No!
Ruby Chip's eyes snapped wide open as she awoke with a start. The dream had felt so real that it took her a few seconds before she remembered where she was, and what she was supposed to do.
I fell asleep! Sweet Harmony, I can't believe I fell asleep during my vigil!
She hoped her shining red coat and the dim illumination within the small room would be enough to hide her blush, and carefully turned her head to look at the pony to her right. Lapis Lazuli was sitting as still as a statue and just stared straight ahead. Ruby Chip managed to hold back a sign of relief.
Good. She didn't see it.
Then she turned her head to the left. Emerald Breeze was looking right at her, and currently had one of the biggest hay-munching grins Ruby Chip had ever seen plastered on her face.
Great. She saw it.
Ruby Chip's blush apparently intensified to the point where even the natural color of her coat could no longer hide it, because Emerald's grin grew so wide that it looked like the top half of her head might pop off any second. She winked at Ruby and then closed her eyes, let her tongue hang out of the side of her mouth, and silently mimicked a snore.
Normally, Ruby would have snapped at her, but the vigil was supposed to be a night of quiet contemplation. Of course, she could not simply ignore how much of a jerk her friend was being right now either.
So she waited until Emerald had opened her eyes again, and her lips soundlessly formed the words, "Shut up!"
"I didn't say anything," came the silent answer.
"You know what I mean!" Ruby insisted.
"I like pie," was what Emerald's lips formed in response.
Ruby felt as if she had just been sucker-punched in the brain. "Huh... wait, what?"
One should never underestimate how deafeningly loud a few softly spoken words can sound after a prolonged stretch of almost total silence. Ruby Chip learned that lesson immediately after she opened her mouth.
One should also not underestimate the skill of crystal pony architects when it came to giving even small rooms amazing acoustics. Ruby Chip learned that lesson a few seconds later, when her sentence was still being thrown from wall to wall without having lost much of its initial volume.
When the echo finally died down after what Ruby estimated to be somewhere around ten million years, she slowly turned around to Lapis Lazuli. The other mare stared at her as if Ruby had just gotten drunk at her grandfather's funeral and punched the widow in the stomach during the eulogy.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..." Ruby blurted out.
Ten million years and a few seconds later, Ruby stopped trying to hide her face behind her hooves, and Lapis' expression made it clear that, to top it all off, Ruby had now thrown up into the open casket as well.
Ruby didn't know what to do, so she went with the obvious choice and simply hung her head in shame, while Emerald Breeze was obviously struggling to repress a fit of giggles.
* * *
The rest of the vigil passed in proper silence, so Ruby Chip had a couple of hours to contemplate the dream her involuntary nap had brought.
She would have liked to simply blame the whole experience on her excitement and be done with it, but it had been so detailed and felt so real, and she still remembered everything about it with perfect clarity. It couldn't even have been a dream about something she read in a story, or a history book. Nopony knew what exactly happened in the palace during the last days before Sombra took over the Crystal Empire. The dark tyrant had been the only pony to survive it, and thankfully, he was now gone as well. What the citizens of the Empire knew about the last days of Queen Vivace, they knew from the chronicles that were written down by Sir Jet Black the Scribe. King Bismuth and Dame Merry Glint had not made it out of the city, and Jet Black had been the only member of the Crystal Lance to escape with his life. He was the one who brought Prince Grazioso and Princess Bel Canto to Equestria, ensuring the survival of the Empire's royal line. How exactly Queen Vivace and the rest of the Order had met their end was still a blank spot in the Empire's historical documents.
There were records of how the city fell, of course, since enough ponies had been there to witness it, but they were confused and often contradictory. Even though Ruby Chip had been there as well, she could not contribute much to make the records any clearer. She and her mother had been living in a small mining town north of the Crystal City, and they were among the refugees who thought that its walls and knights would be able to protect them. But Ruby Chip had only been a little filly back then, and all she really remembered was fire, screaming, and how she had cried day and night because she was so scared. She remembered what came after well enough, but that she didn't want to dwell on.
Ruby silently shook her head, and made a conscious effort to not rub her suddenly itching fetlocks. That was then. Now is now. And I won't let my mood be ruined on the most important day of my life, not by a silly dream and not by ugly memories.
It was as if morning would never come, but when the first thin rays of gray light began to seep through the room's only window, Ruby knew that the wait was almost over. Just a little while later, she heard the door behind her open, and the three ponies who had been sitting in the small room for an entire night eagerly turned around.
Shining Armor was standing in the doorway, looking more than a bit uncomfortable in his richly ornamented suit of plate. Ruby suspected that the heavy armor the knights of the Crystal Empire favored had to be a lot heavier and more cumbersome than what the king was used to from his days in the Equestrian military.
Prince. Ruby Chip quickly corrected herself. Not king.
More than a thousand years ago, after Sombra had taken over the Empire and Vivace was presumed dead, Princess Bel Canto had refused to assume the title of queen that had been offered to her. She had insisted that, while she would take over the responsibilities of a ruler in exile, her mother had been the rightful monarch, and that she would not simply replace her by taking over her title after she was murdered by an usurper. At least that was how she justified it, but Ruby suspected that the young princess had simply not been ready to accept her mother's death.
Many had criticized her decision, arguing that by refusing the title of queen, she was effectively giving up the rule to Sombra, who already claimed the title of king for himself at that point. But Bel Canto had insisted, and no rightful ruler of the Crystal Empire had ever accepted the title of king or queen after that. Of course, Ruby had learned that only after the Empire had reappeared from wherever Sombra's curse had sent, so she still got the titles mixed up at times.
Prince Shining Armor cleared his throat and smiled. "Alright then. We're ready for you."
The Prince led them through a long corridor, illuminated by several bright crystal lamps that were set into the walls at regular intervals. Ruby was following along quietly, but she could not help but shoot a few nervous glances at her reflection that was visible on the polished surface of the hallway's crystal walls.
After the almost sleepless night, her normally bright red coat looked a little dull, and she thought that the slightest hint of dark circles was visible around her amber colored eyes. Her burgundy mane looked a little ruffled as well, but it was cut so short that making it fall into place only required her to shake her head a few times, and after she straightened the hairs of her tail with a few quick flicks, she decided that she looked presentable enough.
The armor did a lot to improve her general appearance, and Ruby was pleased to see that the time she had spent preparing it had not been wasted. The massive suit of steel plate added more bulk to her already impressively tall and muscular stature, and she had spent so much time polishing the metal that it reflected the light of the crystal lamps like a mirror. Ruby had paid special attention to the steel that was covering her hindquarters, where the armor depicted what was both her cutie mark and her coat of arms, a silver kite shield with a black knight chess piece at its center.
I will get a new suit of plate after this is over. Ruby realized all of a sudden.
Her armor was well cared for, but there were some dents and scratches in the metal that showed it had been in heavy use over the last few months. And while the craftsponyship was excellent, the smiths who would provide Ruby with her gear from now on were far superior still. It was a silly thing to be sad about, but the steel she was currently clad in had saved her life so many times, the thought of setting it aside for a new set of armor made Ruby feel slightly gloomy nonetheless.
Her brooding was interrupted when the prince stopped in front of a heavy crystal door, opened it, and made a gesture towards the three knights to follow him inside. The same shining crystals as in the hallway illuminated a medium sized, circular room, with seven armored ponies sitting on a broad podium facing the entrance with solemn faces. After entering, Ruby Chip, Emerald Breeze and Lapis Lazuli sat down, while Shining Armor joined the other ponies on the podium. It was quiet for a few seconds, while the prince looked at each of the three ponies in front of him.
When his eyes reached Ruby Chip, he said, "Dame Ruby Chip, step forward."
Ruby did. Her heart was pounding, and her stomach seemed to be playing skipping rope with her intestines, but she did her best to look calm.
However, the prince seemed to have noticed her nervousness, since he flashed her a reassuring smile before he continued, "Who here knows the knight standing before us?"
"I know of her," answered one of the ponies sitting behind the prince.
Ruby smiled when she noticed that it was Malachite. Between the fairly imposing ponies on the podium, the dark green stallion looked almost delicate, even in his heavy armor. That, and the fact that he was one of the only crystal pony unicorns Ruby had ever met, made him stand out quite prominently amongst the other knights above her. Ruby was glad to see that he had been chosen for the role of herald during the ceremony, or maybe he had asked for it himself.
The prince nodded and resumed, "What can you say about her then?"
"That she is brave and fierce in battle, loyal beyond doubt to her friends, her comrades and the Empire, dedicated to her knightly virtues, and honorable in thought and deed," Malachite said.
"Would those who know her well and fought at her side vouch for her?" the prince asked.
"Those who know her well and fought at her side vouch for her," Malachite confirmed.
The prince nodded again, and was now addressing Ruby directly, "Then I ask you, Dame Ruby Chip: Do you swear to serve the Empire loyally and selflessly, and never put your own needs above those of the ones you serve? Do you swear to protect the Empire and its citizens with all your strength and without fear or hesitation, even if it means your death? And do you swear to be an example to others, so that your deeds may inspire them to be all that they can be?"
Ruby swallowed and bowed, "I swear it."
Shining Armor turned around, "Knights of the Lance. You have heard what those who know her say about Dame Ruby Chip, and you bore witness to her vow. Do you accept her into your midst, to stand beside you as your equal?"
Starting with the pony to the far right, the knights on the podium nodded one by one. "I believe that she is worthy, and I accept her as a sister," each of them said.
The prince turned to Ruby Chip again. "Then it is decided. We welcome you, Dame Ruby Chip the Mighty, and name you a sister of the Crystal Lance." He winked and added, "Glad to have you."
Ruby felt like laughing, singing, dancing, but she had to look dignified and knightly, so she simply kneeled and said, "Thank you for your trust." It came out a lot more high-pitched than she would have liked, but she still thought that she had made a good impression overall.
The prince cleared his throat, "Dame Emerald Breeze, step forward."
"Ohboyohboyohboy!" Emerald squealed as she was skipping past Ruby Chip.
Ruby winced and shook her head.
"Do you accept her into your midst, to stand beside you as your equal?" the prince asked once again when the ceremony reached the proper point.
One by one, the Knights of the Lance voiced their approval, but when Malachite's turn came, he looked at Emerald with a skeptical expression, and thoughtfully tapped a hoof to his chin.
"Ehm, Malachite? Were you listening?" Shining Armor asked after a few seconds.
"Yes, of course," Malachite said with a frown. "But now that I see her standing there, I am beginning to question if this is actually a good idea"
Shining Armor's mouth dropped open. "Wha... seriously?!"
Emerald groaned and stomped her hoof. "Hey! Knock it off already, you jerk! Now say you'll be delighted to accept me, or I'll come up there!"
Ruby cringed. Just... screw the both of you! Screw you for egging her on, Malachite, and screw you Emerald for... being you!
Malachite's skeptical expression slowly shifted to a smirk. "Well, we wouldn't want that to happen, would we?" He bowed his head, and his voice was serious and full of warmth when he said, "I believe that she is more than worthy, and it is with great joy that I accept her as a sister."
Emerald nodded. "That's better."
Shining Armor looked a little unsure. "Uh, you two are going way off script here. I mean, this is mostly your show, but do we have to start over now?"
"I don't think that will be necessary, your Majesty. If there are no objections, I think we can just move on," Malachite said.
The Prince sighed in relief. "Good. Now, where was I?"
The rest of the ceremony was over rather quickly, and after the last formal words of Lapis Lazuli’s initiation were spoken, Prince Shining Armor took a deep breath and threw a lopsided grin in Malachite's direction. "All right. So much for the official part. I guess that means we can get the festivities on the way now." He looked at his armored hoof and grimaced. "But I’ll get out of this armor first. I honestly don’t know how you can stand walking around in these things for hours, let alone fight in them. It feels like I’m wearing a brick oven."
Malachite shrugged. "All just a matter of training, your Majesty. But there is still some time until the feast begins, so you should be able to put on something more comfortable if you wish."
"Excellent," said the prince. Then he seemed to remember something and put a hoof on Malachite’s shoulder. "By the way, there is something I wanted to tell you Malachite. If you don’t have anything urgent you need to do right now, I would like to have a few minutes of your time."
Malachite hesitated for a second and shot a quick glance at Ruby Chip and Emerald Breeze. "Well, nothing that can’t wait for a little longer. If there is something your Majesty wishes to discuss, of course I am at your service."
"Good," the prince said. "No need to be alarmed or anything, it’s just something that will require a lot of work and organizing over the next few days, and I would like to get it out of the way as quickly as possible." He turned to the other knights in the room. "I’ll see the rest of you at the feast."
The other ponies took that as their cue to leave. They passed the three newly initiated Knights of the Lance on their way out, bumping hooves, slapping them on the shoulder, and offering them some more informal words of welcome. Ruby was a little disappointed that Malachite would not be able to join her and Emerald right now, but if the prince had some official business to discuss with him, of course that had to take priority. After the last pony had stepped down from the podium and left the room, Emerald Breeze, Lapis Lazuli and Ruby Chip turned towards the door and exited into the hallway as well.
As soon as Ruby had closed the door behind them, she felt something wrap around her neck, and only her steel gorget prevented that she got the breath squeezed out of her.
"We made it Ruby!" she heard Emerald’s voice next to her ear, shrill and shaky with excitement. "I still can’t believe this is actually happening!"
The sudden surprise hug almost made Ruby jump, but then she laughed and turned around to wrap her forelegs around Emerald in turn. "It feels amazing, doesn’t it?"
Emerald pulled away and looked at Ruby, beaming so brightly that Ruby almost felt the need to shield her eyes to avoid getting blinded by it. "It sure does." Then she seemed to notice Lapis Lazuli sitting just a few steps away from them. "Aww, come here Lapis. You get one, too."
Lapis, who had been smiling happily up to this point, suddenly looked somewhat alarmed. "Oh, thanks Emerald, but that’s really not neces…" The rest of her sentence was muffled and unintelligible, due to her face suddenly being buried in Emeralds impossibly curly mane.
"Sorry, can’t hear you over the sound of all this hugging going on right now," Emerald exclaimed cheerfully.
Ruby was just about to chide her friend for making their sister in arms feel uncomfortable, when she heard a familiar voice from further down the corridor.
"I can tell you are already in the middle of your well-earned celebrations."
Ruby immediately turned around and fell to her knees, while the sound of movement and clanking steel behind her told Ruby that the other two knights were doing the same thing. "Your Majesty."
Princess Cadance offered each of them a friendly nod and a smile as she slowly walked closer. "Please, stand. No need for strict formalities right now. After all, this is your special day." Ruby and her companions rose, and the princess continued, "I was hoping to talk with you for a little while before the festivities begin. Would you walk with me, my knights?"
"Of course, your Majesty," Ruby said, while her companions gave similar responses.
The princess inclined her head towards them, and walked past the three knights down the hallway. "Thank you. This way, if you please."
Ruby and her companions hurried after Princess Cadance, and she slowed her step so they could catch up and walk beside her.
"I mostly wanted to have a chance to congratulate you early," Cadance said, before lowering her voice to a whisper, "I suppose later today, you will get swamped with congratulations and well wishes, so I’m unfairly using my status to get ahead of everypony else."
"Hey, being princess and ruler of the Empire has to be good for something, right?" came the chipper response from Emerald.
Ruby frowned, but Cadance’s cheerful chuckle kept her from saying anything. "The positions has its perks. Overall, I would say that I prefer it to being a foalsitter. Although that line of work wasn’t at all unpleasant either." Cadance seemed to become a bit more serious, but her smile stayed warm and genuine. "But I also wanted to thank you. I have read your history of service, and the reports of what you did to earn your recommendations for the Lance. I have no doubt that you will be worthy additions to the Order, and continue its proud history and traditions." She looked at each of them in turn. "I am very grateful for your service. The Empire is still struggling to recover all that was lost, but thanks to ponies like you, I know it is only a matter of time."
The alicorn's words struck a cord inside Ruby. She felt a shiver run down her spine, and tried to shake the unpleasant feeling of déjà vu.
"We merely try to do our duty as best we can, your Majesty," said Lapis Lazuli. "The same is true for every knight of the Empire."
"Your modesty honors you, but you would not be here if your deeds were not exceptional," the princess responded. "Fighting off an entire pack of frost wolfs by yourself is no trivial matter.” With a sidewards glance at Ruby and Emerald, she added, “Neither is holding a mountain pass against a troll warband for almost two entire days."
The mention of that incident made Emerald shudder. "Forget the trolls. The snowstorm was way worse. I never wanted a cup of hot soup so badly in my life."
"I know. You just wouldn’t shut up about it the entire time," was Ruby’s flat response.
"I guess all I’m trying to say is that I appreciate what you and your fellow knights are doing for us," Cadance continued. "I know that I am not as involved in the affairs of the Order as some would prefer —" she shook her head when the three ponies beside her opened their mouths to say something "— no, it’s alright. I understand that a lot of ponies were unhappy when my husband became Grand Master of the Crystal Lance."
Ruby wasn't entirely comfortable talking about this, mostly because what the princess said was true. Since the Order’s founding, the Grand Master had always been somepony directly linked to the royal bloodline, and when Cadance had declined the position in favor of Shining Armor, there had indeed been some murmurs of discontent among the Imperial nobility. But Ruby had not assumed that Cadance was so acutely aware of it.
"Breaking with the Order's traditions was not a decision I made lightly," the princess assured them. "I just figured that my husband was a far better choice for the position. I have no mind or taste for warfare, and right now, the Order needs competent members more than it needs my symbolic presence. Shining Armor may be a prince now, but at heart he’s still a soldier, and he always lived for protecting others."
The princess stopped and looked very intently at Ruby and her companions. "But just because I chose not to serve with you doesn’t mean that I don’t have the utmost respect for you and your comrades. I know that my family owes everything to the Crystal Lance, and I don’t want there to be any divide between us, however small." She sat down and smiled at them. "I may not be your sister, but I would like to be your friend, if you would allow it."
That offer caught Ruby a bit of guard, and Lapis Lazuli seemed rather surprised as well.
But before either of them could answer, Emerald already responded, "Sure princess. You seem nice enough, and we’ll be spending a lot of time with each other from now on. Being friends sounds great."
Ruby smiled and nodded. She would have said it differently, but she had to agree with Emerald. Since she took back the Empire, Cadance had proven herself to be a caring, gentle and capable ruler. The offer had surprised Ruby, but she was glad the princess had made it.
"I’m glad to hear that," said Cadance. "Now, I won’t keep you any longer. The feast will start soon. I’m sure you will have a lot of work to do after this day is over, but today is your day to celebrate. Enjoy the festivities my knights. You’ve truly earned it."
* * *
"If you don't stop grinning like that, your face will get stuck." Upon being addressed so unexpectedly, Ruby blinked in confusion and turned to Emerald, who sat next to her at the table and was currently balancing a full goblet of apple cider on her nose. "At least that's what my grandma always told me."
Ruby's content smile was quickly replaced by a disapproving frown. "Well, in your case, it looks like she was right. Stop clowning around! Everypony is looking at you."
Emerald didn't spill a single drop of cider when she started laughing. "Well, they can tell that something good is coming." Then she tossed the goblet in the air with a flick of her head, quickly caught it between her front hooves, and emptied it in a single gulp. "Ha! The Green Lightning strikes again!"
The mere mention of that name made Ruby's scowl even more intense. "I still can't believe you chose that as your title."
"Really?" Emerald seemed genuinely surprised. "I told you about it last week."
"I thought you were joking!" Ruby hissed. "I wasn't even considering that you might be serious!"
The Green Lightning was a name Emerald Breeze had picked up when she had traveled to Equestria with Ruby Chip and Malachite several months ago. Ruby and Malachite had been fascinated by all the new and creative uses the Equestrians had found for unicorn magic during the last thousand years, since the effects it had on everyday life these days were nothing short of breathtaking. And while Emerald was impressed by that as well, the thing she had really fallen in love with were some utterly ridiculous and childish picture stories called comic books. By the time the three of them had boarded the train back to the Crystal Empire, Emerald had to buy a new suitcase for all the trashy little booklets she was taking home with her. And her favorite character by far was a superhero with the name Green Lightning.
Ruby was still struggling to find words that would properly express her disapproval without resorting to uncouth cussing at the royal table, when she noticed a small, elderly pony standing near the feasting hall's entrance. The old mare was wearing a blue headscarf that matched her coat, and had thick glasses hanging from a string around her neck. Both her purple mane and her tail were tied into thick braids. Ruby wanted to get up, but then hesitated. As one of the three newly initiated Knights of the Lance, she had the seat of honor right next to the prince and princess. It might not look very respectful if she stood up to greet a new arrival.
The old mare was looking around the large hall with a lost expression on her face, and when one of the servants approached her, she jumped a little, despite the fact that he was smiling and seemed to be speaking very gently to her. Proper decorum suddenly seemed like a very trivial thing to Ruby.
"Excuse me, your majesties," she said while already standing up.
"Hmm? Oh yes, sure." The prince didn't seem offended at least, and Princess Cadance just smiled and nodded.
"What's up?" Emerald asked when she saw her friend prepare to leave, but then she noticed the pony standing at the door as well. "Oh, I see. Give me a minute, I'll be right with you." Then she filled her goblet again and turned to the prince. "This stuff is great!"
"Yes it is," Shining Armor said. "I got hooked on it during my wedding. I've been missing it since I moved here, so now I import it from home. I know a pony who knows a pony."
Ruby quickly walked around the giant U-shaped table to get to the entrance. When the old pony saw her approach, the uneasiness in her posture disappeared, and her rather fearful expression changed into one of relief. However, her voice was still a bit timid when she spoke to the servant, "Oh, there she is. Thank you young man, I'll be fine now."
"Mother." Ruby caught the old mare in a hug and squeezed her hard enough to lift her front hooves off the ground. "I'm glad you could come."
Snowdrift chuckled softly. "Really now, how could I miss this? Now, please put me down before you crush this old mare."
"I know my own strength just fine," Ruby objected, but released her mother from the embrace anyway. "Come on, let's find you a place to sit, and I'll keep you company."
Snowdrift's fearful expression from before returned, and she scanned the hall again, her eyes darting rapidly from place to place. "Oh. I don't think that's such a good idea. All those ponies, and the noise, I'm just not very comfortable here. Maybe I should wait outside. Or I could just leave, now that I have seen you. You were going to visit me in a few days anyway." While she spoke, she was already taking little backwards steps towards the door.
Instead of answering, Ruby simply shrugged, walked past her mother and held the door open. "All right. Lets step outside then. There is a quiet little garden not far from here. I think you'll like it."
The old mare looked at her and then shook her head. "Oh no no no! Really Ruby, this is your big day. I don't want you to miss your own party because of me. It's fine, really. Enjoy yourself a little."
Ruby considered very carefully what she was going to say. She knew that she had to be gentle here, because if her mother suspected even for a second that Ruby was giving anything up to be with her, she would not come, despite the fact that she wanted to. Granted, Ruby was a little concerned how it might look if she disappeared now, but that was secondary at the moment. "Come on mother, I want to talk to you for a while. And I'm not going to miss anything. I already spent three hours in there, and the festivities are going to continue for the whole day."
Her mother still hesitated for a bit, but Ruby could tell that the elderly pony had already given in. "All right dear. If you say so. But only as much time as you can afford."
Ruby smiled. "Of course."
Her mother's timid demeanor disappeared almost completely as soon as they had taken a few steps out of the room, and Ruby was glad to see her relax like that. "Did the guards give you any trouble?"
Snowdrift shook her head. "Oh no, not at all. There were two knights at the palace entry, but they were very polite. Gallant, I guess you could say. When I told them why I was here, they didn't even ask for my invitation, and one of them was kind enough to escort me to the banqueting hall. I don't think I would have found it otherwise, big as this place is. Such nice boys." She silently looked at the floor before her as they walked, but Ruby knew that something else was on her mind. "They were very young," her mother finally said. "Even younger than you. It was strange seeing them in armor like that when they are little more than children."
"I know what you mean," Ruby said. "But we don't really have a choice. The Empire needs its knights, and after the tyrant... after we came back, we had to build our entire military up from scratch. It's fortunate that we have a lot of able candidates. They are young, but they learn fast, and they are tough and resourceful. They had to be, considering how they grew up. We still don't have all the troops we need, but we are getting there, and the recruits of today are the veterans of tomorrow."
"If they live that long," her mother said quietly.
Unfortunately, Ruby knew that her mother's worries were not entirely unfounded. Being an Imperial knight was an exceptionally dangerous calling at the moment, and it had never been a safe profession to begin with.
After Sombra's curse had struck the Empire, the realm's territory had been deserted for a thousand years, and during that time, it had been claimed by countless beast and monsters as their domain. There were tribes of trolls in the plains, frost wolfs made their lairs in the deserted ruins of towns, while diamond dogs and worse things had taken over abandoned mines and outposts.
Princess Cadance still favored a diplomatic approach to reclaim the Empire's old territory, since the fact that the nation had been gone for a thousand years made ownership rights more than a little ambiguous. But most of the creatures the Empire's forces had to deal with were either completely mindless, or simply not interested in negotiations. Skirmishes were a regular occurrence for soldiers and knights patrolling the roads, and the smaller towns that had already been reclaimed and rebuilt were heavily guarded, since they were constantly threatened by raids and attacks. The casualties the Empire’s servants had suffered were not nearly severe enough to cripple the nation’s military, but too many knights and soldiers had died far too young during the last few years.
But Ruby didn't want to talk about that with her mother. She told herself that it wasn't really the same thing as lying, just putting more emphasis on the successes and victories, instead of the dangers of her duties. "It will all be better soon, mother. We are still going through some hard times, but our situation has improved a lot compared to what we had when the Empire returned. We have retaken most of the northern mines and towns, the roads are getting more secure with each passing month, and the peace with the dominant troll tribes is holding. Give us just a few more years, and the Empire will be back to its former glory."
By now, they had reached one of the small gardens within the palace. There were no windows or openings to let the sun shine in, but the light of several bright orange crystals was enough to allow a thick carpet of grass and some neatly trimmed bushes to grow.
The two of them sat down beneath one of the glowing crystals, and Ruby's mother looked up at her with a smile. "Oh, I don't doubt that. And we will have ponies like you to thank for it." She bit her lower lip and looked away for a moment. "I'll be honest Ruby, I'm scared for you at times. I know that what you do is dangerous, but I also know that it is what you want to do, and that you keep us all safe by doing it." The old mare lifted a her hoof to gently stroke Ruby's cheek. "I hope the Order will be everything you wished for. I'm very proud of you."
Ruby cleared her throat before she answered, so her voice would not sound choked up. "Thank you mother. I know it will be."
"Found you!" Emerald Breeze jumped over one of the larger bushes and landed beside them, immediately wrapping her front legs around Snowdrift in a tight hug. "Hey Snow. Great that you finally get to see the palace. You really should have dropped by sooner. Did you get my package?"
Snowdrift returned the hug and laughed. "Emerald, so good to see you. Congratulations on your initiation. Yes, I got it just two days ago. It's sweet, but you shouldn't have."
"Wait, package? What package?" Ruby asked with a hint of alarm in her voice.
Emerald let go of the older pony and rolled her eyes. "Stop being such a worrywart. Do you remember those gramophone thingies they have in Equestria now? I just thought that would be a great gift for her birthday, so I ordered one and sent it to her house. I just didn't know when it would arrive, so the timing is two weeks off."
"Ah," Ruby said. "All right. That's very sweet of you Emerald. Thank you. I'll help set it up the next time I come visit."
Snowdrift seemed a little miffed at that. "I managed to do that just fine by myself, thank you. It's really not very complicated, and your old lady isn't completely senile yet."
"You shouldn't let her touch it anyway," Emerald interjected. "The first time Ruby got her hooves on one of those things, she broke the crank off."
Snowdrift raised an eyebrow and looked at her daughter, who started to squirm a little under her gaze. "Really? Well, I will keep that in mind. I plan on keeping it for a while longer."
* * *
Ruby Chip kept telling herself that she and Emerald should return to the feast at some point, but her mother had stories to tell and questions to ask, and the old mare was chatting away so happily that Ruby kept putting the farewells off for a few more minutes.
They talked for several hours before Snowdrift took her leave. She wanted to walk home, but Ruby convinced her to take a carriage instead. After seeing her mother safely off, she and Emerald thought about going back to the feast, but most of it would be over by now anyway, and after their nightly vigil, they were eager to get some sleep. So they headed for their new quarters instead.
There was nopony else around when they entered the part of the palace that was reserved for the members of the Lance, but their personal effects had already been moved into their new chambers, so finding out which rooms were theirs wasn't a problem. Ruby found their quarters to be comfortable, but modest, and their furnishing was restricted to necessities.
That suits me just fine. We won't be spending much time here anyway. There is too much work to do.
Beside her, Emerald Breeze let out a loud yawn. "Well, I'm going to make myself a cup of tea, and then give that mattress a try. Looks comfortable enough, but I could sleep on nails right now." She looked at Ruby and winked. "Shouldn't be so bad for you. You already had a nap tonight."
Ruby flinched, and an embarrassed blush was creeping into her cheeks again. But then she remembered something else from that night, and she turned her head to grace Emerald with a smile that could have turned milk sour. "Right. I almost forgot that. And I almost forgot what happened right after as well."
Emerald rolled her eyes. "Oh come on. Are you still mad about that?" Ruby didn't answer, but when Emerald saw her expression, her eyes went wide. "Oh. You are still mad about that." Then she spun around and careered away as fast as she could.
Ruby's first instinct was to give chase immediately, but she stopped after taking the first step.
No, this is foalish. We can't be seen running around like a bunch of silly fillies anymore. Especially not today.
Emeralds laughter echoed through the hallway. "What's the matter slowpoke? Can't keep up with the Green Lightning, can you?"
Ruby's eyes narrowed, and her nostrils flared. You are going down!
Then she broke into a full sprint. "Don't run! You are a Knight of the Lance! Face your death with dignity!"
"Forget it!" Emerald shot back over her shoulder as she reached the end of the hallway and burst through the door leading into the kitchen. Ruby followed and almost caught up with her quarry, but Emerald quickly jumped over the heavy table that was standing in the middle of the room. "Ha! You cannot catch the Green Lightning!"
Ruby gritted her teeth and let out an angry snort. "Stop using those stupid catchphrases!"
"Never!"
Ruby tried to get around the table, but Emerald matched her movements and kept the large piece of furniture between them.
"You can't keep this up forever, Emerald!"
"We won't know for sure unless I try."
"Have it your way," Ruby said and jumped on the table.
Ruby thought she heard a few ominous cracking sounds when her full weight plus armor settled on top of the crystal piece of furniture, but she ignored them and immediately ducked into a crouch to launch herself at Emerald.
But before she could carry out her attack, Ruby heard a familiar voice behind her, "Apparently, I can't let you out of my sight for more than a few hours without something like this happening."
Ruby froze and then slowly turned around. Malachite was standing in the doorway and tried very hard to look annoyed, but didn't quite manage to fight back a smile.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby saw how Emerald rapidly looked back and forth between her and Malachite, before quickly running around the table and hiding behind the stallion. "Please save me, good Sir knight! A troll has broken into the palace!"
Malachite shot Ruby a disapproving look, but the effect was all but ruined by the grin he was no longer able to contain. "So it seems. And the cunning creature even attempted to disguise itself, even though it did a poor job of it. It is a good thing I arrived in time to shield you from its rampage, my lady."
Ruby groaned and rubbed a hoof against her temple. "Oh, both of you shut up! I was just going to knock the stupid out of her."
At that, Malachite had to laugh. "You could not manage that if you had an unbreakable mallet and a million years to attempt it."
He let out an exaggerated huff when Emerald boxed him in the gut.
"Hey! You're supposed to be on my side here!"she complained.
Malachite rubbed his side, but his expression was for more amused than pained. "I'm on the side of sense, my dear Emerald. Which means that I cannot possibly support either of you."
While they spoke, Ruby was craning her neck to see if there were any other ponies standing in the hallway outside the kitchen. "Say, Malachite? Are there any members of the Lance here..."
"... to witness you two chasing each other around like schoolfillies?" Malachite shook his head. "No, it's just me right now. The others are still at the feast or in the training room. I just came to check on you two." He pointed at Ruby. "Now, you. Get your filthy hooves off that table. That's where we eat. And since you still seem to have some energy to burn after your vigil, you can put the kettle on. Third cupboard from the right, fire should still be on."
"Yes nanny," Ruby grumbled and jumped to the ground.
"And you." Malachite pointed at Emerald Breeze. "Sit down. Don't be annoying."
Emerald's lips curled into a pout. "You are asking quite a lot."
Malachite patted her on the head. "You are a Knight of the Lance now. Great things are expected of you."
The fire within the kitchen's small stove was still burning hot enough to boil water, so it didn't take long until the three were sitting at the table with steaming cups in front of them.
Malachite took a sip and nodded in approval. "Very good. Now, since we haven't been able to speak much since the initiation, there is something I still need to tell you." He looked at each of them and smiled warmly. "It feels good to have you two here with me. I really missed having you around."
"Not our fault you had to wait," Emerald said. "If you had cut back on the heroism, they wouldn't have asked you first."
Malachite sighed. "Heroic. It really didn't feel like that back then. I was scared half to death, and I just wanted that troll to stop trying to step on me."
"Troll chief," Ruby corrected.
"Bah," her friend exclaimed dismissively. "As if I cared about that at the time. I only knew that it was big and scary and left itself wide open every time it raised that ugly club. And now I'm here. Sir Malachite the Trollslayer, Knight of the Crystal Lance." He shrugged. "Saying it out loud still feels strange, to be honest."
Ruby took a sip of her tea and said nothing. She knew what her friend meant by that. The three of them had always aspired to join the Order, even while they were still newly recruited soldiers who had yet to earn their knighthood. Malachite had just been the first to be accepted into the Crystal Lance. There hadn't been any bad blood between them because of it, Malachite just thought it was strange how everything had played out, and Ruby felt the same way.
The day Malachite faced the troll chief, saved his comrades, and earned his recommendation for the Order, he had not been on patrol with Ruby and Emerald. Ruby Chip didn't even remember why their superiors had put them into different groups that day, but it was odd to think how things could have turned out if they had been on that patrol as well. They might have earned their place together. Then Ruby and Emerald could have been members of the Lance for more than a year now.
We could have already proven ourselves. Shown that we are worthy members of the Order. Now that is all still in front of us.
Emerald must have sensed that her friends were pondering pointless maybes and might-have-beens, and that was something she did not approve of. "Well, now we are here too, so you can stop moping. And together, the three of us will be the greatest knights the Order has ever seen."
"You aim very high, Emerald. But I suppose there is nothing wrong with that," Malachite said. Then he emptied his cup and rose. "Can I leave you two alone without you trying to kill each other?"
Emerald rolled her eyes. "Will you stop it? We were just horsing around. The two of us are just peachy. Right Ruby?"
Ruby didn't know how she should answer that, so she frowned and looked at the teacup in front of her without saying anything.
When Emerald spoke again a few seconds later, there was a hint of concern in her voice. "Ruby? You're not really mad at me, are you?"
"Yes." Ruby immediately shook her head. "I mean no. Not really."
Her friend sounded genuinely worried now. "Ruby, if this is about tonight, I just meant it as a joke. I'm really sorry if I went too far."
"That's not it," Ruby said, and then grimaced as if she had bitten into a lemon. The truth was, there had been a few times during the day when she had felt... anger was a strong word for it. Frustration was probably more fitting. "Not only. Emerald, I don't really know how to say this, because no matter how I phrase it in my head, it makes me sound like a huge jerk." Ruby looked at her friend, who was nervously tapping her hoof on the table, and tried to choose her next words carefully. "Emerald, you know that I don't mind your antics, or your teasing. Because I know that you don't mean anything by it. It's just who you are. But we are knights of the Crystal Lance now, and that means we need to worry about how other ponies see us.
"Things are expected of us, and here you are, interrupting your own initiation with your wisecracks, balancing cups on your nose at the feast like a jester, and even choosing the name of one of those silly comic characters as your title. We are supposed to set an example, and I don't know if that kind of behavior is the right way to do it." Ruby tried to put on a comforting smile, hoping that it might soften the blow just a little. "I don't want you to change Emerald. But please, show a little more restraint from now on."
Emerald's ears visibly dropped with every sentence, and when Ruby was finished, her friend looked miserable. Ruby almost wished she hadn't said anything, but she told herself that this was in Emerald's best interest as well.
Better I tell her now, then all the other members of the Lance tell her once they are fed up with it.
Emerald looked embarrassed, something that didn't happen very often. Or ever. She was quiet for several seconds, and the silence began to grow uncomfortable.
Finally, Malachite cleared his throat. "Ruby, you might be a little hard on her. I'm as much to blame for the incident during the initiation as she is, and I assure you, nopony in the Order has taken offense at her behavior. You are new to the Crystal Lance, and I know that you are concerned about your image..."
"I just don't want to mess this up Malachite!" It came out more sharply than Ruby had thought it would, but she kept going anyway. "I want to show that I belong here. That I am a Knight of the Crystal Lance in every way, but how are they ever going to take us seriously if she keeps acting like this?" She lowered her head, and her voice suddenly sounded bitter, "I guess it's just hard to see her treat it all as a joke. Who cares if it's important to others, as long as she has her fun, right?"
Ruby's head snapped up the second she was finished. She didn't even know where those words had come from, and she regretted saying them before they were fully past her lips. But she also knew that they had been honest, as much as she hated to admit it.
Emerald just stared at her for several long seconds, and when she finally spoke, her voice was quiet and very serious, "That's not fair, Ruby." Then she stood up and left the room.
"Emerald, wait. Please," Ruby called after her, but her friend didn't even slow down.
The kitchen door closed behind her a second later, and Ruby had to repress the urge to pick up her teacup and smash it against the wall. Then she noticed Malachite looking at her.
"Go ahead," she said. "Tell me what an insensitive dirtbag I'm being. Lecture me. I know you want to."
Malachite shook his head. "I don't see the point in telling you something that you have already figured out on your own. And I would like to think that I don't 'lecture' ponies, Ruby. I give advice when I think that it is needed. Right now, I think it is."
He sat down next to her and put his leg around her shoulder. "Telling you not to worry would be pointless right now, because I know what you are afraid of at the moment."
Ruby tensed up at the last words. "I'm not..."
"Yes you are," Malachite said. "I know, because I was afraid as well. It was intimidating when I first joined, because I did not know if I could meet all the expectations. Believe me Ruby, in time, those fears will disappear. But until then, don't make your life harder than it has to be by seeing problems where none exist, or by pushing away those who care about you. You have a friend who goes through the same thing as you right now, and that is something I did not have when I was in your situation. Lean on each other, instead of making this even harder for both of you."
"Emerald isn't the kind of pony to worry about any of that," Ruby said, but it didn't sound very convincing even to herself.
"Not normally, no," said Malachite. "But these are exceptional circumstances. Remember Ruby, Emerald worked just as hard as you to get this far. It took a lot of determination, skill, and devotion. Think about how you feel Ruby, when you imagine that even after all that hard work, you may not prove to be good enough. Is it really so absurd to think that even our lovably carefree Emerald Breeze might get scared when she has the same thoughts?"
Ruby swallowed. Stupid, insufferable, perceptive Malachite. Always reasonable, always caring, never losing his temper or his composure. It was maddening, but that didn't change the fact that he had a point most of the time. And in this particular instance, his words made a painful amount of sense.
"How do I make this right?" Ruby asked quietly.
Malachite gave her a reassuring smile. "Saying that you are sorry is always a good start if you mean it. Just talk to her Ruby. I don't have to tell you that you really hurt her just now, but you know how Emerald is. She wants to forgive you just as much as you want to be forgiven, and while it won't be very easy for her right now, you two will manage to work this out." He bumped her gently on the shoulder and stood up. "I should take my leave now, if you don't mind. I am meeting Beryl Bright for a sparring match in a little while. Try to clear the air with Emerald and get some rest. I will see you tomorrow."
"Just one more thing Malachite," Ruby said before her friend could turn around. "Are we already scheduled for any patrols in the near future?"
Malachite hesitated briefly. "There was a patrol schedule for the coming week, but we will have to rework it. We have some additional horsepower available, and we want to put it to good use. I will tell you when the new schedule is ready."
Ruby frowned. "More recruits? I thought we were already stretching our reserves? Wait, we are not sending our wounded back on patrol before the are properly recovered, are we?"
"No, of course not," Malachite said. "I didn't know about it until a few hours ago, but by tomorrow morning, an Equestrian battalion with a strength of about one thousand soldiers will arrive to reinforce us. More than twice that number should be here by the end of the week. The prince apparently asked for troops to help secure the Empire."
Ruby's mouth dropped open. "What? Why didn't we know about this until now? Can Equestria spare three thousand soldiers just like that?"
Malachite shrugged. "Equestria is a large nation Ruby, much larger than it used to be in our time. In any case, I do not know if they can spare them. I just know that they will send them. And the prince said he chose not to tell us sooner because he did not know for sure if the princesses would be able to grant his request for troops."
Ruby was not very satisfied with that explanation. "He could have told somepony that he asked. Why do we even need soldiers from Equestria? Yes, our patrols are stretched thin at the moment, and we could use more experienced knights, but we are doing well, considering the circumstances. We have accomplished a lot on our own during the last years. The Empire can take care of itself."
Malachite sighed in a way that made his discomfort at discussing this topic very clear. "Ruby, remember what I told you about creating unnecessary problems. Yes, we are doing reasonably well, but we can still put the additional troops to good use. Especially with the Equestria Games coming up, we need all the capable fighters we can get."
"Right," Ruby said and rolled her eyes. "Those oh-so-important games. Because we have nothing better to do at the moment than host a silly sporting event."
Her dismissive tone provoked a stern look from Malachite. "They are important, Ruby. The Empire was gone for a thousand years. We need to put ourselves back on the map, and that sporting event is the best opportunity we could have asked for. As for the troops from Equestria, there is no reason to get upset over it. Right now, I know nothing more than what I have just told you, but once we get the details, I am sure it will all make sense. Talk to Emerald. Get some rest. We will talk tomorrow."
"Fine. Tomorrow then." Ruby said with some reluctance. After a second she added, "And thanks, Malachite."
He smiled. "You are very welcome, Ruby."
Ruby still sat there for several minutes after he had left. She tried to come up with something she could say to Emerald, but she never got any further than several different versions of Please forgive me. So finally, she decided to just start with that, and hope that the rest would come to her when she needed it.
The door to Emerald's chamber was closed, and there was no answer to Ruby's knocks.
"Emerald? Can I come in please?" There still was no reaction. "All right Emerald, if you don't tell me to go away, I'll come in now. I really need to talk to you."
She received no confirmation, but no word of refusal either, and that was good enough for her right now. So she pushed the door handle down and stepped inside.
Emerald was sitting next to the bed in front of a small mirror hanging over the nightstand. Her back was turned, and when Ruby entered the room, Emerald didn't even glance at her reflection. She had already taken off her armor, and was currently brushing her coat and mane. For the sake of practicality, Ruby had cut her own mane short after the first time she had worn a helmet, much to the chagrin of her mother. Emerald, on the other hoof, had been unwilling to part with her turquoise curls, and Ruby had no idea where she put them when her whole body was clad in steel. After wearing the heavy suit of plate an entire night and the better part of the following day, Emerald's normally shining green fur was dull and sweaty, and so tousled that the three delicate blue down feathers of her cutie mark were barely recognizable.
Ruby sat down next to her, and neither of them said anything. For a while, the steady strokes of the brush were the only sound in the room.
Finally, Ruby cleared her throat and spoke, "Emerald, I’m so sorry. I should not have said that."
"You meant it," Emerald responded, without looking at her or stopping to drag the brush over her coat. Her tone wasn't accusatory. It was just a statement of fact, and that made it feel like slap in the face.
Ruby cringed and nodded. "Yes. But I wasn't thinking. It's just..." She hesitated, unsure how to put her thoughts into words. "Everything looks so easy for you Emerald. It's like you never worry about anything. And it frustrates me sometimes, because I have no idea how you do that."
Emerald's hoof stopped, and she slowly lowered the brush. Then she turned to Ruby and sighed. "Ruby Chip, you are an idiot." She loosened the brush's strap and put it on the nightstand before she continued, "Ruby, I worry. A lot. The Order, our new duties, the ponies we are going to be compared to now, it's just all so big. Whenever I think about it, it makes me feel really, really small. Still, I want to be accepted here, but I want to be accepted for my skill, and my devotion. As myself. I know that even if I'm good enough, some may not like who I am. But that didn't scare me before, because I have friends here, friends who know me and like me, and I figured that no matter what, I would always have that. Then my best friend opens her stupid mouth, and suddenly, on top of everything else, I'm no longer sure about that either. And while all those nasty thoughts and doubts are gnawing at me, she has the gall to tell me right to my face that I don't take this seriously."
There was another long stretch of silence. Ruby didn't know what to say, but when it became unbearable, she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind, "So why did you pick it?"
Emerald looked at her in confusion. "Pick what?"
"Your title," said Ruby. "The Green Lightning. Why pick that?"
Her friend seemed to think about that for a moment. "I guess it just made sense to me. I thought about the things that are important to me as a knight, and he reflects so many of them. He thinks that it is his obligation to protect those who cannot protect themselves, because he has the power to do so. He believes in doing the right thing, and that one pony can truly make a difference. And he never loses his good humor, even when everything looks bleak. I remember the first time I picked up one of his stories, I thought that he would be a great Knight of the Lance. Also, my coat is green. Not the most important point on the list, but it didn't hurt."
Ruby pondered that answer for a while. "I guess when you explain it like that, those are actually pretty good reasons," she finally said.
It was a big relief to see Emerald crack a little smile at that. "I thought so too."
Ruby put a hoof on her friend's shoulder, and was glad to see that she did not object. "Emerald, I'm an idiot. I should not have turned your attitude into a problem, just because I didn't know what to do about my own fears. I'm really sorry."
Emerald tilted her head and seemed to mull over those words very carefully. "Well, you stole the first part from me, the next one is fairly obvious, and you already said the last one right after you came in."
"So do you accept my apology?" Ruby asked.
Instead of answering, Emerald wrapped her front legs around Ruby's neck and pulled her into a tight hug. "Just one thing Ruby," she said. "I can't believe I'm the one saying this, but think before you talk next time. I don't care what most other ponies think of me, but your opinion matters. Remember that."
"I promise," Ruby said. "And you smell like an old sweat rag."
Emerald pushed her away. "Oh, really? Well, if you have a problem with that, here." She tossed the brush at Ruby. "You just volunteered to do my back."
Ruby grinned and strapped the brush to her right hoof, glad that things between them were back to normal.