/Alas, I return once again to bring you the next chapter! Since the last one was so short, this one is also written in Rarity's POV to make up for it./

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Cadence takes a step back in confusion, but Applejack and I exchange looks of both shock and joy. We run to our sisters and sweep them up with affection.

"Rarity." Sweetie Belle grunts. "Rarity. Stop."

"Ohhhhh I'm so happy you're safe!" I exclaim, squeezing her tighter.

"Hey, Rarity, guess what." She whispers. "Stop."

I let her go and she regains her intimidating stance. Her pink-and-purple mane is ruffed-up and messy. Scrapes adorn her figure and a scar sears through one of her shrunken, mad green eyes. She turns her attention back to Cadence and pulls Applebloom away from her sister's grip. It has been precisely a year and a half since I last saw the girls and I hardly recognize them anymore.

Applebloom has bloodstains around her mouth and at least six teeth missing, along with dried blood crusting the ripped hide where her left ear used to be. One of her legs drags limp in front of her. Around Scootaloo's eyes are bloody bandages, rendering her clearly blind. A deep gash leads up from the bottom of her neck to her forehead. Her ears flit around, listening for sounds to lead her forward. Sweetie Belle nudges her in the direction of Rainbow Dash and she leans backwards. After a moment, Scootaloo turns and follows the pegasus.

She seems to trust her ears very heavily, seeing as she doesn't walk hesitantly but with purpose. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom advance towards Cadence, looking rather threatening for such little fillies.

"I said, how do you plan to do that, ex princess of love?" Sweetie repeats.

"I can put love back in her heart with my magic, of co- Oh. Right." Cadence brought a hoof to her hornless forehead upon the realization she couldn't use magic anymore.

"CAN EVERYPONY TALK A MITE LOUDER? I CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING Y'ALL ARE SAYIN'!" Applebloom shouted.

"Sorry, Applebloom!" Sweetie raises her voice. "Anyway, Scootaloo will be back any second now with Rainbow Dash, and we'll show you how to handle a shifted loyalty situation. We recently became experts in this field."

"And how exactly did you manage to do that?" Pinkamena steps forward.

As if on cue, Scootaloo emerges around the corner with Rainbow Dash in tow. Her ears continue to flit around. She's listening for us. I cough a couple of times to help her. The filly's smile brightens and she tugs Rainbow Dash forward, approaching us quickly.

"Don't change the subject, Scoot." Rainbow says awkwardly. "What happened to your eyes?"

Sweetie Belle gives a confident grin and gestures towards the two pegasi as Scootaloo stops in her tracks. She nods up toward Rainbow and frowns.

"You."

A look of pure befuddlement plagues Rainbow's face before being replaced by shock. Her eyes widen. Her mouth drops open ever-so-slightly. Her balance wing goes limp and she slowly sinks to the ground. She brings a hoof up to her forehead and clenches her teeth, looking to be in pain. Silence fills the cool, foggy air, cracked only slightly by the thump of Rainbow hitting the ground. She lies on her side, curled up and holding her head. Scootaloo stands before her, unflinching.

"See, Princess, you couldn't break her with a whole lecture and this little filly managed to break her with just one word." Sweetie Belle says.

"What'd she say?!" Applebloom shouts.

Sweetie Belle grabs her half-deaf friend and shushes her. Taking a step closer to the fillies, a grin seems to tug at the corners of Cadence's mouth. A closer look from me reveals the expression of pride. She nuzzles the top of Sweetie Belle's head roughly.

"Good job, girls! True masters. I'm very proud of you." She said. "Now, what do you have to report to me today, my little reconnaissance agents?"

All of our jaws drop open and we exchange looks of immense shock.

"WHAT?!" We shout in unison.

"Nothing you don't already know, probably." Scootaloo says with a smile.

"What about Zecora? Did she escape or..."

"Zecora was killed." Applebloom speaks loudly still, but solemnly. "She couldn't slip away in time. Gilda's got her head hung on a spike."

"With Trixie dead and Sunset Shimmer here, I guess that means there aren't anymore undercover agents in Canterlot." Sweetie Belle says.

"Well, what about Rainbow Dash? She's sure to know something." I say, gesturing towards the shaking heap that is our friend.

"I don't think she'll be of much use to you right now, sis." Sweetie says. "Besides, we were hiding up in the rafters half this time and they only used her for fighting. They wouldn't let her in on any plans."

Cadence turns around and approaches Sunset Shimmer, helping her up.

"What about you, Sunset? Anything useful to report?" She asks.

"Now that we have Rainbow back, Gilda's army is sure to have grown weaker. Without their strongest fighter, at least."

"And the last resort?"

"The portal to the other world is still closed, but Twilight does have one open back at her castle. If all else fails, we can go through there. We'll be safe."

Cadence nods in approval and stretches her wings, scooping all three fillies onto her back. Scootaloo cries out in surprise, but relaxes once Sweetie Belle grabs her.

"Let's go, ladies. We've got places to be."

While Cadence takes off down the mountain, Fluttershy rushes to Rainbow's side and calms her down enough that they two can follow the others. Pinkamena, Applejack, Twilight and I rush down the mountain to meet them. As I run, stumbling over rocks in my wake, I can't help but wonder just where it is we're going and if there are any other secrets Cadence is keeping.

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/Aye! Told you there'd be two chapters today, didn't I? Hope you enjoyed this one./