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Description
The six Assassins stood at the edge of the cliff. The animals of the Everfree Forest buzzed and chirped around them. The moon and stars shined down on them. Swift looked over the edge to observe the area below. There were only a few guards patrolling around. They would be easy to take out. Swift looked farther back at the enormous cave entrance on the other side. She knew that in there she would face the Templar grand master, Princess Celestia, as well as figure out what she wanted with the Tree of Harmony. She stepped away from the ledge and pulled her hood over her head.

She turned to her friends. "Alright," she said. "There's only a few guards down there. Let's take 'em out." The other five nodded. They pulled their hoods on. The six trotted over to the stairs that led into the canyon, and galloped down. In just ten minutes, all of the guards were silenced. Swift stood with her friends at the entrance of the cave. "You guys stay out here and stand guard," she said. "I'm going in."

"By yourself?" asked Sea Foam. "Are you sure?" Swift nodded. "This is my fight, and I'm going to finish it," she said. "You guys can come in if I get into serious trouble." Her friends were hesitant, but they eventually gave in. They all wished her luck, and hugged her. Swift gave a mock salute and started heading into the cave. It was damp and dark. Drops of water fell from the rocks above.

Swift had difficulty seeing in the dark, but some bizarre light soon began illuminating the cave from within. Soon, everything was coated in a light-blue hue. Swift noticed a few symbols on the walls of the cave. They emitted the same glow, though it was much fainter. At first, Swift figured it was magic. But something about it told her that it wasn't. Like the Apple and the Staff, the glow seemed impossible, but somehow it still looked... natural. Swift couldn't figure it out. She kept traversing through the cave.

Soon, she began to hear a voice, one that she instantly recognized. It was Celestia, and she was clearly frustrated. Swift soon found herself at the end of the cave. And there she saw Celestia. She was standing beneath the giant, glowing, crystal structure that was the Tree of Harmony. She was at the Tree's base, and she was fiddling with the Staff of Eden. "Come on!" she said. "Tell me how to enter the temple!" As Swift quietly approached, she saw that the Staff had been stuck into a tiny hole in the ground. The symbols around it glowed gold.

Swift watched the princess struggle some more before she revealed herself. "Face it, Celestia," she said. "You've lost. Whatever you were looking for isn't here." Celestia wheeled around and angrily glared at Swift. She pulled the Staff out of its hole. "You know nothing, Assassin," she said. "I was destined to enter here. It's just a matter of finding out how." She pointed the Staff towards Swift, who backed up slightly. "And you're going to help me," continued Celestia. "Give me the Apple!"

Swift could feel the Apple pulse from within her bag. "And why would I do that?" she said. Celestia gave a look. She looked like she was shocked that their wasn't immediate obedience from Swift. The Staff glowed brighter. "Because if you don't," said Celestia. "I'll take it by force."

"I'd love to see you try," said Swift, who drew her sword. Celestia grinned. Suddenly, the staff began to pulse. It roared with the sound of thunder. Celestia waved it a bit, and beams of light shot out from within its engravings. "As you wish," said Celestia. Soon, the battle began. Swift and Celestia charged at each other. Swift swung her blade at the Staff, which pulsed violently with each hit. It was almost as if it was being hurt, like it could feel it.

Celestia countered another attack and swung the Staff hard. It slammed into Swift's head, sending her flying backwards. Swift touched her nose and felt it bleeding. A large gash appeared on her forehead. She quickly got back up and charged again at the princess. Swift was about to land another blow when the Staff pulsed again. In a flash of light, Celestia disappeared with the Staff. Swift stumbled a bit from missing her blow, but quickly recovered. She quickly looked around for Celestia.

Suddenly, she felt a hoof on her shoulder. As she turned her head, she first saw nothing. Then, in a flash of light, Celestia reappeared and she slammed the Staff into Swift's face again. Swift dropped her sword as she fell. She struggled to try to get back up, but Celestia held her down with her hoof. "You Assassins need to learn when you've been bested," said the princess. Using her magic, she took the Apple out of the helpless Swift's saddlebag. It glowed and pulsed with the Staff. Celestia grinned and placed the Apple on the end of the Staff. The artifacts glowed brighter.

"Excellent," said Celestia. "And now to deal with you." She looked down at Swift, and then at her sword. Using her magic, she grabbed the sword, and slowly pushed it into Swift's side. Swift wanted to scream, but she was too weak. Celestia pulled out the sword and dropped it by Swift's face. Satisfied, Celestia returned the Staff to its hole. The symbols around it glowed. Swift helplessly watched as she struggled to try to get back on her hooves. Celestia smiled as the artifacts glowed brighter. Beams of light shot out from their engravings. Bizarre symbols appeared in the air.

"Yes," said Celestia. But then, after the lights reached their highest intensity, they stopped. The symbols disappeared and the lights died down. Celestia seemed shocked. "What?" she stuttered. "No. No. No. No! Come on!" By then, Swift was almost back up. She painfully glared at Celestia. "It's over," she said. Celestia angrily wheeled around. "You," she said. "You did something didn't you? Something you did interfered with its codes!"

"I didn't do anything and you know it. Like Luna said, whatever you're searching for isn't meant for you." Celestia was at a loss for words. She let go of the Staff. "You Assassins have been a pain in my side ever since the War. Tens of thousands of years later, and you're still here, ruining my plans." Swift stumbled a bit as she retrieved her sword. "I will not let the Templars win," she said. "I'm not going to let you take control of Equestria."

Celestia laughed. "The Templars?" she said. "After making it this far, you still think that I'm doing this in the name of the Templars?" By then, she pulled out her own dagger. Swift looked confused. "You're there grand master, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes. But, they're more of a means to an end. They believe I'll bring them a new world that they can rule. But the world I'm building isn't for them."

"Then who?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. I've failed. They're gone." Swift was about to reply, but suddenly, Celestia charged at her. Their blades clashed as they swung at each other. Swift was weakened, but she used Celestia's anger against her. She managed to slice several wounds into the alicorn. The blades clashed and sparked, until eventually the two broke apart. Both of them were bloody and breathing heavily. Both were struggling to stand.

"You're always there, you Assassins," said Celestia. "Always ruining everything I do. You're so desperate to destroy what was so firmly established so long ago." Celestia was too caught up it her rant to notice Swift kick her hoof back. She didn't notice the clicking of gears. "All I wanted was for things to be back to normal," continued Celestia. "And you keep screwing it up!" She breathed angrily. "Why couldn't you just give up?" she shouted.

"I never learned how." Swift pointed her hoof at Celestia. There was the sound of a pin dropping. And then...

BANG!

The shot echoed through the cave. Every other noise seemed to go silent. Celestia's eyes widened as she stumbled backwards and a bleeding hole appeared in her shoulder. She stared at it for a moment, and then collapsed to the ground. Swift expected to see the white void again, but it didn't come. Somehow, the princess was still alive. Swift painfully walked over to her. Celestia stared up at her. "I was going to bring them all back," she said. "The world would've been reborn."

"Whatever you sought will never be brought into the world. Whatever the world lost, it lost for good. The world moves on, and so must we all."

"I thought I could bring them back."

"Nothing is true. Everything is permitted." Celestia was silent. "So it seems," she replied. "Go on, then. End me."

Swift raised her hoof, ready to flick out her hidden blade, but she stopped. Killing Celestia at this point wouldn't do anything. She was a broken mare. She had lost everything she had sought. There was no point. Swift lowered her hoof. "No," she said. "This mistake is yours to live with. You'll be the cause of your own destruction. There's no point." Swift stood up straight, and walked away from Celestia, who passed out from bloodloss. She'd live, but she'd live with this memory.

Swift trotted over to the Staff. It and the Apple glowed again as she approached. She gazed into the glow. She reached out, and grabbed the Staff. It glowed like it did for Celestia. Swift tried to pull it out, but it wouldn't budge. It kept getting brighter. The symbols reappeared in the air. Swift could've sworn she heard faint whispers. Suddenly, beams of light shot out of the artifacts. They shined on an area of the Tree, and formed a pattern. Suddenly, a rectangular section popped out and slid into the Tree. The lights on the Staff died down a bit.

Swift stared at the new doorway. The edge of it was lined in a light-blue haze. Swift let go of the Staff, and walked towards it. As she cautiously entered, she knew that she couldn't back out. She had to finish what she started. As she walked down the corridor, she took notice of the bizarre symbols and patterns on the walls. Some seemed like nonsense, but others looked like legitimate pictures, like hieroglyphics. The walls were also lined with engravings that glowed with a light-blue light, which seemed to pulse like blood through veins.

Swift noticed one drawing in particular. It depicted an alicorn pony in a bizarre outfit holding an Apple on top of some sort of pyramid. Below her stood normal ponies, each one bowing. Swift continued on. At the end of the corridor, Swift found herself in a large chamber that was held up by glowing pillars. Swift started noticing how impossibly smooth the floor and walls were. She saw a small platform at the end of the chamber. It glowed as she approached it. Suddenly, a light shot out of its center. A figure of sorts appeared from within the glow. It looked like a tall pony, but Swift couldn't quite make it out. What appeared to be its head stared down at her. Swift was afraid, but she didn't run.

"நீங்கள் என்னை கேட்க முடிகிறதா?" said the figure. Its voice echoed throughout the room. Swift just stared, wondering what it said. "Potest audire me?" it said. Swift continued to stare. The figure continued to speak. "Riesci a sentirmi? Pouvez-vous m'entendre? Can you hear me?" Swift's eye's widened. "I... I... Yes," said said nervously. Suddenly the figure paused. Swift heard a buzzing and a beeping in the room. Suddenly the figure began to form. Soon, it was clear. It was an image of an alicorn that was formed out of light. She had a helmet and chest plate on. Each one had a bizarre design. The image glitched out in a few areas.

"Can you see me?" asked the alicorn.

"Y... Yes," said Swift.

"Good. We must speak."

"Who are you?"

"I have had several names during my lifetime. But the one that most knew me by was Sapientia." She looked at one of the room's pillars. "It was the same case with many others. My father, Fulger, and his sister, Matrimonium, also had several names over the decades." She paused. She looked at Swift's bloody wounds. "You must excuse my sister," continued Sapientia. "Celestia has always been a bit... rough when it came to family matters."

"Are you... gods?"

Sapientia chuckled. "No. We are not gods. We simply came before your kind. We were more advanced. Your kind could never really grasp our nature. Still, even if you do not understand us, you must understand our warning." She looked at Swift. "So, please. I need you to be quiet so that I may give him the message." Swift looked confused. "What do you mean?" she asked, looking around the room. "There's nopony else here."

"Please! Quiet! You anchor him here, and he must borrow your senses. I wish to speak through you, not to you. So, please. Be silent." Swift wanted to speak further, but she decided against it. She stood silently. "Thank you," said Sapientia. She continued to look at Swift, but she clearly wasn't focusing on her. It was like she was looking at something else entirely. Suddenly, the patterns on the walls lit up, and soon, the whole room changed. Swift seemed to be in space, but she could still feel the floor beneath her. Images of planets swirled around her. She watched as the illusion played out.

She saw the sun and the earth amongst the stars. Sapientia began to speak. "A long time ago, when we still lived, your kind and mine struggled against each other. You rebelled against us, your creators, and soon the world was at war." Swift could see little flashes appear and disappear on the planet's surface. She figured they were explosions. Sapientia continued. "But what we didn't know was that there was a much bigger threat. The sun was reaching an unstable state. Those of us who did realize this knew that if it wasn't stopped, a solar flare would erupt and all would burn."

Swift saw the sun flash as its flames thrashed about. "We tried and tried to stop it," continued Sapientia. "But it was too late. We didn't have the time or resources to save the world. And so the world burned." Swift watched as a ring of fire blasted out from the sun and hit the earth. She watched as all the lights on the planet died out. She saw the continents crack and saw the air fill with black clouds.

"The earth shook for days," said Sapientia. "By the end of it, our kind was nearly extinct. But we built your kind to survive, and so you did. Only two of our kind remained. Two little fillies who were lost in the world they once called home."

Celestia and Luna, thought Swift. The images faded. New images of pyramids and temples appeared. "And now, the same fate threatens the earth again," said Sapientia. "But you can stop it. You must find our temples. With them, you can finish our work, and save the world. But time is short, and you must hurry." The images faded again, and soon the room returned to view. "It is done," said Sapientia. "The message is delivered. We are gone now from this world, and can do no more. The rest is up to you."

She looked at Swift, and now she was clearly speaking to her. "And as for you, you must find our artifacts, the tools we left behind. You must hide them from the Templars so that, once the future comes, he may find them and use them. You have a lot of work to do. I know you still ponder, but my time is short. You will have your answers eventually, but for now, I must go. Good luck." The image of the alicorn began to fade away.

"Wait!" said Swift. "Don't go! Who is he? Please, wait! I have so many questions." But it was too late. The images and sounds had faded away. Swift was alone in the room once more. After a moment of silence, Swift turned to leave the chamber. As she walked into the corridor, she could've sworn she heard the extremely faint sound of a stallion's voice. It sounded like it said, "What the...?"

But as she looked around, she saw nothing, heard nothing. She continued to leave the temple. As she exited, she saw Celestia, still passed out. She was breathing, so she was definitely still alive. Swift tried to pull the Staff and Apple out of their places, but they wouldn't budge. Their lights had gone out. They were nothing but pieces of metal. Swift gave up trying to pull them out and started making her way through the cave.

Eventually, she could see the light from the list rising sun. She heard a voice call out. "Hey, Swift! Are you okay?" It was Sea Foam. Swift smiled a bit at hearing her friend. "Yeah. I'm fine. I'm coming out," she called back. She wondered how she would explain all of this to her friends. She eventually reached the exit. There she saw them, all of her Assassin friends. They smiled and hugged her. Swift gratefully accepted the hug. She thought about the future. The war with the Templars wasn't over yet. The Assassins still had a lot of work to do.

Description
The six Assassins stood at the edge of the cliff. The animals of the Everfree Forest buzzed and chirped around them. The moon and stars shined down on them. Swift looked over the edge to observe the area below. There were only a few guards patrolling around. They would be easy to take out. Swift looked farther back at the enormous cave entrance on the other side. She knew that in there she would face the Templar grand master, Princess Celestia, as well as figure out what she wanted with the Tree of Harmony. She stepped away from the ledge and pulled her hood over her head.

She turned to her friends. "Alright," she said. "There's only a few guards down there. Let's take 'em out." The other five nodded. They pulled their hoods on. The six trotted over to the stairs that led into the canyon, and galloped down. In just ten minutes, all of the guards were silenced. Swift stood with her friends at the entrance of the cave. "You guys stay out here and stand guard," she said. "I'm going in."

"By yourself?" asked Sea Foam. "Are you sure?" Swift nodded. "This is my fight, and I'm going to finish it," she said. "You guys can come in if I get into serious trouble." Her friends were hesitant, but they eventually gave in. They all wished her luck, and hugged her. Swift gave a mock salute and started heading into the cave. It was damp and dark. Drops of water fell from the rocks above.

Swift had difficulty seeing in the dark, but some bizarre light soon began illuminating the cave from within. Soon, everything was coated in a light-blue hue. Swift noticed a few symbols on the walls of the cave. They emitted the same glow, though it was much fainter. At first, Swift figured it was magic. But something about it told her that it wasn't. Like the Apple and the Staff, the glow seemed impossible, but somehow it still looked... natural. Swift couldn't figure it out. She kept traversing through the cave.

Soon, she began to hear a voice, one that she instantly recognized. It was Celestia, and she was clearly frustrated. Swift soon found herself at the end of the cave. And there she saw Celestia. She was standing beneath the giant, glowing, crystal structure that was the Tree of Harmony. She was at the Tree's base, and she was fiddling with the Staff of Eden. "Come on!" she said. "Tell me how to enter the temple!" As Swift quietly approached, she saw that the Staff had been stuck into a tiny hole in the ground. The symbols around it glowed gold.

Swift watched the princess struggle some more before she revealed herself. "Face it, Celestia," she said. "You've lost. Whatever you were looking for isn't here." Celestia wheeled around and angrily glared at Swift. She pulled the Staff out of its hole. "You know nothing, Assassin," she said. "I was destined to enter here. It's just a matter of finding out how." She pointed the Staff towards Swift, who backed up slightly. "And you're going to help me," continued Celestia. "Give me the Apple!"

Swift could feel the Apple pulse from within her bag. "And why would I do that?" she said. Celestia gave a look. She looked like she was shocked that their wasn't immediate obedience from Swift. The Staff glowed brighter. "Because if you don't," said Celestia. "I'll take it by force."

"I'd love to see you try," said Swift, who drew her sword. Celestia grinned. Suddenly, the staff began to pulse. It roared with the sound of thunder. Celestia waved it a bit, and beams of light shot out from within its engravings. "As you wish," said Celestia. Soon, the battle began. Swift and Celestia charged at each other. Swift swung her blade at the Staff, which pulsed violently with each hit. It was almost as if it was being hurt, like it could feel it.

Celestia countered another attack and swung the Staff hard. It slammed into Swift's head, sending her flying backwards. Swift touched her nose and felt it bleeding. A large gash appeared on her forehead. She quickly got back up and charged again at the princess. Swift was about to land another blow when the Staff pulsed again. In a flash of light, Celestia disappeared with the Staff. Swift stumbled a bit from missing her blow, but quickly recovered. She quickly looked around for Celestia.

Suddenly, she felt a hoof on her shoulder. As she turned her head, she first saw nothing. Then, in a flash of light, Celestia reappeared and she slammed the Staff into Swift's face again. Swift dropped her sword as she fell. She struggled to try to get back up, but Celestia held her down with her hoof. "You Assassins need to learn when you've been bested," said the princess. Using her magic, she took the Apple out of the helpless Swift's saddlebag. It glowed and pulsed with the Staff. Celestia grinned and placed the Apple on the end of the Staff. The artifacts glowed brighter.

"Excellent," said Celestia. "And now to deal with you." She looked down at Swift, and then at her sword. Using her magic, she grabbed the sword, and slowly pushed it into Swift's side. Swift wanted to scream, but she was too weak. Celestia pulled out the sword and dropped it by Swift's face. Satisfied, Celestia returned the Staff to its hole. The symbols around it glowed. Swift helplessly watched as she struggled to try to get back on her hooves. Celestia smiled as the artifacts glowed brighter. Beams of light shot out from their engravings. Bizarre symbols appeared in the air.

"Yes," said Celestia. But then, after the lights reached their highest intensity, they stopped. The symbols disappeared and the lights died down. Celestia seemed shocked. "What?" she stuttered. "No. No. No. No! Come on!" By then, Swift was almost back up. She painfully glared at Celestia. "It's over," she said. Celestia angrily wheeled around. "You," she said. "You did something didn't you? Something you did interfered with its codes!"

"I didn't do anything and you know it. Like Luna said, whatever you're searching for isn't meant for you." Celestia was at a loss for words. She let go of the Staff. "You Assassins have been a pain in my side ever since the War. Tens of thousands of years later, and you're still here, ruining my plans." Swift stumbled a bit as she retrieved her sword. "I will not let the Templars win," she said. "I'm not going to let you take control of Equestria."

Celestia laughed. "The Templars?" she said. "After making it this far, you still think that I'm doing this in the name of the Templars?" By then, she pulled out her own dagger. Swift looked confused. "You're there grand master, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes. But, they're more of a means to an end. They believe I'll bring them a new world that they can rule. But the world I'm building isn't for them."

"Then who?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. I've failed. They're gone." Swift was about to reply, but suddenly, Celestia charged at her. Their blades clashed as they swung at each other. Swift was weakened, but she used Celestia's anger against her. She managed to slice several wounds into the alicorn. The blades clashed and sparked, until eventually the two broke apart. Both of them were bloody and breathing heavily. Both were struggling to stand.

"You're always there, you Assassins," said Celestia. "Always ruining everything I do. You're so desperate to destroy what was so firmly established so long ago." Celestia was too caught up it her rant to notice Swift kick her hoof back. She didn't notice the clicking of gears. "All I wanted was for things to be back to normal," continued Celestia. "And you keep screwing it up!" She breathed angrily. "Why couldn't you just give up?" she shouted.

"I never learned how." Swift pointed her hoof at Celestia. There was the sound of a pin dropping. And then...

BANG!

The shot echoed through the cave. Every other noise seemed to go silent. Celestia's eyes widened as she stumbled backwards and a bleeding hole appeared in her shoulder. She stared at it for a moment, and then collapsed to the ground. Swift expected to see the white void again, but it didn't come. Somehow, the princess was still alive. Swift painfully walked over to her. Celestia stared up at her. "I was going to bring them all back," she said. "The world would've been reborn."

"Whatever you sought will never be brought into the world. Whatever the world lost, it lost for good. The world moves on, and so must we all."

"I thought I could bring them back."

"Nothing is true. Everything is permitted." Celestia was silent. "So it seems," she replied. "Go on, then. End me."

Swift raised her hoof, ready to flick out her hidden blade, but she stopped. Killing Celestia at this point wouldn't do anything. She was a broken mare. She had lost everything she had sought. There was no point. Swift lowered her hoof. "No," she said. "This mistake is yours to live with. You'll be the cause of your own destruction. There's no point." Swift stood up straight, and walked away from Celestia, who passed out from bloodloss. She'd live, but she'd live with this memory.

Swift trotted over to the Staff. It and the Apple glowed again as she approached. She gazed into the glow. She reached out, and grabbed the Staff. It glowed like it did for Celestia. Swift tried to pull it out, but it wouldn't budge. It kept getting brighter. The symbols reappeared in the air. Swift could've sworn she heard faint whispers. Suddenly, beams of light shot out of the artifacts. They shined on an area of the Tree, and formed a pattern. Suddenly, a rectangular section popped out and slid into the Tree. The lights on the Staff died down a bit.

Swift stared at the new doorway. The edge of it was lined in a light-blue haze. Swift let go of the Staff, and walked towards it. As she cautiously entered, she knew that she couldn't back out. She had to finish what she started. As she walked down the corridor, she took notice of the bizarre symbols and patterns on the walls. Some seemed like nonsense, but others looked like legitimate pictures, like hieroglyphics. The walls were also lined with engravings that glowed with a light-blue light, which seemed to pulse like blood through veins.

Swift noticed one drawing in particular. It depicted an alicorn pony in a bizarre outfit holding an Apple on top of some sort of pyramid. Below her stood normal ponies, each one bowing. Swift continued on. At the end of the corridor, Swift found herself in a large chamber that was held up by glowing pillars. Swift started noticing how impossibly smooth the floor and walls were. She saw a small platform at the end of the chamber. It glowed as she approached it. Suddenly, a light shot out of its center. A figure of sorts appeared from within the glow. It looked like a tall pony, but Swift couldn't quite make it out. What appeared to be its head stared down at her. Swift was afraid, but she didn't run.

"நீங்கள் என்னை கேட்க முடிகிறதா?" said the figure. Its voice echoed throughout the room. Swift just stared, wondering what it said. "Potest audire me?" it said. Swift continued to stare. The figure continued to speak. "Riesci a sentirmi? Pouvez-vous m'entendre? Can you hear me?" Swift's eye's widened. "I... I... Yes," said said nervously. Suddenly the figure paused. Swift heard a buzzing and a beeping in the room. Suddenly the figure began to form. Soon, it was clear. It was an image of an alicorn that was formed out of light. She had a helmet and chest plate on. Each one had a bizarre design. The image glitched out in a few areas.

"Can you see me?" asked the alicorn.

"Y... Yes," said Swift.

"Good. We must speak."

"Who are you?"

"I have had several names during my lifetime. But the one that most knew me by was Sapientia." She looked at one of the room's pillars. "It was the same case with many others. My father, Fulger, and his sister, Matrimonium, also had several names over the decades." She paused. She looked at Swift's bloody wounds. "You must excuse my sister," continued Sapientia. "Celestia has always been a bit... rough when it came to family matters."

"Are you... gods?"

Sapientia chuckled. "No. We are not gods. We simply came before your kind. We were more advanced. Your kind could never really grasp our nature. Still, even if you do not understand us, you must understand our warning." She looked at Swift. "So, please. I need you to be quiet so that I may give him the message." Swift looked confused. "What do you mean?" she asked, looking around the room. "There's nopony else here."

"Please! Quiet! You anchor him here, and he must borrow your senses. I wish to speak through you, not to you. So, please. Be silent." Swift wanted to speak further, but she decided against it. She stood silently. "Thank you," said Sapientia. She continued to look at Swift, but she clearly wasn't focusing on her. It was like she was looking at something else entirely. Suddenly, the patterns on the walls lit up, and soon, the whole room changed. Swift seemed to be in space, but she could still feel the floor beneath her. Images of planets swirled around her. She watched as the illusion played out.

She saw the sun and the earth amongst the stars. Sapientia began to speak. "A long time ago, when we still lived, your kind and mine struggled against each other. You rebelled against us, your creators, and soon the world was at war." Swift could see little flashes appear and disappear on the planet's surface. She figured they were explosions. Sapientia continued. "But what we didn't know was that there was a much bigger threat. The sun was reaching an unstable state. Those of us who did realize this knew that if it wasn't stopped, a solar flare would erupt and all would burn."

Swift saw the sun flash as its flames thrashed about. "We tried and tried to stop it," continued Sapientia. "But it was too late. We didn't have the time or resources to save the world. And so the world burned." Swift watched as a ring of fire blasted out from the sun and hit the earth. She watched as all the lights on the planet died out. She saw the continents crack and saw the air fill with black clouds.

"The earth shook for days," said Sapientia. "By the end of it, our kind was nearly extinct. But we built your kind to survive, and so you did. Only two of our kind remained. Two little fillies who were lost in the world they once called home."

Celestia and Luna, thought Swift. The images faded. New images of pyramids and temples appeared. "And now, the same fate threatens the earth again," said Sapientia. "But you can stop it. You must find our temples. With them, you can finish our work, and save the world. But time is short, and you must hurry." The images faded again, and soon the room returned to view. "It is done," said Sapientia. "The message is delivered. We are gone now from this world, and can do no more. The rest is up to you."

She looked at Swift, and now she was clearly speaking to her. "And as for you, you must find our artifacts, the tools we left behind. You must hide them from the Templars so that, once the future comes, he may find them and use them. You have a lot of work to do. I know you still ponder, but my time is short. You will have your answers eventually, but for now, I must go. Good luck." The image of the alicorn began to fade away.

"Wait!" said Swift. "Don't go! Who is he? Please, wait! I have so many questions." But it was too late. The images and sounds had faded away. Swift was alone in the room once more. After a moment of silence, Swift turned to leave the chamber. As she walked into the corridor, she could've sworn she heard the extremely faint sound of a stallion's voice. It sounded like it said, "What the...?"

But as she looked around, she saw nothing, heard nothing. She continued to leave the temple. As she exited, she saw Celestia, still passed out. She was breathing, so she was definitely still alive. Swift tried to pull the Staff and Apple out of their places, but they wouldn't budge. Their lights had gone out. They were nothing but pieces of metal. Swift gave up trying to pull them out and started making her way through the cave.

Eventually, she could see the light from the list rising sun. She heard a voice call out. "Hey, Swift! Are you okay?" It was Sea Foam. Swift smiled a bit at hearing her friend. "Yeah. I'm fine. I'm coming out," she called back. She wondered how she would explain all of this to her friends. She eventually reached the exit. There she saw them, all of her Assassin friends. They smiled and hugged her. Swift gratefully accepted the hug. She thought about the future. The war with the Templars wasn't over yet. The Assassins still had a lot of work to do.