>After waiting around for a few hours for the next train to show up, the five of you quickly boarded and found seats.
>You were sitting next to one of them and the other three found the closest seats to you that were open.
>Feeling the initial lurch as the train started to build momentum, you quietly whispered to the initiate next to you.
 
“How exactly did you know of my promotion?”
 
>The mare put a hoof to her chin for a few seconds before shrugging.
 
>“When you woke me up after the sermon, I just sort of... knew.”
 
>You couldn’t help but frown.
 
“You don’t remember being told about it by anyone?”
 
>She shook her head, giving you a worried look.
 
>“I don’t, did I forget something important?”
 
>Waving your hand around to dismiss the issue, you shifted around in your seat.
>Wonderful, they had to be asleep to communicate.
>Rubbing your forehead, you tried to think of the strategy to recapture Esoteric.
>Looking past the initiate to the sky beyond the window, there was no doubt you’d arrive in Baltimare sometime at night.
>There simply wasn’t enough daylight left for the journey ahead.
 
>While the night would give you the cover to move undetected, it would make it harder to locate where she would be holed up.
>You weren’t dealing with a small town like Ponyville, where most people knew each other.
>Simply asking around would yield next to no results.
>Who would really pay attention to two of countless ponies arriving by train?
 
>Drumming your fingers against the armrest, you kept trying to come up with a solution that didn’t involve dreams.
>If you were a pony running away from something she shouldn’t have seen, where would you go?
>Your first thought was find some law enforcement officer and tell them everything, but would they really believe her story?
>Thanks to your work at the Institute, you had quite a good public image.
>You were practically a celebrity to all the academics thanks to your foreign knowledge.  
>Assuming she thought the same, what else would she do?
 
>Well, from what you could deduce, it was take her best friend and flee to a faraway city and hope you aren’t tracked down.
>The classic ‘run away and hope they lose interest’ option.
>Did she have some place to stay when she got there was the real question.
>None of the other initiates knew her well enough to know if she had family out there.
>There were only so many hotels she could hide in, but if you had to start considering every domicile available then the search would be hopeless.
 
>Squeezing the armrest, you came to the conclusion that your only available route was through Nightmare Moon.
>Through the dreams of the faithful you would pin down her location and seize her.
 
>Grumbling to yourself, you fished out a magazine from the seat pocket in front of you.
>Esoteric already had enough of a head start on you already, you didn’t want to have to wait for the initiates to fall asleep just so you could act.
>It can’t be helped though, hopefully they’ll be tired enough when you arrive that they can just sleep for an hour and get a location.
>There should be plenty of bits between the five of you to afford a hotel room for the night.
 
>Idly flipping through the tabloids, you pondered your extraction strategy.
>You’d need a nice and isolated place to indoctrinate Esoteric once she had been captured.
>Without knowing much of the city, you’d just have to improvise when you finally got your hands on her.
>Maybe fortune would smile upon you and you’d find her in a relatively isolated place.
>Sliding down your seat slightly, you let the mind numbing gossip fill the travel time.
 
>While you got a few questions from the novitiate you were sitting next to, she stayed quiet for most of the ride.
>Mostly closing her eyes or staring out the window.
>Casting the occasional glance at the other initiates, you could see they were doing similar things.
>Hopefully they would glean more insight to the wisdom of your Goddess in the time it took to arrive.
 
>Night eventually settled across the land, leaving you left with only the interior lights to re-read the same magazine for the fifteenth time.
>Unable to bear the thought of reading it again to kill more time, you shoved it back into the seat pocket and tried to scrub its existence from your memories.
>Peeking over at your companion, it seemed her mediations lead her right to sleep.
>The fact she had the side of her face pressed against the window and was snoring slightly was a rather easy give away.
 
>It was the time of your Goddess, surely she should have been granted some intelligence regarding the location of your target.
>Putting a hand on her shoulder, you softly shook the mare a few times.
 
“Hey-”
 
>You realized that you didn’t even know any of the names of your disciples.
>It bothered you for a few seconds before you shoved that thought away.
>You’d worry about their story when the war was over.
>After a few more shakes she started to stir.
 
>“Eughh... Reverend? What is it...?”
 
>She pulled her head away from the window and looked at you drowsily.
 
“Have you gained any insight about our target?”
 
>The gears in the tired mare’s mind were turning with some difficulty.
>There was a blank, listless stare as she tried to recall anything.
>She shook her head slowly and apologized.
 
>“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember anything.”
 
>Suppressing your dissatisfaction, you patted her on the head.
 
“It’s alright, go back to sleep now.”
 
>Ridiculous!
>It was the middle of the night!
>How in the world did they not have any connection to the Goddess?
>Making yourself as comfortable as possible, you went through the dream rites.
>You soared upwards through the blank void of dreams, seeking out the barrier that marked the church.
 
>Any second now.
 
>Surely in the next minute or so.
 
>Maybe in the next few minutes.
 
>You simply stopped at that point.
>This was absurd.
>Searching uselessly in the black expanses for any sign of Nightmare Moon, you gripped your head in frustration.
>Impossible.
>Was this not her time?
>Had she abandoned you completely?
 
>You squashed those doubts immediately.
>Clearly there was some other reason for such silence.
>It would just require you to be patient enough to gain an understanding.
>Freeing yourself from the dream, you let yourself sink further down the chair.
>Grumbling, you opted to wait out the rest of the journey.
 
>The feeling of deceleration made you open your eyes.
>Looking outside, you could see the night still reigned.
>The initiate was once again plastered to the window, her mouth slightly open as she dreamed.
 
>You took a few moments to enjoy how adorable she looked before waking her up.
>There was a light cacophony of sound as all the passengers started preparing to leave.
>Standing up slightly, you made sure to get a visual of the other three initiates.
>Two were already ready to get off and the last one was still waking up.
 
>Once the train came to a full stop and the doors were opened, the five of you left in an orderly fashion.
>Stepping out on to the stone tiles of the station, you couldn’t help but admire it a little.
>It looked pretty modern, completely made of stone and brick.
>Even this late at night the place still had some activity.
>Ponies moving here and there, boarding and leaving.
>Some were waiting around and others were talking.
 
>Leading your flock, you went to a brightly lit ticket booth near the middle of the station.
 
>Tapping the desk to grab the operator’s attention, the uniformed mare stopped to look up in awe at you.
>Being the only human around tended to have that effect whenever someone new saw you.
>Waving your hand in front of her face to break her trance, you started the first phase of your investigation.
 
“Excuse me, miss, do you know where the nearest hotel is?”
 
>Sleeping in an actual bed instead of a cramped chair.
 
>She looked around her desk before pulling a brochure out of a large stand at the end of the table.
 
>“Do you need anything else sir?”
 
>Taking it from her outstretched hoof, you opened the trifold paper.
 
“That should be all, thanks.”
 
>On the pages were various recommendations for eating, sightseeing, and souvenirs.
 
>“Enjoy your stay here in Baltimare.”
 
>Waving as you walked away, you looked at the map printed in the center of the brochure.
>Starting from the ‘you are here’ dot of the train station, you saw the closest hotel was just a few blocks away.
>Making sure the initiates were keeping pace, you worked your way to the front door.
 
>It was cold outside, but not unpleasantly so.
>The streets were brightly lit with lamps, guiding you along while you stared intently at the little map.
>There was a light chatter amongst the initiates as they all ‘ooh’d and ‘ahh’d at the city around them.
>It didn’t seem all that special, but you’d long since gotten used to the sight of cityscapes from your travels.
>Not even including all the cities back on Earth you’d been to.
 
“Hustle up, we can sightsee once we recover our target.”
 
>You started to regret opening your mouth as you heard a collective gasp amongst the initiates.
 
>“You really mean it?”
 
>“Can we stop and get souvenirs too?”
 
>“What about a-“
 
>Quickly turning around, you raised your hands to stop their talking.
 
“When we get her.”
 
>Looking them in the eyes to make sure they understood, you let your arms fall and returned to walking.
>After a few more peeks at the brochure map, you were standing outside the large double doors of the hotel.
>Not bothering to read the name of the place, you pushed them open and walked into the lobby.
 
>The place had a typical hotel flair.
>Red carpeting, the walls were colored a light brown with gold trimmings around the edges.
>A few benches were scattered around for ponies waiting to sit in, and some generic classical music was being piped in from somewhere.
>You didn’t really have time for all the pleasantries with the concierges and just asked where the pony you had to pay was.
 
>In the end you got two rooms.
>Three would go to one and two would take the other one.
>Choosing a random initiate to be your roommate, you unlocked your door.
>The place screamed generic, two beds, a sofa and table, bathroom, minifridge.
>Sitting on one of the beds, you deemed it comfortable enough.
 
>As you started to liberate yourself of clothing, you kinda wished you brought another suit.
>Whatever, it wouldn’t kill you to wear something more than once.
>You had chosen the only stallion of the group, watching him wander around and admire the amenities.
>Stripping down to comfortable level for sleeping, you set the alarm on your nightstand for early in the morning.
 
>“Hey Rev-“
 
“Go to bed.”
 
>You pulled the covers closer as you shifted slightly.
>Nightmare Moon’s absence was making you more irritated than usual.
>As you closed your eyes, you could hear the initiate climbing into the other bed.
>Hopefully at least one of them would have some news on Esoteric when you woke up.
 
>While the clanging and ringing wasn’t nearly as bad as the one you had at home, it was still enough to severely annoy you.
>Acknowledging your own frustration as the alarm doing its job well, you shut it off.
>The first few rays of dawn could be seen from the gaps in the balcony curtains.
 
>Slipping back into your old clothes, you finally heard the initiate you were sharing a room with get out of bed.
 
“Learn anything new?”
 
>He looked at you drowsily, his jaw slightly slack as the sound of a forming word droned out of his throat.
 
>“Uhhhh... hhhhh... I think?”
 
>He thought, how joyous.
>Mentally stamping out your whining, you focused back to the matter at hand.
>You gave him a rotating hand gesture for him to keep going.
 
>“I’m sorry Reverend, all I know is that there was something.”
 
>Exhaling sharply, you waved your hand in a dismissive gesture.
>Your Goddess had a very different idea of a time schedule than you thought befit the ruler of the night.
 
“Maybe one of the others will know more.”
 
>You both took a few minutes getting ready before stepping out into the hallway.
>Knocking on the room next door, you shifted back and forth on your feet as you waited.
>There was a highly delayed response before the door opened.
>The mare who answered it looked like she had only just woken up.
 
>Looking through the gap in the door, all the lights in the room were still off.
>Turning down to the initiate who opened the door, she only turned her head away in embarrassment.
 
>“I think we forgot to set our alarm.”
 
>You forced a smile as you reached through the crack in the door to ruffle her messy mane.
 
“Take your time, we’ll be wherever breakfast is served here.”
 
>She seemed genuinely thankful for your consideration.
>Returning your smile in way that burnt away most of your frustration.
>You had to turn away to keep from losing the gravity in your voice.
 
“Just don’t take too long.”
 
>“Yes, Reverend.”
 
>Walking away as the door closed, you wandered around the hotel with your initiate until you came across one of the staff.
>You questioned them until you knew where the lounge was.
>Soon you were sitting at a table with the initiate, slowly eating food as you waited for the others.
 
>Both of you were waiting for a while, presumably since the other three also had to stop and ask for directions as well.
>Eventually it was the five of you sitting around a table eating food.
>While nobody was really talking, it wasn’t an awkward silence.
>Just simply enjoying the company of one another and eating.
 
>Leaning back in your chair, you found it all quite enjoyable.
>You only wished Nightmare Moon was here too.
>Losing yourself in the dream, you tested to see if the barrier had reappeared.
>Curiously enough, it had.
 
>So she was gone at night, but showed up during the day?
>What a ridiculous theory.
>Still, it was undeniable that the church was there right now.
>Opting to put your hypothesis to the test, you broke the silence around your group.
 
“Have you gleaned any new information from your dreams, initiates?”
 
>The two who slept in set down their utensils and looked toward each other.
>One nodded to the other, who spoke up.
 
>“I believe we have. I can remember speaking with Crossed in the church right before I woke up. She told me where she was.”
 
>Tapping your finger on the edge of your plate, you mulled over this new data.
 
“Anything else? Can you show it to us on a map or give a street name?”
 
>The mare shook her head.
 
>“She was saying something else, but I woke up in the middle of it. I can, however, show you its location.”
 
>You were at once joyous and frustrated.
>While you had found your target, she gave credence to your theory.
>What kind of group that supported the night had to operate during the day?
>Would this mean you couldn’t draw upon her magic at night either?
 
>Resting your head in your hands, you tried to make the annoyance go away.
>Service to your Lady could really be a headache sometimes.
>Laying out the brochure in the middle of table, you pushed it toward the one that spoke up.
 
“Can you find it here?”
 
>Everyone leaned in close as her hoof hovered above the map.
>She bit her lip as her eyes darted around to all the expectant stares on her.
>Shaking slightly, she set her hoof down on a far edge of the map.
 
>“She said it was around here.”
 
>Pushing the heads of the other initiates out of the way, you looked toward the indicated spot.
>It looked like a residential area.
 
“Anything more... specific?”
 
>The initiate rubbed her hooves together and looked down.
 
>“Well she did say it was a house starting with eleven, but I couldn’t catch the rest of the numbers.”
 
>That was a smidge more helpful, though not by much.
>You snatched the brochure from the table as you pushed your chair back.
>If you really had to operate during the day, then there wasn’t much time for you to laze about.
>Esoteric could move location any time, you’d have to strike while the information was still fresh.
>Plus, there should be fewer ponies out and about to see you in the early morning.
 
>Staring intently at the map as the rest of your group fell in line, you made your way through the hotel and out on to the streets.
 
>It was a lot longer of a walk than you’d have liked to get to the right area.
>The sun was high up in the sky, weighing down all of your advocates of the night with its oppressive heat.
>While you expected to be relieved when you finally arrived, you ended up crushing the brochure in your hand.
 
>Almost all the houses here seemed to start with an eleven.
>Taking a deep breath, you turned toward your initiates.
>The one who guided you here kicked her hoof against the ground and looked away from you.
>Palming your forehead, you pointed down the street with a finger.
 
“Pretend to be a salespony and go door to door. If either of our targets show up, return to me. If nobody answers, keep the home in mind for further investigation.”
 
>They all bowed before rushing off.
>You walked to a nearby tree and leant against it as you watched them split up and start knocking on doors.
>Closing your eyes, you waited for news of any results.
>Already you could already hear some of the conversations that were going on.
 
>“Hello sir, can I interest you with a special offer on our latest product?”
 
>“Excuse me ma’am, would you like a subscription to the newest magazine in town?”
 
>The voices faded as they went to further houses, leaving you in silence as you tapped your foot.
>Time passed, and before you knew it you could hear the sound of hoofsteps.
 
>They had all returned, sporting various sizes of smiles.
>With a faint glimmer of hope, you raised an eyebrow at them.
 
>“I saw Crossed through one of the windows, thought it was a different mare who answered the door.”
 
>Esoteric must be hiding out in there.
>Gauging your forces, you motioned for them to lead you to the target home.
 
“Two of you go around the back, the rest of us will take the front door.”
 
>Giving them a moment to get into position, you walked up to the door and knocked a few times.
>Looking to the initiates at your flanks, you could see they were ready and determined.
>As the door started to open, you felt yourself grow excited.
 
>“Look, I don’t want to buy any...”
 
>The unknown mare’s voice trickled off as she looked at your towering form.
>With a toothy grin, you brought a finger up.
 
“Initiates.”
 
>Then you pointed it straight at the mare.
 
“Get her.”
 
>Immediately the two rushed forward and tackled the mare to ground.
>Faced with uneven odds, she was left writhing helplessly on the floor as one of the initiates covered her mouth with a hoof.
>She tried to scream, but it fell on deaf ears.
>You calmly stepped inside and closed the door behind you.
 
>The house was modest.
>Two sofas to your left with a table in-between, a cabinet full of mementos to your right.
>Looking through the glass, you could see pictures of the mare you held captive and Esoteric.
 
>How touching.
 
>Pulling the curtains on the windows closed, you went to the back door and let your other initiates in.
 
“Keep her quiet.”
 
>The two holding down the struggling mare nodded, keeping her pinned down.
>Leaving one behind to guard the back door, you went down a hallway with the other initiate.
>The house was only one story, which left very little room for a pony to hide in.
>Relishing the thrill of the chase, you let your footsteps come down hard on the wooden floor.
>Letting every clack of your shoes resonate as you opened door after door.
 
>The last door in the hallway was locked.
>Rattling the doorknob a few times, you pressed your ear against the door to see if you could hear anything.
>Your smile only grew wider as you heard soft whimpering and hushed speaking.
>Opting for the polite approach, you knocked on it a few times.
 
“May I come in?”
 
>You could hear movement, and an almost hysterical voice.
 
>“W-what are you doing!? Don’t open the door!”
 
>The lock clicked, and the doorknob started to turn.
 
>“Please!”
 
>Crossed revealed herself as she opened the door.
>Smiling brightly, you patted her on the head a few times.
>Esoteric was curled up in a corner of the bedroom, starting at you with horror in her eyes.
>Holding your arms to the side in a non-threatening manner, you slowly walked toward her trembling form.
 
>“P-please, g-go away.”
 
>She covered herself with her hooves, trying to shrink away into nothingness.
 
>“I w-won’t tell anyone, j-just let me go.”
 
>You stopped and crouched down next to her, still smiling on.
 
“You know I can’t do that.”
 
>Esoteric let out a little choking sob.
 
>“At least l-leave my sister out of this.”
 
>Chuckling slightly, you patted her on her head.
>That was one mystery resolved.
>Esoteric recoiled violently at your touch, batting away your hand.
>Amused, you turned toward the initiate you brought with you.
 
“Drag her in here.”
 
>He nodded and set off.
>Crossed came to your side and sat down next to you, watching Esoteric with a blank expression on her face.
>She always was the more balanced of the two.
>Tilting your head slightly, you rested your hands on your knees.
 
>The sound of multiple hoofsteps indicated your initiates had arrived with your captive in tow.
>As they dragged her through the doorway, their ingenuity showed itself.
>One of them had found some sheets and tore them into makeshift rope to bind her limbs.
>Motioning them over, you watched Esoteric despair as her bound and gagged sister was placed next to her.
 
>“Please...”
 
>You could only shake your head at her pleading.
>As you let the dream take hold, you could feel the infinite splendor of your Goddess wash over you.
>Nearly bursting into tears yourself, you managed to restrain yourself from leaping forward and wrapping Nightmare Moon in a hug.
>The prospect of isolation from her had a greater impact than you expected.
>Reigning in your emotions, you addressed her magnificent presence.
 
“Yoor prizze”
 
>At least your dream speech had gotten better.
>You could feel Nightmare Moon looking through your eyes, and a slight wave of approval as she witnessed the helpless ponies.
 
>“Hmph, it seems you are still of use to me after all. Bring them to me.”
 
>Enthusiastically nodding, you dragged forth the holy book from the depths of your dreams.
>Esoteric’s eyes went wide as she saw it materialize in your hands.
 
>“W-what is that?”
 
>You could feel Nightmare Moon aiding you with controlling her magic, not even having to read anything off the pages of the black book for the magic to flow through you.
>There was a tingling sensation in your eyes, your vision growing cloudy around the edges by a bright cyan glow.
 
>Grabbing both of their heads with a hand, you forced them to look directly at you.
>The magic continued to build up, blinding you further.
 
“Rest now.”
 
>As much as either of them tried to avert their gaze, they kept getting drawn back into the glow of your eyes.
>Closing their eyes proved useless, as their eyelids always fluttered back open.
>They had both been reduced to crying wrecks as Nightmare’s magic started to take hold of them
 
>Laughter bubbled up inside you as the two ponies started to succumb to sleep.
>Once their eyes finally closed, and their bodies slumped against the wall, you started laughing in earnest.
>Turning the pages in your book, you let the black tendrils pierce their minds and steal away their consciousness.
 
>“I will handle things from here, Anonymous. It will take some time, but they are mine now.”
 
>As your vision returned to normal, you stood up.
>Riding on a great high, your speech came out perfectly.
 
“What will you have me do in the meantime?”
 
>There was a brief humming as her presence started moving away from you.
>After a while, you felt her shrug.
 
>“Do what thou wilt, just be ready to move when I command it.”
 
>You bowed before her.
 
“I will seek out more assets to your glorious cause.”
 
>That earned a smirk from Nightmare Moon before she disappeared.
 
>“Don’t get caught.”
 
>Letting the book vanish, you gazed upon your assembled initiates and pondered.
>There was something missing amongst them all.
>They were unified in will, but they seemed so scattered in form.
>Looking down at your own suit, an idea started to form.
 
“Crossed, stay with these two. The rest of you, we’re going someplace special.”
 
>Crossed remained silent as she began her vigil, that empty look never leaving her eyes.
>The four initiates all seemed excited by the prospect, and chatted eagerly.
 
>“Where are we gonna go?”
 
>They moved out of your way as walked toward the door.
 
“We need to seek out a tailor.”
 
>You posed heroically for the initiates as you stepped out into the hallway, letting yourself revel in the moment.
 
>“What about souvenirs?”
 
>Said moment was quickly quashed as you deflated slightly.
 
“Yes, yes, I did promise you. We’ll get those before we leave.”