Chapter 13
“Sister, please.”
“’Tia, it cannot be done at this time.” The princess of the night sat hunched over a large wooden table in the middle of the throne room. The mahogany surface was scratched and scarred from years of use and stood starkly out of place in the opulence of the palace. The old beater of a table had been given the nickname of the ‘War Room’ by the palace staff and Luna had not sought to break them of their habit. This was where she worked now, making decisions she hoped would keep Equestria from falling. “We have no intelligence on the attack and the nearest pegasus recon unit won’t be able to report back until tomorrow morning. We must be patient, dear sister.”
Celestia paced the length of the room with jittering agitation, her ephemeral mane whipped into a torrent of motion. Her voice was strained and tired. “Luna, I can feel it in my wings. The attack was directed at Twilight Sparkle. We must go.”
“There is too much to be done here and too many lives at stake to move without knowledge. Please, calm yourself.”
“How can I be calm?!” she shouted, “How can you be calm?! If you will not see to it, then I will go personally.” Unfurling her alabaster wings, Princess Celestia marched boldly to the window.
“We cannot abide you leaving,” Luna’s voice thundered as she leapt to her hooves, halting the elder alicorn mid-step. Her voice dropped in volume, but held a hard edge. “Your judgment has been compromised, sister.”
Celestia turned around, her eyes wide with surprise. “Luna,” her voice was barely above a whisper, “You used the Royal Canterlot Voice.”
The midnight mare lowered her head, releasing a sigh. “I’m sorry, ‘Tia. But your love for Twilight Sparkle is coloring your actions.”
The princess of the day shifted on her hooves, “I love all our subjects.”
“As do I, but you cannot be blind to the truth, ‘Tia. I have seen it with my own eyes. You love Twilight Sparkle as your own daughter.” The monarch’s head lowered, the preternatural breeze suspending her pastel mane slowing to a gentle current. “We shall move as soon as we have information. Five of them, ‘Tia. Five. With half of the High Scholars watching the incoming army’s every move, they arrived with no warning outside of our borders. There is much to be evaluated before we can proceed.”
Luna placed a hoof on Celestia’s shoulder, her voice dropping low and soothing. “I know you worry for them and we will do what we must when the time comes to act. Trust me, ‘Tia. It has been a long time since you have had to wear the crown of war and even then it was mostly mine to bear. I will do what’s best for us. What’s best for all of Equestria.”
The elder princess sat on her haunches, letting her head hang low. “You are right, Luna. About everything. It has been a long time since I have grown so attached to a mortal pony…I had forgotten the feeling.” Hooves circled her neck and she returned the embrace, nuzzling her younger sister gratefully.
“Twilight Sparkle is a remarkable unicorn, sister. If there is a pony alive that has a chance against these bulls, I believe it is her.”
“I pray you are correct. I pray that she is not on a fool’s errand. You heard the accounts of her brother first-hoof, Luna.” She pulled away enough to look her sister in the eye. “They are playing with forces neither of us understand. This has Discord’s treachery written all over it, but I cannot ascertain how. Or why.” She stood again and turned, her pacing resuming the deliberate, practiced rhythm of royalty. “I knew I was right those scant few months ago. Purposefully releasing him would have been disastrous. But I have found nothing to go on regarding this ‘Appaloo,’ if there is such a being. I know not what to do.”
Luna’s voice stayed low as she caught the elder mare’s shoulder with a hoof. “We shall face these trials together, ‘Tia. You do not bear these burdens alone any longer.” Luna offered a wan smile. “But for now, you must remaster your patience. We have both been alive for over one thousand years; surely you can stand to wait a day for news.”
As Celestia dipped her head to relent, a flash of magenta energy lit up the throne room. A roll of parchment bounced plainly on the stone floor. The princesses’ eyes met before they rushed to the scroll. Gripped in a glow of sunlight made solid, Celestia unfurled the parchment in front of their eyes. Slowly she began to speak, relief coloring her tone.
“Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,
“This is an in-field debriefing. The five of us are fine. The bull attack was centered on us and occurred while we were aboard a train destined for Saddle Arabia. The train was completely destroyed in the attack with multiple casualties, but all five bulls were terminated. The wreck was catastrophic; a great deal of cleanup will be required to render the track usable again. Following are my notes regarding their weak points and fighting tactics.
“~What I’ve found on bull anatomy: Their flesh is a sheathing of gelatinous fire, minimum temperature of 2900 degrees Fahrenheit (contact with sheathing melted sand to glass). The interior body is made up of inert stone. Puncturing the flesh produces wounds that emit fire, but quickly heal. When shaped as a bull, they require oxygen to maintain their combustion, but formed as a spherical meteor, they do not.
“~Their fighting tactics are limited. They have restricted mobility and do not plan strategically. Their method is a combination of brute strength and low vulnerability. Here are the methods of attack I found successful:
“~The first bull was successfully terminated with a cone of cold cast at three times normal power. A direct hit proved fatal, but several indirect hits only inflicted quickly recoverable wounds. The focus and magic drain was substantial. The tactic might prove effective as a tandem attack from multiple unicorns, though.
“~The ability to function is tied to the flesh, rather than the rock body. Damage directly to the body via constrictive force resulted in impairing its ability to form a coherent body and move with any coordination. There is a point of no return on damage to the flesh that results in failure of function. Standard concussive bolts of magical force delivered at a rate of 400 per minute will result in termination within ten seconds. A rate of 200 per minute would theoretically work within forty-five seconds. Forceful separation of sufficient size will also lead to termination; decapitation proved to require the least amount of force and result in success.
“I hope this information proves useful. If either of you had lingering suspicions that my communications with Rainbow Dash were not real, I received 100% confirmation during the attack. I will explain in a later letter; I can barely hold this quill in my magic at the moment.
“Be well. I hope to see you both soon.
“Your faithful student,
“Twilight Sparkle.”
Celestia sunk to her haunches, expelling a forceful breath of air. She shuddered, feeling the tension fall from her shoulders in a crashing wave. Luna bounced on her hooves and practically pranced over to the War Room, crying out, “Guard!”
A white pegasus stallion wearing dusky blue armor entered the throne room, saluting the monarchs. “Yes, Princess?”
Luna grinned. “Ah, Vigil, it is nice to see you. But today I am not calling you as a princess, but as High-General of the Equestrian Army.” Vigil straightened in his salutatory stance. Her voice dropped in volume but grew in speed and confidence. “Rescind the scouting orders for the recon unit; direct intelligence has been magically sent that renders it unnecessary. A disaster response team needs to be sent instead to clean up a train wreck.” A parchment and quill lifted from the old desk in a glow of blue, hovering above the princess’ head. The quill flew across the page in a flurry of writing as she sorted through papers laid out on the scratched surface. “After that, summon the generals. There is much to be discussed. Dismissed.”
Vigil hurried from the room as further papers and feathers floated from the desk in a frantic blur of note taking. Celestia stood on shaking hooves, having at last mastered the almost nauseating levels of relief that threatened to incapacitate her. “Sister…what is it that you’re planning now that we must gather the generals?”
Glancing up from her work, Luna’s stern focus cracked with the appearance of a sly smirk. “Now my expedience surprises you, ‘Tia? Why, it’s to begin planning what is only my favorite past-time as military general.” Her smirk spread to a grin as she floated a sheaf over to her sister. “Drills,” she chimed with delight.
Twilight shivered. Raising her head, a burst of pain and vertigo shuddered through her brain and she dropped back to the ground with a groan. She opened her eyes and struggled to make them focus. A cool breeze sent further shivers down her spine as the world resolved into muted blues and violets.
Pinkie’s voice called out close to the unicorn’s head, drawing a wince. “Twilight’s awake!”
Twilight turned a bleary eye in the direction of the voice, locating a slowly-sharpening pink blob. She mumbled, “Pinkie, not so loud.”
“Oops. Sorry, Twiley-Wiley.”
The scrunching patter of hooffalls in sand grew louder. The rustling of a tent flap was followed by Applejack’s voice, low and soothing. “You feelin’ alright, Sugarcube?” Twilight groaned, swiveling her gaze to the orange shape standing over her. “You’ve been out for a spell.”
“What time is it?”
“Bit past midnight. We sent them four on their way a couple hours ago. Everypony else hunkered down for a nap.” The exhausted mare nodded weakly. “Can we get ya anything? Probably need something in your stomach soon; you haven’t had a drop of water or a scrap of food since breakfast yesterday.”
Without waiting for an answer, Pinkie bounded a few feet away. Twilight watched her go, happy her vision had cleared enough to identify the saddlebag her friend was now digging through by the balloon-shaped patches. The earth pony returned with a canteen, a few slices of bread, and a small bouquet of daisies. Twilight slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position. She attempted to grasp the canteen with her magic and a lance of pain shot through her head.
Applejack grimaced, sitting on her haunches and placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Best to take it easy with the magic, there.” The unicorn shook her head gently and reached for the container with her forelegs, drawing it close awkwardly and fumbling with the cap. The farm pony couldn’t contain her smirk. “You unicorns and your magic. Take it away and you’re as helpless as a filly.” She grabbed the canteen and removed the lid in one swift motion, handing it back to Twilight, who stuck her tongue out at Applejack before taking a long drink. She sighed as the water soothed her parched throat and accepted the assembled sandwich from Pinkie.
After finishing the meal, Twilight’s head had cleared considerably, and she smiled gratefully at her friends. “I really needed that, thank you.” She got to her hooves and exited the tent. The girls had made camp where the injured ponies had vacated; their shelters set up in a triangle behind the wreck. The cool breeze rustling her mane drew another shiver and she turned away. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked over the sand.
The lone stuffed dragon’s hill had been joined by others. She shut her eyes and turned away. Applejack exited the tent and took stock of Twilight’s body language. She bowed her head. “…Thirty souls. We’re lucky most folks’ve been drafted.”
“Yeah,” Twilight whispered, “Lucky.” She released a heavy sigh and sat down.
Applejack sat next to the mare and wrapped a hoof around her shoulders. “So what’s next, Twi’? You up for hoofin’ tonight?” Pinkie followed the two and took a seat on Twilight’s right.
“…No, that’s probably a bad idea. We should camp here for the day and set off tomorrow evening.” She glanced back into the tent and spied her saddlebags. “I was interrupted on the train. I have research to do.” A small smile pulled at her lips. “Wake everypony up, though. We want to try and sleep through the day when it’s too hot to travel.”
Pinkie leapt to her hooves. “Ooh, I’ll make a tasty breakfast! That’ll keep miss grumpy saddle Rarity from being too upset.” Applejack snickered as the pink mare bounced into the tent towards her saddlebags, pulling open the side reserved for foodstuffs. She inhaled deeply, smelling the aromas as she shuffled through the pack. Pushing aside assorted bouquets of fresh flowers, bags of fruit and vegetables, cartons of eggs, loaves of bread, and jugs of milk, she pulled out a sealed container of pancake batter. She pulled up the lid and gave a sniff. Grinning, she extracted a griddle, a spatula, and a few logs of firewood, piling them on her back before leaping out towards the center of the clearing.
Twilight stood and re-entered her tent. Shuffling through the library half of her bags, she huffed through her snout. “This is a lot easier with magic,” she muttered. The crackling of fire and sizzling of batter had filled the air before she found a title related to pegasus culture.
Rejoining her friends, Twilight sat around the fire as Pinkie worked. The smell brought her appetite roaring to life, the daisy sandwich a stop-gap measure that was rapidly failing. She smiled apologetically at Rarity and Fluttershy. “Sorry for waking you both up. It’ll be easier if we’re fully rested when we leave tomorrow evening.”
Rarity waved a hoof. “That’s quite alright, dear. I’ll get my beauty sleep over the day.”
Fluttershy nodded, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Yeah, we’ll be fine. How are you feeling, Twilight?”
“I’m okay. Just worn out, mostly.” She sighed and ran a hoof through her mane, wincing when she was met with some resistance. She decided that the first thing she was going to do when her magic wasn’t so shaky was a thorough mane, tail, and coat brushing. “A quiet day—err, night—and a good day’s sleep should do a lot of good.”
Rarity nodded. “Any plans for passing the time?”
“Well, I was going to pursue that lead on Fames, now that I have the time.”
Rarity gave Twilight a piercing look. “So…you’re going to be reading all night?”
“Um…yes?”
A heavy silence fell over the group as Pinkie finished dishing up the cooked pancakes. She passed the plates around and cleared her throat. “So…anypony have another deck of cards?”
Floating serenely in the tunnel, Rainbow Dash watched the fitful spiking of green energy with patience. The ebb and flow of color was hypnotic in its own way; a dancing symphony of waving magic jittering in the darkness. Every so often she would cast her enhanced gaze around the stone walls and take in the unintelligible sight. Her ability to sense clearly was still impeded, but she believed it was slowly improving. Shortly after entering the meditative trance, the purple beam connecting her to Twilight grew bright, but concern for the well-being of her body kept her mind rooted in place. When it sharpened a second time, she cautiously extended her consciousness down the filament.
Twilight tackled Rainbow Dash. A flurry of giggles echoed through the void as they assaulted each other with kisses. Pulling back to catch her breath, Rainbow gazed up into the purple eyes above her, lightly stroking straight mane with a hoof. “Hey, Twi’.” The unicorn grinned and snuggled her cheek into her marefriend’s neck, hugging tightly. Rainbow trailed her other hoof down to the small of Twilight’s back, still running a limb through indigo hair. Twilight breathed deeply, tasting the storm smell clinging to sky blue coat.
For a long time, they laid in each other’s hooves without talking. Twilight’s tail idly swished back and forth over Rainbow’s until with a flick the pegasus’ chromatic hair circled purple and magenta. The blanket of safety settling on her mind caused Twilight's eyelids to droop, the sensation only reinforced by the physical blanket of the wonderfully warm wing draped across her back. She murmured softly into Rainbow Dash’s neck, a stretch overtaking her body as she nestled further into the embrace.
The blue mare grinned indulgently at the stretch, hugging tighter with her wings and hooves. “You’re adorable.”
Twilight lifted her head and stuck her tongue out. “You’d be so angry if I called you that.”
“Well, yeah,” she smirked, “’Cuz I’m not adorable; I’m rugged and striking.”
“Mmm…you look pretty adorable to me.”
It was Rainbow’s turn to stick her tongue out. “Can’t be adorable with a badass eye scar.”
“Oh, but it’s so cute.” She leaned forward and planted a kiss where the forking lines of pink converged on the mare’s forehead. Rainbow Dash gave her a deadpan stare. Twilight watched the muscles under the other mare’s brow twitch momentarily before the left side raised. A wry grin broke across her muzzle. “You can’t raise your right eyebrow anymore, can you?” Rainbow pouted out a lip and Twilight couldn’t help but giggle. “That’s even more adorable.”
Rainbow Dash wriggled her wings rapidly up and down. A surprised shriek tore its way out of Twilight as Rainbow grasped tightly with her hooves, viciously tickling her captive. “Not adorable,” she growled over Twilight’s laughter, “Rugged.”
Twilight struggled out, “Okay, okay!” between cackles. As Rainbow’s wings stopped rustling, her laughter subsided and she snuggled back into the pegasus’ neck. “You’re my rugged, striking, awesome mare. Happy?” She listened to Rainbow’s gentle breaths as the blue pony laid back in quiet contemplation.
Twilight felt the soft wings around her back tighten. A wave of euphoric comfort rolled up her spine from the fierce embrace. Rainbow’s whispered response made her shiver. “Happier’n I’ve ever been before.”
Twilight dragged herself up and looked Rainbow in her eyes. They held each others’ gaze in a silent exchange of thoughts, clearly read on their partner’s face. Twilight’s hooves grasped colorful mane and she pulled Rainbow Dash’s muzzle to her own. Their mouths opened as the kiss deepened, a fevered need igniting, overtaking the idle contentment of simply being chest to chest. The hug transformed to desperate grasping, a burning attempt to close any gaps between their bodies. When they broke, flushed and panting, Twilight nuzzled Rainbow’s cheek and neck, breathlessly whispering, “I love you,” over and over.
Rainbow Dash gripped her marefriend tightly, her eyes sliding shut. “I love you, Twi’.” Twilight nuzzled back into the hollow where Rainbow’s neck met her shoulder. Her sense of safety remained, but she felt drained and raw. A hoof resumed stroking her mane and she murmured tonelessly. Rainbow grinned.
“I never knew I could feel this way about somepony, Rainbow.” She closed her eyes and felt the gentle rise and fall of her love’s chest, soaking up the body heat radiating beneath her. “I suddenly can’t imagine a life without you in it. And it’s all so new but so strong. I don’t understand it. It just doesn’t make any sense.” She huffed a frustrated breath.
“Doesn’t have to make sense, Twi’. So long as I can hold you in my hooves, all the other stuff doesn’t matter.” Rainbow smirked and shook her head. “You’re turnin’ me into a total sap, ya know.”
Twilight chuckled. “Me too.”
“We’re being gross.”
“I hope we get this out of our systems before we’re supposed to do anything with the others.”
Snorting, Rainbow mused, “Poor Fluttershy would probably start talkin’ in squeaks around us.” She stroked Twilight’s mane as the unicorn giggled.
Nibbling on Rainbow’s neck, Twilight asked, “Think we should do something constructive instead of fawning all over each other like a couple of school fillies?”
Rainbow Dash mock-sighed. “I guess. Anything major going on?”
“Not really. We’re setting off tomorrow evening. We kept ourselves awake last night so we could sleep through the day. Not much happened. I have a lead on the Breath of Fames, though. Haven’t found anything yet, but I know where to look. See, I was reading about cultures that were in the region back when the Elements of Strife were working, but I didn’t—” Rainbow Dash cut her off.
“Think to check pegasus cultures, I know. Brain thing, remember?” Twilight blew a raspberry against Rainbow’s shoulder. Her wide smile slowly shrunk as the blue mare grew thoughtful. “So did you have any…side effects when you woke up?”
Twilight nodded gently, using the motion as an excuse to burrow her face further into Rainbow’s neck. “Us joining drained a lot of my magic. It’s probably gonna take me a few days to be able to comfortably cast simple spells for extended periods of time. Might take a week or two before I’m back at full strength. How about you?”
Rainbow cleared her throat. “I can’t move my body right now.”
Twilight sat up, meeting Rainbow’s gaze. “What?”
“When I became enlightened, my heart started beating again and I needed to breathe, but this place isn’t meant for ponies to do that. The leaf’s been protecting me from the air and hunger and stuff. When I woke up, the connection got messed up a little, so it wasn’t protecting me anymore.”
The unicorn’s brows drew together over wide eyes. “Are you okay? What does it mean?”
“I’m not sure, but my body’s okay,” she replied, offering a small smile, “Sid said since he didn’t have the leaf he had to meditate to keep from gettin’ hurt, so that’s what I did. Now I just have’ta wait until it’s working right again.”
“How long is that gonna take?” Rainbow answered with a small shrug of her shoulders. “…Sid died when he started moving, didn’t he?” She swallowed heavily and lowered back down onto Rainbow’s chest, hugging tightly. “…We can’t do that melding again. It’s too dangerous.”
“Twi’…”
“No, Rainbow. We can’t. I can’t…” She bit her lip, squeezing her eyes shut. “I can’t lose you again.” The purple mare quaked in Rainbow’s hooves and the pegasus tightened her grip, frowning into the void. “It almost killed me last time.”
“But what if you need me there?”
“No!” she yelled, drawing a wince out of Rainbow Dash from the volume, “I’m not losing you forever just because I can’t take care of myself!”
“Hey, hey, c’mon,” she soothed, stroking Twilight’s mane, “I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
“What if the next time it breaks entirely? What if you’re just stuck meditating forever?” The pegasus’ mouth pressed into a thin line as her hoof ran through long, straight hair in a steady rhythm. “I just have to figure out how to deal with these things on my own.” She frowned in thought, her vice-like embrace slowly lessening. “…I had a few ideas about that; I can work on some of the easier spells with Rarity and I found some promising weapon magic for the others, but…Rainbow.” She sat up again, the frown still creasing her muzzle. “I know a lot of magic, but I don’t have the willpower to cast complicated spells under pressure consistently. Your strength of will when we were bonded was amazing…” Her brows drew tighter together. “Rainbow Dash…will you teach me how to meditate?”
The pegasus blinked. “Sure thing, I guess. Why?”
Twilight sighed as she slowly pulled herself off of the incredibly comfortable Rainbow Dash, letting her rugged and striking bed get to her hooves. “I saw lots of bits and pieces of your memories and how you felt about things. I’m almost positive your current willpower is new. I think it’s from your enlightenment.” She shuffled her hooves on the empty space serving as a floor. “I don’t expect to be able to get to your level, but if I could build up my strength of will even a little bit it could mean the difference in a fight.”
“That makes sense. Alright, Twi’.” She beckoned the unicorn over as she sat on her haunches and crossed her hind legs. “All ya gotta do, is do nothing.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and awkwardly folded herself to match. “Nothing, huh?”
“Yep. No moving, no worrying, no thinking about silly things, just do absolutely nothing.” Twilight huffed a breath of air and looked forward. After thirty seconds she understood why it was challenging. Her snout itched. She found that without even realizing it one of her hooves was nervously bouncing. Her ears had minds of their own, swiveling around as if following a bug. Her brain was wandering every which way, pulling apart math equations, recalling meals of days past, and puzzling over forgotten song lyrics.
“This is hard.”
“Yep. Took me twenty days of trying non-stop to make it. Took Sid forty-nine.”
Twilight swallowed thickly. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and focused on stilling her restless body and mind.
Pinkie Pie stuck her head through the tent flap, the orange rays of the setting sun dyeing her hair a rich crimson. “Ready to go?”
Twilight sighed, snapping the book shut and getting to her hooves. She shoved it into her saddlebag and eyed the roof of her tent. “…Think you could help me get the tent down and packed?”
Pinkie’s indulgent giggle did not brighten the unicorn’s mood. However, the pink mare’s bouncing grace made short work of the tent and sleeping bag and soon the five ponies were gathered together, strapped into saddlebags and sitting around the blackened remains of the campfire.
Applejack slid a hoof up and down Rarity’s back as the unicorn leaned into her shoulder. “So what’s for breakfast, Pinks?” The upbeat mare dug through her bag, tossing apples to each of her friends, her aim dead-center to their chests without even looking. The farm pony stared at the fruit in her hooves, a mist entering her eyes. “Pinkie…I could kiss ya.”
Rarity shoved against Applejack’s shoulder and spilled her marefriend into the sand, both of them giggling. Twilight took a bite of her meal. The sweet juice threatened to spill down her chin and she scrunched up her face, eyes creased and muzzle wrinkled as she slowly chewed. “Mmm…good thinking, Pinkie. Desert travel’s not gonna be kind to perishables. No telling when these sorts of things are gonna go bad.”
Pinkie froze mid-bite into her apple. Her blue eyes flicked over to her saddlebag, catching sight of the contents poking out; fresh fruits and veggies, cartons of eggs, bouquets of flowers, bottles of milk. Her jaw twitched and the taste of the apple hit her tongue. Grinning around the apple, she bit down the rest of the way and smacked her lips. “These are almost as good as the ones from Sweet Apple Acres.”
Fluttershy nodded. “Almost.” Pinkie threw them each a second apple and snapped her pack shut without another look.
Applejack buried the remains of the previous night’s fire and the five mares set off across the tracks, heading into the rolling dunes. The final rays of sunlight to their right faded as they rounded a hill and left the train wreck behind them. The cool night air fought with the heat radiating from the sand and kept them all comfortable; the journey an amiable canter that reminded Rarity more of a walk through the park than any sort of traumatic ‘wilderness survival’ experience. ’Applejack is so pessimistic. This isn’t bad at all,’ she thought, smirking to herself.
Every once in awhile Twilight halted the group and scrutinized the star map dazzlingly bright over their heads, adjusting their direction towards the coordinates of the nearest ruins. During the first hour of their trek, she struggled to hold a book in her hooves and read as they went. After the third slip that sent the tome skidding down a hill she opted to mutter darkly through the night instead.
Applejack smirked and shook her head, but injected soothing kindness into her tone. “Any luck at all, Twilight?”
The unicorn grumbled, shooting a venomous eye over her shoulder at her saddlebags. “Not really. Pegasus history books aren’t organized by geographical regions at all; they’re split into cultures. There was a lot of moving around and intermingling, so it’s considered the easier method,” she huffed, her voice dripping with disdain. “I’ve gone through three books so far, covering the major cultures.” She raised her head, a pep re-entering her words and steps. “There was something I found. Remember I mentioned enchanting weapons?”
“Oh yeah?” Applejack’s ears flicked with interest. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy perked up, hurrying their pace to the front of the group. Rarity huffed and grudgingly sped up.
“One of the books on battle magic I have talks about how to make a signature weapon.” Twilight’s trot changed into almost a skip, her eyes closed as she entered lecture-mode. “A signature weapon is made out of pure magic and it’s powered by the pony it’s made for. So say we made a bit handle for you, Applejack. I’d cast a spell connecting you to the handle and when you held it in your mouth it would manifest a blade of energy.” She cast a glance at Fluttershy. “It could work with all sorts of weapons, but the book suggested mouth-swords for earth ponies and wing-blades for pegasi.”
Pinkie quirked an eyebrow. “What’s a wing-blade?”
The unicorn opened her mouth to answer, but Fluttershy spoke over her, her quiet voice matter-of-fact. “A wing-blade is a short, light sword that’s attached to the end of a pegasus’ wing.” Twilight blinked at her. “What?” she asked, a small smile on her lips, “I paid attention in history class as a filly.”
Applejack cleared her throat. “Well, that sounds like a mighty fine solution. Can’t imagine somethin’ made outta magic’s gonna melt.” She frowned. “I reckon it might be dangerous to get up close an’ personal enough to use somethin’ like that, though.”
Twilight’s smile widened. “That’s the other thing I found. Remember that stoneshaping spell? That was from a book on archeological magic and it occurred to me that sometimes ponies might need to go inside places like active volcanoes.” A flash passed over her eyes as she gave a toothy grin. “I found a spell that protects a pony from extreme heat!”
A murmur of excitement rippled through the four, growing decidedly more hollow at the back of the group. Twilight halted to check the stars, saying, “It’s not perfect; it doesn’t last very long and the more heat the spell absorbs the faster it fades. And it doesn’t keep hot things from causing damage. The example it gave in the book was a pony could stick their hoof into a fire and not get hurt, but if they submerged it in liquid rock, the magma wouldn’t burn them but it would still stick to their body.” Her voice dropped and grew dark. “The spell would fail eventually and then you’d have molten lava on your leg…And, uh, I think everypony remembers what happened when Rainbow Dash touched that thing’s body.” A collective shudder ran through the group.
Their path adjusted, silence fell over the group as they headed through the cooling landscape. The wavy dunes began to grow smaller and further apart. Applejack dropped her speed, drifting to the back of the group. “How ya holdin’ up, Rarity?”
“Hm? Oh, I’m alright, dear.” The unicorn’s smile was strained. “A bit more walking than I’m used to, but hardly the worse for wear. I should be fine, don’t you worry.”
The farm pony smiled warmly. “I’m glad to hear it, Darlin’. And’ don’t forget; we’re not in a big ol’ hurry and have to sprint there. If you need a break, just say so.”
Smiling indulgently, Rarity said, “I think I’ll manage.”
Pinkie broke the general quiet hanging over the group. “So how hard are these magic weapon thingies gonna be to make, Twilight?”
“Hmn?” The unicorn blinked, drawn away from her wandering thoughts. “Well, the hardest part is going to be making the focus object, after that it’s a pretty simple spell that I’ll be able to cast once my magic’s normal again. Mouth-blades should be easy; the book said anything that could be comfortably held in a pony’s teeth would work. Wing-blades might be a challenge, though. I bet Rarity could make something if she had the materials.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “That’s okay, Twilight, I don’t think you should bother with those.”
Raising an eyebrow, Twilight asked, “Why not?”
Fluttershy frowned. “Wing-blades aren’t exactly easy to use.” She bit her lip, her cerulean eyes growing distant. “When I was in school my class went to see a battle reenactment with choreographed wing-blade fights.” Her frown turned into a smile. “It looked like they were dancing in the air. I don’t think I really connected it to fighting at the time; it looked so graceful and pretty. After that I read everything I could about wing-blades.” Her eyes swam back into focus as she gently shook her head. “They’re mostly used for defense and it takes special training just to learn how to use them for that. Most of the deaths of soldiers using wing-blades were from making mistakes and losing control in the air. And learning to use them for offense takes years.”
Twilight nodded slowly, a deepening frown on her muzzle. “I guess making a weapon and using a weapon are pretty different. No point in making something that nopony can actually use…I hope I brought along enough books so that you girls can learn how to actually fight with a mouth-sword.”
The moon drifted directly overhead as they crested a small hill. Applejack turned to Rarity. “Looks like it might be lunch time. Ready to stop for a spell?”
The unicorn smirked. “Oh, I’m doing just fine; no need to stop for my sake. Why, are you getting tired, dear?”
Applejack chuckled. “Hungry’s more like it. Just pace yourself, Rares. You don’t have anythin’ to prove to nopony out here.”
“Believe me, Applejack, when I need to stop I will let you know.”
“I’m cold,” Rarity whined, pouting out a lip, “And my hooves hurt!”
Twilight’s eye twitched. “Grab a jacket then. It’s getting close to sunrise; we’ll camp soon.”
Rarity’s moans provided an unpleasant backdrop to the remainder of the night’s journey. The five mares had made good time across the sweeping sand, leaving the wrecked train far behind them. Twilight’s careful attention to the star map above kept them pointed in the right direction and the wind died down with the reduction of dune size. Twilight would have been enjoying herself without Rarity’s constant complaints over the last three hours.
“Alright,” Twilight sighed, “This spot looks level. Let’s stop here.” A sigh of relief echoed through the others as they plopped down into the sand. Pinkie Pie busied herself prepping a campfire, her energy levels barely tapped by the long journey. Twilight winced watching her and turned her attention to the waiting book in her saddlebags.
Applejack scooched over next to her marefriend with an exasperated smirk on her lips. “Didja survive, Sugar?”
The unicorn sighed and leaned into Applejack’s shoulder, slinging a foreleg around the orange mare’s middle. “Mmm, you’re warm.” Applejack hugged Rarity, rubbing her back in slow circles. “Ooh, my hooves are killing me. It didn’t seem this bad going through the mountains.”
“Sand ain’t the most comfortable thing to hoof through.”
“I’ve been a pain, haven’t I?”
“No.” Applejack bit her lip. “Well, maybe a little. You’ll get used to the sand eventually.”
“I hope not. It’s dry and itchy and I can feel it in my mane.” She cast a baleful glare at the ground. “It’s too hot during the day and too cold at night, there’s nothing pretty here, and the only thing to do is walk.” She kicked a small plume of grit with a foreleg. Applejack frowned and opened her mouth, but Rarity cut her off. “But it’s not really about me and my personal comfort. This is about Rainbow Dash. Twilight, too. More than that, it’s about Equestria…” her voice drifted low and somber. “It’s about that little colt with the stuffed dragon.” Her grip around the farm pony’s middle tightened and she dug her head into Applejack’s shoulder. “So don’t worry about me, dear. This is too important for my fussing to get in the way.”
Applejack blinked rapidly. Suddenly the presence of the mare lying against her felt much warmer and more vital. She wanted to say something, to bring her feelings into focus, but words failed her again. She turned herself to face Rarity and hugged her, strongly and silently.
Pinkie was digging through her saddlebags, throwing merry shadows from the crackling fire, when Twilight gasped. The four turned to find her standing over a book, legs planted widely apart, with a radiant grin on her face.
“I found it!” Twilight cried, “I found Fames!”
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- bats · 29k words · 702 25 · 12k views
- bats · 10k words · 688 34 · 9.1k views
- The Wizard of Words · 14k words · 751 18 · 15k views
- ThePwnzorMuffin · 28k words · 464 24 · 5.4k views
- Tavi n Scratch · 5.5k words · 451 15 · 8.1k views
- bats · 6.9k words · 567 20 · 7.8k views
- The Wizard of Words · 25k words · 256 10 · 4.7k views
- The Wizard of Words · 9k words · 614 17 · 11k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.201 seconds
Total duration
946 users online
319,519 hits today, 2,591,549 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Yay you're back!
Yayyyy new chapter is up!
Oh man, things are getting good! As always, your TwiDash scenes just ooze fuzzy feelings into my chest
I like the new section dividers too! Still one of my favorite stories here!
Keep it up!(But don't burn out!
)
UPDATES ON BOOKS THAT HAVEN'T UPDATED IN A WHILE HAPPEN TODAY FOR ME THANK YOU LORD!
sorry to be a grammer nazi but it's breath of flames not fames good chapter though
It's... ALIVE! Wonderful! I like the "Motherly Tia" bit. Usually sneaks up on me.
Energy swords? Sounds a bit familiar...
Twi...Dash...Best...Ship...Ever...
And about the delay, I'm happy as long as you haven't quit. That would be horrible. Now to wait...
Is it 3/28 yet? Darn...
The cute little romance scenes are adorable!
2262351
It's actually supposed to be Fames, which is a name. Fames, if you're curious is pronounced Fam (as in the start of family) Ess.
I just relised I wasn't tracking this that has been corrected
IT LIVES.
You know what the wierdest things about scars is, they don't feel different. You'd expect the skin to tighten or something, but it doesn't and that's the creepy part.
Amazing chapter by the way hope that things can get up and running at normal soon.
Hell yes! Coming Back came back.
i think you meant ethereal also great chapter totally worth the wait
2262735
I did mean ephemeral actually, but both adjectives would be appropriate descriptions of Princess Celestia's mane.
2262735
e·phem·er·al
adjective /əˈfem(ə)rəl/
Lasting for a very short time
Finish bio-chem test, check favorites, notice Coming Back has updated.
mylittlefacewhen.com/f/8309/
Commence read, finish read.
Day has been made.
When I think of ponies who would have serious trouble doing nothing at all, usually I think of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. It occurs to me, however, that Twilight might find it harder than either of them. That's the price of genius, after all--the mind is always working, always considering and plotting and planning. Telling Twilight to turn her mind off is like telling her to stop breathing, really.
Also, RD has supreme strength of will regardless of your fancy-shmancy enlightenment.
Wow every chapter you do is worth the wait. I am glad to hear that you didn't burn yourself out. On of my favorite stories (right as it was getting really good) was put on Hiatus untill further notice because the Author felt he wasn't getting any enjoyment out of it anymore. I wish he had done what you did and just taken a break or release them whenever he could instead of ever few days or so. Anyways I am loving how this story is progressing so far and I look forward to the next chapter.
]
[Hey that is the same week Double Rainboom comes out.
So, Pinkie; how's the food situation looking in the long run?
... Added emphasis on the "long" aspect. Eggs and apples just don't cut it.
2263159
Most assuredly so for physical stuff, which requires a certain type of mental fortitude, but for the sake of argument magical strength of will requires a centered mind that Rainbow Dash was very much lacking.
And I can empathize with Twilight's predicament. My brain is a very noisy place.
TwiDash scenes are full of D'AWWWW!
Loved the plot developments going on. Keep it moving forward!
Wake up at 6:00am GMT
...'Something good has happened' feeling.
Go online
Check dashboard
IT LIVES!!!!!!
YOU, SIR, HAVE STARTED MY DAY IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE!
btw, here in England, you have updated on a Thursday :P
Reading along, becoming more and more crestfallen as I'm sure Rainbow Dash has turned into a simpering mare like EVERY RAINBOW DASH IN A SHIP DOES, EVER, when I hit this part.
Oh, well now I just feel stupid for my disturbing lack of faith. Carry on with the excellent tale, Mr. Bats. Can't wait for your next update.
Well written as always and worth the wait
For the sake of tradition though, I noticed that it updated yesterday but waited until now (Thursday morning) to read it.
Oh I'm glad you removed the tragedy tag
I was getting worried that their quest was going to fail, and Rainbow Dash was going to stay dead.
As you said, a classic tragedy.
Great chapter, by the way.
The TwiDash is so wonderfully rewarding after making us wait for it.
Keep up the amazing work!
2265280 hey
how ya doin?
2266059
We meet again my friend.
And not too shabby. Sudden random snowstorm appears up here in Calgary after a day of spring weather.
2266236 same happened in Leeds
DISSCCOORRRDDD!!!
2266275 HE'S HOWLING AT THE MOON! AND SLEEPING IN THE MIDDLE OF A SUMMER AFTERNOON!
DISCORD, WE WON'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! SO TAKE YOUR TYRANNY AWAAAAAAY
Oh and this: sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/528345_10151448339829720_1368589979_n.jpg
2266291 take that filth away from me!!
2266361 Oh sorry I didn't mean to offend. Here, let me make it up to you:
lh5.googleusercontent.com/-XcwqmW9qgk4/UBntHbAekYI/AAAAAAAAG-M/W867QlIlUTI/headbob.gif
th02.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2013/068/c/5/cozy_6_by_chevrolet_evilimpala-d5xg06k.jpg
24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5ha08gHPK1r1eovro1_500.jpg
2266376 ahh much batter
2265525
I make no promises that things will end happy, just that it won't be a Greek tragedy. The dark tag is not now nor will it be treated lightly going forward.
I also make no promises that it's gonna end badly, either. I didn't switch the tragedy tag out for a sad one.
2266578
2262492
Fam-ess? I kept pronouncing it as flames without the "l" in my head.
2268508
Yup, Fam-ess. I vaguely hinted at the pronunciation in-story when Rainbow Dash mispronounced it as 'Famish,' but I probably should have clarified pronunciation in an author's note. Ah well.
Aaaand, we're back! The Twidash snuggle-fest was adorable, and I'm liking the whole energy blade thing going on. It reminds me a bit of the Immortal Game (which is a good thing). And Rainbow needs wingblades, stat! Seriously, if Rainbow gets them when she returns to the land of the living her and Twilight would be unstoppable. And I can't tell if the "merging together again could potentially be deadly" (like deader than dead this time for Rainbow) discussion was foreshadowing or an explanation of why they can't just do it all the time. Maybe both? It makes sense - if they could just Avatar State all the time it would lose meaning, but it'll add extra drama if they're in a jam and have to use it again in the future...hmmm, I'mma keep my eye on that. Anywho, another wonderful chapter - the extra wait will just build up anticipation, so no worries there - until next time!
OMG FINALLY A NEW CHAPTER! my day has been made 2000% better
"So say we made a bit handle for you, Applejack. I’d cast a spell connecting you to the handle and when you held it in your mouth it would manifest a blade of energy.”
Ponies. With. Lightsabers!?
You have held my curiosity up to this point. You now have my attention, fav, like, follow, and my eagerly looking forward to the next chapter 
So a bit of speculation: The Mane 6 are going to get the Elements of Strife + Rainbow Dash out of the land of the dead and use them to defeat the invading bulls. Using the Elements of Strife, however, will enable Discord to escape his prison and take over because the Elements of Harmony are dead. When all seems lost, the Mane 6 will somehow be able to fuse the essences of the Elements of Harmony with the Elements of Strife, creating the Elements of, I don't know, Balance. Merging the elements will then give the 6 the power needed to defeat Discord. Also, my bet is on Applejack getting the Breath of Fames
WOOT! an update. This is by far my favorite story at the moment. Its good to see that its back up and running. Keep at it.
"My reaction to update"
i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/7130382592/h16031A3E/
DROP THE BASS!
Finally, I'm up to date on this. I faved it after the first few chapters, but never got around to reading the rest until now. Well, time to say what I think.
My biggest gripe is the shipping. Is it really necessary? There are other ways of adding emotional depth besides romance, you know! But no; everyone always goes for shipping. The way I see it, if shipping is not the main premise of the story, then it shouldn't be added. Otherwise, it's just a distraction. In addition, shipping, by definition, requires OOC behavior. As everyone knows, OOC is bad. I also have a problem with the pairs you chose. TwiDash is overused and RariJack is very hard to pull off believably. Finally, to top it all off, the romance is unbearably cheesy! Look at that last TwiDash scene— even the characters themselves noticed how bad the romance is!
Still, those lines in the last chapter... "when I need to stop, I'll let you know," plus the next line... that's spot-on classic Rarity right there. The shipping may not be in-character, but that moment most definitely was.
I know there's no way I'm going to convince you to part with the romance. People like you who write this sort of thing are always dead-set on adding their favorite pairings no matter how inadvisable it is. So I guess I'll just have to skim past the romance. That's going to get annoying, but I'm not going to let bad romance ruin an otherwise good story like this.
EDIT: Yeesh, people; don't get so uptight. I always overstate my opions like this. I'm overly harsh because trying to put things delicately makes authors react like the rest of you are doing. Remember: when I post, it's never as bad as I make it out to be.
2294964
Dude, I cannot even begin to tell you how wrong you are. Romance adds an equalizer to a story—love is something that everyone strives for and wants. Whether we are actively looking for it or not, love finds a way into our hearts all the time. Deep, passionate feelings add a sense of depth, immersion and sympathy for characters who often times otherwise seem placid and cardboard.
Saying that shipping is out of character is like saying that you've never found yourself crushing on, or in love with someone. It is perfectly normal for someone to develop feelings for another person in extreme circumstances or by simply being a close friend. Are you, kind sir or ma'am, our of character if you love someone?
Frankly, if you have a problem with injected romance side-stories, then you have a problem with 90% of all media and story-based entertainment, because, as stated above, romance is the one thing that everyone can relate to and hope for. I haven't even read this fic yet, but I know this much: you don't know a whole lot about story-crafting, plots, character arcs or emotional depth if you consider romance in Action/Adventure fiction (regardless of whether it's fan-based or not) a distraction or detriment to the story.
2294964
I'm in a "low road" kinda mood, so let's walk down that one.
OMG bats, dis guy is soooo rite. As youre editer i demand you completely reright this story to take out major character development because them being in a relationship is sooo OOC. Also don't forget to make Autumn happen two weeks after winter. Annd EHRMERGERD twidash is TOTALLY overused, I'm pretty sure there is no positive reasoning to the reason of it working whatsoever. Also Rainbow's name is not Tiffany
FUCK YOU Flutteradrian 4 life AO.ORK?
25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxzfv2KAlG1r8058ko1_500.gif
2294964
You already got a couple of folks jumping down your throat. I'm not gonna really add to that, just state my piece.
I understand romance fiction isn't for everyone. It is what drew me in to writing for the fandom, so it's a big part of the stories I write. I'm not gonna say I'll never write something that's romance-free, because I don't know that that's true. Romance doesn't fit with every genre, and I'm not gonna pigeonhole myself if I have an idea strike that's not gonna fit romance. But, epic adventure stories are very closely tied to the romance genre, so I do not feel it's out of place in Coming Back.
I must take umbrage with your assertion that romance stories using MLP characters is out of character. This is a misnomer invented to decry all romance fanfiction. It's not out of character, it's breaking canon. Which all fanfiction does. The only way to write fanfiction that doesn't break canon is to rewrite episodes in prose format. As soon as a writer puts a line of dialogue in a character's mouth that's never been said in the show, they've broken canon. A Twidash, or a Soarindash, or a Rarijack, or a whatever romance is breaking canon, simply because those couples aren't present in the content of the actual show. If the sexuality of the main cast was defined as heterosexual, you could maybe make the argument that homosexual pairings are OOC, but those sides of the characters are undefined and thus open to fandom interpretation. Like everything covered in fanfiction. And even if you made that argument, Coming Back is tagged Alternate Universe.
I appreciate that romance fanfiction isn't your cup of tea and I am humbled that you find the overall storyline compelling enough to overlook your dislike of its inclusion. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story despite the romance, which will continue to play a major role, not only in the narrative structure but also the plot.
Cheers!
2295449 Yeah, I didn't notice the AU tag until after I posted that, so the most of the OOC comments are kinda pointless. Just be aware that in a way, we are both right about OOC shipping. Because it breaks canon, there is a thin line. It may not necessarily be OOC, but it's very easy to make it that way if you aren't careful. So be careful.
And no matter what anyone says, your style of romance is cheesy. Just sayin'. Like I said, that's my main issue with it. Some people like cheesy. If they didn't, the Twilight saga wouldn't have been successful. Oh crap, I shouldn't have said that.
No actual comparison with that series is intended, of course. 
And I appreciate you being much more considerate than your readers. For some reason, harsh comments like the one I made lead to more positive replies from the authors. That's whose opinion matters to me- not my fellow readers'.
2296062
Epic adventures call for at least slightly cheesy romance. It's in the DNA of the type of story (at least so far as adventures that contain romance; they certainly don't have to). Emotions and actions are all big. Most of my other romance writing falls more on the slice of life end of the scale. Characters realize feelings and then talk them out and when they do they start dating. You know, like people do. Different type of story, different type of romance. And all things considered, the Twidash romance here is one that's just had a major revelatory moment and both are separated by a rather impenetrable barrier. The moment of them commenting on how they were acting is specifically there as a bridge to the rest of the story. It's the "OMG, WE'RE IN LOVE." "I KNOW, NOW LET'S STOP TALKING ABOUT IT; WE'VE GOT IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO." moment. As much as it might please me and some of my readers to spend the rest of the ~160k words having them snuggle each other, it does not serve the story to do so. They're practical ponies, they've got shit to do, and they're gonna do it. But to have something so major and emotional happen to them and then brush it off and go back to the action doesn't serve the story, either. The story's tagged romance and I'm gonna give the romance its time in the narrative.
And I continue to disagree with you on your definition of out of character. As far as things that have happened here in this story, the fact that a few of the characters have romantic interest in each other is one of the least 'out of character' things going on by your definition. Rainbow Dash died. Twilight ripped the head off of a magical monster. Fluttershy killed an animal with her own hooves. Thirty ponies died in a train crash. These things are completely and totally breaking canon from the show. These events would NEVER happen in an episode. Romance HAS happened in the show.
The reason these things aren't considered out of character is because 1) I gave readers a reason to consider them actions a given character would take. 2) The story is tagged 'dark' and 'adventure.' 3) The story is rated 'teen.'
I've bent, broken, and mangled the canon idea of how stories go in the story's universe. Calling any of it out of character is being disingenuous to the idea of fanfiction. Stories designed and written to feel like they could just be other episodes of the show are wonderful, but it's only a sliver of what can be done in the medium. From dark and feel-bad violence, to romance, to action-adventures, to cross-overs, to tragedies, to human stories...all of that becomes 'out of character.' It's a departure from canon, but in a very real way it's all a departure from canon.
'Out of character' is when a character acts against the way any reasonable person should expect the character to act with no explanation. Having Fluttershy kick a puppy doesn't make sense and is out of character, unless the writer takes the time to explain why she would do that.
But we're going around in circles here. I like and write romance, you find it out of place. My story has romance, you're willing to stomach it for the rest. We understand each other and I in no way expect you to be interested in my other work. The fact that you took the time to read what I've written at all is humbling for me and I appreciate you taking the time to not only do so but comment as well. And with that I bid you good reading, here and on any other stories that catch your eye.
2294964
I'm sorry but that's the worst reasoning I've ever seen in my life. Also criticizing the presence of shipping is different from criticizing the way it is written. The latter is perfectly valid, but the former is an opinion that holds no value to anyone else but yourself. Distinguishing such is critical if you want to be taken seriously, otherwise you are just... complaining... And that's meaningless.
It doesn't matter how you say it. If you exaggerate... it's... "harshness" ... for attention, you are just being insufferable.
Not that I am lauding this fic and it's execution as flawless by any means (and the author will probably be the first to confess that it isn't), but your whine is a whine and does nothing for anyone.
2296343
The very minute I write something flawless will be the minute monkeys fly screaming from my ass.
2296348
Then go forth and write until monkeys do spew forth from thine glorious ass in the thousands.
oh god what did I just type
2296371 Something glorious!