//------------------------------// // Onward // Story: Upheaval: Reckoning // by Visiden Visidane //------------------------------// Upheaval: Reckoning Chapter 61: Onward “Hero of the Battle of Sky Mirror Lake,” they called him. “Up there with Apple Slice, Ash Frost, and Moonrage,” they said. Vanguard Clash didn’t feel too much like a hero. A day had passed since the events of Sky Mirror Lake. While most of the Legion forces in the Heartland were still cleaning up, he and a select few had been allowed to take the Night Skimmer back to Canterlot along with the royalty and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Despite the best medical care, including healing spells cast by Princess Luna herself, Vanguard still felt as if his bones were made of splinters bound together with string. Walking hurt his legs, breathing hurt his ribs, even a mere turn of his neck hurt. Now in Canterlot, with a room in the Royal Palace just for him, all the talk of “hero” soured in Vanguard’s mouth. He didn’t like this room. The mattress was warm and soft, the sheets fresh and fragrant. He had fresh fruit slices on a silver platter nearby and pressed clothes, fit for any court attendee ready for him. A guest of Equestria would consider himself pampered at this. Except he wasn't a guest of Equestria. He was a legionnaire at its service. Despite the pain, he was going to walk out of this place, find Scarlet so he could get his armor back, then report for duty. The clothes remained folded by his bedside, which was properly made long before the palace staff could get to his room. The silver platter was empty, more because he didn’t want to waste fresh fruit than out of hunger. Upon opening the door, however, Vanguard instinctively took a step back. A blond, orange-coated mare, one of the true heroes of Sky Mirror Lake, was standing outside Vanguard’s room. Applejack’s jaw dropped when the door opened while her front hoof was halfway towards knocking. “V-Vanguard!” Applejack said. “What are you doing up? The princess said you should be resting for a few more days!” Vanguard sized Applejack up, his eyes lingering on her own bandages. “I’d say the same for you,” he said. He looked around. “No guards to keep an eye on the injured Element of Honesty. Security’s getting lax.” “It ain’t so bad for me,” Applejack said. “I got off the lightest out everypony who went down the abyss.” She stretched out her foreleg and grinned. “See? Almost as good as new!” “Got off the lightest or recovered the fastest?” Vanguard asked. He tried to walk past her, but she pressed a hoof against his shoulder to keep him in place. “Hold on there, partner,” Applejack said. “I heard all about your insane heroics against the Coldsteel Construct. There’s no way you’re fit enough to get back to work!” “Why don’t you walk with me then, Applejack?” Vanguard asked. “If I keel over, you can haul me back to bed and lecture me. I won’t move an inch without your permission after that.” Applejack paused for a second and eyed him closely. “You really mean that?” she asked. “You’ll do as I say?” “Of course,” Vanguard said. “You know that I mean what I say.” Applejack grinned and trotted right next to Vanguard. “Yeah, you do. So where are you going?” “Scarlet has my gear,” Vanguard replied. He was already making his way for the Royal Palace’s main doors. It was unlikely that Scarlet would have been allowed to loiter around this place. The local drinking holes would be his first targets. Outside, the wintry clouds had relented for this day, allowing the morning rays to warm the chilly city air. The streets were even busier now. Supplies and personnel were constantly on the move, tending to the still returning forces from Sky Mirror Lake. The influx of changeling refugees had also given the city an air of tension. The changelings and their queen were given a small portion of the city to stay in until they could make the proper move back to their old territory. The Royal Guard had been tasked in making sure that they were kept both safe and accounted for. Despite the grimmer atmosphere that Canterlot had taken, Applejack’s grin widened as she stretched her back. “Land’s sakes!” she said. “Back in the farm, I didn’t think it was possible to miss the sun so badly! Not even during the winter!” “The Old Kingdom was that bad, huh?” Vanguard said. The grin lessened. “Terrible,” Applejack said softly. “The abyss was even worse.” They moved away from the busier streets, keeping to the narrow alleyways that were unfit for wagons. Here, with fewer ponies about, Applejack’s mood seemed to grow even more somber. Vanguard paused and stared at her. “Something you need to say?” he asked. “You came to my room after all.” “Actually, I…” Applejack stopped and pawed the ground. “I wanted to tell you something.” Vanguard didn’t say anything, but he had no intention of moving. In this particular alleyway, there were no ponies around. Perhaps, with some distance from the gravity of the palace and away from the prying eyes of other ponies, Applejack found it easier to speak her mind. Applejack scratched her head and took of her hat, pressing it against her chest. “When we thought we were stuck in that collapsing abyss, the prince told us to make peace with this world.” The cheery grin on Applejack’s face had turned into a wan smile. “I…I couldn’t. I had just come back here! I still had a lot to say to my folks back home. And…well…” She glanced at Vanguard and looked away, only to glance back at him from the corner of her eye. “Well, I needed to say something to you.” She laughed nervously. “Funny, huh? That’s twice I almost died now. Makes me think about making sure I say what I have to say.” “Applejack…” Vanguard hesitated, wondering if anything would be accomplished if he tried to divert the topic, if he even should or why he would want to. “I love you.” Though she could barely look at him when she was struggling to say it, once the words were out, Applejack stared at Vanguard intently. It was his turn to be unsure of himself. Who was he and what had he done for these mares to be attracted to him? It wasn’t right, as his instincts continued to remind him grimly. He would only be a liability to the Elements of Harmony, just one more pony to act as a weak point. He needed time. Time to think things through. Time to…his front legs were moving on their own again. This time, the moon was nowhere in sight. No, this wasn’t about moon rage. It wasn’t about the wolven. He was a stallion and he was staring into the intense green eyes of a very beautiful earth pony mare. Applejack’s breath felt warmth against his face, a soft contrast to the cool, crisp morning air, still carrying the mild aroma of freshly baked apple pie for breakfast. She smelled of fragrant soap, with a slight musky tinge; a clean, honest scent, no sting from perfume that he often encountered among Canterlot’s citizens. ‘Just feelings,’ he reminded himself. And those feelings were clearly making themselves known despite all of Vanguard’s careful control. Applejack must have noticed. She drew closer hesitantly, her mouth slightly open, seemingly aware that she was having an effect on him. “Applejack,” Vanguard said. “Huh?” Applejack all but mumbled, her voice low and husky, her eyes half-lidded. Vanguard put a hoof on her shoulder to both hold her steady and at a distance. “We’ll be parting ways soon,” was what he wanted to say. It was true. As he lay there, recovering from his injuries and waiting for the royalty and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony to emerge from the Old Kingdom, he contended with a simple, crystal clear fact. The bearers of the Elements of Harmony would always be the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. That was the only group they belonged to, which meant that Applejack and Twilight Sparkle’s stay in Third Squad, short as it may be, was over. His stay with the Elements of Harmony was over. With the threat of Black Rose gone and reunification running smoothly, he expected to be sent back to the north. When he got back there, he would rejoin the ranks of the rest of the Legion. To expect that he would continue to work with the Elements of Harmony was unreasonable and selfish. To complete his mission and ensure the smooth operation of the Elements of Harmony in the long run…that would be for the better. But that fact was easier to consider and accept when he was alone with his thoughts. His roles were clear and acceptable. Things got murky once feelings got involved. “Think about your own happiness.” He didn’t need to see Applejack or Twilight Sparkle or any of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony ever again…but he wanted to. He had asked for time, but it wasn’t time he needed, just this courage to reach out for his own happiness for once. His foreleg softened and Applejack pressed just a bit closer. Her coat was warm against his and the scent of her breath so close started to tickle his nose. What about Twilight? She had brushed against him, asked him about love, looked at him with that longing that made his heart ache and his legs shaky. Twilight, whom he held dearly and admired greatly. Twilight, who was bound for greatness. He was always worried for his newfound friends; worried about how’d they’d fit into the Legion, worried about where their paths to power would carry them. He worried for Twilight most of all and all those other things he felt for her; admiration and concern alike, overpowered love. But Applejack…Applejack was a calming, reassuring presence. Applejack, who he worked next to with ease, Applejack, who didn't feel out of place sitting next to him by a campfire, or a bar, or in a fight. She called him partner. She probably used that word for any friend. He wasn't as free with the word. For her though... “I love you too.” His face was but a few inches away from hers when he said that. No other words slipped out of either of them before their lips were too busy with other things besides words. Vanguard draped a foreleg around her and pulled her close and tight. For a while, Scarlet and reacquiring the nightsteel fullplate were forgotten. Only one small thought nagged from the farthest corners of Vanguard’s mind, like a stubborn little itch that would return with a vengeance later. He had to tell Twilight. When some of the Legion forces sent to Sky Mirror Lake returned to the capital, Canterlot Hospital finally experienced first-hoof the monstrous things that the Legion dealt with. The worst of the injured were flown in on airships. The Legion medics and the Heartland doctors they were working with soon found themselves flooded. The constructs of the Old Kingdom were not simply designed to kill. They were designed to inspire terror and reverence in both their enemies and allies alike. Their tools were menacing and inflicted gruesome wounds and horrifying deaths. A construct did not just kill, it made examples of. It showed to all what happened to those who denied Oceanus. To Sablesteel, locked away in her own special hospital room, all of it sounded a lot like the Blades. And, just like the Blades, the constructs would have likely done a lot worse to the Legion if they were streamlined for efficiency. She snorted. Old Kingdom or Blackmoon Blades, fanatics often followed the same roads and they all ended in the same ruin once their cause disappeared. ‘And I’m no different,’ Sablesteel thought. She sat up and glanced at her room for a second before refocusing on her forelegs. They had stripped her of her gear to “treat her wounds”. Of course. The legionnaires that carried them away handled them as if they were live, extremely pissed vipers. They should. The only door was locked from the outside and the windows were barred. The room itself was bare, save for a small table that held a tray of untouched food and water. This was more dungeon cell than hospital room. That was to be expected to. They didn’t have to. Her blades were broken. The greatest pony in the world was gone. The other Thorns were likely in rooms similar to this one. Except for Blue Moon, of course. He likely had a cushy office to himself. It wouldn’t be long for the others. Lion was an expert when it came to worming his way to favorable positions. He could talk his way through the suspicion. He hadn’t done anything too terrible, at least none that could be linked to him. He could sell his skills and find new opportunities without trouble. Longstride was a bow with a fleshy, pony-shaped attachment to fire it for the wielder. Putting him to work now would be as easy as a living legionnaire picking up the weapons of a dead legionnaire next to him. As for Octavia…well, Octavia was a heartlander obviously manipulated by Black Rose with unfulfilled promises. Maybe they’ll just send her home. Maybe they’ll put her to work using the same promises Black Rose made. The Thorns were done. The Legion wouldn’t trust them as a group. They’ll be made into individual agents, or subsumed into other groups. And as for Sablesteel… “I’m alone again.” The darkened bareness of this room was the same as the old family storehouse, the same as the tomb she laid her grandfather in, the same as the abyss. This bare room that held nothing and nopony... “I’m alone again,” Sablesteel whispered. Her shoulders quivered uncontrollably. She failed to stifle a sob. The blanket still covering her hind legs moistened with tears. Once more adrift, once more without a group and a cause she could call her own. She didn't want to face this again. She didn't want to go through that bleak, numb search all over again. The door creaked. In an instant, Sable had wiped away the tears. If her breath wouldn't steady, she was going to hold it until it did. Her ears perked and her eyes narrowed. “Hello,” Princess Luna said as she closed the door behind her. The legionnaires outside continued to stare into the room until the door shut on them. “Moon princess…” Sablesteel hissed. “We’re d--!” “My name is Luna and, no, we’re not done here.” Sablesteel snorted. At least some of the despair seeped back into the darker recesses of her mind for now. “So the Legion has decided to torture me after all,” she said. “What do you want from me, Princess Luna?” Seeing no chair anywhere, Luna took to sitting on the floor. “To the point,” she said. “You are a capable ally, Sablesteel: brave, strong, fast, and dedicated. I would like you to come into my service.” “Do you need me to spit on you again, Princess Luna?” Sablesteel asked. “I would much rather you didn't.” Sablesteel flung the blanket away. “Why would I stoop to working for you?” she asked. “I have served the greatest pony in Equestria. A mare who had the nation’s interest from beginning to end.” She snorted again. “You tried to kill my ancestors because they didn't pat your back hard enough.” “Black Rose is dead,” Luna said, her voice steely. “We must rescue her soul, but she is gone from this world. Nightmare Moon is also gone. So are the Starlight Sentinels, the Blackmoon Blades and a great many others.” Her tone softened as Sablesteel’s jaw clenched. “I am not the greatest pony in Equestria. You are not what I envisioned what the Starlight Sentinels would be…but you and I, we’re still here.” Luna let out a sigh and glanced away briefly. Sablesteel relaxed a bit and sat back. Her heart was still pounding from the sudden rage and constant tension, but she was more curious now than sad or angry. She breathed in slowly and closed her eyes in an effort to get the puffiness down. She had sacrificed enough dignity to the moon princess as it is. “Neither of us is what we had hoped we would have, but we are the present and we have only onward to move," Luna went on. “We can never get back what we have lost in this world, but we can gain other things. Through you, I shall accomplish what I failed with in the Starlight Sentinels. Through me, you shall take that next step that your grandfather and Black Rose had meant for you to. Will you join my service?” It took a long moment of silence, but a single eye, as blue as a clear summer sky, looked at the princess. It was late afternoon by the time Twilight Sparkle felt strong enough to get up and walk around the palace. The others were still resting. Most of them anyway. Applejack was not in her room. The nearby guards said she had walked out of there in the morning and hadn't come back. Rainbow Dash had apparently tried to follow suit after Applejack left. When the guards found her nearly collapsed in one hallway, they put her back in her room with threats of tying her to the bed and locking her there. Fluttershy’s room was the busiest, with several doctors and unicorn magi, including Blue Moon, taking a better look at her ruined eye. She didn't seem to mind. That dark presence about her during their stay in the abyss seemed to have either retreated or was content to stay silent. Rarity was enjoying the pampering from the palace staff. Delicacies were delivered to her room along with a masseuse, fresh flowers, and various beverages. As for Pinkie Pie, she dozed through the day, her snores audible behind the closed doors of her room. A pony calling himself Copper Mane had arrived earlier, but left when he saw how exhausted Pinkie was. Twilight made her way towards the audience hall. She had tried to rest up some more, knowing that she needed all her strength soon enough, but the need to know what was going to happen next only left her tossing and turning. The audience hall was surprisingly empty. Twilight had expected a long line of nobles still presenting their complaints to the princess. Perhaps the sight of the injured making their way to Canterlot had pulled the city together into a united effort. Major issues had been settled earlier in the day and the minor ones were set aside. Perhaps nopony dared to ask for an audience when they saw the heavily wounded Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. If there were no audiences, Twilight had a good idea of where the princess might spend the rest of the day. She made her way towards Princess Celestia’s favorite balcony. On the tallest tower of the Royal Palace, facing the east, Celestia could spend hours just looking at the horizon. There were guards stationed along the way. Anypony else would have been turned away sternly if they came through the halls and the long stairway. The guards simply gave Twilight a quick glance before letting her through. And Twilight was right, Princess Celestia sat by that balcony, her wings stretched to take in some of the late afternoon sun. She had no armor on anymore, not even her usual jewelry. That radiant spear that saved them all at the last second was nowhere in sight. As soon as Twilight stepped into the balcony, Celestia turned towards her and smiled. “Feeling better?” she asked. “Yes,” Twilight replied. She looked over the bandages around Celestia. “What about you?” Celestia’s tone saddened. “These wounds are nothing. Small cuts for one privileged enough to sit by sidelines while others dove into the abyss. I haven’t thanked and congratulated you yet, Twilight. Thank you for saving my brother, and stopping the threat of both the Old Kingdom and the firstborn’s throne. You have come so far in such a short time.” “I wasn't alone,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “It took everypony’s power to save Equestria! We wouldn't have made it out if it wasn't for you!” “Not me,” Celestia said. She stared off at a distance. “It was my father’s will that pulled you from the collapsing abyss." She glanced at her chest, at the spot where she had been stabbed by a void knife. " And there were other sacrifices too." “Princess…” Twilight hesitated. Should she insist that Celestia had also done her part? Or would that be too patronizing? Besides, she was here for something else besides deciding where the credit for saving Equestria went. “Princess, where do we go from here?” she asked. “What do we do now?” Celestia’s look hardened. “Our path is clear,” she said. “The eighth rebellion has come to pass. The firstborn stirs in the depths, and my father emerges from the Silver Sanctum. The two thrones will eventually clash, and I will do everything in my power to save Equestria.” “Protect Equestria.” Twilight nodded. That was a stupid question now that she looked back to it. “But what will be our next move?” she asked. The hard look softened, and Celestia’s smile was back. “Fortunately, that part has been provided. The King has summoned me and my siblings. Once we make the proper preparations, we shall depart for the Eternal Herd for a short while." Celestia looked briefly above her, straight into the sky. "He summoned us a long time ago, and I disobeyed. Yet, when I asked for his aid, he gave it. I would never be able to bear the shame if I refused this summons now." Twilight’s eyes widened. “Y-you’re leaving?” she asked. “But what if something happens here that needs your attention? What about Wolvengard, Ursinium, and Ophidus? What about the reunification?” “Wolvengard is in no position to suddenly attack us,” Celestia said as she looked back to Twilight. “The Herd has also already entered talks with their heavenly realms. We will not leave this world until we are assured that we can return with Equestria still intact.” She surveyed the city below. “I have a great deal of confidence, much more than what I had in the past thanks to what you have shown me. I know Equestria will stand strong while we’re away.” Twilight smiled back. It was an odd feeling, like being tickled from the inside. She had never thought that she could ever teach her teacher anything. Celestia’s smile widened. “But my siblings and I aren't the only ones going. The King has also requested for your presence, Twilight Sparkle. You shall make the trip with us.” The pleasantly odd feeling fell along with Twilight’s jaw. “Wait…what?” She stared at Celestia incredulously. “I’m going to meet the King? As in the King of the Eternal Herd?” “His name is Sanctus Dominus, by the way,” Celestia said. “I’ll have to find time to instruct you with the proper greetings. He won’t mind a mild breach of conduct, but the court will certainly be scandalized.” “B-but--! What will say to him? Do I have to wear something? Am I supposed to do something for him?” Twilight’s breathing quickened. “What if--! What if I end up convincing him to blow up Equestria anyway?” “Twilight.” Celestia draped a wing over Twilight and held her close. “You will do just fine,” she said softly. “You have always done just fine.” “Why am I the only one being summoned?” Twilight asked. “What about the rest of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony? Won’t he want to meet them to?” Celestia put a hoof to her chin. “He asked for the Element of Magic specifically. I would still bring the others otherwise, but the wording has been specific. Only the Element of Magic. It only grows odder that Regia Carnifex is not even mentioned.” She frowned briefly. “I am sensing my mother’s hoof in this.” “Is that bad?” “Truly, I do not know.” Celestia's frown disappeared. “But I’m not too worried. We will see this through.” Twilight exhaled, finding comfort under her mentor’s wings. She paused for a moment and looked up at the princess again. “What about the others? What will they do while we’re off to the Eternal Herd?” “You can tell, can’t you?” Celestia said. “The Element of Magic lies at the center of the formation. You may not see specifics, but I think you already know that something is happening. I can sense it too. Each of them has an individual fate tugging at them. With the most present crises settled, and the most dangerous threat still at the horizon, now will be the time to see to them.” “So we’ll be parting ways…” Twilight looked to the floor. “Just when I thought we could have a breather and be together for a while.” “I’m sorry,” Celestia said. “The days have been strange lately. They will only grow stranger from here on end.” Twilight shook her head. “No, I understand,” she said. “Fighting the Six Companions taught me that more than ever. I believe in each of my friends. When I return, I know they will be there, stronger than ever.” Both teacher and student stared out at the horizon as Celestia willed the sun to set behind them. It was only beginning to get dark, but, on this spot, they already anticipated the new day.