We don’t have a horn, but we could teach them some of our magic tricks someday. wink But not today, so let’s just wish them a good and fun night. Before we’re going to bed ourselves, though, we should tell our friends what those two ponies were talking about and then visit Justice or send her a message somehow. If there’s monsters on the security footage somewhere, she’ll find them.

While on the subject of magic and hay, you playfully add that although you are no unicorn, there are a few tricks up your sleeve that you could teach them.

Florette: “Oh goodness, not you too!”

The table erupts in laughter, and you all exit the brewery with a smile on your faces. Before heading home, however, you ask Revel Stripes if she knows where you can find Justice.

Revel Stripes: “At this hour, I’d check the boss’s residence first; that’s door number one hundred forty-four in the Hold district. Failing that, ask for her at the northern checkpoint.”

You thank Revel Stripes for the information, and bid the two unicorns a good night, before following the road east to the Hold district. On the way there, you decide let your party know about what you’ve overheard at the brewery.

Apple Basket: “Are you sure? I mean, you don’t reckon there really are monsters lurkin’ about the city, do you?”

Moonflower: “I dunno! There’s lots’a flashy lights everywhere, so maybe it was jus’ a trick o’ the eye.”

Smoke: “Either way, I’m not worried. Even if those things were down here, they know better than to mess with a dragon.”

By the time you arrive at your residence, your friends have begun passing yawns around. You tell them that while they get ready for bed, you will go and notify Justice. After sharing some nuzzles with you, they head inside, while you continue on your way.

Within a few minutes, you manage to find Justice’s residence, which surprisingly looks just like any other residence. You tentatively knock on the heavy metal door, and soon enough, it slides open to reveal the yellow unicorn you were looking for.

Justice: “Trailblazer. Come in.”

You greet Justice and step inside, and the door automatically shuts behind you. A nearby lamp illuminates the otherwise dim living room, furnished not unlike your own, though perhaps laid out differently.

Justice: “I’d offer you a drink, but something tells me that’s not why you’re here. So, what can I do for you?”

You thank the unicorn nonetheless, then apprise her of what you’ve overheard ponies talk about earlier.

Justice: “Hmm. Well, I’m grateful that you’ve had the sense to come straight to me with this. As you can probably tell by my lack of surprise, though, I’m already well aware of the situation.

To clarify, monsters were sighted outside of the city’s barriers, and thankfully not inside of the city proper. You can rest easy knowing that we have our eyes on them, and that no harm will come to anypony under our watch.”

You ask Justice whether this is a common occurrence.

Justice: “It would be the first, actually. And I can’t imagine that you, of all ponies, will be satisfied until you’ve heard everything there is to know about this. Am I wrong?”

You admit that your curiosity has gotten the best of you.

Justice: “After all you’ve done for us, I owe you that much, at least.

While we were away on our venture into the Mists, the Order of Dawn attempted to negotiate with us. As expected, they wanted information on Novelty. The acting leader refused them outright, as we always do when it comes to selling out refugees.

Normally, that should have been the end of it, but we wouldn’t be having this conversation if that was the case. No later than when we returned, nightcrawlers were prowling inside of the generator’s motor chamber.

In case you aren’t familiar with it, the generator’s motor is our source of power, a triad of waterwheels built inside a natural cave within the mountainside, and fed by a waterfall. It’s the only part of the Undercity that is exposed to the surface — and to wall-climbing and flying creatures, as it turns out.

If Novelty’s theory is correct, and Empyrius is behind those monsters, then not only would that explain their sudden presence down there, but it would also make their motive clear; to threaten us.

Without the Order’s special weapons to clear out the generator, we could lose our power supply as soon as tomorrow, and be forced to leave the Undercity. On the other hoof, if we petitioned the Order’s aid, they would undoubtedly have us turn in their prized fugitives in exchange.

Neither of these options being favourable, I came up with a third one. Thanks to that cleric friend of yours, we now know that diamagicite can be used to create our own antimagic technology. In fact, an expedition team bound for Serpent’s Bite is getting ready to harvest some as we speak. We’re going to beat Empyrius at his own game.

Now, I say getting ready, but in reality, all they’re missing is protection. I can’t in good conscience ask anypony to risk life and limb securing the resources we need in the dead of night, nor can Novelty and Eleven accompany them to fend the nightcrawlers off.

As of right now, we’re stuck waiting for the morning sun, and I’m afraid that wasting time now might not leave us enough to build the antimagic fields before tomorrow’s night. The timing conveniently couldn’t have been worse.”

HINT

As an earth pony, you have twice the amount of energy that other races have. This allows you to stay awake much longer, though you will have to catch up on lost sleep later should you choose to do so.