The Elements Of Harmony: The Equestrian Crisis c2

"Following the mane cast's brief reunion after having been apart for three years, the young mares find themselves divided once again. Though the death of Celestia has stricken them all hard, a new quest beckons them from the tragedy, one that must be completed if Equestria is to survive the mysterious peril that has befallen it. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash arrive back in Ponyville, but is everything as tranquil as it seems? Meanwhile, Twilight and Rarity each have their own events in Canterlot which will define their unique role in their personal fight for Equestria's fate. What kind of struggle awaits the pair? But first, Applejack and Pinkie Pie head out alone for the city of Trottingham. There, they must question an old Royal Guard Captain about Celestia's mysterious daughter, but what will they uncover?"

THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY: THE EQUESTRIAN CRISIS CHAPTER 2
- DELIVERING THE GOODS -

   Pinkie Pie tossed and turned in the bunk bed she shared with Applejack. Her eyelids flickered wildly as she sought reprieve from her haunting nightmares, but found none. A long gasp escaped her lips like breaching the water of a cold lake. She looked up at the ceiling and a bright ray of moonlight fell on her face. The moon outside was big and round, its light extra radiant. Pinkie stuck her head outside to get some fresh air but fell backwards when the train made a bump.

   "Miss Pie?" a voice echoed. Confused, Pinkie looked at Applejack who was still snoring.

   "Y-yes?" she replied nervously.

   "Oh most glorious of glories! We thought we'd never get into contact with you."

   Pinkie paused for a moment at what sounded like a pony she knew. "Luna?" she finally exclaimed and looked wildly around her.

   "'Tis we, your beloved Princess Luna!"

   "But I thought you were... gone?"

   The compartment went quiet for a long while and Pinkie almost thought she had imagined the whole thing. But the voice picked up again, though more mournfully. "It is true that we are no longer with you, but we still want to help you. We have sent one of our guards, our nephew Prince Lace. Please do not be frightened when you see him and be open to his words."

   "What do you mean, Princess? Who's Lace?"

   But the voice was gone for good. The streak of Selene light receded as well and the compartment was cast in darkness.

   She turned around and saw the compartment door stood open. Somepony was breathing faintly somewhere close, and it wasn't Applejack. It seemed positively like there were no one else along with her. Then she heard the shuffle of a hood and a pair of lavender eyes gazed at her. Pinkie retreated back against to the wall, her heart hammering in her chest. The figure stepped as far forward as he could for the seats, and then a strip of moonlight fell on his face. He was an earth pony with a lavender coat as dark as his eyes, hiding underneath a black coat. Bright yellow hair from his mane cascaded down his folded hood.

   "You don't sleep well for a murderer. Could it be that you have a guilty conscience? Never mind, I'm sure you'll appreciate what I'm about to propose regardless." His voice was deep and in no hurry to escape his mouth.

   "Are you...?" Pinkie asked, slowly calming down. He nodded.

   "I am Prince Lace, a Speaker for the Dark Brotherhood. And you, you are a killer. A taker of life; a harvester of souls. Your work – your deathcraft – pleases Luna. And so I come to you with an offering. An opportunity... to join our rather unique family."

   Pinkie gulped and the once so talkative party pony was struck dumb. She simply readjusted herself to sit more comfortably, not knowing what to say.

   "So, I have your rapt attention, eh? Splendid," he said and gave a cold little smile. "Now listen closely. In the compartment opposite yours, you will find a stallion named Rough Spirits. Kill him and your initiation into the Dark Brotherhood will be complete. Do this and the next time you sleep in a location I deem secure, I will reveal myself once more bearing the love of your new family."

   "But I'm not a murderer!" Pinkie exclaimed with a slight laugh to her words.

   "No? Luna seems to think otherwise. Allow me to grant you a gift, in case you reconsider." Prince Lace took a dagger from his robe and dropped it down on the bed in front of Pinkie. She could only stare at it, too scared to move. "It is a virgin blade and thirsts for blood. May it serve you well as does your silence. Now I bid you farewell. I do hope we'll meet again soon"

   "Wait," Pinkie said as Prince Lace turned to leave. "What is the Dark Brotherhood? And how can you speak for Luna?"

   "Luna did not tell you of us? Of the vengeful guild of former guards out for justice?" he asked, not so much out of curiosity as out of pride. He turned around again, eager to share his story. "Long ago, we and our fathers and mothers and their fathers and mothers before them served as guards to her Royal Highness Princess Luna. Our guard posts were disbanded during her imprisonment in the Moon. Some of us became guards for Celestia and some of us formed the Dark Brotherhood. We assumed high positions over the years, waiting for the day when our nocturnal matron would return to us. Some of us could still hear her words, even as Nightmare Moon claimed her soul. She has bidden us for centuries to kill those who spread injustice in Equestria."

   "But you don't look like a royal guard?" Pinkie remarked.

   "Of course not, my child. The magic of our armour transforms our appearance and I only come to you in a simple robe."

   "And why does this Rough Spirits have to die?" she asked and took the blade into her hooves. The dagger was made from black volcanic glass not found anywhere in Equestria. It was a most curious little weapon, extremely hard and cold to the touch. Thin ornate gold snaked around the blade and formed intricate, minuscule patterns that must have taken a long time to paint.

   "He is a spy for the people who wishes you to fail. They do not yet realise which of you possesses the amulet, but I fear that he will soon find out if he is allowed to live. Know that Rough Spirits is old and weak, and sleeps his days away. You could kill him before he even has a chance to wake. If you so choose." Pinkie nodded in understanding and Prince Lace continued. "Your path is clear. Send Rough Spirits to his death and the Dark Brotherhood will embrace you as family."

   Prince Lace turned around again and Pinkie saw his cutie mark, a golden leaf, for just a moment as his robes fluttered. Despite being an earth pony, Lace vanished before her very eyes and Pinkie could only faintly see his silhouette flicker in the light of the moon.

   She continued to look at the dagger, clutching it close to her heart for comfort. The blade was cold against her fur, a comforting feeling that sent shivers all over her.

   "Is this really what I must do? Is there no other way?" she asked. The moon above shimmered for just a moment. She sighed and slipped out into the hall. Applejack turned, but remained fast asleep

   It was a dark night and the train was unlit at this hour. She groped for the door handle on the cabin opposite hers. It slid open to reveal an interior that looked much like the one she had just left. An old stallion was sleeping on the seats in this one. She chewed nervously on the dagger between her teeth and looked around the room for some kind of reassurance.

   He was travelling lightly and had only brought a small suitcase with him. Something about it caught her attention so she kicked it open. Red fabric spilled out of the stuffed luggage; a robe matching those of the assassins.

   "It's true what Prince Lace said," she muttered. Anger flushed her cheeks as she as she grabbed the dagger hard. She gritted her teeth and approached the old stallion with quickened breath. But once poised above him, she froze. For a long while she lingered with the dagger above her. Finally she lowered the knife and hung her head, snivelling.

   The old stallion jerked away, surprising Pinkie to fall flatly on her back. The old stallion had a flustered look on his face as he stepped down from his bunk. "You!" the old stallion cried out and reached under his mattress. He groped around in the darkness, but Pinkie saw the iron dagger reflected in the moonlight.

   Reacting instinctively and fast, Pinkie jumped up into the air and plunged her dagger into the old stallion's neck. He opened his mouth to scream but gurgled only blood. He fell limply on his side, dead. A glimmer of light flashed outside the windows and briefly illuminated the old pony. Her heart skipped a beat as for a moment, she thought it was Twilight lying there. But the coat of the old pony was a lighter shade of purple. He also had an entirely different cutie mark, and his receding hair was all blond.

   Pinkie heaved with the realisation of what she had done, that she had taken another pony's life and that this could happen to all of them. She wiped the dagger clean in the old pony's coat and stashed the dagger away in her mane. Making sure no one had seen her deeds, Pinkie quickly returned to her bed where Applejack was stirred. She looked up and saw Pinkie standing in the doorway, quivering and feigning a smile.

   "Huh? Whassa matter?" Applejack asked drowsily.

   "I just needed to use the bathroom."

   "Yer shakin', sugar cube."

   "I am?" Pinkie replied, trying to pass it off as nothing but her knees were buckling

   "It's mighty cold tanight," Applejack said. "Come back under the covers before you catch something."

   Pinkie crawled back into bed and felt Applejack throw an arm around her, drawing them closer together. She blushed in the darkness, smelling earth and apples in Applejack's coat and mane. Applejack soon drifted back into her dreams and her steady, slow heartbeat was all the comfort Pinkie needed. All her worries and fears vanished and she was soon fast asleep.

***

   "It's all right, Rarity, you'll just slip back to Fillydelphia before anypony notices," Rarity said to herself as she walked down the streets of Canterlot. She eyed everypony she passed suspiciously. She trusted only her friends, and friends she had none of in this city.

   She hurried across the stone bridge and out of the city. The place outside of the walls was a district in its own right with the characteristics of a shady waterfront. Large zeppelins and trains came here for passengers and cargo. Rarity walked up to a ticket booth on the station and gave the stallion behind the glass a tired smile.

   "One ticket to Fillydelphia," she said and dug into her saddle pouches. Curiously, she didn't find her money bag in the left one where she remembered putting it.

   "That'll be four bits, ma'am," the stallion said in a bored voice.

   Rarity rummaged through her right pouch, first casually, then frantically. She went through both of the pouches twice before noticing a hole. "Oh no," she uttered. "My money, my brush... my scarf!" She looked up and smiled nervously, turning on all of her charm. "Eh hehe... I seem to have misplaced my bits, but a gallant stallion such as yourself would trust a lady like me. I'll pay the fare once I get to my destination."

   "Do I have idiot stamped on my forehead?" the stallion asked gruffly. "No bits, no ticket. If you can't pay, please step out of the line."

   Rarity was about to protest, but a small line had formed behind her with all the time she had wasted. She was pushed aside by a male pegasus who wanted to go to Ponyville. She had no choice but to step off the platform. Unsure where to go and what to do now, she started heading back towards the city.

   "It's all right, Rarity. You're just trapped in Canterlot without a bit on you and you don't know anypony here... you'll figure something out." Just to reassure herself, she began to chuckle nervously and then hung her head low. She walked the streets of Canterlot with a sinking feeling and dramatically began to recite for herself. "I was a fool to trust that handsome stallion all those years ago. My friends tried to warn me, but I was blind to the warning signs. When I came here, the workshop was an empty lot. I had sold my boutique in Ponyville and had nowhere to go."

   "Tough luck," a bum said and scratched his armpits.

   "Yes, I couldn't even look at fabrics anymore! ... huh?" Rarity looked surprised at the haggard pony that had answered her.

   "Spare a bit?" the bum asked.

   "No!" she replied revolted and went across the road.

   "Everypony is always talking to themselves, never to Old Silas," the bum said and lay down on the sidewalk.

   Rarity sighed and looked up. Her eyes fell on the castle and her face lit up. "Of course!" She ran with renewed vigour and approached the doors into the castle. Two white guards in gilded armour blocked her way with their spears.
<--
   "Excuse me, gentlecolts, but you wouldn't be so kind as to let me inside?" she asked and batted her eyelids. They exchanged a short stern look before replying.

   "All entry into the castle has been forbidden on orders of the ministers," the left one said.

   "Trust me, they would want me in there. I was a personal friend of Celestia," Rarity said and turned on the charm in her voice.

   "Anypony can make that claim. No entry without an arrangement," the right one said.

   "But I'm Rarity... the Element of Generosity! Surely you colts have heard of me."

    "Pfft," the left one said, barely able to keep a straight face. "Of course you are! Why, I'm the Prince of Griffons myself!"

   "But.... I have the cutie mark to prove it," Rarity said desperately and waved her shapely flank.

   "A generic cutie mark like that is a dime a dozen, Miss. Unless there was something else, we're going to have to ask you to vacate the premises," the right one said.

    Rarity made a pout and quivered her lips, but the guards started rustling their spears. She retreated out on the streets again. The sun was setting faster and faster and it would be dark before long. She wandered all around Canterlot without any goals until she saw the school.

   "Twilight!" she exclaimed and hurried for the gates, but paused before she could enter. "But what do I tell her? I can't say I don't actually know anypony here. No Rarity, it's your dishonesty that got you here. I must tell her the truth. I must!"

    She went through the wrought iron gates into the half-circle courtyard and strolled up the stairs. She couldn't see her friend outside and approached the large oaken doors. She was about to open them when a guard approached her. He looked like other guards and was dressed like them too, but he had a blue hood covering his head instead of the usual gold helmet.

   "I'm sorry, Miss, only entrance for students and their relatives."

   "But... I need to speak with Twilight Sparkle!" Rarity said desperately.

   "Miss Sparkle is away on official academy business," the guard said gruffly. "We're closing the grounds for the night, so unless you have any other business, I will have to ask you to leave."

    The guard was curt and insistent, not giving her any other choice but to go back the way she had come.

   "What business could Twilight have? Well, it's probably just a small errand. She'll be back soon."

   Rarity sat down in front of the walls and acted important. She kept her head high and observed the few ponies that came and went, but night was slowly encroaching and the day had been a long one. Though she tried her best, her eyelids began to droop. She caught herself dozing off several times but she could not keep the tide of sleep at bay forever. Her conscience disappeared before the sun.

   She awoke again to someone poking her. Opening her eyes blearily, she saw a guard standing above her.

   "Wha –" she asked drowsily and rubbed her eyes.

   "No sleeping out on the street, Miss. If you can't afford to rent a room for the night, I'm afraid I will have to ask you to leave or be escorted."

   "Now you listen here," she said and got up on her hooves. "I've lost my wallet, I'm all alone, I can't go home, I can't sleep anywhere, I can't even afford something to eat! So what, pray tell, do you want me to do?"

   "You could try and find a bedroll outside the city. A lot of the poor live out there."

   Rarity snorted and stuck her nose high as she walked off. Only when she was sure no one could see her, a single tear trailed down her chin. The rest followed quickly and she found it difficult to turn them off again. She was too tired to argue against herself and decided to try and find a place to sleep for the night outside the city. The poor had already turned in for the night and campfires had been extinguished. Those who could afford shacks had turned off their light as well and the whole place was cast in darkness. She carefully trod among sleeping ponies and hovels and warehouses.

   She was unsuccessful in finding a free bedroll or one not saturated by grime and sweat. Instead she found a nice, quiet backyard between the wall of the city and a small planked shack. It was covered on all sides by a small stone fence and had a large bush that she could hide behind. She collapsed and closed her eyes.

   "This day can't possibly get any worse," she said before falling asleep.

***

   Pinkie Pie jumped outside, ecstatic to be out in the open air once again. She had vowed to herself not to speak about last night's incidents or allow it to bother her.

   Applejack came up next to her to inspect a city she had never been in before. It was late morning in Trottingham and the sun wasn't quite up its highest on the sky yet. Busy ponies entered the day with a carefree attitude, going about their business contented. Applejack stretched and followed Pinkie the best she could, considering she was bouncing around.

   "What a nice, quiet place," Applejack said as she inspected the town.

   It was bigger than Ponyville and the architecture was similar, though using woods to a much larger degree. The inhabitants were predominantly earth ponies with a large amount of small private plots in connection with the houses. Trottingham was surrounded to all sides by trees and there wasn't much space for fields outside it. Instead, the ponies here got what they needed from the forest or otherwise from what they could grow or import.

   "Such nice, fresh air too! Mmm," Pinkie said.

   "Ah wonder though where we can find the monastery," Applejack replied, scouting the streets for any signs of religious orders.

   "Know where we can find the monastery?" Pinkie asked, but not to Applejack. She had climbed up on top of a brown stallion and stood on his head.

   "Just take the road out of town. You can't miss it," he said and looked up into Pinkie's eyes.

   "Thanks, mister!" Pinkie said and jumped down again. The stallion looked puzzled at her before continuing with his business. She waved at him as she joined Applejack out of town.

   "Ya know, Pinkie, ya should be more careful of who ya approach. Any one of them could be an enemy," Applejack said and looked nervously from side to side.

   "But Applejack, if we think that every pony we meet is an enemy, then the enemy has won!" Pinkie beamed with a wide smile. Applejack sighed and smiled back.

   "Ah know, Ah know. Just... be more careful is what Ah'm trying to say, alright?"

   Pinkie nodded exuberantly and bounced out of Trottingham. Applejack kept a steadier walking pace, always looking behind them and her ears flipping and turning. A wind rustled the green trees above them and it didn't take long before the bustle of the city was replaced with the song of birds. Even the train could not be heard.

   The monastery stood on their left, away from the town and almost like a part of the woods. There was a small stone chapel for worship and a larger two-storey wooden house. Applejack rapped on the door and an elderly monk opened, dressed in a simple gown of a coarse material in a green earthen colour.

   "Welcome to Weynon Priory, a monastic retreat dedicated to Celestia and the divines. I'm Brother Nonpareil, head of our community and responsible for all our religious and secular affairs," he said. "How may I help you?"

   "Nonpar what?" Pinkie raised a confused eyebrow, but Applejack interrupted her.

   "We're here to see Brave Charger."

   "You can find our grandmaster just up the stairs to your right," Brother Nonpareil said and saw them off with a smile.

   Inside, a male unicorn sat by a table and ate a dinner consisting of apples and carrots. He didn't look to be a monk, so he was probably a caretaker of some sort. The monastery wasn't otherwise much to look and consisted of only a single room. A set of wooden stairs led up to the second floor.

   Pinkie Pie and Applejack went upstairs and to the right, into an office. It was longer than it was wide and had a desk at the end. The pony they presumed to be Brave Charger sat behind it. He was old with a dark purple coat, his grey mane almost non-existing and his eyes still full of fire. He was reading a small book and looked up at them, not smiling, not frowning, but with curiosity.

   "Yer Brave Charger?" Applejack asked and went up to the desk.

   "Yes, I'm Father Charger. What do you want?" he asked and put down his book.

   Pinkie dug into Applejack's saddle and retrieved the amulet. She dumped it on the desk before him. His eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight. "By Celestia! This is the Amulet of Alicorns! Who are you? How did you get this? What do you know of the Princess' death?"

   "We were there when she died," Pinkie said, her exuberance toned down.

   "You'd better explain yourself. Now," Charger demanded. Applejack and Pinkie quickly went through yesterday's events, taking apt detail to Celestia's words. Charger seemed very tired and old at their words. "As unlikely as your story sounds, I believe you. Only the strange destiny of Celestia could have brought you to me carrying the Amulet of Alicorns."

   "Just who is the Prince of Destruction? And what is Oblivion?" Pinkie asked. He looked at her with a pained expression and grunted before replying.

   "The Prince of Destruction she referred to is the avatar of annihilation, a nameless deity from a time before ponies. As to Oblivion, well... the least said the better. Put simply however, it is a featureless plain of nothingness.  The Princess' words, 'Close shut the jaws of Oblivion,' would suggest she perceived a threat from there. This can only mean that The Prince of Destruction seeks to obliterate not just our world, but the very memories of our existence. But all the scholars agree that the mortal world is protected from the demons of Oblivion by magical barriers."

   "Then how in tarnation can this Oblivion be of any threat ta us then?" Applejack asked with voice heated from emotions.

   "I'm not sure," Brave Charge said and shook his head. He got up from his seat and stared out of the window behind his desk. "Only the Princesses truly understood the meaning behind the rituals of coronation. The Amulet of Alicorns is ancient; it is a holy relic of great power. When an Alicorn is crowned, he or she uses the Amulet to light the Dragonfires at the Temple of the One in Canterlot. With the Princess dead and no new heir crowned, the Dragonfires in the Temple will be dark for the first time in millennia. It may be that the Dragonfires protected us from a threat that only the Princess was aware of."

   "And get this!" Pinkie said. "She asked us to find her daughter! I mean, how crazy does that sound?"

   The old monk turned around again to face them, taking a deep breath.

   "I am one of the few who know of her existence. Many years ago, I served as captain of the Blades. One night Celestia called me in to her private chambers. A baby filly lay sleeping in a basket and she told me to deliver her somewhere safe. She never told me anything else about the baby, but I knew it was her daughter. From time to time she would ask about the child's progress. Now it seems that this illegitimate daughter is the heir to the Alicorn Throne. If she yet lives."

   "Where can we find this daughter?" Applejack asked impatiently.

   "Her name is Starfire and she lives an unassuming, adopted life in Ponyville. Without the magic of the Amulet to pull out her powers however, the child will have none of the powers of either earth ponies, pegasuses or unicorns. She has wings, but cannot fly. She is Celestia's daughter, but knows no magic."

   "That's strange. I know just about everypony in Ponyville, and I've never heard of a pegasus by the name of Starfire," Pinkie said.

   "Oh no," Applejack said, all colour draining from her face. "If she's still in Ponyville, then... the whole town could be in danger!"

   "Huh?" Pinkie asked, her train of thought suddenly interrupted.

   "We don't have time for this, sugar cube! We have to return to Ponyville immediately."

   "Gotcha!" Pinkie said and saluted. The two were just about to leave when Brave Charger stopped them.

   "You could face many dangers on the road ahead. I keep a few things here in my chest to resupply travelling Blades," he said and unlocked a chest by the wall. "Help yourself to whatever you need."

   The chest was large and contained a cuirass of interwoven metal plates, a simple longsword entirely of armour with leather strips wound around the handle and a small food bag. Pinkie grabbed the supplies and put it into her satchel. Applejack equipped the armour and strapped the sword around her waist. Though forged for a stallion, her musculature ensured the armour wasn't uncomfortable to wear.

***

   Rainbow Dash woke that morning to muffled screams. Fluttershy was sleeping peacefully by her side and she hesitated in waking her. Dash instead rubbed her eyes and quietly snuck out of bed to see what all the commotion was. She blinked a few times, not sure what was going on.

   She blinked her eyes blearily and realised that there was smoke coming from Ponyville. The town had caught on fire and the screaming was confusion and bewilderment. Dash shook life back into Fluttershy who gave a cute little yawn, betraying the seriousness of the situation.

   "Is it morning already?" she asked.

   "They're here!" Rainbow Dash answered and pointed with her hoof to the fires visible from the window. Fluttershy gave a meep and drew the blankets up to her nose. "Listen, Fluttershy, I have to go and investigate this. I want you to stay here at all costs. Do not let anyone inside, do you hear?"

   She nodded in understanding, but still found herself replying. "Do you have to?"

   "I can't stay here," Dash replied and embraced her friend. "Look, I'll be back as soon as I can, all right?"

   "T-thank you for staying with me for the night," Fluttershy said, but Dash was already gone.

   She stood by the window and waved for a long time, looking at Rainbow disappear into the roaring inferno. She closed her windows tight and rushed downstairs where she made sure that her doors and windows were closed and locked. She pulled all the blinds and lit candles around the room. Gummy, Angel and several woodland creatures surrounded her as she sat down on her couch. She took her pet bunny in a tight hug, which he did not enjoy but complied with in any case.

   Every little sound she heard made her jump and she tried to sit as still as she could, shaking slightly. Angel rolled with his eyes, but the comfort of having him so near was enough to calm her down. She rocked back and forth and soon found herself singing. For a time, fear had been driven away from the cottage.

   Three loud knocks on the door saw to disrupting that. The animals scattered and fled in all direction, and again there was a knock on the door. Fluttershy approached a window next to it warily and peered outside to see if a demon was waiting to eat her. There was not.

   "Sugarberry!" Fluttershy exclaimed happily and opened the door. A white unicorn with several shades of pink smiled back at her.

   "I'm so sorry to intrude like this," Sugarberry said and went inside. The animals came out of their hiding places. "I was just on my way here to work when a large flaming gate opened just outside of town."

   "A large gate?" Fluttershy asked fearfully and quickly closed the door.

   "Yeah, monsters just keep pouring out and there were fire everywhere. I was so scared I simply ran for my life."

   "Oh... oh my. P-please have a seat, I'll go fix us some tea." Sugarberry made herself comfortable while Fluttershy went into the kitchen. "You can stay here for as long as you want. I'm just glad not to be alone anymore."

   "Truth be told, I wasn't expecting you to be home. I didn't know how long you would be away in Canterlot."

   "Oh, well, the reunion got sort of... cut short," Fluttershy said.

   "I'm sorry to hear that. It was also strangely sudden, wasn't it? You didn't have more than a few hour's notice."

   "Oh, it really wasn't any bother," Fluttershy said and poured the steaming tea into two cups. Her animal friends were preparing a tray with biscuits and plates. "Not when I have such nice assistants to –"

   The living room suddenly filled with an explosion of animal noises. Fluttershy took the tray and hurried into the room, where she promptly dropped it on the floor and let out a scream. Sugarberry was nowhere to be seen, only one of those assassins with a red robe underneath and black twisted armour on top. It drew an axe from seemingly mid-air of the same, twisted design as the armour. Fluttershy backed away into the kitchen again.

   The assassin followed her, hoof wrapped around the axe. It swung and missed her by a few inches. It hit instead a table which splintered into a heap. Fluttershy could only cry for help as she ran for the backdoor. The animals tried to stall the assassin by jumping on it, but they were too small to make a difference.

   Fluttershy galloped out into the cold wet morning. The clouds wept for the disaster yesterday, but helped little to assuage the roaring flames in the background.

   The assassin came up behind her with the axe in mouth. Fluttershy panted and splashed through the muddy puddles along the road towards the Everfree Forest. A large gate had opened just outside the forest, but it didn't look anything like Sugarberry had described. Instead it resembled a face twisted into a maddened grimace. A blue, comforting light shone from the mouth and the forest could not be seen on the other side. Fluttershy felt drawn towards the gate, but the light was solid and unyielding. She pressed up against it and watched the assassin come nearer.

   Fluttershy desperately tried to claw her way into the light, but the force resisted. The assassin ran for her with axe held high. It swung the weapon towards Fluttershy, but the light repelled it. The assassin flew backwards and landed into the drenching mud with a large splash. The armour disappeared as did the axe, leaving only a muddied white unicorn in red robes.

   "Already out? How boring," a familiar voice said.

   "Discord?" Fluttershy said aghast and backed away quickly from the gate.

   "A nice effort, though. A shame she's dead. These things happen."

   "It can't be... can it?" she stammered and waded backwards into the mud.

   "Ah, if it isn't Fluttershy. Why don't you come inside? It's lovely in my realm this time of year. Perfect time for a visit."

   She didn't reply and trod away from the gate. She looked at dead assassins, its red robes stained by mud. However, Fluttershy couldn't help but feel drawn towards the gate. She felt no danger coming from it and moved towards it carefully. The light was no longer unyielding and her hoof passed right through it.

   "How could I trust you?" Fluttershy said. As a reply, a little blue butterfly escaped the light and flew up into the air. She turned her head and noticed monsters coming out of Ponyville and towards her. She bit her lip nervously, and finally held her breath as she disappeared into the light. The gate vanished with her and was nowhere to be seen.

***

   Not knowing what peril her friends were in, Twilight jumped down on the station. Had Rarity known better, she could have caught Twilight by the station out of Canterlot as her first stop was Fillydelphia.

   Unlike her friends, Twilight was already working hard and it was still evening of the first day to her. Applejack's and Pinkie's encounter with Brave Charger wasn't until the morning, same with the attack on Ponyville. She had no idea what dangers they would face tomorrow, least of all of the dangers she would find herself in.

   It wasn't long to Fillydelphia from Canterlot and Twilight had arrived before dark. Evening was fast approaching, but the dying rays of light still illuminated the sky.

   Although the city was built close to the mountains and forests, its biggest influence was the river that ran to the west of it. Many sentient races came via boat from the north and stranded here, so the culture was markedly influenced by the flux of donkeys, zebras and mules that made this city their home. The architecture on the other hand was influenced predominantly by a class of unicorns with not a whole lot of money, but plenty of ideas of how they wanted their city.

   Twilight exited the train station with Spike and wandered the paved roads, gazing briefly at the city before her. Her horn glowed and a scroll escaped her saddle pouch. She scrutinised the words to guide her towards the magic school, carrying out her task with dignified calm.

   They didn't encounter many out on the street at that hour. Most were busy getting home as quickly as possible and paid little notice to anyone else around them. Spike had to grab Twilight's tail to ensure she wasn't run down with her nose into the paper.

   She and Spike wandered past many shops specialising in the needs and customs of other races. Mixed between furniture stores and bakeries were apothecaries with herbs from lands far away. The school was set away from the rest of town in the north end. The building looked new and stood on a grassy patch that might have been a small park once.

   She had never been to one of her academy's smaller schools before and entered with a curious mind set. The floors were bare and of simple wood, while the walls were of rough stone. It looked a little cheap contrasted with the splendour of the main building back in Canterlot.

   The headmaster of this school was a pegasus with light purple coat not unlike Twilight's, but with a short, light grey mane, eyes matching her coat and three lightning bolts as her cutie mark. She sat on a bench outside the dining hall, reading. She looked up when she noticed Twilight and closed her book.

   "Ah, you're from the Academy? Figures they would send someone green. Name's Blueberry Delight," the pegasus said.

   "Twilight Sparkle. You wrote the academy about a problem?" the eponymous pony said as interested as she could feign. She went towards the headmaster while Spike took a detour towards the dining room on the right.

   "Yes, a student by the name of Starlight Darling. I can't directly get involved for fear of embarrassing the poor mare. I'll need you to have a little chat with Charming Bard, another student here."

   "O...kay," Twilight said and raised an eyebrow. "What exactly is the problem?"

   "I don't understand it. Some ridiculous male thing, I suppose" Blueberry threw her hoofs heavenward. "He's been bothering Starlight every day for a while now. He even stole her mages' ring! Perhaps he thinks it's amusing; I don't know. But it needs to stop. It's making her miserable."

   Blueberry's voice was getting dangerously loud. Her eyes fell concerned on a unicorn reading to the left and then continued in a much lower tone, not much more than a whisper. "I'm not a unicorn and I don't know much about magic, but I am headmaster of this school and I will do anything for one of my students. Use whatever means you deem necessary, just get me that mage's ring back."

   Twilight couldn't help but smile at the proposition. She nodded in an agreement. "Where can I find this Charming Bard?" she asked.

   "I'd try Silverhome on the Water at this hour," Blueberry said and picked up her reading again. "It's a local watering hole just down the street. You must have passed it coming here. You can't miss Charming Bard either. I've seldom seen a stallion with a coat as brilliantly red as his."

   Twilight turned around to leave and noticed that she no longer had Spike by her side. He was sitting by the dinner table opposite an earth pony. She looked strange as she was completely light grey; eyes, coat and mane. "You coming, Spike?" Twilight asked.

   "Nah, you go do this. I haven't had anything to eat in hours," Spike replied and reached for a fruit bowl.

   "Great to hear," the earth pony said and took Spike's hand. "I've wanted to examine a baby dragon ever since you walked in here."

   Spike stared wide-eyed at the mare for a moment, then slowly put down a cluster of grapes. "On second thought, berries aren't really my thing." He quickly wrestled himself free and ran to Twilight's side.

   Silverhome on the Water was a small wooden building squeezed in between a row of other similar looking buildings. It seemed to have seen a boost in business since the construction of the school and sported itself as a "Moderately priced and above all a clean establishment," according to a small sign in front.

   The interior did not in any way betray the thoughts one would have about it from the outside. Everything was wood from walls to floor and ceiling; the counter and the tables and chairs. Even the patrons and the unicorn barkeeper acted a tad woody.

   Three people sat around the counter with a mug in front of them. One of them matched the description given by Blueberry. Not only did Charming Bard have a coat the colour of juicy raspberries; his long free-flowing mane and eyes were brown as dark chocolate. Twilight was stumped for a moment at his appearance before approaching him. She cleared her throat.

   "Excuse me. You're Charming Bard, are you not?" Twilight asked friendly.

   The pony turned in his seat to face Twilight. He looked her up and gave her a heart-warming smile in repayment. "None other! How may I help such a dazzling mare as yourself?"

   "I'm here on behalf on the academy. I hear that you've stolen a mage's ring?" she replied. His eyes met hers and her voice broke halfway through. Charming Bard's smile waned and he turned around to his mug again.

   "You're here about Starlight. Look, all I want is for her to care about me, to feel the same way as I do about her. But she doesn't. I try and I try, and it just doesn't matter. It makes me furious sometimes!" he said, clenching around his mug and his eyes shut. Fearing that his words might have come off wrong, he turned again to Twilight. "Not that I've ever laid a hoof on her. Either in anger or... I've never hurt her, okay?"

   "I understand, sir, but I'm just here about the ring. If you would give it back to me?" Twilight asked sympathetically and smiled.

   "All right, I admit it. I took it from her," he replied, a faint trace of tears welling up in his eyes. "I... I don't know what I was thinking, honestly. I was trying to tell her how I feel, again, and she wouldn't even stop to talk to me. I just got so angry! I was a little ashamed afterwards, but didn't know how to apologise or give it back. I wish I could, but I'm afraid I don't have it anymore. You see, I... I sold it. To a friend of mine, Soris."

   Twilight stared at him, taken aback by the revelation. "What?! What were you thinking?" Twilight asked angrily. Her frown dwindled as Bard could no longer hold back his tears.

   "Tell Starlight that I won't bother her anymore. And... tell her I'm sorry." He took a swig from his mug before continuing. "My friend lives some way away from here."

   Charming Bard gave Twilight a more detailed description and then emptied his drink. Twilight left him sobbing and as she exited, she heard him order another one.

   "I don't get it. What's all this about mage's rings?" Spike asked. They turned from the shabby looking houses up towards finer stonework homes.

   "It's more symbolic than practical, but each carries great significance to its owner," Twilight said, but stopped again. She wet her lips uncertainly and looked up at the sky. Stars twinkled down at her. It would be night soon. A chill wind swept from the mountains and played with her mane. Without looking at Spike, she continued. "Unicorns can only perform a few spells, often related to their special talents. To help them perform other spells, some unicorns equip rings on their horns. These are often passed down for generations."

   "So, what... they're like magically enhancing heirlooms?" Spike asked and scratched his head.

   "You can think of them like that," Twilight said and chuckled. "Some enables you to cast certain spells, some makes it easier for you to cast spells you already know. Each ring is unique."

   Fillydelphia was truly an interesting city, comprised of so many contrasts. The rich rubbing elbows with the poor, wood built around stone, emigration taking its place among tradition. This city would have a thousand tales to tell and Twilight had been so lucky as to get caught up in one of them. As sad as this love story was, it was still interesting.

   "I wish we were back in Canterlot," she said after a long moment of silence. "I'd rather be investigating what happened today, but if I am to do anything else, then this isn't too bad." She looked up at the glowing Moon, a single tear trailing down her cheek.

   "I think that's it," Spike said and pointed to a wall. Twilight nodded and knocked politely three times on the door. It creaked open slightly and a mint green head poked out in the crack.

   "Good day, stranger. Soris is my name. How may I help you?" the head asked curiously.

   "My name is Twilight Sparkle and I'm from the Academy of Magic. I'm here because of a mage's ring."

   "Yeah, so? The transaction was legitimate and I paid good money for it." Soris' expression turned from one of interest to one of annoyance.

   "Sir, that ring was stolen property. If you hand it over peacefully, there'll be a finder's fee involved," Twilight said encouragingly.

   "So I'm guessing you'd do anything to get that ring back, eh? How does two hundred bit sound like?" he asked with a leer. Twilight folded back her ears in surprise.

   "Two hundred bits is a lot of money, sir. The Academy only offers rewards of ten bits, depending on the situation."

   "Ten bits?" he exploded. "Do you know how much I paid for it to begin with? Two hundred bits or nothing."

   "Fine then," Twilight said, her horn glowing. "I could have paid you a small fee, but no. You will give me back the ring for free."

   The unicorn stallion looked at her perplexedly for a moment, a strange swirly pattern appearing in his eyes. He went back inside his house and returned shortly with a ring hovering before him. He handed over the ring to Twilight with a smile. She took it and gave it to Spike who was quite unprepared for it. He nearly dropped it as he fumbled around with it.

   "Anything else I can do for such a lovely mare?" he asked sincerely. "It's getting late, perhaps you'd want to stay until the morning?"

   "No thank you. I have to get back to the school," Twilight said disinterested and turned around to leave. Puzzled, Spike followed her.

   "Oh, at least allow me to follow you there! You never know who you'll meet at this hour," he called after her.

   "Go back to your life and forget you saw me," Twilight shouted back to him.

   "Twilight, what –" Spike began.

   "Don't ever tell anyone you saw me do that," Twilight said coldly and looked away from him. Her face was blushing in shame. "I would be in serious trouble if anyone found that I... that I had magically charmed someone and practically robbed them." Spike looked up at Twilight and saw her lips quivering.

   Blueberry Delight was elated to have the ring back. She was close to ask what Twilight could possibly have done to get it back, but decided against it. Instead, she offered a bed for both her and Spike for the night, but Twilight had to decline. They still had six more cities to visit and six more problems to solve.

***

   Rainbow Dash's face turned to one of worry. A good portion of the town below her was on fire. She had a hard time seeing through the flames, but she could just barely see creatures down there. Creatures that looked nothing like ponies. She tried not to inhale too much of the smoke or get her feathers scorched as she flew as close as she dared. There weren't many ponies left in Ponyville. Most of the folk she saw below her were guards fighting an uphill battle against monsters.

    Outside town stood a massive, oval gate. It was made of unearthly black stone with pulsating, deep red veins. A yellow and red light danced between the walls like electrical fire, snarling and slithering. It caught Dash's attention and she made it her goal.

   Three Wonderbolts were gathered near it, safely behind makeshift barricade some hundred metres from the gate. Dash swooped down towards them and saw that she only recognised one of them. Though Dash wasn't dressed in her Wonderbolts costume, her superior from Cloudsdale waved at her.

   "Rainbow Dash? I thought you were taking time off in Canterlot," he said. He was a little older than Dash and with grey coat and white hair with grey streaks. His eyes were covered by the goggles.

   "I had to come back to Ponyville... long story," Dash said. "What's going on, Silver?"

   "The city has been lost, that's what's going on!" Silver said agitated. "It was too much, too fast. The guards were overwhelmed. Couldn't even get everyone out. There are still ponies trapped in there. The Mayor and her folk are still holed up in the city hall. And now we can't even get back into the city to help them, with that damned gate blocking the way."

   "Can't we close it?" Dash suggested and looked up nervously at it.

   "I don't know how, but it must be possible, because the enemy closed the ones they opened during the initial attack. You can see the marks on the ground where they were, with the Great Gate right in the middle," Silver said and pointed to the ground in front of their once beautiful town.

   Where there had once been grass was now only scorched earth. The Great Gate was taller than any of the houses in Ponyville and about as wide, the ground around it covered with large twisted spikes like an absurd fruit growing on an oversized thorn bush.

   "There were more of these things?" Rainbow Dash asked, terrified at imagining smaller versions of that one large gate.

   Silver nodded. "I've already sent ponies into the gate, to see if they could find a way to shut it. They haven't come back. If we can get in there however, we could find out what happened to them. If they're alive, we will help them finish the job. If not, we'll see what we can do on our own. It'll likely mean our deaths though. I can't force you to join me, but would you be willing?"

   Dash gave a determined smile and flexed her wings and neck. "My home; my Ponyville, in flames. I'll make them pay for this."

   The two other Wonderbolts remained taciturn, but joined Rainbow Dash and Silver Lining as the two approached the gate. Dash touched a hoof to the rippling light of the gate and found it only lukewarm to. She held her breath and entered the veil. All logic would dictate that she would emerge again on the other side, but she was gone along with the rest of the Wonderbolts. They were swallowed by the light and taken to a land quite different to Equestria.