, but Twilight still prayed to the Sisters that the bolt would not strike her.

Instead of electrocuting the hippogryph, however, the bolt of lightning dissipated in the air, to the shock of both unicorns. A roar of thunder echoed throughout the forest, shaking leaves off of trees and silencing everyone except for the cry from Quick Kill.

“The Thunder Roc! Flee my brothers! Lest we incur his wrath! Return to the temple! Fly! Fly!”

Twilight could only watch as the hippogryphs darted off in all directions, disappearing into the foliage. Her friends turned to her direction as her captor made his way through the branches flawlessly until they were blocked by what appeared to be a massive storm cloud.

A storm cloud in the form of a great bird.

Notus the Thunder Roc was face to face with Twilight’s friends, the sound of powerful thunder reverberating throughout the forest as it crowed. Blitzer shouted in fright, his fear now in command at the sight of Notus. Twilight struggled against the hippogryph, her sight of the battle between her friends and Notus lost as she was dragged away. I can’t abandon them! She screamed inwardly, I need to get free!

Twilight’s horn glowed with desperate magic as she pulled her sword free and held it in a tight magical grip. The hippogryph still flew at a rapid pace and made it difficult to keep her sword with her as she tried to maneuver it to fight off her captor. With a shout, she thrust the sword, yet did naught but miss the wing of the hippogryph.

“Stop struggling, meat!” he called in frustration, tightening his grip on Twilight’s flesh. “Give your death some dignity!”

Twilight only responded by another thrust attempt, still unable to hit the hippogryph, but managed to clip some of his feathers. Emboldened, she struck again, this time slicing into some of the hippogryph’s tendons. He squawked in pain, desperate to stay airborne. The hippogryph let go of Twilight, her fall broken by a few branches and a loud thud.

Her vision blurred as the impact of the fall reverberated throughout her body. Thankfully, all her limbs were still whole and unbroken, though the aches would linger for a while. She looked up to see that her attacker had crashed into a tree, one of his wings limp against his side. He was still able to move, and as he turned to face Twilight, she could only see rage in his eyes.

The hippogryph leaped towards her, talons ready to strike again. In desperation, Twilight levitated her sword grip into her mouth, her stance ready to receive the blow and counter. Her horn fizzled; her magic faded and she needed rest. All that would protect her from the hippogryph now was her sword. Twilight grimaced as talons sunk into her body once again, both pony and hippogryph locked in a violent struggle against one another on the cold forest floor.

The hippogryph cawed, his stance one of battle as he snapped at Twilight’s neck and broke her skin. Eyes wide in horror, she recalled what was said by Zharia in the Dalish camp, how the bite of a hippogryph would turn a pony into one. With sudden terror and anger, Twilight brought her sword towards the hippogryph’s neck, and the blade plunged deep within flesh.

Hot blood flowed from the fatal wound as the hippogryph gave a struggled squawk, desperate to remove the sword only to fall over onto his side. Haggard gasps escaped his beak as he looked up with intense hatred at Twilight before his eyes rolled into the back of his head. The body stilled, leaving an exhausted and terrified Twilight alone in the Everfree.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered to the corpse. “I tried. I swear I tried. I didn’t want to do this.”

If she expected an answer from the dead, all that could reply was the sound of forest as the wind whispered around her. Tired from the loss of blood, Twilight dragged herself a few steps away from the body back in the direction of her friends. They needed to know what had happened, that she was bitten by a hippogryph. Yet as she staggered away, she didn’t know which way to go as the dark woods extended as far as the eye could see, and every direction looked the same.

Twilight fell to her side, and she felt her eyelids grow heavier from the fatigue of battle. She was bleeding out, the wounds caused by the hippogryphs talons severe. Despite her wounds, Twilight felt no pain as her body became numb. Fresh tears streamed down her face as the cold realization crept over her; she had killed again, and now she was cursed to become a hippogryph.

“I’m sorry…” she muttered as sleep over took her, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry… all…”

***

Twilight opened her eyes to find that she was in the surreal landscape of the Fade. She groaned as she rose to her hooves, and felt a powerful migraine pound her skull like a steel-capped ram against the walls of a fortress. Her knees buckled for a moment while she tried to take in her surroundings. She stood on firm ground, for all that “firm” meant when in the dreamscape, but it was a strong base for her to stand. She was in the Fade, which meant that she was at least asleep. Of course, it could also mean she was dead, though the alternative was to be cursed into the form of a hippogryph.

There was little else to this small floating island though, even in most Fade dreams; no rocks or other ornamentation from her past conjured by demons. It was strangely barren, and Twilight was unsure whether to take comfort in the lack of demonic presence or to be more concerned instead.

Then she looked up. Eyes wide as saucers, Twilight stepped away in a frantic struggle to flee. Her heart thudded against her chest as the sight of the dread city loomed over her. Black Canter stood tall and horrible, built into the side of the tallest mountain within the Fade as great demons flew around the abandoned spires. What was once the seat of Celestia was little more than a hell made real and now in perfect view for Twilight.

All her life, she was taught by the Chantry that Black Canter was the result of the hubris of the Unicorn Imperium, who had thought themselves superior to Celestia and attempted to invade her city of Canterlot. Their hatred and greed corrupted Canterlot so completely that Celestia had to abandon her own city to demons, but not before she cursed those invaders into becoming the first ponyspawn. It was for this reason that unicorns were shunned by the Chantry and by religious ponies; they were the ones who ruined paradise.

“I SEE YOU, WALKER OF THE GREY.”

Twilight felt her heart lodge into her throat as the voice of the Archdemon resounded in her skull. The black dragon circled the small Fade island until it landed mere inches from Twilight. Caught between hell and a dragon, the intense feeling of dread crept into her. What was she to do? She didn’t even know the Archdemon had a Fade presence like demons and unicorns!

The Archdemon’s nostrils filled the air with smoke as it stared at Twilight, and great red eyes bored into her spirit. Twilight could feel the heat of the shadowflame burn within the Archdemon’s throat, yet she still stood her ground against it. There was nowhere else for her to go, and like the cornered rat is forced to fight, if it came down to facing the Archdemon in battle alone, she would fight. It was her duty to fight the ponyspawn and their dread master.

If only the situation wasn’t so hopeless.

As she dug herself into the ground, head lowered and horn fueled with magic, she waited for the Archdemon to finish the battle with one breath of shadowfire. Rather than reduce Twilight to ash, however, the Archdemon leaned back on its haunches, and brought its grand height to bear before its body erupted into black flames.

Twilight stood agape as the impossible fire consumed the Archdemon. The lord of the Blight stood before her, its form shrinking smaller and smaller until the flame was the same size as she was. Curiosity battled caution as she watched the fires dance closer and closer to her, Black Canter behind her forgotten as she watched. Twilight was left speechless.

The flames dissipated quickly, and they left behind a unicorn much like Twilight in its wake. Dressed in robes and armour that were as black as the Archdemon’s scales, a unicorn with an immaculately cut white mane stepped towards Twilight in slow movements. The left side of her face was covered in a metal plate, bolted onto her skull as her good red dragon eye regarded Twilight as a cat does a mouse for its meal.

“How… curious, I find you.” The Archdemon’s new form was more worrisome to Twilight than that of a dragon. She appeared to be just another unicorn, though much more immaculately dressed and with a much larger horn.

“You are curious to me, mortal,” the Archdemon said, its voice rigid and deep, like an older mare. “You have been touched by divinity itself. The smell of the accursed moon holds close to your spirit. I see the torments you have endured. The battles. The pain. The death. Yet you do not submit to the despair that is life. You hold steadfast to your beliefs that you will emerge victorious.”

“Why?”

Was she… actually having a dialogue with the Archdemon? Twilight could not wrap her head around this. The Archdemon, a long dead Old One who had once ruled the world with five siblings and could only be defeated by a goddess’ dark side, wanted to simply chat with her. Taking a great breath of air, Twilight met the Archdemon face to face.

“I fight because it is my duty to fight you,” she answered. “I have sworn myself to this duty. You and the ponyspawn destroy everything out of some hatred of life. I fight because you threaten those who cannot hope to defend themselves. I fight because all I love and care for will perish if I don’t. I ask you why? Why do you hate us so much that killing is all the ponyspawn can do?”

The Archdemon considered Twilight’s question for a moment by cocking her head. “Strange. Do you not fear who or what I am? You ask me a question, implying you expect an answer. You ask your better why I destroy all I lay my eye upon. To see the weak and pitiful command the world as we did is an insult. To be cursed in these forms with no hope of escape, we let our rage wash upon the land like a tidal wave. If I cannot rule it as I did, I will end it all. We who were the masters of the world will be the ones to end it. That is our duty. I will not allow them to have what is mine by right.”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight could not believe the callousness of the Archdemon’s words. How could anyone simply want to exist to destroy? “Who are you trying to stand up to? To Celestia and Luna? To ponies?”

“To all those who live while we do not. To those who stood against their betters and demanded what should never have been. Only those who share the power of gods could understand, yet they used that power to protect all of your kind. You are curious to me, mortal. You do no fear me. We will meet again, in battle, soon. Then you will know fear. Pain. Death. But for now… For now know…”

“Despair.”

Under the shadow of the Archdemon and of Black Canter, Twilight felt her horn erupt into unparalleled pain. She fell to her knees and felt her body seize from weakness, but not before she gave one last look of defiance to the Archdemon. Twilight would give the Archdemon the satisfaction. Not in the Fade, not in the material plane, nowhere. She had come too far to let the Archdemon break her will.

“I do not… fear you… Uthemiel.”

Being called by its old name caused the Archdemon to roar in fury, the might of a dragon’s voice projected by a small pony’s mouth. With a slight smirk, Twilight fell into unconsciousness, satisfied that she had stared into the face of death itself.

And spat in it.

***

Twilight opened her eyes and felt refreshed, rejuvenated, and completely healthy as the aromas from various herbs and spices filled the air around her. Faint lights from small candles were the only sources of light, and she found she was in a very dark room as strange shadows blanketed the walls. She was not alone, as she heard the sound of loud snores from her right and the noise of a bubbling cauldron.

She looked down at herself to see she was covered in a light woolen blanket of many assorted colours. The bed Twilight was in was incredibly comfortable, the soft crunch of hay belying the fact that she had never felt so rested in a long while. Her sides still stung thanks to the wounds caused by the hippogryphs, but she could feel that her torso was wrapped expertly in tight bandages soaked in what she assumed was poultice. She rubbed a hoof against her sides, wincing at the still tender flesh underneath the bandages—

Wait… Twilight held her forehooves up to her face, a grin of intense relief plastered across her face. I still have hooves! Not talons! I didn’t change!

Twilight double-checked her body for any sign of change. She pressed her hooves against her snout to check if she had grown a beak, then rubbed her back in search of wings. She laughed in spite of herself as she fell back on the bed. Her body wasn’t cursed with the form of a hippogryph. The madness and the fury of the hippogryphs had not taken hold of her.

Twilight smile quickly faded as she looked around the dark room. She now sat in a strange hut and not a single one of her friends was with her. Somepony snored very loudly near her, yet she couldn’t see a soul.

Right, Twilight thought as she cast a simple magelight spell from the tip of her horn, we may as well solve one problem. With magical illumination to brighten the hut, Twilight squeaked in surprise as several strange and foreign items were in full display. Bizarre masks hung on the walls and appeared to watch her, while a large black cauldron filled with blue goop bubbled over a large fire. The shelves were packed with containers filled with reagents both known and unknown to her.

To her right was a large cage made of wood, and inside was the most unkempt unicorn stallion Twilight had ever seen. Dressed in mismatched rags with a pair of wings made from leaves and twigs strapped to his body, the old unicorn awoke with a start. The odd fellow stared at Twilight with erratic eyes.

“Huh, wha? Who dares awaken a magical god from his nap? Is that you, old witch? Come back to grovel at my hooves? Well, make with the groveling already!”

Twilight stepped towards the eccentric unicorn, cautiously watching him before she found a lyrium band wrapped around his horn. The Templar Order and the Tower used such a band sparingly, as it had the effect of preventing a unicorn to draw on the Fade and use their spellwork. Why this unicorn was bound was a mystery, but as she stepped closer to the cage, the unicorn slammed against the wood, causing Twilight to jump away.

“Who are you? Why do you get a comfy bed? I’m the god around here! I am the Fifth—“

“This pony here is my guest, and for her I give my best. You are nothing but a crook, as well as one who is quite the kook.”

Twilight spun on her hooves to see the door of the hut wide open and a strange equine that stood before her. She was slightly taller than Twilight and shrouded by a brown burlap cloak. Her coat was white with black stripes, a colouration Twilight had never seen before. The feeling of creepiness from the hut and the owner never abated.

The trapped unicorn crossed its forelegs and pouted. “This is not how somepony should treat divinity, witch!”

“You entered my home in search of loot; perhaps I should turn you into a newt.” The stranger looked away from the wretch and held up a consoling hoof towards Twilight. “Please, I am not one to fear. While you rested, I have been near. Your wounds were deep and fever high, if I was not close, death would be nigh.”

Twilight allowed herself to calm down as the stranger spoke, her lyrical words somehow soothing in the faint candle light. Twilight cancelled her magical light and returned the hut to its original dark ambiance. She raised a hoof tentatively before pressing it against the stranger’s. 

“Thank you for helping me,” Twilight said, “My name is Twilight Sparkle, Grey Warden. I’m in your debt.”

The stranger threw her head back, the hood tossed aside from her cloak to reveal her face. She was not a pony at all, though she still had the form of an equine. Eyes of blue met Twilight’s gaze, and they held many years of wisdom and experience behind them. The stranger smiled at Twilight as she made her way to the caged crazy pony. Twilight looked at the unicorn, then to the striped equine with a puzzled look.

“My name is Zecora, who lives here alone; though there are times I let my presence known.” Zecora bowed low to Twilight before she turned towards the thief. “This mad thief thought me easy prey, and crept into my hut while asleep I lay. Then he got caught into a trap, but inhaled some dust to take a nap. Once you are healed and well, this thief I will take out of the place that I dwell.”

Before the unicorn inflicted with insanity could speak again, Zecora gripped a bottle of dust in her teeth and  turned it over on his head. Light pink powder poured from the bottle onto his snout, leaving the thief to mutter incoherently for a while before his descent back into sleep. Once she was sure that the thief was in deep slumber, Zecora turned her complete attention to Twilight.

“Wounds made by a hippogryph are grave, able to kill the strongest knave. You are quite strong to live—“

“Only thanks to the healing you give. Gave.” Zecora chuckled as Twilight finished her rhyme. She headed over to the doorway of Zecora’s home. “I am very grateful, but I really should get back to my friends. We have to make our way to where the Thunder Roc lives and defeat him if we are going to be able to save the Dalish pegasi.”

When Twilight finished, Zecora shook her head, her smile gone and her eyes downcast. “A difficult task for you to take, it will not be, as some ponies say, ‘a piece of cake’. The truth of the matter needs to be known, or else death and despair will be shown. We will wait for your friends here, as I left a trail of torches to bring them near.”

Twilight and Zecora conversed through the night as they waited for the party to arrive. Zecora was a zebra from a land “far away to the south, where the river kisses the mountain’s mouth,” and had come to Equestria to learn more about the world. She lived alone in the Everfree Forest, studying the flora and fauna while also practicing her medicinal alchemy on the new substances she found. Because of her strange appearance, speech, and use of herbs in strange concoctions, most ponies declared her a witch and avoided her, with even the templars making attempts to apprehend her.

The Dalish and the hippogryphs wanted nothing to do with Zecora either, as both sides blamed her for supporting their enemy. Unable to reason with either of them, she lived alone as a hermit, and wanted little more than to work in peace until she could go back home.

They talked about other things, such as the impending Blight on the land. Zecora mentioned she could help Twilight against the ponyspawn, but she would explain everything better once Twilight’s friends arrived.

Twilight wondered if Zecora held any more knowledge about the hippogryphs. She asked, “I was bitten by a hippogryph, but I don’t appear to carry the curse like the poor Dalish back in the camp. Do you know why that is?”

“As the curse runs like a flood, I believe the protection was in your blood.” Twilight raised an eyebrow as Zecora gave a sly wink. “In my homeland, we once had a Blight. Thanks to the Wardens, we once again saw light. From them we learned much, and your blood is quite potent, and can resist the cursed touch.”

Despite her injuries in countless battles by creatures that were less than sanitary, she never felt ill or otherwise weakened by sicknesses. Of course, the ponyspawn blood that flowed through her body was just as much a curse as well as a blessing, but it made sense that the bite of a hippogryph would not affect her. Twilight gave a sigh of relief and a quick thanks to the Sisters.

Zecora smiled as she approached the door, looking through the small hole before she opened the way. “Your friends have arrived, and not a moment too soon, I will be sure they see my aid as a boon.” Instead of happy greetings, however, the door was knocked off its rope hinges and onto the floor with a confused Zecora sprawled next to it. One stone hoof retracted from the door way as Twilight’s friends poured into the hut weapons ready to fight.

“Twilight! Darling, we found you!” Rarity burst forward and embraced Twilight in a vice-like hug, which Twilight could barely return before she could stop her friends as they loomed over Zecora with blades ready.

“The witch of the woods,” Applejack growled. “Heard a few tales about you. Reckon you’d make off with our Twilight, huh?”

“Look! She already has dessert sleeping in a cage! Gonna make a big tasty stew out of Twilight, weren’t you!” Pinkie hovered over Zecora, who frowned. “That’s not how you make stew! Ponies are not a good ingredient for anything except as the key component to a party!”

Zecora stood up with surreal grace and speed, backing up towards a wall where a long spear stood as decoration. Or for intruders. “Through my door you breach, minds clouded with rage? Your friend is who I gave aid, not sealed in a cage. It is your anger you must quell, if you wish to be welcome in the home I dwell. By my lights you find your way, so become calm and hear what I must say.”

Gone was the amiable Zecora and in her place was a zebra shaman who brandished a spear against Twilight’s friends. She cursed, then covered the doorway with a shield so Shale would not be able to damage the property further. Twilight focused another spell, one that created a loud bang to bring all attention to her.

“I’m fine! The hippogryph hurt me, yes, but thanks to Zecora, I’m better now.” She winced as she felt her ribs sting against her chest. Pinkie abandoned her “war face” and bounded over to Twilight. She checked the bandages that Zecora had applied before a quick nod of approval.

“These were really well done. But if you went out of your way to heal Twilight…”

Zecora placed her spear back on its rack. “As you said yourself, pink one, eating your friends is not very fun.” With a motion of her hoof, she pointed towards her cauldron filled with stew. “Please, let us forgive and forget. A calming meal will leave no one upset.”

Applejack looked leery for a moment before she turned towards the cauldron where Oghren was already helped himself, face first into the hot stew. The berserker pulled his face out of the massive pot and licked the remnants off his long beard braids.

“Can’t taste any poison as far as I know.” He licked his lips for a moment before snickering. “Tastes pretty good, actually. Could use more salt, but then I say that about everything. Of course, could use some exotic flank later, if ya catch my drift.” He winked at Zecora, with lechery which brought a chorus of groans as the zebra raised a single eyebrow in confusion, or perhaps subtle discomfort.

Once everyone was calm and seated with a bowl of fresh stew, Twilight told her friends how she had defeated her hippogryph assailant before awakening in Zecora’s hut. Zecora then introduced herself properly, and one by one everypony else did the same, save Shale who was forced to sit outside.

“You ponies are going to have to learn to build bigger doors,” she said, “I should call this discrimination against tall golems.”

Ignoring Shale, Twilight looked to her friends. “I remember you were all about to face off against the Thunder Roc. What happened? Nopony looks hurt, for which I am grateful, but something so large and fierce would have been a hard fight.”

“That’s the weirdest thing, Twi,” Rainbow said. “One moment we were fighting hippogryphs and about to chase after you, next this gigantic storm cloud in the shape of a bird shows up. It boomed like thunder, and its eyes looked like balls of lightning, but when it came down to it, that Thunder Roc never attacked us! I bet it was scared, maybe it had heard of our track record including ponyspawn, demons, and dragons.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “It turned its head to where that hippogryph was carrying you off and more thunder happened. I was so scared, but then Notus flew off to that big scary cloud hanging above the Everfree Forest. After that, we searched the Everfree looking for you. We think Blitzer returned to the camp, but we’re not sure.”

There was a lull in the air as they sat in silence before Zecora stood up and headed over to her wooden racks filled with various potions and mixtures. “Now that you all are here indeed, there is a tale you must all heed.” Twilight listened intently as Zecora spoke. She tossed many ingredients into her cauldron and mixed them in what appeared to be a random fashion. All Twilight could do was have faith that Zecora knew what she was doing.

“Boreas told you half the truth, but now his guilt you will find proof. The war between hippogryph and Dalish is long overdue, and it pains me to see the forest painted in a crimson hue. The Dalish keeper did not say that to cloud temple he makes his way. There is a hall for rituals old, where he casts one that is quite bold.”

“You mean that massive cloud is actually a temple?” Rainbow had disbelief in her eyes, but the way she spoke belied something akin to hope. “Like in the old stories my mom used to tell me?”

“In tales both tall and true, there is a speck of truth just for you.” Zecora stirred the contents of the cauldron, a bright blue liquid bubbling within. “A temple high above the sky, with a fog to protect and to lie. Any who wander without this potion, will be confused without notion.  I have a boon to request, if you will accept my quest.

Long have I watched the Dalish fight, and the hippogryphs believe they are in the right. It is my desire to see this conflict end.  Can you do this, my friend?  Bring peace to the two sides for me, and against the Blight I will give you a supernatural army.”

“Supernatural army?” Twilight raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. “You’ll have to explain this a bit more.”

“What I ask is for a bit of trust. You have little reason, but I fear you must.” Zecora turned her gaze to everypony as they looked back in confusion. As nice as Zecora was to keep the party in her home, feed them, and take care of Twilight’s wounds, it was still difficult to find a reason to trust someone who just a little while ago was an enigmatic stranger. Still, she offered to help with the Blight, and all Twilight had to do was end the bloodshed that cursed the Everfree Forest.

Still, she had to think practical. Could she keep such a promise? The hippogryphs were just as savage as Twilight had been told they were, and if Boreas lied to her, what if the rest of the Dalish were in on this con, and what exactly was this bold ritual that Zecora said Boreas had performed? He was not a unicorn, and to have access to magic was supposed to be impossible for him.

Then again, stranger things than the impossible have happened before.

“We can’t make any promises,” Twilight said. “I want to say we can end this without bloodshed. I want to say we can bring peace to the Dalish and the hippogryphs. But if there is one thing I’ve learned about this world, it’s that no matter how hard we try, someone will not accept peace. They’ll fight us, and we’ll have to…”

Redwing, the pegasus assassin. The maleficar. The drakes, the diamond dogs, the high dragon. Ruck. Now a hippogryph. Every time Twilight closed her eyes, she could recall their final moments with such clarity that she felt she relived them every day. When would the killing stop? When would the blood stop flowing?

When I say so. When I want to stop spilling blood that doesn’t flow in ponyspawn veins. Twilight had to make a stand against the violence. As she stood up and looked over her friends and Zecora, Twilight lifted her sword with her magic.

“No more blood. Zecora, I swear we will find a peaceful solution to the conflict between the Dalish and the hippogryphs. We’ll take whatever help we can get, but I swear to you and to Celestia and to whoever listens to my oath. No more pony blood will be spilled. No more donkeys, or dogs, or hippogryphs as well. The only creatures that will feel our blades are the monsters who care nothing for life.”

Zecora smiled at Twilight’s declaration as she filled several bottles with the blue liquid. “I see your heart is filled with fire, a determination that will not tire. With you and your friends on the task, I see great hope for that which I ask. Take these potions blue, they will give wings to you. Not in a literal sense, but in a way that makes clouds dense. Under your hooves on clouds you will walk, the very sight will make the hippogryphs balk. Once you are in the temple in the sky, seek out Notus and his thunderous cry. The Thunder Roc knows Boreas and his lies, just ensure that neither leader dies.”

“This is gonna be a tough one, Twilight,” Applejack said as Zecora passed the blue potions to each pony. “Not fighting?”

“Not fighting anything that isn’t ponyspawn.” Twilight looked at the edge of the blade for a moment before she levitated the weapon back into the sheath. “We need to show that our friendship is stronger than swords. Ponies and other creatures have been fighting each other while the Archdemon and its hordes have been running amok. We have to show that we are better. We have to stop the bloodshed.”

Fluttershy smiled as she hovered over to Twilight’s side. “I think this is the best plan yet,” she said. “No more swords. No more weapons. We can bring peace to the two sides if we really try.”

One by one, each member of the party left Zecora’s hut with a word of thanks, and some words of apology for the rough introduction. Shale stuck her head back into the hut, indignant that she had not been given a potion. Zecora merely shook her head.

“I am sorry, pony of stone, but the potion is only for those of flesh and bone.”

“What? Does that mean I have to miss out on squishing hippogryphs in the sky?” If Shale could, Twilight would have sworn she bristled with anger. “What will I do then? Sit and wait on the ground? How droll. I am a golem of action, and I demand a place in battle.”

“That looks like the plan. Don’t worry Shale, we won’t take long.” As much as she trusted Shale as a friend, the golem proved to be incredibly violent with even the slightest provocation. Against the ponyspawn, Shale was invaluable. In a mission of peace, Shale was the greatest liability.

Zecora stepped into the doorway of her hut, raising her voice so all could hear. “Beware when you enter the temple high above, on a mission of peace and love. The hippogryphs are not the only danger there, for lethal monsters and traps lurk everywhere. Find the Thunder Roc and make him see, that peace is the best possibility.”

“We will, Zecora,” Twilight thanked her. “Peace is always worth the risk.”

***

Boreas watched from behind the trees high above the hut of the old witch. He had arrived shortly after the Warden and her allies had and watched as the witch and the ponies conversed about the temple in the clouds. About how he made regular trips there.

He glowered for a moment before he withdrew in silence. The striped witch had told them about his forays into the temple but did not know the nature of his business there. How every time he went was to calm the spirit of the Thunder Roc, to preserve his people for another decade. They could not leave the Everfree, not without him, and so he kept them in the forest as every ten years he would go and face Notus alone. Those were the days when the hippogryphs feared him.

Now they were bold, uncaring for their own lives as they struck against the Dalish, and incited his fury. He could not act against Notus directly, not without his ritual, so he would use the Wardens to weaken his age-old foe. Boreas knew better than to trust strangers, as they were selfish and would ultimately harm him and his clan. Still, strangers could be used, and if they could make their way into the ritual halls of the temple and keep it safe for him, the better.

A spear flew from the direction of the witch, and Boreas was forced to duck and fly under the shadow of the weapon. He looked down to see that the accursed zebra glared at him, with a couple of spears strapped to her back.

“Be gone, you hateful fool,” she said, her anger plain across her face. “Go back to your camp and let your fury cool. These ponies will not have their quest under threat. Depart now, or you’ll soon feel regret.”

“I speak with the authority of the winds, witch,” Boreas replied, “They cursed the hippogryphs. I was merely their arbiter. Peace with those savages is impossible. Peace with their master is impossible. You should know that better than anypony. How often they would attack you on sight.”

“The same courtesy the Dalish have shown me often, with sword and arrows when they refuse to listen.” Zecora bit down on another spear and readied herself to throw it. “You say you speak for the wind? It has has abandoned you, for you have sinned. If you fail to heed my words, then follow the Warden to the realm of birds. Perhaps you can learn something there, if you pause and give a care.”

Boreas narrowed his eyes as the cold winds blew all around him, his robes billowing while he took flight once again towards the temple. Accursed zebra. She did not know the pain he was under, the task of protecting his Dalish clan. The Warden and her friends did not know either. Hatred was not a curse, but a source of strength. He found solace in his hatred, and he used it to fuel his mastery of the winds. They roared in agreement as he returned to the skies above, where he would wait.

Then strike.

---

Chapter 34 - For She is the Arcane Warrior

The fog became thicker the closer Twilight walked to the heart of the Everfree Forest, and the only sound that accompanied her were the hoofsteps of her friends. Twilight called for a halt when the fog became too thick in front of them. This portion of the forest was not as dense as the other regions, and had a crevice in the canopy that allowed them to see the massive cloud that hung above the forest.

The cloud drifted rather low to the ground, at such a distance that Twilight was sure Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy could easily fly up towards it. The Dalish likely thought the same thing, but the heavy fog coverage and potential ambushes from the hippogryphs stopped them from gaining any progress.

“All right, everypony. Let’s do this.” Twilight levitated Zecora’s potion and opened the stopper, taking a cautious whiff of the contents. It smelled pleasant enough, and Twilight could sense both a hint of blueberries added to the mix, and also the familiar magical pull of lyrium in the potion. There were just trace amounts, not enough for Twilight or Applejack to become addicted, thankfully, but it still raised an alarm. A spell resided within the potion, one that Twilight did not recognize.

Pinkie stared down her potion as the bottle sat on the ground. It appeared as if she was taking part in a competition against her concoction. She scratched her chin in contemplation as she looked at the bottle from every angle she could. As Pinkie was the party alchemist, Twilight hoped she would be able to properly identify the potion.

Instead, Pinkie held the potion in the both hooves and consumed the contents with great gusto. With a look of satisfaction, Pinkie tapped her chin with a hoof as she delved into deep thought.

“Blueberries, thyme, a hint of lyrium, typical for a mana potion, but there is something else…”

Everypony looked to Pinkie while she smacked her lips. “Aha! Ooh, that’s tricky of Zecora! She used a mix of rhubarb, firethistle, and another...  I have never tasted that… before…”

Pinkie’s words trailed off as her eyes grew wide in the direction of the heavy fog. In a moment, Pinkie sprung from her seat and darted toward the thick fog. She ran back and forth for a moment, much to Twilight’s confusion. Pinkie then pointed at the wall of fog and bounced up and down in excitement.

“Look! Look! It’s amazing! It’s spectacular!” Pinkie’s excited squeals echoed through the forest, but little could stop her once she got going. “Quick! You have to chug the potions! Chug-a-lug and a lug you must chug!”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Oghren tipped back his potion and gulped down Zecora’s brew before he spat the bottle out. His eyes widened as he looked to the cloud. Oghren sputtered for some strand of words, with only a discombobulated noise emerging from his mouth.

Everypony followed suit and consumed their blue potions until they too stood against the edge of the fog. With a nod to Spike, Twilight raised her bottle in cheers and then took a swig. A slight tingle went through her body, from her hoof to her nose, which cleared her sinuses and allowed her to take a deep breath of fresh air. She felt rejuvenated after a single breath, and felt better than she had in a long time until Twilight joined the others in simply looking up.

The cloud they had seen above the Everfree revealed its true majesty once they saw past the fog. It was a structure like no other, constructed from the vast combination of clouds, pillars of enchanted alabaster stone and inlays of gold that shone in the light of the sun. How old the temple was, Twilight could not tell, but it still looked pristine.

Pristine save for the small flock of hippogryphs patrolling the skies above. Quick Kill stood on the edge of the temple and looked down on the party. The hippogryphs around the temple dove into the structure, all the while Quick Kill began to screech at the ponies.

“Curse you and curse that witch! She was the one who helped you see past our fog! No matter! This temple is too high for you groundwalkers to reach! And if your pegasi try to reach us, we shall rip them to shreds!”

Quick Kill was right. While the pegasi could fly to the cloud temple, they would be quickly surrounded and slain, while those who could not fly could do little to help. Zecora said the potion would allow us to walk on clouds, Twilight recalled, so we just need to get a big enough cloud to us so we can enter the temple.

Twilight stepped forward and glared at Quick Kill, and used her magic to project her voice with a spell. “I tell you and your kind once again, Quick Kill, only because I must. We are not here to fight! We are here to stop the violence between the hippogryphs and the Dalish so we can unite and fight the Blight!”

“You lie! You serve the Dalish! You want to kill us all!”

“Enough!” Twilight’s shout surprised everypony, most of all herself as she continued to stare daggers at Quick Kill. “If you won’t believe us, fine! But we are coming up there, and you will not stop us!”

While Quick Kill continued to screech, Twilight rubbed the bridge of her nose as she turned to her friends. “We need to get up into the temple,” she said. “Rainbow, Fluttershy… I need you two to go up and get a cloud for us. We’ll use it as boat of sorts so we can go up to the temple.”

Rainbow looked up at the temple before she shook her head. “Are you sure about that, Twilight? Pegasi haven’t been able to use clouds for hundreds of years. If we go up there, we’ll just be food for the hippogryphs!”

“We’ll protect you,” Twilight replied, “I thought of a solution. Most clouds are far too high for a pegasus to reach, but this cloud is low. Really low. And I remember what the storyteller in the Dalish camp said. They didn’t lose the ability to manipulate clouds, they forgot. I think now is the best time to remember, especially with the help of Zecora’s potion.”

Fluttershy looked up at the cloud temple, though her focus became directed on the angry hippogryphs. “W-we really have t-to go up there, d-don’t we?” Twilight felt a pang of regret as she understood Fluttershy’s fear towards the waiting talons of the hippogryphs, but if all went with her plan, there would be no danger.

Fluttershy took a deep breath, then flared her wings open as she looked to Rainbow Dash. “I’m ready when you are. Let’s just be quick.”

Rainbow smirked before getting ready to fly. “Quick is my second middle name.” She looked back at Twilight and gave a nod. Twilight regarded Rarity and Trixie before her attention shifted to cast a spell for the pegasi.

Horn aglow, Twilight encased the pair in a barrier and began to move the shield along with their flight path towards the clouds. Rarity and Trixie joined her magic with power from their staves. The union of magic gave the shield strength and removed the full burden of the spell from Twilight. The two pegasi were able to make their ascent in safety, despite the rage of Quick Kill and his flock.

“What are you buzzards waiting for!?” Quick Kill snarled. “Kill them! Kill them now! I want their flanks for my dinner!”

The hippogryphs screeched, then dove towards Rainbow and Fluttershy’s shield. Talons struck the barrier, and the magical protection shimmered and shifted about. Rainbow stared defiantly at her enemies while Fluttershy could not stop gasping and squeaking in fright. Try as they might, the aerial predators could not breach the shield as long violet, white, and blue magical powers worked in tandem.

Unable to crack the shell, the hippogryphs turned their focus on the unicorns. Twilight narrowed her eyes. Her focus on the spell as complex as this shield meant she could not focus casting wards to hold off the attack. Without a word, Applejack, Oghren, Shale and Spike formed up near the unicorns, weapons at the ready.

With no attention on her, Pinkie reached into her bomb bag and drew out a small yellow grenade. She grinned as she primed the timer, her smile widening with each click before bouncing the bomb on her tail.

“Everypony! Make like a Chantry sister and avert your eyes! Cover your ears!” Almost as if this was a game did Pinkie bat the grenade into the air towards the hippogryph that Twilight almost did not take heed of her warning. Her focus strained on the shield, Twilight shut her eyes tightly and blocked her ears with her hooves.

There was a loud ping from the grenade rather than the typical explosion, one that made Twilight’s ears feel like they were under hooves on a chalkboard. Despite her protected eyes, spots of yellow could be seen from under her eyelids. When she felt it was safe to look, she saw the hippogryph attackers rolling on the ground with talons over their eyes. Their groans provided a cavalcade over the aftermath of the bright explosive.

“That’s what I like to call the bangflash!” Pinkie exclaimed proudly, all the while the hippogryphs retreated towards the disgraced shouts of their chieftain. Oghren and Shale moved up to attack, but Twilight held them back with a hoof. Though they looked puzzled, they obeyed as Twilight watched the hippogryphs fly away.

“Fools! Cowards! Running from light and sound! Get back down there and kill them!” While Quick Kill continued to rant high about them all, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash made their way to the edge of the cloud temple. She hovered near a loose patch as she wondered as to how to harvest it.

With a deep breath, Rainbow reached out with her hooves and grabbed a good portion of the cloud. There was a slight prickle in her hooves as she pulled the cloud away from the larger aerial structure. Flapping her wings away from the cloud, she pulled hard until she had a sizable amount in her grip.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened at the act of weather manipulation before her, something that elder pegasi spoke as if it was just another legend or myth. She drifted closer to the cloud, then reached out in the same way as Rainbow did and took hold of the condensed vapour. With a squeak of surprise at the sensation, Fluttershy pulled as well until her hooves were overburdened with clouds.

Rainbow and Fluttershy acknowledged each others’ success and began to harvest the clouds. Fluttershy swallowed her fears and quickened her pace. The pair worked diligently as the hippogryphs were being warded off below them, the unicorns’ shield keeping them at bay well until the pair had crafted a large “cloud raft” big enough to carry everypony save Shale to the cloud temple proper.

Quick Kill watched in dismay as his warriors were beaten by lights and loud noises. “Fall back, you vultures!” He cawed. “They will come into the temple! We must defend the Matron!”

The hippogryphs took flight, returning to the cloud temple. Their squawks and insults not once relented, and yet they were unable to harm the party. Twilight smiled. No one was hurt on either side, and they would be able to get inside the temple for as long as Zecora’s potion would hold them.

Rainbow and Fluttershy descended with their cloud, grins on both their faces. “This is completely awesome,” Rainbow said, “Could you imagine what the pegasi could do if they remembered how to control clouds! They could rebuild their kingdoms! Pegasi could have stable homes again!”

“Once we stop the conflict between the Dalish and the hippogryphs, I will be sure to have you and Fluttershy show all pegasi that they can cloudcraft once again.” Twilight looked forward to giving hope to an entire people. For the first time since her arrival to the Everfree Forest, Twilight felt a sense of hope that they could resolve this without bloodshed.

Pinkie bounded onto the cloud raft, and much to everypony’s surprise, she rolled around on the fluffy substance with glee. “This is really soft and squishy!” Pinkie chimed, “I bet it feels wonderful to take a nap on! Come on everypony! Hop on!”

With a jump, Twilight landed on the cloud, impressed by just how soft it really was. She smiled as she trod along the cloud, carefully levitating Spike onto the cloud. Thankfully, Zecora’s potion worked on dragons, and Spike was all too eager to make for himself a quiet spot to take a nap.

While the others jumped onto the cloud, Oghren looked on with trepidation. “Donkeys are meant to stay on the ground, not go up… there. With the clouds and the flying and… damn, I need to be drunk for this.”

“What’s wrong Oghren?” Rainbow said with a smirk. “You’re not scared are you?”

Oghren flustered for a moment before clumsily climbing onto the cloud. “Yer lucky you got wings, flappy,” he muttered as he clamoured aboard. Rainbow stuck out her tongue before she took a position to the rear of the cloud, ready to push their raft towards the temple.

Twilight counted everyone and noticed one pony did not join them. Not counting Shale, she turned to see Trixie still on solid ground next to the golem. “Aren’t you coming with us, Trixie?” Twilight asked. Trixie shook her head in response.

“Trixie will be staying right here with Shale, if that is all right with you, Sparkle.” She looked to Shale, who had her head turned away like a spoiled foal. Twilight would have been amused to watch such a mighty golem sulk if she wasn’t constantly reminded that Shale could crush heads as easily as grapes.

While Trixie’s help would be valuable, it was a good idea to make sure Shale was not alone and potentially up to no good. “As long as you two stay safe. We’ll be back soon, I promise.”

Shale grunted. “Just hurry up so I can get back to crushing things under my hooves. I bore rather quickly, and the loud Trixie does not make up for good conversation.”

“Perhaps because I actually enjoy talking to solid stone walls who have more personality.”

“At least I have a personality. From the way you talk, I’d say it was ‘Sparkle this,’ ‘Great and Powerful that’…”

Twilight rolled her eyes before nodding to Rainbow and Fluttershy. Both pegasi pressed their hooves against the cloud and flapped their wings as hard as they could. The cloud shifted from underneath them, with Twilight’s guess that Zecora’s potion made them incredibly light, or the illusion of such to be able to stand on the cloud.

Pinkie hung off the rear of the cloud, waving at Trixie and Shale as they came closer to the temple. The experience to be in the air exhilarated her, and Twilight could not stop herself from a wide grin. This was the closest to flying she had ever been, and now she found herself envying the pegasus ponies for having such a wonderful gift as flight.

The ground slowly became farther and farther away, with Shale and Trixie as mere specs on the landscape while the mouth-like entrance to the temple welcomed them. Banners with heraldry unknown and forgotten hung on high, blazoned with the sun, moon, and stars. Great statures of enchanted alabaster stone unicorns welcomed into the temple, almost unsullied save for a few dark stains on the surface.

“Wait… unicorns?” Twilight was the first to descend from the cloud raft as she approached one of the welcome statues. This simply did not make sense. Why would a temple made from a massive cloud have statues of unicorns within it? Unless this was an old Imperium temple, but in that case, there would have been statues of dragons.

Rarity held one of the banners in her magic as she regarded the stitch work with great care. “This was clearly hoof stitched, yet only to my critical eye. Smells ancient, my dear.”

“This entire place seems old and strange.” Applejack walked the empty halls, gazing up at the ancient mosaics that lined the ceiling of the temple. “Ah can feel it. This place is just brimmin’ with magic.”

Twilight slowly nodded, while her mind wandered and sought out any forms of magic. The sudden tug on her horn was sharp, her attention caught by the grip of temple’s residual magic. She looked to Rarity who nodded in silent reply, and the force pulled her to come down one of the large hallways. While her interest in the magic piqued, there was still the matter of finding the heart of the temple and the Thunder Roc. She called the party together and began to explain her plan.

“Let’s split up into two groups. That way we can cover more ground. Applejack, you take Fluttershy, Oghren, and Pinkie and go to that hall over there. I’ll take Rainbow, Rarity, and Spike into this hall here with the magic. With some luck, one of us should be able to find where Notus is. Whatever happens, we can’t instigate anymore aggression between us and the hippogryphs. They’ve fled to defend their matron, whoever that is. Maybe that will leave the path to Notus clear.”

“Sounds like a plan, sugarcube,” Applejack replied, “C’mon ya’ll. Let’s get searching.” With a smile, both Wardens led their respective groups down the two separate halls while the statues of the ancients watched them.

When they first entered the sky temple, Pinkie thought the place was beautiful and serene. To her, a party here would be fun if it was just a small casual affair. A temple was a place of celebration, though it would have to be more subdued than Pinkie’s usual parties. With the white enchanted stone, clouds andn ancient images of the celestial bodies, it seemed to be a crime to mess the place up.

Yet the deeper they delved into the temple, the less wonderful the temple seemed before it became simply lonely to walk through. There were no signs of other ponies or of the hippogryphs, and their hoofsteps made no echo as they squished against the cloud floor. It began to feel like walking through the temple with a weight on her shoulders.

Only one solution for that then! “This is the song that never ends! And it goes on and on my friend! Some ponies started singing it not knowing what it was! And they’ll continue singing it forever just because this is the song—“

“Pinkie, hush.” Applejack shot Pinkie a look that silenced her. Pinkie’s ears drooped, and she held back her song. Applejack sighed. “Sorry, Pinkie, but we can’t go on singin’ when the hippogryphs are still about. Best to keep quiet so we don’t give ‘em a chance to ambush us.”

It was always the same message. Pinkie, quiet. Pinkie, that’s nonsense. This is no laughing matter Pinkie. Nothing was a laughing matter anymore. There hadn’t been any laughing since… since…

Oh no… I can’t even remember the last time I had a good laugh. Pinkie felt her mane fall straight against her head. Not just a forced laugh, but a genuine, hearty, this-feels-like-I’m-in-a-party laugh.

“Something’s wrong, Pinkie?” Fluttershy said, as she noticed Pinkie’s straight mane. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I… I can’t stand it.” Pinkie fell onto her haunches. Her body refused to move. “All I’ve seen is death, pain, and sorrow. I can’t stand watching it anymore. Ever since we came into this forest, we’ve just seen more of it! I get it, the ponyspawn are the threat that’s gonna gobble up all of Equestria and make ponies the world over unhappy. But here we are trying to stop two sides from killing each other, and neither side wants to just sit down and talk!”

“We have to believe in Twilight’s plan, Pinkie,” said Applejack, “If we can’t do that, then we’ll fail before we even try.”

Pinkie shook her head. “But what if we try and we can’t get them to see that the fighting will destroy them both. What if we fail?”

“You’re letting that there Archdemon get into your head, aren’t ya?” Pinkie stared at Applejack, who gritted her teeth in frustration. “Archdemon of Despair. Pinkie, I need you to listen closely. All of us have fallen to despair at least once. Except you. Ya’ll like… like the rock of the group.”

“Shale is the one made of rocks.”

“Ah mean in a… figurative sense. Listen, when things are at their worst, for some reason you always have a smile ready for any one of us. If you don’t have that now, Ah don’t rightly know how we are gonna keep goin’. Just remember that party you’re gonna hold at the end of all this. We have to make it to that party, don’t we?”

Pinkie’s lips curled upward in a slight smile at the thought of the massive party she had planned since she joined up with Twilight and Applejack. The “We Defeated the Ponyspawn and did not get Eaten” party would be everything she ever wanted. There would be cake and pie and other sweets, there would be games and music, the kind of party that would be recorded in books! Most of all, her friends would all be there, and they would celebrate the end of the Blight together!

Quiet giggles erupted from Pinkie as she visualized the event. She would get Rarity to bob for apples, and maybe even introduce Fluttershy to a few cute stallions. On that thought, she may as well find one for Twilight as well. The responsibilities of the Grey Wardens made a lot of stress after all. Couldn’t do that for Applejack, because she would be queen! That would make the party a royal party! She’d bet Oghren wouldn’t be able to drink an entire jar of pickle brine. She’d teach Shale the pony pokey! She’d…

Go to Geldwall with Rainbow Dash to find her family. She’d be with her sisters and mother again and they would be happy again. It was everything Pinkie wanted. All they had to do was beat the Blight. No problem.

“Thanks, Applejack,” Pinkie said, “I needed a Pinkie Pick-Me-Up!”

“Ain’t no problem at all, sugarcube.” Pinkie’s smile returned to her while they continued to walk the empty halls of the temple, looking for any sign of the hippogryphs or the Thunder Roc. Unfortunately, the halls were bare of any life at all.

Oghren cleared his throat, and the sound echoed off the clouds before he turned to Fluttershy. Pinkie suppressed another giggle. She thoroughly enjoyed their “interaction,” especially with Angel glaring at Oghren from Fluttershy’s back. “So uh… you pegasuses have some pretty nice wings.”

Fluttershy’s cheeks flushed red. “Um… th-thanks?”

 Oh come on, Fluttershy, Pinkie thought, he’s giving you a compliment. You do have nice wings! And I bet having lived underground, Oghren hasn’t seen many nice pegasi like you.

“They’re uh… real pretty and functional! Yeah, that’s it, functional!” Ogrhen leered ever closer to Fluttershy.

Pinkie continued to grin. See? He’s right! Those are good traits! Oghren isn’t so bad, he just needs to control his drinking. And take a bath.

“Um… thanks?” Fluttershy pawed at the cloud floor. 

I’m sure he’d be fun to be with. Just tell Angel to behave and…

“So, do your wings, ya know… pomf?” Oghren wiggled his eyebrows. 

And boom goes the lyrium.

“I don’t understand.”

“Ya know, you see that handsome devil across the street, and just get this urge to…”

Applejack turned her head towards the group and hushed them. Slowly she drew her sword, her head nudged through a doorway. Oghren muttered about being “blocked,” but wielded his axe in his large teeth and took a spot next to Applejack. Behind them, Pinkie and Fluttershy looked on as the two warriors inched closer to the entrance of a large room.

Pinkie’s ears caught what the other two listened for. It was a muffled cry of a hippogryph, but much higher pitched and near. There was also the sound of a low thrum in the room, like that of a growl. Pinkie opened the flap of her bomb bag, then tied her tail around a grenade. She took in a deep breath and let it out in silence.

Inside the room, a small hippogryph, a hatchling by Pinkie’s guess, was cornered by a beast she had only heard from in stories. As large as a minotaur, it resembled a manticore, a big cat with sharp fangs and claws, bat-like wings, and an elongated tail like that of a scorpion. Normally reclusive creatures, manticores were dangerous foes if provoked, though they could be chased off by numbers.

This was a manticore out of nightmares. Normally manticores had brown or tan coats of fur, yet this breed had black fur. Its snake-like tail appeared vicious with an impaling spike on the end of it. Like most corrupted creatures, its eyes were black sunken pits. It was what that Dalish scout Blitzer said, a manticore corrupted by the ponyspawn Taint.

It was a mantiskarn that now threatened a young hippogrph and ready to devour it. Lying in a pool of blood that was soaked by the cloud floor was none other than Quick Kill, his eyes closed as he bled out on the floor.

“We have to do something!” Pinkie shouted. The noise was enough to distract the mantiskarn from the fledgling hippogryph. The great beast turned around to look at those who interrupted its easy meal. The mantiskarn roared and revealed fangs of black and paws lined with razor claws.

“It’s corrupted!” Applejack leaned forward into a battle stance, ready to fight the monster. “There’s no helping it now except showing some final mercy!”

“Mercy at the end of my axe! I love that idea!” Oghren howled as he charged axe first towards the mantiskarn, narrowly dodging a swing from those black claws and replying with a strike of his own.

The mantiskarn roared again and turned his entire body as he brought his tail around for an attack. It swatted Oghren away and into one of the enchanted stone pillars, his back smacked against dense cloud. While Oghren reorientated himself, Applejack took command of the fight and leapt on the mantiskarn’s back. She delivered a quick slash at its hide with Silverbite, the magical phantom strikes followed the initial attack. Each wound opened by her sword blows poured with black blood as it flowed from the monstrosity.

While Fluttershy took aim with her bow, waiting for a moment where her arrows would not harm either Applejack or Oghren, Pinkie galloped towards the young hippogryph. It was as frightened of her as it was the mantiskarn. Its little mouth screeched as it tried to swipe at Pinkie with tiny talons. Despite the fight behind her, Pinkie flashed the child her brightest smile.

“Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie!” She winced as the mantiskarn roared again, an arrow embedded into its chest. With her full attention to the young hippogryph, Pinkie began again. “I’m here to help. Can you understand me? I’m your friend?”

The hippogryph nodded, then looked to Quick Kill and pointed at him. “Papa! Papa! You… help?”

Pinkie nodded and then checked over Quick Kill’s wounds. Several were superficial, but there were a few critical areas where the mantiskarn’s claws had dug deep. Quick Kill’s breaths was shallow, forcing Pinkie to be quick with a remedy for the wounds. She gripped a poultice in her teeth and yanked the stopper out. With the smell of the healer’s fluid in her nostrils, she poured the contents over the damage.

Quick Kill’s eyes fluttered open as he took a sharp intake of air. He looked to Pinkie with a snarl, and flexed his talons, only to stop when she playfully bonked him on the head.

“That’s enough of that, Grumpy Feathers. Now hold still.” To accentuate her point, Pinkie reached into her bag and pulled an old stale muffin and popped the pastry into Quick Kill’s beak. He squawked in protest, but his wounds and stuffed beak did not allow him to object too much. The poultice began to work slowly in regenerating his flesh, which allowed Pinkie to watch the battle continue.

Oghren was back to his hooves and furious, roaring obscenities the likes Pinkie had never heard before. Axe clenched tight in his grip, the berserker slammed the edge of his weapon into the mantiskarn’s hind leg. A sickening crack echoed as one of the mantiskarn’s smaller bones snapped, but it was enough to hobble the beast.

In response, the mantiskarn hissed as it raised its long tail, the lance-like tip poised to impale Oghren. Before it could skewer him, Applejack jumped up and took a swipe at the tail. The blade missed as she landed, yet her smile did not falter.

Silverbite did not miss. The silver strike from the phantom blade severed the tail, with the mantiskarn’s spike fallen through the cloud floor while black blood flowed from the limb. The mantiskarn howled its agony while the tail whipped back and forth, spraying the tainted blood all over the large room. Pinkie knew all too well the dangers of the black blood, so she turned and covered both Quick Kill and the young hippogryph with her body. She was not wounded, and her armour would protect her and them from the blood.

Oghren took the opportunity to strike. He galloped hard on the clouds, then leaped onto the back of the mantiskarn. His axe hacked away at its body as he climbed onto its neck. Struggle as it might, the mantiskarn could not remove Oghren, flailing helplessly until he was able to make the decisive blow. With one mighty chop, Oghren embedded the axe into the mantiskarn’s neck before swinging his whole body downward, the blade of his axe dragged the axe across the mantiskarn’s neck.

Once Oghren was on the floor and away from the mantiskarn, the beast let out one last gurgle for a breath before its death, the throat now completely ruined. Pinkie tried to look away from the grisly death, but forced to accept it for what it was. The mantiskarn could not have been saved thanks to the deep corruption of the Taint, and had to be put down.

Fluttershy flew over to Pinkie and the hippogryphs, concern on her face while she looked over the young hippogryph. Applejack slid Silverbite back into its sheath, while Oghren approached Quick Kill with his axe still in his mouth.

“Step aside, Pinkie, that bird has been giving us nothing but trouble!” Oghren snarled as he scraped the floor with his hoof, and the weakened Quick Kill mirrored the noise. Applejack held Oghren back with a hoof and shook her head.

“Can’t ya see he’s in no condition to defend himself?” she said, “But we are being careful. Ya’ll haven’t given us much reason to trust ya. What were you doin’ dancin’ with a mantiskarn?”

Quick Kill slowly got up to an upright position. He eyed all of the ponies carefully, especially Oghren. I wish he would just put that axe away, Pinkie thought, didn’t he listen to a word Twilight said? We need to stop fighting if we can help it!

Quick Kill held the young hippogryph to his side, and looked at each pony before he lowered his head. “This is my son. He is everything to me. When the Dalish killed my mate during a skirmish, I promised to protect him. I will continue to do so. I thought I was doing so when the mantiskarn invaded our home. Not only did I fail, but you… you helped me.”

Pinkie stepped towards Quick Kill, who flinched as she approached but otherwise did nothing. “Now do you believe us? Do you believe we didn’t come here to fight you, but to talk? To end the conflict with Dalish and the hippogryphs?”

Quick Kill turned his head away from Pinkie Pie. “The purple hara’tan killed one of my brothers,” he said.

“You have no idea how awful Twilight feels whenever she’s forced to kill.” Pinkie extended her hoof towards the hippogryph chieftain, a simple gesture but one she wondered if the Dalish ever tried. “All she wants is peace. All we want is peace. Can we at least give peace a try?”

He regarded the offered hoof for a moment before Quick Kill looked down on his son, who cuddled up against his large foreleg. With a heavy sigh, Quick Kill carefully took the hoof into his talons, as he stared Pinkie straight into her blue eyes.

“I do not make that decision,” he explained, “I only lead my brothers and sisters in the defense of our flock. But I can lead you to our matron. She knows Notus well. She will listen to you.”

Pinkie beamed as she shook Quick Kill’s talons with enthusiasm, her smile wide to everypony else as Quick Kill turned to lead them to the hippogryph matron. Oghren shook his head in disbelief while Applejack gave a sigh of relief.

“Fluttershy, we’re gonna need you to fly over to Twilight and the others to get them over here.” Fluttershy nodded, then took off back towards the entrance of the temple as Applejack turned to Pinkie. “Ah sure hope we can get this matron to listen to us.”

Pinkie nodded slowly, but her smile did not fail. “She will, Applejack. I know she will. She has to want to end the fighting as much as we do.”

***

The tug on her horn would be enough to drive many unicorns mad, as the rather insistent force behind it was not relenting the closer Twilight got to the source. She quickly shot Rarity a glimpse, only to see that her fellow unicorn was admiring the remains of a society that was still kept intact within the long abandoned sky temple. Perhaps it was thanks to Twilight’s special talent in magic that she could feel the tug.

“I’m telling you, darling, I do feel the magic in the very walls, but nothing is beckoning to me except wanting to know where these beautiful fabrics came from.” Twilight sighed at Rarity’s response and wanted little more than to have the tug end quickly. As curious as she was, it acted like a rather obtrusive itch that no amount of care could cure.

Rainbow took to the air inside the tall halls of the sky temple while Twilight walked beside Rarity with Spike on her back and marveled at the temple. While they searched for any sign of the hippogryphs or the Thunder Roc, Twilight could not help but try to hypothesize why there were images of unicorns inside what should obviously be a pegasi temple. It was not an Imperium temple, but it was not a Chantry either. The temple gave Twilight a rather uncanny notion of nostalgia.

As they walked through the halls, Twilight felt the tug get stronger as a notion of familiarity washed over her. Out of the corner of her eye she could have sworn she saw specters of unicorns going about their daily lives, yet when she tried to bring the shades into focus, they would vanish as quickly as they came.

“Are you okay, Twi?” Spike said, “I’m getting kind of worried. You’ve been moving your head everywhere since you said you felt that tug on your horn.”

Rainbow Dash piped in. “Should I go get Applejack so she can use that templar freaky stuff to your magic?”

A cold fear ran down Twilight’s spine at the mention of the templar. “No! No, I’ll be fine.” What’s wrong with me? Applejack is my friend, and it wouldn’t be the first time I was under the effect of her anti-magic.

Please… hurry…

Twilight jumped as another voice much different from hers made its presence known. In my head! What is going on here!? Maybe we should just turn around and find Applejack.

Don’t… please don’t leave… don’t leave me…

Twilight let out a soft sob, her eyes watering up while her chest felt tight. Why did she feel sad? Where were these emotions coming from? Her best hypothesis was that the magical still held a residual effect throughout the temple.

“Twilight, dear, what’s the matter?” Rarity levitated her cloth and wiped the tears from Twilight’s face. “Nopony wants to see you cry. Did something happen? Let us help you.”

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Twilight said, though her words became choked in sharp gasps. “I think… I think there are memories in the temple. The closer we get to the source, the more pronounced they become, and…”

Go! Hurry! We need to get to the librarium quickly!

Get away from us! We did you no harm!

Anger surged within Twilight as her face went from sorrow to rage. “Come on!” she shouted, stomping a hoof on the cloud floor. “We need to get to the librarium, quickly! Those Imperium pigs will not ruin everything we have ever strived for!”

The Imperium? Why am I thinking about them? Why am I angry? Why do I know where I’m going?

BE GONE!

Twilight galloped through the halls as Spike held onto her armour tightly, Rarity and Rainbow Dash behind her. She knew every turn, every twist in the temple as more images, voices, and emotions flooded over her.

Mischievous. Come quickly! There is something I want to show you…

Happy. This is going to be great, just you wait!

Attentive. I’m going to teach you something very important.

They entered a small room filled with enchanted wooden shelves lined with crystal phials, much to Twilight’s disappointment. She imagined a grand library filled with tomes and scrolls filled with magical knowledge. Instead she was in a phylactery storage room, all the horn fragments inert. For all intents and purposes, they were dead.

Save one.

Displeasure. This is not the best form of education, but it is the quickest. Take the memories of a unicorn and place them within yourself. You’ll believe them to be yours.

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing, er, thinking.” Twilight approached the radiant phylactery with both eagerness and trepidation. Something pulled her towards it, and while she wanted to resist, the manipulations from the phylactery were stronger. Spike jumped off her back and tried to push against her leg.

“What’s gotten into you, Twilight?” Spike said.

Annoyed. What does it take to make you leave me alone! Twilight bit her tongue. Her horn glowed as she took hold of the phylactery and brought it closer to her. She inspected the phylactery and took note that it appeared little more than typical phial with a single shard of a unicorn’s horn. Despite the simplicity of the artifact, the horn fragment teemed with power, and Twilight could not wrench her eyes away.

“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash flew into the libriarium, the wind from her flight threatening to knock over several of the phials. “What’s going on? Why did you just run off on us like that?”

“I’m so sorry, Rainbow. It’s the phylactery… it wants to show me something. Memories, emotions, I don’t know how better to explain it.” Flirtatious. That pegasus has great flanks, what I wouldn’t do to… NO. I will NOT be saying that, thank you very much, memories of perversion.

“What if it is a demon, darling?” Rarity’s horn glowed bright as she tried to grip the phylactery away from Twilight, only to be rebuffed. In response, the memories all spoke a single word in unison, one that every mare, stallion and foal would have said at least once in their lifetimes.

No.

Twilight winced as hundreds of voices filled her head at once, but was still able to turn and shake her head at Rarity. “There is no demon. I don’t think there is a threat at all. I feel among all the emotions desperation. They want to show me something. I’m going to see what it is. Just give me a moment.”

Unable to tell Twilight differently, Rarity, Rainbow and Spike took a step back while she unfastened the stopper on the crystal file. The small unicorn horn fragment was brimming with power as she brought it forward to her horn. The memories were now filled with anticipation which now leaked to Twilight. She took the risk and touched her horn with the fragment.

Her vision blurred and all noise dulled around her until everything faded to white.

***

“Twilight? Twilight, are you all right? You seem to be zoning out.”

Twilight blinked rapidly as she felt vertigo take over. She swayed for a moment and her vision blurred, yet she felt gentle hooves hold her upright. She was still in the Librarium, she was still surrounded by phylacteries, and she was still…

Wait… weren’t the shelves filled with dull phylacteries? When her sight became clear, Twilight could see that the temple was much cleaner than she remembered, that the horn fragments looked pristine and neatly arranged, and that she was face to face with a unicorn mare she did not recognize. The newcomer had a white coat and a bright red mane. She wore what appeared to be an amalgamation of white robes and armour, lined in gold with a sword strapped to her side. In the center of the chest plate a crest that bore an image of the sun and moon locked together. Looking down on herself, Twilight found she wore the same ensemble.

“It’s me, Moondancer,” said the mare. “Are you sure you are all right? Maybe we should take you to the healer. You’ve been working on those phylacteries of yours for a long time; I think you should get some rest.”

Twilight looked down at her worktable to see several phylacteries held in suspended animation above her instruments and tools. Her work on placing the memories from the other phylacteries into a consolidated source continued smoothly, though a sense of urgency remained. Yet as Twilight took a look around, she saw that she had no staff and no lyrium to work the magic weaves of such magnitude. Just how was she able to make such a grand consolidation of experiences without the proper magical tools?

“I… I think I should take a break,” Twilight said, suddenly feeling very tired. “Let’s… Let’s go for a walk. Maybe you can bring me up to speed with the goings-on in the temple.”

Moondancer smiled and the pair left the Librarium into the busy halls of the temple. Many were young foals, who stopped and bowed towards Twilight with smiles on their faces. As she walked and smiled at the younglings she felt her hoof slip and punch a hole into the floor. The children giggled for a moment as Moondancer shook her head.

“You’ve been so busy you forgot to refresh your cloudwalk spell, didn’t you? I swear, Twilight, you’ll fall to the surface if you don’t remember to keep your spells up to snuff. I know you are Star Swirl’s prized pupil, but even he would wonder if you should take a break.”

“Sorry, Moondancer,” Twilight said as she cast the spell. New memories flooded over her mind’s eye, as she had never cast such a spell before in her life yet as she stood on the cloud floor firmly she knew she cast it perfectly. She needed more direct answers as to what was going on.

Moondancer snickered as they continued to walk. “Those memories must be jumbling your own.” Moondancer’s eyes spun about in jest. When Twilight gave her glare, Moondancer cleared her throat. “Sorry, sorry. Anyways, well, you’re Twilight Sparkle, one of the Followers of Light or Arcane Warriors as those outside our order call us. You chose to specifically study on the Solar Road. You are also chief custodian of our Librarium and working on a memory phylactery for future generations to study from our thoughts directly!”

Twilight smiled at the thought, and events were not so bad in the cloud temple for the memory. Whoever possessed it held a position of respect Twilight was comfortable with, though she did not know what a Follower of Light was. She still had many questions; chief among them when in time she was. Without that knowledge, Twilight did not have a good reference guide as to the state of the world.

This must have been like an early Chantry! Twilight was in awe at the discoveries of the past she encountered, yet that troublesome suspicion that amazement would give way to horror did not leave her mind.

“What about this temple?” Twilight asked, “It’s beautiful to walk through.”

“We received this temple from the Skylords almost five years ago after helping them fight off the demons of the Fade that had passed through their capitol of Pegasopolis. Commander Hurricane herself appeared to hoof over the temple to us, though we are a bit close to the Imperium stronghold of Ostequus for my liking.”

Ostequus! Twilight shook her head as memories crashed into one another. Her memories of Ostequus as an old ruin and the sight of a massacre caused by the ponyspawn were now contradicted by those of an immaculately kept fortress, now home to thousands of Imperium battle-mages.

“It’s here that we teach unicorns how to harness and manipulate the innate magic within themselves.” Moondancer’s horn and sword hilt glowed with a red aura, moving the walls of clouds aside for them to bypass a group of youngsters. Twilight raised an eyebrow at this news.

“You mean we don’t take magic from the Fade as a source?” Moondancer turned around and looked at Twilight as if she had grown another head.

“That’s how the Imperium magisters and battle-mages get their magics, taught to them by those awful dragons they worship as gods.” Moondancer shook her head. “It’s the easy way to learn magic and gain power, but the Fade is filled demons. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have been trying to calm the Fade for decades since the Hexumvirate ended the chaos in the Material Plane, but as long as the Imperium is giving strength to demons they won’t hold for long. Star Swirl has seen it.”

A loud ring echoed in the halls of the temple as Moondancer turned her head towards the source. The happy faces of the foals turned to looks of fear as they hid near adults. “The alarm.” Moondancer took a deep breath as she drew her sword with a flick of magic. She held it near her via levitation. “It’s coming from the Eluvian chamber. You still remember how to use Sophia, right?”

“Sophi-what?” Twilight looked about her until Moondancer pointed at the sword that hung against her side. As Twilight looked at the sword, new memories overcame her, these ones encompassed years in a practice yard with her sword Sophia until she won duels against other Arcane Warriors. She knew how to manipulate the sword perfectly with her magic or wield it in her mouth. Whoever possessed these memories before, their experiment with the phylactery worked.

Twilight knew things because she could remember them as if they were her own memories. Before she touched the phylactery, her knowledge of individual spells would have ranked about a hundred or so. Now she knew hundreds of spells, including chants and glyphs, all of which were practical in life or in battle. Most important of all, she knew what time period she was in.

The time before the invasion of Canterlot by the Imperium. Before the dark times. Before the ponyspawn.

They very fact that she now experienced life before the Chantry made Twilight almost giddy in anticipation. There was simply so much to learn about a world long forgotten after the fires of war and turmoil took their toll on the land. The alarm reminded her that amazement would have to wait.

Moondancer burst into a gallop, her sword by her side with Twilight behind her. They ran towards the center of the temple, as several more Arcane Warriors followed behind them. As they approached the central chamber, Twilight let out a gasp at the power she felt.

In the middle of the room was a massive mirror, shimmering with all the colours of the rainbow as magic simply flowed from it in great abundance. Twenty more Arcane Warriors stood around the magic artifact, swords gripped in magic while small shields were formed. Twilight followed suit, and watched as the warriors stood in formation, their shields blazing with energy as they held their swords aloft.

Twilight felt a sharp pain in her head as the mirror rippled for a moment. “Something is coming out of the Eluvian! Everypony to your positions!”

The mirror shifted until it almost spat an old weathered unicorn stallion from the glass. He was tall yet slight of frame with a long grey beard, yet Twilight watched many of the Arcane Warriors approach him with reverence. She heard the name ‘Star Swirl’ muttered. This was her mentor in the memory.

“Close the Eluvian!” he shouted, “Canterlot is lost! Celestia still does battle against the monsters and demons, but the city is gone! Forever corrupted!”

Twilight galloped to Star Swirl’s side. Her heart raced as she looked over the serious burn marks along his hide as well as several disfiguring gashes. They would not heal completely, but they could be reduced to simple scars. As she called for a healer, Twilight held Star Swirl’s hoof in her own as the other Warriors along with Moondancer closed the Eluvian.

The once luminescent portal was dull and lifeless now until a faint blue aura formed around it. The Eluvian glowed for a moment before fading out of existence, with Star Swirl’s pained gasps for breath as he pointed his horn and sword at the mirror.

“My teacher?” Moondancer looked at Star Swirl, who shook his head.

“I had to send it away,” he muttered, “We cannot use it anymore. The Hexumvirate will come seeking the Eluvian. Asha’Bellanar will want to take the fight directly to the Sisters. If they were to strike now, they would defeat Celestia. They must not find it. Luna is coming.”

There were gasps all around her as Twilight tried to register the information. She had just witnessed the end of the golden city of Canterlot and the news of Luna’s arrival in the world. The two events that changed the world forever in recorded memory and this was a memory that was now hers.

Twilight’s vision blurred white as the memory transitioned to another. She was still in the cloud temple, but now she stood on a balcony that overlooked the Everfree Forest. Looking down made her dizzy, and as she fell back she collided with another pony. Twilight rubbed her head, and she found she was face to face with Moondancer again.

“This is no time for one of your dizzy spells, Twilight,” Moondancer chided, “Have you finished putting all the memories into the phylactery?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. All of the Followers imprinted their memories and emotions into a single phylactery. I’m not one to brag, but I can confidently say it’s one of the single greatest repositories of experiences this world has ever seen.”

“Good… good…” Moondancer’s voice trailed off as she stared down to the surface, as tears flowed from her eyes. Twilight bit her lip as she took in the enormity of the event. Every single Arcane Warrior prepared for battle as Star Swirl stood in the middle of them all. His face was grim, yet he did not blink as he watched the ground.

Below, Twilight saw a highly elaborate sedan chair carried by four strong pegasi land in front of the temple. The chair shone with the light of the sun reflected in luxurious silks, gold, and gemstones. Rarity would have adored the sedan yet Twilight felt uneasy watching the chair be lowered by slave stallions. The silk curtains parted, and she almost felt the collective gasp of the followers.

Stepping out of the sedan chair was a pegasus tall and beautiful, clad in the most luxurious silks that hugged against her body as chains of gold jewelry wrapped around her limbs. Her coat was as white as snow while her mane was a brilliant shade of red. Eyes of lavender looked up at the Followers of Light as a smirk formed around full, luscious lips.

Immaculate wings spread open as the pegasus took flight, and she flew with incredible speed until she was suddenly face to face with Star Swirl. Twilight winced as she turned away from her, cheeks flush with colour as she felt her face grow hot. There was an unnatural beauty to the pegasus that pulled Twilight towards her, the memories of the phylactery filling in the gaps.

She was Lianari, the Dragon of Grace, and one of the Hexumvirate. She would become the Archdemon of Destruction. One of the most powerful beings the world had ever known, and she was right in front of Twilight now.

“Such handsome and beautiful ponies, how I want to take you all to my palace. We could have so much fun.” Lianari looked over the Arcane Warriors one by one, and Twilight felt her knees shake as the Old One looked at her. Her gaze then focused on Star Swirl, who remained stoic. “Come now, Star Swirl. We do not need to fight. Just give your loyalty to the Imperium, your fealty to the Hexumvirate, and your love to me.”

Lianari stroked Star Swirl’s beard as a lover would, only to have her hoof pushed aside. “There is nothing between us but battle now, dragon,” he said, “You would spare me only to have me sit in your harem while my pupils died at your claws. You appear a temptress, but we all know you are nothing but a vile wyrm.”

Her face contorted to one of fury for a moment as she pointed a hoof at a stallion. “I could take him as a lover! Or her! Or anypony! You are the only unicorn I respect, Star Swirl, for outwitting me in battle! But I have you and your Followers hostage within my power! I could kill you all with a single spell. I offer you mercy! Imagine what my brothers will do. My sisters. Asha’Bellanar will never allow your order to live. Take my hoof and spare your ponies.”

“Our time was sealed a long time ago, Lianari.” Sadness gripped Star Swirl’s voice, yet his resolve did not waver. “If you had not come, one of your brothers and sisters would to stop us from aiding Princess Luna. Even now she raises moves to defeat you.”

“I offer you my grace one last time, Star Swirl. Do not throw it away for Luna who struggles with her identity. We shall meet her in battle, and the Hexumvirate will triumph. Join with me. We can be together. I love you.”

“You love the idea of possessing me, Lianari. But a creature like you does not know what love truly is.”

Lianari turned her back on Star Swirl, tears of black ichor streaming down her face. Star Swirl closed his eyes for a moment before speaking. “Twilight. You and Moondancer escape to the Librarium, and ensure that the memories will reach a future generation. They must know the truth. Go, now!”

The Dragon of Grace turned around, her face ruined by her tears of black while her eyes shone a murderous red glow. “YOU WILL ALL DIE FOR INSOLENCE!” she screamed with the voice of a dragon god. “I OFFER YOU MERCY, AND YOU SPIT IN MY FACE. I OFFER YOU PLEASURE, AND YOU SHOVE IT AWAY! DIE! DIE! DIE!”

“Run!” Moondancer’s scream was the only thing Twilight heard as she galloped away from the Old One as an ear shattering screech rocked the temple. Twilight felt blood running down her ears as her drums were shattered, but as she looked back things were worse. Star Swirl the Bearded became obliterated by the force of the shout, his very form disintegrated as the Arcane Warriors reeled from the shout.

Twilight felt her heart skip a beat as she watched her mentor fall so easily, yet reminded herself that she was in a memory. There was nothing she could do that wasn’t already futile. She watched the end of the Followers in this temple and perhaps the world over until they reemerged as the Chantry. If she did anything, it would be worthless. She could not go against real history.

Now deaf from Lianari’s scream, Twilight could only feel and look her way towards the Librarium while her ears continued to ring. Her hooves moved on their own accord as she galloped next to Moondancer, the memory more blurry than before. When they arrived in the Librarium, Twilight ran over to the special phylactery, horn and sword ablaze with power. She had to complete the phylactery before Lianari’s sorcery finished the job of eliminating them all.

Though the damage to her ears muffled all sounds, Twilight could at least hear herself speak. “I just need a few moments to finish putting our memories into the phylactery,” she said. Twilight turned to Moondancer in hopes of putting her memories in quickly. What she saw was a unicorn whose eyes were wide with shock as she tried to mouth a word.

Splinters formed around Moondancer’s horn while her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Shards of her horn now fell through the cloud floor. Twilight stopped her work on the phylactery, reaching a hoof towards Moondancer. Without her horn, there was no magic. Without magic, the cloudwalking failed, and Moondancer plummeted through the floor.

Twilight felt hot tears stream across her face as she watched her only friend in the memory be taken away from her so suddenly. She gulped as the realization that it would soon happen to her became apparent and turned her focus back on the phylactery.

Yet instead of the phylactery, there were now blurry images of a unicorn in front her. The image had no definition, just fuzz as if her eyes were watery. It spoke, not with one voice, but with the voice of hundreds.

“Before my horn was shattered by Lianari, I put all the memories of Moondancer before my own. All I remember are these days, my final memories. I don’t even remember my name. But I was never important. I wanted her memory to live on, for I loved her. I wanted the Followers of Light to live on, for we were the last.”

“But I have so many questions!” Twilight called out to the memory while the temple became more and more blurred. “I only scratched the surface! I need to know the truth of magic, of the Archdemons, of the Followers!”

“Everything we knew is now yours. You are the first Follower in over two thousand years. My armour and weapons, they are yours. Treat Sophia with respect, for she is a temperamental blade. As the last, I proclaim that you follow the Solar and Lunar Roads. For you are the Arcane Warrior, and through you our teachings will not be forgotten.”

“Thank you… Twilight…”

“Twilight…”

“Twilight…”

“Twilight!”

Twilight awoke with a start as she rubbed her head, a strenuous migraine thudding against her skull. The dull and lifeless phylactery lay on the ground, while her friends stood over her. “How long was I out?” Twilight asked as she got to her hooves. She felt felt Spike’s gentle claws hold her steady.

“Twilight, darling, you were out for a few minutes at least.” Twilight balked at Rarity’s words, the memories she encountered in the phylactery rushing back over her. She had seen Star Swirl the Bearded return from the Fade, and his declaration of the fall of Canterlot. She saw Lianari, the Dragon of Grace, end the Followers of Light. Twilight walked over to a spot on the floor and felt fresh tears in her eyes. This was the same place Moondancer fell to her doom, all the life and joy gone in an instant by a petty dragon’s shout.

All her life Twilight had studied and practiced magic, yet little could have prepared her for this discovery. Her journeys had helped her to learn about the world. She had learned of magic wonderful and terrible, but they all went by the same basic rules, that all magic was bound and originated from the Fade In a matter of moments, this world and everything she knew was a lie.

She knew things now. She knew that she had magic within herself, rather than a need to channel the power of the Fade. She knew that sometime in history, someone told the world a lie that shackled the unicorns under the hooves of the Imperium, a lie that followed through into the Chantry.

This new knowledge frightened her, yet she showed nothing but mild annoyance as she shook off her nerves. She would confide the past in her friends later, for now she had to focus on the present and the troubles between the Dalish and the hippogryphs.

“I’ll talk about it when we are out of the temple,” Twilight said, “I’ll be fine.” She turned back to the phylactery. The memory had mentioned that its weapons and armour were hers. The sword felt like a focus similar to her staff. What if…

Twilight’s horn began to glow as she focused on the image of the white and gold armour of the Arcane Warriors. “ARMA,” she said, surprising everypony as her voice reverberated with power. In a flash of light, her dirty and damaged leather armour transformed into the traditional gear of the Followers of Light. A light chest plate covered her torso while a silken cape draped over her shoulders as boots of shining metal formed around her hooves.

Nodding, Twilight spoke again. “GLADIO.” A simple belt formed around her waist, but was more important was the sheathed sword that came with it. Sophia felt right to have to her side, similar to her old staff, yet the sword produced an air of calm around her. She drew the blade and checked the edge, and noticed how the light from the sun reflected off the blade. Twilight smiled, and for the first time since her staff broke, felt whole.

“Whoa…” Rainbow stood agape as she checked Twilight’s new gear over. “How did you… those look epic!”

“When we get out of the Everfree, I’ll tell you everything.”

As they left the Librarium, Fluttershy flew up to the other half of the party, out of breath. “Oh, Twilight, you have to come quickly!” she said, “We found Quick Kill, and he’s taking Applejack, Pinkie and Oghren to see the Matron.”

“All right,” Twilight said, looking at the others. “This could be a trap, but let’s get ready to parlay.” Twilight let Fluttershy take the lead, her confidence rising to new levels. She had never felt so right before, so prepared. She was ready to meet the Matron of the hippogryphs.

---

Chapter 35 - The Sky is Over

Twilight walked the now-familiar paths of the temple as she followed Fluttershy towards the home of the hippogryph matron. The memories from the phylactery gave her uncanny knowledge of the cloud complex, and, as they walked, Twilight noticed they were headed to the room where the Eluvian once rested.

On the way, Twilight saw the body of the mantiskarn the other half of the party had encountered. It had been a foul, corrupted creature cursed by the ponyspawn taint, yet she could feel only pity for it. Hunger had driven the manticore to desperation, and unfortunately it (had) found a meal in the corpse of a ponyspawn.

“It was here that we found Quick Kill and his son,” Fluttershy explained. “Pinkie, Applejack, and Oghren should be in the Matron’s chamber now.”

They approached the cloud door to the Eluvian chamber, and watched as the clouds drifted open to allow them entry. The rest of the party approached Twilight, with each clamouring to take a good look at Twilight’s new armour.

“Boy howdy, Twilight, those are some impressive duds.” Applejack whistled at the impressive sight before scratching her chin. “Somethin’ about it seems different though. Ah can feel the magic coming off the armour, but it seems different. Cleaner some how. It’s not gettin’ mah anti-magic all persnickity.”

“This temple taught me much in such a short time,” Twilight answered, “It taught me about magic. True magic, not the sorcery unicorns draw from the Fade. I can’t wait to teach you all what I’ve learned, but first, we need to end this conflict. I want to meet this Matron of the Hippogryphs.”

Perched upon clouds surrounding the chamber stood dozens of hippogryphs both young and old. They stared down at the party with trepidation. Unlike the warriors they were familiar with, who were large and powerful, many of the hippogryphs appeared small and frail, as they hid away in the clouds and took cautionary glances at the assembled equines. Many were small children, some eager and some afraid of the ponies.

Quick Kill stood in the center of the chamber where the Eluvian used to sit, his wounds from the battle against the mantiskarn still bandaged and bloodied. Despite this, his fierce presence did not waver as the hippogryph’s leader, and he still looked down at the ponies with barely hidden contempt. He scratched the ground with his talons as he stared down the ponies. While he did not appear happy to receive the ponies as guests rather than on a plate, the rage he had shown in the Everfree was lessened.

It was a start.

“Matron,” he said reverently to the sky. “They have come.”

Twilight looked up and gasped as she saw two streams of the blue sky flow downward. The party made a wide berth around the center of the chamber as the sky streams merged on the impromptu stage until they formed a small tornado. Despite the strange phenomenon, a gentle summer breeze washed over the temple from the twister, and the hot air felt good on Twilight’s coat.

When the tornado stopped, in its place stood a tall pegasus mare the like of which Twilight had never seen. Instead of a coat and mane, this pegasus appeared to be made from the bright summer sky, clear and blue with a few clouds drifting across her skin. Her mane and tail were made from autumn leaves and drifted in an unseen summer wind. While she would have been considered beautiful, she lacked a real definitive face. Without that, Twilight felt disconcerted in dealing with the Matron. How could one speak to a pony who had no eyes or mouth and not feel bothered?

“It has been decades of waiting for this day. To you, honoured guests, I bid you welcome.” Her voice was calm and melodious like chimes in the wind. Quick Kill bristled at her calm, inviting, and not at all murderous words, but said nothing to contradict her greeting.

“I am the Matron of the Sky, caretaker of the hippogryphs, and guardian of the Everfree Forest. I have heard from my young Quick Kill that you are here on Boreas’ orders, to find Notus the Thunder Roc. Before I answer any questions, I ask for forgiveness on behalf of the hippogryphs. They have been cursed with savagery, and as such their initial reaction to threats is to become violent.”

“Not every day ya get asked to give forgiveness to those who try to gut ya,” Applejack said. Twilight stepped forward and looked the Matron in the “face” before bowing.

“We will forgive the hippogryphs and their trespasses against us, but now I ask for you to do the same.” Twilight took a breath to compose herself, her head low. “I regret to inform you that in our skirmish, I was forced to defend myself and take the life of one of your hippogryphs. I beg forgiveness for this act.”

If the Matron was furious, Twilight could not tell on a face that held no emotion. Instead, the Matron looked to Quick Kill, who bristled for a moment before he spoke in a hushed tone. “He was Swift Flight, a young and brash hunter. He knew the risks, as we all do. I hold no ill will to you, pony.”

Twilight let out a sigh of relief. While her conscience was not completely clear, she had at least gained some measure of forgiveness. She took no pride in killing, and felt more confident that she would not have to spill blood in the temple. The Matron nodded to Quick Kill, and turned her attention solely on the party.

“You came seeking the Thunder Roc under the command of Boreas, of this I know,” she said. “But what you do not know, information Boreas has withheld from you, is his true purpose in the Everfree. Every twenty years, since the curse on the hippogryphs had been cast, Boreas would bring his clan of Dalish into the forest and seek out Notus. The two would do battle, and Boreas would emerge the victor using dark magics before he took the essence of the Thunder Roc to heal his aging body. You would not know it by looking at him, but Boreas is well over two hundred years old.”

That was old even by unicorn standards, and unicorns were long-lived. Twilight scrunched her face, puzzled by the Matron’s words, yet it was Dash who spoke up. “So what you’re saying is that Boreas is staying alive and leading his pegasi into danger every time they come into the Everfree?”

“Yes.” The Matron nodded. “Many years ago when he was still young, Boreas’ clan and a rival clan of pegasi fought over the Everfree Forest, as land for the Dalish was sparse and they were hunted down by the Filesians when they occupied Equestria. In a night raid, several enemy clan members ambushed their brethren and slew Boreas’ family. He swore vengeance. To complete his revenge, he used ancient sorcery to create Notus the Thunder Roc and the Curse of Savagery.”

“Together, the curse and Notus made swift work of the rival clan, turning them into the hippogryphs you see before you. To ensure that his curse would not be easily broken, he linked his own life to that of Notus by performing an ancient pegasi ritual known as the Breath of Life. This is one of the most fiercely guarded secrets of all magic, for the Breath of Life could restore life to those near death as well as forge new life, as Boreas did creating Notus.”

“That… that sounds impossible…” Fluttershy’s voice carried an edge of disbelief that the pegasi once held such powerful magic. Twilight could not help but silently agree. The Matron lowered her head.

“It is not an act a single pegasus can accomplish. The Breath of Life can only be harvested once a generation, and only by a collection of Keepers. There are so few Keepers with the knowledge that Boreas holds that he had to find another source of magic. Something unnatural.”

Twilight looked up with realization, yet before she could speak Rainbow interjected again. “How can we trust you? Your hippogryphs never listened to a word we said! They kept trying to kill us at every turn!”

“Yes, spirit. How do these ponies expect to trust the prey they were meant to hunt?” 

Quick Kill growled as he crouched low,ready to pounce towards the newcomer as the other hippogryph warriors screeched their anger. Twilight spun around to see that Boreas walked towards them, a long sword against his side and his faced marred with a scowl.

As she watched Boreas approach, Twilight did not know what to expect from him. Somepony lied to her, yet whether it was the Keeper of the Dalish or the Matron of the hippogryphs, she could not tell. The party gave both Boreas and the Matron a wide berth as the two regarded each other.

“Did you tell them everything, spirit?” Boreas began to pace, his wings open while he grilled the Matron for answers. “Did you tell them about what you were before you took in these savages as your ‘pets’? Do they know that they are speaking with Notus the Thunder Roc himself in this mockery of a pegasus form!?”

Boreas spat and the venom of his words dripped with hatred as he cursed the Matron before him. The winds around Boreas picked up with each shouted word, and they chilled Twilight with their icy gusts. Despite the doubt cast on the Matron, Twilight drew away from Boreas. The way he spoke disturbed her with his words thrown like weapons, and they undermined her efforts for a peaceful resolution.

The Matron bowed her head. “This is true, I’m afraid,” she answered. “It is as Boreas says. I am Notus the Thunder Roc. As the storm destroys the land, so too does the rain heal it. I am the fierce gale that tears apart forests and villages and the kind wind that fills the sails of ships. The aspect of the Matron was my growth. I was never meant to be anything but a tool for Boreas’ revenge. And after generations of hippogryphs passing on their curse made their numbers increase, instead of punishing them with the wind, I cradled them with it. Through them I saw the result of your hatred, Boreas, just as I was. I swore to protect them. To help them grow as a people. Boreas, you are more a father to the hippogryphs than to the Dalish you ‘protect’.”

“That is a lie!” Boreas seethed with rage, his eyes bulging and the veins in his neck growing more defined. “I wanted the hippogryphs to suffer as I did! They deserved to suffer for what they have done! For what they still do! Just as you now deserve to be shackled again, Thunder Roc! You went against my designs, took the hippogryphs as your pets. You even named the savages!”

“Matron! Let us be done with this fool!” Quick Kill snarled despite his injuries and readied himself to leap against Boreas. “He wishes to kill you! We shall defend our matron to the last!”

“Hear me, brothers and sisters! I am Quick Kill, flock leader! Though weakened, still I would fight our enemies! Join me! This pegasus threatens our beloved Matron and protector! How will we answer!?”

The hippogryph warriors all shouted in unison, their anger filled their voices. “With the fury of the storm!”

Twilight watched the exchange as she felt a low growl rumble in her throat. Both Boreas and the hippogryphs refused to listen to reason. Both sides did not want to give peace a chance. Between Boreas, his hatred of the hippogryphs and their hatred for the Dalish, there was no room for anything else. As she looked to the Matron, Twilight could see the conflict in her very body as dark storm clouds drifted across her sky-body as the blue sky appeared to struggle against them.

“Wardens, help me!” Boreas turned to Twilight. “Together, we can defeat the hippogryphs and Notus. Once the savages are gone and the Thunder Roc is brought to heel, the Dalish will be free to help you against the Blight.”

“No.” Twilight’s word was simple, yet filled with contempt for both sides. The others gave her a worried glance as she took a few confident strides in front of Boreas. “I’ve seen enough. I’ve seen two sides that will never reconcile, even in the face of the greatest threat this land has ever seen. I’ve tried to reason that we should try peace, but neither of you will listen. And you know something? I’m tired. I’m not choosing sides again. Fight it out amongst yourselves. I don’t care. Come on girls and Oghren. We’re leaving.”

“Twilight… we can’t just leave them. They’ll destroy each other,” Pinkie begged, but Twilight’s fatigue over the situation brooked no argument. Instead of following Twilight, she moved between Boreas and the hippogryphs.

“Please! Stop fighting! We can fix this! We can make everyone happy!” Pinkie galloped to Boreas side, desperation on her face as she pulled on his armour. “Please, just give talking a chance! I’m really good at talking, I can help you! I can offer courses on the subject! We can have a party with food and games and we can try to be friends and be happy!”

Boreas snarled, then smacked Pinkie away with a hoof. Rainbow drew her dagger as she flared her wings in anger. Twilight’s horn glowed, her sword drawn, and she glared at Boreas while the others stood ready.

“Enough of this,” Boreas hissed, “If you are not my ally then you are my enemy.” He stomped both hooves on the cloud floor, the crackle of arcane energy flashing brightly around his forehead. Twilight averted her eyes, yet as the magical energy swirled around Boreas, she felt the familiar energy of a dangerous weapon she had not sensed since Red Apple Castle.

On Boreas’ forehead stood a false horn, small sparks of demonic energy breaking off from the appendage. It was much more powerful than the false horn Applebloom had on her head, and unlike her, the Keeper was not possessed by a demon. No, the lack of corruption could only mean that he had taken on the horn willingly. This only made Boreas even more monstrous, and even more deadly to deal with.

“There are other spirits of the wind besides you, Notus!” Boreas shouted, and his false horn blazed with power. “I have found spirits much stronger than you! Spirits of the mighty north winds! They will freeze you all to the bone!”

He opened his mouth, and Twilight stood agape as monstrosities of wind escaped from within him. They grew larger as they galloped around the Eluvian Chamber, massive ponies made from frigid winds. Everything about them was as cold as winter, from their frozen manes to their icy hooves, yet their radiant eyes frightened her.

Twilight grimaced as she felt powerful magic permeate off the bodies of the wind horses. They were not spirits as Boreas knew them, but the familiar presence of demons from the Fade. As three of the creatures stood near Boreas, Twilight’s mind raced. There were five classes of demons: rage, hunger, sloth, desire, and pride. They had fought and defeated them all. Yet this was a new form of demon, and Twilight did not know what horrified her most. That she now encountered a new demon for the first time…

Or that this was a sign that the demons of the Fade were growing even more powerful for the first time in generations.

Boreas pointed a threatening hoof at Pinkie Pie, his eyes lost in his own frenzy. “You will be the first. Your kind is no better than these savages! Wherever the Dalish stopped, earth ponies would bring their soldiers to watch us and harass us! They thought us thieves and vagabonds when all we wanted was to be left alone! This will be my message to all who fight against me! Windigos, spirits of the north wind! Remember! Show these fools your power!”

One of the windigos reared on its hooves and charged towards Pinkie before it turned into a stream of cold air. Twilight tried to raise a shield, but the windigo moved too fast as it flooded into Pinkie’s mouth. She choked as the windigo entered her lungs, her hooves clasped at her throat in an effort to open airways. She suffocated as the windigo stole the very air from her lungs.

“Let her go!” Rainbow shouted, and dove towards Boreas, only to be rebuffed by a blast of cold wind. The other windigos blocked her path, all the while everypony else surrounded Pinkie. Twilight and Rarity worked their magic to ward off the windigo to no avail, and not even Applejack’s anti-magic could remove the creature. The demon’s magic proved too powerful and alien to the two unicorns, the wispy nature of the creature easily evading their efforts.

Pinkie fell to her side, her eyes closed as small wisps of cold wind streamed from her mouth and back into a windigo. Her body stilled, and as Twilight moved to check on Pinkie, her horrors were confirmed. Pinkie did not breathe, and her body sunk into the clouds. Rarity’s horn glowed as she frantically tried to catch Pinkie’s body. Rainbow scrambled over to Pinkie’s side as the body was held in levitation.

“Pinkie… no…” Rainbow held onto Pinkie’s hoof, and tried to find a pulse before she pressed her hooves onto Pinkie’s chest. “Come on… breathe… This isn’t funny, Pinkie! This is a totally lame prank! Just open your eyes, laugh, make a joke… anything!”

Rarity shook her head as she wept, yet her spell held strong over the body. “I can’t feel anything. No pulse, no breath… she’s gone.”

“No!” Rainbow shook in denial as she held Pinkie close to her. “She can’t be gone! She had so much to live for, and I was going to help her! What about the Blight, Pinkie? We still have to save Equestria from the ponyspawn. Don’t you want to be a hero? And the party you were gonna have when we won. With all your friends? That can’t happen without the party pony in charge of making it. What about Geldwall, and finding your family? They’re waiting for you, Pinkie. Your mom and your sisters, what am I gonna tell them? We were supposed to go on adventures together. Please, Pinkie! Wake up! Wake up…”

Twilight rubbed the tears out of her eye as she shivered, only to feel her hoof touch cold ice on her face. In their grief, the party was too distracted to notice what the windigos concocted, all three of them galloped in a circle high above the ceiling of the Eluvian chamber. From their demonic magics came a terrible blizzard that blasted hippogryph and pony alike with frigid winds. Several hippogryphs took flight to attack the windigos, only to fail. Their talons swiped at nothing but air. The windigos laughed, a ghastly alien noise, before one of their number washed over a hippogryph warrior, his wings frozen solid. He plummeted into the cloud temple floor and then right through them towards the surface of the Everfree Forest.

Behind her, Twilight could hear the low rumble of thunder resonate. She turned to see the Matron’s wings at full spread and extended outward, the clouds in her form grey and ominous. Her face was more defined as a beak jutted outwards, and eyes in the shape of electrical orbs flashed open. Soon she ceased her appearance as a pony entirely, instead now as her true form as a giant eagle of a thunderhead.

The Thunder Roc roared, and a violent crash of thunder reverberated throughout the chamber. The Matron, so filled with fury, had transformed into her violent personality, and now the thunderstorm of Notus challenged the blizzard of Boreas.

Rainbow stood up while Rarity continued to hold the body of Pinkie in a blue aura. As Rainbow drew her dagger, Twilight could see that she visibly trembled; not from the cold of the windigos, but from a pent-up rage as Rainbow tried to breathe through her nose. Her eyes opened into a look that made Twilight slightly sorry for the reckoning she was about to commit.

“Murderer!” Rainbow approached slowly, her wing beats violent as she made her way towards Boreas with violent intent. “All she wanted was for you to stop fighting! And you just killed her! My friend!”

“Be silent, traitor!” Boreas shouted, “You would rather join these shem in trying for a futile peace with savages than stand with your own people! You deserve to die as much as the rest of them! Windigos! Spirits of the north wind! Come to—“

“I’LL KILL YOU!” Boreas was unable to complete his command as Rainbow flashed forward with incredible speed. The fallen Keeper drew his sword with his teeth and narrowly deflected a lethal stab. The two clashed in the air before Rainbow swung her hind legs and kicked Boreas square in the chest. The blow sent him flying out into the halls of the cloud temple.

With Boreas and Rainbow locked in battle, Twilight could turn her attention to the windigos. Many of the non-warrior hippogryphs were caught in the icy blasts from the blizzard and huddled close in fear while the warriors did their best to cover families with their wingspans. Quick Kill crouched low, shivering as he tried to cover his son within his wings. He looked up at Twilight through the winter storm, and instead of the usual savage nature in his eyes, he gave a look that pleaded for help.

“Rarity… let Fluttershy take care of… of Pinkie.” Twilight swallowed. She couldn’t bear to call it her corpse. Not yet. Fluttershy’s arrows would be useless in the fight anyways, as the windigos proved impervious to conventional weapons.

Twilight took a breath before she continued. “Oghren, help evacuate the hippogryphs away from the chamber. Applejack, Rarity, with me. Our magic and Silverbite should be able to hurt the windigos.”

“Let’s do this!” Applejack reared on her hooves and drew Silverbite from its sheath. “For Pinkie!”

“For Pinkie Pie!” Rarity yelled. She glared upwards as her horn and her staff crackled with electricity.

Sword and horn glowed in unison as Twilight pulled a large tuft of cloud for the three to ride on as they ascended to the sky. The demons outmaneuvered Notus with their small size and quick movements. They galloped in the air as easily as they would a dirt path.

Twilight stood next to Applejack and Rarity on their cloud and felt her magic pour from within herself to propel the cloud upward. Weapons ready, Twilight could only urge the cloud faster as they watched the Thunder Roc continue to be battered by the windigos’ blizzard. As they got closer, the windigos turned to face them. Their hooves thundered upon the sky with the frozen winds stormed behind them.

All three of the windigos passed through the ponies, and Twilight took in a sharp intake of air as she felt their frozen bodies pass over her. Her teeth chattered ceaselessly as she felt her body grow numb from the cold. Another pass like that, and they would all die from the chill.

Rarity’s horn crackled again before she sent out a glyph that hung in midair behind them. The windigos crashed into the glyph, electicity stunning the demons as they wailed in pain. “C-can’t k-k-keep this up,” Rarity said through her shivers.

“At least we know they c-can be hurt by sp-spells.” Twilight’s sword spun in place, a rune drawn in the air before beams of arcane power fired from the magical script. Each beam pierced through Rarity’s glyph and slammed against the demons’ chests and caused another chorus of pain. Despite the magical attacks, the windigos pushed through the glyph and resumed their charge.

Applejack stepped to the edge of the cloud. “They’re demons of hate, right?” she said, repeating Twilight’s thoughts as to the source of the demon’s power. “We need to separate ‘em! Together they’re too strong! Ah got an idea!”

With a leap, Applejack jutted her sword outward, her blade ready to strike. Twilight watched in disbelief at the reckless move Applejack made, only to wince as Silverbite sunk into the “hide” of a windigo. The creature howled with icy winds and pain-filled screams, and its body shifted in and out of existence as Silverbite continued to rend it.

The plan worked too well. The windigo shrieked as it charged towards Applejack, its hooves clamoured on clouds as she waited for an opportunity to avoid another frozen assault and perhaps counterstrike again.

The windigo reared on its hind legs and charged Applejack. It moved to trample her under its hooves, before the demon stopped in front of Applejack and opened its maw. A torrent of icy air and snow blasted forth and tossed Applejack to her side, her hat blown away to a corner of the room. Her armour froze from the frigid cold, and Applejack felll to her knees.

“Applejack!” Rarity leapt from the cloud and in front of Applejack, her form shifting in midair to the shape and size of a large bear. With Rarity in front of the windigo, she took the brunt of its icy attack. The windigo snickered after it ceased, and sauntered towards Rarity as she transformed back into a pony.

“Are you all right, dear?” Rarity said through haggard breaths. “Can you get up?”

“Ah’m fine,” Applejack grumbled. “Takes more than a winter wind to keep this farm pony down. But how are we gonna get close to that critter to take him down?!”

Two shouts rang out from behind them, a signal for the oncoming assault from Oghren with Spike on his back. “Remember what I taught ya, Spike!” Oghren called. “Give ‘em your war cry! Cry havoc and all that sodding crap!”

Spike leaped from Ogrhen’s back before he tumbled on the ground, his firebrand sword in his grasp. With a deep breath, Spike breathed streams of viridian flames at the windigo, and the demon recoiled at the sight of fire. The windigo howled its terror at the flames, and its hoof stomped down towards Spike, only to be tossed off balance by a lightning bolt to its side.

The windigo sputtered for a moment before it turned its ire completely on Rarity. It moved slowly for a moment as its injuries took their toll on the windigo’s body, until it formed a stream of cold air. The same stream the demons used to suffocate Pinkie Pie. Now it surged towards Rarity and aimed to do the same.

“I’ve been a victim too many times for my liking, you brute!” Rarity’s horn sparked to life as she channeled another glyph around the wisp form of the windigo. Electricity danced along the lines of the glyph as it forced the windigo back into its equine form. The demon screeched as the glyph kept it trapped and left it wide open for attack.

“Spike, Applejack! Now’s the time!” Rarity pointed her staff at the windigo, a continuous bolt of lightning striking it in the chest. “Hit that wretch where it hurts!”

The warriors spared no time in their joint attack. Spike clambered aboard Applejack’s back, and both of their swords were poised and ready as the trapped windigo struggled against the glyph that bound it to the floor. As the two approached, Applejack found the wound she had made with Silverbite and thrust the sword back into it. Spike followed suit, and his fire sword sliced through the ethereal flesh of the windigo.

The demon of hate roared in agony as the magic of the two swords worked their way inside it. The magic tore it apart from within. Cracks formed all along its hide as flames burst open and began to consume it. The windigo scrambled to escape Rarity’s glyph and failed, and it was soon engulfed in flames. Nothing but a glyph was left in its wake.

High above her friends and their battle, Twilight stood alone on her makeshift cloud skiff and propelled it with her magic as she was chased by the other two windigos. Her teeth clenched, Twilight pushed her magic to its limits as she felt the cold blasts of air from their mouths snap against her flanks. Twilight grimaced as she willed her sword to cut through the roof of the Eluvian chamber. This opened the room to the sunshine as well as freeing both her and Notus to fight in the open sky.

And fight the Thunder Roc did, as he took one of the windigos in his talons and flung it far into the sky, and he soared on wings of thunder and lightning. High above the surface world, Twilight turned to see a furious hate demon gallop through the air, the sky like a road for it. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she twirled her sword in front of her, ready for a fight.

“For Pinkie.” Twilight held her breath as she channeled the magic of the Arcane Warriors through her body and felt the magic from within her empower her. Already she felt stronger and faster with her inner magic, rather than the constant struggle to control the magic of the Fade. Her body glowed faintly, and a small buckler of pure magic shimmered into existence next to her. She was ready.

The windigo charged on hooves of ice, nostrils blasting cold air as it galloped towards her. With a thought, Twilight forced the cloud into movement, her hooves planted firmly on the nimbus as it sped off towards her adversary. Twilight felt her heart beat rapidly as she rushed the windigo. She was several leagues above the surface of the world, locked in combat with a previously unknown species of demon with magic unknown to unicorns in millennia.

No pressure.

With a shout, Twilight sent Sophia through the air. Its razor blade sought out the windigo while her horn peppered the air with beams of magical power. The windigo, a demon of wind, moved swiftly in the air and dodged her sword and arcane barrage while answering in kind with a cone of cold magic from its mouth.

Twilight shrieked as the cold air seared into her skin, well beneath her armour and fur. Once she shook off the ice, Twilight countered as her sword whirled in a death blossom. With the sword as a distraction, she attacked the windigo under the cover of her shield. The violet energy around the blade cut into the otherwise non-corporeal entity.

The windigo howled as Sophia left marks on its flesh. The slash wounds glowed and appeared to crack along its body. With a snort, the windigo stopped its pursuit of Twilight and instead began to run around in circles, a blizzard quickly forming with the wind and ice. Twilight halted her charge and stood back, waiting to see what the windigo would do, while she cast simple spells to summon orbs of violet energy.

A low noise rumbled from the whirlwind of snow and ice, the sound of a malicious laugh from the twister. In the eye of the storm, the windigo continued to laugh as it resumed its charge, the hurricane carried along by its demonic magics. Large, sharp icicles spun in a flurry of blades, and Twilight felt her confidence drain at the sight of the storm.

With force of her will, the orbs of energy flew towards the windigo and slammed into the blades of ice. The demon paid no heed to the shards and continued its gallop as a cruel smile formed on its lips. It had caught its quarry, and Twilight had few options save one.

With a stomp of her hoof and full exertion of her magic, Twilight urged the cloud to widen the gap between her and the windigo. Her mind raced for some means to combat her foe, but as the windigo grew gradually closer, her thoughts shifted from “combat” to “survival”. She could feel the winds lash against her body, and it took all her willpower just to keep her sword afloat. The blade deflected sharp icicles as the windigo drew closer.

Twilight grimaced as her cloud platform was caught in the windigo’s icestorm. She had only just raised a shield in time to protect herself.  Every blow against her barrier racked her bones with pain. A sudden drop in temperature made her shiver when she looked up into the eyes of the windigo. She now appraised the true size of the demon and found herself face to face with an equine of massive proportions, compared to her or any other. Its long snout snorted streams of cold wind, while its large, radiant eyes leered at her.

The monster cackled in triumph, lifted its hooves, and smashed them against Twilight’s shield; its immense strength took Twilight by surprise. She lifted her sword to attack in an all or nothing strike. Sophia hummed to life with a purple glow as it sliced through one of the windigo’s forelegs, and the demon gave a great shout of pain as the portion below its knee came clean off.

The windigo did not take kindly to being hobbled and thrashed on its last legs before a powerful kick bashed Twilight’s chest. The strike was one of the stiffest Twilight had ever felt. The wind rushed out of her as she was knocked off her cloud platform.

No! Twilight struggled in disbelief as she plummeted helplessly towards the ground. Not like this!

Out of the cloud temple came a brown speck that hurtled towards Twilight. She squinted for a moment before her eyes widened. Quick Kill flew towards her at full speed despite his wounds from the mantiskarn, and soon she found herself caught in his talons as gently as he could, almost cradled in his forelimbs compared to the last time she was lifted away by a hippogryph.

“Perhaps...” Quick Kill said through great effort. “Perhaps we give peace a chance after all. If you ponies could stand with us even though we were your enemies, perhaps there is something to learn from you after all. Perhaps.”

“First things first,” Twilight replied, “those windigos won’t give us that opportunity. We have to send them back to the Fade!”

“Your friends already slew one. Get your sword. We will only have one chance for this!”

Twilight climbed onto Quick Kill’s back and wrapped her hooves around his neck while Sophia floated to her side. With a determined look, both hippogryph and Grey Warden flew with incredible speed towards the windigo. The demon watched in surprise and began to channel its dark magic in creating another hurricane of sleet. Twilight winced as she felt the winds whip across her face but kept her focus on the windigo.

“Get ready to jump when we are near!” Quick Kill shouted through the torrential air around them. “I will distract it! Use your magic to finish it off, and then I will catch you!”

If somepony had told her that plan an hour ago, she would have called them completely stark raving mad. She was on the back of a hippogryph who just yesterday had tried to kill her and her friends and now asked for trust. At worst, she would miss and give the windigo the opportunity to counter attack or simply fall to her doom.

“All right,” Twilight said, “Let’s do this.”

Without a moment of hesitation, Twilight pulsed with the magical knowledge of the Arcane Warriors, her body fueled by her inner magic as she leapt off the back of Quick Kill. Her sword held tight in her magic, Twilight felt the winds of the windigo’s storm lash across her armour and exposed fur without a twitch. If Twilight had ever needed total concentration, it was now.

The windigo whinnied as it opened its mouth to unleash another deadly cone of cold. Twilight reacted with speed as her horn exploded with light, a violet flare blinding the windigo and sending its head upward in pain. The neck was completely exposed.

With a downward slash in the air, she watched as Sophia cut cleanly straight through, leaving a cauterized mark where the blade severed the head. The windigo went silent as its head was separated from its shoulders. The remains dissipated into the ether.

Once again, Twilight found herself in freefall, only to be scooped up in the talons of Quick Kill. Once she was safely on his back again, Twilight felt the faintest amount of satisfaction in her chest as she watched the final windigo challenge Notus. Together, they could hold off the great eagle without many worries. Now that there was only one, the Thunder Roc could tear apart the windigo at his pleasure.

With a cry of thunder, Notus opened his beak wide, a bolt of lightning arced from his gullet towards the windigo, and the creature was fully engulfed in electricity. The demon roared in agony as it fell from the skies as smoke trailed from its ruined body. With a flap of massive wings, Notus soared towards the windigo, its body turned so talons would strike.

Twilight winced as she saw the talons of Notus sink into the body of the windigo, as she remembered all too well when she was caught in a similar grip. With a screech, Notus began to pull his talons away from each other as the windigo struggled to be free from the clutch. The fight was in vain as the Thunder Roc continued to pull the windigo in two, the last cries of the demon evaporating into the air just as easily as the body did.

The battle was over and the enemy was banished back into the Fade. Still, Rainbow and Boreas were unaccounted for, and they had paid for their attempt at peace dearly. Twilight could already feel tears welling in her eyes at Pinkie’s memory when she heard an explosion detonate high above her. Both Twilight and Quick Kill looked up to see a cascade of colour flood towards them.

Rainbow clenched her teeth as she and Boreas fell through the cloud wall of the temple into the corridors and lifted a hoof for a punch. She cursed as Boreas tilted his head to the side and her hoof collided with the cloud. He slammed his hind hooves into her chest in retaliation. Rainbow skidded onto the corridor floor, and her body crashed into the enchanted alabaster stone.

She needed to widen the gap between her and Boreas, get him into open air where she could fight effectively, and make sure he did not go back to help his windigo monstrosities against her friends. Rainbow had already lost Pinkie to the murderer; he would not be killing any more. Not as long as she drew breath.

Rainbow sunk her hooves into the clouds under a segment of stone, and she felt the tingle of the innate pegasi power of cloudcrafting as she split the clouds apart. She opened a hole within the clouds that allowed her to see the ground below the temple. Boreas charged, sword in his mouth and the crackle of magic on his false horn. The leader of the Dalish clan was powerful and had more options, Dash realized.

With a smirk, Rainbow dove into the hole she made, narrowly dodging Boreas’ sword as she hid beneath the stone work. She twisted her body around in the clouds, though this proved to be a challenge. The clouds were thicker than Rainbow was used to, but she was able to pop out again and grab Boreas around the neck, then pull him down the hole with her. Dagger in her mouth, Rainbow moved to finish this with a quick stab to his neck. It was too merciful for what Boreas had done, and Rainbow wanted little more than to make him suffer for the pain he had inflicted on Pinkie.

Her distracted mind gave Boreas an opportunity. His horn glowed with pale light, and the air around the two pegasi chilled with haste. Rainbow felt the sting of sudden cold against her wings and forced herself to kick Boreas away. They were now under the temple, the sunset’s glare in the distance. Rainbow pressed the advantage while Boreas shielded his eyes from the light.

Celestia’s finally with me, if literally. Rainbow narrowed her eyes before she pumped her wings against the air. She sped off toward Boreas with her dagger clenched tight in her mouth and aimed for one of his eyes. The taste of a leather hilt in her mouth was a familiar one, but never had she tasted it like this. Never had she wanted to use her blade with such intent as she did now. Not since the day her mother died.

Boreas growled, his false horn ablaze again as the wind picked up around her. The winds grew cold around Rainbow, and she slowed down considerably as Boreas readied his sword for a counterstrike. He propelled himself forward on his wings, aided by his arctic winds, and brought his sword straight for Rainbow’s chest.

Rainbow banked left as an emergency maneuver, only to just catch the edge of his blade as it tore into her armour and flesh. Blood flowed from her wounded leg as she curved her trajectory away from Boreas. She increased her altitude as quickly as possible, with her teeth grinding from the wound as she flew near the temple. She heard the crackle of magic behind her.

Boreas summoned another gust of wind that left Rainbow at another disadvantage. She needed to do something that would keep her momentum strong and steady in the wake of a created storm. Rainbow’s mind clicked as she turned to face Boreas. With a smirk, Rainbow pointed herself towards her enemy in a downward dive, her wings locked together to allow gravity to do the work.

Her timing had to be just right for this work. Her spins became faster and faster as she free-fell towards Boreas, and winced only slightly as she felt Boreas’ cold winds lash against her body. Despite the gale, her body kept spinning in perfect motion. Boreas’ eyes widened before Rainbow’s hooves collided with his chin.

With a cry, Boreas dropped his sword and spun out of the way. He cradled his bruised jaw while Rainbow regained control of the skies. Without a moment of hesitation, Rainbow sped through the sky towards the stunned Boreas. She sheathed her dagger and hurtled towards him. She wanted this moment for herself.

Rainbow dove towards Boreas and grappled with him in midair, beating her wings to lift both of them upwards. Boreas struggled against Rainbow’s grip, only to be met with a stiff hit from her right hoof. She continued to pummel Boreas as she made her ascent. For once, Rainbow focused on something else rather than flying: the punishment of Pinkie’s murderer.

“Pinkie’s gone because of you,” Rainbow growled, loud enough for Boreas to hear despite the turbulence of their ascension, yet low enough to let her ire known. “You blamed her for something some earth ponies did to you, just like you blamed the hippogryphs for the crimes of their ancestors!”

“Sins of the father must be punished!” Boreas yelled. “I hate them all, and my hatred has made me strong! The hippogryphs who slaughtered my children! The unicorns who destroyed our once noble and powerful kingdoms! The earth ponies that to this day subjugate and belittle our kind! You stand with them... now die with all of them!”

Boreas proved stronger than Rainbow expected, twisting Rainbow around in mid-flight and following up with a strong punch to her face. Rainbow shouted at the strike, feeling blood trickle down her snout. Though Boreas fought back, he was still caught in Rainbow’s clinch.

Both pegasi continued their ascension high above the clouds, with Rainbow responding to the punch with a head-butt to Boreas’ nose. Her headache lasted only for a moment as a smirk formed on her lips once she saw the once proud Dalish Keeper stunned by such a brutal yet efficient attack.

In any other context, Rainbow would have enjoyed herself immensely. She was above a world that gave her little but cruelty and sorrow, soaring higher and faster than most pegasi could ever dream. Yet as she looked to the stunned foe in her clutches, she reminded herself of everything she had gained since returning from Pura Raza. She had friends, true friends. They offered mercy she did not deserve. They offered compassion and understanding she did not expect. Most of all, they offered her the joys of friendship she had not felt in years.

Boreas’ irrational hate had taken one of those friends away from her. Pinkie Pie was the one who stood up for Rainbow, not because she was useful as an assassin, but out of true mercy. Rainbow owed everything to Pinkie, from her life to a new purpose. They were supposed to go to Geldwall together, two friends trying to find Pinkie’s lost family. All of that was gone too soon.

Rainbow was going to make Boreas pay.

High above the temple and the world at large, Rainbow ceased their collective ascent to take a look down below. The battle against the windigos was over. Twilight and Quick Kill somehow worked together to finish one off while Notus tore another in two. While she was unsure on the fate of the third, Rainbow had faith her friends had taken care of it. Now was the time to rub Boreas’ defeat in his face.

“I want you to take a good look at the sky, Boreas,” Rainbow said, her voice calm despite her anger. “One last look before we go down. Way down.”

Boreas mumbled some sort of spell or curse, his false horn crackling with energy in an attempt to cast a spell. Rainbow punched his snout again and broke his concentration as well as a few more bits of cartilage. With one last flap of her wings to turn their position, she was now pointed down to the ground. It was now or never. It was now time for Boreas to feel what rage really hurt like.

Holding Boreas close to her disgusted her, but it was necessary. Flapping her wings as hard as she could muster, Rainbow’s velocity increased with every moment. She could feel the wind ripping by her, her mane lashing back and forth in the turbulence. In a moment like this, she would have said this was her destiny. To fly higher and to fly faster than any pegasus ever.

Only one thought filled her mind. The only thing that mattered, no matter who it was for.

“For Pinkie Pie, you son of a bitch.”

She could feel herself at terminal velocity, a wind tunnel surrounding her and Boreas as they continued to hurtle downwards. Boreas’ eyes were wide as saucers as he looked around at the sky rushing past him. “What are you doing!?” His voice shook with fear, yet Rainbow paid him no heed. “Are you insane?! This is impossible! You’ll die as well!”

Rainbow ignored him, repeating her oath to make Boreas pay over and over until she felt it. To those on the outside, it sounded like an explosion. To Rainbow, it was a simple pop in her ears. Deep down, she felt liberated.

A wave of colour burst from Rainbow’s body, filling the sky with the chromatic spectrum as she sped away from the temple. Boreas felt the full impact of the explosion of sound and light as he was let go from Rainbow’s clutch and sent careening towards the cloud temple. Rainbow looked back in surprise, her body creating a stream of colour behind her as she flew at the fastest speeds she ever dreamed of achieving.

To an athlete like her, this would have been the greatest moment of her life to share with her friends. All of them.

Rainbow’s adrenaline rush wore thin, and her flight ceased before gravity take over. Before the situation dawned that she fell to her doom, Rainbow felt herself land on a warm cloud, speeding off in the direction of the sky temple. When she looked down, she found herself on the back of Notus, the Thunder Roc’s great wings stretching far to her sides as the pain of her injuries settled in.

“Thanks,” Rainbow croaked. A low rumble of thunder echoed from within the Thunder Roc in response. They flew downward together in silence while Rainbow saw Twilight and Quick Kill return to the temple. Notus did not return immediately, however. Instead, he dove towards the still-falling Boreas. With one outstretched talon, Notus caught Boreas in mid-air, and left a confused and bitter Rainbow wondering what the point of her duel was if Notus went out of his way to save his hated enemy.

They glided down towards the temple, Rainbow looking down to see Twilight arrive just before her. They all looked battered and chilled from the windy attacks of the demons, and as Rainbow jumped from the back of Notus onto the cloud temple, she crumbled to the ground on her damaged leg. Her wound was deeper than she thought, and walking made her legs sting.

Notus unceremoniously tossed the weakened Boreas to the floor, standing perched on the center dais. His eyes of lightning peered down on Boreas, the sound of distant thunder from the Thunder Roc’s throat a sign of his displeasure. Boreas crawled away from the eyes of Notus, his swollen eye and broken snout leaving him a bloody mess on the floor.

Rainbow turned away from Boreas and dragged herself to her friends. The adrenaline rush from battle had worn off for everypony, all of them now tired from the fight and from the loss of their friend. They all stood around the body of Pinkie being kept aloft by Rarity’s magic, her face appearing uncharacteristically serene in the white glow of magic. Rainbow fell to her knees and took Pinkie in her forelegs in a tight embrace. Unable to contain her grief, her tears opened like floodgates, her wracked sobs echoing in the temple.

---

Chapter 36 - Breathe

Trixie would never have believed that rocks could sulk unless they were crafted into a statue portraying such emotion. And yet, in a feat defying all previously logical thought regarding inanimate pebbles and stones, Shale the golem sat across from her and sulked like a foal who just had their favorite treat yanked from their hooves. And if Shale did not pout, then she complained in a near-endless tirade. It was odd to think that Shale acted like a spoiled foal thanks to a lack of combat against constant enemies.

“Accursed striped pony-thing,” Shale muttered. “I thought she was smart, and smart ponies do smart things to overcome such irrelevant discrepancies as ‘being made of stone’. I may not have a digestive tract, but I do have feelings. And right now I am feeling left out and very, very bored.”

One thing that gave Trixie the shakes was the prospect of a bored Shale deciding to go on a rampage simply for kicks. When Sparkle and friends returned from the cloud temple, they were very likely to return to a leveled Everfree Forest if Shale continued to be in the mood it was in. She had to act quick.

“Shale,” Trixie said in an attempt to give Shale something else to think about. “What are you going to do after we defeat the Blight?”

That question seemed to give Shale pause. She looked at Trixie for a moment with her rocky mouth grinding in thought. Her hooves scraped against the ground. Trixie raised an eyebrow as Shale mulled her question over. Not since Cairidan’s death had Shale been so silent. Such calm proved refreshing, yet it also unnerved Trixie. When Shale became silent and focused, things often became paste under her hooves.

“An interesting question,” she said at last. “I suppose I have not really thought of it much. Mostly been concerned with staying with magical Twilight and stomping any ponyspawn I could find. But now that you bring it up…”

Shale became quiet again for another moment, then looked up at the temple before speaking. “I am free, boastful Trixie. With my freedom I decided to join your group in glorious combat. But what happens when the battles end? What is my purpose? What is my goal? I could go down into the Dark Tunnels and crush ponyspawn there. Yet…”

“You, boastful Trixie.” Trixie straightened up in surprise as Shale addressed her. “What do you plan to do after the Blight is defeated thanks to my superior fighting prowess?”

“I asked you first, you pile of rubble,” Trixie scoffed.

“I’m bigger than you.”

Trixie could only concede to that point. She took a breath, then answered Shale. “I’ve been thinking about Dinky Doo lately, after the close calls we’ve had since we stopped travelling with them.”

“Ah yes, the grey filly who helped wake me up.” Shale turned her gaze to the east, an expression of fond recollection vaguely hinted in her voice.

Trixie continued. “She was my apprentice for a good five days, but when she and her mother left for Amarethine, I’ve thought about how those five days really… opened my eyes. I was supposed to be a teacher when I finally achieved the rank of enchanter in the tower, but all I really did was yell at the foals I taught.”

“I suppose I want to go back to the Tower once we win. Start over. Give the younger generation the knowledge and wisdom of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” The thought of having an apprentice again warmed Trixie. She missed the time she had spent with Dinky, even if it was for a little while. When she returned to the Tower, she promised herself she would teach magic the correct way to the young ones.

“Interesting,” Shale said. “I suppose that’s fair enough for an answer. I’ll consider travelling for a bit. See the sights, meet things that deserve a good pounding and such. Eventually I will need a home to call my own afterwards though. I’ve also considered… other options...”

Trixie blinked. Did she hear hesitation Shale’s voice? Her eyebrows raised at this development. “You’ve considered…?”

“Becoming a donkey again! There, I said it.” Shale stood up to her imposing height and began to pace frantically. “I don’t know why! After learning who I was, regaining my memories, it just made sense. Something within me saying I should become a donkey again. I don’t know why I want to become a fleshy meatbag again. It just seems… like the end of a journey into a new one. I have no idea if it is even possible, though. Powerful magic through lyrium crafting went into making donkeys golems.”

Trixie stroked her chin for a moment and took her time to give an answer. She did her best at keeping her emotions hidden. The thought of Shale going off into the world all alone… scared her. They travelled together for so long that she grew accustomed to the golem’s face, voice, and even her jibes. She felt a comfort in the rumble of the ground whenever Shale walked. The idea of Shale leaving…

She opened her mouth to speak but fell silent. Trixie had an idea, but it was silly and Shale would never agree. Perhaps she would even become offended by such. How could somepony as Great and Powerful like her make such an offer to Shale?

Take a lesson of friendship from Sparkle’s book, she told herself, just ask.

“Shale, if you feel so inclined… you could always stay at the Tower. There are lots of books and such from as far as the Imperium. I’m sure we could find out how to restore your donkey body.”

“And why would you offer me a place in that stuffy old Tower?” Trixie winced at Shale’s words, even though she expected them. For a golem made of blunt stones, she had an incredibly sharp tongue.

Trixie took a deep breath. “Because you’re my friend.”

Shale looked down on Trixie for a moment before nodding. “So we are, Great and Powerful Trixie. So we are.”

A loud explosion shook the ground around them, and both turned their eyes towards the sky. Trixie’s mouth went wide in awe as she saw a wave of prismatic colours soar through the sky. She had never seen such a display like this before, yet as she watched, her lips curled into a smile. Twilight and her friends must have faced opposition in the temple, and that was as much a sign of victory as anything. Deep down, she knew this to be true.

“By the Stone…” Shale said in wonder. Trixie could only agree.

***

Notus shrouded his body with his massive wings and the summer storms eased into a gentle breeze as the Matron took his place. The pegasus of the clouds looked on at the mourning ponies, who stood around Rainbow and the fallen Pinkie. Rainbow turned to the Matron who approached them, and a hoof crafted from the sky wiped away Rainbow’s tears. Rainbow did not speak, choosing to stay still and give Pinkie’s mane tender strokes. Boreas laid defeated on the floor and groaned as pain wracked his body.

Where at first she felt rage for his actions, Twilight could now only look at Boreas of the Winds with disdain. Now a shell of his proud self in the Everfree, his gazed was filled not with the hatred for the Matron and her hippogryphs, but of despair over his actions. For a moment Twilight thought she could see regret in those eyes that held such hate only a moment before.

“Look upon your work, Boreas, and tell me... tell us all you still do this for the good of the Dalish. For the good of pegasi everywhere.” The Matron stood up and walked towards Boreas, her voice calm yet undercut with frustration. “Did this pony do anything wrong to you? Did she deserve your fury? Does your heart burn only to hate still?”

Boreas turned one good eye upward towards the Matron. “I am too old,” he replied. “Too old to change my ways. I still remember the faces of my family as they lay still in my hooves. How the clans fought over the cursed forest of the Everfree, how the earth ponies shoved us aside and did not help us when we starved at the gates of their castles. I hated them all. I wanted them to suffer as I did.”

“Boreas, the Dalish you cursed as hippogryph monsters are long passed from this world. The ones under my care now are true hippogryphs, a people in their own right. Your hatred deceived you. You were scared and angered, and those formed into fury. Your hatred has brought untold suffering. I am to blame as well. When the Thunder Roc ruled my personalities, I held untold hatred for you, my creator. I was made for one purpose; to keep the hippogryphs shackled by their savagery, and I hated you for this.”

The Matron lowered her hoof towards Boreas. “But the hippogryphs learned to overcome their savage nature, and I studied this intently in hopes to become a protector to them. Your curse faded a long time ago, Boreas. Only our shared hatred and desire for suffering remained. They have families of their own now, Boreas. Families they love and cherish just as any other pegasus does. Do you want the cycle to continue? Do you want to be the cause of more orphans and widows? Or shall we, in one final moment between us, go against our set ways and embrace peace?”

Boreas turned away the Matron and sobbed. The truth revealed, Twilight could see Boreas shiver and wrap his wounded wings against his body, not to protect against the cold, but to feel some semblance of warmth in the revelations of his own crimes. “You put me to shame, Matron of the Everfree. I… will end everything. Our war. Our hate. I will make it right.”

As Boreas stood up tall, both leaders looked each other in the eye before he turned to face the party. Rainbow turned her head but did not meet Boreas’ gaze. Instead she held on to Pinkie while the other stood back. Oghren huffed in anger, only to quiet down as Fluttershy placed a gentle hoof on his shoulder. Twilight stood back and allowed both the Matron and Boreas to stand shoulder to shoulder, perhaps for the first time in their long conflict.

“Rainbow Dash,” Boreas began, “I know you will never forgive me for what I have done. I do not expect you to. I just want you to know that your love for your friends has opened my eyes. The legends say the only pegasus to complete the sonic rainboom was Commander Hurricane during the days of the Sky Kingdoms. Through her the Dalish did rally behind her banner to fight against the Imperium of old. As Keeper of the Dalish, it is my duty to know the legends. I thought I’d perform that duty one last time.”

If Rainbow said anything, Twilight could not hear her. Boreas approached the Wardens next and looked to her and Applejack. Twilight raised an eyebrow at Boreas, his false horn dull and lifeless, yet still attached to his head. It had not been dispelled, and there were still the real possibilities that other demons could be summoned or take possession of him.

Boreas spread his wings and craned his neck over to a large pinion and plucked it. Holding the feather in his mouth, he lowered it to Twilight’s hooves. “If you bring this to Silphia, she will know what has happened. She will become the new Keeper, and honour the agreement to lead the Dalish against the Blight. I am sorry I will not be able to make it for the fight.”

Slowly approaching the Matron, Boreas took a deep breath of air as he joined her on the dais. The Matron’s features relaxed, the clouds in her sky-body drifting to a halt. Before she could speak again, Quick Kill approached with sadness in his eyes. He did not speak, but stepped softly towards her as he cried. The Matron stroked his feathers for a moment before she walked away from Quick Kill, turning her full attention to Boreas.

The Matron turned her head towards the clear blue sky, and her voice echoed through the temple. A shining light like that of the sun forming in her chest.

Spirits of the West Wind, remember!

From the east comes the sun, the light of which gives this world life and beauty.

Come to us now, and join us in our song!

Spirits of the South Wind, remember!

Winds of the storm and gale, winds of the summer.

Through you there is destruction, through you life grows strong!

Ease your suffering and join us in our song!

Boreas then followed the Matron’s gaze towards the sky, and from his chest glowed a white light.

Spirits of the East Wind, remember!

“Winds of the fall, the harbingers of slumber.

Through you the forests shift and change,

And the animals prepare for the coming of winter.

Be ready with us and join us in our song!

Boreas hesitated for a moment. Twilight could not help but fixate her gaze on the pair. As they spoke to the winds, it seemed the spirits themselves danced around them, gusts of winds swirling around the two former mortal enemies while the sounds of chimes played music throughout the temple. Twilight felt the winds as they were summoned; the calm and gentle west winds, the harsh and humid south wind, and the warm winds of the east.

As Boreas spoke his final part, Twilight could feel a ripple of dark magic peel away from him. The false horn began to crack and break as Boreas released it into the ether, the shards floating away and dissipating much like Applebloom’s horn. With the horn gone, Boreas aged rapidly before them, his youthful appearance turning to that of an old, emancipated stallion.

His voice became hoarse and weak, and Twilight could see his knees buckled under the strain of living. Boreas lifted his head high, and took the Matron’s hoof in his own.

Spirits of the North Wind, remember!

You are the cold that brings the winter, the shadow of death.

Through you the world sleeps,

Through you we await the time when life can start again.

Bring the final melody, and join us in our song!

The light that glowed in Boreas’ chest faded as the frigid winds of the north howled into the temple. Twilight cast as small barrier around her group as she watched the scene, all the while her mind raced as she watched Boreas open his mouth. A stream of mist flowed from within him, and it drifted higher into the sky until it could no longer be seen.

Boreas fell soon after, his final breath released into the world. The light in the Matron soon flickered, and she turned her head towards the ponies. She bowed low in silent thanks. Wisps of mist floated off her body like steam, and she lifted her head towards the sky.

As her body began to disappear, the hippogryphs came towards their Matron and each approached in reverent silence. Quick Kill was the first and placed one claw on the Matron’s shoulder. He remained silent for a moment as he looked into her face before stepping away. One by one, more hippogryphs approached her and placed their talons on her shoulder in a loving motion. They sat around the Matron, many of them crying, as she continued to dissipate before their eyes.

The fledglings came next. They scrambled towards the Matron while wrapping their tiny talons around her forelegs in a tight embrace. Twilight expected them to cry as foals would at the departure of their parent figure and mentor, but like the rest of the hippogryphs they remained quiet. The Matron held each young hippogyrph for a time before letting them rejoin their parents.

Her body mostly faded now, the Matron looked to Twilight. With a bow of her head, her body disappeared into a stream of air. The stream lingered for a moment before drifting towards Rainbow. She looked at the intelligent wind with a puzzled glance until it worked its way towards Pinkie’s face. With a sudden gust, the stream of air entered Pinkie’s body through her nose and mouth.

The Breath of Life… Twilight bit her lip as she watched the Matron’s final act caused Pinkie’s chest to rise and fall once again. Pinkie’s eyes shot open as she let out a gasp of breath. Her voice strained as she breathed heavily. Pinkie rapidly blinked her eyes and looked around in confusion. Rainbow looked on with disbelief.

“Pinkie!” Rainbow sputtered, “I… but you… Boreas killed you!”

The familiar giggle from Pinkie caused Twilight to bite back a happy sob. “I feel all funny wunny in my chest, but other than that I feel great! Silly Dashie, don’t you know we have a lot of stuff to do still? After the Blight? That’s when we go to Geldwall!”

Twilight leaped on the pair and took them in a great big hug. “Pinkie Pie! You wonderful silly pony!” Twilight laughed through her tears despite herself. “I thought you were gone forever!”

Applejack joined in. “Celestia as my witness, Ah’ll never let ya do anything like that again! Don’t ya ever, ever worry me like that, missy!”

“Pinks is alive!” Oghren shouted, “By the Stone, I’m glad that windbag didn’t get you good as gone!”

Rarity bawled her eyes out as she joined the group hug. “Darling, when we get to civilization, the first thing I’m doing is celebrating how happy I am that you are still with us!”

“P-Pinkie… I was so scared and sad and I c-couldn’t stop crying.” Fluttershy’s words remained true now, as her tears flowed without rest as the group completed their embrace.

“Aw… you girls. This makes me the happiest, smiliest, super-fantastic pony in all of Equestria! No! This world!” Pinkie’s limbs seemed to stretch as she hugged all her friends, her smile never fading. Twilight looked on at her grin and was thankful to Celestia that she could still see it and find comfort in it. A world without Pinkie’s smile would be a grim one indeed.

Once their hug was finished, Pinkie looked around at the assembled ponies and hippogryphs. “Where did Boreas and the sky lady go?” she asked. Quick Kill walked up to the party before clearing his throat.

“They… they are gone.” His eyes stayed on the spot where the Matron stood. “They healed you and gave both the hippogryphs and the Dalish a chance at peace.”

Pinkie looked up at the hole in the ceiling of the temple before bounding away from her friends and onto the central chamber. “Thank you!” Pinkie shouted, waving to the sky and the clouds above. “Thank you for everything! Even if you tried to kill me! That’s OK! We’ll make both the pegasi and the hippogryphs happy! I Pinkie-promise!”

Pinkie turned around and her eyes burned with fierce determination. She rushed over to Twilight until their noses mashed together. “You heard me! What are we waiting for?!” she exclaimed. “We need to get to the Dalish camp pronto! So come on, Twilight! Get us a cloud and help us go zoom!”

***

Twilight lead the way through the forest after they landed, then picked up Trixie and Shale, both of whom were full of questions. The story of the battle was recounted for the pair, though this left Shale feeling even more bitter from missing out on another fight. Pinkie, however, left the two speechless.

“I died!” she chimed, completely nonplussed about her words. Shale shook her head.

“Wonderful. Not even death can hold the energetic Pinkie Pie down. Truly the ponyspawn and all the world should know terror.”

When the hippogryphs landed behind them lead by Quick Kill, Shale readied herself for a fight. Fluttershy flew over to the golem and laid a hoof on her shoulder while offering a soft smile. “It’s OK,” she said in an attempt to calm the golem. “They are nice now. We can have peace. If the Dalish want to. I hope so.”

That was the real question to which Twilight feared the answer. The hippogryphs knew what had happened in the temple between Boreas and the Matron. The Dalish did not, and were likely beside themselves with worry over their vanished Keeper. With Boreas dead, they would see the approaching hippogryphs as a threat and unleash their warriors and basilisks upon them. Twilight had come too far for their chance of peace to be ruined now. She only hoped that Silphia would be around to speak rather than her brash sister.

Unfortunately, that would not be the case. As they approached the Dalish camp, shouts of alarm echoed through the trees. Archers took positions in the tree tops and aimed their arrows towards the party. Several beast tamers held back their basilisks, if only barely. The massive reptiles hissed and revealed their deadly, poisonous fangs.

Zharia flew over to the front of the Dalish defensive line, Silphia being guided behind her. Twilight kept her gaze level on the chief warrior of the clan, even as she seethed at the sight of the hippogryphs.

“What has happened to Boreas?! Where is our Keeper? Why are you walking side-by-side with our enemy?” Zharia barked all her questions through her sword bit, with the blade being waved dangerously close to Twilight’s nose. Twilight did not flinch. She lifted the feather Boreas gave her and set it on the forest floor in front of Zharia. The proud warrior fell to the ground, almost cradling the feather as she looked up to Twilight. She sobbed at the sight of one of Boreas’ primaries, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Boreas and the leader of the hippogryphs died for peace,” Twilight explained. “I ask that you try as well. The hippogryphs you despise so much have come for that same purpose.”

Silphia walked up to Zharia and placed a comforting hoof on her sister’s shoulder. “I felt it. I saw it.” She sucked in a breath of air, trying to contain her own grief as her sister wept bitter tears. “The legendary rainboom. Not seen since the days of the Skylords. The stories say Commander Hurricane used the rainboom as a final act of defiance against the Imperium, a symbol for all pegasi to rally behind. What happened? What was Boreas’ final act to allow this chance for peace?”

Before Twilight could explain, Rainbow jumped in front of her. “Boreas did the rainboom!” Rainbow blurted, causing Twilight’s eyebrow to rise in surprise. Applejack was about to object, only to be silenced by Pinkie’s hoof in her mouth. What was Rainbow up to? She did something out of legend, a fact that she would have lorded over her friends for weeks to come. So why was she giving the glory to Boreas?

“When we arrived in the cloud temple, we met the leader of the hippogryphs,” Dash said. “We also saw that they have families of their own and that their leader wanted peace as well. They were fighting for the same reasons the Dalish were; to protect themselves and their loved ones. When Boreas saw this, he changed his mind. All those years of hating the hippogryphs when the truth was that both sides were similar to each other. That’s when demons attacked! We were awesome. I was even more awesome, naturally, but Boreas was the most awesome of all.”

Rainbow explained the rainboom in great detail from the perspective of Boreas. Zharia drank up the words like a child told a fairy tale, while Silphia pursed her lips and turned her milky gaze to Twilight. She couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable as those grey eyes peered in her direction. Somehow, the fact that Silphia looked directly at her made Twilight doubt whether she was truly blind or had some other sense.

Still, Twilight kept quiet as Rainbow recounted the sacrifice made by Boreas and the Matron to end the conflict and defeat the demons. Zharia looked to Rainbow, then to Quick Kill, then to her sister. She sighed, her face solemn as she held the pinion from Boreas close.

“You are the Keeper now, sister,” Zharia said. “I and the rest of the clan will follow your will.”

Silphia stood silent for a moment, her vacant eyes moving from pony to pony before she faced Quick Kill. She slowly approached the hippogryph, her features conflicted, yet maintaining some resemblance of calm. Twilight could not imagine the bitter battle that raged within Silphia and the rest of the pegasi; to be fighting a long known enemy one day and then having peace talks the next.

Silphia chose not to say a word at first, but extended her hoof towards the face of Quick Kill. Neither made the slightest twitch when the new Keeper brushed her hoof across Quick Kill’s scarred and damaged beak. Twilight’s heart skipped a beat at the act.

“The wounds between our peoples are great,” said Silphia. “The dead are both recent and ancient. The rage still rings in our hearts. To many, they will call for vengeance. But with the ponyspawn threat, perhaps that is not what is best for our two peoples.”

“The road to friendship is a long one, and sometimes it starts a little bumpy,” Twilight said, walking towards Silphia and Quick Kill with a smile. “Sometimes it doesn’t even look like friendship is possible.”

“Perhaps friendship is a lofty goal now,” Quick kill added. “But if we have learned anything from the Warden, it is that we can start somewhere. Here is as good enough a place as any.” To accentuate his point and much to Twilight’s delight, Quick Kill extended his talons towards Silphia, similar to that of a hoofshake.

The party leaned in close to watch the official declaration of peace. Silphia bit her lip, took in a deep breath of air, and fumbled to place her hoof in the talons of Quick Kill. They shook once before leaving everyone at this meeting to breathe a sigh of relief.

There were no other cheers or celebrations besides the constant shouting of happiness from Pinkie at the hoofshake. The Dalish were still wary of the gesture of peace, but they lowered their weapons and began to approach the hippogryphs on their own. The hippogryphs stepped forward to meet the Dalish in their camp, and in what Twilight could only assume was the first time in both their collective histories, the two sides were actually having a dialogue.

“Warden Sparkle,” Silphia said, regaining the party’s attention. “With Keeper Boreas… gone, there is still the matter of the treaties between the Dalish and your order. As the new keeper of the Everfree clan, I so swear that our finest warriors, led by my sister Zharia, shall join the Grey Wardens to combat the Blight.”

“The pegasi will not fight alone, Grey Wardens.” Quick Kill puffed out his chest proudly and stood up straight to show off an intimidating figure. “My flock will also join in the battle. If we are to maintain our peace, then we must fight together in the war against the monsters.”

Twilight beamed in utter happiness. They did not just get one group to join their cause, but two. After the trials they had faced in the Everfree forest, things were starting to look up. “Thank you both so much,” she said. “With all of us standing together, I know we can push the ponyspawn back into the Dark Tunnels.”

As Zharia and Quick Kill talked amongst themselves, Applejack pulled Rainbow over for a discrete word. “Why ya tellin’ tall tales, Rainbow?” Applejack questioned. “That moment was all you! That rainboom was all you!”

“You think I want to give it up to that guy after what he did to Pinkie, even if she’s fine now?” Rainbow pointed a hoof towards Zharia and the rest of the mourning Dalish. “You saw how they treated him. Like a hero. An idol. If I had told them that the sonic rainboom was used against him, what would they think? You heard Boreas, the rainboom was a symbol for pegasi to rally towards. If they knew the truth, do you think they would be so forthcoming to agree to peace?”

Applejack shook her head. “Reckon they would think we were with the hippogryphs completely. Gotta say, Rainbow, Ah didn’t expect this outta ya.”

Rainbow smirked. “Don’t get used to it. The Dalish need to know that they can fight with the hippogryphs, but I won’t be letting anypony in our group forget about this day of Dash awesomeness.”

They said their farewells to the Dalish and the hippogryphs, and allowed the two forest factions time to prepare for war and to acquaint with each other. The party had barely left the camp before Twilight burst into a little dance. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!” Her cheers echoed in the trees and caused birds to fly away from their trees in fright. If Twilight noticed she (had) made a scene, she didn’t care. Instead, she pulled the treaties in the grip of her magic and showed them to everypony.

“We did it! We really did it! The unicorns, the donkeys, Arl Macintosh and the Bannorn, and now the pegasi with the hippogryphs! The army is complete and not only that, but we also found the Elements of Harmony!”

Twilight’s elation reached new heights as she bounced around the party, much to the others’ bemusement. Pinkie shrugged then joined Twilight in her gleeful bounces, both ponies oblivious to the looks they received from their friends and any nearby pegasus or hippogryph. It was finally over; their long journey had come to an end. The army they had painstakingly raised to fight against the Blight was complete. The Elements were found and they had a chance against the Archdemon.

“This is fun, Warden,” Oghren grunted. “But what about that stripey pony? You know, the one with all the right curves in all the right places. ”

While Oghren snickered like a colt just hitting puberty, Twilight rolled her eyes as she considered Zecora’s words. “She did say we would get an army if we stopped the two sides from killing each other. Maybe she meant the hippogryphs.”

“Well, we got them on our side now. Only one place left to go.” Applejack took a deep breath. Her eyes flashed with anger as she walked. “Loghoof needs to be taken down, and Ah’ll be damned if he has run o’ the kingdom anymore.”

Despite only meeting him once in Ostequus, Twilight only thought of Loghoof as somepony they would have to face eventually. Thankfully, Arl Macintosh was a valuable ally in Trotterim, and was likely the reason why they had not had a run in with the teryn’s forces. Still, the coming days in Trotterim would be the toughest trials yet. There were no ponyspawn, demons, or other monsters there. It was a city like no other, filled with ponies allied with Loghoof and those who would simply be bystanders.

Her enemies would be mortal ponies with their own ambitions and fears. Twilight felt afraid of facing them the most. She reaffirmed her personal vow within herself that she would not spill pony blood. Not again. Never again.

“We will stop Loghoof. We have help on the inside and an army at our backs.” Twilight looked to each of her friends. They were still with her, through thick and thin. They would not be stopped by Loghoof or anypony. Nopony would rest until the Blight was defeated and the ponyspawn were but a distant memory across Equestria.

“Onward to Trotterim!” Twilight called, stepping out of the Everfree and towards the road north.

“Onwards to Trotterim!” Spike cheered, “Let’s kick that Loghoof so hard, his eyes will be spinning for days!”

“Everything came to this then, where we put a stop to Loghoof.” Applejack adjusted her hat then gave Twilight a confident smile. “Ah have a bone to pick with Loghoof. For Duncan and for the Wardens, he has a lot to answer for.”

“I can’t believe it! Trotterim! Ooh, I wonder if this city has the glamour I’ve dreamed! A proper bath would be simply divine!” Rarity squealed in delight at the thought.

“This is my first time in a long time in a big pony city. I’m so nervous.” Fluttershy squeaked as Angel peeked out from under her mane and gave a nod of approval. “See? Even Angel is excited to go.”

“To Trotterim we go forward!” Pinkie giggled. “I have a very important mission there! To find the best place to have our super fantastic ‘We Saved Equestria and Did Not Get Eaten By Ponyspawn’ party!”

“I can’t wait to show off my moves right in Loghoof’s face.” Rainbow flipped around in the air, flaring her wings as if part of a show. “Ain’t nopony ready for this pegasus!”

“The show enters the final act, does it not?” Trixie said with a dramatic flourish. “The Great and Powerful Trixie shall see this adventure to the end!”

“This is the culmination of our journey. Interesting.” Shale stomped one hoof for emphasis as she drew herself to appear bigger. “Glory is on the horizon. We will approach the city, and my very presence will inspire deserving awe and fear.”

“Oohoo, a whole city the size of Orzamule filled with shapely mares and barrels of booze!” Oghren gave a hearty laugh before downing the contents of his canteen. “Drinks on Queen Applejack once we win! And I’m warnin’ you now, I have a bladder of steel and a liver of cast iron!”

Twilight lead the way on the road until eventually the city of Trotterim was in sight, as well as the end of their journey. Her heart filled with confidence, Twilight broke into a gallop. Spike held on to her robes for dear life as her friends followed behind her.

***

Zharia watched the Grey Wardens and their group depart the forest, leaving her alone with her sister and the hippogryph. With Boreas gone, she felt lost. For as long as she could remember, it was simply her and Silphia with the guiding hoof of their Keeper to keep the Dalish free and strong. The hippogryphs were their eternal enemy. These life facts did not change, but now things were different. The ponyspawn threat made sure of that.

So did the Warden.

The one who called himself Quick Kill stood beside her. It unnerved her, but Zharia kept her demeanour stoic. She did not like something… someone she would have killed without a second thought just yesterday standing so close and so calm with her now.

Silphia laid a comforting hoof on Zharia’s shoulder and encouraged her to relax with her silence. She had to fight with the hippogryphs against the ponyspawn, whether she liked it or not. For the Dalish and their future.

“Get the warriors ready to fly!” She shouted, rallying her warriors and craftspony into action. “Armour! Weapons! Sharpen our arrows, our spears! Prepare us for battle! Kiss your foals, your mates, and prepare to take wing! The Pegasi of the Eastern Dales and the hippogryphs go to war!”

***

Jorgen Blackmace paced impatiently as he waited for the massive hidden gate leading to the surface world to open. Behind him stood an army two thousand warriors strong, from all the different warrior schools. From his Iron Hooves, the Berserkergang, to even the Silent Sisterhood marched under his orders.

Jorgen puffed up his chest with pride. King Cranky had made him the leader of Orzamule’s armies. “The Champion of the Stone”, an old title from the past battles against the ponyspawn during surface Blights. To him, it was an honour richly deserved.

He licked his lips in anticipation as the first light of the burning sun shone through the much larger passageway leading from Orzamule to the surface. This would be a battle that could make him a noble, or better yet, a paragon! The glories of battle awaited him, and all he had to do was take them.

He turned to look back on his army. All clad in fine donkey steel and wielding expertly crafted weapons, they all returned his hardened gaze with those of equal resolve. They would fight and die at his command. They all sought what he sought: glory on the battlefield, glory for Orzamule, and glory for the Stone.

“Donkeys of Orzamule!” Jorgen shouted, rallying his warriors as his voice reverberated through the massive stone halls. “Look upon the surface world! There are ponies who cannot fight their battles and ponyspawn who scream for death! We shall oblige them by showing the full strength of our might! Come, proud warriors! We march to war!”

***

Wise Eyes and Hornshield walked through the hollow corridors together as the rest of the unicorns and Templar awaited them at the entrance. To the elder mage, the halls once known as a haven for magic and study of the arcane were now only a grim reminder of Hubred’s corruption and betrayal. Only the sounds of their hoofsteps could be heard against the stone, a noise that disconcerted Wise Eyes. He missed the days of discussion and debate in the Tower.

His thoughts went to Twilight Sparkle and Trixie, two of his finest students in the arcane. He wondered at times if they were still alive battling the ponyspawn and their evil, only to chastise himself. Of course they were still alive. They had to be. They had to win, or all would be lost. Any hopes to bring the Tower back as a place of learning would be paltry if the Blight continued unchecked.

When they arrived at the main floor of the Tower, their assembled “forces” awaited them there. Fifteen unicorn mages stood ready, if nervous. Wise Eyes could not blame them. Many of them never dreamed of leaving the Tower, and those who stood with him now were lucky to have survived Hubred’s onslaught. Fear spread across those unicorns who had survived Hubred’s uprising and now being sent to battle ponyspawn.

The same could be said about the forty or so templars Hornshield had amassed. Many were veterans, though there were a few recruits. Talks with Hornshield indicated reinforcements of another hundred templars from their training castle in the northlands, but if they would be able to make it in time for the battle, Wise Eyes did not know.

Standing shoulder to shoulder, Wise Eyes and Hornshield looked over their assembled ponies. They had to become something completely unexpected. Unicorn and templar had to stand united together. The mistrust between the two sides had to stop now, or the battles ahead would surely be lost.

“My friends,” Wise Eyes said. “We are on the precipice of calamity. The ponyspawn march with reckless abandon on a home many of you have never seen. We ask you to help fight the ponyspawn, to help save ponies that will hate you and fear you for the magic you have held within you since your birth. Save them from the ponyspawn anyways. If we sit by and do nothing, the ponyspawn will destroy Equestria, and nowhere in the world will be safe from them.”

“On this day, unicorns and templars march together to protect this land from our ancient, common foe.” Hornshield stepped up, his strong presence catching attention yet his words working off Wise Eyes’ speech. “We must stand united, not as two sides, but as a single force. One that looks the ponyspawn in the eye with the same courage as we do the demons of the Fade! Unicorns! The outside world fears you! Show them that you are heroes! Templars! The unicorns do not trust you! Show them that you will aid them in the struggle!”

Wise Eyes smiled as Hornshield made his speech. He was always the better speaker. Already he could see the eyes of unicorn and templar alike standing taller as he addressed them all, each pony appearing just a little more confident. This was good. They would need all the confidence they could get.

“Prepare yourselves, for the true harrowing for all ponykind begins now.” Hornshield turned towards the door of the Tower as it slowly opened, allowing the sunlight to spill inward. “The unicorns and templars march together to war.”

***

Loghoof stood alone on the parapets of the palace while the cool evening winds blew across his face. He felt a change in the air, almost like a whisper in the wind. A telescope sat ready to be used, but Loghoof found himself loath to use it. Looking through to the truth of the matter disconcerted him.

All of his carefully laid plans had fallen apart. Whether through the incompetence of Maim, the haunting of the spirits of Ostequus, or simply the machinations of the wheel of fortune, his strategy to deal with the Blight and the Filesians simply did not work. He had underestimated the tenacity and the resourcefulness of the Grey Wardens that went to light the observatory. A fatal error.

He took a deep breath and looked through the telescope to the west. Torches. Hundreds of torches from the direction of the Frosttop Mountains and the donkey city of Orzamule. Just a short way away near the Unicorn Tower, he could see the magical light of the unicorns as well as dozens of templars. He looked down towards the camps of Arl Macintosh and the majority of the Bannorn. Their forces were just a few hours march from Trotterim. They were far enough away not to cause alarm to the ponies of Trotterim, but close enough to make sure Loghoof always knew he was surrounded.

Traitors, all of them. Loghoof turned away from the telescope, scraping his hoof against the stone floor. They did not know what he had gone through during the Filesian occupation. How much he had lost. Macintosh did not know that if he opened the way to Filais, they would never leave, even to fight the ponyspawn. It was the same lie they pulled decades ago. Years of oppression and murder because a fool king listened to a lie.

Loghoof would not see Equestria fall again. Not to the Filesian occupiers, nor the Blight. He had found his back against the wall many times before. All of his enemies thought him easy prey. He would show them all.

“Let them march to war against my gates,” Loghoof said aloud, if only to bolster his own spirits. “I do not fear you. Any of you. Wardens, Filesians, traitors, ponyspawn! Come... show me what kind of stallion I am through the measure of my enemies.”

---

Chapter 37 - Trotterim by Day

Her mouth agape and her eyes wide, Twilight looked around the city of Trotterim in complete awe. It was a similar fascination to her visit to Orzamule, only now she felt more connected to the ponies walking the streets than she had to the then unfamiliar donkeys. Tall buildings of brick, wood, and stone rose high into the sky, with a grand structure Twilight assumed was the royal palace sitting on the eastern edge of the city. Near the palace was a much larger fortress that dwarfed the city.

“That’s Fort Drakon,” Applejack said. “The largest garrison in all of Equestria. That’s where the soldiers of Trotterim and Loghoof’s soldiers from Glenwell are stayin’, while everypony else has to camp out around the city walls. Fort Drakon isn’t just a garrison, but also a prison. Be a damned fool to try and escape when the bulk of the army is standin’ guard.”

That brought up the issue of the guards. Once the party had sneaked off into an alley, Twilight began to think. Twilight and Applejack were wanted criminals in the eyes of Loghoof, and they could only go so far without being noticed. For Twilight, hiding meant merely conjuring a fitting hood. Rarity started in surprise at Twilight’s magic. “Darling, how did you make such a garment so quickly?”

“Just another spell I learned from the phylactery,” Twilight explained, “Conjuration has always been a finicky magic to learn. It is difficult to make something appear and stay in existence. My hood is a part of my armour, so it lasts as long as I need it.”

She turned to Applejack. “My hood is quick and easy, and I can conjure you a helmet, though it won’t last too long. Maybe a couple of hours at most. Our armour covers our cutie marks already, so we should be fine in that regard.”

Applejack sat on her haunches and held her hat in her hooves. Twilight bit her lip, knowing that she was asking Applejack to put away the one thing that seemed to give her strength. It was a simple hat, but one full of memories. Even Twilight found the sight of the hat comforting, as it meant her friend would be nearby. Applejack was the rock of the group on which Twilight relied.

“Just for a little bit,” Applejack frowned, tucking her hat into her saddlebags. “Don’t feel right without my pappy’s hat. Well, what’re ya’ll waitin’ for?”

Twilight’s horn came alive with magic, the pommel of her sword glowing in unison as the thought of a proper helm for her friend appeared in her mind’s eye. A rounded shape began to form, the shine of metal coming through the glowing magic. Once the magic was done, a simple helm with a visor floated before Applejack. Another flick of magic, and Twilight was helping tie Applejack’s blonde mane into a bun before gently lowering the helm onto her head. It was a good fit, and Applejack appeared nothing more than a heavily armoured mare.

“Alright then, now we’re mostly inconspicuous.” Twilight looked over to Shale and Spike. A golem and a baby dragon would attract attention, but hopefully ponies wouldn’t be too drawn to them. Conversely, Twilight did not want to make a scene either with ponies running away in fear at the unfamiliar sights.

“I have an idea for you two,” she said, a mischievous smile forming on her lips. “Spike, get on Shale’s back and stay low.”

“What do you intend to do?” Shale asked, her stone brows narrowing. Twilight tittered as she ignited her magic. Just as quickly as she created the helmet, so too did she conjure a large colourful robe that covered both Spike and Shale completely. Spike’s muffled cries of indignation were ignored in favour of focusing on Shale’s glare that promised bloody, brutal murder.

Spike was quite vocal. “I can’t see a darn thing!”

“I look like a pigeon that rolled around in every colour of paint imaginable,” Shale muttered.

Fluttershy looked over Shale. “Like a peacock?”

“The taxonomy of the winged pests is not in question. My appearance is! I look ridiculous!”

“You look like a pony,” Twilight replied. “A bit oversized and with a hunched back, but good enough. We can’t have you walking around like a servant in Trotterim, Shale. Nopony has ever seen a golem before, and we are lucky we managed to make it this far without raising alarms.”

If Shale wanted to voice any more concerns, she did not do so. Only a single stomp of a hoof was her response, the form of Spike under the robe crossing his arms in disgust. Twilight did feel bad for putting both into such a situation, but pragmatism won the day. They could not afford fighting Loghoof’s forces in the streets.

Once their disguises were set, Twilight and the others headed towards the center of Trotterim. Ponies from all walks of life, from the rich to the poor, workers and soldiers, children and elderly took to the streets of Trotterim for whatever business called to them. Open stalls with various goods such as fruit and clothing to weapons and potions lined the streets. To Twilight, things looked normal, as far as she knew about normal city life.

In fact, they seemed too normal. Considering that there was a ponyspawn invasion imminent, the idea that the townsponies were not panicking or hiding away from the oncoming war confused Twilight. Ponies milled about in the streets, buying goods and gossiping. There were a few soldiers running drills, but there seemed to be a false sense of calm. There was a losing war going on outside of the city walls, and as far as Twilight was concerned, the ponies of Trotterim were either ignoring that fact, or honestly did not know.

In this case, ignorance was not bliss. “Loghoof must have told everypony that things are fine outside the city.” Twilight shook her head in disbelief. “How can he continue to live a lie? After Ostequus, you would think he would get his army fighting off the ponyspawn. The people here should be far away, as far as Amarethine.”

“You’re right, Twilight,” Pinkie said. She giggled. “Hey, that rhymes! A little bit like Zecora… anyways, Amarethine would be the farthest and safest place for all these ponies. They could take boats to the Free Plains or to Pura Raza if things get really, really bad. But Arl Rendon Maim is known to be a really nasty guy. He’s mean, a bully, greedy—“

“And the arl of the biggest arling in the land, only rivaled by the terynirs,” Applejack put in. “Amarethine has control of a section of the Bannorn as well, so Maim not only has one of the largest armies under his banner, but also plenty of farmland and the only port in all of Equestria. Something so big is hard to manage though, and what Maim ain’t is a good governor. He probably didn’t want to deal with a whole lot of refugees and told Loghoof some sorta lie to make sure they didn’t come to Amarethine.”

“Then what does Loghoof see in Maim if he’s so incompetent?” Twilight wondered.

“Maim’s service to the old king… my dad… was as a sort of dirty deeds doer.” Applejack slid a hoof across her neck for emphasis. “He’s a roguish type, which makes him all the more dangerous for us to deal with. Loghoof must have paid him pretty good to have him on his side.”

“I remember Maim,” Rainbow said. “He’s the one who contacted Reinhardt back in Pura Raza to set up that hit on you girls. He’s set up a lot like an assassin. Poisons, daggers, smoke bombs, all sorts of stuff. I thought he sounded eager when he met the Wonderbolts, even though we were just hopefuls. The guy must also have contacts.”

Twilight nodded as she digested all this information. If they were going to face off with Loghoof, there was no doubt that they would have to contend with Arl Maim eventually as well. While she hoped the Arl could be reasoned with, the pony that her friends described sounded cruel and unforgiving. Who would turn away refugees when the land was in its darkest hour, simply to avoid more work?

There wasn’t time to ponder the ethics or politics of it all with the Blight so near. Now was a time for action. “We have contacts of our own,” Twilight said. “Arl Macintosh should be here, right? Let’s find him and find out what we need to do to remove Loghoof from the throne.”

They walked through the busy crowds of ponies making their afternoon rounds in the market when Shale stopped in front of a shop. She turned her head towards the windows, looking on at the finest suits of armour Twilight had ever seen. Each suit shimmered in the noontide sun, the plates polished to such a fine degree that Twilight could see her reflection in them. High above them was a wooden sign that read:

Hoity Toity’s Best of the Best Armour Apparel: Form and Function for the Superior Soldier.

“Quite the place,” Twilight said aloud as Shale moved to the door, opening it. “What are you doing, Shale?”

“Recall what I collected from the dragon,” Shale replied. “Well, I’m taking my loot and making something of it. This seems like a reputable blacksmith. I want nothing but the best after all.”

“Wait, where are we going?” Spike asked under the robes. Twilight pressed a hoof to her face as Shale squeezed through the door, her stone body grinding against the passage. Rarity laid a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, showing a brilliant smile.

“Don’t worry about those two, my dear,” Rarity said. “I’ll stay with them as Shale goes about with her shopping. I must admit, I am curious about this shop myself, after that brief stint as a smithy in Red Apple. If Hoity Toity can make such marvels out of metal, I would love to see how it is done with dragon scales.”

“Thank you, Rarity,” Twilight replied. “Keep Spike safe. Being so close to an agitated Shale, I worry.”

Rarity winked before turning into Hoity’s Toity’s shop, leaving the others to resume their walk in the city. It was enjoyable to take a city stroll with friends, though there were instances where Twilight had to hide under her hood. Every time a patrol walked by, Twilight felt her heart thud faster, wondering if one of them had caught a glimpse of hers or Applejack’s faces.

Thankfully, there were no incidents with the guards, giving them a moment to regard the various stalls around them. Unlike Orzamule’s marketplace, this was more attuned for a pony’s tastes. Pinkie already bounded over to an herbalist and her stall, pointing a hoof at anything and everything she could.

“Oooh! Oooh! Elderberries! Rhubarb! Sulphur! All in the same place! I’ll take a dozen of those, a whole head of lettuce, and that daisy sandwhich! Oh, that’s your lunch. Sorry! Let me make it up to you by buying up all your silverleaf!”

Twilight chuckled at the scene. It was always nice to see Pinkie so full of energy, especially when it came to her alchemy. Her mind went back to the battle against Boreas and the windigos, the image of Pinkie’s breathless body sinking into clouds. If she had died…

Twilight shook her head vigorously. It would not do to dwell on such thoughts. Pinkie was alive and well, her boundless energy coursing through her veins. Nothing else mattered. Once Pinkie’s stores were resupplied, Applejack pointed to a rather clean road leading from the marketplace to some posh, larger buildings.

“Over there are the manors used by visiting nobility,” she explained. “Every Arl and Teryn gets one for their own, while the Bannorn share another. Macintosh should be waiting for us in the Red Apple Manor. We should be able to get all cleaned up and get some grub before we have to make a move against Loghoof.”

“Grub. Now there’s something I could look forward to.” Oghren laughed, then gave his belly a rub. Twilight cringed at the sight. She simply was not used to someone as crass as Oghren in the group. He seemed to catch on to her body language though. “C’mon, Warden. I’m sure a bit of food would be appreciated by everydonkey. Pony. Whatever. And this jackass has a cankering for some surface snacks!”

Even though he was rude and crude, Twilight still considered Oghren a friend. Twilight was grateful that he had become so close to Spike back in the Everfree and for looking over him when they were fighting Flemeth. The two were thick as thieves for the most part, which gladdened. Spike found it hard to make friends in the Tower due to him being a dragon, but to Oghren that didn’t seem to matter as much. They were two stallions in a party of mares, and despite Oghren’s insistence that he was only in it to be so close to so many eligible bachelorettes, Twilight figured the two would gravitate towards each other as “brothers.”

“Well, no point standin’ around,” Applejack grunted. “Let’s go see what Big Mactintosh needs.”

***

Spike grumbled as quietly as he could, for his own comfort and being sullen than anything. He was not enjoying being the hump on the back of Shale, especially when he could hear the muffled voice of Rarity nearby. Carefully, he extended one of his claws towards the cloth of Shale’s robe, opening a tiny hole he could look out at.

Standing in front of Shale was Rarity speaking with another pony, one with a brown coat and blond mane. Probably a clerk of some kind, Spike didn’t care. What they talked about, Spike gave little heed. He rather enjoyed watching the graceful form of Rarity stand tall like a statue of a goddess.

“Welcome to Hoity Toity’s Best of the Best Armour Apparel,” greeted a small pony with an eager eye. “My name is Herren, assistant and financial advisor to Hoity Toity. Is there anything I can do for you? We have a lovely and very strong suit of silverite plate that I believe you will look quite dashing in sir…”

His thoughts on his client’s desires became interrupted as Shale stepped forward and dumped a bag onto the clerk’s desk. “I am here to speak to a one ‘Hoity Toity’,” Shale said. “I would like to conduct business with him so that he can craft a suit of armour.”

“I’m afraid that will not be possible,” Herren replied. “For you see, Hoity Toity is in a bit of a backlog with commissions, and is… predisposed at the moment.”

“Oh, hellish muse! Why do you forsake me in my hour of need?” Spike heard the loud whine of somepony even through Shale’s robe. “Why must you let my hooves fall dull and useless among metals? Can my hammer not sing? Can I not create another masterpiece?”

Herren let out a long drawn out sigh. “He’s been like that all day. Says he’s bored of working on plain metals and wants a challenge. I can respect him for being an artist of skill, but art does not put food on the table, as it were.”

“Oh that poor darling.” Spike’s heart leapt into his throat as he heard Rarity speak. “To have such a fine artiste struggling with his muse. Perhaps I can speak with him, get him to take up the forge again. I have experience in this sort of thing.”

Herren motioned with a hoof to the back room where the forge awaited, leaving Shale and Spike with the storeclerk as they waited for news of some sort of change. The bells on the door chimed, signaling another customer entering the shop. Shale turned to face the newcomer, giving Spike a clear look.

An earth pony with a bright golden mane dressed in chain mail stood before them. Slung on her back was a massive sword that seemed to radiate light. She passed by Shale wordlessly, heading to the desk where Herren sat. “I’m here to pick up Teryn Loghoof’s armour,” she said flatly. Herren’s sullen disposition disappeared and was quickly replaced by a greedy smile.

“Of course, Ser Sunsword, we have it all shined up and ready. I’ll get one of the apprentices to load it into a cart for you.” Herren stomped his hoof twice when a spindly young colt galloped into the room. “Featherweight, do load the Teryn’s armour into Ser Sunsword’s cart. That’s a good lad.”

Once the youngling was off, Herren leaned in close towards Ser Sunsword. “Does the regent plan for hostilities to increase soon?”

Sunsword sighed, rubbing the bridge of her snout with a hoof. “There are no threats to Trotterim,” she said without emotion, as if this was a well-practiced speech. “The ponyspawn’s advance has been halted, and the forces of Equestria will beat back both the monsters and the Filesians. No need to worry, citizen. Teryn Loghoof and his armies will protect us. Thank you for your service. Celestia bless.”

None of her words sounded sincere, that much Spike could guess. There was something fishy about this Ser Sunsword, and the best pony to tell would be Twilight. It could be vital information that would help them stop Loghoof.

Once Spike caught sight of Rarity coming back from the forge room with a grey earth pony with a white mane, thoughts of reporting Loghoof’s subordinate were put in the back of his mind. Purple goggles covered his eyes, either as some sort of protection from the forge or a fashion accessory. This must have been Hoity Toity.

“While it is nice to meet another designer, I simply must express doubt on how you can help me.” He turned his nose up at the dirty bag Shale used for her loot. “I certainly hope what you have to show me isn’t in this ratty old thing.”

“Indeed it is,” Shale answered. “I bring you a material you likely never ran your grubby hooves over. Now will you accept the commission or not?”

Rarity glared at Shale, and if she was going to glare at the golem, so would Spike. Despite this, Shale stood tall and proud as Hoity took a dainty hoof and lifted the sack open. He let out a squeak in surprise. Tossing off his goggles, Hoity dove into the sack, ignoring the dirty and grime, making Rarity cringe.

“By Celestia’s flank! Are these what I think they are? Are they real? Have I died and found true bliss?” Spike rolled his eyes at Hoity’s enthusiasm. What was so great about whatever metal Shale had found for a suit of armour?

“That is correct, sir,” Shale replied smugly. “I bring to you one-hundred percent authentic dragon scales, straight off the hide of a high dragon. Killed it myself. My compatriots helped, somewhat.”

Spike could feel his cheeks flush with fire as he raised his voice. “WHAT?!”

If there was anything that could have been said that would drain the colour from Spike’s face, it was this. Shale actually took the time to harvest scales from a dragon. Something just like he was. Sure it had tried to kill them, but that was no excuse for skinning the thing and planning to wear it like a hat!

Rarity coughed for a moment to cover the sudden outburst from under Shale’s robes. “WHAT... an oppurtunity! Excuse me... I am just so excited! What my colleague is wondering is if you can make a suit of armour from these… scales. That my friend took. That our other friends had no part in taking in the slightest. At all.”

“Can I? Can I?!” Hoity threw his head back in maniacal laughter, clutching the scales in a tight embrace. He sounded as if he was… weeping? “You have no idea how long I have waited for these to come through my door. I can begin my magnum opus! Oh how I’ve dreamed of such armour that would rival those made for kings!”

“Indeed! Indeed!” Herren was quite agreeable, golden coins seemingly replacing his eyes. “Now, let us discuss payment. Hoity Toity is one of the best armour designers in the world after all, so I say about… two hundred bits should suffice?”

“Free of charge to these kind ponies who brought me something worth more than gold! Inspiration!”

Herren’s jaw dropped. “F-free? But… but…”

“Put all my other orders on hold, Herren!” Hoity declared as he took up the sack and left for his forge. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and one I do not wish to squander!”

“I would request that prissy Rarity here go with you,” Shale continued. “She is a skilled artificer of articles of clothing, and has experience with the forge. She also knows the dimensions of the pony who shall be wearing the armour.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “I do?”

“Of course you do. All you ponies look about the same size and height, I figured it was easy. It needs to be fit for a king, or a queen. It matters not, but I believe you can make sense of such. Now get to it, hop along. No time like the present. Daylight’s burning. Hurry up. Now.”

Rarity followed Hoity Toity to the forge, Herren chasing after them both to at least charge some gold for such an endeavor. Alone save for the sound of Herren’s complaints and the ringing of hammers on metal, Spike climbed down off of Shale, staring the golem in the eye.

“Dragon scales? Really, Shale? Bad enough that we had to kill the dragon, but you took its skin as well? To make into a suit?” Spike blinked tears away as he admonished Shale. The first true dragon he had ever met and it forced his friends to slay it. Now Shale was just using its scales like metal links. “It’s for you, isn’t it? You were always the selfish one, always wanting to squish and stomp anything! What next, Shale? Are you going to make me into a hat?”

Shale remained silent for a moment, looking over towards the forge. Sounds of intense flames and hammering drowned out the sounds of three ponies arguing about one thing or another. Seemingly satisfied, Shale stomped her hoof on the ground enough to shake Spike off his feet and onto his tail. She brought her head low, her glowing blue eyes staring deep into Spike’s.

Spike gulped, realizing his newfound bravado was all but gone.

“I may just consider it, whelp,” Shale rumbled, her words seething with indignant fury. “If not for the fact that magical Twilight is fond of you. Firstly, I harvested the scales of the dragon because I had heard they could make the most powerful armour conceived. Secondly, it is not for me. I am invincible enough as is, having dragon armour would make combat less sporting. The last thing I need to do is become bored of battle. What would I have left? Pottery? Poetry? Wonderful.”

“Finally, I have my reasons for doing what I please, how I please, and you, whelp, are in no position to make demands of me. Take comfort that I did not squish you for your affront to my character, and that I plan to put the dragon scales to good use. If that does not satisfy you, then you can make an appointment with the stompy portion of my hoof.”

Admitting defeat, Spike sulked as he walked out of the shop while Shale focused her attention towards the sounds of expert smithing being applied to her provided scales. The door closed behind him, leaving Spike to wander the streets alone.

When he looked up to take note of a sign post to find his way back to Twilight, his eyes were immediately greeted by darkness as his head was covered by a thick sack. He gave a shout, only to have the sound muffled by the burlap. A sharp strike from a blunt object smacked the side of his head, causing an immense amount of pain.

“You must think I’m stupid,” snarled the familiar voice of Ser Sunsword. “Just some foal under Loghoof’s employ that you can dupe with a shoddy disguise? I’m not Loghoof’s second because of my shiny gold sword. Now if you don’t want to meet the business end of my blade, I’d suggest shutting your muzzle of both words and flames.”

“Twilight will rescue me!” Spike said, only to receive another sharp blow to the head.

“I’m counting on that.” With a great tug, Spike felt his feet leave the ground as he crashed into a cart. The sack banged against metal. “We were lucky, actually. We knew of the golem and the unicorn, but a confrontation would have lead to collateral damage in the streets. If you hadn’t left, we would have caused quite a scuffle. Providence is on our side this time. My lord cares not for anypony but the Warden. If that means taking a page out of Maim’s book and taking a hostage, then I will.”

Spike could neither say nor do anything as he felt the shift in the wagon as its wheels trudged along the dirt roads. He could try to run or fight, but Sunsword, being an earth pony knight, would beat him on both counts. Instead of resisting, Spike resigned himself to his fate, only one thought echoing in his head as the cart continued on to Celestia knows where.

I’m sorry Twilight. Again.

***

Twilight knew the Apple family who governed the arling of Red Apple were rustic, hard working ponies who thrived in the dirt of their farms. Their orchards were plentiful, their castle strong but not gaudy, and their tastes in life simple. Applejack and her elder brother Arl Macintosh provided two of the best examples she knew.

The Red Apple manor in Trotterim appeared to take that notion of simplicity and twisted it completely backwards. The manor was shining from floor to ceiling as attendants and servants worked diligently. Pristine statues of Celestia and Luna stood in the main foyer, while fanciful paintings of bored-looking members of the Apple family ancestry welcomed the guests of the manor.

Rainbow whistled as she looked around. “Nice digs,” she said. “Could get used to a place like this.”

“Yeah, bit spiffier than Ah would like. Granted, don’t think Macintosh ever used the manor till now. Preferred to be on the land working and building a good sweat, just like any of the Apple family. This just seems more Rarity’s way of doing things.”

They entered the main living space to see even more shining surfaces of polished wood and metal, along with Macintosh waiting for them. He looked bigger than Twilight remembered, dressed in his thick plated armour with a great sword slung on his back. He looked the very image of a knightly warrior, one who could become the scourge of any battlefield his unfortunate foe found him in.

“Hey there, lil’ sis. Grey Wardens. Miss Pie. Miss Fluttershy. Miss Trixie.” Macintosh looked down on Oghren, who returned the gaze. “Who’s this?”

“Name’s Oghren, buddy.” Oghren shifted on his hooves, attempting to make himself appear bigger and more prominent. “I only got one question for ya. Where can a blighter like me get a sodding drink around here? And I don’t mean water or some weak milk for foals. I want something hard. Something to wet my whistle.”

Macintosh raised an eyebrow before looking over Oghren’s head to Applejack. She simply shook her head bemusedly in reply. Looking back down, Macintosh pointed a hoof to an adjacent room.

“Got us supper all ready for ya’ll,” Macintosh said. “Plenty of apples o’ course. Good for ya. Other food too. If you’re that thirsty, plenty of barrels of cider as well. Ah think ya’ll like those, unless you wanted to wait for your friends.”

With no way of knowing how long Shale, Spike and Rarity were going to be at the blacksmith’s, Twilight and her grumbling stomach agreed that now was as good a time as any for dinner. Walking into the dining hall, Twilight rubbed her eyes to make sure it was not an illusion caused by a demon of hunger.

Long tables awaited them and were lined with plates upon plates of food. Apples and every baked good that could possibly be conceived with apples seemed to beckon to the party as mountains of food piled high into the sky. Apple fritters, apple pies, apple muffins, anything imagined was waiting for hungry hooves. Barrels of cider lined one of the walls with plenty of mugs for a hundred ponies. Twilight’s stomach roared in anticipation as she smelled the mixed aromas of all the delicious food.

Pinkie, Rainbow, Trixie and Oghren each looked at the feast displayed to them with wild hunger in their eyes. Without another word they rushed to the table, digging into any hapless dish that could be caught by their hooves.

“Trixie has been starving!” Trixie moaned as she gripped a half dozen muffins with her magic. “Her appetite is as large as her title!”

“So many sweets! Goodies! Eeee!” Pinkie slammed her face into a bowl of apple tarts, noisily munching away while Rainbow joined in with a plate of fritters. While Twilight could appreciate their gusto for real food rather than rations or hastily made soup, their complete devouring nature resembled that of ponyspawn. There was really only one word to describe such a scene.

It was kind of gross.

Oghren approached the cider barrels with a careful eye, being much more silent than the rest of the hungry ponies. Picking up a mug for himself, he carefully poured himself a full draught of cider with plenty of foam for the head. Hey eyeballed the drink for a moment, swishing around the cider, listening to the way it moved within the confines of the mug. As Twilight sat down, she was beginning to wonder if Oghren was some sort of liquor connoisseur, this idea being the reason he was drunk often.

Taking a whiff of the cider, Oghren took an almost reverent sip of the drink. He put down the mug, Twilight watching closely as she could have sworn he gave out the smallest of sobs. A single tear dripped from his eyes as he stared into his mug.

“I’m never going back to dirt beer ever again.”  With that declaration, Oghren greedily consumed his drink before pouring himself mug after mug of cider, downing every drink he could while also pouring mugs and tossing them towards the rest of the party with uncanny precision. Twilight couldn’t help but smile as a mug landed gracefully near her place at the table after being tossed by a lewd berserker.

While three starving savages devoured their food and cider, Twilight sat with Applejack, Fluttershy, and Macintosh in relative silence. They ate quietly, until Macintosh looked towards Twilight and spoke.

“We have a few problems,” he said. “Things that could really bring us and the Landsmeet down. Ah don’t know how, but while ya’ll were doing Warden business, Loghoof’s been outmaneuvering everypony who stands against him. For starters, there was another Grey Warden, Riordan, who came from Filais. He went to meet with Loghoof, but after that nopony has seen heads or tails of him. Some say that he was last seen with Arl Maim heading towards the Arl of Trotterim estate. As much as Ah’d hate to say it, Ah think Maim did something to that Warden. Only way to find out would be to get into his estate.”

Twilight nibbled on a muffin as her thoughts moved in rapid motion. There was another Warden in Equestria, a Filesian no less, and he was here to help against the Blight. If he was half the Warden Duncan was, he would have been an excellent addition to the group. Perhaps he had strategies or other wisdom that could be used against the ponyspawn and, more importantly, the Archdemon.

Yet as quickly as the welcome news came, it was quickly dashed before Twilight could wrap her hooves around it. “Sounds like we may have to infiltrate Maim’s estate,” Twilight said. “Though if what I’m hearing about Maim is right, he will be ready for such.”

“He was the old king’s shadowmaster,” explained Macintosh. “Real nasty business whenever he got involved. Backstabbing, extortion, kidnapping, he did it all. In the name of the king.” His eyes turned sad as he looked towards Applejack. Twilight understood Applejack’s concer; after all, it was that same throne that employed a shadowmaster that she would soon occupy.

“That just leads to our second problem though,” Macintosh continued. “Queen Armeria is missin’. She’s been under Maim’s care since Loghoof took the regency, and even Loghoof has been losing patience with Maim because of this. Don’t rightly know what each of those ponies is planning on doing to the other, but it won’t be pleasant. Also, if we’re gonna put Applejack as queen, Armeria is gonna have to peacefully abdicate, otherwise we’ll just be changin’ one civil strife for another.”

Applejack snorted. “Never figured you to be all stuck into politics, brother. And how come we can’t just let Armeria be queen?” Macintosh snorted back in response.

“Never expected to be arl of Red Apple. And ya’ll know we need one of the royal bloodline to sit on the throne. The old king fought long and hard to free Equestria from Filais, and many of the old noble families, including our pappy, fought to restore legitimacy to the crown. No more pretenders, no more foreigners. Somepony with the blood of the first high king. That somepony is you now.”

Macintosh coughed into his hoof as Applejack focused her thoughts on an untouched mug of cider. “It won’t be too bad. Once Loghoof loses his regency, you can give his terynir to Armeria. Either way, we need to get Loghoof off the throne.”

“What about the army?” Twilight asked, bringing a new subject up to light. “We’ve gone across Equestria, recruiting the unicorns, donkeys, and pegasi to join earth pony forces here in Trotterim.”

“That’s mighty appreciated, especially after the disaster of Ostequus,” Macintosh said in gratitude. “There’s another force we can make use of: the Filesians. They have a bunch of their knights not even a day’s gallop from Red Apple hunting down ponyspawn. Loghoof only allowed a small group in to help against the ponyspawn. A real shame too.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “How many chevaliers?”

Macintosh sighed. “They were going to bring a force of one thousand. Now there are fifty.”

Pressing a hoof against the bridge of her snout, Twilight took a deep breath as she felt a sudden and powerful migraine coming on. One thousand of Filais’ best soldiers, and Loghoof turned them back, leaving Equestria only fifty to maybe count towards her defenses. Did his paranoia of a Filesian invasion blind him so completely to the true threat of the ponyspawn?

Apparently the answer was a resounding yes.

“Sugarcube, things aren’t lookin’ good right now.” Twilight lifted her head to see Applejack laying a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “We're gonna need a plan and quick-like. Ah have faith you can figure this out, Twilight.”

Twilight hunched over her meal, horn glowing bright as she began to move pastries about as if they were pieces on a chess board. They relied on Twilight’s knowledge and wisdom to formulate the best plans she could. She had taken leadership of their group since Ostequus. It was her duty to her friends to take the reins once again.

“We’ll need to split up again so we can have a chance at covering all the objectives,” Twilight explained as she moved two apple fritters to the left. “Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy will fly out towards Red Apple and find the Filesian chevaliers. Even if there are just fifty of them, that’s another fifty skilled warriors to help us against the Blight.”

Rainbow stuck her head up at the sound of her name, swallowing the last of her cider. “You’ve gotta be kidding me, Twilight!” Rainbow exclaimed. “I can make it to Red Apple and back in the span of a day, but if I have to fly with Fluttershy, it’s going to take a long time! Even if we were to leave now!”

“I’m sorry…” Fluttershy hid under her mane, Angel jumping onto the table and giving Rainbow a cross look with his beady little eyes.

“You two are going to have to work together,” Twilight explained. “You need to coach Fluttershy to fly as fast as she can, because she’s the only one of us that can speak fluent Filesian. You also need to help protect Fluttershy; the road is dangerous, and I already feel awful for sending just the two of you. We don’t have the time or the ponypower to send a large group for support.”

Despite her hesitation, Rainbow looked down on her food, batting around a danish with her hooves as she mumbled her thoughts. Twilight watched with grim satisfaction; Rainbow’s eyebrows were not furrowed in annoyance. She was considering her flight plan.

“If we leave tonight, we can reach the Red Apple arling by morning, and then make it back to the Landsmeet just in the nick of time with the Filesians.” Rainbow kept her gaze distant, internally mapping the course she and Fluttershy could take. If there was anyone Twilight could trust an aerial mission with, it was Rainbow Dash.

“I know I can count on both you,” Twilight said, smiling. She then lifted four apples, only to have them get tossed aside in favour of a pie. She looked up to be staring into the baby blue eyes of Pinkie Pie.

“I want to be a pie! Just like my name!” Twilight shook her head in disbelief as she noted the conviction on Pinkie’s face. There was simply no use arguing when Pinkie was focused on wanting to be a slice of pie.

“Okay…” Lifting a knife, she cut the pie into quarters and set them into the right hand corner in front of her. “Pinkie Pie, Trixie, Oghren and myself will infiltrate the Arl of Trotterim’s estate. There, we’ll save Riordan and Armeria, and confront Maim.”

Twilight paused as she thought over what she had just said. The over-energetic Pinkie Pie who wouldn’t know the word “subtle” unless written on a cake. The ever so high and mighty Trixie who would complain incessantly or make some attempt to show off her magic. The loud and boorish Oghren whose idea of infiltration likely involved ramming the front gate with his head.

Surely an infiltration squad for the ages, Twilight thought with a moan.

“He’s got a lot to answer for, Ah tell you what,” Applejack muttered. “Because of him, Macintosh and Apple Bloom were hurt. Take me with you, Twilight. Ah want to introduce him to Kicks McGillicutty and Bucks McGee personally.”

Twilight shook her head before lifting several apples with her magic and placing them in front of her. “I’m sorry, Applejack, but as much as I’d love your help against Arl Maim, you are the best chance the nation has, and you need to be protected. It’s best to keep you protected here in the estate until the Landsmeet. Rarity, Spike, and Shale will be with you to make sure Loghoof doesn’t send assassins against you like he did before.”

She would never have believed it otherwise, but Twilight was now watching Applejack sulk as she looked down on her food and pushed it away, no longer hungry. Twilight looked away in shame, having denied her friend from exacting justice on Maim for his attacks on the Apple family. For a strong pony like Applejack, it simply wasn’t done to leave somepony like her, a soldier, behind the walls of a fortress.

Yet it was to be this way. Applejack was no longer a common soldier, a templar, or even a Grey Warden. She was royalty, and their best bet in keeping the realm strong and united once they removed Loghoof from his regency. Applejack appeared to understand as well, ending her sulk and looking Twilight in the eye with fierce determination.

“Tall order you got there, but if Ah have to, Ah will stay here and get ready for the Landsmeet.” Big Macintosh nodded approvingly as he looked to his sister. Twilight followed suit, before turning to her newly formed “spy” party.

“We’ll leave tonight,” Twilight said once she had their attention. “We’ll have an easier time getting into Maim’s estate then. Everypony has their orders. Let’s do this.”

---

Chapter 38 – Maimed by Night

The moon stood bright as a beacon in the sky while the party stood in front of the Red Apple estate. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy stood shoulder to shoulder, ready for the long flight towards Red Apple proper in search of the small, yet capable Filesian forces. Twilight stood with Pinkie Pie, Trixie, and Oghren, ready to infiltrate the estate of Arl Maim. With both teams ready to depart, and Rarity, Spike, and Shale having not yet returned from their trip to the smithy, Applejack felt a little left out.

“Ya’ll be careful now, ya hear?” Applejack said as she tried to hide her displeasure with a smile. “There’s still a lot of work to be done, and Ah’ll still need all the help Ah can get for it.”

“Don’t worry another minute, AJ,” Rainbow replied. “We’ll be back with some troops before you even have a crown on your head!”

Pinkie’s eyes lit up at the mention of a crown. Applejack couldn’t help but wince. “Ooh, ooh! When Applejack gets crowned queen, that means there is going to be a coronation, which means super awesome party!”

Twilight rolled her eyes before steering Pinkie back towards their infiltration group. “We’ll worry about the party after we rescue a Grey Warden, a soon to be former queen, and make sure Arl Maim can’t make any more trouble for us.”

With great restraint on her part, Applejack resisted the urge to growl at the mention of Maim. All Applejack wanted right now was to storm his estate, kick down his door and buck Loghoof’s right-hoof colt square in the jaw. It would certainly make her feel better considering how much harm that snake of a pony had inflicted on Red Apple, on Macintosh and Applebloom. Blood be damned, I should be the one to drag Maim into the courts for attempted murder!

After checking that they had all the gear for their missions, Twilight signaled with a hoof that it was time to leave. “When Spike gets back, take care of him for me, please?” Twilight asked. Applejack nodded; the love and care between the two inspired her. It was the same as her care for Applebloom and Macintosh. Something like that just didn’t happen every day and should be protected.

Fluttershy and Rainbow departed first, the former trailing behind the latter as they took off into the night sky. Their task would be one of endurance, as they would fly several leagues past the walls of Trotterim into the ponyspawn infested lowlands. Just the two of them alone was enough to turn her stomach with worry. Lightspeed, both of you, Applejack silently prayed until both pegasi were mere specks in the moonlight, and then no more.

The others left in silence as well as they walked down the deserted streets towards the Arl of Trotterim’s estate near the palace. Something was bound to go wrong. Applejack knew it, and she loathed being left behind. So many noise makers in one place doing a job that was meant for subtlety were bound to come across problems.

Twilight was right, though. They needed to keep Applejack safe for the Landsmeet, where she would finally, and officially, declare herself the true heir to the throne thanks to royal blood. Sweat poured down her face at the very thought of being in front of a large group of noble ponies who commanded fields, towns, and armies as they watched an inexperienced pony claim dominion over them all against a known hero, a respected noble, and a renowned general.

“Ah can’t do it!” Applejack exclaimed to Macintosh. “Ah don’t have a hayseed’s chance of dislodgin’ Loghoof from his seat! How ya’ll convince me that Ah could beat him in politics? Pony’s been at it for years and Ah’m going onto the biggest stage in front of everypony without any know-how on what to do! What to say!”

“Now calm down, Applejack,” Macinitosh said, laying a firm, yet gentle hoof on her shoulder plate. “Eyup, things look bad. But you got me to help ya, yer friends, and everypony who wants to see this country run right.”

“Ah wasn’t raised to be a high and mighty queen. Ah was just a simple pony on Red Apple. Then a simple templar. This whole royalty business…”

“If Blueblood were still alive, you’d be in line for the Arling of Red Apple if Ah kicked the bucket.” Macintosh motioned for the Applejack to follow him. “This is the way it’s gotta be. We need one of the royal bloodline on the throne, or everything our pappies fought and died for will be for nuthin’. Armeria is smart, and she’ll make a fine teyrina, but she’s the widow of a king and the daughter of a commoner who only got his teyrnir as a gift from the king. Her hold is shaky at best. Ya’ll have the better claim, and the best chance to stabilize the country once Loghoof is gone.”

“Look at me.” Applejack looked into her brother’s eyes, a sight that always gave her strength before. It was her hope that she could find strength in them again. “Ah wouldn’t do this to ya if Ah didn’t think it was best for everypony, Ah told you this back in Red Apple. What’s got yer tail in a knots that ya want to back out now?”

“Ah’m scared, Macintosh!” Applejack’s unrestrained yell was enough as her face contorted in both rage and despair. “Ah’m scared Ah’m gonna fail an entire country. Ah’m scared of changin’ who Ah am just so my head can fit into a crown. Ah’m scared of losing everything and everypony dear to me for a throne Ah never knew could be mine.”

Macintosh said nothing. Instead, he approached Applejack and gave her a tight embrace. She found herself with her face buried in an orange mane and sought the same comfort for whatever ailed her, much like she did when she was just a little filly. Especially after the deaths of her parents and Granny Smith.

“Ah can’t do it alone,” Applejack whispered. “Ah need help.”

“And we’ll all be there to help ya,” Macintosh replied. With a nudge of his head, he signaled that it was time to go back inside. Her stomach agreed, rumbling loudly and causing a burst of chuckles from the both of them. They headed straight to the feast hall, where Applejack poured herself a generous mugful of cider before making her way to the food.

She sat and ate with her brother, and regaled all about the adventures she had been in since the Battle of Ostequus. He listened intently about all their battles and discoveries, and took keen interest in the tale of the Mane of Stars and the battle against the High Dragon. Just as Applejack was about to retell the part where she climbed onto the dragon’s head, there was a murmur of voices from outside the door of the hall.

“I still can’t believe you! He was right on your back! What were you so preoccupied with that you could lose track of a baby dragon in full plate with a flaming sword!”

“Perhaps I was imagining the different ways to crush your skull. Not that it would be hard. Just lift up my hoof and stomp. It would be very messy and very satisfying.”

The door flung open and revealed Rarity and Shale arguing into the estate, with Shale removing her disguise then tossed it into a heap on the ground. Applejack shook her head in disbelief as they approached the pair before she felt a cold chill run down her spine. Where was Spike?

“Now calm down and tell me exactly what happened,” Applejack reproached them. Rarity pushed past Shale, her eyes wrought with worry.

“Spike’s gone missing! While I was working with the armourer Hoity Toity, Spike left Shale in a huff. Probably offended that we were working on dragon scales, the poor dear. When we left the smithy, Spike was nowhere to be found! We searched high and low, but we simply cannot find him!”

“I expected him to come here,” Shale added. “He was saying that he wanted to tell Twilight about finding one of Loghoof’s lieutenants. A squishy earth pony with a golden sword. What was her name…?”

Macintosh’s eyes widened at Shale’s description. “Ya’ll mean Sunsword?” When Shale nodded, Maninstosh drew a sharp breath. “Sunsword is Loghoof’s most trusted knight, who serves as his personal bodyguard and enforcer of his will. If she has your friend Spike, it will be very difficult to take him back through force. She’s a skilled swordspony, and is extremely capable at whatever Loghoof needs doin’. There’s a good chance that she saw a chance and took it, and if Loghoof hasn’t sent her to check on his daughter in Maim’s clutches, he will.”

“Then we have to stop her and save Spike!” Rarity was about to be out the door when Applejack grabbed her tail in her teeth.

“Now hold on a minute, missy,” Applejack said with great hesitation. “If we go out there now in the dead of night and make a ruckus, we’ll endanger Twilight and her mission to bring back both Armeria and another Grey Warden.”

“Then what shall we do?” Shale looked at Applejack expectantly. Applejack knew the words that needed to be said, the words of a queen in a war against an enemy, yet feared to utter them. The choice she had to make.

“We wait until the Landsmeet,” Applejack said as she turned away and retreated to her room. “And pray. We gotta pray.”

***

The Arl of Trotterim estate regaled in a grandiosity that made the Red Apple estate look like a simple garden shack. Twilight would not utter such a comparison around Applejack considering her agrarian background. One part noble abode and one part barracks, it was as much a home to the Trotterim guard as it was to Arl Maim. Well worn roads where soldiers marched lead from the city to the estate, while gardens in full bloom flanked the same walkways.

From her vantage point in a dark alley, Twilight watched as several patrols of two earth pony guards walked in predictable motions around the estate. Looking up, she took note that there were no pegasi guards in Maim’s employ. That was good. They didn’t need to worry about the air.

“There has to be a way into the estate without being detected,” Twilight said aloud. Pinkie extended a hoof into the air like a student in a class room.

“We could try knocking on it and asking politely?” Pinkie suggested, “It seemed to work for grumpy golems, maybe it works for amoral arls as well!”

“We’re trying to be subtle,” said Twilight, “We can’t just walk up to the front door and ask to be allowed in. We need another approach.”

Oghren shrugged. “We could bash down the front door, make a daring rescue that would be sung for ages, fighting our way into the dungeons until we face down Maim himself and you and him fight in single combat in a deadly duel.”

Twilight blinked at Oghren. “What part of ‘subtle’ doesn’t anypony seem to understand?”

“Trixie has an idea.” The magician pointed a hoof at one of the patrols. “All we need to do is get four uniforms, and then we can sneak in disguised as part of the soldiery. Once we make our way to the dungeon we can save both the Warden and the queen.”

“Great idea, Trixie!” Twilight’s horn and sword pommel quickly became alight with magic. “Just give me a moment to study to study their armour…”

Twilight watched the guards intently and took note of every piece of equipment they wore. The soldiers patrolled in shining steel mail with plates of metal in key places on their chests and sides, as well as very thick plates along their right shoulders. They walked on greaves made of steel while longswords hung from leather scabbards. Common soldiery that bore the emblem of Equestria on their chests.

“Got it.” Twilight turned to Trixie in surprise as the illusion magic shrouded both her and Pinkie in pale blue light. In a moment, they were both decked in the same uniform as the estate guards.

“Impressed?” Trixie said with a smirk. “Trixie is a skilled illusionist after all. It’s foalsplay, really. It will also keep your magic level if you are not straining to keep the illusion up for three ponies and a donkey.”

Twilight smiled, then cast the disguises for herself an Oghren. As she worked the spell, Twilight saw Trixie in a new light. Gone was the magician whose sole purpose for studying magic was out of spite and jealousy. Now Trixie stood a new mare, one who seemed to get better at spellcraft every day. With the knowledge that Trixie had greatly matured, Twilight had no doubt that if she chose to return to the Tower, she would be an excellent teacher for the younglings.

For that, I’ll make sure there is a Tower to return to. As she looked over herself, Twilight felt rather pleased that the spell worked. Even the helmets provided enough cover to shroud their horns, and the armour felt real and heavy upon her body. This was a key to illusion magic; for illusions to work well, both the observer and the user had to at least have inkling that the falsehood was reality.

“Alright everypony, let’s go. Just follow my lead.” Walking in formation, Twilight approached the estate then turn to the right of the estate. As long as they could find the entrance to the barracks of the estate, they could circle the building and hopefully not raise any alarms.

Twilight tensed as she walked past the first patrol. The two guards only looked up once before stopping; her heart beat faster as they turned towards them. When the two groups met, the guards offered a friendly smile.

“More guards, eh?” said one, “Maim’s been more and more paranoid ever since Loghoof sent the Queen to stay under his care. Where’d he grab you four?”

At the question, Twilight realized a flaw in her plan. She hadn’t come up with a workable cover story for the guards. Beads of sweat began to flow down her face as she stuttered for a moment before Pinkie stepped forward.

“We’ve been reassigned from the north palisades,” she said, sounding calm and professional. “Arl Maim requested soldiers to be brought over from the west wall as well, but they won’t come until morning.”

“Again from the north wall?” the guard’s partner said in exasperation. “The captain said that wall is our weakest position with all the reassignments. The estate is better defended than the whole of Trotterim now. Reinforcements from Fort Drakon have to go toward the south and west walls, and thanks to that, they’ll have to curve through the city to get to the north side. I don’t have the slightest idea what Arl Maim is up to.”

“Yeah, it does sound like he’s more concerned with himself than the defense of the city. With the weaknesses he’s made due to all these reassignments, the ponyspawn could breach the northern palisades with ease. It keeps me up at night it does, just thinking one of these days the ponyspawn are going to do just that.”

“What are we going to do?” Pinkie replied with a shrug. “Teryn Loghoof made Maim Arl of Trotterim. That means defending the city is his job, and we have to do ours. Don’t worry, though. Once we beat the Blight, the Queen is going to host a party and everypony is going to be invited!”

“Hear that? A party!”

“What I wouldn’t give for some cake and a belly full of mead…” The guards walked away in higher spirits as they continued their patrols, leaving Pinkie all smiles and Twilight all confused. Right. She was a guard of Ponyring, Twilight recalled, of course she knows how to speak with other guards. Bringing her along was the right idea.

With the sound of hoofsteps as the only sounds, they continued to patrol the grounds as good soldiers did, all the while Twilight noting of the exchange between the guards and Pinkie. The situation from Trotterim appeared dire if there were weak points in the city’s defense. Things were already bad that the common citizenry had not been evacuated; if the city were to become a battleground as Twilight’s dreams indicated, they would be unprepared and encumbered by the frightened masses.

Focus Twilight, she chided herself, focus on the task at hoof. You’re about to approach another pair of guards. Play it cool. Play it Pinkie. Oh Celestia, I didn’t just think that.

They approached a doorway on the side of the estate watched over by another pair of guards. Unlike the patrols, these bore the cutie mark of Arl Maim, a bloodied dagger, on their talbards and shields. Twilight winced as she looked down for a glimpse of the emblem on their disguises; the flag of Equestria was magically embroidered across their chests.

The two Maim guards looked at Twilight with suspicion, moving their eyes to each member of the group. Unlike the Trotterim guards, these soldiers held stern looks, as if expecting a brawl to start any moment. Or to start one out of boredom.

Twilight looked to Pinkie, who seemed comfortable taking command of the situation. She walked up to one of the guards and gave them a crisp salute. “Sergeant Puddinghead reporting from North Palisades,” she said, “I come with Privates Clover, Wanda, and Bob. Who’s the captain in charge we’re supposed to report to?”

One of the guards sighed, rubbing the back of his head with a hoof as he appeared to be in strenuous thought. “Wonderful, more of you Trotterim types. Captain Bigguns is asleep, so you’ll have to wait until morning. Or…”

He nudged his partner who drifted off at his post. “Why don’t two of you take over our shift while we catch forty winks? Maim’s been running us ragged for a long time, and a nap sounds like the best thing ever right now.”

“Two ponies can hold this post. What about the other two?” Twilight asked. The guard merely shrugged before leaving the barracks.

“Don’t know, don’t care. Patrol the lower section of the estate or something. Just uh… don’t go down into the dungeons. Only Maim’s ‘elite’ guards go down there with him. If I didn’t value my job, I’d say they were just a bunch of overpaid stuffed shirts made to look tough. Only real scary one down there is Maim himself. Ah well, you have a nice shift now, you hear?”

Once the guard was out of earshot and the door closed behind him, Twilight turned to her group. “We need to keep two of us here for appearances,” she said in a hushed whisper, “Maim’s hiding in the dungeon, that’s good. We won’t have to search the entire estate.”

“Trixie and I will stay close to the door,” Pinkie said, “I’ll turn all the guards away from here so that there isn’t any problems for you and Oghren when you go all sneaky-sneak.”

Twilight nodded and motioned for Oghren to follow as she opened the door of the barracks and walked inside. The party had become a simple partnership now, and Twilight was not as confident as she was. It was no fault of Oghren’s, as he was generally quiet as they made their way through the halls of the estate, though his eyes darted back and forth in search of trouble. No, it was the fact that she and Oghren were alone with little chance of reinforcement against a shadowmaster like Maim.

The barracks were a simple affair, with many bunks for sleeping guards under the covers, while a few  soldiers stayed awake. Twilight noticed an interesting dichotomy as she walked past them all. The soldiers of Trotterim spoke of their fears of the ponyspawn, of weaknesses in the cities defenses. Those ponies under Maim’s employ from Amarethine mostly muttered about payment, or lack thereof.

I wouldn’t put it past Maim to draw his soldiers from mercenary companies. She avoided eye contact with any of the guards in hope that they would ignore her and Oghren. Thankfully, they were too busy with their conversations or meals to pay much notice, though a pair did watch them enter. Twilight simply nodded to them in greeting and received a slow nod in return before resuming her patrol of the hallways.

Once they were out of the barracks, Twilight found herself marvelling at the halls of luxury. Silk tapestries hung with care from the walls detailing past glories of Equestria, while gems adorned the walls and reflected the torch light. Whether they were Maim’s or the previous Arl’s, she did not know. What she did know was she found herself conflicted looking at the opulence of the estate. While ponies suffered at the hooves of ponyspawn, the Arl of Trotterim stood by, sipped wine and called for higher taxes for more silks.

“I suppose some things don’t change across cultures,” she heard Oghren say. “Nobles will be nobles, huh?”

Twilight couldn’t agree more. While the common pony suffered, the nobility did nothing but squabble amongst them and squander needed resources. As the land burned and ponies were killed by monsters, they feared threats imagined rather than real. Twilight truly started to regret putting Applejack on the throne, and the future headaches of a political nature to come.

Though, maybe Applejack can buck some sense into the nobility. Twilight mused that thought as they walked into a large and lavish lounge with tables holding fine crystal glasses while similar decanters filled with rich, scarlet wine waited to be consumed. Only a few servants milled about  and cleaned the lounging hall. They paid no heed to the typical patrols of two guards. Their disguises worked so far.

As they walked through the halls, the familiar yet unexpected tug of magic made its presence known to Twilight as a tug on her horn. Raising a hoof to her lips, she motioned for Oghren to remain silent as she looked around for the source of the magic. She turned her senses solely onto magic and the world around her drifted away until she could see the ley lines from the Fade link into the land.

The Veil between the dream world and the real one showed slight damage, and as Twilight extended her senses, she could feel the weight of pain and death bear down on her shoulders. The simple feeling of wrongness extended towards her from below, to where Arl Maim made his dungeon. Twilight shivered at the thought of what he had done that could tear into the Veil. Nothing pleasant, she imagined.

Once she shook herself from thoughts on the Veil, Twilight refocused her efforts in finding the spell that pulled at her. Arl Maim was an employer of unicorns it would seem, but thankfully she could find no malicious magic at work. Though that ruled out Maleficar, any unicorn could prove a dangerous foe. Instinctively, she found the ley lines of spellwork in the very floor as a single straight pathway that linked a large ornate door to the lower levels.

It was not a very impressive barrier spell and Twilight could break it easily. The spell appeared to have been designed to keep a simple pony locked in, after all. Still, she held back as she looked at the single line with caution. The line was likely a link to the unicorn who cast the spell, a simple yet effective alarm that would tell the unicorn and more importantly, Arl Maim, that their prisoner had escaped.

“Hello?” Twilight said softly as she approached the door.

“Who’s there?” said a feminine voice. “Maim? One of Maim’s lackeys? I am ordering you to let me out! This is not how you treat the queen of the realm! Once my father hears about this, I’ll make sure you and your Arl have a personal cell within Fort Drakon!”

“Queen Armeria Mac Tir?” Twilight smiled as she approached the door. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. I’m a Grey Warden here to rescue you from Maim.”

“Oh thank Celestia and Luna on high… wait…” There was a stiff silence for a moment, the sound of hooves on stone being the only sign that Armeria was still behind the door. Twilight took a sharp breath in as she waited. “You… you’re a Warden? Did you fight in Ostequus?”

This was the question Twilight dreaded. Who knew what lies Loghoof told his daughter about the death of her husband and king? What if she screamed or raised an alarm? It was too late to back away now without some sort of answer.

Honesty is the best policy, Twilight heard Applejack’s voice in her ear. Steeling herself, she spoke to the door. “I was. I saw the battle from atop the observatory that had a fire signal for your father.”

“You were able to light the signal?”

“Yes.”

There was a long silence after Twilight made her confirmation. She pressed her ear against the door only to hear the faint muffle of sobs. “My husband, King Blueblood,” Armeria said, “Did my father abandon him? I know I have no reason to believe you… but… I can’t trust my father anymore, or any of the other nobles of the court.”

“I’m sorry, your Majesty. But yes.” Twilight took a deep breath. “Loghoof retreated from the field. He left the armies of King Blueblood and his Warden allies to die. We went back to Ostequus, and gave your husband a proper burial. We also found letters from Blueblood and…”

More silence before Armeria broke it. “I know of them. Father must have found them as well. Celestia preserve me… I am sorry for the loss of your Wardens. I didn’t imagine he would do all this. He’s doomed Equestria, he has. What good is fighting off Filesians when the ponyspawn are just going to leave this land a blighted mess?”

“Your Majesty, I need to be honest with you.” Twilight gulped. How do you tell a monarch you came to save her so she could abdicate her throne to your friend? “We came to rescue you to resolve the issue with the throne.”

“You… want me to abdicate.” The quick realization surprised Twilight. “I heard about the other claiman. The old king’s bastard. Er... I’m sorry. I understand. Without Blueblood, I’m just a chess piece to be used by my father. He cares deeply for Equestria, please understand. He truly loves this land! Becoming teryn and exposed to power and politics… changed him. If it helps save Equestria, then I will put away my crown.”

“That’s... awfully lenient.” Was this a trick? Twilight couldn’t tell if there was deception in Armeria’s voice.

“ ‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown’, unless you’re Blueblood and see it as an accessory.” Armeria sighed. “I feel sorry for whoever you want to put on the throne. They’ll have their hooves full.”

“She’s the old king’s illegitimate daughter,” Twilight replied. There was a cold laugh from behind the door.

“Then I hope she can produce an heir. Being barren is as much a death sentence in the court as it is facing a ponyspawn.”

“Listen,” Armeria said, “You need to go into the dungeon and find Maim. He has a unicorn who placed the ward on the door with him at all times. The door itself isn’t locked, but if it opens, Maim comes galloping with a dozen of his elites. He’s tired of serving my father, and plans to use me as a pony shield for his escape to Amarethine.”

“Got it,” Twilight said, “We’ll find Maim and get him to bring down the barrier. We’ll be back soon, Your Majesty.”

“Wait.” Twilight stopped in mid step before turning back to the door. “Maim… Maim is a monster, Warden Sparkle. He has contacts to the Imperium. He sells pegasi ponies and political prisoners to them as slaves. He is a brutal pony, who I believe murdered Arl Rich so that my father could give him the arling of Trotterim. I’ve read the King’s journals, about how he saw Maim as a necessary evil against the Filesian occupiers. I think my father sees the same, that Maim is distasteful but useful. You may have to fight him, and if you do, you will have to kill him. A desperate stallion is incredibly dangerous, especially if he was planning on ransoming me to escape to Amarethine. Celestia protect you.”

Twilight stewed with those thoughts as she rejoined with Oghren and made their way towards the dungeons. Her senses guided them by following the magical trail left by Maim’s wizard servant. Armeria had, in essence, told Twilight that if she were to fight Maim, then it would be a battle to the death. The idea of fighting a pony she had never met would also mean finding the resolve to kill him. Oghren looked to her, yet Twilight remained quiet. There was no reason to discuss doubts in the middle of enemy territory.

It would be no different than the assassin’s lead by Rainbow Dash. She would give Maim the opportunity to surrender. To escape. If he failed to heed her warning…

She would end his threat to Equestria and her friends.

They rounded a bend towards a staircase and descended into the lower levels of the estate. What was once the lap of luxury increasingly became plainer as they continued downward towards the depths. The stone of the estate bore no decoration, and instead of candles and glass windows to light the pathways, blazing torches illuminated the dark corridors. The smell of mildew mixed with the unmistakable stench of blood that almost caused Twilight to wretch. It would seem Arl Rendon Maim still had a few of his Shadowmaster hobbies in full play. She loathed the discovery.

Twilight peeked around a corner and could see two of Arl Maim’s personal soldiers standing by a very large barred door. Both guards wore heavy armour with helms that covered their eyes in obscuring visors.

“Hopefully we can bluff past them and into Arl Maim’s dirty little basement.” Twilight walked towards the two elite guards with the same confidence Pinkie showed. “Hello. We’re here to help keep watch of the dungeons. Arl Maim sent for more soldiers from the north wall.”

With their covered faces, Twilight could not tell how they reacted save for both guards’ lips curving into scowls. One of them drew his sword while the other scoffed at them. “Arl Maim did not send for any more troops. You are not supposed to be here.”

“Ah well.” Oghren reached for his axe. “Was wondering when I got to smash in a pony’s face. No offense, Warden.”

The guards launched themselves against Twilight and Oghren. In the heat of battle, the disguises faded away and revealed the infiltrators’ true selves. With Twilight’s blade free from its sheath, both her horn and weapons blazed with magical power as she deflected a strong slash and replied with a forceful knockback. The push sent one elite guard right into a wall To her right, Oghren parried blow for blow against his opponent. He grinned wide as he struck with his axe.

No more pony blood will be shed by me or my friends! Twilight grimaced as she felt the strength of the elite’s strike against her levitating sword and pushed back with all her magical might. “Oghren! Don’t kill them!”

“They aren’t really giving us many options!” Oghren spun on his hooves before delivering a stiff mule kick to the head of the soldier. A shout and a crack echoed in the small room, and caused Twilight to worry that Oghren had kicked too hard and broke a neck. Applejack’s bucks were powerful enough to snap bone on a ponyspawn; there was no telling what a seasoned warrior like Oghren could do.

Thankfully, the guard simply slumped onto the floor with a groan. His chest heaved in slow motions, but he still lived. Oghren smirked at Twilight who smiled, then turned her full attention to the other guard. Twilight channeled her magic and enveloped him in a field of violet energy. She tossed away his sword and ripped the helmet off his head.

Leaning close to the elite soldier who looked up at Twilight with terror, she brought her sword close to his throat. “Where are Arl Maim and the Warden he captured?” she hissed as she glared at the soldier.

“You said you didn’t want to kill us!” The soldier sputteredm “Why would I tell you anything?”

“You’re right, I said I wouldn’t kill you.” Twilight’s frown turned devilish as she leaned closer. “That doesn’t mean I can’t make your life a living hell until you tell us where they are. My friend here, however, has no such moral qualms. Now where is the Arl?”

Oghren belched at the right time to accentuate the point. With a gulp, the guard reached to his side and held a ring of keys on his hoof. “These keys can open all the doors in the dungeons,” the guard said, “Just the same as the Arl’s. I don’t know where he is specifically, but he should be downstairs with the Warden. What’s left of him.”

Damn. We have to move quickly. “Thanks for the help. Now sleep.” Before she could cast a simple sleeping spell, Twilight saw Oghren’s axe pommel strike the back of the guard’s head, sending him into unconsciousness. She shot a quick glare to Oghren, who replied with a simple shrug.

After the door to the dungeons opened, Twilight pressed a hoof to her snout in an effort to block the stench. The overpowering smell of blood and rotten corpses in the air made her silently wish she could vomit. Whether it was Maim’s work that caused this basement level to be a vile den of death and filth or simply a buildup of generations, Twilight didn’t care. It disgusted her. That was the simple truth of the matter.

Oghren’s ears straightened, his head turning on a swivel. “I hear something Warden,” he said, “Sounds faint though. Could be Maim.” Oghren led the way, and Twilight leveled her sword, ready in the event Maim used his shadowmaster talents against her.

For somepony like Maim, Twilight’s mind raced on how to approach the cunning Arl. He was a rogue of sorts, likely holding a very quick and precise repertoire of moves similar to Rainbow Dash. Stay away from his blade, that’s a given, Twilight thought as she made a mental checklist, keep him in sight, always. Don’t let him go near shadows. Don’t let him get behind me or Oghren. If need be, and he will not surrender… kill him.

“Here, Warden!” Oghren called, “I found ponies! Just… you aren’t going to like the sight.”

Twilight walked up to the bars in a rather large cell and peered inside. She could hear the faint whimpers of young foals, and while her curiosity piqued, it was also disturbed. Her horn began to glow until a simple orb of magelight engulfed the cell. As she looked inside, a small sob escaped her lips as she looked onto the sordid sight.

Crammed into the small dungeon cells, dozens of foals peered through the bars and all of them whimpered in pain as they recoiled from Twilight’s magelight. They were a dirty bunch, covered in grim and more horrifying, blood. Scractches and bruises lined their bodies, several having hollow black eyes. Many had not even discovered their special talents, their flanks bare of any cutie marks save for more damaged flesh.

“By the Stone,” Oghren muttered, “I can’t believe this.” Twilight could not either. The room smelled of filth and blood and rot, discarded platters of food that was more like bile strewn across the room. There was only a single lavatory for them all to use, and it smelled as if it had never been emptied.

“Maim.” Twilight all but spat the name in disgust. Was he so low that he would take children away from their families? What was he planning to do with them? Were they being held for ransom? Did Loghoof have a part in this despicable act? She could feel a low growl rumble in the back of her throat, coughing to clear her voice. The foals held enough fear in their hearts thanks to Maim; an angry unicorn with unrestrained magic at her command would send them into shock.

Her gaze softened, Twilight looked through the bars of the cell while she offered a hoof. “It’s OK,” she said, “I won’t hurt you. Nopony is going to hurt you. What happened here? Why is Arl Maim holding you all?”

A grey filly with pale, violet eyes stepped forward. She walked with a limp and caused Twilight to wince at each step. “My name is Silver Spoon. Maim took us from our families,” she said, her voice hoarse. “My daddy’s Arl Greywolf of West Hills. He sent me here to keep me safe, but Maim took me and threw me in this cell with Diamond Tiara. She... she...”

Silver Spoon turned and pointed at a little fuscia filly curled up in a corner. She was roughly the same age as Applebloom, but much worse for wear compared to the others. Her ribs protruded from her emaciated body. Her body was covered in festering scars, and her eyes were sunken and bloodshot. She turned her head and stared right into Twilight’s eyes.

“You… you can help…” she said in a dead monotone. “Daddy… sickness... Loghoof returned... Maim... Tried to stand up to Loghoof...  took one look at me and… and he told Maim… he said… ‘Deal with her...’”

“Been here for months... Can’t remember the sun...” As she spoke, hot tears flowed from her darkened eyes. “More foals thrown in. Maim’s angry with them. With me. Seen ponies dragged into the other rooms. Screams every night. Make it stop... Make him stop... Please…”

Twilight’s scowl hid the burning fury from deep within her chest. Sophia flashed to life from its sheath, and Oghren stepped away from Twilight in surprise. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you out. We’ll stop Arl Rendon Maim and we’ll help you all find your families again.”

“Will you now?” Twilight spun around on her hooves, her fierce gaze piercing into the darkness of the dungeons. One by one the torches snuffed out and left everypony lost in darkness save for the light from Twilight’s horn. She ground her teeth as the last light went out.

“Maim!” Her shout echoed throughout the dungeon, only to have a sharp, yet sinister chuckle respond to her. “What have you done? First a Warden who was only trying to help us against the Blight—“

“A filthy Filesian who was a spy!”

“The Queen of the realm?”

“A contingency plan if Loghoof decided I had outlived my usefulness.”

“And all these foals? What could you possibly need them for? Why brutalize innocent children?” Twilight barked her words, each syllable filled with as much anger as she could muster. As she panted from her shouts, she could almost feel Maim’s sneer in the darkness. Oghren growled next to her and drew his axe.

“Loghoof wanted to make sure he could not possibly lose the Landsmeet against your pretender,” Maim said from behind his shroud of darkness. “He gave me as much autonomy as I needed to do what was to be done. I capture the relatives of the Banns and of the Arls and remind them that if they did not stand behind Loghoof, their loved ones would take on a dark fate. It would have been the least I could do for the regent after giving me the Arling of Trotterim.”

Arl Maim stepped out of the shadows, his scowl planted firmly on his lips as he stepped into the light. To his side was a peach coloured unicorn, his horn alight with magic. He ran a hoof through his greasy mane before letting out a long, exasperated sigh.

“Everything was going so well,” he continued, “First; I attack the teyrnir of White Fortress and kill Teryn Highlander. I missed his son, but he has been in hiding for some time. He knows he cannot stand against me or Loghoof. This allowed Loghoof to take the regency with his only equal out of the way. Loghoof then stopped Blueblood’s plan to allow the Filesians into our country, and through him I was given Trotterim. It wasn’t until you Wardens got involved that things started to sour.”

“You’re right, Maim,” Twilight said as she and Maim began to circle each other. “We did ruin your plans. You tried to get rid of Arl Macintosh using a foolish unicorn. You didn’t expect a demonic invasion from the Fade though, nor did you expect us to stop that and find the Mane of Stars.”

“And because of that failure, Loghoof has been watching me like a hawk.” Maim spat the name of his benefactor. “Equestria is doomed, you know. Nothing will stop this Blight. I’ve read the reports of past Blights. How they were slow invasions, not a sudden blitzkrieg like this one. Let Loghoof have his delusions that the Filesians are the greatest threats; I don’t care about this country anymore. I stopped caring when I was not given my due by the king.”

Twilight focused her anger on Maim as she moved her hooves carefully. This stallion, this monster, was the vilest creature she had ever met. At least the ponypawn killed most of their adversaries. At least the diamond dogs had offered them a deal. Maim was a tormentor of foals, a greedy coward, and a true traitor. Everything he was sickened her to her core. This was a pony who should not be allowed to live.

No more pony blood will be spilled. She bit back a curse to Maim and instead took a deep breath. “Maim… tell your mage to lower the barrier holding the queen hostage. You will then surrender to me, call off your soldiers, and come with me, the foals, and my friends back to Red Apple Estate. When Applejack is crowned queen, you will be brought towards her court and judged appropriately. She may even show you leniency.”

“Excuse me as I highly doubt that.” He drew a long dagger and clenched the bit between his teeth, then poised himself for battle. “This can only go two ways, Warden. I told you everything out of some idea that explaining myself would make me feel better. You know what? It did. It made me feel good to know I told all of my and Loghoof’s plans to a dead pony. One of us isn’t going to leave this estate alive. So frankly, it doesn’t matter if I hold my tongue anymore!”

Twilight leveled her sword and readied herself for the oncoming fight. “I have only one question,” she said, nodding at Oghren to be ready. “Why did Loghoof do this? What did he have to gain by betraying Blueblood?”

“The same reason he does anything, Warden. For Equestria!”

Without warning his tail flared out and tossed a small bomb at his hooves. The ball burst into a cloud of smoke, and enveloped the dungeon in an impenetrable shroud. Twilight coughed as the smoke burned her throat and eyes while the chuckles of Maim echoed in the dungeon. Twilight’s horn let loose a hastily cast cone of cold and blew away the smoke with an icy wind.

Once the smoke cleared, Twilight saw that Maim was gone and left his mage servant alone with them. The mage’s eyes widened at the sight of two angry intruders before galloping away. Twilight cursed as she turned her head to find a glimpse as to where Maim had escaped to.

“This way, Warden,” Maim mocked. Twilight turned only to feel the sharp kiss of a dagger slide against her hind leg. Oghren turned to become face to face with Maim, swinging his axe feebly against the much more nimble Arl.

Maim’s demonstrated impeccable hoofwork as he danced out of the way of the slow and heavy battle axe before striking at Oghren’s stomach with a swift kick. Oghren coughed in pain and dropped his axe as he collided with the floor. Maim looked up at Twilight as he stood over the fallen berserker, a sinister smirk smeared on his face.

Twilight focused her magic into one searing arcane bolt to wipe that smirk off of Maim’s lips. With a shout, a beam of violet energy left her horn and slammed into Maim’s chest and sent him off his hooves into the bars of a nearby cell. With Maim sent away, Twilight knelt down besides Oghren, who pressed a hoof against his tender side.

“Damn blighter kicked me in the kidneys,” Oghren gasped, “I’ll be fine. Just need to catch my breath.”

“Don’t worry, Oghren, I’ll—“ Twilight was cut off as she felt the sting of a blade sink into her shoulder. With a cry, Twilight fell to her knees and looked at her wound to see a very small dagger protruding from her armour. Blood flowed from the wound. Her coat and armour in became stained in crimson.

As she looked up, several more blades sailed towards her. With only a moment to cast, she raised a small buckler of magic to deflect the throwing knives. Each projectile bounced off the magical shield. Struggling to stand, Twilight cried out as she buckled onto her back as Maim smacked into her, dagger clenched tight in his teeth.

When she looked into Maim’s eyes, the jovial mirth of a sociopathic killer and a scoundrel was gone, replaced now by a burning hate in his eyes. It was akin to the look Boreas gave to the Thunder Roc, only now directed at her. Maim lifted his head before bringing down his blade in an effort to pierce her neck. Twilight moved her neck, but still could not avoid the dagger. She gasped in pain as the blade’s edge ran its course along her neck, shaving her fur and spilling blood.

“It was your fault, Warden!” Maim stayed on top of Twilight despite her struggles. The older stallion was physically stronger than she was, able to keep her pinned with little effort. “You couldn’t leave well enough alone! You couldn’t submit to the fact that this land is doomed! Still you cling to some fool notion that Equestria can be saved! The Blight will end, but it will be by a stronger army. The Filesian Empire has forces that dwarf ours! Even Pura Raza has a larger military machine, and they are all mercenaries!”

“Don’t take this personally, Warden,” Maim sneered, “This is simply the business of survival.”

“No one touches Oghren’s junk and lives!” Maim turned in time to narrowly dodge another of Oghren’s axe swings. The sharp edge cut several hairs of his long brown mane but otherwise left Maim unharmed. With his attention diverted, Twilight cast a simple spell to push the Arl off of her. Getting to her hooves proved difficult, and she had to use Sophia as a crutch, but Twilight took a stand next to Oghren.

Now alone, Maim took a few careful steps backwards until he was against the bars of another cell. His tail swished for another smoke grenade, only to find his bomb belt gone. Maim growled at his enemies, only to yelp as two forelimbs extended from the cell behind him and wrapped around his neck.

“Remember me, Maim?” A thick Filesian accent accompanied the face of a sickly grey pegasus, who throttled the Arl’s neck. On his flank was a storm cloud emblazoned on a grey shield.

The other Warden! Twilight thanked her good fortune that he was still alive. Maim wrenched himself free from strangulation before turning his hateful eyes to Twilight.

“One of us dies… So help me, it will be you!” He leaped towards Twilight again, and his anger made his movements predictable. Twilight responded in kind, her sword moving in an arc to slash at Maim’s legs. Her blade struck true and caused Maim to collapse on his knees towards Twilight. She held her sword in and magical grasp and kept the point on Maim’s neck.

“You are the most disgusting pony I have ever met,” she all but cursed, her voice low and menacing. “When Applejack becomes queen, you’ll be spending the rest of your life in Fort Drakon, a noble brought low by his own greed and treachery.”

With Maim cowed, Twilight turned towards the jailed Warden. Lifting the keys to the cell door, Twilight heard Maim’s shuffled hooves as he stood up.

“Celestia burn you,” Maim said with as much venom and hate he could muster. He picked up his dagger and readied himself for one do-or-die lunge. “I. Deserved. More!”

She reacted as the memories of the Arcane Warrior told her to react. In one swift movement, she spun on her hooves and curved Sophia’s arc toward’s Maim. She watched in both satisfaction and horror as the tip of the blade pierced through Maim’s leather armour and into his chest. Maim’s mouth became slack, his dagger falling with a clatter. He gurgled blood while his body slumped onto the floor. Maim looked up to Twilight and pawed at her robes and spilled blood on her until the light in his eyes faded and he finally collapsed.

Twilight stood still as she looked at the body of Maim. “I’m sorry,” she said as she went to close Maim’s eyes. “I didn’t want it to end this way. You forced my hoof. Sisters show you mercy, and may they forgive me. It gets easier.”

Oghren stood back as Twilight opened the cell to the captive Warden. He accepted his freedom with a smile as he gave his mane a long stroke. “Thank you for the timely rescue, Sister,” he said, “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Riordan, Grey Warden of Filais. The only one who came from Filais, sadly. I came to give Equestria any help I could once I heard of the defeat at Ostequus. Unfortunately, it would seem some Equestrians need to learn a lesson in manners.”

“I’m sorry Maim treated you so poorly,” Twilight replied, “I don’t understand though. You said you were the only reinforcements the Filesian Grey Wardens could send? Why is that?”

Riordan looked away from Twilight in shame. “The Lord Commander in Ashen Targe did not take kindly to the threats and bluster of Teyrn Loghoof Mac Tir, doubly so when he heard of Duncan’s death. They had the same Joining ritual, you see, and while they did not see eye to eye, the Lord Commander loved Duncan like a brother. When news reached Ashen Targe, the Lord Commander declared that Equestria’s blighted lands would serve as a testament to the world, to never to doubt the Grey Wardens and needlessly sacrifice their lives. He will put all of Equestria to the torch to prove a point. I am here to stop that and the Archdemon.”

Twilight blinked rapidly at Riordan’s news. She reeled away from him in disbelief. The Grey Wardens were supposed to be heroes who stood up against the evil and savagery of the ponyspawn. Did they abandon whole nations too, just to prove a point that the world needed them? Loghoof was scum for letting Equestria’s Wardens die, but did everypony have to suffer because of the mistake of one stallion?

“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is more.” Riordan approached a nearby chest and opened it and revealed his leather armour within. “There is much I must explain to you and the other Warden survivors before the Archdemon and the Blight attack Trotterim. I suspect we only have a week to prepare, even less. I must go ahead and begin work on our defense. I know of one secret entrance from the estate. If we move now with the little ones, we can escape in time.”

“Wait.” Twilight looked to Oghren. “Go with Riordan and the foals. Make sure they get to Arl Macintosh so he can help them find their families. Whatever you do, make sure they get out of here. I have to escort Armeria out of the estate’s grounds and meet up with Pinkie and Trixie.”

“Maim got you good, Warden,” Oghren said, and pointed a hoof at Twilight’s wound. “Doesn’t feel right just leaving you alone.”

“Please, Oghren. Riordan is in no position to watch over all of these foals, and they need a strong warrior to defend them if Loghoof tries to continue Maim’s work. Don’t worry about me; I’ll meet up with you back at the Red Apple estate.”

Oghren grunted his acceptance of the request, but did not appear to like it. Riordan bowed, then ushered the foals away towards Maim’s escape route. Twilight, now alone, made her return to the main levels of the estate.

The simple task of climbing stairs made Twilight feel incredibly sore, as the wound caused by Maim stung her shoulder and sent pangs throughout her body. She did not have the means to heal herself, and blood trailed from the wound, down her armour, and onto the floor. Already her vision blurred from the pain, and Twilight began to suspect that Maim’s blade held a poison on the edge.

She had to press on. As she got closer to room that trapped Armeria, the silence of the estate began to dwell on her. The quiet disturbed her; where were the guards or the servants that made their rounds? With no signs of life, Twilight now had no choice but to continue. Her laboured breaths did not make small trip any easier.

The door to Armeria’s room was open just a crack, but enough for Twilight to look inside and see that the Queen already escaped. The magic around the room dissipated without a trace. “That unicorn really did have unimpressive magic,” Twilight said to herself.

As she left the room, her knees buckled from the strain of keeping steady, and soon Twilight collided with the wall to ease some her own weight. She breathed through her mouth in pained gasps and looked to the wound. The edge of the gash began to fester into a postulant green colour. Whatever toxin Maim used, it worked.

Now Twilight had to make her escape and find Pinkie. Her friend would surely know of some kind of antidote or some other curative. Making her way through the estate proved more difficult than she thought. With her vision blurry and her mind disorientated, keeping her concentration became more and more difficult.

“Just a few more steps,” Twilight said to psyche herself up. “Just have to make it out of the estate. Then we’ll deal with Loghoof…”

A scream from down the hallway broke Twilight’s concentration on her wound. Without a second thought, she galloped as fast as her legs could go. The rush of adrenaline made her forget about her wound. With nothing but a large door in her way, Twilight’s horn sparked with magic and gave the doors a mighty push wide open—

--into a trap.

She counted them quickly. Thirty of Loghoof’s armoured soldiers waited for her in the barracks of Maim’s estate, and all of them had their weapons drawn and poised to strike. In the middle of them all stood a blonde mare holding a massive blade against the throat of Spike.

Twilight’s eyes flashed with magic fueled by rage at the sight of a helpless Spike. She almost began to channel a spell that would have torn the entire estate to pieces when she saw the knight press her sword against Spike’s throat. As powerful as Twilight was, she could not risk that her magic would be faster than her enemy’s sword. Instead, she growled, but kept her distance. Where were Pinkie and Trixie.

“Twilight Sparkle, Grey Warden, and enemy to the Regent of Equestria. I am Ser Sunsword, Teyrn Loghoof’s knight.” Sunsword kept her gaze on Twilight unsullied by distraction and her grip on her swordbit tight. “You are charged with high treason against the Crown, conspiracy to commit treason against Equestria in favour of your lords of Filais, the kidnapping of Queen of Armeria, and the murder of Arl Rendon Maim. Your punishment is to be tried and executed personally by the Regent. Surrender peacefully, and your lizard friend will go free. Free to warn the other traitors that their time will come if they do not bend knee to Equestria’s true protector.”

Spike looked on at Twilight and pleaded with his eyes to resist against Sunsword. Instead, Twilight’s heart sank. Every spell she knew put Spike at risk. There was only one option.

“I surrender.” Once those words left her lips, Twilight removed her sword-belt from around her waist and let Sophia fall to the floor with a clatter.

“Twilight! No!” Spike rushed towards her once Sunsword drew away her blade, only to be held back by two guards. When Twilight looked through the visor of the guard that held him with a hoof, she could have sworn that she stared into the apologetic and mournful blue irises of Pinkie Pie.

“We’ll make sure the lizard gets back to Macintosh!” Pinkie said in her gruffest voice. Sunsword nodded as both she and Trixie left Twilight to her fate.

“By order of the Teyrn, I hereby place you under arrest,” Sunsword said, “Bind her and bring her to Fort Drakon.”

The soldiers moved quickly. Several tore at her armour, and in reflex Twilight did try to resist. When she felt the cold clasp of a lyrium ring around her horn, she knew resistance would be futile. Already she felt the magic around her blocked, and her horn sparked fruitlessly as her magic became nullified.

Ropes were then thrown around her neck and tightened, one leading to a soldier while Sunsword carried the other. Despite being surrounded, she stood alone, naked and bound. Her ears splayed against her head as she kept it low towards the ground.

Nothing could prepare her for this. Nothing could prepare her for being a helpless prisoner.

---

Chapter 39 – Escape from Fort Drakon

Flying several leagues away from Trotterim with only the dark silhouette of the city behind them, Fluttershy and Rainbow continued their journey to find the Filesian forces. As wind whipped through her mane and feathers. Rainbow muttered under her breath as she controlled her speed to match with the much slower Fluttershy. She would have been near the Red Apple region much faster if she flew alone.

They were still far from Red Apple, and needed another half a day’s flight to even begin scouring the area. Rainbow looked for any sign of the Filesians, a campfire or disturbed ground, anything at all. All she could see was the darkness of night as clouds drifted over the moon and shrouded the land in darkness.

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy called. Her wings beat against the air slower and slower. “Please wait! I’m getting tired!”

Rainbow let a sigh escape her and drifted back beside Fluttershy until they could both land. She spotted a small grove near a pond and dove downward while her hooves skidded along the surface. The force from her speed spread the water until she reached the shore. Fluttershy landed next to her and panted with heavy breaths.

“I’m so sorry,” Fluttershy said in short gasps. “I’m just not used to such endurance flying. Twister never taught me how to fly like she did.”

“We can’t spend all night resting, though,” Rainbow replied. She started to gather some loose branches that she could ignite a small fire; something to bring warmth in the cold night. As she rubbed her hooves together, Rainbow shivered in brisk night. They had spent their recent leg of their adventure in the warm magma heated underground and under the canopies of the Everfree forest. To be out in the open plains like this in the dead of night just showed how exposed they were.

Rainbow had to be brave in the face of such darkness though. Fluttershy turned this way and that, fright in her eyes as every shadow and each dark crevice seemed to hold a lurking fear within, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Her pounding heart did not help either and proved a dangerous distraction.

Laying all of the branches in a pile, Rainbow looked to Fluttershy. With a long, thin stick in her hooves, Rainbow planted it into the ground then drew her dagger. She chipped away at the wood until it made a point.

“What are you doing?” Fluttershy’s eyes were wide and interested.

Rainbow grunted through her dagger’s bit, then replaced the blade back into its scabbard. Once she judged that the point was acceptable, Rainbow planted the stick point-down in a large piece of wood before replying.

“Just trying to make us a fire to keep warm, Fluttershy.” With her hooves planted on the stick, she began to spin it furiously, her teeth gritted tight. She stopped for a moment, laid down her dagger, and explained to Fluttershy, “You have to put enough friction on the bottom so that heat will build up. I take it you were not much into camping?”

Fluttershy leaned in close to Rainbow’s ignition attempt, and watched in awe as smoke rose from the burning wood. Soon, a flame was lit as the heat caused the sawdust kicked up by the grinding drill to ignite. The other branches and kindling caught on fire, and Rainbow leaned back to enjoy the warmth.

They stayed silent for a long while, with Rainbow tossing in a few fair sized branches once a while to keep the blaze alive. Rainbow took a deep breath breath and took in the smell of the burning wood. She did feel a sort of peace in the middle of the night with a makeshift hearth. When she looked up from the campfire, she saw that Fluttershy had curled up close to the flames, now sound asleep. Her chest rose softly as she slumbered, and Rainbow couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Somehow, through all the troubles, trials, and tribulations they encountered, Fluttershy still held on to the one thing that made her unique. She was still the kindest pony Rainbow had ever met, and though she was not made for action, a part of Rainbow wished there were more ponies like her.

With Fluttershy asleep, Rainbow took it upon herself to keep watch through the night. She gazed into the fire and stared deep into the heart. For a moment, she thought she could see a burning building. She inched closer and closer to the fire to make sense of the imagery within. The logs seemed to shift from raw wood to crafted lumber set ablaze by the fires of battle.

Rainbow was back in the city of Trotterim as it burned to ashes around her. Her dagger clenched tight in her teeth and the stench of blood all around her, Rainbow swung every which way. She sunk her blade into the flesh of any ponyspawn that drew near. She could vaguely see her friends fighting by her side as the smoke and ash around her created a near impenetrable haze.

Ahead of her was a house with a young mare and her foal caught in the inferno. Twilight galloped towards them. She lifted some burning debris with her magic and tossed it away. Rainbow smiled before slashing the face of a donlock. Even in the worst part of battle, Twilight always tried to do the right thing.

Everything went still though when the roar of a dragon shook the battlefield. The deafening cry of the Archdemon rushed over Rainbow, and stark terror paralyzed her at seeing the master of the Blight. Her body would not respond to her commands. Her hooves became trapped on the ground, and her voice was suddenly gone.

Though she could not move her head, Rainbow could still move her eyes. Time stilled by the cry of the Archdemon; even the fire had become immobile by the command of the black dragon. Rainbow saw Twilight frozen in place as she tried to escape the burning house.

The Archdemon roared again and landed on top of a ridge near them. The Archdemon’s unholy shadowflame filled the air with noxious fumes and ash that made her choke. She rubbed her eyes as they stung from the storm of dust and embers. Rainbow’s terror felt like it came full circle. The battle was lost. Despite being unable to move, she could hear the screams of ponies around her perfectly. She could hear the screams of her friends, her own screams as they resounded around her.

Rearing its head, the Archdemon opened its massive maw and unleashed a torrent of shadowfire. The unholy black flames struck the house Twilight was in, engulfing it utterly. Rainbow wanted to shout at Twilight to run, to fly over and get her out of the way, but the paralysis she was under was too strong. She was too weak to fight against the very presence of the Archdemon, and as she watched, she saw Twilight slowly become immolated in shadowfire. Her flesh seared away, and all that remained were her blackened bones until they too became ash in the wind.

“Rainbow!”

Rainbow’s mouth slowly opened as the horror of what she saw unfolded in front of her. From the ebony flames that had consumed Twilight came the visage of the archdemon. It roared at Rainbow before rushing towards her, her body soon to be consumed by the shadowfire.

“Rainbow!”

Rainbow Dash snapped awake as Fluttershy pushed against her body. Twisting herself on her hooves, Rainbow shook violently while her heart continued to thud in rapid beats against her chest. Everything she just saw, every horrible image was just a dream. Yet it had felt so real, as if she was really there at her final battle. She had seen Twilight die. The very notion frightened her.

It took a lot to admit, but Twilight was pretty awesome in her own right. Not like Rainbow’s unique style of awesome, but as somepony who she could trust to lead them all. Twilight’s special talent may be magic, but Rainbow knew that leadership was something Twilight had clearly developed during the course of their journey.

Which was why it scared Rainbow; the realness of the scene, to see the Archdemon kill Twilight so quickly. There was no final stand; there were no tearful goodbyes like in the old stories. Just one breath of black fire and she was gone. The Archdemon would have gone after her… then Applejack… then… Pinkie…

Rainbow squeezed her eyes shut and shook such thoughts from her mind, though she still felt tears trying to escape her eyes. Choking back sobs proved difficult as the memories of her nightmare repeated themselves incessantly. She could still smell the smoke of the smoldering city and the heat of the shadowfire. The fear gripped at her heart like a vice while the roar of the Archdemon resounded around her.

“I… I’m scared.” Rainbow could not believe herself. “What if three Wardens aren’t enough? Four? You heard Twilight talk about the Battle of Ostequus. They had a whole army and still lost. What if everything we’ve done doesn’t matter? What if we… lose?”

Fluttershy made no immediate reply, save for reaching into her saddlebag for a small embroidered cloth. She held it against her hoof and proceeded to gently dab the cloth onto Rainbow’s face, wiping away the tear. If she were anypony else, Rainbow would have protested and made a scene. She hated appearing vulnerable and helpless to anypony simply because any show of weakness was not her. Yet for Fluttershy, she would sit still and be... mothered.

“Thanks Fluttershy,” Rainbow croaked. She gave a slight smile as she rubbed her eyes with a hoof. “What time is it? We should get going to find the Filesians.”

“Um… it’s almost dawn,” Fluttershy said, “You were sleeping so soundly until you started to scream.”

Fluttershy pointed over her head, and Rainbow looked up to see the sun peeking over Fort Drakon in the distance. The first morning light cascaded over the horizon and gave a sense of calm throughout the land despite the encroaching threat of the ponyspawn. In the distance Rainbow could see figures moving, distinctively pony in shape and size with the light of dawn reflecting off their armour.

“Come on, Rainbow.” Fluttershy smiled at her. “There’s somepony I would like you to meet.”

They took wing despite Rainbow’s confusion, and flew over towards the large group of armoured earth ponies. They all wielded large steel lances attached to their saddles, along with swords as of a sidearm. Each lance ended in a sharp point. The chosen weapons of Filesian chevaliers made them some of the best practitioners of flanking maneuvers in the world.

There were about fifty chevaliers in this group as per Rainbow’s best guess, and all of them maneuvered in well synchronized patterns and formations. With a stomp of their right hooves, their lances unlatched from the hooks and soon fell into place, now level with the chevaliers chests. Rainbow watched the Filesian’s as they ran drills with their lances. They were an impressive bunch.

A very large earth pony adorned with battle-scars and wielding a massive beard approached the two pegasi. There was a cunning Rainbow recognized in his blue eyes, yet his harsh battle-born features softened at the sight of Fluttershy.

She does have that effect, doesn’t she?

“Rainbow Dash, this is General Puissant, Lord General of the Filesian Chevalier Corps.” As Fluttershy made her introduction, Puissant bowed to Rainbow. “He was the general I spied on for Artistic Finish, but showed me more kindness than any Filesian has ever shown a pegasus. He’s also been fighting for my pardon with the Empress herself, because of the charges of treason against me.”

“I see your friend has escaped from her night terrors, non?” Puissant spoke with a thick accent and a voice of command, and Rainbow felt she should stand at attention like a good soldier would. “Bon jour, Mademoiselle Dash.”

“Yeah, bone juice to you too.” Rainbow couldn’t help but chuckle. Filesian always did sound silly to her.

“So, this is it?” Rainbow’s disappointment entered her voice as she regarded the lack soldiery. “I was kind of hoping for more soldiers. Like, say... one-hundred and twenty thousand?”

“There used to be hundreds of us before the Empress recalled her chevaliers,” the general said. He waved his hoof towards his minuscule war host. “This is all I have left: volunteers who wish to fight the greatest and most terrible threat to all ponies. Yet only the word of a king will allow us to fight alongside the Equestrians.”

“Well then, we better gallop all the way to Trotterim, and quick!” Flying up high above the chevaliers, Rainbow raised her voice. “Loghoof is a phony regent! Today a new queen of Equestria is being crowned, but if we are going to help her, we have to move out now! The ponyspawn are coming for us, and we need as much fight as we can get from anypony! Chevyleers of Filais! Who’s with me?!”

***

Sleep did not come easy for Applejack, her body constantly shifting under the covers as thoughts of the Landsmeet loomed over her. She was committed now to this course, to stand against Loghoof and become queen of the realm, but that did not mean she had warmed up to the idea.

Then there was the matter of Twilight and the others, who had not returned from Arl Maim’s estate, and that Spike was captured by Ser Sunsword. Things went into a downhill spiral fast, and Applejack’s sleep seemed secondary to all those issues. Once she roused herself from her bed, Applejack moved towards her closet and found a simple brown tunic to wear as she took a walk through the Red Apple estate.

Her thoughts broke as the door slammed opened as Oghren stormed in along with a dirty unkempt pegasus who bore a familiar grey shield for a cutie mark, and a lot of wounded foals. Applejack gasped as she approached the yearlings. She shook her head in disbelief at their battered, bruised bodies. Applejack felt her anger boil within her at the sight of wounded foals; just what had Arl Maim did to them? What could drive him to hurt children?

Oghren took a few deep breaths once the estate doors closed behind him. “Get me some of that cider and quick,” Oghren said. One of the servants brought him a mug of cold cider and Oghren downed the contents in one swig. He looked back at the foals and shook his head.

“They were taken from their families, mostly your Arls and Bannorn so that Loghoof would have their extorted support. Twilight told me to bring them and the Warden here while she went to rejoin Pinkie and Trixie.”

“This is low, even for Loghoof.” Macintosh stood by Applejack and tried to make the foals comfortable. “Ah’m glad miss Twilight was able to rescue you all. Don’t worry; we’ll get you to your families soon. Let’s get them all proper beds and some decent food.”

Applejack watched as the foals were led away by Red Apple soldiers towards the dining hall. She slammed a hoof into a wall. That damn dirty coward Loghoof, she though, if I get the chance, I’m gonna buck his face right off his head! To do this to children to win the Landsmeet! How the hay was he ever a hero?! 

Her short lived rage settled into calm when she turned to the Filesian Warden, who bowed his head towards her. “Greetings, sister of the Grey. I am Riordan of Filais.”

Right. Ponies are gonna start bowing to me, Applejack thought, I’ll have to get used to that. 

“Right nice to make yer acquaintance. Sorry about the rough handling.” Applejack offered her hoof to Riordan, who gladly shook it. “Any help is worth it at this point.”

“Indeed,” Riordan replied, “We will have to wait for your fellow Wardens to return. I hope they are still well.”

Shale thundered into the main hall as her red augmentation crystals seethed with flames. “What is the meaning of this?!” Shale bellowed as she stood over the foals all as they hungrily devoured any and every apple or baked treat presented to them. Though she could not tell because of Shale’s stony features, Applejack somehow felt the fury almost pulse from Shale’s rocky hide.

“They are but mere, small, squishy children,” Shale said, “They cannot defend themselves. There is no glory to be had in causing them harm. I will find who did this and pound them into fine paste. From that paste I shall paint a mural of their suffering. I think everyone involved shall be greatly relieved by such artistry.”

The doors of the estate burst open once again, now with Pinkie and Trixie galloping towards Applejack. Her heart sank as she saw Twilight was not with them. Panic set in as she rushed towards the pair, only for Pinkie to deftly dodge around Applejack and head straight for the rooms the party lodged in. While Pinkie’s face held an unusual determination, her silence was not appreciated right now. Though she knew it was unfair of her, Applejack rushed over to Trixie.

“What happened to her?” Applejack almost roared her questions. “Where’s Twilight? What happened?”

“Sunsword took her.” Spike slowly walked into the main hall of the estate. He spoke in a hoarse voice as he approached Applejack, with terrible bags under his eyes, though otherwise unharmed. “She captured me to get to Twilight. They took her to Fort Drakon. It’s all my fault…”

Applejack swallowed a curse as she looked down at Spike. Slowly, she wrapped a hoof around the tiny dragon as he began to sob. “There there, Spike,” she said as she tried to put on a brave face. “It’s not your fault. Things just got out of hoof. We’ll get her back. Somehow.”

“Damn right we will!” Oghren roared and tossed his empty mug away. Applejack looked at the discarded mug and noticed it was dry. “By the Stone, little brother, we’ll get the good Warden back! Even if I have to tear down that fort with my bare hooves!”

Except the question was how they were going to get inside a nigh impenetrable fortress prison and still have time to stop Loghoof at the Landsmeet. Damn the Landsmeet and damn the crown and damn Loghoof! Applejack swore to herself, we need to save Twilight even if I have to tear down Fort Drakon brick by buckin’ brick!

“You’re right Applejack!” Pinkie Pie said atop the staircase. “We will save Twilight!” Ignoring that somehow Pinkie read her mind, Applejack turned to see her dressed in the raiment of a Chantry Sister while Rarity stood next to her, levitating Fluttershy’s chantry robes. “Trixie, Shale, Oghren? Get a cart ready. We’re only going to have shot at this. Don’t worry Applejack. Just focus on the Landsmeet and getting that mean Loghoof off the throne.”

The next few words gave Applejack hope and new-found fear.

“Pinkie Pie has a plan!”

***

Twilight awoke to a pounding headache, a sore horn, and a tender, blackened eye. She struggled to get to her hooves, as her joints rebelled against her as she tried to stand. As she rubbed her head, Twilight felt the cold metal of the null ring still wrapped around her horn. Magic is gone. Wonderful. She then touched her eye and felt only a slight jolt of pain. I can still see with both eyes. That’s good.

She looked around to get a good view of her new abode and approached the bars of her cell. It was a large room, with a pile of hay for a bed, yet the stench of the prison within Fort Drakon made her nose twitch. The rank smell of rotten fruit and damp hay permeated the air, and Twilight recalled the foulness of the Broodmare; it made her cough in disgust. A single guard stood beside her door. He stared off into the distance and muttered curses under his breath.

As the gravity of the situation fell onto her, Twilight slumped against the wall and pressed her face into her hooves. Everything had spiraled out of control so quickly. All she could remember was Sunsword humiliating her in front of all those soldiers. She remembered the strike to the back of her head. Worse, she remembered that Spike was used against her as a hostage. The young dragon she cared for and keep safe used as a weapon. That alone was the greatest burden to bear.

Her sobs echoed in the lonely cell, yet what was she to do? With no magic to call upon, her weapons and possessions taken, escape appeared impossible. A chill air blew in from the single barred window high above her, and left her to realize just how naked and vulnerable she was. The cold got to her, something she thought she had surpassed when she challenged the mountains.

I’ve failed, Twilight thought as tears streamed down her face. It’s up to Applejack now, and Riordan, and all my friends. Will they come to save me? I hope not. There are just too many soldiers. If they come here they’ll be in danger!

A small door opened up at the bottom of the cell door, with a tray of mushy gruel and a cup of dirty water sliding in. They spilled into a mess on the floor in front of her. The guard, a green coated earth pony with several teeth missing, snickered from behind the bars.

“Eat up, oh great and noble Warden!” The guard mocked her. “Enjoy the bounty given to you by the one true regent of Equestria, Teryn Loghoof Mac Tir! Because guess what? Guess what? In the morning? You’ll be dead! They’ll put that pretty neck of yours on the chopping block for sure!”

He seemed to have found this impossibly funny, as his laughter echoed in the halls of the prison and continued to accelerate Twilight’s already merciless headache. They would execute her before the Landsmeet. She wouldn’t be there in the palace to see Loghoof fall from grace. She wouldn’t be there to see Applejack take the crown she deserved. She wouldn’t be there to fight against the ponyspawn anymore.

Give in to despair, Twilight heard herself say, you don’t have to fight anymore. Find peace in death.

The Elements of Harmony. They needed six users, and Twilight bore the tiara on her head in their battle against Flemeth. She had felt the overwhelming power of the artifact course through her veins. If she was executed, who else could wield the power of that Element? Perhaps Trixie could. She was a skilled mage now. Maybe they could find a way to stick the tiara on Shale’s head. Wouldn’t that be a sight to see?

Twilight quietly snickered to herself at the thought of a proud golem warrior wearing a teeny tiny crown on her head, only to realize she now laughed. Why? She wondered, Why am I laughing? I’m going to be executed in the morning. I’ll never see my friends again. I’ll never see Spike again. Why am I laughing?

“Because you need to laugh! You need to smile! If you don’t, you’ll give in to despair and you will die!” Twilight shook her head. Had she just heard Pinkie Pie talk to her? She must be mad if she started to think like Pinkie.

“You need to tell yourself the truth, sugarcube,” said Applejack’s voice, You’re scared. You’re alone. You don’t have any magic, and you’re hurtin’ real bad. But you need to stay strong, Twilight. You need to escape from Fort Drakon. We know you can do it.”

“Follow your instincts, darling.” Rarity’s voice echoed, almost as if she was there, pointing at the door. The guard still chuckled himself. “Give yourself more credit. Take the lessons we taught you and escape!”

“I may just be crazy…” Twilight approached the door, stepping over the discarded excuse for food. “What would Rarity do…”

Charm and persuasion. “Excuse me, sir?” Twilight said in her meekest voice. She had to sound beaten, pathetic, and also enticing to the guard. He turned to look at Twilight with a sneer. “You… you said this is my last day. That tomorrow I’ll be dead?”

“That’s right!” he replied, “I bet the teyrn will want to do the honours himself!”

Twilight allowed a small whimper to escape her, something to catch the guard’s attention. He turned at her desperate plea for mercy, only to find he now stared a young naked mare behind a thick metal door. Despite his lecherous stares, Twilight smirked. Too easy.

“If this is going to be my last night… I’d like to know what it means to be with a stallion… for the first time.” She kept her voice soft, sweet, and hopefully alluring. Her mind raced at the implications of her plan, how things could go very wrong at the worst time. This was her best shot to be free, even if it made her feel dirty.

The guard’s eyes widened. He did not think it over before he scrambled for the keys. The lock clicked opened and swung outward while the guard stepped inside. He looked around the dark corridors of the prison and checked to see if anypony would to interrupt him. Once the coast was clear, he closed the door before turning towards his prize.

Her eyes half-lidded in what Twilight could only guess was akin to a “sultry glance”, she stepped carefully and methodically towards her hay bed. Her tail swayed to and fro behind her. Piece by piece, the guard began to remove his armour. He first tossed his helmet to the floor before unlatching his belt and throwing it aside. Attached to the belt was his sword, the only thing Twilight was really concerned with.

His armour now gone, the guard loomed over Twilight’s rear end with a perverse chuckle before placing his hooves on her rump. A shudder of revulsion tingled down her spine. She felt utterly filthy at the touch of rough hooves.

Gross gross gross… What would Applejack do?

Ah’d say a buckin’ is in order.

Twilight suddenly reared up on her forelegs and coiled her legs. She struck the jaw of the guard with all her strength. The guard sailed towards the stone wall of the cell, smacking against it with a loud thud then fell into a heap. He groaned once before drifting into unconsciousness. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn’t killed him. As disgusting as he was, he didn’t deserve to die. A terrible headache and some time in the dungeon would be punishment enough.

However, he did leave her a gift of sorts. His discarded weapons and armour would make a fine disguise, as well as a string of keys for Fort Drakon. A moment later and Twilight was indistinguishable from the rest of Fort Drakon’s soldiery. The helmet even covered up her still nullified horn.

Lowering the visor on the helm, Twilight slammed the cell door shut as she made her exit from the cell block. She was not used to such equipment, and the heaviness of the helm caused her balance to be off kilter. Once she was able to steady herself, she took a few shaky steps until she could walk with confidence.

Closing the cell block door behind her, Twilight found herself in the dark stone corridors of Fort Drakon, with only the sounds of the patrols and screaming prisoners keeping her company. She wondered if this was what Fluttershy had to endure in the Filesian prison. She was grateful to the Sister that she escaped her captivity so quickly.

There was another problem. The soldiers had stripped Twilight of her gear, and while she could easily summon her Arcane Warrior armour and Sophia to her side once the nullifying circlet was off her horn, it was the other items she had to recover. First she needed to reclaim her Bracer of Friendship. She missed the warmth of Cairidan’s gift around her leg when her friends were near and far. She also needed to desperately find her Star Strand, for without that they would not be able to call upon the Elements of Harmony.

And that would mean doom, death, and despair, Twilight thought to herself. I just need to find my stuff and escape.

No problem. Taking the time to get used to the visor proved to be a problem. Twilight constantly lifted the metal plate so she could see properly. Ahead of her were two more soldiers of Trotterim, both utterly lost as they looked around for somepony, likely a superior officer. As she neared, she could hear their argument become clearer.

“I’m telling you, Hayseed, this isn’t the right way,” said the tall blue earth pony. “It smells dirty and foul. Why would the sergeant want us here?”

“Maybe he done wants to test us with smelly places, Blues,” replied a gangly grey earth pony with buck teeth. “And this place ain’t so bad. The compost heaps out by Red Apple smell a mite worse than this.”

Both young soldiers seemed lost and confused. Twilight saw opportunity. If she could get close to them, there was the chance she could use the pair for her cover. Wandering around alone would bring suspicion. If she was with a group of confused recruits, she could blend in.

Twilight cleared her throat and approached the two stallions. She kept the visor of her helmet lowered. “Uh… Excuse me, gents,” she said, trying to sound deep and masculine. “You two seem to be as lost as I am. These halls, huh? Stretching all over the place all crazy like. It’s just… crazy!”

Blues raised an eyebrow at Twilight as she approached, though his friend didn’t seem to mind her in the slightest. Galloping up to her, he one of her hooves in his own and began to shake with surprising strength. “Well howdy there!” he said, “Fancy meeting another recruit down here! Name’s Turnip Hayseed and this here is Blues!”

“Nice to meet you both,” Twilight replied, “My name is Tw- er… Dusk. Dusk Shine. Yes.” She laughed as she shook hooves with both Blues and Turnip, despite the former’s suspicious glances towards her. Turnip did not notice and kept to his jovial nature.

“Ya lookin’ fer the sergeant too?” Hayseed said, “We’re lookin’ fer him too! Looks like he ain’t that way though.”

“No, no sergeant that way!” Twilight replied, “Just the prison. Very smelly in there. We should probably get going, make our way to the sergeant soon! He’s mad enough with us already!”

Ignoring Blue’s incredulous eyes, Twilight stepped to the familiar place of the lead all the while Turnip continued to talk. “Saw lots of pretty mares on the way to Fort Drakon.” He whistled loudly. “Kinda look like you, Dusk.”

“Yeah… yeah!” Twilight’s eyes darted left and right as her face scrunched up. “I was hoping my time in the armour would give me a buff, masculine figure. Just like Teryn Loghoof!”

“It was odd though.” Blues scratched his chin as he thought. “I’ve never seen Chantry sisters so diametrically opposed. The white unicorn Lunar Sister looked incredibly embarrassed while her pink Solar counterpart kept yammering on and on.”

Oh Celestia…

“Don’t ferget that there funny lookin’ donkey and that loud blue unicorn.” Turnip let loose another torrent of laughs. “They were takin’ their time climbin’ the hill to Fort Drakon. We helped them out. Felt like pushin’ a wagon full o’ rocks though. Still, they said they was gonna have a show here in the Fort. I sure hope we get to see that!”

Twilight resisted the urge to prance around in joy. Her friends did come to rescue her! She knew she could rely on them. Still, new worries arose. Pinkie and Trixie were not exactly the most subtle of ponies, and they were walking right into the waiting hooves of Loghoof’s soldiery. She needed to find her Star Strand and quickly.

“Come on,” Twilight said, “Let’s go find the sergeant quickly, so we can go see the show!” Turnip smiled in response while Blues muttered a complaint under his breath. Taking charge, Twilight opened the door and entered the fort proper. She kept calm and made sure not to make eye contact with any of the patrols that walked by.

First, she had to find the relic of Luna. Twilight approached a nearby door and opened it at random. Opening it revealed naught but a simple armoury. Another door led into a broom closet. Twilight grumbled as each door brought them to where the Star Strand was not. If only she had her magic…

That’s it! The lyrium circlet was made to block magic from the Fade. She had been given the knowledge of the Arcane Warriors, to bring out her natural magic from within her. If her hypothesis was correct, then the lyrium band would not affect her natural abilities.

“Uh… guys?” Twilight said, “Give me a second. Let me think about which way to go.”

Turnip nodded enthusiastically while Blues gave another huff. Closing her eyes, Twilight called upon everything she knew of magic from the Tower and quickly banished it. Those lessons, while not false, would not serve her now. She needed to concentrate on the magic surrounding the Star Strand with the power within.

Unlike channeling the power of the Fade to find the ley lines in the world, Twilight felt everything brighten as she focused her magic outward. Instead of pathways, she could see echoes in the ethereal plane. The images of soldiers on their routine patrols walked by her, their memories still drifting in this place as she watched them march by. Channeling the Fade was risky each time she did it, with the fear of demons above her head. This felt different. She felt serene, and each breath caused the magically lit halls of Fort Drakon to ripple.

Hayseed and Blues froze in place, as they did not partake in the process Twilight cast over the fort. She was alone in this, her mind completely out of phase compared to the real world. She blinked, and with that the world around her seemed to shudder in response. There, in the distance of the hallway, was a shadow of a pony staring back at her.

Twilight did not so much walk through the corridors of Fort Drakon as she did glide through them, projecting her soul-self through the halls in chase of the shadow. She moved with speed that would make Rainbow green with envy, until she finally caught up with the shade. The dark pony, who appeared much taller with radiant turquoise eyes, almost seemed to smile before slipping into door. Taking a deep breath for confidence, Twilight followed and passed through the door until she was on the other side.

The shadow waited for Twilight as she stood over a large wooden box. Twilight approached as the mare waved a hoof at the container and waited for her to open it. Twilight’s thoughts extended to the box, lifting the lid and looking on at the contents within. The brass hinges creaked as the box opened, and revealed a store of confiscated items from other prisoners.

The items Twilight sought levitated before her eyes. The bracer shone in the white light that emanated from the walls of this astral plane. She felt a warm relief as she brought the bracer down to her right foreleg, feeling the metal clasp around her fur.

The moment it clicked shut, she could feel a rush of emotions over her. She guessed that the inner magics infused by Cairidan were strongly amplified in this place; she could feel exactly what emotions her friends experienced. Applejack stepped inside the palace for the Landsmeet, her thoughts painfully divided between her worry for Twilight and her worry that Loghoof would defeat her. Spike was beside her, allowing Twilight to breathe a sigh of relief. He held the banner that bore Applejack’s coat-of-arms, though what it was she could not see from the astral plane. Nervousness was felt from Spike, yet also intense guilt. Twilight sucked back a sob. She had to contain herself for now, though she vowed to pick Spike up and squeeze him in the tightest hug she could once she escaped Fort Drakon.

Her senses drifted closer now, and she could feel the emotions from the other bracers. She felt Pinkie and Rarity together, with Pinkie’s emotions almost too bright to watch. For some reason, Twilight could almost smell sweets wafting from Pinkie’s inner self. From Pinkie came a sense of impressive determination as she moved ever closer to Fort Drakon, with Rarity’s doubt at her companion’s plan. Both were chiefly concerned with Twilight, neither wanting to think if they were too late.

Nearby she could feel the smugness from Trixie almost clogging the air around her, all the while Oghren’s emotions created a mire of indignation which flowed towards Trixie. With them, yet somehow unmoving was Shale, who simply stood still while bored stiff. The only common emotion between the three as they entered the fort was a sense of purpose to find Twilight and get her out of there. A flash from Shale gave Twilight the image of a massive stone hoof crushing a pigeon. Wonderful.

Twilight stretched her senses further still in an effort to find Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Though she strained and the images she found were faint whispers, Twilight found them all the same. Both pegasi flew as quickly as they could towards Trotterim. They exuded a feeling of relief as they travelled. Twilight’s heart swelled at what must have been good news. They found the Filesians.

With her friends safe, Twilight turned her attention back on the shadow mare and the Star Strand. The artifact was still safe within its crystal phial, and it shone with even brighter moonlight in this astral place. She held the phial in her hoof for a moment and muttered a quick prayer of thanks that it was still whole and unused. Without it, they would not be able to defeat the Archdemon.

Twilight looked up at the dark one and almost swore that she could see a smile on her face. The shadow then turned to leave, stepping into the wall, then vanished.

Thou hast done well. Twilight could only blink as the voice spoke to her. She suddenly felt a force yank her by the tail back into the halls of the fort. The magic pulled her through the door and guards frozen in place before finally returning to where she had left off with Hayseed and Blues.

“Fine, but don’t spend too much time thinking,” Blues said, “If we are late, we’ll be spending our first week on armour polish duty. Or worse. The latrines. Ugh.”

Twilight looked at both pony guards with confusion. Had she just imagined everything? It seemed no time had passed since she channeled her spell. Her heart sank as she stood there dumbfounded. She would have to infiltrate the room and get back her gear, but at least she knew where to look.

She took one step forward only to feel a familiar weight on her foreleg. Twilight’s eyes widened as she shook her hoof about. The bracer was around her leg as snugly as it was before, as if it had always been there. Pressing a hoof to small pouch within her armour where a poultice would be, she felt the familiar firm case of the Star Strand.

I did this… Twilight thought as happiness and relief ran rampant over her face, the magic within helped me. I’ll have to investigate all the spells I know later. Right now, I need to get out of here.

“Aha!” Twilight announced, “I know where we have to go! Come on, I bet the sergeant went to see the show! If we hurry, we can see the show and meet up with him at the same time.”

Breaking into full gallop, Twilight raced down the corridor with the hope she could reach the others in time. They had to get out of Fort Drakon and to Applejack’s side quickly. They needed to be together to make a stand against Loghoof. She just hoped she would not get the others thrown behind bars as well.

***

“Why do I have to pull the cart?” Oghren asked as he trudged along the path towards Fort Drakon. The wheels of the rickety coach wagon squealed with each turn, joined by Ogren’s constant yet muffled curses. Trixie sat in the driver’s seat of the coach with smug grin on her face, with her hat covering her eyes as she lay on her side.

“Because you are the big burly beast of burden who pulls the coach. Trixie is the dainty little unicorn who drives it.” She lifted a canteen of apple juice to her lips and took a long draught while Oghren watched.

Growling, Oghren pushed forward and jerked the wagon to lurch on the uneven road to the fort. The bump broke Trixie’s concentration, dropping the canteen and its contents all over her.

Oghren snickered and ignored Trixie’s baleful glare before as he continued to pull the wagon up towards the gates of the fort. The coach stopped in front of the tall iron gates, where two Trotterim soldiers stood on duty. Oghren shifted on his hooves as he looked up at the massive structure and its imposing gate.

He turned to face Trixie, who leaped off the coach towards the guards. As she approached, Oghren shrugged off the yoke, grunting as he shuffled in his pantaloons. Pinkie Pie insisted that he not go into the fort with his armour as per her plan. Instead, he dressed up like some sort of jester. If it weren’t for Twilight and Spike… Oghren held his tongue while Trixie bowed her head and lifted her hat to the guards with flourish.

“Greetings, oh kind gentlecolts! We are the Great and Powerful Siblings, Trixie and Oghren, and we are here at the behest of the Teryn himself to provide some of the greatest feats of strength and a complete extravaganza of magical wonders!”

Oghren’s jaw slackened as he watched Trixie rattle on with complete gusto. The guards turned their attention completely on Trixie, though they did not move with a threatening demeanor. They ate up her words like oats in a feedpouch, and Oghren couldn’t help but enjoy the show.

Trixie’s nice legs being an added bonus.

One of the guards looked at Trixie with a raised eyebrow. “We didn’t receive word that there was going to be a show at Fort Drakon,” he said, “There must be some kind of mistake?”

“M-m-mistake?!” Trixie shrieked, “This is preposterous! Do you know who we are? We are the Great and Powerful Siblings! Can you not see the family resemblance?”

“I’m the pretty one,” Oghren said. He ignored Trixie’s baleful glare.

“I can’t believe that imbecile!” Trixie continued her diatribe. “We have travelled the world, entertaining the likes of nobility of Filais! The Archons of the Imperium! We have brought joy and laughter across the ocean to Pura Raza! When the Teryn asked us to bring some happiness to war-weary soldiers of Equestria, my brother and I felt so humbled! But now, who shall enjoy our wondrous performance before marching into battle against the ponyspawn? Surely without some levity in their very souls, these brave ponies will surely perish!”

Trixie’s eyes brimmed with crocodile tears. She dabbed them away with a levitated cloth. The guards looked at each other with worried expression before one of them held up his hooves in an attempt to calm Trixie’s hysterics.

“Listen, we’ll go find the sergeant-at-arms, and he’ll decide whether to let you in or not. Just wait here.” Once he was gone, Oghren leaned against the coach wagon. This proved to be more trouble than anticipated, but if Pinkie’s plan was to work, they needed to follow the steps to the letter. He didn’t like how Pinkie’s plan required skulduggery, but no one else had a better idea. His strategy would be to simply charge into the fort.

The guard returned soon after with one of the bulkiest warrior Oghren had ever seen. Both his and Trixie’s mouth went agape as the massive white pony stepped towards them. His armour seemed much too small for him, and his helmet sat on his cropped cut mane. He looked down on both Trixie and Oghren with bulging red eyes, yet Oghren couldn’t help but stare back as if in challenge. Big as he was, he was no berserker.

“Yeah?” said the giant sergeant, his boisterous voice resonating in the air. Trixie coughed before speaking.

“We are the Great and Powerful Siblings!” Trixie said to restart her spiel. “We’ve come a long way to entertain Fort Drakon on the behest of the regent!”

“What’s your act?” asked one of the guards.

“I perform only the most amazing, stupendous feats of magic! The likes of which will leave you in awe and wonder! As for Oghren he uh… he performs the traditional donkey deadly dance of doom and death! Lots of swords and other sharp pointy weapons you soldier-types, right? Right Oghren? I am right, right?”

The sergeant did not appear impressed, his face flat and showed no hint of emotion. “Yeah?”

We’re losing her. Sighing, Oghren stepped forward and tapped the cart with a hoof. “I’ve got barrels of booze in the back. Once the show is over, cider for everypony!”

This news caused the sergeant’s eyes to bulge even more than Oghren ever thought possible. “Yeah?”

Oghren smirked. Drinks always work. “Yeah.”

“Yeah!”

The sergeant’s shout shook everypony around him as he headed back into the Fort. The large iron gates slowly rose to allow the coach entry. Oghren raised an eyebrow, and wondered if this plan would actually work. Trixie looked at Oghren before turning back to the yoke of the coach. With a sigh, Oghren replaced the implement on his shoulders before shooting Trixie a nasty glare.

“I’m giving that rump a smack one of these days,” he muttered, “I won’t tell you when, but I will.”

“Oh good brother, please. That’s silly talk. Now just keep the coach moving, will you? We don’t want to keep these brave soldiers of Trotterim waiting for the greatest display of magic ever, do you?”

Oghren grumbled as he put the yoke back around his neck before pulling the cart into the fort proper. As the wagon was brought into the inner walls, two blue eyes peeked through the curtain past Trixie’s starry hat.

“I still can’t believe this is working, Pinkie Pie,” Rarity said, “By all rights, the soldiers should have searched the wagon for contraband.”

“I too am disappointed that they did not search,” Shale replied. She stood stuck between Pinkie and Rarity. “I still don’t understand why I cannot just leap out and bash everything until we find magical Twilight.”

Pinkie’s face was marred by a downcast frown as she peeped through the cloth. “Look at the eyes of the soldiers, you two. Fort Drakon must be the most depressing place in Equestria, and the threat of the ponyspawn along with the uncertainty of the throne isn’t helping. You offer them a show and some cider; they probably will eat it up to the fullest. I wish we could give them a proper party. They all look like they need it.”

They travelled a ways in silence before the wagon finally came to a complete halt. It stood in the middle of Fort Drakon’s courtyard, where they soon had a gathering of soldiers. Murmurs of cider echoed towards the cart as Oghren set down the yoke once again. He turned to Trixie and gave her a quick nod as a signal to begin.

Trixie took her cue with expert precision, jumping from the wagon and landing on the ground in stylish fashion. Her cape fluttered behind her, aided by her magic, as she took a few confident steps towards the crowd.

“Kind and welcoming soldiers of Trotterim! Brave warriors in Equestria’s defense! I, the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

“And her stalwart brother Oghren!”

Trixie shot him a glare. “Yes… the Great and Powerful Siblings! We have come to ease your worries with the most amazing feats of magic ever seen before by pony eyes! Watch as I show you all the limits of the Fade, from transfiguration to even making a pony vanish in front of you!”

The soldiers smiled as they formed a semi-circle in front of the wagon. They watched as Trixie cast several illusions of shimmering blue light towards them; images of ponies battling ponyspawn and dragons in epic adventures. Pinkie felt her lips curl upward in a grin as she recognized the illusions of the ponies portrayed. They were her friends, though slightly altered, and each of their adventures played out for the soldiers to enjoy in dramatic fashion. Their victories and struggles became tales of heroism, an example for them all to follow. Pinkie approved.

Oghren rolled out several barrels of cider and set them down before distributing the drink to the soldiery. When he went back for another barrel, he stuck his head into the wagon. “Trixie’s gonna cast a smokescreen in twenty seconds,” he said, “She’s also gonna cast a dragon into appearance. You ponies fought a dragon? Wish I was there for that. Anyways, that should give you two enough time to get into the fort and find Twilight.”

“Have no worry, Oghren, we shall get her back.” Rarity spoke with confidence, looking through the curtains as Trixie’s horn blazed with arcane energies. The sky darkened as storm clouds gathered overhead. The crack of thunder brought all attention to Trixie’s masterful display of spellwork. This was Pinkie’s cue. Flashing one last smile at the disgruntled Shale, she and Rarity jumped out of the rear of the wagon, all the while the soldiers of Fort Drakon kept their eyes to the sky.

Trixie’s chant grew louder as she raised her hooves to the sky, a single bolt of blue lightning slashed through the sky. A thunderous roar echoed over the fort as the outline of a high dragon bursting from the skies towards the soldiers. The highly stylized illusion landed behind the wagon, and all the soldiers stood in awe. Trixie’s eyes were wide at the feat she accomplished as a smirk slowly formed on her lips.

“Thank you, thank you!” Trixie called, “I’ll be here all day.”

Pinkie and Rarity took the opportunity Trixie gave them to dash over to one of the many doors into the fortress proper, their disguises as Chantry Sisters of the Sun and Moon rippling in the wind. Once inside, Rarity let out a breath as Pinkie scanned the halls for any indication of the prison. Now for the hard part, Pinkie thought.

“How are going to find Twilight in this castle?” Rarity said, “We don’t have a map or directions or anything!”

“We have to try!” Pinkie said, “We just need to find a guard to ask. We have these disguises, let’s use them! We also have the bracers Cairidan gave us. As long as we can feel Twilight is ok, we keep looking no matter what.”

The sparse halls held no patrolling soldiers for them to question, though, as their plan had worked too well. All of the guards seemed to be outside watching Trixie’s show, all the while leaving Pinkie and Rarity to explore Fort Drakon alone and unaided. They could have used a guide of sorts to bring them to the dungeon. 

Pinkie looked around the halls. A part of her regretted not taking part in the fun, but she knew that finding Twilight was top priority. Not only did her future party needed Twilight as the guest of honour, but Twilight was her friend and she would do anything to save her from the least fun place in all of Trotterim.

“This way!” Pinkie dashed off down the corridor with Rarity only just behind her, their priestess robes flapping in the wind. She only gave the bracer of Nakuum a brief glance every few steps, and she knew deep down in her heart that it guided her in the right direction.

Rarity huffed behind her, but otherwise said nothing. Everypony trusted Pinkie and her plan to save Twilight, despite the rather haphazard and very risky nature in it all. She put all her trust in Trixie, Oghren, and Shale to make a convincing distraction, just as they did for her to find Twilight and escape the Fort safely.

Pinkie came to a sliding halt as her ears twitched. The sound of hooves came closer. She stuck close to the wall and listened for guards to approach then looked over to Rarity.

“Quick!” she said as she raised the hood of her robes. “Into character!”

The guards bounded around the corner and skidded into a halt in front of two praying Sisters of the Chantry. Pinkie suppressed a giggle beneath her hood. She did enjoy playing dress up.

“Oh, Celestia! Almighty and omniscient Celestia!” Pinkie raised her hooves in mock prayer. “Bless this day with your morning light, and your noon light, and even your dusk light, which is not nearly as bright but still pretty good!” For the first time, Pinkie wished she did not skip morning sermons in Ponyring’s Chantry just to sneak a few mid-morning snacks.

Rarity hesitated for a moment and looked towards Pinkie for support. Pinkie blinked then mouthed her silent realization. Having lived in a swamp with that meanie Flemeth, Rarity knew even less of the Chant than Pinkie did.

She needed to improvise. “Oh great Celestia, keeper of the dawn and other shiner of lights! Shed that same light I just mentioned on this young acolyte to your glorious sister Luna, just as your light reflects off the moon! It is like sharing which is caring, which is super nice and very religious and stuff and more of your children and followers should listen to those particular words much more carefully and—“

“Ahem,” Rarity interrupted, her voice having grown more somber. “The moon acts like a mirror, and seeks out the true nature of things… and of ponies. Who among these noble guards will reveal themselves as pious followers of light? Who will sit and pray with us in silence and contemplation?”

Pinkie’s lips turned up into a grin. Rarity did have a knack for acting. Of the three guards, only the one with the helmet approached the pair. Pinkie looked at the stallion’s purple coat with a level of familiarity, only to look down on his foreleg to see a very familiar bracer on his leg. Her eyes widened just the same as her lips at the realization.

“Twi—mmf!” Pinkie suddenly felt Rarity shove a hoof into her mouth. Right, Pinkie thought as she cleared her throat, we’re incognito.

“Greetings, Priestesses of the Chantry!” said Twilight. She tried her best impression of a stallion. “What are you doing here so deep in the Fort? Everypony seems to be enjoying themselves in the courtyard. We should go there.”

“This fine, dashing soldier is right, dear sister,” Rarity said, “We should get back to the courtyard and join the festivities. If we could just head this way…”

They walked together, with Twilight still in disguise but keeping in step with Pinkie and Rarity. As they returned to the crowded courtyard, Pinkie could see the guards getting restless. The barrels of ale lay empty around a forlorn Oghren, and the soldiers wanted to see something truly spectacular. Pinkie saw a glint in Trixie’s eyes. The same kind of glint Pinkie held in her own gaze when the time for fireworks drew nigh.

Oghren stood in the middle of Trixie’s makeshift stage and looked around both confused and worried. He gave quick glances in Trixie’s direction as she twirled her staff around in a fanciful manner. Pinkie squeezed her way through the crowd to get as close to the stage as possible. Not hard to do, considering how many of soldiers made way for two Chantry Sisters and their escorts.

“Fine, brave soldiers of Trotterim!” Trixie shouted. “Now it is time for the grand finale! I am going to use my mastery of magic to turn my brother Oghren into a statue so mighty and terrible to behold!”

Oghren spun his head toward her. “Wait, what?”

“Now brother, everything will be fine!” Trixie’s horn began to glow and engulfed Oghren in a blue aura. Swirls of glittering magic surrounded Oghren while a hum shook everypony’s ears. Many of the guards watched in amazement as Oghren began to turn bright blue, only for his body to shine with radiant arcane might.

A loud pop erupted from the shimmering light, and an impenetrable mist shrouded the stage. The cloud washed over the crowd, and Pinkie coughed with the rest as the dust filled her lungs. Despite the noise of the soldiers, Pinkie could hear the scrambling of hooves followed quickly by the solid thud of a very heavy pony.

Pinkie’s smile widened. Not the thud of a pony, but that of a golem.

Once the magical dust cleared, Shale stood where Oghren had been, standing perfectly still with her body appearing essentially inert. A chorus of cheers came from the soldiers, with many of them staring in disbelief at the sight before them. Trixie walked around Shale with a look of pride on her face, and waved a hoof in the golem’s direction.

“Is Trixie not the most great and powerful unicorn you have ever seen?” Another roar of applause came from the crowd, while Pinkie saw Twilight watch the show with a look of horror behind her helmet.

Trixie smiled at the assembled mass as she took another look at Shale, her horn glowing again. “Now watch as the Great and Powerful Trixie commands this statue to come alive! Come, servant of a master beyond compare, Trixie commands you to move!”

Shale’s eyes flashed open and the lyrium lines began to glow as she “awoke.” Unlike the trick transformation, seeing a golem come to life did not please many of the soldiers as many took a careful step away from the stage. Shale complied with Trixie’s command and began to move with slow, deliberate steps towards the edge of the stage. Pinkie looked up at Shale and gave her a wink.

However, Trixie’s bravado-filled grin did not fall. “Now, golem! Show them your moves! Dance for the soldiers.”

Shale turned to face Trixie. “Do not push your luck, prat…”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie commands you to dance!” Trixie bellowed and pointed her staff at Shale in some sort of display of power.

Pinkie pressed a hoof to her face. This was what everypony was worried about; Trixie’s need for attention got the better of her.

Shale responded in kind, and reared up on her legs. She then began to buck like a bronco on stage, slamming her strong hind hooves into whatever upstanding structures existed. Namely, Trixie’s stage buckled from the blows and before it collapsed into a storm of splinters and shattered wood.

A hundred and more swords slid free from their sheathes as the soldiers of Fort Drakon responded to the threat of Shale in the only way they knew how. Despite this show of force, confusion still reigned among them, as officers shouted contradictory orders over each other, and no one commander seemed to agree with how best to deal with the mayhem wrought by Shale.

“This is getting ridiculous.” Twilight mutter under her breath, and in a flash of light her disguise left her back in the armour of the Arcane Warriors. Several of the soldiers stepped away in surprise that their prisoner now stood among them. The blue earth pony soldier that accompanied Twilight looked at her with eyes filled with anger.

“You... you tricked us!” He looked to the others. “Get her! Don’t let her escape!”

Twilight grimaced. “Blues, Hayseed, you were really great, so it’s with great regret that I have to do this.” Twilight’s horn pulsed once with her violet aura, enveloping the stage and her friends in a protective shield. She gave a cry, and the shield pressed outward, throwing every soldier not under her protection off their hooves and into one another.

Rarity stepped forward and drew a glyph in the air with her horn. Once her art was complete, the same glyph formed around the soldiery and made them move with a magical sluggishness. Pinkie let her robe fall, and pulled a flash grenade from the belt of bombs.

“Everypony, look away!” She twisted the timing mechanism to only a short allowance and tossed the grenade into the slowed crowd of soldiers. The bomb burst into a single flash of light, and the chorus of moans made Pinkie’s ears droop, if only a little. The time would come where she used her alchemy to make ponies smile, not hurt, but today was not that day.

“Let’s get out of here!” Twilight lead the way in a mad sprint for the main gate. Rarity followed behind while Pinkie bounced next to her. Trixie gave a quick bow for her makeshift show, and then joined the small herd. Shale followed suit while Oghren, now dressed in his armour, stumbled up besides Twilight.

“Heh, we came to save you, Warden!” Oghren said, “I think you owe us all a drink after this!”

“I’ll buy every barrel of cider from Red Apple if I have to,” Twilight replied. She turned back to yell at Shale. “We need to stop all pursuit! Shale! Get the gate!”

Shale approached the mechanism that controlled Fort Drakon’s gate while the rest of the group dashed through it. Several guards galloped towards her with swords gripped in their mouths. The glyph and the flash grenade would not keep them away for long.

“Annoying prats,” Shale muttered as the guards struck. Their swords bounced in harmless strokes off her rocky hide, and Pinkie could hear the strain of boredom in Shale’s deep sigh. She batted her hoof at the soldiers, knocking them away with ease before raising her hooves in a strong kick that not only crunched the gate chains, but destroyed the entire mechanism.

The loud groan from the gears gave Shale plenty of time to escape Fort Drakon. The gate crashed down and kicked up a storm of dust, blinding the soldiers while Twilight and company made their mad dash for freedom. Trotterim’s army stood on the other side, now trapped while many galloped to the other exits.

Twilight took a deep breath and fell to the ground. As she rolled onto her back she began to laugh. Pinkie thought Twilight remembered a funny joke, but instead Twilight just sat there for a while.

“Shortest stay in Fort Drakon, I think,” Twilight giggled. “Thank you all so much. For the rescue. For everything.”

“We weren’t about to leave you at the whims of Loghoof, darling.” Rarity helped Twilight to her hooves. “I must say, though, we need to get out of here. The soldiers will come back soon and we can’t battle them all.”

“You’re right.” Twilight looked down the hill towards the city, and pointed to the palace. “Applejack needs our help. The time to topple Loghoof is now. Let’s go!”

---

Chapter 40 – The Landsmeet

Twilight’s mad dash towards the palace with her friends behind her did not go unnoticed by the population of Trotterim. Shouts of surprise sounded around her as the motley crew of ponies, a donkey, and a golem stampeded through the streets. Whatever guards walked their patrol did little more than shout warnings. Despite their own armaments, they feared for their own safety in the presence of such a large and very well armed group. To all of this Twilight paid no heed. The only concern she had was to get to Applejack’s side to support her against Loghoof.

Waiting for them on the path into the palace was a sizable force of soldiers, and many of them wore the emblems of Trotterim or Glenwell. All of the soldiers poised for battle. They held swords and stood in a tight formation. Twilight’s eyes narrowed as she stopped in front of the assembled battalion.

To her left, Oghren turned his neck to clench the bit of his axe, only to stop when Twilight shook her head. He hesitated for a moment, all the while the soldiers watched and waited for the order to attack. Twilight kept her gaze on the force in front of her, watching as a few shuffled their hooves nervously. Some of them appeared to be barely out of colthood, their oversized helmets sliding around their heads.

Twilight took a confident step forward and walked towards the soldiers with small smile, an effort to ease their tension. “I’m not here to fight you,” she said, “I’m here to stop an injustice that has struck Equestria. I’m here to make sure there is an Equestria standing against the Blight. Most of all, I’m here to help my friend. I know many of you regard Loghoof as the Hero of White River, but that was a long time ago. He’s changed, and not for the better. His heart is good, but his methods have endangered Equestria. Let us pass, and we can try to make things right again. We should be fighting the ponyspawn, not each other.”

“Spoken like a true master of deceit and betrayal.” Sunsword made her way forwards past her soldiers, her namesake glistening in the afternoon light. “Loghoof will be the one to turn away the Blight, traitor. By my blade, you will not pass. You are all under arrest for conspiracy against the regent!” 

“I’d like to see you try, squishy one.” Shale stepped forward with menacing intent, and caused the soldiers to gasp and take a few steps back as she brought her full form for all to bear witness. Sunsword did not move, and her challenge to Twilight and her group unwavered as she stood tall and ready to fight. Pinkie bounded in front of the golem and blocked her advance.

She shook her head before she spoke. “Trust Twilight, Shale. She can make the persuasion checks, I know it. We don’t have to fight her if we can help it.”

Ignoring Pinkie’s mention of influencing Sunsword, Twilight took another step forward. Sunsword flinched at the motion and raised her head so she could grip her sword-bit easily. Twilight let a sigh escape her.

“Sunsword… you know Loghoof is wrong,” Twilight explained, “There is no Filesian threat. The soldiers Filais sent are supposed to help us! They numbered in the hundreds! Now there are barely fifty left, and we need all the help we can get!”

“You lie!” Sunsword barked. Her soldiers twitched at the shout. “Loghoof said the Wardens were servants of Filais! That they would betray Equestria right into the hooves of their Empress! Even our king was a traitor! What am I to believe, Warden? You, who fled the battle of Ostequus when the rest of your order had the good sense to fall in battle, or my teryn, who lifted my head when I was nothing more than a filthy street horse! Who gave me my sword, and therefore my name! I have given everything to Loghoof, and you would ask me to cast it all away.”

Sunsword sucked in air after she spoke, and her body visibly trembled with rage and anxiety. Her faith in her lord was shaken, and an unscrupulous pony would no doubt have taken advantage. Twilight was not such a pony. She would help Sunsword to the best of her ability. No pony blood would be spilled by her blade.

“Sunsword, listen to me. Loghoof is mistaken.” Twilight took another step forward and kept herself steady as her eyes moved from Sunsword’s weeping face to the golden sword strapped to her back. “He read Blueblood’s letters to the Empress, yes. He thought they were having an affair. He wasn’t. He didn’t read the last unsealed letter we found on Blueblood’s body. We went back to Ostequus, Sunsword. We did what we could not just for the fallen Grey Wardens, but for the soldiers of Equestria and the king. A king you swore fealty too.”

“You are a knight of the realm, Sunsword. You were at Ostequus, at Loghoof’s side. You know what happened. Do the right thing. Let us pass, and let us put royal blood on the throne again. Applejack is a good pony who will lead the nation against the Blight. You have no reason to trust me, but I’m asking for that trust now. The ponyspawn are coming, and we need to be united against them. What Loghoof and Arl Maim have done in power has weakened the country, not strengthened it. Please. Believe me.”

Sunsword’s face twisted as she took a moment to digest Twilight’s words. The others stood up besides Twilight, as the gentle hoof of Rarity lay on her shoulder. The soldiers withdrew from Sunsword and looked at each other with puzzled glances. They returned their weapons to their scabbards.

“Every victory Loghoof has achieved… worthless. Meaningless.” Sunsword breathed deep after a while, before finally moving aside. “Go, Warden. I won’t stop you. I can’t. For as long as Loghoof has been fighting the ponyspawn, we thought we were gaining ground. He was a brilliant strategist in the war against Filais…”

“Not against the ponyspawn, Sunsword. We are all unprepared to face the ponyspawn. But this is the reality of the situation. We have to stand united now, more than ever. Not Equestrians, or Filesians, or even divided by race. As ponies, standing shoulder to shoulder against the threat to life itself.” Twilight looked into Sunsword’s bloodshot eyes, and carefully extended her hoof towards the defeated knight. Slowly, Sunsword pressed her hoof against Twilight’s tears streaming from her face.

“Be merciful, Grey Warden.” Sunsword took another sharp breath of air. “He was a hero once. And his heart has always been for his country. Come on you lot. Let the Warden and her friends pass.” The soldiers parted, revealing the plain unhindered path towards the palace. Twilight nodded to Sunsword before she advanced towards the entrance. Her friends followed behind her.

Every step she took up the great stairs towards the felt like an accomplishment to Twilight. Not because it was a physical feat to her, but every time she heard her hoof clack against stone, the journey to make it here resonated with her. This was the culmination of their efforts, to bring stability back to Equestria so they could face off against the ponyspawn on even footing. No more would pony quarrel with pony. They would stand together against the Blight and face the evil tide.

There would be no more running. They had gathered their allies, and found the Elements of Harmony. Once Loghoof was deposed, they could focus all their energy on fighting the Blight back into the Dark Tunnels. Twilight hoped the assembled armies of the land would arrive soon so that there was an Equestria to be saved.

She gripped the great doors of the palace in her violet aura, which allowed Twilight opened the way for them to palace. The old stories spoke that palaces were regal places lined in gold and jewels, the walls adorned in silk and velvet, and tables with large golden goblets with crystal glass decanters of the finest Filesian wines. Lords and Ladies would stand to the sides in their finery as the King addressed them, a brilliant crown sitting atop his head. They would debate civilly during the Landsmeet, and decided on laws and the fate of the realm with wisdom and a guiding hoof.

The reality of the Landsmeet made Twilight’s heart sink. The walls were plain stone and wood, with only a few banners of Equestria’s emblems hanging from the rafters. The Equestrian nobility stood on the sides, but instead of fine robes many of them were dressed in battered armour, a symbol that they fought recently against other ponies or the legions of ponyspawn. Their attention was divided between Arl Macintosh, with Applejack at his side, and Loghoof who stood near the abandoned throne of Equestria.

Loghoof appeared to have not changed at all since their first encounter at Ostequus. He was still in his shining grey armour, and he still looked around the room with that harsh stare from behind stern eyes. His voice boomed throughout the main audience hall, with only a few gasps and murmurs to provide ambience.

“Nobles of Equestria!” Loghoof’s voice echoed through the halls. “We have heard the charges made against my very character by the jealous Arl Macintosh, who wishes to install his own puppet onto the throne! But not just any puppet, his own sister, who he claims to have royal blood! Who put you up to this, Macintosh? Acting on your dreams of grandeur by claiming regency once your sister is crowned? Or was it the Filesians, who will simply walk into Equestria once the way has been opened by you?”

“How many times do we have to get it through yer head, Loghoof,” Macintosh replied, “There ain’t no Filesian threat. The only problem we have is the ponyspawn, and yer regency holding the entire country back! Equestria needs a strong queen to stand tall right now!”

“My daughter will have her throne back as is her widowed right, once I have defeated both the Blight and the Filesians! No pretender shall take the throne, not so long as I live!”

Applejack shifted on her hooves nervously as all attention was shifted to her. She wiped the sweat from her brows until she looked towards the entrance of the palace, where Twilight and the others made their approach. Her features brightened immediately, only for her to be distracted by the clatter of her flag and Spike’s mad dash through the crowds towards Twilight.

Her heart skipped a beat as Spike launched himself into a tight embrace around her neck. Twilight’s eyes brimmed with tears as the two reunited. Neither spoke as Twilight wrapped a foreleg around Spike, almost cradling him. She knew she caused a scene, as most of the shouting had turned to drowned whispers, yet Twilight did not care in the slightest. She and Spike were together again, and that was all that mattered.

Applejack walked over to Twilight, relief in her eyes. “You gave us all a mighty big scare, sugarcube. But by Celestia and Luna and any other divinity graced ponies am Ah glad you’re here. Now we can take it directly to Loghoof.”

Twilight let go of Spike and shifted her gaze towards her adversary. Loghoof stared down Twilight as she began her slow ascent towards him. He waved off his guards as they tried to stop her. His gaze did not waver for a moment before the two were standing face to face.

When they had first met in Ostequus, Twilight felt greatly intimidated by Loghoof. Now, having faced far larger and far fiercer foes, Twilight almost smirked at the thought. I have faced the worst demons the Fade had to offer. I’ve fought against a high dragon. I’ve stared down living donkey legends. I will face you, Loghoof, and I will win.

“And so comes the agent of discord herself,” Loghoof said, “Tell me, Warden, how much did the Empress of Filais pay to hand over this country on a silver platter? After all, it was your damn fool stories that put images in King Blueblood’s head of grand adventures rather than cold reality! It was the Wardens who betrayed us all to Filais!”

“Shut up, Loghoof.” Twilight’s voice was cold. “I’m not here to listen to the ravings of a mad pony. I’m here to make sure you can never hurt anypony again. Something you’ve been a bit of an expert on. Was it you who ordered Maim to foalnap the nobles yearlings, just so you could have some assurance to their compliance here in the Landsmeet? Because we found them. All of them, malnourished, scared, and hurt by Maim’s depravity.”

There was a loud murmur falling over the nobles, save for a very large grey earth pony. His eyes burned with anger as he spat out a series of curses. “Damn you, Loghoof! If a single hair on my Silver Spoon’s mane has been harmed by you or Maim, I swear I’ll skin you alive!”

“Be still, Arl Gray Wolf,” Loghoof fired back. “Maim is his own pony. I do not have to keep watch over him, do I? But this begs a unique question, Grey Warden. How my subordinate, Sunsword, in a daring mission under my command, rescued the rightful queen Armeria from being foalnapped by Wardens!”

“That’s a lie and you know it!” Trixie shouted, “We were there at Maim’s estate. He had the Queen bound against her will, so he could use her to protect himself when he fled Equestria!”

Another roar of mumbling came from the nobles. If Twilight did not know better, she could almost hear the cracks forming in Loghoof’s defenses. A magenta earth pony cleared her throat loudly, attracting attention to herself.

“The way I see it, Teryn Loghoof, is that if you can’t control your subordinates with political power such as Maim, how can you control the military of this nation? I came here expecting reinforcements to aid Cherry Hills, but all I see is squabbling and in-fighting. My arling hides in cellars and bunkers, with scared foals lost in fright of not if the ponyspawn will find them, but when.”

“Arlessa Cheerilee, while the Blight is strong, we must face reality.” Loghoof pointed an accusatory hoof at Twilight. “While I have been defending our borders and our throne, these usurpers have done everything they can to subvert my work to protect us all.”

Cheerilee’s flat expression did not falter as she spoke slowly and clearly. “Teryn Loghoof Mac Tir, how many victories have you won against the Filesians. Against the ponyspawn? While the country is in ruins, what have you done? It’s thanks to the Warden that Arl Macintosh is here at all, after being poisoned by Maim.”

“She found the Mane of Stars!” Braeburn’s familiar voice rose above the others. “If that ain’t worth a lick of salt, Ah don’t know what is! Ah speak for all o’ the Bannorn when Ah say this; we stand with the Wardens!”

A roar of cheers erupted from the smaller, yet no less influential lords of the Bannorn. Macintosh nodded to the assembled masses, a thankful look in his eyes as he turned to Twilight. She returned the smile in kind, all the while Loghoof fumed in his spot.

The doors of the palace opened suddenly, diverting all focus as a streak of chromatic colours zipped around the audience hall before landing firmly in front of Twilight. Rainbow Dash smirked as she took in the shocked expressions of the nobles, her disheveled mane a stark contrast to nearly everypony around her. Fluttershy floated into the room much more quietly as she beckoned for others to follow her.

“I hope we’re not too late,” Rainbow said, “But even if we are… Fillies and Gentlecolts! The cavalry has arrived on wings, hooves, and talons!”

Twilight’s lips curled into a wide grin as the motley crew of all the ponies they had helped throughout the journey walked into the grand hall amidst the shocked looks of the nobility. Wise Eyes walked alongside Hornsheild, with Jorgen Blackmace behind them followed by Zharia and most shockingly, Quick Kill. The ponies of Equestria took the appearance of a hippogryph as well as expected, a few of the daintier ponies shrieking at the sight or outright fainting. Quick Kill paid no heed as the last guest arrived.

As tall as Macintosh and dressed in tarnished armour and a massive beard, General Puissant of the Filesian chevaliers strode into the hall. Loghoof’s eyes twitched at the sight of a Filesian, pushing past Twilight as he pointed an accusatory hoof at the giant stallion. Riordan walked with him, though his eyes were distracted by something else, and not the Landsmeet in front of him.

“You see?” Loghoof barked, “The Wardens have betrayed us all! They bring a Filesian general to take the throne, not through strength of arms by means of politics! Is this how you want this country to become, under the steel hoof of Filais? I swear to Celestia and Luna on high, I will die before I let Equestria be forced under your yoke!”

Puissant responded with a quick roll of his eyes before turning to Applejack, ignoring Loghoof completely. “The Empress does not wish to restart the hostilities her father carried on,” Puissant said, “She sent me with a force of hundreds of chevalier and more Grey Wardens. Due to Loghoof’s persistence that we do not enter Equestria in force, we have been reduced to fifty strong soldiers and one Warden. Be that as it may, I have come here for one purpose and one purpose only: to defeat ponyspawn alongside the Equestrian general who bested me in the field of battle. If I cannot have you fight with me Loghoof, then grant me one boon, heir apparent Applejack. Allow me to fight ponyspawn, for there is not better use for my blade than to strike down the monsters of black blood.”

Applejack stammered for a moment before Loghoof interrupted her reply. “She is not queen yet, nor will she ever be! The Warden is trying to trick you all by giving the throne to her puppet in the name of Filais! The throne belongs to my daughter and I will be the one to defend it!”

“What have you done besides defend your daughters throne, Loghoof?” Grey Wolf replied, “Our forces remain divided and weakened, while the ponyspawn are massing. They are massing to sweep us all into the flame. What have you done?”

Wise Eyes stepped forward, horn and staff crackling with white arcane energy. His eyes flashed with anger as he pointed his staff at Loghoof. “You will not speak ill of Twilight Sparkle and her friends!” His shout surprised Twilight as she never heard him furious before. “These ponies braved their very souls into the depths of the Fade and challenged the strongest demon it has to offer, that of Pride! If it were not for them, a Veil breach the likes Equestria never seen before would have swallowed this country whole, just as the ponyspawn threaten now. With their strength of character, I would be a fool not to support them! The Unicorn Tower supports the Warden!”

A slight chorus of hooves stomping on the ground echoed in the hall, only barely silenced by the disapproving glare of Loghoof. Twilight’s smirk never left her face as Jorgen pushed passed Hornshield and Wise Eyes. He puffed up his chest to appear larger in the presence of much bigger stallions. A giggle from Pinkie confirmed the ridiculous sight of Jorgen.

“Blackmace always was a blowhard,” Ogrhen muttered.

“I ain’t much for politics. Leave that crap to the nobles.” Jorgen’s rough vocabulary produced a gaff amongst the nobles as they mumbled to each other. Twilight’s eyes narrowed as she hoped he was not jeopardizing their position against Loghoof.

“But one thing I know for sure. As much as I like to fight other donkeys, I like fighting ponyspawn even more. The Warden and her buddies waltzed into Orzamule and not only did they get a drunk off his hooves with new purpose, but they even stopped a civil war! They did what few dare to venture to do it. That’s right, they went into the Deepest Pits, fighting the Stone only knows what. That’s the sign of true bravery! And it is that bravery that I, Jorgen Blackmace, and a legion of donkey warriors pledge our services to the Warden and the Warden only!”

Another round of applause erupted from the nobility, with Loghoof sulking back towards the stone. His eyes were wide as more voices joined the choir against him, unheard oaths muttered under his breath. Zharia of the Dalish took to the air while Quick Kill seemed content to remain where he was. His own size and unique appearance as the only hippogryph was enough to draw attention.

“I am not here to mince words,” Zharia said, “The ponyspawn have dominance of the air, and I know why the Warden wanted the aid of the Dalish Pegasi. However, we were locked in constant combat ourselves, not against the ponyspawn, but against a long hated cousin that you see with me now; the hippogryph. The Warden could have easily ignored us, but instead she went one step further. She helped us resolve our differences and end the hatred between us. It is for that reason we can even stand with you at all.”

“Listen to the Dalish, ponies, for she speaks truth.” Quick Kill stood at his full height, extending his wings to give him more presence. “My people were cursed to be utter savages who only desire to hunt and rend flesh. Thanks to the efforts of the Wardens, my people are free, but this freedom will mean nothing if the Blight is not beaten! Open your eyes, and embrace the Warden as we have!”

The last cascade of affirming cheers resounded in the halls as all those who the party had helped said their piece. While they still had differences, Twilight was proud to call them allies and friends in their struggle to fight off the ponyspawn. This was what she had been waiting for. The moment that all their work with the treaties finally came to fruition and they could finally be united.

All that was left was Loghoof.

“I’ve heard enough,” said Arl Gray Wolf, “It is apparent to me that Applejack knows how to make proper allies in a time for war. We now have a true army to combat the Blight! Celestia preserve me, I and my arling support Applejack and the Grey Wardens!”

Cheerilee stepped forward from her place on the balcony. “Cherry Hills supports the Wardens!”

“The Wardens! I support the Wardens!”

“I am with the Wardens!”

“We give our support to the Wardens!”

“I stand with Loghoof!” said a balding Arl, though sheepishly, “He is our only hope! He is a hero of Equestria!”

Despite the lone dissenter, the nobles all sounded as if they spoke in one voice. “The Wardens! The Wardens! The Wardens!”

All around Twilight, ponies continued to show their support for the Wardens, as well as members of her party. Pinkie took this as a sign to begin start a shouting contest, to be louder than anypony else, while Rainbow took the air. She pumped her hoof in the air and appeared to conduct the crowds. Even Shale joined the rally, as she pounded her heavy hooves on the ground while shouting along. Trixie tossed her hat in the air while Oghren cried out in support.

Twilight felt her weight shift as she was hugged from both sides by Rarity, Applejack, and Spike. She laughed despite the look of murder Loghoof gave her. The Wardens had won the Landsmeet. They won.

Loghoof’s face turned red underneath his fur before unleashing a diatribe of pure fury. “Devils! Invaders! Traitors! All of you! You would sooner be in Filesian chains, fat and stupid and blind! The same chains that I fought and bled to break forever! Where were you when the Filesians pillaged our land? Where were you when they burned your fields, slashed your flesh, and raped your wives? I was the one who fought a bitter war against them, and you would throw it all away!”

“Loghoof, a coup will not serve you or Equestria!” Macintosh shouted, “Just give up! Ya lost, so step down!”

“I’ll step down when I’m as good as dead, Macintosh. Not a moment before! I will not sit idly and watch as this country is given away! If you want the throne, then you will have to take it by force.”

Twilight did not believe the words that spewed from Loghoof’s mouth. How could a pony hold his hate so close to him that it would blind him from the obvious threat? How could Loghoof still hold true that what he did was for the good of the realm? Twilight shook her head, ready to deliver her rebuttal when Applejack stepped forward.

“Ya’ll don’t want to give up that throne peacefully, do ya?” Applejack said, standing face to face with Loghoof. “You want a fight? Well Ah’m more than happy to oblige ya. One duel, just between you and me. No fancy weapons, no intereferin’ from anypony. Just earth pony against earth pony. What do ya have say about that? We settle this in the old way. Just like my daddy did to the Filesian warlord who tried to make Equestria his plaything.”

Twilight watched as the two stared each other down. Applejack wouldn’t jeopardize everything on a single duel, would she? Yet there she was, taking off the belt that held Silverbite and tossing it towards Rarity. Catching it in her magic, Rarity raised an eyebrow as Applejack called for a normal sword.

“Are you sure this is a good idea, darling?” Rarity echoed Twilight’s concerns, yet still levitated a normal steel longsword to Applejack. Drawing the blade, Applejack looked over the edge. She adjusted the weapon comfortably in her mouth. Loghoof did the same, removing his sword from its scabbard and readying himself into a combative stance.

“Ah need this,” Applejack said, “Not just fer me. But for Duncan, and all the other Wardens lost because of Loghoof and his hate. Don’t worry, ya’ll. Ah don’t plan on losin’.”

Everypony standing around Applejack and Loghoof backed away and formed a large circle for the duel to commence in. The two earth ponies watched each other carefully, stepping slowly as they calculated the best way to begin the fight. Twilight did the same, watching Applejack move with slow, deliberate steps. Twilight bit her lip but otherwise stayed quiet as she tried to judge the two combatants.

Applejack had youth and recent experience against the ponyspawn, though her templar training and abilities would not be useful against an earth pony warrior. While Loghoof had decades of war under his belt, he was an older stallion, and would not be as quick and strong as Applejack. Both wanted to win this fight for their own purposes, so it would be up to desire to tip the scales into somepony’s favour.

Loghoof moved suddenly and rushed towards Applejack with surprising speed as he brought his head back to strike in a powerful arc. Applejack parried the blow, twisting her head to deflect the blade and Loghoof away from her, then struck back in retaliation. Grimacing in frustration, Loghoof turned and blocked the incoming strike. Steel hit steel in a thunderous clash

The two were trapped in a deadlock, with neither pony giving an inch until Applejack planted her hind hooves firmly on the ground. With a grunt she pushed against Loghoof and forced the older warrior to backpedal away. Loghoof growled, then launched himself in a flurry of strikes and proving himself still quick on his hooves.

Applejack deflected the oncoming sword strikes until one attack slipped past her parries, the edge of the blade sneaking past her left pauldron. The sword cut through leather and flesh, blood flowing along the blade as Loghoof brought his weapon to bear. Applejack groaned in pain, dropping her sword as she looked over her wound. As she did, Loghoof charged again and forced Applejack to retreat and leave her sword abandoned on the ground. With a smug smile, Loghoof batted the sword far away from Applejack before resuming his advance.

There was a collective gasp over the audience as Loghoof moved to strike again. Twilight glared at Loghoof, her anger that everything they worked for could end in a few swings of his sword. Her horn flared to life, ready to pull Applejack away from the duel when Macintosh stepped in front of her, shaking his head.

“How’d ya think Applejack would feel if ya interfere now,” Macintosh asked. “She wants this, Twilight. You have to have faith that she will see this through. It’s just a scratch, and really, having that sword of hers was unfair of her.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“She may have fancy blood in her, but she’s still an Apple through and through.” Macintosh smiled. “Ah’d say losin’ her sword just made this a little more fair. For Loghoof.”

Loghoof continued to stalk Applejack as she shook the initial shock from her wound off. “What’s wrong, usurper?” Loghoof mocked, “Without your sword, this duel may as well be over. Expose your neck now, so I can finish you quickly, you poor excuse for a bastard daughter. Where is the blood of the old king to save you now?”

“Right here, partner.” Applejack flashed a sinister smile before pivoting on her front hooves. Twilight struggled not to shout for joy as Applejack kicked with both hind legs. Her hooves landed flush against Loghoof’s face and sent the teryn of Glenwell sprawling backwards. His sword dropped from his mouth as he clutched his snout with a hoof.

Loghoof cursed as his eyes met the advancing Applejack, who calmly swept his weapon away much as he did to hers. “That was for Duncan, ya treacherous piece of slime. Hoof ‘em up, Loghoof,” Applejack said in challenge. “Fight me like ya mean it.”

With a shout Loghoof rushed Applejack, throwing a stiff punch that Applejack neatly dodged. Now to his side, Applejack responded in kind, slamming a powerful cross across Loghoof’s jaw once more. She bounced on her hooves and threw a few mocking air punches as Loghoof tried to regain his equilibrium.

Loghoof’s anger flashed across his face as he struck against Applejack, his hoof smacking against her wounded shoulder. She gave a slight yelp of pain and fell back. She countered with a quick blow towards Loghoof’s underbelly. The older stallion moaned, keeling over in pain as he tried to get away. This left him exposed for another of Applejack’s assaults. Swinging her forelegs like the end of a flail, Applejack struck Loghoof again in the stomach.

With the teryn incapacitated, Applejack galloped over to her fallen sword and picked it up in her mouth with one swift motion. She rushed towards Loghoof while he stood up and slowly limped towards his own fallen sword. Before he could reach the weapon, Loghoof felt the familiar sting of a steel push ever slightly against his neck.

“It’s. Over.” Applejack breathed heavily as she waited for Loghoof to react. Twilight stood on the edge of her hooves, hoping that this would finally be the end of it. Armeria tried to race onto the floor, though a pair of guards prevented her from getting far.

“No! Please spare him!” she cried, “You’ve won! Please don’t kill my father, I beg you!”

“Hush, Armeria, hush.” Loghoof’s voice shifted completely as he turned his eyes towards his daughter. “Look away, Armeria. This is justice being done. I suppose I should thank you, Applejack. Strong enough to best me in combat, strong enough to raise an army, and strong enough to unite the nobles under you. Whatever happens, I hope Equestria is prepared to face such a foe as the Blight under you.”

Loghoof closed his eyes and bent his knee to Applejeack. “I’m ready to face Celestia’s hooves, Applejack. I have much to answer for. ‘Your worth is determined by how true you remain to yourself.’ Your father said that to me, a long time ago. I did not understand then, but I think I do now. I’ve stayed true to who I am. Everything I did, I did for Equestria. I did what I had to, just as you will now. Strike true, your Majesty.”

Applejack looked down on the waiting Loghoof, her mouth clenched tight around the bit of her sword before looking to Twilight. Her words died in her throat as Twilight watched the scene before her. Silently she mouthed “do not let hate commit murder,” as good a warning as any for her friend. In the end, it was Applejack’s decision to make.

Tossing her sword aside, Applejack made a noise not unlike both a whimper and a growl. Instead of beheading Loghoof, she pointed a hoof right in his face. “Killin’ you won’t bring Duncan back,” she said, her voice filled with spite. “Ah hate yer guts, Loghoof. But Ah ain’t gonna kill ya. Ah’m strippin’ ya of your title of Teryn of Glenwell, and giving it to your daughter. Ah’ll decide a proper punishment for you later.”

She turned to rest of the nobility, looking around as she continued to pant heavily. Like a wave, the nobles of the realm all began to bend their knee towards her. All in attendance bowed to their new queen, from the Bannorn to the Arls. Macintosh smiled at his sister before following suit. Arl Gray Wolf stood up and raised his voice.

“All hail Applejack! Queen and defender of the realm! May the ponyspawn know true fear now that we are united!”

Twilight lowered her head to bow when Applejack rushed towards her and pressed both hooves on her shoulders. Applejack looked scared, her eyes wide as she regarded her friends. “No. Not you. Not any of my friends! Ya’ll never bow to me. We’ve been through too much together. We’ve bled together, cried together. You’re not my subjects. Never. You’re more than my friends, you’re my family. Sisters and brothers.”

“And if Ah may, especially you, Twilight.” Applejack hugged Twilight close, completely ignoring the crowd of ponies around them. “It ain’t Warden blood that brings us together. You are the tie that binds us. Throughout this journey, it was you who kept us going, who led us into danger and into victory. It was you who kept us strong. You should be wearin’ the crown, not me. But Ah want you to promise me… Ah want you all to promise me that we’ll always be family. That we’ll always be equals. That we will see another dawn together.”

Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat as Applejack made her speech. They had become a family, if a rather strange and mismatched one. Each and every pony played their part in the journey’s success. They were sisters. They were brothers. They were her family.

The Blight now threatened that family, and the Archdemon would do everything in its power to end all they had worked for. Twilight swore to herself that Uthemiel would fail, and miserably. They will see dawn together.

“I promise you, Applejack,” Twilight replied, squeezing her Warden sister just a little tighter.

The doors to the palace suddenly burst open and revealed a disheveled unicorn youth galloping into the main audience chamber. The lavender unicorn’s robes were tattered and bloodied. Wise Eyes rushed to the young unicorn as he collapsed. Riordan flew to the pair as Wise Eyes began to diagnose the wounds.

“Eagle Eye, what has happened?” the First Enchanter said. Eagle Eye trembled before speaking.

“It’s the ponyspawn, First Enchanter,” Eagle Eye said, “They’re massing only two days march away from Trotterim. So many of them… so many screeching, howling mouths… Sweet Celestia, there were thousands of them! Twisted monstrosities as far as the eye could see! And the dragon… that black dragon…”

Riordan turned to face Twilight and Applejack. “The Blight will lay siege tomorrow night,” he said, eliciting a round of gasps from the assembled masses. “Once they march, they will not stop until they are here. Then the battle will begin in earnest. The Archdemon has also revealed itself. It will lead the battle personally to destroy the only resistance that will endanger it: the Elements of Harmony.”

“Twilight Sparkle. I will need to speak you, Queen Applejack, and Rainbow Dash in private concerning the Warden strategy against the Archdemon. I will be in the salon in the palace. Your Majesty, I believe your people need to hear from you. I must prepare. Stay strong.”

Without another word, Riordan flew out of the palace. Applejack looked up at the expecting nobility, all eager to hear the first true speech from their new queen. Applejack made a very audible gulp as she looked around at the masses. Twilight smiled at her and gave her support as Applejack cleared her throat.

“All right, everypony, listen up, ‘cause Ah ain’t that good at speeches, but there is somethin’ Ah want everypony to know. Tomorrow, the Blight is gonna be at our doors! We are gonna stand united against the ponyspawn, but that means we need to get ready! We’re gonna need palisades from between the city and the battlefield, to slow the ponyspawn down! Explosives to thin out their numbers! All of Trotterim’s citizens need to be evacuated!”

“Your Majesty.” Arl Gray Wolf bowed to Applejack as he shot an accusing look at the humbled Loghoof. “Our armies are weak. We will need to conscript every able bodied colt and stallion who can lift a sword.”

Applejack blanched at Gray Wolf’s words. “They ain’t fighters!” she fired back. “The ponyspawn will kill them!”

Gray Wolf’s expression did not waver. “They either die fighting or they die fleeing. If anypony wants any hope against the ponyspawn, they will have to fight.”

Applejack cursed under her breath. She looked to Twilight and Macintosh for advice, though Twilight did not know what else to say. Gray Wolf was right. If anypony wanted to survive, they would have to battle against the ponyspawn. They could try to run, but if they lost at Trotterim, there would be no hope for anypony in Equestria. Macintosh remained silent, slowly nodding his head in agreement.

“Horseapples…” Applejack let out a heavy sigh, then nodded to Gray Wolf. Twilight’s ears drooped at the thought of ponies young and old forced to wield swords alongside soldiers, but it could not be helped.

Pinkie stood up, raising her voice so all could hear her. “All right, everypony, you heard Queen Jackie! We have a lot of work to do! I’ll need ponies, lots of ponies to help me make landmines and pegasi to drop them on the battlefield! We have a lot to do! Quick like bunnies, hop hop!”

Twilight gave a silent thanks that Pinkie took charge, the crowds of nobles bowed one last time to Applejack before leaving the palace. Loghoof was escorted out of the audience hall by guards, followed by his daughter and Ser Sunsword, leaving the room except Twilight and the party. Rainbow Dash flew over to them and the three Wardens to stand with each other wordlessly for a moment.

Pinkie gave a sharp salute before ushering everypony out of the hall to prepare for the coming battle. She would never have thought it, but Pinkie had proven a capable leader on her own rather unorthodox methods.

“Well,” Twilight said with a sigh, “Let’s go see what Riordan wants with us.”

All three Wardens entered a dimly lit guest room where Riordan stood waiting for them. A mess of weapons, armour pieces, and other implements of battle were strewn about the room. A silver chalice stood in the middle of the room on a wooden pedestal, catching Twilight and Applejack’s attention immediately.

Phials of lyrium lay in front of the chalice, but more importantly was the phial of archdemon blood that stood out amongst the blue liquids. Twilight felt her heart begin to race as she looked on at the blood of the last archdemon that threatened the land, almost hearing the cursed voice of Uthemiel scream in the back of her mind. Applejack bit her bottom lip while Rainbow paled at the sight of the sight.

“Good, we can begin.” Riordan rubbed the bridge of his snout, his weary eyes closed in deep thought before he continued. “There are two things you three must know. Firstly, I have brought enough Archdemon blood for one more Joining. This blood was drawn from the corpse of Palakash, Archdemon of Deception, who perished in the Fourth Blight almost one hundred years ago. I will leave it to you three to decide who among your retinue should become like us. Choose wisely, for the next part is what will haunt your dreams before the final battle. It may even cause your blade to hesitate.”

Twilight looked back at the chalice again as she sat down to listen to Riordan, her eyes going over the lyrium and Archdemon’s blood in equal measure. It was a tall order that Riordan requested of them, to chose one of their friends to doom their lives into constant battle against the ponyspawn.

She did take comfort that they knew the truth about the Joining ritual and everything that it entailed. It would make approaching the prospective Warden a little bit easier, though not by much.

Once Applejack and Rainbow were seated, Riordan began. “In the days of the First Blight, Lianari, the Archdemon of Destruction, annihilated most of the Unicorn Imperium. Though they are a fragment of what they once were, the lands of the Imperieum are still blackened by the Blight. The Archdemon could not be slain by normal means, for every time the body died, the soul would find its way to another ponyspawn, and the creature would be remade. Before the Archdemon could destroy the Imperium, the first Wardens, or Walkers of the Grey, banded together along with Celestia’s chosen champions. You know them as the Elements of Harmony.”

“Together with the Elements, the Walkers wounded the Archdemon, allowing them to collect the monster’s blood. The first true Grey Warden, Dewdrop Dazzle, took the Archdemon blood and created our oath. ‘In peace, vigilance. In war, victory. In death, sacrifice.’ These are not empty words, but the true oath of the Wardens. Know that when the Archdemon lay bleeding from battle, its heart expose with the power of the Elements of Harmony, it was then that Dazzle sacrificed herself to slay the Archdemon. She pierced the wretched heart of destruction, and both the souls of the Archdemon and Dewdrop Dazzle were destroyed.”

Twilight’s mouth hung open as Riordan made the true secret of the Grey Wardens known. It simply wasn’t enough that their lives were cut short by the Taint, now they were to become sacrificial lambs should they somehow defeat the Archdemon. She looked to her friends and saw Applejack’s head was bowed low and Rainbow had already turned away. Small tears dropped from her face.

It felt like somepony had bucked her in the stomach. After their long journey, after all the suffering and pain they endured as well as all their accomplished, one of Twilight’s dear friends would die. Whether it was Applejack, Rainbow Dash, or another of their choosing, somepony would die to kill the Archdemon. For the many to live, one had to sacrifice themselves.

Can I make such a sacrifice? Twilight thought, Can I really give myself up, when I have so much to live for, even if it is for a short time. I’d die for any of them… for Spike… but this is…

“Is there any other way?” Rainbow said, her voice barely a whisper. She drew all attention to her and snapped Twilight from her thoughts. “Do any of us really have to die?”

“It is the only way we know that ends the Archdemon threat forever,” Riordan answered, “I want you all to know, if the battle goes well, I will be the one to make the killing blow once the Elements expose the heart. The responsibility falls on the oldest Warden, but should I fall, one of you will have to take my place. Duncan would have made the fatal blow if he were still alive. I will give you some time to let this information sink in, but know that it cannot be forsworn. A Grey Warden must destroy the Archdemon, no matter the cost.”

Riordan let the information settle before continuing. “The Archdemon of Despair has a powerful aura, one that projects hopelessness to anypony nearby, increasing one’s own dread at an exponential rate. It is my theory that this why Loghoof despaired and betrayed King Blueblood. You must steel yourselves for the coming battle, and be prepared to lead the forces you raised to battle an evil only Luna herself did battle with a thousand year ago. You, Queen Applejack, must try your best to harden the hearts of your soldiers, for the ponyspawn will do what they can to defend their master, leaving us no oppurtunity to strike. Talk to your friends, and get some rest. I’m going to scout the enemy positions, and get a good idea of their numbers.”

With a slight bow and a flare of his wings, Riordan took off out of the window leaving the three Wardens alone. The silence permeated around them before Rainbow stood up and headed for the window herself.

“I need a flight,” she said, never once looking Applejack or Twilight in the eye. “I’ll be back later tonight. Then we can… talk.”

Rainbow flew off and left Applejack and Twilight alone. Applejack lowered her hat over her eyes before walking away as well. “We need to… need to get ready, Twilight.” Applejack choked on her own words, then took in a sharp breath of air. “Try to rest up. Tomorrow, we take the Blight head-on.”

Twilight stood alone with her brooding thoughts as she looked out the window to the sunset. Her mind filled with thoughts of sacrifice and death, she sighed heavily and prepared herself to face her friends one last time before the preparations would begin in earnest. The battle would be joined on the following night. Her nightmares of the Archdemon would become real.

She had to be ready.

***

Spike had heard enough. As quietly as he could, Spike slid away from the door he was able to keep open just a crack. With silence did he move through the halls of the palace until he was confident enough that nopony would find him after his bout of eavesdropping. He was sick to his stomach from everything he had heard, and what he had doomed Twilight to become.

She was likely to die against the Archdemon, simply by killing it. It wasn’t fair! How could anypony push such a burden onto a pony, to ask them to give up everything in their lives to save everypony else? Did the Wardens not think about the friends and loved ones they would leave behind?

Did the Grey Wardens even care?

He remained quiet and hidden from sight as he watched Applejack sulk out. Applejack would make the sacrifice if she could, based on what he heard happened in the Temple of Luna. Rainbow would as well out of loyalty to her friends, the same reason Twilight would as sacrifice herself.

Twilight…

Spike watched the unicorn in question leave the room, her ears folded back as she trudged along the halls. This was his opportunity. This was his chance to make things right for pushing Twilight to join the suicidal Grey Wardens.

He peeked into the room, making sure Riordan was not about. Seeing that he was now truly alone, Spike approached Riordan’s silver chalice. 

His claws reached out to grasp the blood of the Archdemon.

---

Chapter 41 – On the Eve of Battle

Twilight walked the halls of the palace alone as the fading light of dusk illuminated Trotterim. She tried to eat something with hope that any distraction would pull her away from her thoughts, but that effort proved futile. Her normally ravenous hunger was quelled by her tight chest and upset stomach. Riordan’s words and the coming battle did not help her situation.

She walked into the courtyard of the castle, where she watched massive lineups of colts and stallions of all ages and measures of fitness wait in front of army officers as cheap weapons and armour were distributed. In the very front of the lineup was a young white colt with brown patches over his coat. His body trembled as a guard placed a helm much too large onto his head and a laid a small short sword at the colt’s hooves.

The colt squeaked at the sight of the weapon. He picked up the hilt in his mouth and galloped off to where the officer shouted. The next in line, an elderly earth pony with a long beard and weak knees, stepped forward and was given even less protection. His gear was to be a leather cap as well as a quickly strung bow. The old pony was quickly ushered away to the battlements of the city.

Twilight shook her head as she walked away from the conscription line-ups. She wanted to break up the lines and tell everypony who didn’t want to fight to run as fast they could away from Trotterim, away from the battle. Her words formed in her throat, but would not be released. As much as it pained her to see this, it was all needed to fight the ponyspawn. They all had roles to play, and running would mean little if the Blight won.

Instead of walking away from the conscripts, Twilight turned towards them and gave them her warmest smile. The conscripts she approached could barely be called stallions, only just out of their foalhoods, with fresh cutie marks on their flanks and stark terror on their faces. The armour they wore was just too big, and one could not even lift his sword in a proper manner.

Still, they needed some sort of assurance. They needed something to make them feel strong, especially against the Archdemon’s forces.  “Hello, everypony,” Twilight said. She made her voice confidant. The three youths looked up to her with sunken eyes. One sniffled and rubbed his nose clean with a foreleg. His red, puffy eyes went wide with surprise as he noticed Twilight’s cutie mark.

“Y-you’re one of the Grey Wardens!” he said. “Are you here to help us win? We are going to win against the Blight, right?”

“Of course we are.” Twilight puffed up her chest to appear more heroic. “The ponyspawn can’t beat this army, and they certainly can’t beat fine soldiers like you.”

“I need you to listen very carefully now. The battle will be fierce, so while the Grey Wardens and their friends are going to do everything they can to fight the Archdemon and end the Blight. This will leave us very busy, so I’m giving you all a very important mission. There may be some stragglers in the city who haven’t evacuated. Those who can’t fight for themselves. I need you to find them and help them get to the city shelters. Will you accept this quest?”

The three young earth ponies looked to one another with doubt until one steeled his resolve and snapped a quick salute to Twilight. “We’ll help the ponies of Trotterim, Lady Warden!” he said. “Come on, colts! The Wardens are counting on us!”

Twilight returned the salute while the young conscripts galloped away in their ill-fitting armour towards the city. If they even helped one pony, Twilight considered that a success. The ponies of Trotterim needed as much hope as they could to get through the coming storm, no matter the source. Despair would battle against their very souls soon enough.

A sharp cough broke Twilight’s thoughts. Loghoof stood behind her. He still wore his grey armour and looked over Twilight as if studying her. Her brow became furrowed as she walked to the disgraced teryn. His was not a face she wanted to see any time soon, even if he was still allowed to stay in the palace. While Applejack decided his fate, the battle with the ponyspawn needed every soldier it could get. Loghoof was one such soldier.

“Loghoof.” Twilight let her cold greeting hang in the air for a moment. Loghoof simply inclined his head in response. His stern eyes never once left Twilight’s gaze.

“Warden.” Loghoof’s response was terse, yet filled with… regret? Twilight raised an eyebrow as he continued. “Please, come walk with me around the battlements.”

It was an odd request to be sure, but Twilight did not want him to see her hesitation. Standing shoulder to shoulder with somepony she once considered a dire enemy was strange enough. Conversing with Loghoof was near unthinkable. Yet there they were, walking the abandoned streets of Trotterim while soldiers made their preparations for the ponyspawn.

It did not mean Twilight had to like Loghoof, now.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Loghoof said, though his hesitation came in a brief sigh. “I want to thank you for what you have accomplished. I spent the night in deep thought, while also being chastised by Sunsword, and I have come to the realization that I have acted… poorly.”

“Ostequus wasn’t your first clue?” Twilight’s words stung as Loghoof flinched. Loghoof made no reply to that, but simply continued to walk.

“When I read Blueblood’s letters from the Filesian Empress, I felt betrayed. The son of my dearest friend would sell Equestria to the very enemies I struggled to remove, just because he and my daughter couldn’t have a child. The fact that he kept his correspondence secret from his wife and queen, my daughter filled me with rage. I wanted him dead. The ponyspawn provided a means, and Ostequus a place.”

Twilight eyes flared with anger. She moved to stand her ground right in front of Loghoof. She looked at him with challenge in her eyes before she unleashed her tirade. “All this was done out of vengeance?  All of the death caused because you were mad at Blueblood!? Your inaction at Ostequus killed hundreds, including Grey Wardens! Including Duncan! All because of a grudge?!”

Loghoof’s expression did not budge as he matched eyes with Twilight. “What errors I have made, I will pay for. Her Majesty has already decided that for my part in the betrayal at Ostequus, I am to be sent on indefinite loan to Orzamule, where I am to aid in the battle against the ponyspawn after Trotterim. But never doubt, even for a second, that what I did was for myself. Everything I did was for Equestria.”

Maim’s bitter words resonated in Twilight’s mind. She turned away from Loghoof when a thought struck her. If Loghoof would fight in the Dark Tunnels for the rest of his life, shouldn’t he do it as a Grey Warden? Shouldn’t the stallion who had caused so much death give his life as payment?

Twilight squeezed her eyes shut and urged such destructive thoughts from her mind. She could never forgive Loghoof, but wanting him to die just was not right. No pony deserved to have the burden of the Wardens thrust upon them, even if a part of her said that Loghoof deserved death.

“Loghoof,” Twilight said, turning to face him. “Riordan has the means to create a Grey Warden. It is the duty that cannot be forsworn, and our burden to always fight the ponyspawn. A Warden must make the killing blow against the Archdemon, or it will revive itself. Such an act is fatal for the Warden though. I offer you this chance to redeem yourself, if you choose to take it, but I will ask my other friends too.”

He said nothing for a while and simply stared over the battlements and watched the soldiers move about below him. “So this is the truth of the Wardens,” Loghoof muttered. “I am but a fool for Ostequus now, more than ever. If it means the safety of this land has a greater chance, then I will take the burden of the Wardens. For all the wrong I have done, I can at least make my life end with one right act.”

Twilight did not expect that answer. Loghoof was prepared to die for Equestria, she knew, but to simply decide to become a Warden here and now... Twilight’s only response was to nod at Loghoof and look away as she made her way down the stairs of the battlements.

“I’ll have to talk to my fellow Wardens,” she said to Loghoof as she left. “But thank you for your answer, Loghoof. I don’t hate you… but I still find it difficult to forgive you.”

“I know, Grey Warden.” Loghoof looked back at the soldiery. “I find it hard to forgive myself as well. Celestia’s light guide your path.”

Twilight took each step down the stairs of the battlements tentatively as she thought on Loghoof’s words. He was not an evil pony, she surmised, just somepony who put his duty before reason. He was prepared to give his life some sort of redemption by sacrificing himself for Equestria. It made him a strong candidate for the Joining.

Her travels through Trotterim brought Twilight to the city’s Chantry house, where the sisters busily moved about. Unlike most of the citizenry that was not conscripted, the Chantry had chosen to stay in the city to lend aid to any who needed it. Whether it was the sisters providing food, shelter, or a prayer, those of the solar and lunar cloth moved with haste and purpose.

Twilight saw Fluttershy step out of the Chantry along with the Solar Superior and waved at her friend from afar. Fluttershy smiled at Twilight and excused herself from the Superior. Once they were together, Twilight and Fluttershy walked a good ways away from the Chantry in hope to get some measure of privacy.

The thought of asking Fluttershy to become a Grey Warden made Twilight’s stomach turn. Of all ponies, Twilight did not want to taint such a sweetheart as Fluttershy. After enduring so much to escape Filais and the horrors of prison only to be thrust into a journey filled with pain, and adding the Archdemon’s black blood to a wonderful mare seemed tantamount to an atrocity.

If Fluttershy chose to take on the burden of the Wardens, Twilight could hardly say no. They sat down on a patch of grass in the Chantry gardens, with Fluttershy fidgeting in an effort to find the right words. Instead, a small whimper escaped her lips while tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Shh… shh…” Twilight soothed, “It’s all right, Fluttershy. I know the battle will be frightening. I’m scared too. But we can win. I know we can win.”

“I’m not scared of the battle… well, maybe a little.” Fluttershy sucked in a breath of air while wiping the tears from her eyes. “I’m scared for all of you. Twilight, I was a nervous wreck when I lived in the Chantry cloister. I was always afraid of the Filesians hunting me down, or another assailant or anything. When I had the dream of the firebird, I followed it, hoping that it would lead me to something better.”

Fluttershy took one of Twilight’s hooves in her own, looking Twilight right in the eye. “The firebird did lead me to something better. I joined you, and made so many wonderful friends. You showed me that I could be brave in the face of evil. That I didn’t have to live in fear anymore. I’m not afraid for me, Twilight. I’m afraid for you. If even one of my friends were to be hurt, I’d be devastated. This will be the most difficult battle we will ever fight. I fear the Sun and Moon can’t protect us all.”

“I promise you, we’ll get past this just like we had everything else. Nothing can stop our friendship, not even an Archdemon.” Twilight cleared her throat. It was time to ask one of her dear friends if they could sacrifice themselves to slay the Archdemon. She stomach made another lurch.

 “Riordan has brought some Archdemon blood, to allow us to conduct another Joining. Just like what we did to Rainbow. I learned… that a Grey Warden needs to sacrifice themselves to kill the Archdemon, or else it will heal. Fluttershy… I know this sounds selfish, but—“

“I’ll do it,” Fluttershy quickly replied, surprisingly Twilight completely. “If it means protecting my friends from death, I’ll become a Warden. I said I was not afraid to die, Twilight, and it’s true. I’ll give my life for any of you. If I have to become a Warden, if I have to drink the blood of a terrible monster… then I accept that fact.”

Twilight’s ears burned as she listened to Fluttershy so easily accept the cost of being a Warden, how she didn’t care that this could spell her death. Twilight blinked away tears and embraced Fluttershy. It was this sort of selflessness that Twilight had come to respect, even if now was not the best situation for it.

“Thank you, Fluttershy. For everything.” Twilight sighed as she let go, smiling at Fluttershy. “You are the kindest pony I’ve ever met, even during all the horrible events we’ve had to endure. Your kindness is your strength, which also makes you one of the most stalwart ponies I’ve ever had the privilege to know. Whatever happens, you are always one of my best friends. I need to speak with the others, but I’ll remember everything you said.”

Fluttershy returned the smile. “Thank you so much, Twilight. We’ll show the ponyspawn that they can’t crush our spirits. We will see the next dawn.”

After saying her goodbyes to Fluttershy, Twilight walked away from the Chantry halls, her thoughts both elated and heavier. Fluttershy would make the sacrifice with no second thoughts, that was true, but did Twilight have it in her to simply watch her friend throw herself into the killing blow? It asked for too much. In her mind’s eye, Twilight crossed Fluttershy’s name off of an imaginary checklist. It was too much a price to bear.

She walked for a while, alone with only the sound of the wind and the quiet hum of activity within Trotterim before she came across Oghren and Spike training near one of the city’s barracks. Twilight chuckled despite the scene of a large donkey and a baby dragon dueling in the yard. Spike finally listened to her, and put on the helm Rarity made for him. The visor was lowered and left Spike’s face completely obscured. Both looked up as they saw Twilight approach and put an end their training session a little early.

“Let’s have a break, Oghren, I’m getting thirsty anyways,” Spike said, “Hi Twilight! I’m just going to get us some water. Want some?”

“Yes, please.” Spike ran off towards the well, leaving Twilight and Oghren alone. The older donkey sat on his haunches, his axe fallen to the ground as he fumbled for his hip flask. Twilight felt a gag reflex choke on itself as she smelt the tiniest fraction of Oghren’s “special brew”. As memories of the vile concoction filled Twilight’s mouth with a vile taste,she raised a surprised eyebrow as Oghren simply held on to his drink in both hooves.

He nursed the alcohol for a moment before pouring the contents on the ground. With a heavy sigh, he tossed the flask away and looked up at Twilight. The dark pits under his eyes revealed that Oghren did not get much sleep last night. The fact that he still practiced with Spike despite his lack of rest proved his mettle as a warrior; stubborn and will fight with courage in the end.

Even if he had not travelled with the group for that long and was one of the most lewd individuals Twilight had ever met, Oghren proven himself a reliable friend during their travels. He treated Spike exceptionally well, and for that Twilight gave Oghren her eternal gratitude.

“Hey there, Twilight,” Oghren said. “I’d ask if you wanted to join me for a drink, but as you’ve just seen, I’m not in the mood for such. Figured I’d try to keep the mind sharp. That didn’t work; trying to get some decent sleep was hell. Sober will have to do for now.”

“You really should try to get some sleep, Oghren,” Twilight replied. “The battle will be soon. We need everyone ready when the ponyspawn arrive.”

Oghren merely grunted in reply. He looked over to where Spike struggled with the well. He could not seem to pull up the bucket as the heavy container dragged the rope, and thus Spike, on a ride every time he lost grip on the rope. Chuckling, Oghren cracked his neck, picked up his axe and slung it onto his back.

“He’s a good kid. Could become a fine berserker. Fights for everyone he cares for, you know.” Twilight slowly nodded as she walked together with Oghren towards a small table near the barracks where baskets filled with bread lay waiting to be eaten.

“I want to thank you for all you’ve done for Spike, Oghren. For all of us. You gave up Orzamule to come with us. I know things must be tough after Branka—“

“Lemme stop you there, Twilight,” Oghren interjected. “I came here under my own free will because I needed something to live for again. By the Stone, I’m a berserker! I couldn’t stay in Orzamule where my weapons would be taken from me! I needed action and I found it. You ponies just seem to fight a lot more ponyspawn than I expected. Us donkeys should give you more credit.”

Oghren was a warrior of considerable skill and strength, of that Twilight held no doubt. If he became a Grey Warden, the ponyspawn causality rate would increase exponentially. The fact that Oghren was the ideal candidate to become a Warden both frightened and pleased Twilight. The fact that she coldly calculated her friends to be recipients of the Taint scared her to no end.

“Oghren, there is something I want to offer you. And no it’s not booze or my rump, so get that gleam out of your eye.” His lecherous smile now replaced by the closest thing Twilight could assume was seriousness. “Riordan has another phial of Archdemon blood, so we can make another Grey Warden. Would you consider such?”

“I’d say yes faster than I slug a mug of mead, heh ha!” Oghren stroked his braided beard thoughtfully for a moment as he considered Twilight’s words. “I’ve been wondering when you were going to say something.”

With Oghren in such a good mood, Twilight hesitated. Still, he had to know about the burden, one way or another. “There’s one more thing. During the battle, the Grey Wardens will be seeking out the Archdemon. Once the Elements of Harmony expose the heart, a Warden has to give their life to slay it. Knowing that, would you still become a Warden?”

This revelation gave Oghren pause as his jovial smile faltered completely. He mumbled to himself quietly before slowly nodding his head. “Like I said, I’m a warrior, Twilight. I’ve come to accept that yeah, I’m gonna die on a sharp pointy object one day. Better to die on my hooves than to be sick in bed.”

“‘When from the blood of battle the Stone has fed, let the heroes prevail and the blighters lie dead.' It’s an old saying my dad used to tell me before he went off into the Tunnels. As one of the blighters, I sodding salute you. Whether or not you make me a Warden, I’ll say this much. Let us show them our hearts, and then show them theirs.”

Oghren let loose a torrent of guffaws when Spike finally returned with two mugs of water. He passed each to Twilight and Oghren before looking up at Twilight. He gave a quick nod before drawing his firebrand and resumed his practice. Twilight took the mug of water and slaked her thirst, the warm water some relief from her thoughts.

As Oghren and Spike went back to practice, Twilight lingered on her spot and simply watched the pair. Did she seek a contingency plan should Riordan fall, or was she looking for another pony to take the final blow so she could stay with Spike? What kind of friend did that make her?

Spike needs you, one side of her personality argued, he needs a role model, a teacher, the only pony he could ever call sister or even mother. If you die, who is going to look after him?

You need to do what you must to defeat the Blight, even at the cost of your own life. Twilight winced inwardly as she trotted away from the barracks. Spike is growing up. He won’t need you anymore. Everything you endured, he endured as well. He is strong, stronger than you give him credit for. Let him make his own decisions, but make sure there is a future for him to do so. There won’t be if the Blight wins, and the Archdemon lives.

Twilight’s frustrated growl escaped her as she shut her eyes and simply ran. Being surrounded by the preparations for war, for death, did little to help her damaged psyche. She continued to run until she finally opened her eyes. She moved at a speed far too fast to slow down as she careened into Rarity.

The collision rocked both unicorns until they were little more than a tangled mess of hooves and embarrassment. Rarity shot a look of contempt at Twilight, who responded with a sheepish grin. Once she stood up tall and straight and ensured that not a speck of dirt or mud stained her coat, Rarity’s horn came alight with a white aura and picked up Twilight.

“Certainly a way to make an impression, darling, but do take care when you go speeding off in a random direction. You’ll start acting like Rainbow Dash, and I for one could not stand to see you become even the slight bit brutish.” Rarity tittered to herself as she wisped her magic around Twilight, only to see no smile or mirth on her features.

“Oh my,” Rarity said, “Is something the matter, Twilight dear?”

Twilight looked up into Rarity’s blue eyes and could only feel dread at her questions. Rarity was the first friendly face Twilight seen after the Battle of Ostequus. She could not hide Riordan’s news, opting instead to explain everything rapidly. Once Twilight finished, she felt a gentle hoof placed on her lips and the warm, caring smile of Rarity.

“Twilight, you seem to be running yourself ragged over this. Come, walk with me.” Twilight obeyed and walked on shaky hooves, yet still able to keep up with Rarity. “It seems you’ve befallen a terrible fate, running around Equestria just to come to your field of death. Or maybe it will claim Applejack. Or Riordan. Or whomever decides to take on the Taint and become a Grey Warden.”

“Yes,” Twilight weakly replied. “I don’t know what to do. I already spoke to Loghoof, and he seemed perfect. We went out of way to fight him, why not send him to die against the Archdemon? Then I thought again and was horrified about wanting another pony to die just so we could live. And I had to bring the offer to Oghren and Fluttershy, and when I left all I could think about was Spike and now I’m here with you and I’m going to ask the same thing but you just found Sweetie Belle, and I can’t ask you to leave her behind!”

Twilight’s ragged breaths was offset by Rarity’s calm veneer as the latter stopped. She turned and looked Twilight in the eye, her voice filled with iron. “I need you to listen to me very carefully, Twilight Sparkle,” Rarity said, “And listen to me very well. I’m glad we are having this talk now because at this rate you are going to be an emotional wreck before the battle even starts. We know the Archdemon feeds off despair, and if you fall victim to its sway, we will lose.”

“It should be no surprise that I would gladly take on the Taint and become a Warden. You saw how I threw myself at Flemeth to spare you all. The only difference now is the dragon we have to deal with. And I would do it all again, darling. But you have to realize, all of your friends will lay down their lives for each other, as well as you.”

Twilight sniffled in a futile struggle to stop herself from crying. “I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask for sacrifice.”

“Nopony does, Twilight, but we have to run the track we are given.” Rarity sighed, and then wrapped her hooves around Twilight’s neck in a surprisingly strong hug. “We’ve been through so much, Twilight. Ever since Flemeth told me to leave with you, I honestly never have been happier. I had friends, real friends, who not only showed me that I could stand up to that witch, but that I would never be alone again. Thanks to you, I have friends and family. True family. I now have Sweetie Belle, but I always had another sister. I’ve come to think of you as a sister, Twilight. The one I always wished I had by my side, growing up in the Wilds.”

Twilight’s own tears became free when she felt Rarity sob into her shoulder. The most generous pony she had ever known, where there was no price large or small to pay, even if the price was her own life.

“We’ll get through this, Twilight.” Rarity said, dabbing the tears from her eyes with a levitated cloth. “No matter what, we will make it through to the end.”

Rarity giggled to herself in an effort to regain her composure. “I’ll help you, dear,” Rarity continued. “You’ll be searching for the others, yes? It would be best if you didn’t carry this burden alone. ‘Lean on me,’ I think I heard dear Applejack say back on the mountain. An apt saying. I know I saw Trixie with the other unicorns, and Rainbow Dash was heading towards Pinkie Pie. I think she wanted to break Riordan’s news to her personally. Those two are thick as thieves after all. I haven’t seen Shale, oddly enough consider how she sticks out like a sore hoof, and Applejack has been completely surrounded by advisors. You would think she was almost looking forward to being surrounded by ponyspawn instead.”

They walked together until Twilight could feel a slight hum in her skull and her horn buzzed as magical power crackled around it. The air thickened with lines of magic while dozens of unicorn mages pulled along the ley lines of the Fade to form various spells. In the distance, Twilight saw both Trixie and Wise Eyes concentrating on an incantation, their mouths softly muttering the spell into existence.

Twilight watched with attuned eyes, only to gasp in amazement at that being performed in front of her. She had practiced tandem spellwork before, but she had never seen it performed at this scale. Unicorns inter-weaved their magic with one another and formed a vast and impressive lattice of crisscrossed ley lines. Smiling at the display, Twilight lit her horn to aid them, only to be held back Rarity’s hoof.

“No, Twilight,” Rarity said, “We must not interfere with their magic, even if we could bolster their spell. They need to be able to work their magic on their own, especially when it comes time for the battle. You know as well as I that we will be busy hunting down and defeating the Archdemon. They need to get used to working together.”

“I’m impressed, Rarity,” Twilight replied. “You’ve learned a lot about magic since we first started this journey. I can’t wait to show you and every other unicorn what I learned from the past in the cloud temple.”

“I may not have been traditionally educated in the ways of magic, but I do watch and learn, darling.” As Rarity spoke, the unicorns completed their spell. The glittering auras around their horns vanished as a very large and expansive shield form around the city of Trotterim. A barrier of this magnitude was unheard of, but evidently not impossible. Twilight nodded in approval while the unicorns all gave out a sigh in unison, their work complete.

With the spell complete, Trixie took off her hat and wiped the sweat from her brow before noticing Twilight and Rarity approach her. “Take a look at that,” Trixie said, her eyes reflecting the shimmer of the shield. “That barrier is the strongest of its kind. The ponyspawn will be hard pressed to break that shield, and the unicorns will be ready to open a gate to allow the soldiers to pass. Hopefully we will be able to thin out their numbers before that.”

“I’m glad you’re here, Twilight,” Trixie continued. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you. About the battle. And other things. Can we speak somewhere more private please?”

Rarity took Trixie’s less-than-subtle hint and found a tall, handsome stallion unicorn immediately enthralling. Twilight followed Trixie well away from prying ears in a confused state. Trixie had referred to Twilight by her first name, not by “Sparkle”, and Trixie didn’t speak of herself in the third person.

When they were finally well away from the crowds, Twilight could see that Trixie was visibly trembling. Trixie took a deep breath, droplets of sweat dripping down her head before shaking her hooves in an effort to appear busy.

“Are you all right?” Twilight asked. Trixie shook a head, sliding her hat over her face.

“There is something I need to say to you and you alone, Twilight,” Trixie said. “I don’t… I don’t feel it right bringing it up to the entire group. First, let me thank you for allowing me to come along on this adventure. If it weren’t for you, I would have likely died in the Tower when Hubred summoned his demons. I’ve learned so much about magic and made great friends, so it is with great hesitation… I mean to say… I…”

“Don’t worry, Trixie,” Twilight said. “You can tell me anything. I’m your friend after all.”

“I won’t be fighting the Archdemon with you! I’ll be with the other Tower mages!” Trixie quickly clamped her mouth shut with her hooves and turned away. Twilight felt struck numb. She certainly did not expect this as an answer to the unasked question. On one hoof she was relieved, yet on the other she felt somewhat taken aback that Trixie would not be there in the final battle.

Trixie sighed and then turned to Twilight. “Being with the unicorns again made me realize that my place is with them. Getting out and exploring the world was both fun and frightening, but it was only after today, right now did I realize I like being part of the Tower and with other unicorns. They need my help, and with them I can do the most good. I’m not a fighter or a battle mage or an Arcane Warrior like you. I faint in nearly all our major battles. But with the Tower, I can help reinforce the shield. I can feel useful. It’s all I really wanted in my life.”

Feeling somewhat relieved, Twilight embraced the surprised Trixie. “Thank you for telling me this, Trixie,” she said, “I hope you and the other unicorns can make it out of the battle okay. It won’t be the same without you beside us, but I won’t stop you, nor will I think any less of you. This is where you feel you can do the most good, and I’m happy to have helped you get here.”

Twilight cleared her throat. Even if Trixie was no longer a suitable candidate to become a Warden, she still had to know the truth, no matter how unsavoury. Twilight explained the sacrifice needed to truly slay the Archdemon. She regretted letting Trixie know as her eyes became wide as saucers, fresh tears ready to stream down her face.

“For the longest time, I thought of you as my rival, as a bar I had to jump over.” Trixie wiped the tears from her eyes. “When you came back to the Tower, I thought you were going to show me up again. But then we worked together to defeat the Sloth and Pride demons, and afterwards you let me travel with you. You became more than a bar to jump over… more like something to measure myself against. I’ll never surpass your magical aptitude, but thanks to you, I can use my magic for more than my petty rivalries. Whether we die tomorrow against the Archdemon… or Celestia forbid, you make the killing blow… know that I will always call you my friend, and you’ll always have a place in my heart.”

Twilight held the embrace tight as she felt tears welled up again in her own eyes. She didn’t want to lose Trixie, or Applejack, or Rainbow or any of her friends in the coming battle. The chaotic nature of war be damned, if she could protect them all from the blades and arrows she would. Yet the Archdemon called for death, either through flame or through sacrifice to stop the former dragon god. If there was enough time, Twilight could research the ancient magic of the Old Ones, of the Wardens in a desperate attempt to find another way.

Time was not on their side. The Blight would lay siege to Trotterim tomorrow. Many would die, and there was not a thing Twilight could about it, except slay the Archdemon quickly.

After saying a quick goodbye as Trixie rejoined the ranks of the unicorn mages, Twilight returned to Rarity’s side. Together they walked the length of Trotterim’s walls in silence, before they came across the familiar smells of lyrium blasting caps, though in much greater density.

What used to be the market square of Trotterim had been transformed into a massive production line for grenades and mines. Soldiers and civilians alike worked tirelessly to craft the explosives, while pegasi and hippogryph took bundles of landmines and flew off towards the direction of the advancing ponyspawn. An excellent strategy, the same Pinkie used to defend Red Apple against the undead hordes. It would surely thin the numbers of ponyspawn.

Yet there was no sign of the bouncing builder of bomb barrages. The only ponies Twilight could recognize were General Puissant who directed the construction and distribution of explosives. Zharia, along with Quick Kill, did their part to get the mines onto the field. Twilight was sure she would have found Pinkie, and by extension Rainbow Dash, in this hub of hurried activity.

“You are looking for Le Rouge Terrible, oui?” The General approached Twilight and Rarity. He stroked his long bushy beard in thought. “I saw her run away in anger and sorrow towards the south. I believe the assassin chased after her. I hope there is no trouble in your ranks.”

Twilight cast a worried look to Rarity before both unicorns galloped southward. “Sorrow and anger” were not words that typically described Pinkie Pie, so hearing such a description caused no end to Twilight’s concern. Rainbow must have told Pinkie of Riordan’s news and the true purpose of the Wardens. Knowing how much Pinkie valued her friendships, the news likely devastated her.

Sure enough at the end of the south road Rainbow hovered in the air around what Twilight could only call a massive mountain of haystacks. Both she and Rarity came to a complete stop the moment they were in earshot of Rainbow’s pained pleadings.

“Pinkie! Please don’t make this harder than it already is!” Rainbow’s voice, while still strong, now had a strain along with it. She likely stayed there begging for Pinkie to come out for a while, if not a few hours.

“Not unless you take it back!” Pinkie replied. “It’s not a funny joke, Rainbow Dash! Knock-knock jokes are funny! Riddles are amusing! Dirty limericks are a riot! This? This is none of those! And you’re even suggesting breaking your Pinkie Promise! How could you!?”

Twilight trotted up to the haystack. “Pinkie, it’s me. Can you come out please? We can’t really hold a conversation within a haystack.”

“Sure we can,” Pinkie chimed. “It’s free eats, makes for a comfy place to sit…”

“Pinkie…”

A loud sigh sounded from the mountain of hay. Pinkie’s eyes emerged first from the hay, and the strands slowly gave way to the former pony dynamo. Her mane lay flat against her head, devoid of the usual bounce, and dried straw stuck out of her hair and her armour. She gave Twilight a pained look before quietly contemplating the ground.

Pinkie’s emotions, typically optimistic to a fault, did leave her very vulnerable to despair should the blow strike hard enough. Hearing that her friends would likely perish was such a blow.  While Twilight would not call Pinkie overtly sensitive, this needed a delicate hoof, yet the truth could not be sugar coated. Ironic, considering Pinkie’s sweet tooth, though Twilight kept this thought to herself.

“Pinkie… everything Rainbow told you was true.” Twilight regretted her blunt choice of words as Pinkie let out a loud sob of anguish. Seeing the normally happy-go-lucky pony reduced to tears felt like a stiff buck to the gut. Rainbow fared no better and turned away from Pinkie with her ears splayed against her head. Her eyes shut as if she tried to imagine she was elsewhere.

Twilight took a deep breath, only for Rainbow to suddenly burst ahead of her. She laid a comforting foreleg around Pinkie’s shoulder and tried desperately to sooth her. “Everything will be okay, Pinkie. We just… we just need to keep our heads up. We’ll win tomorrow, you know that.”

“But what if you have to make the final blow! What if Twilight or Applejack have to make it!?” Pinkie now bawled as she screamed her words. “I don’t want to lose anypony! You are all my friends, and I love you all, and if even one of you died I couldn’t bear it but one of my Warden friends has to make the sacrifice, so now I want Riordan to make the final blow but that’s horrible to even consider somepony else dying just so I can be happy but I don’t want to lose anypony! Please… please, please, please find another way! Hauberk in the Temple of Luna said there was always another way! How come there isn’t another way out of this!?”

Hauberk had said that. As one of the original Elements of Harmony, surely he would have tried to convince Dewdrop Dazzle to not make the ultimate payment to protect the world from the Archdemon. Yet, die she did, and took the Archdemon of Destruction with her. It was the fate of the Wardens.

“Pinkie Pie, listen to me.” Rainbow’s voice was stern and brooked no further arguments. Pinkie immediately became quiet, though her sobs came through in strained hiccups. “Tomorrow… tomorrow we are going to fight a battle none of us would ever dream of being in. I haven’t broken my Pinkie Promise. I’m just going about it a different way. You’ll see your family again, Pinkie. I’m just going to make sure the Archdemon doesn’t stop you. That’s how I’m going to help, and if I die… it’ll be because I’m protecting my friends.”

“N-no fair…” Pinkie said softly, wiping her puffy eyes clean of tears. “You’re using a loophole.”

Rainbow chuckled, then held Pinkie tight as she shivered against the cold. “True, but you know I’d never turn my back on you. I’m just doing things my way, same as I always have.”

Pinkie nodded then turned her blue eyes towards Twilight. She cleared her throat and let go of Rainbow so she could speak to Twilight directly. “I don’t want this to be goodbye!” she said quickly. “I just… I want to thank you, Twilight. For everything. Travelling with you allowed me to spread happiness beyond Ponyring, even if we got some owies along the way. We’ve been through so much, but I can still… I can still feel something terribly different about tomorrow. Something terrible is going to happen, but we all know that. The Blight is coming here.”

“Rainbow already told me about the Archdemon’s blood, so you can make another Warden. I told I’d do it, but she told me ‘No Pinkie Pie. You need to find your family!’ And I said, ‘But I want to protect all of you!’ And she said… well… she convinced me its better not to drink the nastiest juice of all time. J-just please promise you won’t f-forget about our friendship if things go really b-bad… please…”

This time Pinkie’s embraced Twilight, sobbing into her mane all the while. Twilight carefully stroked the straightened mane in an effort to keep Pinkie calm. “I’ll never forget you, Pinkie, or any of our friends, in this life or the next.” Twilight’s words stuttered from her mouth, but each filled her with more drive to see the Blight ended. Her friends deserved to see the journey’s end. They all did.

“Listen Twilight, I have something to say too.” Rainbow cleared her throat and scratched the back of her head. “I’m not good at this mushy stuff, so let me just say that I’m glad Loghoof sent me after you. Trust me, I’m really glad you all decided to spare me, but everypony in the group is somepony I didn’t even think I could have. Friends. I’m with you the rest of the way, until either we can see the Archdemon choke on its own tongue… or we fall. If I have to do it, I will make the blow. To see this through to the end, I’m with you.”

“Thank you, both of you,” Twilight said. “No matter what, we will see this through to the end. We will win, and we will do it together.”

All three, along with Rarity who joined them, engaged in a group hug. Twilight felt a calm as she embraced her friends. The shaking of the ground broke the hug as Twilight looked around, eyes wide. Could it be a minotaur charge already? Was the Blight upon them sooner than Riordan had anticipated?

The answer came in a sharp laugh from Pinkie as she pointed ahead to Shale, who slowly crushed the ground beneath her hooves. With a large metal box chained to Shale’s torso, everypony gave the golem a wide berth as she waded through Trotterim. Once Shale reached Twilight and the others, she gave a great sigh of relief.

“At last, I have found you,” Shale said. “I have been walking around this insufferable hive of meatbags and fleshlings for too long, looking for those few ponies I tolerate. Come, magical Twilight. I require your assistance. I will not wait long.”

Despite everypony’s curious looks at Shale’s massive container, Twilight shrugged to the others before saying goodbye and allowed them to return to their work. She walked alongside Shale towards the palace, and her curiosity over the chest bore itself well into her psyche. With the last light of the sun taken by the dark of night, Twilight looked to the sky. There was no sign of the moon. A bad omen.

“So, tomorrow will be the battle to end all battles, won’t it?” Shale asked. “I do look forward to it. So many ponyspawn to crush underhoof. It sends shivers of delight throughout my core.”

“I’m not surprised you are the only one really looking forward to it all,” Twilight responded. “Tomorrow is going to be awful, Shale. Ponies will die.”

Shale huffed. “Ponies will die regardless of whether they fight in war or if they do not. That is the nature of war and conflict against an implacable foe. You must fight, and you must win. The ponyspawn will not show mercy. You of all ponies should know this to be truth. Will tomorrow be fun— I mean a tragedy for many? I think the biggest tragedy is the fact that you are all not golems such as I.”

“There is one thing I would like to say, Twilight Sparkle.” Shale stopped on the steps of the palace. “I suppose I should thank you. If it were not for your curiosity of my control rod, I would be trapped as nothing more than a still statue, pelted by pigeon crap constantly. If it were not for you, I would never have recovered my memories, found Cairidan, and gave him, and therefore myself, some semblance of peace. Most importantly, if it were not for you, I would not have stomped and stamped and smashed as many bones and skulls as I have.”

Twilight gave a weak chuckle. How had she slept with such a murderous creature as Shale nearby? How had she called her a friend? Because she helped you when she could have easily left, Twilight’s inner voice reminded her. She stayed because she chose to stay. Just like how you chose to destroy the Storm Forge instead of taking on an army of golems through Branka.

“In the end, I suppose what I’m trying to say is that yes… I do consider you as a friend.” Shale stopped at the top of the stairs. She looked at Twilight with radiant eyes of of lyrium. “I have heard from blitzing Dash of the perils the Wardens face tomorrow. I would rather not see any of you perish. Who would be around to tell tales of my glory? The most important ponies need to know of my exploits, and who better to spin my legend into being than those who bore witness to me?”

This is probably the closest I’m going to get an ‘I don’t want to see you die because you are my friend,’ from Shale, isn’t it? Twilight laughed at the thought as she smiled towards Shale. “Thank you very much, Shale. I’m glad we became friends… and it was an honour to fight alongside you. I hope after the battle, you can settle down somewhere and find true peace.”

“Bah. That day will come once I’ve bashed every feathered menace out of existence. Inform the pegasi they won’t share this fate so long as they keep their feces off me.”

Twilight shook her head, a grin still firm on her lips while her magic flowed from her horn towards the great doors of the palace. She opened the door for Shale and they made their way through the audience chambers towards the main living quarters. Specifically, they headed towards the chambers of the new Queen of Equestria. Their friend, Applejack.

“Is the box for Applejack?” Twilight asked.

“I hope to have the box back, actually,” replied Shale. “It is quite large and perfect for looting. No, the contents are for honest Applejack. The commission was completed to my specifications, and I now present it as a gift for a new monarch. It is an old donkey tradition I remembered. I was shocked and appalled that drunk Oghren forgot and stupid Jorgen didn’t bring anything as well. It would seem I, in my Meticulous and All-Seeing wisdom must be the bearer of the gifts.”

“In any event, her Majesty shall adore my gift much more than anything you or anypony could conceive, so it would be best for you to run along now and get some rest. The battle shall make your bones weary tomorrow, and the weakness of the flesh needs as much reinforcement as it can.”

With little more than a smile and a nod, Twilight dismissed herself from Shale and began a quick trot towards her room. It seemed her friends had similar ideas, many of them milling about one more time before heading towards their comfortable beds. The thought that this could very well be the final night of sleep sobered Twilight. After tonight, it would be a day of waiting, then an evening of bloodshed.

With somber hesitation, Twilight bid the final good nights to her friends before entering her room. Spike lay asleep all bundled in his blanket, his loud snores the only sign of his presence under the sheer volume of covers. Riordan had not returned, and Twilight still had not chosen a pony to become the next Warden, but there was something more important she had to do.

Levitating both quill and parchment, Twilight looked over at Spike one last time before she began to write:

Dear Spike,

If you are reading this message, it is because I have died fallen. Whether it was because of the battle or because I gave myself up to deliver the killing blow against the Archdemon, it does not matter. What matters the most is that this letter gets to you. It is my prayer that after the battle, I can just toss this scroll into the fire, we can laugh at it as it burns, and I can give you the biggest hug I can. If not, then there are things you need to know.

Since the day you were hatched, I loved you as the little brother I never had. I didn’t make many friends in the Tower, focusing almost entirely on my studies, but you changed my life for the better. From that moment on, everything I learned was for you. I wanted to protect you from magic, so I learned shields. I wanted to keep you safe from demons, so I learned offensive spells.

I wanted to protect you from the ponyspawn, so I became a Grey Warden, knowing that if I could make a difference in fighting the Blight to protect you, I should.

I know you feel guilty about pressuring me into the Grey Wardens, but I hope this letter puts those feelings at ease. Everything I do, I do for you. I love you, Spike, and as the Sisters as my witnesses, I will always watch over you. Either in this world, or the next.

Please take care of yourself, and our friends. They will need you in the coming days. The road will be tough, but I know you will grow up to be fine dragon knight of the realm.

All my love,

Twilight Sparkle

Twilight took a sharp intake of air as she tried to quell her tears. Gently she rolled the parchment up and lifted the candle that sat next to her before letting a small pool of wax form along the edges of the scroll. Twilight let her mind wander for a bit as she considered what her thoughts on paper truly meant.

She prepared herself for death. By writing her goodbyes to Spike, it was all the confirmation Twilight needed from herself that she was ready to make the final blow against the Archdemon.  She took another breath of air to steady her as she looked down at the letter. If it came down to it, she was ready to make the sacrifice. For Spike’s sake.

As the seal cooled on the letter, Twilight levitated another sheet of parchment so she could make a list of qualities in her friends and allies to find the next Warden. A sharp knock on the door startled Twilight, and her magical grip on the quill shook for a moment. Setting the quill down, she quietly walked towards the door and opened it to reveal that her guest was none other than Riordan.

“Shield Sister,” Riordan said, “The Archdemon blood. It is gone.”

“What?” Twilight’s eyes widened at Riordan’s news. “By who? Who would want to steal the blood of a monster?”

“Not stolen, but consumed.” Riordan shook his head. “Tell me, did any of your friends exhibit the changes of become a Warden? Did you see the grey crest of the Warden’s along their cutie marks?”

Twilight shook her head. “I’ve been with my friends all evening. I didn’t see the mark of the Wardens on any of them.”

Riordan ran a hoof along his chin and kept his thoughts to himself all the while his wings flapped in frustration. “It was most curious. A regular pony or donkey who consumed the blood of the Archdemon would have high chance of death. Since there was no corpse in my room, I can only assume it is somepony of great stamina to have recovered so quickly from their makeshift Joining. Still, this is alarming, and adds another variable to an already chaotic mess. While there is another Warden in the battle now, we have no idea who they are or even if they can be a help. Still, there is nothing to be done now. Get some sleep, Twilight Sparkle. And let us pray Celestia will show us mercy tomorrow.”

Before Riordan could leave, Twilight called out to him. “Wait, Riordan,” Twilight said. “I have one thing I need to ask. You seemed to ready to die when you told us the truth about the Grey Wardens. Are you really prepared for such?”

The veteran Warden’s face did not change as he turned his head to look at Twilight. “I have been preparing for this day for a long time, my friend. I had the benefit of decades of experience fighting the horrors of the ponyspawn. Whether I die against the Archdemon or fall in the Dark Tunnels, so long as my death has meaning, I can go to the Seat of the Sisters with my head held high. It is a terrible thing to request recruits so young to do such, but this is our fate. I hope you’ve come to accept that.”

Riordan walked away and left Twilight alone at the entrance of her room. She turned back to her bed with slow, deliberate steps. The door closed with a gentle click. She peeled off her armoured robes piece by piece. As she wrapped herself with the wool blankets of her bed, she cast one last look at Spike. For a moment, she considered that he had consumed the Archdemon’s blood. With a shake of her head, Twilight cast such a notion aside. Spike would never do anything to jeopardize him or all her work to protect him.

Twilight yawned as she let her eyes slowly close. Bringing her legs in close, she muttered prayer after prayer to the Sisters that they would watch over the battle, and over the souls of the countless who would fight and die. Prayers to the divine were the last line of defense in the end.

***

Applejack walked through the halls of the palace—her palace, Applejack reminded herself—flanked by both General Puissant and Big Macintosh. They spent the early parts of the dawn going over how the core strategy of the battle should go, until Applejack reminded them that the ponyspawn did not fit into neat and tidy timetables. They would attack like a vicious snake, quick and painful, using their numbers and terror tactics like venom in the blood.

What they needed, Applejack decided, was something to lift the spirits of the soldiers who would be fighting tooth and hoof against the ponyspawn. They need inspiration to stay strong when the Blight was upon them.

Oh sweet Celestia, what have I gotten myself into?

The gates of the palace opened for her and revealed the light of the noon sun to her aching eyes. Applejack’s sleep was fitful at best, but sheer force of will prevented her from displaying fatigue. There would be plenty of time for adrenaline to do its work.

Her friends waited for her on the steps of the palace. Each appeared ready for the fight, all of them adorned in shining, reinforced armour. Their faces, marred and scarred as they were from their journeys, each held a look of determination that would not be deterred. They were ready.

They all gasped when they saw Applejack, causing the new Queen to blush profoundly. She wore Shale’s gift of crimson plate armour with pride. ‘Dragonbone Plate,’ Shale had called it, forged by the master smith Hoity Toity from the scales of the high dragon they slew on the mountain. It fit Applejack like a glove, and with Silverbite and Duncan’s shield by her sides, she felt she portrayed the true image of a warrior queen. She regretted leaving behind her hat. Though she cherished it more than anything, she could not see it destroyed or lost in battle. Instead, she opted to wear the crested helm that went along with the suit, and stood before her friends ready for battle.

“This is it,” Twilight said, “We’ve traveled all over Equestria. Fought the worst things this world could throw at us. Gathered the largest army we could to fight the Blight.”

“Let’s hope it’s enough.” Applejack swallowed her fears as she continued to walk down the steps of the palace. “There’s one thing Ah gotta do. For the troops. Ah’d like ya’ll to stand with me. For support.”

Her friends nodded in agreement, and their faces ignited a fire deep within Applejack. Whether she was a Grey Warden or Queen of Equestria, the only thing that mattered was that she was in the here and now because of her friends. They would win not because they had to, but because they were together. Nothing could stop such ties of friendship.

They walked together as the low murmur of the assembled army grew louder and louder with each passing step. Once they were near the ramparts of Trotterim’s outer walls, Applejack looked around the various defenders of Equestria as they in turn looked to her. She willed her nerves away as she began to climb up to the top of the battlements. Her friends followed suit while Big Macintosh and Puissant stayed behind, soon to join their own forces and help direct the flow of battle. Macintosh looked up at his little sister and gave a simple nod to her that spoke volumes of his faith before disappearing into the crowd.

When she arrived at the top of the wall, Applejack could now appreciate the size of the army they had forged together. As far as the eye could survey, ponies of all types stood shoulder to shoulder, while pegasi and hippogriff patrolled the air. Hundreds of landmines made the battlefield glitter in the sun’s light. They were prepared for battle. Right now, they were prepared to listen to the Queen’s rally.

Applejack took a deep breath. Her heart thudded against her chest, all noise being muted as she took in the sight. They waited for their new queen, and she needed to be strong now. Not just for her, or her small circle of friends… but for all of Equestria. With a nod to Twilight, Applejack cleared her throat as she felt a small tingle in her neck. A magic spell worked its wonders to enhance her voice. She then began to speak:

“Before us stands the might of the ponyspawn horde! They, who have come to ravage our lands, our very existence without mercy! Look upon them, but show no fear! Within all of you is a fire that burns bright in the darkness cast by wings of the Archdemon! These ponies with me now are living proof that anypony can show courage, strength, and the will to overcome all odds, no matter how great they may be! No beast proved invulnerable, no mountain proved too daunting, no legend proved impossible since we were together! If this is what our small group can do, think of what an army forged by friendship can accomplish!

Look to your left! To your right! Do not see a unicorn or a pegasi or a donkey, but see a brother! A sister! Friends that will stand by you and fight with you to protect all that you hold dear. Care not for what divides you, but look at what unites you! As one, we can survive! As one, we can triumph!

The ponyspawn have pushed us to this line, but here we push back! Here we make our stand! In the memory of King Blueblood! For all those who died in Ostequus! For the Grey Wardens who sacrificed themselves so that we can have the chance to end the Blight once and for all! We fight! And we shall prevail!

For Equestria! FOR THE GREY WARDENS!”

The thunderous cheer erupted from the coalition of forces, shaking the very ramparts underneath Applejack’s hooves. The hope that came from the ponies all around her made Applejack swell with pride. They could do this. They would do this. They could truly win.

“Didn’t think you had that in you,” Rainbow chided as she gave a  playful nudge to Applejack’s ribs.

“We’ll, don’t expect too much, ya hear? Still the same old Applejack Ah’ve always been.” Applejack chuckled, only a much louder crack of thunder to snap her reverie in two. Her head twisted towards the horizon on its own, with Twilight, Rainbow, and Riordan doing the same. All eyes were wide as they stood still and waited.

All hearts beat as one as they waited for the next shout from the horizon. Applejack wanted to clutch her chest, to open her ribcage and stop the rapid beating of her own heart. She looked to Twilight who stared blankly ahead, her mouth slowly moving but no words escaped her lips. She looked to Rainbow, who appeared to be struck numb with terror.

“And death came to us on ebon wings…” Riordan’s words trailed off as another impossibly loud roar shook the land. While those not of Warden’s blood were clearly shaken by such ferocity, they stood their ground bravely and calmly. The Grey Wardens, however, heard the message of their adversary loud and clear as it resonated within their very souls.

DESPAIR.

A wave of darkness brought itself to bear over the horizon. Hundreds of screamers took to the air.  They swarmed the sky until the very light of the sun could not escape their dark wings. The warhost of the Blight approached soon after, with tens of thousands of ponyspawn making a slow, deliberate approach to Trotterim’s gates; each step calculated to bring the most terrifying image to the weak willed ponies they would soon battle.

On draconic wings, Uthemiel, the Archdemon of Despair, flew overhead. The master of the Blight landed on a plateau far in the distance to oversee the final battle. The Archdemon sat still for a moment and flexed its wings. Black fire flared from its nostrils. It opened its mouth to unleash yet another horrifying roar and caused screams and shouts of fear to sound from the ranks.

The time for preparations was over. This was the threshold. There would be no turning back.

The Blight was upon them.

---

Chapter 42 - Death Flies on Ebon Wings

Twilight had always thought Duncan spoke in rhetoric when he called the Blight “the tide of evil.” It was common practice to make something more dangerous than it sounded with fanciful words or even a simple phrase. Yet as she looked over the battlements towards the horde of ponyspawn, she now knew Duncan spoke true, and it terrified her.

As far as she could see was a literal sea of writhing blackened monstrosities born out of nightmares. Tens of thousands of ponyspawn poured over the horizon. The donlocks led the suicide charge while thelocks and minotaurs made up the primary force. Ornlocks remained in the back ranks as their curved horns lighted like beacons in the distance, ready to let loose a torrent of painful spells on any hapless victim of their barrage. The skies proved no better. Screamers swarmed in the skies and blocked the sun, and every gibbering mouth cried out in a cacophony of madness and hunger.

Her heart thudded against her chest; pain shot all over her body, but Twilight did not let the sight of such a force unnerve her. She focused her magic to her eyes, and Twilight looked across the land like an eagle. She took note of how the ponyspawn moved, what formations they used, and what passed as their leadership. The Archdemon continued to fly overhead the army, too far for anything to strike, yet thankfully it had not made an attack flight of its own.

The soft light of dusk faded and gave way to night, though the light of Luna’s moon was not there to give some comfort. Storm clouds drifted overhead and covered the starry sky.

Twilight closed her eyes and listened to her tainted heart in an effort to hear the patterns of the ponyspawn. She sifted through their heartbeats, but to find some sense in it all proved a challenge. The thoughts of the ponyspawn came at her in a jarbled mess, as they thought to say simple needs like “kill”, “eat”, and most of all, “despair.” It was a long shot to try to use the Warden senses in this way, but the fundamentals were no different than when the Archdemon sent images to them. All Twilight needed to do was seek them out.

There. Twilight felt the thoughts form a more coherent string. Twilight considered most of the gutteral noise nonsense, little more than a black speech that should not have been heard by pony ears. The sheer hatred these chosen ponyspawn held for ponies was immense, the likes of which Twilight had only encountered when Uthemiel invaded her dreams.

The ponyspawn who lead the Blight were given titles rather than true names. The Serpent, a massive screamer more akin to a flying snake. The Magus, an ornlock with two horns, who already worked at disassembling the Unicorn Tower’s shield. The Breaker, a four armed minotaur who readied its brethren to charge against the walls of Trotterim.

Lastly, there were the images of the leader of these ponyspawn, with whispers only calling him The Vanguard. The voices hushed when they spoke of the ponyspawn general, as tall as Shale and nearly as wide, adorned in finely crafted crimson steel that was physical bolted onto his body. The Vanguard hissed his orders through whatever hivemind the ponyspawn used. One urged the donlocks “forward” while another growl towards the ornlocks told them to “prepare”.

“Sugarcube, are you ok?” Applejack asked. To Twilight, she sounded distant as Twilight continued to swim in the mire that was the ponyspawn’s thoughts. Her newfound magical abilities worked outside of the confinements of the Fade and made Twilight dizzy. Thankfully, none of the other ponyspawn could detect her. For all their twisted magic it was still a product of the Fade.

Twilight’s eyes shot open as she felt the unmistakable presence of sheer power in the magical ether. She was not alone as she thought. The sudden surge overwhelmed her and forced her to her knees. She looked up, and Twilight saw a visage of the Archdemon loomed over her. The very spectre burned in shadowfire. The Archdemon roared and compelled Twilight to leave her arcane wanderings while at the same time she pressed a hoof against her rapid heart.

“Twilight!” Several of her friends called her name as she fell, though the pain overwhelmed her as the memory of the Archdemon burned into her psyche. Twilight moaned in agony and writhed on the stone battlements.

The thunder of explosions brought a dust storm to life in the distance.  Soldiers rushed towards the edge of the stone walls and watched as the donlocks rushed as the first wave. With no regard for their own lives, the squat donlocks rushed into Pinkie’s hastily made yet vast minefield, detonating them to clear the way towards Trotterim. Those few who had a clear view of the self-perpetuated onslaught looked at horror as the donlocks continued to advance.

Those ponies who had never seen such behavior immediately showed their fear. Several took steps away from the front lines as the donlocks sacrificed themselves to clear the paths. Loghoof stood silent and still, flanked by Sunsword and Puissant and watched as the soldiers of Equestria and her allies were helpless but to watch.

“How can they just throw their lives away so carelessly?” Fluttershy said in a soft whisper. She shook her head in disgust. “They just don’t care, and for what? To stop ponies from living happily?”

“They want to stop us from living completely,” Twilight replied. She tried to stand and shake off the pain from her body. “I felt it. Every single one of the ponyspawn hate us, because the Archdemon hates us. I only wish I knew why.”

“No time to think about that now!” Rainbow shouted, “We have incoming!”

Twilight looked up to see dozens of fireballs illuminate the night sky. Their fiery tails left streaks of flame in the air before sailing towards Trotterim. They exploded against the unicorn shield and caused screams of terror from the ponies that hid beneath it.

Many of the unicorns buckled under the magical barrage, as cries of pain resonated along with the blasts of fireballs. Trixie winced as another attack hit her segment of the shield, though she remained tall against the onslaught. She turned her staff with levitation and urged the instrument to fire a simple blue spark, a flare that would act as a message to those who oversaw the battle.

“The north is holding strong,” Applejack said, “But we can’t stay here getting pummeled forever.”

“The only way this battle will end is if we all die or the Archdemon is slain,” Riordan explained, “The fiend will not attack us directly if it believes the army will win. We need to fight against the ponyspawn and force the Archdemon to fight us directly.”

“Ya know how crazy that sounds right?” Applejack did not believe her ears. “Ya want a nasty, evil dragon to come down here where it’ll make hay out of the ponies fighting on the ground!”

“It must be done, Your Majesty.” Riordan looked towards the wrathful Archdemon as it continued to hover in the distance. “I took the liberty of setting up ballistae around Trotterim. They are all equipped with links of heavy chains. If we can lure the Archdemon close and fire the ballista bolts at the right time, we can keep the monster grounded so the Elements of Harmony can reveal his heart, and so that I can deliver the killing blow.”

Twilight swallowed as she was reminded about the final blow against the Archdemon. She looked down on Spike, who still fidgeted with his helmet’s visor. They must finish the battle quickly. “This is the best plan we’ve got. Once the Archdemon is vulnerable, I’ll use the last of our Star Strands to activate the Elements.”

As Twilight spoke, she felt a wave of warm, comforting air spill over her from the south. She turned to look in the direction of the Everfree forest, where another flare, this one of pure white light, burst through the forest’s canopy. A whisper travelled through the air; a soft voice almost tickling Twilight’s alert ears.

…the shaman Zecora has finished her deed, this message you must now pay heed…

…to the forest, fly with haste, time is not yours to waste…

Zecora! Twilight pointed in the direction of the Everfree then shouted. “Rainbow! Fluttershy! I need you two to go to the Everfree as quickly as you can! Zecora is using flares to show where she is, and I think she’s trying to get us that supernatural army she promised us!”

As if to accentuate her point, a small force of ponyspawn broke away from the main group, consisting of donlocks, thelocks, screamers, and an ornlock. They galloped with all due haste towards the Everfree Forest, now alerted by Zecora’s flare.

“Got it! You can count on us!” Rainbow’s wings flared to life as she called to her partner. “C’mon, Fluttershy! We need to make wind trails yesterday!”

“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness…” While she stammered, Fluttershy’s wings did not falter where it mattered most. They sprang to life as she followed close behind Rainbow. With a nod of encouragement, Twilight turned to Applejack, who shouted orders at her new officers.

“Tell the ground commanders to get ready for ponyspawn!” Applejack galloped away from Twilight and the others. She looked through the shield to where the Blight’s main force split in two. “Damn it all! They’re gonna flank us!”

“It is a classic pincer strategy,” Loghoof said. “With us on the defensive, they’ll surround Trotterim within the hour. Then they will have free reign to heard us like cattle to the slaughter.”

Twilight watched the Blight separate into two massive branches, all the while the blue bursts of lyrium explosions continued unabated. “I’ll tell the unicorns to lower the shield, and begin to barrage the ponyspawn with spells. Tell the archers to do the same, and for our army to get ready to fight. Spike, Oghren, Pinkie, you three come with me. We’ll try to help the forces attacking the east wall. We’ll meet up when I shoot a flare into the sky.”

Applejack nodded, then barked her orders to her subordinates while they shouted to officers to do the same. Without a moment to hesitate, Twilight galloped down the battlements with her friends in tow and stopped briefly to allow Spike on her back. Together they ran down the steps of the walls into the city proper and rushed towards the swiftly made magical crucible where the city’s shield originated.

The sight of the weakened unicorns who struggled to keep up the barrier caused pangs in Twilight’s chest. Several keeled over on their knees with sweat dripping off their faces while their horns whimpered with  whatever power they held leftover. A few, however, died; their corpses remained in a silent scream as their horns lay in splinters around them. Those who still managed to keep the shield strong fought against the ponyspawn as their bodies glowed, the telltale sign of Trixie’s chanted magic.

Still, the sight brought a new level of fear to Twilight. The ponyspawn magic was powerful and dangerous, yes, but in all her travels she never saw their sorcerers’ abilities prove so effective. These were some of the most skilled and powerful unicorn mages in all of Equestria, but even they were brought low to the power of the Blight.

Before she could say anything to her friends, Pinkie rushed towards the fatigued unicorns. She brought stamina draughts to their lips so they would drink. With the unicorns attended to, Twilight had to hurry to get them to lower the shield.

“Trixie!” Twilight called out. “You need to lower the barrier before the ponyspawn get into position around Totterim! The army has to fight them directly!”

“How…” Trixie’s words were shaky as she visibly trembled with fear. “How are they so powerful? There are a lot of them, but their attacks feel charged. Empowered.”

Twilight thought for a moment as she felt the unicorn magic falter all around her. She thought on Trixie’s words for a moment, trying to decipher quickly how the ornlock emissaries were able to cast such potent magic. Not even Twilight knew of such surges in magical strength except for the aid of Trixie’s chants.

“That’s it!” Twilight heard Pinkie exclaim behind her. “Those mean ornlocks are getting boosted just like we do! They must have the anti-Trixie with them!”

“Pinks may be right, Twilight,” Oghren added. “We find the ornlock that’s buffing the others, we can take the hurt off our side.”

The Magus. Twilight’s mouth turned into a frown as the image of the two horned ornlock made itself clear. If the ornlock amplified their power to such magnitudes, it would be that foul creature.

“Let’s hurry!” Without another word Twilight galloped past Trixie and the unicorns while they recovered. They galloped off as quickly as she could out of the gates of Trotterim. The soldiers did their part and maed the way clear for her group while also cheering Twilight on. The sight of the Grey Wardens charging into battle was one straight from a foal’s storybooks, and now Twilight fleshed out that role now.

Conjuring a helm to protect her, Twilight’s ears perked up as the blast of a horn resounded behind her. Louder still was the sound of the pony army as they charged into battle while the prismatic barrier fell around them. Behind her, the unicorns changed their tactics from defense to counterattack and launched a volley of their own fireballs into the air against the screamer swarms. Screamers caught on fire in the blasts and careenned to their deaths while they burned, deflected away from Trotterim by small, much more focused shields. The enemy ornlocks, on the other hoof, pressed their attack and their fireballs slammed into the walls and city proper.

Despite how defenseless Trotterim appeared, Twilight could still breathe a sigh of relief. No civilians remained in the city. Walls and buildings could be rebuilt. Ponies could recover what they had lost. The dead could not be raised, however, and protecting lives was what a Grey Warden was about. If not, then it was what Twilight stood for until the bitter end.

Battle did not wait for Twilight. The moment she broke through the front lines was when she was assailed by those donlocks who survived the minefield. Sophia sang with the cry of metal as the sword slid from its scabbard, sharp steel reflecting the light of Twilight’s magical horn. With a war cry, Twilight thrust Sophia forward and pierced the flesh of one of the donlocks, the edge sinking past its ribcage towards its heart. The donlock gurgled on its own blood for a moment before falling slack. Her enemy slain, Twilight to removed her sword and pressed forward into the lines of the enemy.

Spike jumped from Twilight’s back and brandished his burning blade, ready for battle. “Tosh narok!” he cried, taking a line from Oghren as he began to ward off several donlocks on his own. They leered at him with their mutated smiles, chomping their fangs and simply waited for a moment to pounce. When one did take the initiative to strike, it was met with the  flames of Spike’s sword. Whatever the donlock had for hair was now set alight, the stumpy creature forced to flee, only to collapse as the fire engulfed it. Spike grinned at his kill as turned to Oghren, sword held high.

“I got one!” he cheered. Oghren turned around and acknowledged Spike’s victory with a grunt.

“That’s great, kid! Don’t get cocky!” Oghren turned his attention to the thelocks who had now joined their smaller brethren. A pair of thelocks stood ready to fight, licking their tusks in anticipation of the feast of donkey flesh. Oghren’s response was merely to chuckle as he turned the blade of his axe before suddenly exploding in a fit of rage. He howled like a mad pony as he brought his axe to bear. The ponyspawn likely never encountered savagery that matched their own, and were caught by surprise as Oghren beheaded them both in one swing. As their bodies fell limp, Oghren roared and turned his bloodlust towards more hapless ponyspawn.

Pinkie moved with purpose as she bounced around the battlefield and cracked skulls with her mace. She fought with surprising precision and skill for one known to be completely random, every blow with her mace calculated to deal the most trauma on the body of a ponyspawn. Donlock and thelock alike fell to her, writhing in pain when another soldier would happen along them to finish them off.

A minotaur smashed through the ranks of its own forces oaring into the night sky. The monster bore down on Pinkie and galloped on both hooves and twisted hands in an effort to gore her on sharpened horns. Pinkie’s eyes narrowed, muttering some curse under her breath over and over as she deftly dodged away from the minotaur’s horns. She exacted retaliation with a hard strike against its head. The minotaur staggered for a moment as it clutched its skull, giving Pinkie an attack of opportunity.

She jumped onto the minotaur’s back, holding on for dear life as she dropped her mace. The minotaur thrashed as it tried to wrench Pinkie from its back, only to fail as its hands could not clutch such a slippery pony. As she reached the minotaur’s neck, Pinkie swiftly opened her grenade satchel and used her tail to cradle a bomb as she brought it closer to her. Once she brought the grenade to her mouth, Pinkie chomped down on the explosive, twisting her neck so the primer would set to detonate quickly. Before she was face to face with her own bomb, Pinkie rammed the grenade into the minotaur’s mouth, allowing gravity to give her a quick escape.

The minotaur did not have time to react to such a sudden snack, the grenade tearing its face apart in a blaze of lyrium and fire. The minotaur teetered without a face before it fell over, with a perfectly calm Pinkie walking away from the corpse. Twilight stopped to listen to Pinkie as she continued her mantra, and for a moment she could have sworn she heard “…balloons and streamers and cake and candy and games and fun, gonna have a party with balloons and streamers…”

“Impressive,” Oghren said as he wiped the blood from his axe onto the ground. Twilight could not help but agree. When Pinkie was motivated, it seemed little could stop her. It was a good that she fought for her friends.

They could not keep fighting the rank and file of the ponyspawn forever though. Twilight needed complete concentration with her magic to locate the pulse the Magus emitted every time he used a spell. Yet every time she stopped to channel her magic, more ponyspawn descended on her. Three screamers swooped down on her, only for Twilight to cast a quick glance in their direction, horn glowing as a wave of frigid magical frost encased them in ice.

“Everyone! Form a perimeter around me!” Another blast of arcane energy sent a thelock sprawling into the masses of ponyspawn, the beasts only pushing away the corpses of their dead to clear a path towards the ponies.

Twilight’s small party formed a circle around her, beating back the ponyspawn with both blade and bomb. Closing her eyes, Twilight searched the ley lines of the Fade with some small hoped to quickly find the most disturbed area where the Magus would be casting his spells. The Veil was weak, though, and to sort through hundreds of spell lines would prove time consuming. Time was a commodity in low supply.

Her eyes flashed open as she felt the sting of a blade sneak its way past her forleg armour and bite her flesh. She looked to see a donlock wrapped in garb that made it look like an assassin chatter away with a wretched dagger clenched in his razor maw. Twilight’s sword flew on instinct, only for the tiny ponyspawn to dash off with surprising dexterity into the mass of ponyspawn.

“Great, they have rogues too,” Twilight said aloud as she slashed with Sophia to cut open the exposed neck of a thelock harassing Spike. Pinkie’s head seemed to pop up from the masses, turning towards Twilight before she let out a loud gasp. Smacking a lone screamer in the eye with her mace, she made her way to Twilight and kneel down to inspect the wound.

“It hurts,” Twilight breathed. “I can’t concentrate on finding the Magus.”

Pinkie rubbed some of the poultice on the wound. “Don’t worry about the ponyspawn or the wound, just do the voodoo that you do. Oghren! Spike! Get these McNasties away from Twilight!”

Spike turned to see Twilight hurt on the ground. With a roar Spike raised his sword to his lips before blowing a stream of green fire from his gullet. The enchanted sword amplified Spike’s natural fire, causing a torrent of flame to engulf the offensive ponyspawn that were ravenous for Twilight’s flesh.

“You’re pretty good at this, brother,” Oghren said with a smile, only to resume gleefully hacking away at the enemy the old fashioned way. He turned around to the forces behind him for a moment, then yelled at the top of his axe.

“Jorgen! You dumb, lumbering, nug-nuzzling, casteless-cuddling, swill-sipping piece of ponyspawn crap! Get your ass over here and show me you’re a better warrior!”

From the front lines came an annoyed growl, until the sound of rampaging hooves broke through the ponyspawn front. Jorgen Blackmace soon revealed himself, almost seeming to froth at the mouth.

“Oghren!” he shouted, his black mace dripping with ponyspawn blood. “Where is that son-of-a-bitch? I swear if the ponyspawn haven’t killed him yet, I will, and I’ll feed him to the ‘spawn myself!”

“Shaddup, you big oaf, and help me clear away ponyspawn! I bet I can gut more than you can!” Oghren laughed as he began to swing his axe every way. Jorgen joined in the rather morbid game of collecting kills, all the while more of Orzamule’s soldiers galloped to join the fray. Twilight blinked as she watched her donkey allies rush to the front, only to realize that this was Oghren’s plan all along. He bought her time to find the Magus.

Ignoring the pain in her leg as the poultice continued its work Twilight closed her eyes again and listened to the flow of magic to find the disturbance once again. The blackened leylines of the Fade were much closer now, so much so that—

“Look out!” Pinkie crashed into Twilight and Spike and sent them both sprawling to the ground as an explosion cratered the ground where they once stood. An intense heat pulsed from the black fireball that caused such destruction, scorching ponyspawn and donkey alike. Twilight looked to the black flames behind her, quick to scan the skies if she would to have to face the Archdemon much sooner than anticipated.

Whether Twilight could be grateful or not was a debate she would have to save for a later date. Stepping past the black fire was the Magus, adorned in robes lined with ancient yet terrible runes drawn in blood. The master of ponyspawn sorcery looked around the battlefield, its reptilian lips curled into a sneer and showed off an impressive set of deadly fangs. His two horns seemed to split the ashen air in two like a burning knife in butter. Both horns blazed with dark magic.

A donkey soldier ran up to the Magus in an attempt to let his axe slice into the monster unicorn’s neck. The attack proved feeble as the Magus merely glanced at the donkey, enshrouding him in an aura of black magic as he was lifted off the ground. The donkey suddenly started to scream, his flesh igniting in the same shadowfire that Magus used to breach the front line, until nothing was left but ash.

The Magus turned his attention back on Twilight, his horns already glowing with arcane strength in preparation for an attack. As he looked to her, his lips curled into a sickened grin while a single word was hissed from his lips.

“Despair.”

Twilight stood up and looked the Magus dead in the eye, her sword leveled and ready for the fight. The sheer power that emanated from the Magus gave Twilight slight pause; he was able to summon forth the shadowflame, the unholy fire that she thought only the Archdemon could create. Twilight exhaled and called a small, focused shield into being that hovered near her.

The Magus merely chuckled, a low warbling sound as its horns hummed to life. All around, weapons from fallen ponyspawn and ponies alike began to tremble and lift themselves off the ground. They floated near the Magus as an array of menace. The monstrous mage smiled and revealed rows of twisted, yellow teeth as the weapons flew towards Twilight.

With a shout, Twilight moved her conjured shield and Sophia in a defensive, deflecting each weapon as they came for her flesh. Her sword parried the rusted blade of a fallen thelock just as it was about to cleave her head from her shoulders. The axe of a downed donkey swung downward in a wide arc, only to be held back by her shield. The force of the Magus’ attacks were great and pushed Twilight’s magic to her limits. Beads of sweat dripped down her forehead as she raised another shield to block an incoming spear.

All the while Twilight was committed to her defense, the Magus began casting another spell. It summoned a fireball of shadowflame into existence above its head and took aim at Twilight. The black fire grew in size and power with every passing moment, and Twilight could only watch and raise a more encompassing shield. The last time she properly defended herself from shadowflame, it had been from a half-hearted attempt to kill her by the Dragon of Victory, and she had the aid of the Element of Magic assisting her.

With her magic distracted by both the telekinetic wielded weapons and the constant warped rhythm of ponyspawn hearts all around her, Twilight’s fears were raised when Spike ran towards her. Before she could shout at Spike to turn away, the Magus unleashed his black flames, the fireball slamming against her shield with incredible force.

All of the weapons fighting her were instantly incinerated in the explosion, the barrier cracking under the intense pressure. Twilight cried out in pain as the shock flooded her horn, but her concentration was completely broken as Spike tackled Twilight.

Twilight looked in horror as the shadowfire wiped out her shield and the remnants of the flames lashed against Spike’s armour. He gave a cry of agony as the tongues of fire streaked across his back, melting his armour into his scales. No… Twilight silently mouthed as she watched her Spike being hurt. He’s a dragon, he should be fireproof. But this… this…

“Get away from him…” Twilight growled as she stood to her feet. The Magus approached her, another black fireball formed between his horns. Her face became flushed while she gritted her teeth, the anger she felt over the Magus hurting Spike swelling inside her. How dare that monster even think of harming Spike!

She would make the ornlock pay for its transgression. Her eyes began to flare with arcane power, magic merged with raw fury as she felt a telekinetic struggle begin with the Magus. Her violet aura fought against the black magical grip of the Magus, while at the same time Twilight advanced ever closer to her foe. Her magic lashed at him, like powerful whips that ripped through his robes and scales. The Magus roared in defiance and tried to bring the fireball down on Twilight. It would destroy itself in the process, yet no ponyspawn ever cared for its own life.

Twilight stopped and felt the Magus push against her with all of his might. With a shout, Twilight pushed back, continuing her small yet forceful steps towards the Magus. As soon as she was almost horn-to-horn with her adversary, Twilight linked her magic with the Magus and forced him into a magic feedback.

The searing pain along her horn did not abate with the link, but instead was magnified tenfold. The magic the ponyspawn used was now brought full bore into Twilight’s magical essence, her grip on the shadowfire loosening. Twilight howled in pain, yet did not relinquish her hold. She knew that defeat here would shatter her horn and leave Spike defenseless.

“Despair,” the Magus hissed, the word reverberating throughout Twilight’s mind. Instead of an answer, Twilight pushed against the tainted magic and unleashed the magic she held both form within her very soul and from her link with the Fade. Having two fonts of magic to work with instead of just one proved effective, the Magus’ surprised roars all but confirming her tactic.

A sinister smile crept on Twilight’s lips. She felt her magic wrap around both the fireball and the Magus’ twin horns like a snake wrapping itself around a doomed prey. For a moment Twilight thought she could feel fear in the magical signals emitted by the Magus. He sent a message through the hivemind of the ponyspawn akin to “Aid me!” Whether the ponyspawn would come to reinforce their leader or not was unimportant to Twilight.

The Magus hurt Spike. For that his death was sealed.

“I came this far, and I will go farther to save everyone I love.” Twilight’s words echoed around her, spoken not by her voice, but rather by her very power. “Let this be a message to every ponyspawn, to the Archdemon herself! I will not stop until your threat is over, and you are nothing but a bad memory longing to be forgotten! As for you, you false Magus… You…”

“You will never hurt anypony ever again.”

A burst of power erupted from Twilight and grasped at the Magus’ horns and clutched them like a vice. The Magus howled and tried to escape, releasing its hold of the shadowfire to completely focus Twilight’s control. Twilight ignored the fireball and focused all her pressure onto the horns of the Magus.  She grinned with smug satisfaction as fractures marked the bone.

Both horns splintered in a burst of violet energy. The Magus fell to his side as tainted blood and corrupted lyrium pooled around his head. With the Magus dead, Twilight felt the very foundations of magic shift around her, the ponyspawn presence between the Fade and the real world now reduced significantly. It would give the city defenders a better chance to defend against ponyspawn magic.

Twilight ignored her kill and galloped to Spike’s side as he struggled to regain his stance. The smell of burnt scales and molten steel filled her nostrils; a revolting smell that only made her heart ache more.

“Pinkie!” Twilight yelled, turning her head wildly to find her friend. “I need something for Spike! He’s hurt!”

Pinkie slammed her mace into another thelock before looking around, her colouration darkened and eyes downcast. This battle had taken its toll on Pinkie, as they all did. Dark bags hung from under her eyelids, and she moved much more slowly. When Pinkie saw Spike hurt, she moved as quickly as she could, slinging her mace to her side.

Twilight beckoned to Pinkie to come over faster, only for her ears to twitch and her give senses a strong tug. They warned her of a powerful presence nearby; similar in stature to the Magus and the other ponyspawn generals, but it was only a vague sensation. To Twilight, it felt like she a ponyspawn watched her from the shadows, rather than the obvious signs of a strong foe her Warden abilities often told her.

Through the commotion of the battle, trying to discern this new presence proved difficult and too distracting. Twilight had to focus on Spike who still moaned in pain. Where is she!? Twilight thought, I need Pinkie now!

When she turned to see what took Pinkie so long, the same hooded donlock that had attacked Twilight with the twisted dagger leaped towards Pinkie’s face. Twilight reacted, lifting Spike onto her back while she prepared a simple magical blasts to be used against the rogue donlock.

She was too late. The donlock’s blade slashed across Pinkie’s face and tore the pink coat apart. Blood spilt all over her face. Pinkie tumbled and dropped the contents of her satchel, including the needed poultices. Glass smashed and grenades rolled away, their contents now lost across the landscape.

The donlock laughed with a high pitched noise, before bouncing off toward the throes of battle. Rushing to Pinkie, Twilight turned her onto her back to examine the wound. The mark stretched across Pinkie’s face, just barely missing her right eye and left several smaller gashes under the main slash. Whatever weapon the donlock wielded was a piece of work to deal such horrible wounds like this.

The Stalker, Twilight heard, an incredibly faint whisper trailing into her ears. Somehow she had missed that ponyspawn leader.

“Okay… okay, I can help with this…” Twilight searched through the remnants of Pinkie’s alchemical supplies, scrounging for anything that would help both her and Spike. She found a broken bottle of healing liquid, though a crack in the glass revealed the contents would seep into the dirt quickly.

“I’m sorry, both of you,” Twilight said as she undid the stopper. “I only have enough to sooth the pain somewhat, Spike. I also only have enough to keep the wound from festering, Pinkie, but it’s going to leave a scar.”

Pinkie winced as Twilight applied the poultice to her scar, and saw some of the flesh heal itself. “Don’t worry, Twilight,” Pinkie said, her voice now unnervingly quiet. “We’ll need to get back to the city though. I don’t have any more poultices or grenades left.”

“I’ll be fine, Twilight.” Spike said once she had applied the poultice to his scales. “It hurts, but I’ll just peel the scales off when the battle is over.”

“All right… all right.” Twilight took a deep breath and looked for Oghren. He and Jorgen were still fighting amidst the ponyspawn advancing towards them. Twilight raised her voice. “Oghren! We’re going back to Trotterim!”

“Go on without me!” He shouted back, slicing a thelock’s head clean in half vertically. “I’ll help Jorgen keep these blighters back! You and Pinkie are the ones with the shiny Elements, you need to get ready for that Archdemon!”

“Oghren!” Spike shouted while Twilight set him on her back. Oghren merely waved before twisting around and digging his axe into the back of a grounded screamer.

“Don’t worry about me, kid. It takes a lot more than some ponyspawn to take down old Oghren! We’ll have a drink or ten after! Now go get that giant lizard!”

Twilight nodded towards Oghren before galloping back to Trotterim. With Pinkie by her side, they made good time as they neared the damaged walls of the city. Despite their minor victory against one of the Blight’s generals, the battle continued to be waged around her. The Archdemon roared, shaking dust from the crumbling city walls, and reminded everyone that it still had not joined the battle proper.

Keeping her eyes locked on the shadowy visage of Uthemiel in the distance, Twilight shivered as a cold wind swept her mane behind her. She shook the fear from her heart. She had a duty and she would do it.

Even if it killed her.

***

If it were any other flight, Rainbow would have been greatly annoyed that she was forced to slow down to allow Fluttershy to keep up. As it stood, Rainbow didn’t feel the least bit bothered as she kept her pace even with Fluttershy as they soared through the skies towards the edge of the Everfree Forest. Leaving Fluttershy behind would be exposing her friend to the hundreds of screamers that dominated the skies.

That simply didn’t fly in Rainbow Dash’s book.

She flashed Fluttershy a quick smile of confidence, with Fluttershy replying with a tiny one of her own. The eyes told a different story, that Fluttershy was scared, and Rainbow could not blame her one bit. Rainbow couldn’t hide the terror in her eyes as well, her pounding heart telling her not only was she flying on a sheer adrenaline rush, but that thousands of ponyspawn hungered for her head.

There was also the thought of the final blow against the Archdemon. Rainbow regretted not telling Twilight or anypony sooner, but she really, really didn’t want to give up her life. Even if her lifespan was cut by thirty years, there was still plenty to live for. Rainbow still had skies to fly, and she promised she would help Pinkie find her family. She couldn’t do that if she died.

Rainbow feared death. She could not hide such a fact. All her bravado, all her courage simply vanished when the prospect of giving her life away came up. For all her talk, Rainbow was afraid of  the sting of death, of the oblivion after death. Rainbow was not a religious pony, but if she had been dropped next to Celestia’s hooves, she didn’t know what she’d do.

She furrowed her brow. Yes, she was afraid, but she knew exactly what she would say to Celestia. Rainbow would lift herself up, look Celestia in the eye, and demand to be sent back to the land of the living. She died for her friends, and if she was dead, how could she help them? How could she protect them? So much for loyalty if she was no longer around to help them.

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy yelled, snapping Rainbow’s thoughts away from death to the here and now. “Behind us!”

Rainbow looked behind her and gasped. The largest swarm of screamers she had ever seen now trailed behind her and Fluttershy, beating their bat-like wings into a loud thunderous thrum. The largest screamer Rainbow ever seen lead its fellow monstrosities. As long as ten screamers, the Serpent seemed to swim through the air, its massive fangs ready to consume flesh. The single gigantic eye bulged from its socket, constantly moving as the bloodshot ocular searched for any pony it could swoop down upon.

“Damn,” Rainbow muttered. As awesome as she was with her blade, not even Rainbow could take on hundreds of screamers and their general. Blow on the ground, the ponyspawn first lured by Zecora’s flare charged ever onward. “Come on, Fluttershy! We can lose the screamers in the Everfree!”

“ …I hope.”

A warcry broke through the air, followed by a resounding screech that caused Rainbow to twist around in the air to see the Dalish pegasi and the hippogryphs descend on the swarm from above. Blades, arrows, and talons sank into the flesh of the surprised screamers, all the while Zharia and Quick Kill rallied their forces from on high.

“Those who call the sky their home!” shouted Zharia, “These monsters seek to take our skies!”

“They threaten our fledglings! They threaten our nests!” Quick Kill raised his talons to sky. “How shall we answer!?”

“With the fury of the storm!” As the warcry resonated in the cold night air, Rainbow’s heart skipped a beat. Two enemies that were at each other’s throats now fought together in perfect unison. They fought for the future and for each other. Right now, though, they fought to give Fluttershy and herself a chance to reach Zecora.

Best not to squander that.

“Come on, Fluttershy, that’s our window!” Rainbow called. “Let’s go!”

They dived towards the forest and ducked and wove out of the way of the branches, snapping away dead twigs. Their hooves landed on the cold dirt. The sounds of the aerial battle was little more than hum in the wind and allowed Rainbow Dash to breathe a little easier. A small pack of ponyspawn on the ground was something she could deal with.

Once she helped Fluttershy to her hooves, both turned to a mad gallop through the Everfree. The silent forest proved as unwelcoming now as it did a week ago. Perhaps more so, as there was no sounds from the dark woods, save for a few rustled leaves and the sound of somepony chanting in the distance.

Rainbow tilted her head in the direction of the chanting, followed by a quick nod by Fluttershy. They ran into the forest to find Zecora standing over a large pewter cauldron, a blue liquid bubbling within with similarly coloured vapours drifting to the treeline. Zecora’s eyes were closed as she continued to chant in a strange language, but what proved more alarming was her choice of guards.

A large manticore stood behind Zecora, while a pair of timberwolves patrolled around the zebra. All of the creatures growled at the pegasi approaching them, only to be set at ease by a stern hoof and a gentle smile from Zecora.

“I see my message came through, loud and clear. I am glad to see my winged friends here.” Zecora inclined her head to Rainbow and Fluttershy before turning back to her bubbling brew. “My concoction here is nearly done—“

“This is no time to rhyme, Zecora!” Rainbow shouted, before applying a hoof to her face at her own example. “Listen, there is a group of ponyspawn coming this way, a big group, and a whole flock of screamers over the Everfree. We came here because we saw your flare, but all you seem to be doing is making soup!”

Zecora’s smile faltered, quickly become a small frown. “You are right. The time for levity is done. But what I am making is not a simple brew, but instead a potion whose smell will reach into the far corners of the Everfree. Within the deepest reaches of the forest sleeps a guardian of nature itself, who will come when I finish the incantation.”

The two timberwolves began to snarl in the same direction Rainbow and Fluttershy came from, causing Rainbow to quickly draw her dagger. “Hurry with that soup then!” Rainbow beat her wings against the air, taking flight as she prepared for battle.

“Here they come!” Fluttershy readied her bow along with her cry, readying an arrow to fly as the first of the ponyspawn burst through the underbrush. Donlocks and thelocks charged at the small group. The timberwolves launched themselves into the fray, while the manticore took to the skies before dive-bombing into the ponyspawn force.

Her teeth clenched around her dagger, Rainbow rushed to the aid of the beasts, finding a well armoured thelock Twilight long ago determined was an “alpha” of the group. The thelock alpha quickly turned to face Rainbow, his massive, rusted sword moving in a wide arc to clip her wings. With a swift movement she landed, twisting her neck so she could sink her dagger between the thelock’s grimy plates. The blade struck true, digging into the thelock’s skin while black blood flowed freely.

Rainbow’s dagger was not a sword, and was unable to truly deal significant damage against a much more heavily armoured and greatly muscular thelock. The ponyspawn warrior turned its blade toward her, the edge of his rusted sword burning with magic as it split several of Rainbow’s hair before finally cutting through her cheek. She screamed in pain while the burning spread throughout her body, clutching at the burn mark as she backed away. The thelock alpha leered at her, snarling before raising his sword for a killing blow.

The blow never came as sickening thwaks of arrows embedding themselves into the thelock resonated in the forest air. Rainbow looked up to see Fluttershy firing arrow after arrow into the thelock, her eyes fierce with anger.

“Stay away from her!” Fluttershy shot another arrow, this one sinking deep into the thelock alpha’s neck. “You are not going to hurt my friends! Do you hear me! Never!”

Fluttershy took aim with her bow, the sharpened point aimed straight at the thelock’s head. Sucking in a breath of air, her aim steadied. She released the arrow with a sharp gasp, the projectile sailing above Rainbow’s head before piercing through the rusted plate helmet the thelock wore, right between the eyes. The thelock’s mouth went wide as if in surprise, dropping its sword before falling over.

Rainbow gasped for air as she got to her hooves, slowly approaching the corpse of the thelock before ripping her dagger out of its flesh. The stench of the ponyspawn and its black blood was overwhelming, but Rainbow quickly ignored it in favour of being greatly impressed by Fluttershy. They really did come a long way if this was the shy Chantry sister from the Ponyring cloister.

Behind Fluttershy a donlock galloped to her, its razor face open to bite down on her skin. Rainbow cursed, pushing against the ground and giving her wings a mighty flap for speed, barreling into Fluttershy. She quickly pushed Fluttershy away, getting in front of the donlock as it pounced and clamped its jaw around Rainbow’s left foreleg.

Wincing, Rainbow tumbled to the ground while Fluttershy tried to help, only for Rainbow to push her back. “I got this one!” she cried out. “Don’t worry about me! Help defend Zecora!”

Pushing against the ground with her hind legs, Rainbow twisted her position on the ground, one eye closed tight as the donlock clamped down on her foreleg ever tighter. With a grunt, Rainbow raised her dagger high, slicing into the face of the donlock. The miniscule ponyspawn screeched, finally releasing its hold on Rainbow and tumbling away. It sprang back to its clawed hooves quickly though, and immediately launched itself again.

This time, Rainbow was ready. Though setting down her wounded leg was painful, she still set her hooves in a ready position, leaping with the aid of her wings towards the donlock. With an extra pump into the air, she attained leverage over the smiling monster. In mid-air she struck, driving her dagger into the donlock’s neck, pushing her weight down to keep it pinned. The donlock squirmed and gurgled as black blood poured from its mouth, only to become still.

Sighing with relief, Rainbow drew out her dagger to see the rest of the ponyspawn force quelled by the timberwolves and manticore. She had seen many messy battles in her time, but the savagery of beasts would always take some getting used to.

The timberwolves circled a lone thelock, one of the wooden beasts prowling behind the ponyspawn while the other kept it at bay. The second timberwolf suddenly lunged, sinking stiff oaken fangs into the thelock’s flank. The thelock turned its head in surprise, leaving its neck exposed for the other timberwolf. Together, they brought the thelock down and began to tear it apart, limb from limb with terrible precision.

The much larger manticore chose to finish off the remaining donlocks. With its large paws extending to razor sharp claws, the manticore took a quick swipe at a donlock, slashing the face to ribbons while the force of the blow batted the monster away. The next donlock to fall was quickly impaled on the edge of the manticore’s stinger tail, tossing the donlock in the air before throwing its corpse away.

The last donlock looked around to see itself surrounded by beast and pony, snapping its jaws in a feeble attempt to be intimidating. Rainbow’s wicked smile grew as she limped towards the donlock, ready to strike, only to be held back by Fluttershy.

“Rainbow Dash, your leg!” Without another word, Fluttershy began to treat Rainbow’s wound with a small bottle of healing poultice and bandages. Annoyed, Rainbow tried to move only to find that Fluttershy was surprisingly strong when she wanted to be.

“We can’t let that last donlock get away, Fluttershy,” Rainbow said, frustrated.

“Let the animals of the forest deal with it, we’ve won.” Fluttershy continued to carefully wrap the bandage over the wound. “Zecora’s safe. As long as we stay together, we’ll be fine. Then we can go back to Trotterim and help Twilight and the others.”

A thunderous roar cracked through the sky as the trees themselves shook in response. Everypony looked up to see the tree line bend and break as the Serpent descended into the Everfree forest. The gigantic screamer crashed on top of the lone donlock, crushing it completely while staring down Zecora’s defenders with its great cycloptic eye. Hanging from its mouth was the body of a pony, horribly mangled and disfigured, which the Serpent dropped to the ground. The only thing Rainbow could easily identify past all the blood was a pair of crossed blades for a cutie mark.

“Zharia… no…” Rainbow clenched her teeth to see the warleader of the Dalish pegasi reduced to a desecrated corpse. A feeling of dread flooded over her. If the Serpent was here, then that meant the Dalish and the hippogryphs had fallen. She and Fluttershy were on their own against the Serpent until Zecora’s guardian finally arrived.

Right… no pressure.

“I still need more time, my friends!” Zecora shouted. “The guardian of the forest needs to be coaxed from its cave!”

“We don’t have time!” Rainbow shouted, only to be drowned out from breaking of trees as the Serpent coiled upright, preparing to strike. The manticore roared in defiance against the Serpent, but Rainbow felt it was a futile gesture. As large as the manticore was, the Serpent towered over the beast. The Serpent opened its mouth, a long grey tongue licking its fangs clean of pony blood.

The Serpent chuckled, a low, resonating thrum as it looked at each of its enemies. “Despair,” the Serpant said and sent another chill down Rainbow’s spine. Fluttershy visibly trembled at the sight of the giant screamer. Taking in a deep breath, the Serpent began to scream right in the face of the manticore, causing the entire forest to shake. Trees were stripped of their leaves, while Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Zecora held their hooves against their ears.

The shriek of the Serpant continued unabated, the high pitched wail, sounding like hooves on a chalkboard amplified a thousand-fold. All other sound was reduced to only the shriek and the violent ring in Rainbow’s ears.

The manticore facing the Serpent did not fare well against the scream. Blood flowed from its feline ears, and the manticore dropped to its sides, shuddering as the Serpent continued to pulverize it with sound, slithering ever closer. When the manticore finally lay dead, liquefied ooze flowed from its orifices until the Serpent began to devour the corpse.

“Fluttershy! That glutton’s distracted, now’s our chance!” Rainbow took off, drawing her dagger. With a shout she swung around to the Serpent’s head, bringing her blade down into its scaly hide. The Serpent roared, rolling to its side in an effort to dislodge Rainbow. With the ground coming up fast, Rainbow removed her dagger from her foe’s flesh, flying away and looking for another opportunity to strike.

That chance did not come, as the Serpent’s elongated tail swung around and struck Rainbow hard, sending her careening into a thick tree. Another blast of pain ran through her body as she slid down the bark to the ground, her face colliding with the dirt. Coughing up dirt, Rainbow looked up to see Fluttershy trying to aim for the Serpent’s eye, only to have her arrows embedded in the monstrosity’s thick wings.

Rainbow grimaced as she stood up, pain shooting through her wings down to her hooves. She had taken far too much punishment already, her wings feeling weak and blood staining her bandages. How she was going to fight the Archdemon later was beyond her. “Just think of it as a challenge, flygirl,” Rainbow muttered to herself. “Flying higher than ever. That’s just what this is. Instead of trees or mountains, just the biggest, ugliest screamer you can imagine.”

The Serpent lowered its wings, aiming its gaze towards Fluttershy, slithering ever closer towards her with fangs bared. Fluttershy screamed, taking flight in a desperate effort to get away. The timberwolves took the chance to attack, leaping onto the Serpent and biting into its flesh. Fluttershy quickly turned around in flight to watch in horror as the timberwolves were quickly outmatched.

Twisting its form was no challenge to the Serpent as it easily constricted the two timberwolves in a tight grip. Both wooden lupines struggled to get free, but even their supernatural strength and endurance was no comparison to the vice the Serpent put them under. Their oaken skin began to crack under the pressure of the squeeze, until they eventually burst in a hail of splinters.

“No!” Fluttershy squeaked, though she immediately regretted her outburst as the Serpent turned its attention on her. Rainbow cursed as she hobbled forwards, her ears still ringing from the scream.

Come on, Rainbow, think! She demanded from herself, you can’t let that overgrown eyeball eat Fluttershy or shriek at her! There has to be a way to get it!

Rainbow looked at her mother’s dagger, an idea forming that could prove effective. With a turn of her neck, Rainbow threw her dagger, watching it spin in the air until the point sank into the Serpent’s skin. “Hey, you! Big and ugly! Try picking on somepony your own size!” Rainbow stuck out her tongue, only to watch as the Serpent directed his ire towards her.

Her plan worked too well. The Serpent became focused on Rainbow, its great iris narrowing to a point while it flapped its large wings to become airborne. It moved through the air with almost supernatural fluidity, fangs bared as it sailed towards her. Rainbow looked to Fluttershy, who immediately knocked an arrow on her bow.

“Stay away from her!” Fluttershy shouted, letting loose the arrow. The Serpent turned at the sound of Fluttershy’s shout and blocked the arrow with its wing. Just as planned! Rainbow thought. Letting adrenaline take over, she jumped towards the distracted Serpent and reached with her mouth for her dagger. Clamping her teeth around the hilt, Rainbow lurched downward and let her body weight and gravity drag the blade downward, twisting it along the flesh towards the wing of the Serpent.

The beast roared in pain, attempting once again to slam its body into the ground in an effort to crush Rainbow. This time Rainbow did not let go, forcibly removing her dagger then following through with a downward cut at the weakest joint where wing and body met. The screamers were horrible mutations of pegasi, after all, and they shared the same strengths and weaknesses, something an assassin like Rainbow was all too familiar with.

The cut was clean and effective, separating wing from body in a quick and simple motion. The ruined wing fell as did the Serpent and sent the monster to land right on top of Rainbow. Rainbow turned as the Serpent collapsed, cushioning the fall with her left wing, yet cried out when she heard a sick crack.

Hearing Rainbow’s cry caused Fluttershy to give a shout of fury. “Nopony hurts my friends!” she yelled, drawing three arrows and notching them perfectly against her bow. She took steady aim at the Serpent then let the arrows fly, each point aimed directly at its eye.

The first arrow connected, shattering the ocular in a vile explosion of blood and juices. Rainbow pulled herself from under the writhing Serpent. The other two arrows were the coup de grace, penetrating past the collapsed eye and into skull of the screamer general. The Serpent looked ready to unleash another shriek, but only a weak whimper escaped as it fell to its claw and scraped weakly against the ground. As it breathed its last, Fluttershy moved quickly to Dash’s aid as the latter fell onto her back, sucking in gasps of air heavily.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no,” Fluttershy cried. “Your wing, Rainbow Dash! It’s broken! We need to get you to a healer.”

“Ain’t any time, Fluttershy,” Rainbow replied. “We have to get back to Trotterim quickly. They need us to beat the Archdemon.” Rainbow tried to stand, only to collapse from the pain, moaning and grasping at her ruined wing.

“My dear friends, have no fear.” Zecora said from behind her cauldron. “The ritual is complete, and the guardian will join the battle shortly. I will assist you in getting Rainbow Dash back on her hooves to face the Archdemon. There is just one last thing that must be done before hoof.”

Zecora closed her eyes as she added a phial of lyrium to her concoction. Standing on her hind legs and raised her forelegs to the sky, she began to shout:

"On this we call our darkest hour,

show us now Nature's true power.

Against the Blight, this land we wager.

I call you forth, great Ursa Major!"

Rainbow and Fluttershy looked around for the guardian of the Everfree Zecora summoned, only to feel the ground quake beneath their hooves. Zecora continued to smile as she galloped to Rainbow’s side, applying all manners of medicines to her wounds both strange and exotic. Both ponies splayed their ears in surprise as a long and resounding growl echoed through the forest.

“Behold, my friends, the guardian of Nature in all her majesty! As old as the world is young! Stronger than any oak, more terrifying than a thousand ponyspawn! The salvation of the land given form!”

From deep within the everfree came a titanic form, where it seemed the very stars of the night sky came together to take shape. The great ursine shape rose above the tree tops, lifting its great head pointed towards Trotterim. Enormous teeth marked the Ursa Major’s jawline, while each mighty paw ended in claws that could rend the very world.

Slowly the Ursa Major strode through the Everfree, unhindered by the forest yet not disturbing a single tree. Rainbow forgot all about her pain as she watched the Ursa Major pass them, her mind growing numb as the cosmic body walked past them and towards the battlefield. Only one thought remained when her awestruck gaze finally ended.

“Whoa.”

---

Chapter 43 - Despair

Applejack cried out with all her might before slashing Silverbite in a wide arc and caught two thelocks across their necks. The cut was more superficial than anything, but Applejack learned quickly not to rely on the initial attack. She quickly dashed away from the two thelocks and turned her attention to a screamer that accosted Rarity. As the thelocks were about to give chase, the phantom blade inherent to Silverbite’s enchantment slashed through their throats a second time, spilling thier blood all over the battlefield.

As Applejack approached, Rarity levitated her staff to parry the scratching claws of the screamer. “Foul monster!” she shrieked. “Get your utterly filthy claws away from me! I’ve had more than my fill of your kind!”

Leaping away with grace, Rarity leveled her staff towards the screamer as the crackle of static electricity illuminated her face. Applejack couldn’t help but gasp and avert her eyes as a bolt of lightning struck the screamer straight in the chest. The screamer didn’t even have time to belt out a response as the bolt sent it flying off the battlements.

Shale showed off her combat prowess merely by stampeding through the ranks of the ponyspawn. Any donlock or thelock unfortunate to be under her hooves were quickly and mercilessly trampled. Shale enjoyed herself despite the situation, much to Applejack’s astonishment.

“This is great fun!” Shale said, stomping on the spine of a thelock. “Come, open up our defensive lines some more. I want to be knee-deep in the dead before sunrise.”

Applejack took a deep breath and calmed her nerves while Rarity patted down her mane, now a little frizzy due to the lightning. “Ah see you’re handlin’ yourself just fine,” Applejack said to her friends. “Still, we can’t keep fighting like this forever. Where are Twilight and the others? We need to find a way to get that Archdemon varmint down here lickity-split, or else the battle is never gonna end!”

“We’re here!” To Applejack’s great relief, Twilight galloped up towards them. Applejack’s smile dropped immediately as she saw the state her friends were in. Twilight was tired and covered in mud and ash, with a bandage wrapped around her left foreleg. She looked at Applejack with weary eyes, though her gaze often shifted to Spike.

He coughed into his claws, the visor of his helm still lowered over his eyes. Several plates of his armour seemed to have fused with his scales, black scorch marks leaving trails along the metal. Shadowfire, Applejack recalled. A new worry sprung to mind knowing that more than just the Archdemon could wield such destructive force.

Pinkie Pie appeared as the polar opposite of her own personality. Gone was the party pony, always bright and bubbly, for now she stood among her friends looking like a complete stranger. Her blood trickled down her face from the ugly scar along her snout, while her colouration remained dull and depressed. Her flat mane and tail only completed the image of Pinkie lost to despair. Applejack only wanted to hug Pinkie, who seemed to be on the verge of tears, when a loud roar from the walls took her attention away.

Following the roar came a series of beats against the walls of Trotterim. Applejack headed edge to the battlements with her friends following close behind her. As she looked down, she saw the four armed minotaur punch the wall with all of its fists, causing fissures to break all along the walls. Behind the minotaur leader trailed several groups of ponyspawn, all of them clawing at each other, vying for the first moment the wall was breached.

Twilight shook her head. “It’s the Breaker. We either spend what little energy we have fighting it, or we let it breach the walls while we try to get some rest. We have to prepare for the Archdemon while the Breaker is tearing at the walls. We need potions, poultices, everything needed to fight, and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are not back yet, and—”

“Settle down, sugarcube.” Applejack placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder as the latter appeared to be on the verge of a breakdown. With an angry Archdemon so close, that would definitely not help matters.

Before she could continue, Applejack saw Shale walk over to the edge of the battlements, staring down the Breaker with an almost eager eye. “That minotaur would make such a terrifically thunderous squish, would it not?” Shale cocked her head. She looked as if she contemplated a jump.

“Don’t be serious, Shale!” Rarity cried out. “That horrible monster is breaking stone with its terrible hands! You are made of stone. Think of what it will do if it were to take hold of you!”

“I am more than the stone of which I am made. You ponies have taught me that.” Despite her haughty nature, Shale’s voice could not completely hide her hesitation. “You ponies, whom I’ve come to call my friends. If I go down there, there is a very good chance I will not come out alive. You are right, prissy Rarity. That minotaur could turn me into pebbles.”

“But this is something I chose to do. I have been given a gift most golems can never have. Not even our creator, Cairidan, when he became a golem was given the gift of choice. I have this gift, and I choose to fight the Breaker. I choose to do this to give you all a fighting chance against the Archdemon. I choose to win.”

Shale stepped up towards the battlements. “I wish you all good luck,” she said, then leaped from the top of the wall into the battle below. Applejack rushed to the side of the of the walls and peered down to watch as the golem collided with the Breaker in mid-fall, snapping one of its horns clean off. Shale then used the horn as a improvised club, smashing the bones of any ponyspawn unfortunate enough to be caught in her warpath.

“C-come on, everypony,” Pinkie said as tried not to cry at what could be the last time she ever saw her stony friend. “Shale is buying us time. We need to try to get ready as quick as we can.”

Applejack nodded and moved to lead the others off of the battlements when the very foundations of the walls seemed to shake beneath her hooves. The small party struggled to stay on their hooves as the ground quaked with each passing moment. A growl from the distance grew louder as a massive creature drew nearer to the city.

“Look! Look!” Pinkie shouted excitedly. “A star teddy is coming! Great, big, furry, sparkly star teddy! And… and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are riding on it! Those lucky gooseses!”

Applejack could not believe their good fortune finally came. She gave a loud cheer at the sight of the legendary Ursa Major striding into battle, the very sight giving the unified forces of ponies a reason to rally. A resounding cheer erupted from the soldiers, who pushed ever harder to drive the ponyspawn back. From the back of the Ursa Major she could see Fluttershy adjust Rainbow onto her back, taking wing and flying ever so slowly towards Trotterim. While the cosmic bear began to tear into the ranks of the ponyspawn, Applejack could see that Rainbow was in terrible condition.

“Oh no… Dashie!” Pinkie helped Rainbow get to her hooves as Fluttershy set her hooves on the stone, guiding her friend towards the staircase that lead to the city. Applejack bit her lip before looking to Fluttershy, who merely shook her head.

“Rainbow Dash is really hurt, but thankfully Pinkie can get her the care she needs.” Fluttershy’s gaze wandered to the Ursa. “I still can’t believe Zecora was able to call upon something like that to help us!”

Applejack was about to agree when the roar of the Archdemon dominated the air. In the distance, the Archdemon spread its large wingspan to the fullest before finally taking flight. It flew towards the battlefield and specifically the Ursa Major. With a very audible gulp, Applejack quickly made her way down the stairs towards the city.

“We have to find Riordan and get his help fast,” she called out. “The Archdemon is here!”

***

Shale felt the air rush by her as she fell from the battlements as the Breaker stared at her with anger and fury and prepared itself to catch the descending golem. Remembering how the blitzing Rainbow looked during a dive, Shale tightened up her body brought her legs in close and made herself as narrow as possible. Such speed proved exhilarating, and Shale could not help but smirk as she neared the Breaker.

“This is going to end badly. For you.” Keeping her eyes on the foe, Shale crashed into the head of the Breaker. She inwardly celebrated as she smashed into one of his horns and enjoyed the sound of snapped bones. The Breaker roared, holding its ruined head while Shale landed on her hooves. She gave the horn one look as an idea formed in her head.

Taking up the broken horn in her mouth, Shale began to swing away at the minotaurs around her, smashing the improvised weapon into their bones. Knees splintered and bones cracked while Shale continued to exude the pressure on the minotaurs. They diverted their attention away from Trotterim’s walls all towards her.

“Well? Don’t keep me waiting.” Shale scraped a hoof on the ground before charging forth and bringing her weapon to bear. One of the minotaurs rushed towards her, only for Shale to deftly dodge its fist. She responded by raising her horn high and then slamming it into the back of the minotaur. It howled as it crumpled to the ground, only to become silent as Shale brought the horn down on its head. Grey matter spilled from the skull, and Shale smugly smiled to herself.

Her victory did not live long as she felt a great force pound into her side, sending the golem into the air. Shale tumbled on the ground and dropped her horn-mace before finally skidding to a halt. She shook her head in disbelief as she rose to her hooves, unable to comprehend that she, the indomitable and impervious Shale, was knocked down.

Groaning as her rocky hide rubbed together, Shale looked up to see the Breaker charging towards her, using his large fists to propel its massive frame. She braced for impact and called upon the old magic in her protective augmentation crystals. The viridian gemstones flared to life and encased her body in a shield.

The Breaker crashed into the shield, shattering it while still tossed backwards in the rebound. All of Shale’s protective gems broke as she was forced to take a few cautionary hoofsteps backward. Shale marveled at the immense strength of the Breaker before readying herself for the next attack. Without her defensive augmentation crystals, Shale would have to careful.

The thought of care in battle unnerved her. For as long as she had traveled with the group of ponies, Shale stomped on caution as readily as she stamped on pigeons. Her strength had gone unmatched save for a few gigantic enemies, and her stone skin protected her from all but the most magical of harm.

Yet here was a creature three times as tall as she was, with all the strength and durability to match such a stature. As much as Shale hated to admit it to herself, though she fought most of her battles taking on the largest foes she could, they had all been by the sides of her friends. Now, for whatever reason, she decided to play the martyr card and fight the largest and strongest individual ponyspawn on her own.

“It would appear I was not entirely mistaken,” Shale said, if only to hear herself over the noise of the battle. “I will not be leaving this alive, now am I?”

The Breaker replied with a roar and flexed all four of his arms in response to Shale’s defiant stand. If Shale could, she would have sucked in a breath of air to steady herself. As it stood, she scraped the dirt once again as the Breaker lumbered forward and readied his hands, eager to take stone within and crush.

Shale attacked first, galloping at full tilt towards the waiting arms of the Breaker. Her plan was to take out the Breaker’s legs; chopping the tree as it were. Without a vertical base, she could attack the weakened Breaker at her leisure.

As she neared perfect ramming speed, the Breaker raised two fists. It prepared to deliver a solid punch to where Shale headed. The Breaker slammed the ground and missed Shale completely, but the shock on the earth caused Shale to lose her balance. Again she was sent to the dirt, though she recovered quickly before speeding off towards the Breaker again.

Pivoting on her front legs, Shale twisted around and stretched out with her hind legs and slammed her hooves into the leg of the Breaker. Instead of the desired cracking sound of bone, the force of the Breaker pushed back her buck thanks to the solid hide of the massive minotaur. The Breaker turned one fist towards her in a powerful counter, blasting Shale off her hooves and into Trotterim’s walls.

A cloud of dirt and dust kicked up thanks to Shale’s collision, but the smokescreen was the least of her concerns. A large crack formed along her torso which proved a damaging fissure that the Breaker would easily exploit. It took far longer than Shale was comfortable with to stand, her body panged with aches as she tried to get back to a proper stance. As she stepped away from the rubble of the city’s walls, she looked up to see the frothing snout of the Breaker standing over her, all four arms raised for one final smash.

“What are you waiting for, you sickening pile of meatbags,” Shale dared. “I’m right here. If you fail to crush me now, I promise you won’t get another chance.”

As the Breaker lifted his fists for a final slam, a bolt of blue energy struck right between his shoulder blades. The Breaker growled and halted its attack on Shale as it lumbered around to see the new addition to his melee.

Shale looked up to see the Breaker step slowly towards Trixie, who fired off blast after blast of blue arcs into the Breaker’s chest. “Shale, you miserable sack of pebbles!” Trixie yelled. “How dare you just come out here alone and... please, sweet Celestia, save me!”

With mouth clenched, Shale moved with purpose towards the Breaker and more importantly, to Trixie. Muttering every donkey and pony curse she could remember, Shale ran under the legs of the Breaker, keeping her head low, timing her approach right. Ignoring Trixie’s look of horror as Shale stampeded towards her, Shale quickly lifted her head as it went under Trixie and bumped the insufferable unicorn into the air and squarely on Shale’s back. Trixie’s staff floated next to Shale as she continued to run from a very angry Breaker.

“By the Stone,” Shale cursed. “You half-witted pony, what are you doing here? It is dangerous for your squishy meaty self!”

“While Trixie appreciates your concern for her well being, she was concerned with yours as well! Don’t you have any idea what’s going on? There is a giant bear heading this way and the Archdemon is coming as well!”

“I am trying to buy time for the others to prepare for the battle against the Archdemon!”

“By getting yourself killed?!”

Shale grumbled, but conceded to Trixie. Try as she might, Shale had to admit that she could not defeat the Breaker on her own. As she continued to gallop away from the breaker, Shale turned her head to see that the massive minotaur headed back towards Trotterim’s walls.

“If we do not stop the Breaker, he will destroy the walls. Then the ponyspawn will rush towards the city with little impediment.” Shale reared on her hooves, causing Trixie to yelp as she rushed towards the Breaker again. “Quickly, you imbecile. Use your magic to catch the Breaker’s attention. Once it is distracted, pour every ounce of your magic into my red augmentation crystals. Then I will defeat the Breaker.”

“Are you insane?!” Trixie barked back. “If you try that, your crystals will explode! Taking you with them!”

“There shall be no debate. This is a thing that must be done so the walls do not fall to the Breaker.” To push her point, Shale stopped suddenly and watched as Trixie tumbled to the ground, her pointed hat falling to the wayside. “I’m doing this to protect those I have decided to honour and call friends. That includes you. If the city falls, the ponyspawn will win. I will not allow such. Now, prepare yourself! I go!”

Before she could listen to Trixie’s protests, Shale ran off towards the Breaker once again. Already the golem felt her augmentation crystals ignite, her internal temperature rising until she appeared to be a golem of lava rather than simple stone. The Breaker showed no fear, instead raising its mighty hands up for another fight with Shale.

Feeling her body burst into flames, Shale’s aggression increased tenfold, her desire to see the Breaker little more than a smouldering heap now at full precedence. She opened her mouth and let loose a deafening warcry. She narrowly dodged the forceful fists and countered by slamming her head into the Breaker’s chest. The forcefulness of the attacked toppled the Breaker off his hooves of which Shale immediately capitalized as she pounced on the giant and trampled all over his body and face.

Shale continued her attack on the Breaker, watching her red augmentation crystals burn brighter as more of Trixie’s magic was fed into them. Each strike of her hoof scorched the dull grey skin of her foe, but sure enough the Breaker would use all four of his arms to free himself. She had to detonate her crystals now!

Yet there was no increase in magical pressure, and definitely no explosion. Shale turned around to see Trixie fallen on her knees, looking up with pleading eyes. Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head.

“I don’t want to lose you,” Trixie said. “Please… run away…”

As a warrior, Shale knew hesitation on the battlefield cost lives. She turned to look at the Breaker once more, and considered listening to Trixie. To escape or try to fight with what strength she could muster. A difficult decision. Out of her vision, she could see the Breaker lift himself up with two hands, while another clenched fist sailed towards her.

As a friend, Shale understood why Trixie did not cast her spell. As much as Shale enjoyed the gory messes caused by her own hooves, even she did not want to see those she called friends explode into gibbets of flesh and blood. To see a friend blow themselves up to save them, it was not something Shale would have considered anyone doing for her.

Much less her doing it for anypony.

Without the detonation or the ability to dodge the incoming fist, Shale resigned herself to her fate. The fist of the Breaker slammed into her side, shattering stone despite her lava-like appearance. Shale’s body rolled around the ground in pieces, though her head and chest were mostly still intact. As her form finally lay still, for once Shale was eternally grateful she could not feel pain the same way squishy mortals could.

She could still feel weak though. Drained of lyrium and having her limbs broken off made Shale feel utterly helpless. A foreign feeling to Shale, one she never expected to experience ever. If Shale could, she would smile still, as the Breaker took its time to stand again, clearly weakened by her attack.

“No!” Came Trixie’s scream, one that pierced the roar of the battlefield. “Stay away from her, monster!”

Several loud pops resounded after another, with illusions of Trixie formed around the Breaker. The real Trixie stepped between Shale and the giant ponyspawn, her horn set ablaze not by the familiar blue aura of Trixie’s magic. Instead her horn was wreathed in very real, very hot arcane fire fueled by rage.

One by one the Trixie-copies burst into flames, turning into furious fire elementals with the same body as their conjurer. The Breaker balked at the sight, and made an attempt at intimidating them by roaring and pounding his fists against his chest.

“Burn him,” Trixie commanded, and her flaming clones obeyed, leaping onto the Breaker and refusing to let go. The Breaker howled in agony while the flames consumed him, until the elementals converged into a living pyre, engulfing the minotaur general and his threat to Trotterim in a single blaze.

Trixie immediately forgot about the roasted flesh and bones that once was the Breaker, collapsing near Shale with tears in her eyes. Her horn, no longer wrapped in fire but by a gentle blue glow, collected the damaged pieces of Shale’s body and encased them in magic. Despite this, a red mark seared itself on her scalp. Trixie

“He’s gone, Shale,” Trixie said, grunting as she slowly made her way back to Trotterim. “He’s gone. We’ll get you back to the other unicorns. They’ll have lyrium, and then we can fix you.”

“Trixie… you… can’t fight and carry…”

“I’m strong enough to carry you. That’s all that matters.”

***

The Ursa Major stepped into the field of battle for the first time since eras immemorial. To such a creature as she, this was a day no different than the hundreds of thousands she had spent in hibernation. Until she heard the zebra’s call to battle, the Ursa Major was content merely sleeping away the centuries until she heard the call from the Two again.

To have the call brought to her from a mortal surprised her, but in the end, it did not matter. She was tasked to defend Nature itself from all enemies that would do it harm, and that was something the Ursa Major would not allow failure in. All around her the abjurations hissed and gnashed their teeth, attempting to draw blood from her hide with blade, fang, and claw. These monsters, these ponyspawn as mortals called them, were unnatural and a product of the long standing feud between the Age of Chaos and the Dragons of Order. They were, in a sense, the perfect unity of both concepts. They were as destructive and chaotic as any army would ever hope to be, yet still had a stiff structure similar to the law of the wilds. The strongest ruled, and to the ponyspawn, the strongest was their Archdemons.

It would be the Ursa’s task to weaken the Archdemon for the sacred Elements to carry out their duties. To do that, the Ursa would have to attract the attention of the lord of these monsters. To this end, a culling was in order.

Despite her fearsome appearance of girth, fangs, and claws, the Ursa Major did not like the act of killing. She did not need to hunt for food, and she did not damage the land when she walked. Mere intimidation was enough to scare away any foolhardy adventurer that somehow managed to find her cave. For these monstrosities, simple force was all she needed to get her point across.

Nature would exterminate the disease known as the Blight, by any means necessary. The Ursa Major was that means.

Lifting her mighty paw, the Ursa swiped at the hordes of ponyspawn around her, elongated claws tearing through flesh and rusted metal with ease. The tiny creatures tried to fight back with their weapons, but the Ursa simply shrugged off their offense and resumed her attack. Any ponyspawn that was not shredded between her claws was stomped under foot.

The Ursa’s attack seemed to inspire a new fighting fervour in the hundreds of ponies also battling against the ponyspawn. A great roar of cheers bellowed from the ponies, charging against their enemies in a flurry of steel and hooves. They fought bravely against the ponyspawn, something that the Ursa Major always admired from a distance. When riled into action, ponies could accomplish anything. They just needed a little help every once in a while.

Feeling her cosmic fur being pulled, the Ursa Major turned to see several of the larger ponyspawn called minotaurs attempt to climb onto their body. Their weight proved significant when added together, slowing her advance through the throngs of little monsters. The Ursa scratched at her boarders, peeling away their flesh and picking them off one by one, tossing their broad bodies into the ponyspawn under her.

The roar of the Archdemon split the sounds of battle apart, vibrating the Ursa’s very ears. The Ursa turned to see the great ebon wings of the Archdemon slice through the sky as it circled overhead. The ponyspawn took the sight of their master as a source to rally behind, hissing and roaring in response to the shadow above. The Ursa Major looked up at her true adversary, staring at the winged figure overhead with trepidation.

She felt… fear. The Archdemon was once an Old One, a great and terrible dragon who wielded powers that were once used to create her. Like the Nature itself, the Archdemon was an aspect of the world; the feeling of despair, dread, and hopelessness was Uthemiel’s domain. The Ursa took a tentative step away from the Archdemon. Even in her near ageless heart, she could feel the same fear as any mortal pony would face with the sight of the Archdemon.

Everything seemed to simply cease when the Archdemon finally landed on the ground. With its black scales shining in the fires of the burning city, the Archdemon perfected its fearsome visage as it craned its long neck high to look into the eyes of the Ursa Major. The large, ornate brass plated bolted across the Archdemon’s left eye shined in the pale light as its good eye exuded anger and fury at the Ursa.

Though smaller than the Ursa, the Archdemon was much longer, covering the field of battle with its tail, casually swiping at ponyspawn and pony alike. The Archdemon spread its black wings while scratching at the ground with massive claws. The Ursa breathed shaky breaths as she waited for the Archdemon to strike. There were scant few entities that could truly end her life. The Archdemon was one of them.

The Ursa Major reared her head back before letting loose an explosive roar. The shock of the roar caused the ground to shake, tossing pony and ponyspawn alike off their hooves. The Archdemon did not move or blink, seemingly unfazed by the show of Nature’s fury. Lifting its head up and taking a deep breath, the Archdemon made its reply.

In fire.

A great torrent of shadowfire flew out of the Archdemon’s maw on towards the face of the Ursa. She moved away, if barely, catching a few errant tongues of fire lashing across her face. The impossibly hot flames scorched her celestial fur, and the pain was nothing the likes she had ever experienced. Though the flames only barely scorched her snout, the Ursa felt the barbs of agony flow through her entire body.

The Archdemon swiftly took advantage, leaping on powerful hind legs, driving itself forward before clamping its jaws around the shoulder of the Ursa. While the Ursa Major did not possess a body of flesh and bone as most mortal creatures did, she could still feel her body being maimed by the sharp fangs of the Archdemon, her fur and flesh being torn apart as the dragon thrashed its head about.

With a grunt, the Ursa turned her shoulder in an effort to get the Archdemon to release its hold. Shifting her weight, the great bear pulled against the Archdemon, allowing her to be in position to fall on top of it. The Archdemon’s teeth dug even deeper into her skin, but she ignored the pain in favour of allowing gravity to do the work.

The ground shuddered as the Ursa collapsed on top of the Archdemon, the fangs of the reptilian monstrosity finally being released. The Archdemon squirmed underneath the Ursa as she repositioned over it, lifting her jaw before plunging her own teeth into the neck. With a roar and a stream of black flame did the Archdemon inform the world of its pain, flapping its wings in a futile attempt to dislodge the Ursa. The foul taste of the Archdemon filled the Ursa with disgust, dragging her teeth along the Archdemon’s neck and made the wounds gape open and exposed to the world.

In a frenzy to escape, the Archdemon snaked its tail towards the Ursa, coiling the long appendage around her neck. The tail’s strength proved too much for the Ursa, dragging her off the Archdemon and constricting her neck like a noose. The Ursa did not need air, and managed to tear off a fair sized chunk of flesh before being tossed aside.

The strength that the Archdemon showed surprised the Ursa Major greatly. Just the tail alone pulled her massive form off the leader of the Blight. The Archdemon suddenly lunged at her with scraping claws and caused the Ursa to fall back. Fury in her eyes, the Ursa struck back with a swing of her paw and caught the Archdemon in the face. The edge of her claws tore through scales before forcibly removing the brass plate attached to the Archdemon’s face.

As the plate fell, the Ursa could finally get a good look at the Archdemon’s face. Making no attempt to hide the disfigurement, the Archdemon glared at the Ursa with newfound hate. Without the plate in place, the Ursa could see a terrible unblinking red eye attached, if barely, by several grey tendons. The remains of a cut not unlike the Ursa’s festered over the wound.

The single eye twitched and moved about erratically, looking in every direction it could while the single “good” eye continued to glare at the Ursa. She felt pity for the Archdemon for a moment, wondering how long such a creature had carried a wound such as this. Yet such pity faded to fear as the wandering eye pointed its red iris towards her. All attention was focused on the Ursa.

Opening its maw, the Archdemon unleashed another blast of shadowfire into the face of the Ursa Major. Ducking her head, the Ursa moved to the side quickly only to suddenly pounced by the powerful claws of the black dragon. The momentum from the tackle sent the Ursa sprawling to the ground, kicking up torrents of dust all around.

Pinned to the ground, the Ursa struggled to free herself from the claws of the Archdemon. It leered at the Ursa with its single deformed eye before finally opening its mouth, a ball of shadowfire forming within.

The Archdemon let loose all of its fury in a cascade of devouring ebon flames, smothering the Ursa’s face in fire. The Ursa tried out of desperation and terror to fight itself free, only to have its thunderous growls silenced by the explosive force of the shadowfire. Her thoughts quickly turned rabid as all she wanted to do was escape.

The Ursa Major stilled her body, unable to take the strain of the Archdemon any longer. With a sigh, she gave in to the hopelessness of her battle. Who was she to challenge one of the Old Ones? She was nothing compared to their fire, to their fury, to their hatred. Nature would fall to the Blight if Harmony failed to stop the Archdemon.

As the last vestiges of life fled the body of the Ursa Major, the Archdemon raised its claws before slamming them into the ruined corpse of Nature’s guardian. The body shattered like crystal, sending shards of a once ancient and cosmic creature into the night sky.

***

Pandemonium broke loose on the battlefield.

With the fall of the Ursa Major and the Archdemon now rampant on the field of battle, the common soldiery fell to pecies, running and screaming from the battlefield. The ponyspawn were pushing towards Trotterim nearly unmitigated. Only Loghoof and Arl Macintosh’s forces remained to hold the Blight back. Unfortunately for all of Equestria, the Archdemon was not heading towards the last line of defense, but instead soared on black wings towards Trotterim itself.

“Everypony! Get to the city! We can use the buildings as cover!” Twilight’s command was drowned out by the roar of the Archdemon, her body tensing as the black dragon’s shadow covered the city before it landed on top of some buildings. Its claws dug into the shingles of a roof while it twisted its head to find easy prey.

Twilight could not help but stare at the pulsating right eye of the Archdemon. It darted to and fro without focus, desperately seeking something out while the rest of the body continued the Archdemon’s massacre. For a moment she felt the eye stare at her, and the feeling of being spotted by the hateful presence of the Archdemon made her feel small, insignificant, and weak.

“Twilight!” She heard Spike yell. Twilight looked in the direction Spike pointed to, and gasped in horror as the Archdemon began its true attack on Trotterim. A stream of shadowflame poured from its mouth, setting entire city blocks ablaze. Those ponies who chose not to evacuate the city, and the guards trying to protect them, screamed as the flames devoured the city, only to become overpowered by the roar of the flames.

This madness had to stop, and quickly. The city would only become a burning funeral pyre for all of Equestria if the Archdemon was not stopped. High above them, Riordan dove from the sky, his body covered in ash and ponyspawn blood. He landed amongst them, appearing worn-out from the battle, yet still had an air of command about him.

“The Archdemon is where we want her to be,” he said, immediately setting a brisk canter towards the city centre. “The ballistae I had installed on the highest points of the city will be the key to take the Archdemon down. Each bolt is attached to a long chain, with the head made of the finest and sharpest steel. Once the bolt pierces through the Archdemon’s scales, we must reel in the catch, much like that of a large fish. With two ballista bolts, we can immobilize the Archdemon long enough for you six to use the Elements of Harmony. Once the heart of the Archdemon is exposed, I will make the killing blow.”

Twilight looked at Riordan, appalled that he wanted the Archdemon to attack the city directly. She could not argue with his plan, however, especially since he had already consigned his fate to be the one to slay the Archdemon.

“I will need Rainbow Dash to help me,” Riordan continued. “Her speed and strength will be needed to make it to the ballista and back to all of you in a moment’s notice.”

Rainbow’s body did not agree with Riordan. Rainbow dryly chuckled as she tried to raise her broken wing, lifting it lamely while wincing at the pain such a movement caused. She shook her head in defeat.

Taking note of Rainbow’s wing and Riordan’s need for a pegasus, Fluttershy stepped forward. “I’ll do it,” she said. “I’ll help you use the ballista on the Archdemon.”

“It is not ideal, but this is the best chance we have.” Riordan turned, spreading his wings to take flight and waited for Fluttershy to join him. “You will have to distract the Archdemon long enough for us to use the ballistae. Celestia and Luna watch over you and everypony in Equestria.”

Fluttershy hovered in the air for a moment, looking at her friends with tears in her eyes. “No matter what happens… I’ve come to look at you all as sisters.” She took in a sharp breath of air. “I’ll see you soon, on the ground, or on the other side. Thank you.”

Both pegasi took to the skies, heading towards the ballista towers while the Archdemon continued to attack another sector of the city. Twilight stopped for a moment, keeping a careful eye on the Archdemon as it kept its wild eye on her. That strange eye made Twilight nervous, knowing that there was no true way to surprise the Archdemon. There was, however, the ability to taunt it, a means of attracting its attention.

With the Ursa Major dead, the Grey Wardens were the last true challenge to the Archdemon’s might, and it knew that. Uthemiel was not a fool, but if there was one weakness Twilight could exploit, it was the Archdemon’s vision that nothing could challenge it. With the Wardens the last threat to its existence, it was time Twilight made good on that.

“Everypony, get ready,” Twilight said as her horn flared to life. “I’m going to try to attract the attention of the Archdemon. We’re going to the middle of Trotterim and I’m bringing her to us.”

“This is it then,” Applejack muttered. She drew Silverbite from its sheath and readied herself for battle. “This is the moment we’ve been waitin’ for. For the Grey Wardens! For Duncan! Bring that critter down!”

Rarity stepped forward, her horn arcing with lightning. “We came this far. This is the culmination of our journey. Let’s show this horrible Archdemon just what we ponies can do! Have at thee!”

“Enough pain! Enough suffering!” Pinkie readied her mace in her mouth. “Let’s make sure nopony is hurt ever again by this big, ugly, evil meanie! Come at me, Archie! I’ve got your number right here!”

“It will take a lot more than a broken wing to keep me from soaring!” Rainbow said, drawing her dagger. “I’m with these ponies until the end! Your end! Enough clowning around, let’s get to business!”

“To the end of all things! Until we can see the new dawn! Move out!” Twilight led the charge, galloping at full speed while a beam of light burst from her form into the skies above. Everypony looked up to see a beacon of light take the form of a grey shield, the mark of the Grey Wardens illuminating the sky. Six cutie marks donned the shield, all burning in a fiery spectrum of colour. To Twilight, it was open defiance to the despair Uthemiel wished to evoke on the world.

They galloped past Trotterim’s city Chantry, where the yells and screams of the Sisters who chose to remain. Twilight slowed down as she felt Spike tug on her mane. “Twilight! Let me down here!” he shouted. “I’ll help those Sisters escape!”

Twilight froze, the idea of leaving Spike alone in the middle of a terrible battlefield numbing her body. It was preferable to taking him to face the Archdemon, but at least she had the cold comfort that she could do anything to protect him. If he was elsewhere, anything could happen.

“You have to focus on the Archdemon!” Spike continued to shout. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine! The market square is just right there and the Archdemon is coming.”

Spike took advantage of Twilight’s stop to hop off her back, burning sword held deftly in his claws. “Spike…” Twilight was able to muster, only to receive a quick nod from her young ward.

“No matter what happens, I’m proud of you Twilight.” Spike turned his back, ready to run towards the Chantry. “I’m sorry for all this Twilight. This isn’t the life you wanted, and I pushed you into it. I hope… I hope you can live happy after the battle.”

Twilight’s eyes widened as she heard Spike’s words, only to be pulled away by Applejack. “Ain’t no time!” Applejack hollered. “The Archdemon got mighty riled at the sight of your beacon! Spike’s doing his best, and we’ve got to do ours! Let’s move!”

They made their way to the center of the marketplace in short order, only to be halted by the roar of the Archdemon. Flying towards them, the Archdemon landed in front of Twilight with a thunderous crash. The imapact shook the ground and caused buildings to collapse around it. With the sight of their foe directly in her face, Twilight could not help but shiver as Sophia removed itself from its scabbard and floated next to Twilight in a violet aura.

Both of the Archdemon’s eyes focused on her, yet despite the chaos of the battlefield and the crackling of a hundred fires, Twilight could hear the Archdemon’s heart with perfect clarity. She suspected Applejack and Rainbow Dash could hear it as well, the looks on their faces determined yet grim.

For a moment, Twilight had to blink to make sure she did not see an illusion. Standing on top of the Archdemon’s head was a transparent image of the unicorn form Uthemiel used in the past. The spectral form of Uthemiel glared at Twilight with unbridled fury, her teeth clenched while her single unobstructed eye blazed with shadowfire. Twilight blinked again, and the image of the twisted unicorn vanished as quickly as it came.

The Archdemon opened its mouth as a large ball of black fire formed within. Twilight’s stupor ended at the sight of the attack and she quickly brought her shields to life. The first attack was a simple, if very large fireball, and it flew from the maw of the ebon dragon with tremendous force and speed. Her friends dove for cover, while Twilight watched as the fireball came hurtling towards her.

With her horn and her sword glowing in tandem, Twilight focused both sources of magic at her command to strengthen her shield into a single point. In her mind’s eye, she told the shield to be a concussive force, and as the fireball neared, Twilight squatted low to the ground, her buckler-sized protectivespell ready for the oncoming attack.

Before the fireball could incinerate her, Twilight gave a shout and raised her shield at just the right the angle. The orb of black fire deflected off the shield and sailed into the air before exploding above all their heads. Twilight gasped as the strain of the spell weakened her already racked body. She fell to one knee, but satisfied that her plan had worked.

The Archdemon growled and flexed it’s capable jaw. If flame failed, it would continue the attack with fangs and claws. The great head of the Archdemon lunged towards Twilight, jaws opened wide to take her as its next meal. Twilight’s eyes widened in horror as the impossibly large neck stretched towards her, ready to chomp down on her weakened body in a single bite.

Before the Archdemon could devour Twilight, Applejack flanked the head from the left, bringing Silverbite against black scales. Each blow Applejack made against the Archdemon was dealt double, as the phantom blade tore through the hardened scales with surprising ease. Twilight remembered what Flemeth said when she was wounded by Silverbite, of which the sword was made of a metal called moonsteel and proved quite effective against Archdemons and Dragon Gods.

The effect of Silverbite against the flesh of the Archdemon was immediate, with several cracks and fissures lined along the wounds. The Archdemon arced its head and unleashed a terrible roar of pain into the air. Applejack did not slacken her pace, moving around on powerful legs with quick and effective strikes.

Frustration mounted within the Archdemon as it turned towards Applejack, ignoring Twilight completely and brought down one of its mighty claws in a swift and powerful strike. Applejack cursed as she ducked down, only to scream as the claws glanced off her dragonbone plate. She rolled away from the force of the blow, only to take a quick look at her hide. While dented, the armour held strong, with only a minor tear leading into the chainmail.

Rarity’s horn exploded with electricity and sent several bolts of lightning into the sky. “Quickly! Move out of the way!” she yelled, as the skies rumbled with the sound of thunder. Weaving her horn around in the form of a sigil, a large glyph took shape around the body of the Archdemon, the light of Rarity’s magic illuminating the terrible visage of the dragon’s face.

One by one the lightning bolts crashed into the earth followed by a deafening thunderclap, the lightning passing through the Archdemon while also providing power to the glyph. The Archdemon roared in agony as its claws grasped at the ground with its claws as it attempted to brace itself for the attacks from above.

Despite her broken wings, Rainbow still galloped on swift hooves and sheer determination. She leaped onto the Archdemon’s ruined hide caused by Applejack and used the broken scales as hoofholds. Holding her long dagger tight in her mouth, she pierced the flesh of the Archdemon. She dragged the blade downward and removed several scales, with black blood spewing from the wound like oil.

After the impromptu flaying of the black dragon, Rainbow sank her dagger into the Archdemon with quick rapid strikes. Each poisoned blow sent the Archdemon into a frenzy, but the combined attacks of all the ponies made it near impossible to counter. Twilight could not help but smirk. For all the Archdemon’s strength, it was still one creature, one dragon. They had experience fighting titans like it.

“Everypony! Get clear and cover your eyes!” On the end of Pinkie’s tail bounced a much larger flash grenade than normal, and in her mouth was a lit bomb ignition ready to set the fuse alight. Knowing full well what Pinkie planned, Twilight turned around and ran towards a pile of rubble for cover.

The others did the same, taking refuge behind broken homes and shattered structures as Pinkie tossed the flash grenade into the eyes of the Archdemon. The grenade exploded into a starburst of white light. The Archdemon roared as both eyes were blinded, its good eye rapidly blinking while the deformed one spun on its tendrils rapidly in every direction. In its fury, the Archdemon unleashed a torrent of flame that streaked past the party. It singed hairs but little else save for setting the buildings behind them alight in the shadowfire.

If this could be construed as a signal to Fluttershy and Riordan on the ballistae above, they took advantage of it. Riordan aimed his ballista at the Archdemon. He unlatched the mechanism that held the bolt back and watched as the chained projectile flew. The large arrowhead embedded itself into the Archdemon’s hide, causing no small amount of pain as the monster roared again. Riordan then began to work the reeling device, tightening the chain until it was firm and the Archdemon was secure.

Fluttershy took aim as well, though her target was a different one. Once she was sure of her shot, Fluttershy let loose the ballista bolt, though she fell over due to recoil. The bolt sailed into the wing joint of the Archdemon and shattered several bones, locking the joint in place. The Archdemon tried to flap its wings, pulling against the ballista and dragging towards the top of the tower.

Fluttershy leaped onto the wheel and pulled with all her might to cause the chain to reel back into the ballista. Seeing that she could not pull it on her own, Angel popped out of his bag at Fluttershy’s side, jumped across to help her push against the mechanism. With their combined efforts, the chain was pulled in and left the Archdemon helpless to against them.

Riordan and Fluttershy joined the others as they stepped in front of the suffering Archdemon. For a moment, Twilight felt a surge of pride. They had done it. They won. The Archdemon was at their mercy, ready to be slain by the Grey Wardens. Soon the despair would be at an end.

“This is the day we Wardens have been training for all our lives…” Riordan lowered his head as he spoke, despite the blinded, thrashing Archdemon before him. “I am prepared to give my death meaning. I am ready to strike the fatal blow. I ask only that you do not forget me, and all the other Wardens who died to make this day happen.”

“We won’t forget, Riordan,” Twilight said. “No matter what, we won’t forget.”

Gripped in her violet aura, Twilight drew the last of the Star Strands. Despite its grievous wounds, the Archdemon froze its throes of pain. The rabid eye stilled as it gazed into the pale moonlight of Luna’s remains. Twilight could have sworn that the Archdemon took a cautious step away from the divine light. The Archdemon of Despair showed fear.

Before she uncorked the phial, Twilight heard screams from behind her and the collapse of wood. Twilight turned her head, eyes shrinking to pinpricks as she watched those Chantry sisters who could flee their house of worship. Her mind raced as she thought she saw Spike try to escape only to have the entire roof cave in from the immolating shadowfire.

Time came to a crawl as everything around Twilight happened quickly. Spike was in mortal danger, his tiny claws trying to push past the debris. Her heart snapped in twain as she saw the metal of his plate armour melt into his very scales. His face twisted and contorted in pain as the steel of his helm fused with his face, the shadowfire showing no mercy, even to his flame-resistant scales.

“Twilight! We need to finish this now!” Twilight blinked as she could hear the sound of Riordan shouting at her, but his words meant little. Spike was in danger. She needed to go to him now. His wounds could be cured by the Star Strand. She would find another way to defeat Uthemiel. There was always another way.

All that mattered was saving Spike.

“I’m sorry,” Twilight whispered, before turning around reach Spike. Riordan shouted to her, only to have his voiced drowned out by the roar of the Archdemon.

The Archdemon pulled against its chains, dragging the ballista Fluttershy used to the ground. The weapon crashed, giving the black dragon enough strength to pull the other ballista from its tower. Freed from its bonds, the Archdemon stared down Riordan who could only watch his nemesis regain its strength.

“My death has no meaning,” he muttered, before the Archdemon opened its mouth and let loose a veritable tidal wave of fire. The fire consumed Riordan without a scream. The ponies dove out of the way. Applejack watched Twilight gallop as quickly as she could towards the burning Chantry.

“Twilight, no! Get away!” Springing to her hooves, Applejack pushed herself as quickly as she could, digging into the reserves of strength in her legs to carry her faster than she ever ran before. She jumped into a strong tackle and collided with Twilight. She forced both of them to narrowly escape the stream of shadowfire as it blasted the Chantry.

“No!” Twilight’s half-sob, half-scream ripped from her lips as she collided with the ground, rolling in the ash and blood and dirt of Trotterim until she finally stopped. The Chantry burned in black fire, but such a hazard didn’t matter to her. She tried to get up again only to feel Pinkie and Rainbow hold her back.

“Spike! Spike! Let’ me go! I have to save Spike! Let me go!” Her horn sparked with powerful magic, only to feel the drain of anti-magic applied to her. She shot Applejack a glare that could have made mountains moved, while her fellow Warden closed her pitch black eyes. Dark tears fell without abation.

“Ah’m so sorry, Twilight… but he’s gone.” Applejack tried to suppress a sob, only to fail. “Spike’s gone… Spike’s gone, Twilight. But right now, we… we need to focus on the Archdemon.”

“I can heal him!” Twilight screamed. “I have my Star Strand! He isn’t dead, he isn’t…” She felt around her magic for a moment, trying to find the Star Strand. Without the Star Strand, all was lost. She would not be able to heal Spike, and if Applejack were even remotely right, they would not be able to call upon the Elements of Harmony without Luna’s magic.

Yet try as she might, she could not call onto the Star Strand. Cold realization gripped Twilight as she looked back to the scorch mark where the Archdemon’s shadowflame left its mark. When Applejack tackled her to protect her, she must have dropped the relic. Now it was nothing but ash in the wake of the evil it was meant to defeat.

Twilight fell to her knees as the final piece of the twisted puzzle fell into place. Spike was gone. The Star Strand was gone. As the Archdemon hobbled away to heal its wounds, the only thought Twilight held was that she failed. She failed the Grey Wardens, she failed her friends, and most of all, she failed Spike.

As despair gripped her heart, Twilight cried in the middle of a ruined city, surrounded by her scarred friends while the world around her burned in black fire.

---

Final Chapter

As a veteran of the Filesian occupation wars, Loghoof was no stranger to the horrors strife and battle caused to pony psyches. Everything he knew of warfare, leading hosts of ponies ready to die for their country, even lifting a sword and fighting on his own did not prepare him for this.

The Wardens were right, in the end. Loghoof could not have anticipated the sheer savagery of the ponyspawn, nor their tenacity when the battle began. The pony body was not made for hours upon hours of fighting, but it seemed ponyspawn could force the fight upon them as much as they desired. The death of the great star beast tore down the already fragile troop morale.

Now ponyspawn were attacking the gates of Trotterim with everything and anything they could, and it would take a miracle to hold them back. Loghoof shifted the bloody sword in his mouth, darting his eyes back and forth to find some sort of advantage he could capitalize on.

There, he thought as he eyed what appeared to be a massive thelock the Warden had called “The Vanguard.” Cut off the leadership’s head and the rest will surely follow.

“Macintosh!” Loghoof called out. “Keep this area secured while I go after their leader!”

“Ain’t no way you gonna take that fella alone, Loghoof,” Macintosh replied. “Look at the size of ‘em. He’s bigger than me, and he’s probably stronger to boot.”

“We have to buy the Wardens time to defeat the Archdemon. If we can take out the Vanguard, perhaps the ranks of the ponyspawn will fall back. If you don’t stay here and keep the gates secured, the ponyspawn will flood into the city. The Wardens cannot defeat the Blight and the Archdemon at once.”

“If you fight the Vanguard, you’ll be killed!” Macintosh stomped his hoof for emphasis. “This ain’t time for a sacrifice, Loghoof!”

“Then I will go with him.” The Filesian general Puissant gallop towards the two, though Loghoof glowered as he heard his declaration. Despite his cold glare, Loghoof could never seem to be rid of the Filesian. He was doing this for Equestria’s safety, not for Filais. The general only had his nation’s interests at heart.

Loghoof stood in front of Puissant. “I have troops ready to follow me. I don’t need the help of an accursed Filesian. I never wanted you in this country to begin!”

Puissant sighed, drawing his warhammer from his back. “When will you look past your petty ways, Loghoof Mac Tir. I am here to help you. I am here to protect Filais and Equestria and to make sure the Blight is stopped here and now. Perhaps our histories are too filled with animosity for you to see past my heritage, but for one night, this night I ask you this. Stop looking at me as if I was one of the Filesians that hurt you and look at me as if I were a friend. At the very least your ally for the next few minutes.”

If they were not staring down the legions of the Blight, with an Archdemon wreaking havoc over Trotterim, Loghoof would have challenged Puissant then and there. The very notion of Loghoof calling a Filesian a “friend,” after all the years he had suffered under their occupation…

Loghoof turned his attention to the Vanguard, watching as the hulking monstrosity of a ponyspawn tore into the defenders of Equestria. The blade he wielded in his tusks held a razor’s edge with no real point, ending in a squared blade. A bloodletter blade, as Loghoof knew them, one that was meant to spill as much blood as possible.

“Very well,” Loghoof finally relented. “We will face the Vanguard together then. Macintosh…”

“Trotterim will be the same as you left it.” Macintosh smiled, looking up just in time to see a screamer fly towards his head. With a swift movement of his sword, Macintosh cleaved the screamer in two, sending both parts to crash into the ground in a mess of black gore.

Loghoof shook his head. This was a stallion he attempted to kill!

Without another word, Loghoof and Puissant began their mad sprint to the Vanguard as he continued his brutal advance to the gates. The thelock general was flanked by several of his breed, all armed with their impossibly functional wargear. Despite his retinue of guards, they did very little, giving the Vanguard a wide berth as he continued to cut a path towards the main gate of Trotterim.

“For Equestria!” Loghoof’s battlecry resounded from his mouth, galloping towards the Vanguard and his force with reckless abandon. Seeing the Hero of White River charge into battle, the ponies of Equestria followed Loghoof into the thick of the fray, pushing and fighting through the throngs of ponyspawn.

Puissant charged with him, shouting in his bizarre language for his chevaliers to attack. Loghoof forced himself to admit that the Filesian chevaliers proved themselves to be capable warriors in their own right. Despite wearing gaudy armour and using ridiculous tactics, Puissant trained them well that their ideas simply worked against the ponyspawn. So well in fact that of the thirty chevaliers that came over to Equestria, only two had fallen.

The chevaliers smashed into the ranks of the ponyspawn, skewering them on spears made of silver and steel, quickly dislodging the heads from ruined bodies before turning back for another charge. The Vanguard eyed them with a quiet fury, powerful jets of steam exiting the nostril holes of his helmet. One chevalier charged towards the Vanguard himself, bringing his spear upwards to the heart of the massive ponyspawn.

He never stood a chance. The Vanguard reared on his hind legs, kicking and howling through his helmet and sounding like a terrible creature out of nightmares. The intimidation factor worked, causing the chevalier to slow down, only for his spear to snap in two as the Vanguard smashed his hooves on top of it. The chevalier looked up at the hulking Vanguard, only to have his neck caught by muscular forelegs.

The Vanguard turned his hidden gaze up at Loghoof and Puissant as he lifted the chevalier’s neck so it would be exposed. The chevalier tried to kick and scream, desperate for escape, but the Vanguard proved too strong. Slowly the thelock general dragged his bloodletter  across the neck of the Filesian knight, never once having his eyes depart from Loghoof and Puissant.  Blood poured down the ruined neck and across the Vanguard’s blade, dripping down his hoof to the ground.

“Monster! You shall pay for your crimes!” Puissant reared up and charged, rushing past Loghoof towards the Vanguard. The other thelocks threatened to attack, only to be held back by a snarl from their leader. Lifting his hammer, Puissant swung with all his might in a crushing blow. Despite the strength behind the blow, the Vanguard parried it peerlessly, blocking the hammer with his sword.

Loghoof would not allow Puissant to fight alone, not when the fate of Equestria hung in the balance. With a quick gallop, Loghoof made his way to Puissant only to be blocked by two of the Vanguard’s followers. The two thelocks growled and gnashed their tusks, the rusted blades showing their serrated edges.

He gritted his teeth around his sword, waiting for the thelocks to make the initial attack. Loghoof tactics relied on his enemies making a mistake and capitalizing. Loghoof kept his distance from his attackers, warding their attacks with both his sword and his shield.  The thelocks struck hard and fast, with Loghoof unable to match their strength and speed.

Parrying one blow allowed the other to slash through Loghoof’s armour. The older teyrn grimaced as he felt the bite of their serrated swords tear the metal of his plate into his skin. Loghoof replied with an attack of his own; bring his blade up in an arc, aiming for one of the thelock’s necks. The blade cut true, but the wound was superficial at best. The thelock responded with a stiff strike from the pommel of its sword against Loghoof’s head.

Loghoof fell, dropping his sword as the two thelocks loomed over him with their blades dripping with his blood. He cursed his feeble aged body. If he was younger…

There was nothing to be said though. Loghoof was old, and like how he could never truly challenge the much younger Applejack and the Warden, so too could he not challenge the strength of the ponyspawn. He tried to get back on his hooves, hoping that he could call on what little reserves of energy to continue the fight. He was a soldier, a warrior, and he would die on his hooves.

His legs buckled under the pressure of trying to stand, only to be bashed by the helmet of a thelock. This time, Loghoof fought back, kicking up his sword and catching it in his mouth. Loghoof then struck, digging the sword into the neck of the offending thelock. With all his hate, Loghoof pounced on the thelock, dragging the ponyspawn to the ground and pushing his sword deeper into the creature’s body.

The other thelock brought his sword up in the air, with Loghoof looking up and just barely able to catch the blade with his hoof gauntlet. Loghoof screamed as the blade cut through his armour, dropping him to the ground again next to the bloody corpse of his fresh kill.

Puissant looked over his shoulder at the downed Loghoof before cursing in his native tongue. Raising his hammer in a wide arc, he struck the Vanguard hard against the side of the helmet, dropping his bloodletter. Despite the opening he had obtained, Puissant galloped to Loghoof’s side, swinging his hammer again at the thelock that threatened Loghoof.

The first blow was a mirror image of Puissant’s attack against the Vanguard, his hammer’s head smashing against the helmet of the thelock. Once the thelock was stunned, his weapon dropped to the gound, Puissant followed up with a downward crush, pummeling the thelock’s skull to a black bloody pulp.

Puissant moved to assist Loghoof. This time, Loghoof swallowed his pride and allowed the Filesian to help him to his hooves. “Thank you,” Loghoof said, as quietly as he could. “I never expected such form a Filesian.”

“We have much to teach you then, my friend.” Puissant laughed, only to drop his hammer. Looking down at his chest plate, he saw the end of his chevalier’s spear thrust through his chest, blood pouring from the fatal wound.

Puissant’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell over, dead, with the Vanguard standing over his body with the bloodletter gripped between his tusks. The iron bars that masked his eyes made the Vanguard’s fearsome visage even more so, thanks to the body of the fallen general at his hooves.  Loghoof’s mouth hung open as he struggled to get away from the Vanguard.

“No…” Loghoof choked on the denial in his voice. Puissant had just saved him. This was not how an honourable soldier should meet their end, at the hooves of a monster like the Vanguard, like any ponyspawn. He was a good pony, a good Filesian.

“A friend.” Loghoof looked up at the Vanguard as it laughed a terrible noise that filled him with both dread and anger. Puissant was right. Loghoof could have looked at him as a friend, rather than with distrust and hate. Loghoof tripped on his wounded leg, collided with the thelock body he had slain, his sword still sticking out of its chest.

Is death what Loghoof needed to learn? From the moment he was born, death was all around him thanks to the Filesian occupation. He learned the harsh truth of his world. He sent the son of his best friend to die in Ostequus. Now he could only look on as the one Filesian, a people he thought of as his most hated enemy, who had tried to be his friend died.

The Vanguard’s shadow loomed over Loghoof’s trembling form, its long, serpentine tongue licking his tusks in anticipation of pony meat. “Despair,” the horror hissed, lifting his sword high for a killing blow.

Loghoof lifted his head up to the Vanguard and shouted with all his energy and fury. His was a primal scream from some sleeping fury he held within, something that gave the Vanguard pause. That moment of hesitation was all Loghoof needed. It was the opening he wanted to have to fight back.

Once the Vanguard was staggered by Loghoof’s act of defiance, the former Teyrn of Glenwell removed his sword from the ponyspawn corpse, swinging in a quick arc towards the neck. The edge of his sword caught onto one of the Vanguard’s neck plates, tearing it and several pieces of twisted flesh that made up the large thelock’s soft underside.

The Vanguard reacted violently, lashing out with both his sword and his hooves, though this time Loghoof was ready, twisting his body so his shield would take the blow. Despite the strength the Vanguard put into his attack, Loghoof easily took the shock of his block and replied with a stiff shoulder ram into the Vanguard’s mouth, causing him to drop the bloodletter.

“For Equestria… For Puissant… I strike you down!” Loghoof rallied himself to his hooves, lifting his sword upward and catching the edge into the neck of the Vanguard. The creature roared in pain, lashing its neck in a desperate effort to remove Loghoof and his sword. Instead, Loghoof kept pushing the blade up in a sawing motion, spilling near endless amounts of blood from the Vanguard’s jugular.

Once Loghoof was certain that the Vanguard had finally stilled, he released the hold on his blade and fell over in complete exhaustion. His breathing was ragged as he tried to crawl to the body of Puissant, taking note that with the death of the Vanguard, the ponyspawn were not as certain of their victory, those desperate few pony soldiers able to push them back.

“We did it, my friend,” Loghoof muttered as he laid a hoof on the fallen general’s shoulder. For what seemed like a long time, despite the current situation, Loghoof smiled. “The Vanguard is dead. We’ll win this. For both our nations. No more ponyspawn in our lands. We’ll go back to the good old days of sniping at each other with words.”

Whether it was delirium through the loss of blood or the fact that the closest thing to a kindred spirit was a fallen general, Loghoof did not know why he continued to speak. “I always did think I would die next to a Filesian. Of course, I always thought I would be the one to kill him, rather than die alongside him. It has been a rare honour, Puissant.”

As the darkness of unconsciousness was about overtake him, Loghoof felt his body shift aside due to powerful hooves, the tingling sensation of healing poultice being applied to his many wounds. Loghoof tried to speak, only to have a bottle shoved into his mouth, the tangy taste of oranges spilling into his gullet.

Loghoof coughed into his hooves as he finally regained his breath, only to look up into the eyes of a tearful and worrying Sunsword. He found himself blushing like a colt once she took his head into her hooves, pressing his face into her chestplate.

“My Lor-” Sunsword quickly caught herself, having forgotten that Loghoof was no longer a noble. “Loghoof. I thought I lost you. I tried to get here as quickly as I could.”

I don’t deserve this. “Sunsword, what are you doing?”

Before he could get an answer, Sunsword kissed him square on the lips even though the battle around them continued. Loghoof was still stunned when a cough alerted both earth ponies that somepony else was watching them.

“Heh, I tried to rut in a battlefield once,” the damnable donkey Oghren said, smirking all the while. “But uh… you might want to wait until after the Archdemon is dead. It’s running around Trotterim right now, and I’m going to find Trixie and Shale so we can help.”

The Archdemon was stampeding over his city? Loghoof quickly got to his hooves, feeling revitalized by Sunsword’s care. “The Archdemon is in Trotterim? I will not allow it!”

“Sunsword, bring my friend’s body back to the gate and defend it with Macintosh.” Loghoof removed his sword from the corpse of the Vanguard, his focus solely on the burning city ahead. “Donkey, let’s find your unicorn and golem friend. So long as I draw breath, the ponyspawn and their master will not take Trotterim! This battle is not over yet!”

***

“The battle is over. We lost.”

Twilight’s eyes were glassy and out of focus as she spoke, her words devoid of any emotion. “Spike is dead. Riordan is dead. We have no more Star Strands. We can’t summon the Elements of Harmony. We have no hope. It’s over.”

“Don’t talk like that!” Rainbow staggered over to the Twilight. “We can still do this. We can still find a way to win! So what if we can’t use the Elements of Harmony? We’ll carve a path through the Archdemon’s scales if we have to! And then we’ll—”

“And then what, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight barked back. “And then you, or Applejack, or myself will make the fatal blow against the Archdemon? Let me ask you, do you even fathom what it means to make the killing strike? Do you even understand what is being asked in trade?”

Applejack scuffed the ground with her hoof. “We give up our lives, Twilight. We know that. Riordan made that pretty darn clear.”

“No!” As she shouted, Twilight felt tears of grief stream down her face as every word was punctuated with anger. “We give up more than our lives. Didn’t you listen? Our very souls are destroyed along with that of the Archdemon. Four Wardens stepped forward, a blade in their mouths, and destroyed the Archdemons that caused the Blights. They get no final rest, they don’t get to go to the Seat of the Sisters, they simply cease to be! Can you stand there in front of me and tell me you can willingly make such a blow, knowing that in the end you will no longer exist?”

All of Twilight’s pent up frustrations and anger was let loose. She no longer cared who her words hurt. Spike was dead. “Even if we did stop the Archdemon, what would any of it matter? There would still be ponyspawn in the Dark Tunnels. Asha’Bellanar still roams the world, hurting fillies just to prolong her twisted life. Ponies in power who are filled with hate like Loghoof and Boreas push their agendas rather than doing what they could for the good of their people. Greed, bigotry... they would all still exist!”

“Spike died… he died for nothing. He died for a world that would have hated him for what he was, hunting him because he was a dragon. He died for a world that won’t even know his name. He died defending ponies who don’t give a single shit about him!”

Her words spent and her throat dry, Twilight’s breath heaved in her throat as she continued to sob bitterly. It wasn’t fair! Spike was still so young, to have his life cut short by a monster was just too cruel. It should have been her that fell. She was going to die anyways; at least Spike would have been able to live a full life.

She suddenly felt a firm hoof lift up her chin, forcing her look into the pussy tear stained eyes of Rarity. “Stop tormenting yourself, Twilight,” she said through her strained voice. “I loved Spike as a brother, as we all have come to love each other as sisters. Do not think for a minute that his death hasn’t affected us all. He was there with you when we all met. You are not alone in his grief, instead know that is shared with all of us.”

“But he would not want to have his death stop us from doing what was right. There is still an Archdemon free, and the Blight continues to rampage all around us. For every moment they are allowed to run rampant, there is another Spike who dies and another Twilight Sparkle who are feeling the same grief. What right do we have giving up when we can save so much pain?”

“But without the Elements of Harmony—“

“We’ll find a way, Twilight,” Fluttershy interjected. “We’ve done so much. Things most ponies could never fathom. We can do one more thing. We can win.”

“We’re together forever, no matter the distance,” Pinkie chimed in. “We just need to stay strong for each other. For Spike.”

“You still have that piece o’ parchment, Twi,” reminded Applejack. “Maybe… maybe there is one last clue in the wisdom of the Wardens of old. If not… then we do things the old fashioned way. But we’ll do it together, come hell or bad apples.”

Twilight looked up into the sympathetic eyes of her friends, swallowing her self-pity as she felt the warmth being shown from their hearts. They were as much Spike’s friends as she was, and they too were feeling his death in their own ways. They were right; it wasn’t fair that she was keeping all the grief, and it wasn’t the time for crying. If Spike were here right now, he would have helped Twilight stand up and ready herself for the challenge ahead.

I’m tired, the doubt in the back of her head said, Spike is gone, and I’m tired of fighting. I want everything to go back to the way they were.

That’s impossible and you know it, Twilight told herself. We have a job to do. A duty. Spike helped us take those steps to become a Grey Warden. For his sake… for his memory, I will see this duty done, even if it kills me.

Twilight took a deep breathe, wiping away the last of her tears with a dirty hoof. “Thank you…” Twilight mumbled, her horn encased in a violet aura as she lifted the parchment marked with the Elements of Harmony. Yet without the Star Strand…

Wait. Twilight paused her thoughts as she looked back on the temple of Luna, on the statues of the first bearers of the Elements of Harmony. The Elements of Harmony were first used against Nightmare Moon, the corrupted Luna, before they were ever used against the Archdemons. That means they couldn’t have had a Star Strand to activate the Elements!

“We don’t need the Star Strand,” Twilight said aloud, causing murmurings of confusion from her friends. “The original bearers didn’t need a Star Strand to defeat Nightmare Moon, and nothing in the parchment says anything about using the relic of Luna. But that means something else activated them…”

Twilight’s eyes widened, a sparkling glimmer in her pupil as realization struck her cold. “She pointed a hoof at Applejack. “Honesty… you’ve been nothing but honest with everypony you’ve met, Applejack, even when a lie could have made things easier. You are not only honest with your words, but honest to yourself when you accepted the crown of Equestria.”

“Generosity… Rarity, you’ve shown the most generosity of any pony I’ve ever met. Whether it was time, your appearance, to even your own life, you gave it all freely expecting nothing in return. Even under the threat of Flemeth, not once did you falter.

Kindness… I’ve said it before, I will say it again. Fluttershy, you have the kindest heart that would warm even the coldest of hearts. Despite the cruelty the world and its inhabitants have shown you, you hold on to that kindness as if it were a lifeline, and through you there is a small beacon of light for others to emulate.

Laughter… Pinkie Pie, your energy and your spirit are limitless, and so are you. Your very smile brightens the world, even when the very forces of despair try to bring you down. I feel happy when I see you, as if I know everything is going to be all right.”

Loyalty… Rainbow Dash, you’ve stayed with us when it would have been better to fly. You’ve kept true to your oath, even when it would have been easy to break it. Through thick and thin, you’ve stayed true to what it means to be a loyal friend, and with that, I thank you.”

Honesty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty. Five of the Elements were gathered, that much Twilight knew, but it was her duty to awaken them with the Element of Magic. Slowly, she closed her eyes and let her magic, her true magic from within, guide her spell. Her horn began to glow a soft, white light, before exploding in a cascade of radiance.

I can do this, Twilight reaffirmed. I can awaken the Elements. I have to believe that Spike’s death was not in vain. That he had faith in me when we left the Tower to become a Grey Warden. That his faith in me was not misplaced. I have to believe in myself, that I can carry on the fight to the bitter end, that I won’t be burdened by despair.

I have to believe in my friends… not just these ponies, but the others too. Trixie, Shale, Oghren… they fought and suffered with us as well. I believe in our friendship because friendship…

“Friendship is Magic.”

As the words fell off Twilight’s lips, her horn exploded with magic, beams of light being emitted from the tip of her horn. Every colour of the rainbow illuminated from her spell, encompassing her friends in a soft aura of light. A feeling of calm serenity washed over Twilight as she felt a soft weight press against her forhead. She opened her eyes to look up and see the Element of Magic tiara sitting on her head, the divine star centerpiece shimming in arcane light.

Twilight’s battered armour was replaced with the magical wargear of her element, her body encased in violet plate and flowing robes that hummed with magic. Sophia floated to her side, but this time the blade was engulfed in a lavender flame. Despite the inferno on her sword, Twilight smiled at the sight. It reminded her of Spike’s firebrand, and the new form her weapon took seemed fitting, somehow.

Her friends were soon similarly equipped with the same Elemental armour they donned when they fought against Asha’Bellanar. Their wounds closed shut, broken wings and slashed flesh healing instantly in the light of the Elements. Everypony smiled at each other as they felt the power course through their veins.

“This is it,” Twilight said as she took a step forward to pursue the Archdemon. “Let’s finish thi—“

“Wait!” Twilight turned to the interruption of her speech to see Loghoof, Oghren, Shale and Trixie gallop towards them. The sight of such a motley crew made Twilight wince, their wounds were visible in the light of the Elements. Shale looked especially bad, as most of her head was missing and the rest of her body was cobbled together with various stones.

“We’re coming with you,” Trixie said. “We’ve come this far with you all. There is no way Trixie is just going to let you take all the glory for yourselves!”

“This is our fight as much as it is yours,” Loghoof added. “Equestria is at stake. I may have been your enemy once, but now I fight by your side! Let us rid this once beautiful land of the Archdemon forever!”

Shale lumbered over to Twilight, looking down with only one remaining eye. “Battered I may be… I will still fight with my friends. It will take more than an overgrown minotaur to stop me. Let us be rid of the abomination once and for all.”

Oghren looked around for a moment, and Twilight felt a lump form in her throat. “Where’d Spike go?” he asked, though his voice caught in his throat. He knew Spike would never leave Twilight’s side.

Instead of waiting for an answer, Oghren gripped his axe and began to rush through the trail the Archdemon left behind. His tail was pulled to keep him standing still, with Pinkie giving him a sad smile.

“You can’t go rushing off like that,” she said, lifting a grenade with a heart inscribed on the side. “Stand with the others! We’ll get you all ship-shape lickity-split!”

Oghren listened to Pinkie, standing with Trixie and the others, though Twilight could see he was barely keeping his berserker rage in check. With a single turn of the timer, Pinkie tossed the Element-empowered healing grenade their way, shielding her eyes from the sparkling cloud that burst from the bomb.

Where the ragged and wounded had stood, now was a group of fully healed and revitalized allies ready to charge into the fray. Loghoof looked at himself in amazement while Trixie hugged her signature hat and cape. Even Shale was restored to her mighty self, her stonework and augmentation crystals clean polished to mirror sheen. Oghren was healed as well, but he could no longer sit still, galloping off after the Archdemon.

“Oghren’s got the right idea!” Rainbow called, flaring her wings and taking to the sky. “Let’s take this to the Archdemon together! Charge!”

With their spirits ignited by a common cause and the Elements glowing with vibrant life, the party surged through the streets of Trotterim, following the trail of careless destruction the Archdemon left behind.

It did not take long to find the dragon itself, as its body still dragged the chains held tightly by ruined ballistae. The crazed eye of Uthemiel swivelled in all directions, only to stop as it turned almost completely around, staring at the sight of the Elements of Harmony and their allies. The Archdemon turned around slowly; regarding the assembled force with what Twilight guessed was a mix of trepidation and fury.

Again Twilight saw the image of the unicorn avatar appear on the Archdemon’s head, but instead of the rage she showed before, the shadow of Uthemiel appeared frightened.  Her eyes widened as she took in the site of the sacred jewels that made up the Elements.

Images flashed in Twilight’s mind, some rapidly giving way to the next while others lingered. She saw the battlefield outside of Trotterim, being shown the corpses of hundreds if not thousands of ponies, their lives snuffed as hordes of Ponyspawn continued to descend onto the city. The image of the battlefield flashed again, this time showing countless foals and family members of the soldiers mourning over their bodies. Another flash, and this time Twilight was shown bodies of those she knew, of Zharia, of Wise Eyes, and of General Puissant, all who had fallen in battle.

Again the view within Twilight’s mind’s eye shifted, this time to a burning city. The Archdemon flew over Trotterim, breathing out her shadowfire and reducing the city to ash. The flash-transition then showed the battle between the Archdemon and the Ursa Major. She saw the Ursa fall and shattered like glass against stone.

The next image made Twilight pause, as the Archdemon showed her Spike’s death again and again and again. In between each recollection of his murder, Twilight was shown images of the deaths of all her friends, each one screaming in agony as the shadowfire put them to the torch.

Twilight replied to the Archdemon’s last ditched attempt to unnerve her by firing a bolt of violet energy against its jaw. The black dragon recoiled as the blast rocked it, forcing the demon to take a tentative step backwards while Twilight advanced.

“How?” the visage of the unicorn Uthemiel said with disbelief. “How is it you know not of fear? Of despair!? How can you be immune to my influence?”

“I’m not immune,” Twilight replied. “I do know of fear, of despair. You’ve shown me plenty of both. But I can look past both to do what’s right. I am not ruled by despair. And I will do what I must. Because I am a Grey Warden.”

Twilight’s horn flashed again, and another, more powerful violet beam struck against the neck of the Archdemon. Sophia flew from Twilight’s side, the flames searing the ebon dragon’s scales while cutting cleanly through her flesh.

“Everyone, listen to me!” Twilight’s voice echoed as lifted her sword above her head. “I’m going to channel a spell that will use the Elements of Harmony and expose the Archdemon’s heart! Keep the Archdemon occupied!”

“Will do, Twilight!” Applejack galloped at full tilt, a magically enhanced Silverbite held tight between her teeth. The moonsteel blade seemed to glow a brilliant white light as Applejack slashed the air in her assault on the Archdemon, each slash forming a magical edge in the air before speeding off to cut the dragon’s hide. The Archdemon tried to answer back with a swift claw, but Applejack proved too quick, dodging the claws and reaching the Archdemon’s chest.

Silverbite cut through the Archdemon like a hot knife through an apple, splitting the scales and flesh cleanly in twain. Black blood burst from the ugly wound, causing the Archdemon no small amount of pain.

Before the Archdemon could recover, Rarity’s horn lit up and crackled with lightning. Despite the show on her horn, it was her ornate staff that attacked, drawing a glyph in rapid yet fluid motions. Lightning erupted from the edges of the glyph, dancing around the Archdemon and shocking it relentlessly.

As her friends continued to attack, Twilight focused on her spell. She pulled her attention to the east, and focused on the ley lines that connected the Elements together. For a moment Twilight could have sworn she saw the shades of ponies moving through her spellwork, helping in anyway possible. Unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies banded together in another reality native to the Elements, lifting objects into place in the sky.

The first was an apple-shaped mirror, seemingly carved out of rubies and emeralds. The next was another mirror, this time in the shape of a gemstone made of diamonds. Another mirror appeared, taking the form of a butterfly. A balloon-mirror quickly materialized, and then a mirror taking the form of a lightning bolt. The last mirror, a magical star, came into existence nearest the Archdemon, just as the first light of dawn peeked over the horizon.

“Warden! Look out!”

Twilight opened her eyes, spinning on her heels to see just in time the donlock known as the Stalker leaping towards her, his toothed blade ready to repeat the damage it had caused before.

Yet as Twilight was quickly producing a counter spell, the Stalker was tackled in mid-air by Loghoof, forcing the smiling slasher to roll away. “Don’t worry about this runt,” Loghoof said, “Focus on the Archdemon, before there isn’t a Trotterim left to save!”

The Stalker recovered from its barrel roll, only to look up and see that it was surrounded by a crowd of Trixies. They all smirked as their prey tried to attack the images, until one burst into an Oghren, waving his axe wildly as the rage overtook him. Oghren’s axe met flesh in brutal fashion, easily piercing through the Stalker’s armour and tearing the skin apart. It tried to parry, only for Oghren to cleave most of its face off in a single swing, effectively disarming the ponyspawn rogue.

Desperate for a way to escape, the Stalker backed into the tall legs of Shale. It looked up into the disgusted eyes of the golem, and before it could escape back towards the berserk Oghren, Shale lifted her hoof and quickly stomped, crushing the Stalker and its threat in a single motion.

The attack on the Archdemon continued without pause. Pinkie bounded around the master of the Blight, tossing grenade after grenade in its direction. They all detonated at different times, but all the explosions tore into the body of the Archdemon equally. The thunderous blasts and blinding flashes of light debilitated the Archdemon, forcing it to be unable to respond to any attack made against it.

Fluttershy took to the sky, raising her bow against the Archdemon while pulling an arrow from her quiver. With the arrow knocked and ready, Fluttershy muttered something, likely a quick prayer, taking aim at the normal eye. The arrow expanded lengthwise and glowed with a golden aura, the arrowhead covered in runes, and Twilight could feel the power pulsing from the single shot.

Taking a deep breath, Fluttershy fired her golden arrow, wincing in disgust as the empowered shot caused the Archdemon’s normal eye to burst open. The manic eye spun about, but the Archdemon could do nothing but helplessly claw at its own face to remove the arrow.

The crackle of a storm alerted everyone that the attack was far from finished. Rainbow Dash spun in the air, a tornado taking shape and hurtling towards the Archdemon. Bits of debris were caught by the storm, and everyone took cover away from Rainbow’s weather influenced attack. The tornado collided with the Archdemon, too weak to lift away such a large dragon, but Rainbow made her intentions known as she left the whirlwind to fly above it.

Her dagger glinting in the morning light, she spiralled down through the eye of her makeshift hurricane, attacking the distracted Archdemon with a flurry of slashes against its scales. The roar of pain coming from its mouth was muffled by the storm, until the tornado finally died down with a triumphant Rainbow posing outside of it. The Archdemon collapsed from its wounds, a sure sign that the damage was done.

With the Archdemon breathing out its death throes, Twilight knew her opportunity to use the Elements and expose the heart was small. If the Archdemon died from its wounds now, it would return in a new, healthy body, and they would not be able to repeat the same feat again. As the sun revealed itself above the horizon, bathing the charred and ruined city of Trotterim in morning light, Twilight channelled her magic along with that of the mirrors of the Elements.

Each mirror began to hum with magic as a single ray of light shot from the sun, summoned by Twilight’s magic. The beam passed through each mirror, gaining colour, width, and intensity as it journeyed from the east. As the beam passed through the sixth and final mirror, the Archdemon looked up to see the magic of Harmony at work.

In its eyes, Twilight once again saw fear.

“For all you have done… for everypony you killed, for all the lives you’ve caused suffering… you will end, Uthemiel!” Twilight all but screamed, her horn blazing with her magical power. The beam of light from the mirror shot forward, but did not strike the Archdemon. Instead, the beam focused itself on the tip of Twilight’s horn, her eyes glowing white-hot from the power of the spell.

Twilight had never felt more serene as she did right now. Through the power of the Elements, she felt her friends’ very essence course through her body. She felt their hopes, their dreams, and their faith in each other and in her strengthening her magic. In this single moment, she was one with them all, and Twilight was in perfect harmony.

Without hesitation, Twilight lowered her horn at the torso of the Archdemon. The prismatic ray formed from the light of the sun and the power of the Elements exploded from her horn, spiralling into the Archdemon and through its chest, the magic piercing the body in its entirety. The Archdemon made no sound as the beam tore its chest apart, forcing the black heart into the open air.

Yet for Twilight, all she could see was white as the world exploded around her.

Twilight did not know how long she had been out. A few minutes, perhaps more, but the pain she felt burned every fibre of her being. She stood up slowly, listening to the cracks and creaks of her bones, noting that she was no longer wearing the armour of the Elements. Sophia lay beside her, no longer on fire.

She looked to her friends, to see that they were all unconscious. Safe, and relatively healthy, but they would not awaken for some time. This is fate, Twilight thought as she looked to her sword, then up at the Archdemon. This is what I have to do.

Straight ahead, the Archdemon lay bleeding, breathing shallow gasps while its heart pumped away without missing a beat. The disgusting organ seemed to mock Twilight, as the scales of the Archdemon moved slowly in an attempt to hide it. The fact that it was a very large and very real heart rather than the glowing center of magic within Asha’Bellanar made Twilight even more resolute. The corruption of the Archdemons was made manifest in such a vile organ.

Her magic spent, Twilight took the hilt of her sword into her mouth. She could not hesitate. She could not wait. She had to strike here and now.

Urging the last of her strength to her legs, Twilight broke into a full sprint, clenching the sword tight in her mouth. As she galloped, her thoughts drifted to her friends. This would be the last time she saw any of them, and she would never even get the chance to say goodbye.

I’ll miss you all, she thought as she neared the heart. Thank you for everything. Live well for me. Live well for Spike.

Twilight struck.

***

Spike crawled out of wreckage of the Chantry building, unable to move his legs and only his left arm was in any condition to drag him. Yet drag him it did, pulling a coughing Spike away from the ash until he could collapse in a heap. His body, or what was left of it, was a twisted mockery as his scales and his armour were melted together. His entire body was numb from the pain that even the molten steel on his face felt like nothing.

 The light of the sun bathed over him as he turned onto his back, and Spike could not help but chuckle at the sight.

“Heh… isn’t that funny, Twilight?” Spike said, “I never felt truly alive in the Tower until we left it, and I saw the sun for the first time in my life. It was beautiful then. Still beautiful now.”

He turned his head slightly, and saw in the distance a pillar of prismatic light stretching into the sky. He blinked again, only to be certain that he was seeing the truth. The spirits of both Twilight and the Archdemon swirled around the pillar of light, the single yet brilliant light of Twilight in battle against the darkness that was the Archdemon.

Spike looked on in fear. If he didn’t do something quick, Twilight would be gone, killed just to slay the Archdemon forever. Lifting his good arm up, Spike placed a claw onto his chest and began to tear it open.

After seeing Asha’Bellanar’s heart exposed, Spike had wondered if all dragons could reveal their hearts. Seeing as how she and the Archdemon could, Spike breathed with relief as his chest cavity opened wide. He looked down to see a single glowing center, taking note of his own heart was no different from the draconic form of Flemeth.

His plan was foolish, headstrong, and the likelihood of failing was exponential.

Spike didn’t care. He would do anything to save Twilight.

“This is it then,” Spike muttered as he let his arm fall limp. “I hope you do all right without me, Twilight. I know this world will be a better place with you in it. Me, I’ve just been your number one assistant. Consider this my last assistance. Goodbye… and I love you.”

He locked eyes with the spirit of the Archdemon, just as it and Twilight’s soul could finally collide. It’s me you want, Spike thought, desperate to be heard. I have your blood in me as well. I’m a dragon. You want me. Use my body to become strong. It’s me you want…

The Archdemon’s soul stopped its flight, turning its blood red visage towards the fallen Spike. Ignoring Twilight completely, it flew towards Spike with reckless abandon, before shifting into the form of a twisted unicorn mare. Spike looked around, seeing his own spirit being lifted from his body to meet the Archdemon head on.

“You… one of the broods… your will…” the Archdemon screamed, trying to get away from Spike. It felt odd that even though his spirit was small compared to the unicorn, Spike felt amazingly strong. He grasped at the fleeing tail of the Archdemon, pulling it towards him. His spirit-self started to decay at the same time as the Archdemon, bits floating away into the air and evaporating into nothingness.

“I won’t let you hurt Twilight anymore.” Spike jumped onto the back of the unicorn-Archdemon, digging his claws into her body. “We’re both going down. Way down.”

Uthemiel continued to shriek and struggle, even as more bits of her soul continued to break away. To Spike, it felt more like… falling asleep. His eyelids became heavy, and despite the writhing body, he felt comfortable and relaxed.

Soon the light of the sun gave way to a simple visage of pure white. He could feel himself floating away, but all sound was muffled. He could not even hear the screams of the Archdemon.

“Goodnight…” Spike closed his eyes, and let the soft glow of oblivion carry him away to everlasting rest.

---

Epilogue – First Light of Dawn

Twilight shifted in her bed, squeezing her eyes shut as the morning rays leaked into her room. The singing of birds and Rarity’s soft humming finally roused Twilight to wake up proper, sitting on the bed she sat in. Taking a moment to adjust to the light, Twilight looked around her room, yet could not remember how she got here. One moment she was fighting the Archdemon, the next…

Spike…

“Twilight, darling, thank goodness you’re awake.” Rarity put down her needle and thread, and Twilight took note that the sorceress was working on fixing her Arcane Warrior armour. Taking a wooden cup in her aura, Rarity poured some water for Twilight. She levitated the water to Twilight, who tried to pick up with her own magic.

Twilight’s horn began to glow, only for the magic to spark from her horn to no effect. The cup fell, only to be caught in Rarity’s magic. Rarity looked at Twilight with pity, floating the water into her hooves.

“Don’t try to use your magic for a while, Twilight,” Rarity said. “The battle… it took a lot out of you. We think your exposure to the Elements and the spell you used against the Archdemon drained you completely. We decided you deserved plenty of rest, rather than a lyrium injection. Just don’t cast any spells while you recover.”

“How—“ Twilight dry coughed into her hoof, a loud hacking sound that made Rarity flinch. Her throat was incredibly dry that she quickly downed her drink in a single gulp. The cool water felt good going down her throat.

“How long was I out?” Twilight asked when she recovered from her faulty magic. Rarity shifted uncomfortably for a moment.

“A week, Twilight,” Rarity answered. “You’ve been in a coma since the Archdemon’s death. Applejack has been cleaning up and getting everypony to begin rebuilding Trotterim. She thinks getting them to work is good for them. I agree. It will hopefully distract them from the Blight.”

Twilight looked down at her cup. “We won…”

“We did. They saw when the pillar of light exploded from the Archdemon, all the ponyspawn within a mile of Trotterim were obliterated. Any survivors fled, we assume to the Dark Tunnels. It made the clean-up easy, actually. There are no ponyspawn corpses to burn. All of them are simply gone. The Grey Wardens of Filais also arrived to deal with the body of the Archdemon. It is very strange, considering that while the ponyspawns were all annihilated, the Archdemon still remained. They are draining the corpse of its blood… to make future Wardens, I suppose. Still, dreadful business.”

Twilight nodded. She had to bite her tongue as indignation welled inside her, all too willing to shout curses at both the Wardens and Loghoof for stopping them. Where were the Wardens when they were fighting the ponyspawn? Where were they during the Battle of Trotterim. Where were they when… Spike…

“The rest… Fluttershy and the Chantry are helping but there are so many, and… and…”

Rarity’s eyes watered and Twilight knew what was going to be said next. Taking a deep breath, Twilight tried to settle her nerves. She could not stop her hooves from shaking.

“I swear, Twilight,” Rarity almost pleading. “We tried! Rainbow Dash swept the ash of the burnt Chantry, we dug as deep as we could! But… we couldn’t… we couldn’t find Spike’s… oh goodness… I can’t…”

Rarity sobbed, falling into Twilight’s hooves. Twilight made no sound, only hugging her friend close as they both wept bitter tears. They won the war, and the Blight was over. The cost was too much to take, though. How was she going to go on without her number one assistant? How was she going to live without Spike’s assurances and support?

Twilight couldn’t stay in bed all day and night, as much as she wanted to. Her friends needed her help; at the very least they needed to know she was awake. With Rarity’s help, Twilight took her first tentative steps onto the floor, her body shaking all the while. She looked to her armour, only for Rarity to usher her towards a closet.

“No, dear. No more armour. No more swords or fighting.” Rarity opened the closet to reveal a very simple yellow dress with a single pink ribbon around the collar. “I made this for you during the week. Something different. Something more ‘you’, rather than wearing your armour. You deserve it, dear.”

“Thank you,” Twilight quietly said. Again, Rarity helped Twilight into her dress giving a faint smile. Whether it was her body or her heart, the aches and pains continued to rack her. Walking proved difficult, and more often than not Twilight fell against Rarity’s side. Rarity’s patience with the weakened Twilight did not waver, however, and soon they made their way into the palace halls and down towards the city proper.

All around Twilight the city was buzzing with energy. Ponies moved about lifting beams of lumber onto new buildings while others cleared out the debris and ash caused by the Archdemon’s assault. Everypony was working in perfect unity, and while Twilight did not know how long such a peace would last, her heart was glad with the sight nonetheless.

Among the crowd, their bags loaded with supplies for a long journey, was Loghoof and Ser Sunsword. Both earth ponies spotted Twilight approach them, with Loghoof bowing his head slightly to Twilight.

“Twilight Sparkle. Rarity,” Loghoof said curtly. “You’ll forgive me if I do not stay longer. Her Majesty has doled out my punishment for my actions at Ostequus. I am to journey with General Blackmace back to Orzamule where I am to aid the donkeys in reclaiming their lost thaigs. Funny. After all I did to try to protect Equestria, now I am being sent away from her.”

While it did seem unfair for Applejack to banish Loghoof, even if the word was never used, Twilight understood the reasoning behind it. For all his flaws, Loghoof was still a respected general with many followers in the soldiery. If Applejack were to consolidate her rule, Loghoof had to be removed. This allowed Loghoof to use his talent as a military advisor for the good of Orzamule and in the long run, Equestria.

“I wish you both luck, Loghoof Mac Tir,” Twilight said, extending her hoof.

“Try to keep Equestria in one piece.” With that, Loghoof and Sunsword left, flanked by two donkey soldiers to join the army as it returned to Orzamule. A slight tug on her mane told Twilight to continue following Rarity towards the gates of the city.

In the market square, Twilight saw Shale and Trixie arguing once again. The two seemed to be a rather heated discussion, yet despite the choice of words they used on each other, Trixie’s smile never faltered for a moment.

“You useless walking gravel road of monolithic proportions!” Trixie yelled. “What were you thinking taking that wood from the north part of Trotterim to the south? What exactly were you thinking, or did the conversion process petrify your brain.”

“The Almighty and Unquestionably Dominant Shale does not need to answer to the boastful Trixie.” Shale huffed stomping a heavy hoof on the ground. “I saw more materials in the north. I thought it fair that the ponies divide their materials evenly. How was I supposed to know that they didn’t need more wood?”

“Next time let me deal with the supplies.”

Twilight chuckled at the sight, alerting Trixie and Shale to her arrival. “Ah, magical Twilight,” Shale said in greeting. “I was wondering when you were going to awaken. I thought of shaking your bed a few times, but was told off by the others.”

“Thanks for letting me rest, Shale,” Twilight replied. “So… now that the Blight is over, what are you two going to do now?”

Trixie’s smile fell, if only slightly. “Ever since Wise Eyes died, the other unicorns of the Tower decided to make Trixie the new First Enchanter. She’ll be going back to the Tower to help rebuild after Hubred’s attack. It’s a lot of work, and a big responsibility is on Trixie’s shoulders… but after this journey, I think I’m ready for it. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. I feel… fulfilled.”

“And I shall be going to this Tower with Trixie,” Shale added. “She has invited me to call the Tower ‘home,’ something of which I never thought I would ever call a place. I will also be conducting research on seeing if I can become mortal again.”

Twilight raised her eyebrow in surprise. “You want to become a donkey again, Shale? This does not sound like you. Won’t you miss being a powerful golem?”

“Of course I will, you prat.” Shale’s annoyance faded quickly as she looked away, not meeting Twilight’s eyes. “But I’ve learned something from all this. As I am now, I am effectively immortal. It would hurt to see all my friends pass one when I could not. After losing the lizard… the very notion frightens me.”

Spike…

Twilight fought back against the tears that were already forming. “Shale, I…”

“Enough. I won’t have anypony mope about me.” If Twilight could, she would have sworn that Shale winked at her. “I have a long life ahead of me still. I just want the option to be there, is all. Options are good.”

“Shale, darling, are the preparations complete?” Rarity looked up to Shale while Twilight gave her a quizzical glance. The golem nodded once, then turned quickly and began to walk towards the entrance of Trotterim. Trixie and Rarity followed, with Twilight chasing behind them, puzzled as to what they were talking about.

They walked in silence as the morning rays continued to fill the land with light. When Twilight finally saw the destruction wrought by the Blight in the surrounding countryside, she had to stand still to soak it all in.

The land around Trotterim was blackened and lifeless, the result of hundreds upon hundreds of ponyspawn having their blood spilt against the land. The life in the city gave the countryside a stark contrast, the once verdant land an empty shell of what it used to be. Dust and ash blew in the wind, hundreds of burnt-out funeral pyres simply waiting to be swept away by the wind.

Twilight looked to her friends, who waited for her as she took in the aftermath of the battle. With a nod and a quick step, Twilight rejoined them as they walked through the barren land. They soon came across a small, unharmed glade in the middle of woodland. Waiting within was the rest of their adventuring party, standing around a large stone slab.

“Hey there, sugarcube,” Applejack said, “Glad to see you’re up and at ‘em. We uh… we made something. Well, Oghren and Shale found the rock, Rarity helped carve it. But we thought it would be important for you to see it, after all.”

They all stepped aside, allowing Twilight to look at the stone properly. Twilight gasped at the sight, seeing the perfectly chiseled rendition of Spike etched into the stone. The image was lifelike, as if Spike was merely sleeping; his sword clutched in his claws and held against his chest. On the bottom of the stone was a brass plaque, engraved with a message:

“In Memory of a Knight, a Friend, a Brother

We will never forget you, and hold you forever in our hearts

Ser Spike of Equestria”

Spike…

The floodgates finally opened, and Twilight could do nothing but collapse on the slab in a fit of tears. He was gone, truly gone, and there was nothing she could do to stop the pain. Seeing the slab felt like her wounds were reopened and bleeding anew. It was a cruelty she did not want to suffer anymore. Life without Spike was just something she could not fathom.

Then, gently, she felt the comfort of forelegs holding her. Twilight opened her eyes to see her friends save Shale hug her, all of them with tears in their eyes as well. They mourned as she did; Spike was as much their friend as he was hers.

“Thank you… thank you all so much.” Twilight wiped away her tears before looking up at her friends with a smile. “This means the world to me, knowing that Spike will have a place in the world after all.”

“He meant the world to all of us, Twilight.” Fluttershy squeezed her a bit tighter. Twilight let out a happy sigh, stroking a hoof along the cheek of the stone effigy. He would have loved to see a statue like this in his honour.

“We’re alive…” Twilight took a breath as she looked at her assembled friends. “We can continue on, in his memory, and live free of fear of the ponyspawn. We can follow our hopes and dreams, for Spike.”

“For Spike!”

With her friends with her, Twilight gave the statue of Spike one final kiss on the cheek. Waving her goodbyes, she left the final resting place of Spike as she and her friends walked into the light of the sun.

After the battle of Trotterim, the heroes of the battle went their separate ways to accomplish their own hopes and dreams. While Equestria recovered, the rest of the world continued to turn around her, never knowing that in this small nation, the catalyst of change had been sparked.

Applejack proved a popular and respected Queen to her people. Though her inexperience in dealing with politics was a burden, Applejack’s rule proved a boon to Equestria as it was led to a rapid recovery and even growth after the Blight. However, she was not without her enemies, as rumblings from Filais continued unabated, especially after the treatment caused to them by Loghoof.

Rarity returned to the Potpourri Wilds and began mentoring her sister Sweetie Belle in the use of her newfound magic. Eventually, the Templar Order began to search for apostates in the wilds, and Rarity was forced to flee despite her status as a hero. There was also the fear that Flemeth’s defeat was not final, as once in a while a large shadow of great wings swept over the wilderness. Without another word, Rarity and Sweetie Belle disappeared from the world.

Fluttershy returned to Filais and received a full pardon from the Empress herself thanks to the work of General Puissant. Summoned by the Divines of the Chantry, Fluttershy soon vanished from the public eye, though some have sworn to have seen a pink-maned pegasus walking the halls of the Grand Cathedral wearing the robes and mask of the Seekers of Truth.

Pinkie Pie boarded a ship heading across the oceans of the Free Plains to find her family. Rainbow Dash, following through with her promise, accompanied her despite the constant threat of Reinhardt and his corrupted Wonderbolts over her head. They journeyed together to a new land… but that is another story.

Trixie and Shale returned to the Unicorn Tower, where much rebuilding was to take place after the defeat of Hubred’s insurrection. Shale would attempt to help, but rumours of strange golems attracted her attention, in the hopes to learn more about her existence.

Oghren, unwilling to return to Orzamule, stayed on the surface and settled down with a jenny. They lived in peace for a time, only for the berserker to seek battle once again. Oghren joined a mercenary company, traveling to the far reaches of Equestria to slate his need for combat.

Twilight Sparkle would serve as an advisor for Applejack in the months following the Battle of Trotterim, only to be given full command over Equestria’s Grey Wardens by the leadership of the Warden stronghold of Ashen Targe. To further protect Equestria from the ponyspawn, Applejack gave the Grey Wardens the Arling of Amarethine, now lordless after the death of the traitor Arl Rendon Maim, which Twilight would also become Arlessa of.

Though the Blight was defeated, the threat of the ponyspawn still loomed over Equestria. Warbands of ponyspawn still attack settlements along the Amarethine region, while rumours abound that they are being led by something far more cunning than the Archdemon. Twilight Sparkle sets out now to stop them.

This is the origin of the Pony Age.

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