The parchment slipped from the cowpony’s hooves, a mix of shock and disbelief on her face as her friends struggled to take in the revelation. Spike had taken a seat, cradling his head with his hands as he stared at the ground. Fluttershy’s body was silently shaking as she sobbed, her head still hidden by her hooves. Pinkamenia kept her silence, but for the first time, a hint of emotion was showing on her face as her mouth formed a small frown, her eyes darting back and forth between the desecrated grave and the scroll in front of Applejack. Rainbow Dash, having suspended her interrogations of the townsfolk to listen to Applejack, could only gape at her friend as the same thought ran through their minds.

“Rainbow, you don’ think…”

“NO!” Rainbow’s sudden denial caused Applejack to take a step back as the crippled pegasus ran over and took hold of the scroll. “There’s no way she could do something like this!” Rainbow quickly read the letter, then threw it to the ground. “This doesn’t prove anything! Any sick bastard could have done this! It’s just a coincidence that Twilight’s escaped from Canterlot!” Rainbow’s voice lost its fiery tone, and was replaced by a much smaller one that held a hint of doubt. “It…It has to be, right?”

Applejack walked over to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Rainbow, Ah know it looks bad, an’ Ah’m not sayin’ for certain it was Twilight, but ya gotta look at the facts. She’s been goin’ through a lot… and if she thought this was a good idea…” She stopped, unable to continue with her train of thought.

Spike spoke without looking up. “How could she think this was a good idea? What would she have to gain from doing this?” No one answered him.

Applejack, finally over the initial shock, raised her voice as she tried to get a hold of the situation. “Come on, y’all, right now it doesn’ matter why anypony would do this, we gotta find whoever did it and bring ‘em to justice.”

“I’m right there with you.” Rainbow’s voice had regained its normal brashness, joined by an overtone of pure rage. “If it turns out some creepy sicko did this, I’m gonna stomp his head into the ground!”

Spike rose to his feet, a look of concern on his face. “And what if it’s Twilight who did all this? What are you gonna do then?” He had asked not out of contempt, but out of worry.

Rainbow avoided his gaze as she answered. “If it really was Twilight… which it probably wasn’t! But, if it was her, we’ll just snatch her up and bring her back to the castle. After that, we can put Rarity back to rest.” She looked for support from her cowpony friend and got it in the form of a nod.

“Sounds good. We can get her back to the Princess, and if it was her, we can return Rarity to her resting place.” The dragon and the pegasus agreed with her, and Applejack turned her attention to the silent pink pony and the yellow Pegasus that lay still on the ground. Before she could say anything to Pinkamenia, the mute pony nodded. Satisfied that she was with them, Applejack sat next to Fluttershy and gently put a hoof on her shoulder. “Shy?” She had tried to ask as quietly as possible.

Fluttershy raised a plaster covered hoof, here eye catching Applejack’s before she hurriedly returned the hoof to its place over her eye. Applejack began to stroke her mane, speaking in a hushed tone. “Ah know this is hard for you, sweetie, but you gotta be strong, for Twilight’s sake. We’re her friends, and right now, she needs us more than anythin’.”

Fluttershy’s voice was so low that Applejack had to lean towards her in order to hear what she said. “Are we really Twilight’s friends anymore? Are we still friends at all?”

“Sugarcube, what are ya talkin’ about!? Of course we’re friends! Why would ya say somethin’ like that?”

Fluttershy uncovered her head, and it looked like she was about to burst into tears again. “Haven’t you been paying attention? Ever since… since… the accident, we’ve drifted apart from Twilight… from each other.”

“Fluttershy, Ah… Ah had no idea you felt like that… Ah mean, Ah know we’ve seen a lot less of each other, but we’re still friends, sugarcube.” Spike, Rainbow Dash and Pinkamenia had walked over to the two. “We would never intentionally push you away, would we?” She asked the three around her, and Rainbow Dash and Spike agreed, Pinkamenia giving her a slight nod. “See?” With that, she embraced Fluttershy, and was joined by the others. They held onto each other for what seemed like forever, until they reluctantly relinquished their grips.

Fluttershy had managed to give them a small smile, and was met by the smiles of her friends, Pinkamenia even managing to give her a small one. Applejack, however, lost hers as she turned attention back to the matter at hand. “We’re still missin’ a pony. We need to get goin’ an’ find Twilight as fast as possible.” The others agreed, and they all stood. “Ah don’ have the first clue about where she might be, but the Princess did mention she sent out some guards to look for her.”

“Yeah, but why let some guards find her when she needs us the most? The more time we waste here, the longer Twilight’s out there, all alone.” Rainbow’s friends didn’t need any convincing, and the six friends set off, not knowing where Twilight Sparkle was, only that they needed to find her.

**********************

High above the foreboding Everfree Forest flew a group of four armored pegasi, the polished metal of their royal armament shining brilliantly in the light of the midday sun. Leading the flight was a large white stallion, his cream colored tail flapping wildly in the breeze. He turned back to the three following him and shouted out to them, “Keep a lookout for any signs of magical tampering! This unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, is supposed to be the Princess’ prodigy, so there’s a good chance she’s using her magic to hide herself.”

One of the guards, his coat a mix of a deep purple and blue, voiced a question. “What kind of magic are we expecting, Hoplite, sir?”

“Apparently she’s the embodiment of the Element of Magic, so it means she can use pretty much any kind of magic she wants to. The Princess wasn’t specific about what exactly she’s capable of, but if she was powerful enough to be the Princess’ personal student, we need to expect anything.”

Another o f the guards, a gray coated solider with a darker shaded tail suddenly called out, “Sir, there’s a clearing in the forest over there.” He pointed down to the forest with a hoof, and as Hoplite followed it, he caught sight of a small breach in the tree line.

“Nice catch, Observer. You and Night Watch will follow me in. Fleethoof, if we aren’t back in ten minutes, head back to the castle and inform the Princess about this place.” The three guards gave their commander a salute, and the strike team flew to the ground, leaving behind their teal colored companion.

The three soldiers flew through the small breach and landed in a small patch of land, land that was surrounded on nearly all sides by the forest. Strange plants grew everywhere, and the trees were so closely intertwined that it was impossible to see past the first few tree lines. An almost unnatural silence had taken over, a silence so profound that the guards could hear their own breath. Ahead of them lay what seemed like the only visible way through the thick vegetation, a small, worn path that led into darkness. The guards started down the path, and as they got further away from the opening that led to the sky, the darker it became, until they could barely see each other in the dimness.

Night Watch jumped as a strange guttural noise came from somewhere deep within the forest, causing Hoplite to put a hoof to his mouth. “Quiet,” He whispered in a hurried tone. “Don’t attract any attention! We don’t know what’s in this forest, and I’m not too keen on finding out.” Night Watch gulped and gave a quick nod, his eyes shifting to and fro, looking for and subsequently hoping not to find the source of the noise. The only sounds that now graced their ears were the trudging of their hooves upon the hard ground.

As they continued on, the blackness around them somehow seemed to worsen, until they had to look down at the ground to make sure they were still on the path. The air, Hoplite realized, seemed to have dampened and grown heavier, causing him to quicken his breath. His ears perked as he heard a strange sound, a sound so light he questioned whether or not he had actually heard anything. He stopped, and complete silence washed over the guards as they followed their leader’s example. The same noise, slightly louder this time, shook all doubts from the commander’s mind. He listened intently, and for a third time, the noise permeated the air, even louder than before. If he didn’t know any better, he would have guessed that it was a mare’s laugh that was following them. He waited, trying to confirm his suspicion, but the noise didn’t come back. He shook his head and the guards continued on.

The silence was shattered as Night Watch yelled out, causing Hoplite to jump in surprise. He rushed over and covered the guard’s mouth as the eerie stillness took over once more. “You idiot!” His voice, while still low, held fury and contempt. “What did I tell you!? Now you’ve given our position away!” Night Watch’s eyes were bulging out, and the commander risked a glance into the darkness around them.

He felt his heart skip a beat as he found the cause of his underling’s scream. A nightmarish face, not five feet away, was barely illuminated by the purple light coming from its horn. The appendage was nearly hidden under the tattered rag that could only have been the creature’s mane. He could hardly see its face, and its body was completely obscured, but he what he saw shook him to his very core. The face was stoic, but as time dragged on, its mouth slowly spread into a terrible smile that began to stretch the limits of its face. Even more disturbing than the smile were the thing’s eyes. They were darker than the midnight sky, and they held two microscopic dots of white that were locked with his own eyes. Hoplite could feel the eyes of this thing burrowing their way into his retinas, and try as he might, there was no escaping this thing’s petrifying glare. He felt his entire body lock into position, completely at the mercy of his enemy. Just as quick as the demented creature had appeared, the aura of its horn flashed, and when the commander’s eyes had recovered from the sudden burst of light, the monster was nowhere to be found. The commander, free of the hellish stare, quickly rounded and tried to get his troops moving.

At least, he would have, if they were still there.

He spun around, desperately trying to find them, but in this darkness, the only thing he found was a hole in the ground. He tripped, twisting his ankle in the process. He let out a grunt of pain as he fell and met the cold dirt. The unmistakable sound of laughter could be heard, the same laugh that he had heard just a few minutes ago. He got to his hooves, ignoring the pain in his ankle and started to run with a limp. With no idea where he was or where he was going, he simply ran, following the path as best as he could. The laughter had risen in volume, filling his head and blocking out any thoughts besides escape. His breath was ragged, the fire in his leg slowly spreading outwards, and there was nothing ahead but more darkness. In a single moment of weakness, he let the laughing get to him, if only for a second. It was enough to distract him from the path, and he smashed head first into a tree, knocking him out cold and causing his helmet to cut into his forehead.

The laughing cut out, and unbeknownst to the unconscious and bleeding guard, a figure emerged from the forest, standing over him. It was the thing he had seen before, but there was no escape for him now. With a flash of purple light, the creature and the guard were whisked away, leaving only the sinister darkness of the forest behind.

**********************

Fleethoof flew quickly over the trees, their thick growth preventing him from seeing into the forest. He wasn’t sure exactly how long ago it was that his compatriots had entered the small hole in the tree line, but at the least, fifteen minutes must have gone by. He would’ve gone to the Princess, if not for the scream that had come from within the forest just a few minutes before. He searched, frantically trying to find the source of the yelling, but the tops of the trees prevented him from seeing anything. With a heavy sigh, he gave up the search and changed direction, flying towards the great castle in the distance.

**********************

The six friends had been travelling for just over an hour, and they had nothing to show for it. None of the ponies in Ponyville had been any help in their search, and they had decided to move their search towards the surrounding areas. The first place outside of town they went to check was the Everfree Forest. The midday sun was beaming down on them, filling them with hope that their mission would be successful.

Rainbow Dash led the group, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Behind her, the rest did the same, staying ever vigilant. Applejack had fallen to the back of the pack, hoping to get a word in with Fluttershy.

“Shy, do you really feel like we’ve been driftin’ apart as friends? Now, Ah’m not mad or anythin’ like that, Ah just want to know the truth.”

Fluttershy answered nervously. “Um, well, yes. I mean, I don’t blame you, I couldn’t, it’s just… ever since Rarity… passed on, I think we haven’t been spending enough time together. Maybe if we had, Twilight wouldn’t have…” She couldn’t finish her sentence, as the events of the day had started to weigh down on her.

Applejack comforted her friend, trying to put her worries to rest. “Don’ think like that. Even if it was Twilight who… did that, Ah’m sure she wasn’ in her right mind when she did it. We’ll get her back, Shy. Ah promise you we will.”

Fluttershy smiled, though her eyes still looked a little doubtful. They had lagged behind the others, and hurried to catch up, Applejack walking alongside Pinkamenia once they did so. “Pinkie, Ah know everypony’s had some hard times, but don’ ya think one of your parties would help to cheer everypony up? It’s been so long since you had one, an’ Ah know for sure Ah could go for one.” Pinkamenia looked at her with a seemingly confused expression, and seemed as if she was about to answer, but decided against it, keeping her silence. Applejack frowned. “C’mon, Pinkie, it’s hard movin’ on, but don’ ya think Rarity would rather you have fun than sulk around all the time?” Again, Pinkamenia seemed like she was going to say something, but said nothing. Applejack sighed. “Well, at least think about it.”

Leaving Pinkamenia behind, Applejack ran up to Rainbow Dash, but wasn’t expecting her to stop in her tracks. She got a face full of rainbow colored tail for her troubles, and was about to scold Rainbow when she untangled herself form the hair and saw why she had stopped.

High in the sky, the vague but unmistakable form of Princess Celestia was quickly approaching them. She was moving rapidly, and touched down in only a few seconds. There were slight bags under her eyes, and she looked like she hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in a very long time. The six friends, though stunned by her sudden appearance, bowed their heads in respect.

"Thank goodness I found you all." The friends noticed that she had ignored the gesture of respect, and listened as Celestia spoke hurriedly. "One of the guards I sent out came back with reports of a possible hideout, and I had to see it for myself. I believe they found her, for none of the others have returned." The friends looked to each other, their faces a mix of confusion and concern. "I was just on my way to retrieve you all, but I see that won't be necessary." Without another word, her horn glowed with a yellowish aura, and they were all whisked away from the sunny path they had been walking on.

**********************

Hoplite’s head was pounding and his eyes unfocused as he stirred groggily, trying to gain his bearings. The first thing that stuck out was the ground, or at least what he thought was the ground. The tree trunks were extending downwards, and above him lay the tell tale dirt of the forest floor. He couldn’t piece together what exactly was wrong with this until the fire in his ankle returned worse than before, causing him to moan in pain and snap into focus. He felt pressure building in his head, and when he tried to raise a hoof to it, he found his front legs bounded together by a strange current of purple light. Try as he might, he couldn’t break free of the strange glow, and when he tried moving his back legs, he found that they too were trapped by the light. He struggled against the bonds, but it was a hopeless act. He let his hooves fall limply and looked around, trying to figure out where he was.

He was in a circular and flat patch of land that was surrounded on all sides by the trees that he had become all too accustomed with. There seemed to be a large box of some kind on the opposite him, and in front of it, a purple campfire was shedding the first light he had seen for some time. It was strange to see the forest lit up with purple. Of course, he was seeing all of this upside down, as he finally figured out why the planet had flipped; he was strung up by his back legs in a tree. He looked up and found that the same aura that held his hooves together had a hold of his back hooves, acting like a rope as it went up to the tree above him.

There came the snapping sound of a branch underhoof, and he quickly turned towards the direction of the noise, which happened to be behind the strange box. The first thing he saw stepping out from behind it was the same ghastly face that had met him in the forest, and as he watched with a quickening heart beat, the monster made its full appearance known.

It was a unicorn, there was no doubt about that, but its body had undergone some kind of transformation that had morphed it into its present horrific state. Hoplite guessed that the unicorn was, or had been, a mare, but he reasoned that it didn’t matter at this point. The purple light of the campfire allowed him to see the ribs that were sticking out underneath its ragged coat, and its mane and tail were both tattered and unkempt beyond belief. It was smiling at him, the same awful smile that had seen before. The same black eyes that had petrified him before were staring into his, but for some reason, he didn’t feel himself turn to stone. He could only guess that this thing was toying with him, getting some kind of sick pleasure from it. For a reason he couldn’t find, seeing this thing upside down scared him infinitely more than when he had seen it right side up.

He started to thrash against his bonds as it drew closer to him, never losing eye contact. He closed his eyes, foolishly trying to escape from its glare. When he opened them again, he thought for a split second that the campfire had gone out, but when the dots of white suddenly shifted, he knew that the monster was standing face to face with him. He let out a startled scream, the monster completely unaffected by it. He had started to hyperventilate, and no matter what he did to try to calm himself, the unblinking eyes in front of him stopped his efforts in their tracks.

The thing lost its smile as it opened its mouth, and in a mare like but gravelly voice, spoke with him. “I knew Celestia would send someone to find me, but I was so hoping that it would be my friends. Instead, I get you. You poor, unfortunate pony.”

Hoplite gulped, and as the connection between his mission and what the creature had just said made itself clear, he spoke in barely more than a hushed whisper. “T-Twlight Sparkle?”

“Here I am, in the flesh,” She responded with an almost cheery tone, “But to be fair, my flesh has seen better days.” She frowned, looking down and picking at her coat with a hoof. “Of course, that was before I killed my friend.”

Hoplite had started to breathe faster as the warped mare spoke, and he could barely muster enough courage to speak up. “I’m here to bring you back to Canterlot …”

She started giggling at this, her voice somehow more disturbing when it was in delight. “Oh, how I admire a guard who keeps the mission at heart.” She stopped, and lost her smile as she looked at him. “I can’t let you do that, though I’m sure you knew that already. If you didn’t, well, let’s just say all your problems will be over soon.” She slowly stroked his face, sending tremors throughout his entire body. “I’m sorry this mission fell upon you, I truly am. I’m sorry for a lot of things…”

Hoplite sensed Twilight weakening, and he took a chance, realizing full well that this could be the difference between life and death. “Twilight, why are you doing this? Why did you run away from the castle?”

She let go of his face, turning away from him and lowering her head. “You wouldn’t understand, no one will. I’ve… I’ve done horrible things… and I’m redeeming myself for them.”

“Twilight, where are my men?”

As her horn lit up with the all too familiar dim light, Hoplite could see a glimmering red liquid coating it. He felt his stomach drop, or rather rise, given his predicament. Before he could say anything, Twilight walked forward and put her horn to his exposed throat. He had never given thought to how sharp a unicorn’s horn was before, but as he felt the tip of Twilight’s horn touch, he was certain it had been sharpened beyond how sharp a normal horn should have been. “Twilight, please,” He begged, desperately trying to ignore the prickling feeling on his throat. “This isn’t going to solve anything… do you really think killing me will help redeem you?”

Twilight was still, staring at him as she processed her thoughts. Her horn let off, and she took a step back. “I’m doing this for Rarity… all of this began when she...” She fell to her knees, tucking her legs into her body. “I just want things to be the same… and I’ve already tried to bring her back to life.” Hoplite lost her there, and as he tried to understand what she had just said, she continued on. “Of course, that didn’t work, so if I can’t bring her back…” her voice was rising, a mix of maniacal cheerfulness and crushing sadness somehow exiting her mouth at the same time. “Then the next best thing is to make everypony else just like her! Not just my friends, but everypony else! I’m creating a perfect world for all of us, and you’re going to be one of the first ponies to join!” She had begun laughing and crying at the same time as Hoplite looked down at the demented unicorn, trying to break free of the bonds once again in a futile attempt. “I promise you won’t feel anything!!” His eyes widened, and the last thing Hoplite saw was the purple blur of a rapidly approaching horn.

It was over in a split second.

The only sounds that now filled the small area were the simultaneous laughter and sobbing of the wretched purple creature. The tears on her cheeks were joined by the lines of blood flowing over her head, and she could feel the blood soaking into her mane. She tried to step back, but her horn was stuck on something. With a quick pull and a squishing sound, she pulled her horn free of what had once been Hoplite’s right eye. Blood and ocular fluids covered her horn and the top of her head, bus she couldn’t care less. With a wave of her head, the light that bounded the guard’s hooves disappeared, dumping his corpse unceremoniously to the ground. Blood began to pool underneath the canal that had been its eye.

She continued to laugh and sob as she dropped to the ground, covering her head with her legs. The opposing sounds could be heard in the deepest reaches of the forest as they echoed out from the lonely and pitiful creature that had once been the Element of Magic.