"WHAT KIND OF SAVAGE BEAST IS THIS?!" Morrigan exclaimed, outraged.
"An adorable little rainbow pony is giving you trouble, my dear friend," Balor responded from a corner of the war room.
Morrigan shot Balor a glare. The draco-dragon's comment was clearly a mockery of Morrigan's peculiar way of speaking, and it was definitely not the time for that. Just a few minutes earlier, she had received a message from Badwhiz informing her that he could not directly control Rainbow Dash. Morrigan had argued that the boy was not focused enough and decided to take control of the pegasus herself.
To everyone's surprise—and to Balor's amusement—after several failed attempts, Morrigan also could not control Rainbow Dash's mind. The pegasus seemed to be in a mechanical mental state, following her initial orders to defeat Twilight and stubbornly rejecting any new instructions until completing her original objective.
Thus, in this state, the hypnotized Rainbow Dash was easily deceived by one of Twilight's tricks and freed from Morrigan's mind control.
In the war room, another staredown ensued. But before the sub-leader Mannah could intervene, Balor and Morrigan burst into laughter together, leaving the others bewildered.
"Well, so that's how it is, haha... In the end, that pony's head is as hard as Taranis'. What a nuisance," Morrigan said, reclining in her seat.
"Don't worry too much. I know your abilities; I know you wouldn't have lost control over someone if you were close enough and without so many restrictions. If you had been there, this wouldn't have happened," Balor commented seriously.
"I don't need your consolation, Balor, but thanks... I'm looking forward to your turn," Morrigan replied with a touch of sarcasm.
"Ju ju, then you'll have to wait. Ceridwen has found something interesting..." Balor mentioned, fixing her gaze on the magic pool where Ceridwen, in Badwhiz's body, was seen entering a half-submerged wagon in the lake.
"Look! The boy finally caught up with the ponies! Haha! He looks so excited!" Taranis exclaimed cheerfully, pointing to another image in the pool that showed the shadowy Badwhiz reaching Twilight and Rainbow Dash.
"Taranis, we are in the war room, don't forget that," Mannah scolded irritably.
Taranis quickly straightened up, adopting a martial posture, while the restrained laughter of Morrigan and Balor echoed in the room. For the sub-leader of the knights of order, it was clear that those two women were plotting something, though he did not know exactly what.
Far too easily, Balor had accepted the decisions made at the beginning of the operation. Even Morrigan had defended her. With little else to consider, Mannah, using one of his tentacles, began massaging his forehead in an attempt to relieve the growing migraine he was feeling.
[-]
Several minutes had passed, and finally, Rainbow Dash's wings began to respond the way she liked.
"Oh, how I missed you, girls!" Dash exclaimed as she exercised her wings with contractions.
"I'm glad you're feeling better, Rainbow Dash. I was really scared when you were paralyzed a moment ago. I thought they had taken control of you again," said Twilight, illuminating the gloomy stone walls around her with the light from her horn.
The place they were in was shrouded in total darkness, but thanks to Twilight's magical light, it was evident that it was narrow and that the walls were in a ruinous state.
"It was just a temporary cramp after... HAA! Seriously, how could I fall for something like that? It was so obvious," Rainbow Dash began complaining, noticeably upset. "When I get my hooves on that guy, I WON'T HOLD BACK, TWILIGHT!"
"But you'll have to control yourself, Rainbow. We can't be so predictable; we must act carefully and with order," Twilight replied calmly.
"Carefully and with order? We're not baking cakes. Our friends' lives are in danger right now. HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM?! DON'T YOU EVEN CARE?!" Rainbow Dash retorted, bursting with anger at her friend's indifferent response.
"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight responded sternly, though she remained calm.
Twilight's firm gaze had an effect on Rainbow Dash, as the pegasus began to calm down. Despite her frustration and anger, Rainbow Dash could feel the genuine concern in Twilight's voice and gaze. Soon, her anger dissipated and was replaced by guilt.
"I'm sorry, Twilight. What I said was stupid, I..." Dash lamented her previous behavior, "... I just can't stand knowing my friends are in danger and that I can't do anything about it."
"I understand. We're really in a tough situation, but we must not fall into despair or panic. I know you're very worried about how the girls are doing, and so am I. However, right now, we must trust our friends more than ever. Applejack is in charge, and I know she'll do whatever it takes to protect the others," Twilight said, placing a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder.
Rainbow seemed to think about something for a moment, then collapsed powerlessly onto the dusty ground.
"Do you really think they're okay?" Rainbow Dash asked, her voice laden with dejection.
"I don't know... but I know they'll fight," Twilight responded with conviction.
Rainbow Dash didn't respond, but after a few seconds of staring at the ground with her head lowered, she stood up energetically. Twilight immediately noticed that her friend's confidence had returned.
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash began laughing, leaving Twilight perplexed.
"You know? It's kind of funny seeing you like this now."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean seeing you so calm and serious in a situation like this. In the past, there were so many times when you'd lose your head over much simpler things."
"Uhmm..." Twilight had a good memory; she clearly remembered the occasions Rainbow was referring to. But those three years as ruler of Equestria had matured her enough to face a moment like this.
Or had they?
A wave of anxiety coursed through Twilight's body at that moment. She averted her gaze to the wall behind her. Remembering her past self had awakened the beast of insecurities locked deep within her mind.
And now, there was a unique opportunity for those insecurities to be released again.
"Rainbow, I..." Twilight said weakly, her facade about to crack.
"By the way... where are we?" Rainbow Dash interrupted, looking around.
Twilight blinked for a second and regained her composure. Her anxieties retreated into her mind once more. Once again, she became the Princess of Equestria that all her friends needed at that moment.
"I'm not sure, but I think we're at the bottom of a well..." Twilight replied, noticing the dry mud under her hooves and the remains of old buckets around them. On either side, the well's walls rose to the top of a ceiling that wasn't visible due to the darkness of the place.
"Wow, wait—you think? You didn't know?" Rainbow Dash asked, surprised.
"When I cast the teleportation spell before coming here, I didn't think much about it. I did it as quickly as I could after you rammed Vanilla against a tree. I really didn't expect the spell to bring us to a place like this."
"Then luck hasn't run out for us yet. Great! Umph... so how about we get out of here and give that guy what he deserves?"
Twilight considered Dash's request; her pegasus friend was recovered and brimming with confidence again. It was a good time to resume the fight they had left against Vanilla. More importantly, they could ignore him and go straight to find the rest of their friends.
"Alright, but first, we need to gather information and strategize before facing Vanilla, okay?" Twilight responded, already beginning to assess their options.
"I have no objections... but about that... now he's a shadow pony... Why?" Rainbow Dash asked, visibly confused.
"You don't know?" Twilight responded, surprised.
"A lot happened, and I'm still confused about what happened last..."
"Tell me everything you remember," Twilight replied with a serious expression.
"Of course... umm, first of all, he said his name is Badwhiz, not Vanilla."
Twilight froze for a few seconds before responding: "WHAT?!"
[-]
At one end of the interior of the Great Barrier, there was a small forest that had been split by the powerful magic enclosing that place. In this forest of dense trees and scarce light, Badwhiz hid among the branches of one of the trees, carefully examining the terrain below him.
Snow covered everything, and large rocks were scattered along one side of the forest. Not far away, outside the barrier, a large abandoned stable could be seen, which had probably once served as a sawmill.
"Damn," Badwhiz thought as he spread his dark shadow wings and prepared to change location.
Minutes earlier, Badwhiz had faced Twilight and Rainbow Dash. Using powerful electric attacks, the young shadow pony had hoped to knock his opponents unconscious with an unrelenting barrage of lightning. Unfortunately, Twilight had skillfully defended herself using her protective magic shield. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash, who had been under mind control, managed to recover quickly and counterattacked by ramming Badwhiz against a tree.
That strike hadn't hurt him, as Badwhiz's body was composed solely of shadows that enveloped an enchanted soul. However, the pegasus' sudden attack had given the princess enough time to retreat with her ally.
"They can't have gone too far," he thought to himself. With a silent flight, Badwhiz moved through the cold atmosphere that covered the area.
That cold was unnatural. The princess, in an attempt to hinder his offensive, had unleashed an avalanche of snow across the forest, leaving it white as if in the middle of winter.
Badwhiz reached another tree and sharpened his senses once more. He couldn't perceive anyone's presence in that silent place. Nor did he see any signs of a cave or nearby shelter; the only structure he had found was a ruined watering trough a few meters below him.
"Should I contact Lord Mannah...?" Badwhiz pondered. His search was yielding no results, but not much time had passed, and he hadn't explored the entire forest. If the princess had returned to her friends on the train, he would have been informed immediately. Perhaps this was a test to prove his worth to the other knights. Then he had to complete the task by exceeding their expectations...
"Badwhiz Starheart!" a voice resonated in the cold forest.
Badwhiz flinched at the unexpected call and quickly scanned his surroundings to find the source. His surprise intensified when he identified the voice's owner: Twilight stood in a clearing.
To Badwhiz, this seemed like an obvious trap. He didn't care that they had discovered his name; now he had a chance to attack her directly. Although... that wouldn't be proper for a knight.
Without further hesitation, he flew between the trees until he was positioned in front of the princess.
"So you've finally decided to surrender," Badwhiz declared as he barely touched the ground.
"No," Twilight replied, staring straight into his eyes. "I wish to talk."
"How foolish, there's nothing to talk about," Badwhiz stated, preparing to fight once more.
"You're not part of the Knights of Order, you're a pony from Equestria. Why are you doing this?"
Badwhiz, who seemed unwilling to listen to another word from Twilight, suddenly hesitated. He was receiving a new mental message.
"Why? Isn't it obvious? I am fulfilling the oath of my ancestors."
"I know the history of the Starheart family. Your ancestors were a respected line of unicorns who were always loyal to Equestria. They defended the weak and sought justice among ponies. What you're doing now goes against everything they stood for."
A furious glare crossed Badwhiz's face.
"You understand nothing! Fulfilling my family's oath is exactly what I'm doing! I am protecting Equestria from you!" Badwhiz bellowed. Twilight didn't seem surprised by his response, but her expression now carried a hint of sorrow.
"I don't know what you've been told. But endangering the lives of innocent ponies is not justice. As Princess of Equestria, I cannot allow such actions."
"You cannot allow it?" Badwhiz scoffed. "And yet, putting the lives of every pony in Equestria and the inhabitants of other realms at risk is exactly what you're doing now. You're nothing but a hypocrite!"
A few meters behind, hidden among some bushes, Rainbow Dash listened to the conversation. If she hadn't received very clear orders from Twilight, she would have likely jumped on Badwhiz at that very moment.
Both fell silent, Badwhiz and Twilight observing each other in the cold and quiet forest. In that tense atmosphere, only the soft rustling of tree branches swayed by the wind could be heard.
Then, a large chunk of snow fell from one of the closest trees, breaking the silence with a soft thud.
"You're buying time for your partner to arrive, aren't you?" Twilight said. Her determined gaze remained fixed on Badwhiz as a cold breeze lightly tousled her mane.
"What?" Badwhiz responded, surprised. The mental orders he had received minutes earlier from Mannah had been unexpectedly uncovered by the princess. He had stopped his previous attack precisely for this reason.
The situation had changed.
"She found me out... Should I attack?" Doubt began creeping into Badwhiz's mind. He was supposed to distract the princess with a conversation, but he had nothing to discuss with her, and the conversation was only growing more uncomfortable. He wanted to fight, but he had been ordered not to, to maintain the element of surprise.
Badwhiz didn't know what to do.
"They're just using you. I don't believe you truly want this," Twilight continued, sensing Badwhiz's hesitation and stepping forward.
"You don't know what I want!" Badwhiz snapped aggressively. But it was a façade; inside, a deep unease was consuming him.
"Then what do you want?" Twilight asked, taking another step closer.
Now, Twilight appeared larger and brighter before him. Her noble stance showed determination but also compassion.
Badwhiz tried to look away, but he couldn't afford to do so in front of his opponent. A deep internal conflict began to grow within him. He wanted to attack, but he couldn't. A bitter sensation coursed through his body. He wanted to scream, but he shouldn't. His breathing quickened. He wanted that hateful princess to know the hell he had been through.
"You!" Badwhiz growled, more like a rabid animal than a pony. His shadowy form swelled as if about to explode at any moment and release all the pain within him.
Then, a dark meteor struck beside Badwhiz, sending snow flying into the air. Twilight immediately flapped her wings, retreating several meters back, while Rainbow Dash emerged from her hiding spot, positioning herself at Twilight's side, ready to protect her.
The faint mist cleared, revealing a figure before the ponies.
Standing there was another Badwhiz, but this one had his previous corporeal form, wearing an orange alicorn armor. Beside him, the shadow version of Badwhiz bowed.
"Good work. Now only those two remain. Cover my rear, I'll handle this from here," Ceridwen mentally instructed Badwhiz as a surge of magic began to emanate from her body, and a crystal cube danced behind her back.
[-]
Long before, in the medical wagon, in a dimly lit space...
"O uhmm."
"O uhmm."
"O uhmm."
"Celestia, you who are on vacation..., grant us your blessings..., illuminate our hearts... o uhmm," prayed Pinkie Pie.
"We ask you, Celestia..." Applejack and Rarity chanted in unison.
Sitting in a circle, surrounded by candles, the three ponies with closed eyes held hooves, engaging in what, at first glance, seemed like a liturgical gathering. Led by the solemn Pinkie Pie, the ceremony appeared quite serious, so much so that even Applejack had removed her hat and was wearing a white and purple robe identical to her companions'.
"May these crystals shine with the light of our stars, we ask you, Celestia... o uhmm."
"We ask you, Celestia..." Applejack and Rarity chanted again.
At the center of the ritual, there was a vessel and a plate covered by a delicate white cloth.
"Even though you are not present... to receive these pancakes... allow us to welcome you at least in spirit... o uhmm," Pinkie Pie concluded her prayer.
"O uhmm," Applejack and Rarity finally chanted together.
Then, Pinkie Pie briefly raised her hooves upward, announcing the next act. Without saying a word, she approached the covered vessel and removed the white cloth that draped over it.
The three ponies eagerly gazed at the contents beneath.
There lay the three white crystals they had received from Fluttershy, which, unfortunately, were still not imbued with the magic required from each of them. Beside the crystals was also a generous serving of pancakes drizzled with honey.
"Well... I guess my idea didn't work," Pinkie said, somewhat saddened.
"It was a good attempt, Pinkie. I really felt like it would work... this time," Rarity said with disappointment.
"Uhmmmm," Applejack sighed, lying on the floor.
Several minutes had passed since the three friends had locked themselves in the train's medical wagon to enchant the crystals that Twilight had entrusted to Fluttershy. However, despite their numerous attempts and genuine effort, they had failed at their task. Rarity was the first to try, attempting to capture the light of her friends within the crystals using her unicorn magic. While it initially seemed to work, the crystals soon reverted to their default white color. Then Applejack tried, though her effort was more of a brute-force approach that only served to distress Rarity. Running out of ideas and sensing a brewing argument between the two ponies, Pinkie Pie took charge, attempting a rock blessing ceremony her family used to perform during the summer solstice.
Of course, none of this had worked, and it wouldn't have been necessary if Twilight had simply told them how they were supposed to enchant the crystals.
"This is wrong," Applejack said in frustration.
"You're right, Applejack. We should pray to Princess Cadance. She has a stronger connection to crystals. But then we'd have to use her official name... umphh," Pinkie Pie mused, making a few notes in her notebook.
"I don't think Applejack meant that, Pinkie Pie. And I hope she's not referring to the dresses," Rarity said, noticing that Applejack had set aside her robe and put her hat back on.
"It's not that, Rarity, it's just... are we really doing the right thing?"
"Sorry, Applejack, but I know nothing about rituals for blessing gemstones. And now that I know they exist, I will definitely make an effort to learn about them," Rarity replied, giving Pinkie Pie a glance.
"No, no, I mean enchanting the crystals."
"Huh?" Pinkie raised an eyebrow.
"Aren't we supposed to need them to fight those barbarians who call themselves knights?" Rarity responded.
"Well, yes... but that's what Magi told us, right? But is that really the case? What if she's wrong? What if Twilight intended to use them differently?"
Rarity and Pinkie exchanged confused glances.
"And what else could they be for?" Pinkie asked.
"Umphh..." Applejack picked up one of the crystals and held it up to the nearest light source. It was white and bright, showing no cracks or impurities, but it didn't seem to have a specific design and looked more like a slightly misshapen teardrop.
Applejack had a hunch about what these crystals could mean. She had failed before in activating them, but there was no harm in trying again. Without consulting her friends, she placed the crystal between her hooves and assumed a simple meditative posture. At first, there was no change in the crystal, but after a few seconds, it began to glow and pulse as if it were a living heart. Finally, the crystal shifted from its white hue to a solid orange color.
Pinkie Pie and Rarity were stunned.
"What did you do?" Rarity exclaimed.
"Hu! Hu! Did you pray to Princess Luna?" Pinkie Pie cheered, bouncing with excitement.
"No, I just thought about my family. And how much I love them," Applejack said with a smile. Both Pinkie Pie and Rarity looked puzzled by Applejack's response before she continued. "You see, I think Twilight didn't intend to use the crystals as weapons. I believe they're some kind of gift she wanted to share with us. Something to preserve memories. That's why she didn't tell us anything at first and only showed them to Fluttershy."
"But if that's the case... then how are we supposed to fight those savages who want to destroy us?" Rarity exclaimed in distress, with a worried Pinkie Pie beside her.
"Umm, I guess by using the best of what we have and working together, like always," Applejack responded without overcomplicating it.
"And what do we do now?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Make a new plan. But first, we should finish enchanting these crystals. That way, at least we'll have something to show Magi and also a nice surprise for Twilight when she returns," Applejack said, confident and jokingly. However, in that atmosphere filled with uncertainty, her words felt more like an acknowledgment that the situation wouldn't improve and that completing this task might well be the last thing they did together.
That sensation spread among the three friends like a dark premonition. But there was no fear in their hearts. On the contrary, they were now more certain of what they needed to do next.
"Well, if it's about making a gem shine, there's no way I can refuse, Applejack," Rarity replied, picking up a crystal.
"Can I do the prayer to Cadance? Can I? Can I?" Pinkie said excitedly, adjusting her robe.
Thus, the three ponies began enchanting the crystals between jokes and prayers. Certainly, this was something Twilight would have loved to witness.
[-]
"BEEP..., BEEP..., BEEP..., BEEP..." Magi's transmitter had been displaying the same weak signal for several minutes. This was good, as it indicated that the enemy was moving even farther away from their position.
But for Magi, that wasn't enough to calm her nerves, so she switched the transmission screen to the visual feed.
The new image on her tablet was quite blurry due to the interference caused by the Great Barrier, but clear enough to confirm that the dangerous individual was indeed moving away.
An exhausted Magi let out a deep exhale and finally allowed herself to relax in her seat.
"The danger has passed," Magi declared aloud to no one in particular.
"What a relief!" Fluttershy responded.
Magi flinched at Fluttershy's response. She had been so focused on monitoring the screen and her spy birds that she had completely forgotten about the pink-maned pegasus sitting across from her. Fortunately, she hadn't been thinking out loud, so she could relax in her seat again without worry.
"Yes... they really got quite close a moment ago, but now they're gone. They should be on the other side of the lake, checking the wreckage of the other train cars again."
"Wow..." Fluttershy timidly responded, casting her suspicious glances.
Magi could certainly distrust her, but among all the princess's companions, Fluttershy was the most useless and clumsy of them all. The idea that someone like her could have figured out her plans was the last humiliation she would ever accept.
However, those glances were starting to make her uncomfortable.
"Hey, is something wrong?" Magi asked brusquely.
"No, no, no... well, yes," Fluttershy answered with a trembling voice.
("How annoying... She's probably the type who just lives off others' pity,") Magi thought, still unable to understand why the princess had her on the team.
Fluttershy, for her part, seemed incapable of continuing the conversation.
"Alright, tell me, what's bothering you?"
"It's just that... those antennas are kind of strange," Fluttershy said, blushing.
("Huh? Have you never seen someone with antennas before? And why are you blushing?") Magi asked herself, baffled. As a vocational motivator, she had encountered quite unusual personalities among ponies. Fluttershy seemed to fit snugly into that category. She was precisely the type of pony that annoyed her the most, though she usually overlooked it if the pony in question had some talent or skill that could be useful.
("But she can only talk to animals... I couldn't care less about that,") Magi thought as she adjusted her low-frequency antennas.
Magi stood up and absentmindedly gazed out the window.
"Uhmm, excuse me..."
("Seriously? Can't you just stay quiet in your seat?") Magi thought irritably without looking back.
The two of them had been standing guard in the medical car while the other ponies focused on enchanting Twilight's crystals. Though in Magi's mind, she was the only one doing any real work, while Fluttershy was just there as a mere spectator.
"Tell me, Fluttershy, do you need another handkerchief?" Magi asked, turning around with a forced smile.
"Uhmm, no, I was just wondering if your scar hurts a lot."
Magi froze.
"Scar? What are you talking about?" Magi replied nervously, pretending not to know anything.
"Well, you have a scar all across your back, and since you haven't stopped touching it with your wings since we got here, I thought it must be hurting you a lot."
Magi suddenly found herself at a loss for words. That was something no one—except her girlfriend—knew about her. Those scars were completely invisible against her white fur, thanks to the fortune she had spent to heal the wounds of her old self as best as possible. All of it done with the goal of living as a renewed, authentic, and successful pony, free from any burden or shadow of the past.
And yet, despite all her efforts, someone had seen right through her.
"Eliminate her," a voice in her head whispered.
Yes, that's what she should do. She could make up an excuse, like the enemy had kidnapped her or that she had decided to go search for the princess on her own, or maybe...
"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pried if it's something personal... I'm so sorry," Fluttershy said, starting to back away as she noticed Magi wasn't responding.
"No, no, it's okay... it's just that I don't like talking much about my scars. As you said, it's personal," Magi said, now calmer, with a confident smile. "But it seems like you know a lot about these things, so... would you mind coming over here and giving me a better opinion, if you don't mind?"
"Umph... alright," Fluttershy said. She wasn't entirely convinced by Magi's sincerity, but she stepped closer anyway. She couldn't help but assist someone in need.
Fluttershy positioned herself behind Magi and began examining both her back and the underside of her wings. After feeling the texture and thickness of her skin with just the touch of her hooves, she confirmed what she had noticed about Magi from the very first moment she had seen her on the train.
Magi had extensive burn scars covering almost 80% of her back, along with other marks that could hardly have been caused by simple falls.
"Well, what's the diagnosis, Doctor?" Magi joked.
"There are some pretty deep scars, but they've been there for a long time..." Fluttershy didn't want to ask more, as she had also sensed a great hostility from Magi while examining her.
"Umphh, yeah, it's from an unfortunate accident I had when I was a filly. Even though it's in the past, it still causes me trouble, especially when I exercise too much."
"Well... that's understandable. Wounds like these don't heal so easily. Sometimes special back massages are needed to release the accumulated tension; that helps a lot in reducing built-up pain in the body."
"Can you do that?" Magi asked, turning to look at Fluttershy.
"Of course, if you're okay with it..."
"I am. Being personally attended to by one of the princess's most trusted friends is truly an honor."
"Thank you... though maybe this isn't the most appropriate place to give you a full massage session. I could at least give you a lighter version of the treatment," Fluttershy replied.
"I don't mind if it's a shorter version as long as it's effective," said Magi.
"Oh! Then I'll do my best!" Fluttershy replied enthusiastically with a smile. Helping others always made her feel good.
Following Fluttershy's instructions, Magi removed most of the equipment she was wearing, except for the rune-engraved stones around her neck, and lay down on one of the wider seats. If Magi had expected the massages to be as delicate as the ones she received in her personal spa in Manehattan, she was sorely disappointed. Far from her gentle personality, Fluttershy attacked her pressure points with the ferocity of a constrictor python. One by one, the knots in Magi's back were crushed and shaken until they were completely relieved of tension. Meticulous as a diamond spider with its prey, Fluttershy continued pressing Magi's muscles until she was finally convinced there were no more tension knots left to attack.
"Phew, wow, you were really tense. You even had tension knots under your wings. But now I'm sure you'll be able to fly much lighter," Fluttershy said, wiping the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.
"Uh-huh," Magi responded, still lying face down.
"Although the full treatment involves the neck and limbs. In your case, it would be preferable to have some floral baths beforehand to prevent skin injuries due to muscle stress."
"Uh-huh," Magi repeated mechanically.
"The spa in Ponyville offers specialized medical treatments for all kinds of stress. We could go together one day. You'd like it; they have very professional staff, and they even give you a good discount if you come with a friend."
"Uh-huh."
"Uhmm, Magi?"
"Uh-huh."
If Magi's mind worked the same way as an electronic device, like the ones she used daily, at that moment, it would be updating. More like a robot than a pony, Magi stood up and, with lifeless eyes, walked into the wagon's cleaning locker without saying a word, making sure to close the doors behind her.
A loud thud was heard inside the locker, as if someone had just slammed their head against the wall.
Shortly after, Magi came out.
"I'm refreshed!" the executive pegasus exclaimed, cheerful and radiant like a rose in spring, though she had a slight mark on her forehead. With a flap of her wings, she approached Fluttershy and gave her a warm hug. "Thank you, Fluttershy, thank you. I really needed something like this. I feel like I could fly out the window right now. Woo-hoo!"
"Yes! I'm so... happy... to hear that! Ha!" the pink-maned pegasus barely managed to respond before collapsing onto the floor after receiving Magi's solid embrace.
"Ponyville is a bit far from my work area. But if that spa you mentioned is as good as you say, I think I could take a getaway there with my girlfriend on vacation," Magi said as she stretched all her limbs and bounced slightly.
"Ouuuh," Fluttershy responded, slightly dizzy on the floor.
Then Fluttershy noticed something strange. Magi, who had stopped bouncing, had put on a magical-looking collar and had suddenly started to fade away, then reappear with different coat and mane colors.
Magi continued alternating her colors like an out-of-control traffic light. Though it wasn't obvious at first glance, she was calibrating the artifact.
"What's happening?" Fluttershy asked, surprised and somewhat frightened.
"Oh, this? It's a marvel created by my engineers. It allows you to change your coat color without needing makeup; it can even make you invisible for a certain amount of time."
"Oh, wow!" Fluttershy responded, perplexed as she watched Magi test her equipment and then begin placing her other gadgets in her saddlebag. The saddlebag also caught her attention since, despite Magi putting a large number of devices inside, it didn't seem to be filling up at all.
"You have some really impressive tools," Fluttershy said, curious.
"Right? I'm always prepared. But I'm not the only one carrying surprises in her saddlebag. You also seem to be hiding something..." Magi said, pointing out that Fluttershy had kept her saddlebag on the whole time and was keeping it well protected under her wings.
"Oh, well, it's a special gift I have for Twilight... it's a surprise," Fluttershy said, somewhat shy and suspiciously serious. Magi noticed the change and made a mental note of it.
"Well, if it's a surprise, there's no reason to show it now. You'll do so in due time..."
"Yes, in due time..." Fluttershy murmured to herself, looking in another direction. Then she suddenly jolted.
"Is something wrong?" Magi asked seriously upon seeing Fluttershy alarmed.
"The girls must still be enchanting the crystals. I just thought that maybe they should enchant each crystal individually and not as a group as they had been doing. Oh, I feel so bad for not having listened carefully to Twilight's words before," Fluttershy said, anguished. She still didn't feel like she was truly giving her all and felt responsible for the delay her friends were experiencing in enchanting the crystals they urgently needed.
Without saying another word, she stood up and headed toward the door leading to the other room where the rest of the ponies were.
"Wait, Fluttershy!" Magi suddenly said.
"Yes? What is it?" Fluttershy turned before touching the door.
"I know it's not much, but... would you like an autograph from the Averages team?"
[-]
"All set! A full set of friendship crystals completed!" Pinkie Pie proclaimed excitedly, linking the last crystal into its respective rosary.
"Twilight is going to be so surprised when she sees these beautiful crystals shining with our glow," added Rarity radiantly, inspecting the six enchanted crystals with the light of her horn.
"Well, I have to admit, they do look impressive now that they're complete. All that's left is explaining to Magi how they work. I hope she takes it well," said Applejack, adjusting her hat.
Then, there was a knock on the train car door.
"Hello? Am I interrupting?" came Fluttershy's voice from the other side.
"Of course not, dear Fluttershy," Rarity replied, opening the door with her magic and allowing their friend inside.
"Did something happen?" Applejack asked, noticing the concern on Fluttershy's face.
"Well, it's just that I had an idea that might help you enchant the crystals faster. I know I haven't been much help, but at least let me explain what I have in mind," the timid pegasus responded.
"Huh? We'd never think that, sugarcube. You're one of the most important among us, and you've certainly proven that today," said Applejack, placing a hoof on her shoulder. At her sides, Pinkie Pie and Rarity added similar words of encouragement.
"Oh, thank you, girls. That means a lot to me."
"Well, if that makes you happy, this will make you even happier!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing up to reveal the six enchanted gems.
"Wow," Fluttershy was awestruck by the glow of the newly finished gems.
"Touch them and feel the perfection, darling," added Rarity, guiding Fluttershy's hooves toward the rosary of gems.
"This is wonderful! You really finished them! Yessss!" Fluttershy cheered, giving an excited flutter, confident that everything would go smoothly from that moment on.
"So… about that, there's something we need to discuss," Applejack interrupted, looking at the others.
That's when a sudden chill ran through all of them. A disturbing cold, accompanied by a hostile presence, filled the train car. Fluttershy froze, her gaze fixed on something behind Applejack. Rarity and Pinkie Pie felt it too. Though they didn't look at each other, they all knew exactly who was there.
For Applejack, everything was clear as day. Yet, strangely, she felt calm. She knew that with just one word, everything would end.
She took one last look at Fluttershy. She noticed a detail she had overlooked before: Fluttershy seemed to have adjusted her mane again.
But that little detail could wait. The important thing was what she was about to do next.
"VANILLA!" Applejack shouted, spinning around just before a bolt of magic struck her squarely.
Beside her, her two friends met the same fate.
As Applejack faded into a blinding flash, one last thought crossed her mind.
Sacrificing herself to protect another pony had been the source of many nightmares when she was a filly. That fear had haunted her for years, making her believe that such an act was the most foolish thing she could ever do in her life. Now, however, the feeling that enveloped her was entirely different.
A soft smile of peace appeared on Applejack's face before she vanished.
[-]
"Little rat, you won't get far..." Ceridwen murmured as she watched the doors of the room close.
The pink-maned pegasus had skillfully dodged the magical attack that would have trapped both her and her friends. Though the other three had fallen into the ambush, now Ceridwen would have to hunt down that pony.
Frowning, she assessed the situation. She couldn't allow her to escape; that pegasus had in her hooves crystals that glowed with a unique magical light. A weapon, no doubt. And if they reached the princess's hooves, they could endanger the entire mission.
"You won't escape."
Without wasting time, Ceridwen blasted the door open with her magic and entered the waiting room. To her surprise, it was empty. It was perplexing. She hadn't sensed the pegasus leaving the carriage nor detected any signs of teleportation. Moreover, the magical gem she carried should have prevented any attempt at advanced magical escape.
And yet, there was no one there.
Another illusion?
Ceridwen recalled what Balor had explained about the carriage where the ponies had taken refuge. It was protected by an illusion so powerful that it prevented direct detection. Unlike invisibility, this illusion clouded the mind, stopping individuals from recognizing the hidden object. They could see it, even interact with it, but their senses would simply ignore it or mistake it for something else. It was a magic so complex that it affected all five senses and interfered with magical detection techniques.
But no magic is perfect.
An illusion is still an illusion, and eventually, reality finds a way to break through it.
That was when Ceridwen noticed something. The reflection of the enchanted carriage was visible in the water pooled on the floor, even though she couldn't see it directly. A simple rule of reality that the illusion had failed to bypass had betrayed it.
How was it possible that these ponies had access to such magic? She didn't know, but one thing was clear—Balor was right: they needed to be captured immediately or, if they resisted, eliminated without hesitation.
Ceridwen cast a counterspell around her. Now that she understood how this trick worked, she was sure she wouldn't be fooled again.
A wave of light emanated from the pony she controlled, expanding throughout the room.
Soon, the hidden objects began to reveal themselves one by one. Ceridwen swallowed hard.
Dozens of explosive crates appeared, attached to the walls, under the seats, and even on the ceiling. At that moment, the sound of a timer became audible, echoing with an unrelenting rhythm.
"Crud," Ceridwen thought before the entire place was engulfed in a tremendous explosion.
[-]
Fluttershy swam gently in the lake, hidden beneath a suitcase. Around her floated more suitcases, bags, and remnants of luggage, along with shattered parts of the train drifting on the water's calm surface, where the railway tracks once stood.
As she moved forward, some fragments collided with each other or sank with a soft splash. Fluttershy remained alert. With calculated and silent movements, she distanced herself from the center of the lake. Behind her, the traces of the massive explosion that had destroyed the medical carriage were still visible: a column of black smoke slowly ascended, darkening the sky.
Several minutes had passed since the attack, and there were no signs of enemy movement. Taking advantage of the calm, Fluttershy continued toward the other shore. Her goal was to reach the rocky mounds bordering the lake and, from there, slip into the dense forest surrounding the Great Barrier to the south.
Even so, even as she swam, her gaze constantly returned to the site of the explosion.
In her hooves, she held the gems her friends had entrusted to her. Tears rolled down her face as she remembered the sacrifices those ponies had made for her.
"They were truly good friends," she murmured, pausing for a moment to observe the smoke rising from the charred medical carriage.
However, something else began to surface on the pegasus' face. The tears continued to flow, but they no longer seemed to be caused by sadness—quite the opposite. Fluttershy started to laugh softly, a dark and unsettling chuckle that would have shocked anyone who knew her usual kindness.
Because, in reality, she was not Fluttershy.
She was Magazin Doublereport.
The real Fluttershy would have wept inconsolably for the loss of her friends. But Magi did not share those feelings. To her, friendship was nothing more than a useful label, a concept she could wield to charm and manipulate those around her. The only thing that had changed after recent events was her perspective: she now saw friendship as an even more powerful tool.
("If friendship is about others sacrificing themselves for you, then I have many friends back home, hee hee hee"), she thought amusedly as she continued swimming toward the shore.
Magi was elated. Though she had faced a considerable setback, she now had everything she needed to continue her plan.
In her hooves was the princess's legacy: a powerful magical amulet that would undoubtedly grant her the strength necessary to escape from this "cage of doom." If all else failed, she could always use the amulet's magic to fake her own death and hide until the danger passed.
Initially, her plan had been to remain hidden and avoid drawing attention ever since they were intercepted by Badwhiz. But when the Great Barrier was raised, everything changed. A very bad feeling overtook her, and she decided to consult the most powerful magical amulets in her possession.
These were:
The Memory Stone, a lesser copy she had acquired at an auction.
The Imagination Stone, stolen from a museum during her teenage years.
The Vision Stone, a legacy from the only pony she had ever respected and admired.
Combined, these stones held the power to reveal the near future with 90% accuracy and the distant future with 50%. Although the future was not set in stone, Magi knew how to manipulate it to her advantage.
With practice and patience, she had learned to master the stones, using them to stay ahead of her competitors and build her commercial empire. Her success had been galloping, but so had her overconfidence, which eventually turned into arrogance. Over time, she stopped using the stones, relying solely on her intuition, except in cases of doubt or emergency.
Today, however, she had broken that confidence.
The vision the stones had shown her was so terrifying that it made every feather on her body tremble.
It was nothing more than a blank image. Just that.
Magi refused to accept it. She would not accept it. That vision, which she had once witnessed in a dark chapter of her past, meant only one thing:
Her life would end that day.
Desperate, she used all her skills to explore other possible scenarios, but the result was always the same. Only one possibility, among an infinite number of futures, gave her a remote and improbable chance to extend her fate. However, the image that appeared in that vision left her bewildered.
In it, Fluttershy, the princess's friend, held a striking rosary adorned with colorful gems.
At first, she didn't understand its significance. It was only later, while invisibly lurking around the train in search of answers, that everything clicked. In an unguarded moment, she saw Twilight handing that very same rosary to Fluttershy.
Everything became clear to her at that moment. If she wanted to survive, she had to get those crystals. Her life depended on it.
Step by step, she crafted her plan to obtain them. She deceived the princess's friends, manipulating them to complete the set of gems. Then, she captured Fluttershy and locked her inside the medical car's cleaning locker. Finally, she took on the appearance of the pegasus and got close enough to the ponies to seize the rosary.
All of this happened just before the enemy caught up with them.
That's why she now cried tears of joy upon reaching the lake's shore. Once again, she had cheated fate. She felt as if she had been born anew.
The fears that had haunted her all afternoon since the beginning of the entrapment faded away, and arrogance, that old companion, returned to take control of her thoughts.
("Haaa... They really gave me a hard time, but now Magi is back!") she thought, looking at the lake's interior with satisfaction. Invisible thanks to one of her magical artifacts, she wiped her tears with her wings, still maintaining Fluttershy's form.
From a distance, the lake seemed calm. The wreckage of the train still floated, and there were no signs of movement. Even her spy birds confirmed that the enemy wasn't moving.
Despite the growing sense of calm, something continued to unsettle her: the Knights of Order.
("They must have noticed the reflection of the car in the water... and to think they'd do it with this light,") she thought, glancing up at the oval-shaped sky above her.
The sky, illuminated by a white light from all directions, lacked a sun. The shadows of the trees and rocks were diffuse, but the reflection in the water was still clear enough to betray objects near the surface.
That natural illusion had ruined her attempt to hide the medical car. Though Magi was aware of that flaw, she didn't possess a magical artifact capable of making such a large object invisible. Because of that, she had no choice but to rely on the princess's friends and her own luck to avoid being discovered too soon.
("Well... I've had enough of these guys. I can imagine what they're planning, so I'd better keep a low profile until they're done with their agenda.")
Magi understood perfectly that capturing or destroying the princess and her friends was only the first step for the Knights of Order. Next, their plan would involve attacking the capital, the rest of Equestria, and the other kingdoms. Everything pointed to their ultimate goal being the elimination of any possible threat to their mysterious homeland.
For a moment, she considered the possibility of negotiating with them, but her instincts warned her that it would be a fatal mistake. She knew far too little about their intentions and methods, making the idea even more dangerous. If they had planned their attack in such detail, it was unlikely they would adjust their strategies based on unexpected circumstances, even if they were favorable.
There was also another troubling variable: the enigma surrounding the boy working with the Knights. His identity remained unknown, and not even the princess's friends seemed to have any clues about who he could be.
"Uhmmm..." Magi exhaled deeply as she processed her thoughts. Finally, she made a decision.
It no longer mattered.
The explosion she had prepared had likely injured or eliminated one of the Knights. Now, the rest must be disoriented or reconsidering their next move. The absence of an immediate response confirmed that theory. This was the perfect moment to take advantage of the confusion and escape for good.
A gentle breeze brushed the lake's surface.
Magi convinced herself that the danger had passed. She turned around confidently and, without haste, continued on her way.
[-]
A light burst on one of the shores of the lake. Magazin Doublereport had disappeared into the white radiance without even knowing what had happened to her.
[-]
"Good job, Ceridwen," Balor communicated mentally with her friend. "That was perfect. The great sub-leader Mannah is so moved by your performance that he's practically melting."
"Give me the princess's coordinates, Balor," Ceridwen responded dryly from the shore of the lake. Despite the time they had worked together, she still didn't appreciate the occasional sarcastic jokes her friend made during missions.
"Heh heh, alright. But first, send me those crystals through the secondary object transmission channel. I need to examine them personally."
"Uhmm..." Ceridwen knew that this channel bypassed Mannah's filter, which could be considered an infringement of his authority.
"Fine... but does the sub-leader approve?" Ceridwen asked suspiciously.
"Of course."
Without further delay, Ceridwen sent Twilight and her friends' crystal rosary to Balor in a simple burst of light.