The Moon Also Rises

by Nicroburst

Nine

Our enemy is not unknown to us, though his methods came as a surprise. My sister and I spent years preparing, honing our talents, raising armies and searching out the few clues that remained. Years, wasted in useless pursuits. But we couldn’t have known how he would come.

Nine

SIGHT HAD ALWAYS SEEMED PERHAPS THE MOST USEFUL OF HER ABILITIES To See, to direct oneself through time, observe ones past and future at a whim. Powered by the counterparts fear and hope, it kept a balanced emotional state, though its use was limited by the depth of ones feeling.

It could tell Luna of her escape, were her Sight not obscured. She’d tried several times, beginning in the past. She Saw herself free at last from her exile, accustoming to life in modern Equestria. Saw herself taking more interest in the personal lives of her subjects, going out of her way to help them through their trials. Saw herself trekking here, to her prison, an extension of the public service she took on in repentance. But she could not See herself breaking free, her vision clouded by by the darkness still surrounding her. Sight was not omniscience.

It was ironic, how she seemed to attract imprisonment. But whereas before, Luna spent a thousand years wallowing in her hatred, waiting to break free, here she retained her mind. She could think, could reflect.

She’d spent a great deal of time alone, on her return. She’d thought it strange, that after so long by herself, she wouldn’t run to others, embrace their company as a prisoner does when released from the drab colours of solitude into a field of green grass. But she wasn’t ready for them, she couldn’t deal with the noise all around her. Silence afforded her the time to change, to acknowledge her failings and grow from them.

She could do the same here. Perspective could change her imprisonment into an opportunity. A subtle shift, but it made the darkness a little bit more bright. Her sister would approve.

Luna had always struggled with control. Anger and hatred would break her free from here. Of that, she had no doubt—there was precious little that could stop an alicorn infused with the will to burn the world. Yet she feared the potential for corruption inherent in that magic. She searched for another way, a path that held no risk, though she did not think to find it.

She had to be careful. The more she tried to See, the more she burned away her will, used up the fear and hope that drove her. It made her apathetic, for a while, until she remembered, recovered. She knew, better than anypony, what an abuse of Coromancy could do.

She could manipulate herself, with it. She could burn away her fear, leaving only hope, to burn all the brighter in its opposite’s absence. She’d be able to embrace her heritage, reclaim her power. But she had already seen what that would do to her, how it would remove, slowly, her ability to control herself, corrupt her actions until she was a slave to her base emotions.

That was the duality inherent in power. All she had to do was reach out, embrace it, and she could reach heights unheard of. Enough to destroy this creature, and his trap, enough to bring life back into the Wastes, and unite the land under the Equestrian banner, enough to halt the sun itself, and bring night eternal to the world. All that, and all she had to do was subjugate herself to it. It was not her power, nor her ruling.

What choice did she have? There was no particular rush to return to Equestria, no pressing matters she had to see to. Her sister had managed for a thousand years without her; she could manage for as long as it took to escape. But waiting would not change the task that lay before her. As difficult as it would be to face her fears, to torch her way out and then reject the fire as it burned in her veins, there was no point delaying the inevitable.

Luna hesitated. She could feel the anger, just under the surface. It seared her, a resentment to rival the sun. She’d only been able to control herself by pushing it away, holding it from her conscious mind to torture her in her sleep. Would she really be able to set it aside, once she gave into it? If she couldn’t she’d return to the Nightmare, as if the Elements had done nothing at all.

Luna remembered that touch like it had happened yesterday. It hadn’t been gentle, but it had felt good, in a way, like a coarse scrub cleaning dirt out of her coat. It had stripped her of feeling, of magic, left her mind with only reason and logic. She’d seen her folly almost immediately. It was almost unbelievable, that she could have been so blinded by emotion as to attempt what she had.

Could she try the same thing? Use up all the anger she had in her in one, explosive blast? Luna had no way of knowing how much of an impact that would have on the surrounding area, though it would protect her, for now.

Coromancy was not an emotional outlet. Releasing her anger was a temporary solution; it would return, stronger for her use of it, her acknowledgement. She needed to deal with it permanently; if nothing else, this trip had made her realise just how crippled she had allowed herself to become.

Suppressing her emotions was no better than giving in to them completely. Either way, they controlled her, defined her actions and choices. She could see that from in here, away from her life. But what else could she do? She was no mortal, with a life too short to hold a grudge. An immortal operated on a different level.

Celestia had never seemed to have a problem. Perhaps she could ask her, go to her sister for help. Perhaps she should have done that a long time ago. Looking back, Luna could see the pride that had stopped her, though she could not see its source.

Nonetheless, that was for the future. The present demanded her attention, left her with no choice but to act, to choose. It was no choice, not really. She would not spend a second longer imprisoned than she had to.

Satisfied, Luna rose to her hooves. She closed her eyes; she did not need to see for this. Reaching inwards, she touched the surface of her rage. It was like a pool inside her, a liquid fire, fuel to her magic and senses. It burned her, seared its way through her flesh and bone as she brought it to the surface. Coursing with energy, and enveloped in fury, she turned her power outwards against the cage that held her.

She heard a deafening roar, a storm of noise that surrounded her. The wind rose against it, adding a high-pitched scream to the cacophony. But Luna’s fire was not the heated orange or red of a natural blaze, not the radiant white light of her sister’s sun. It rose as a hurricane; a brilliant, solid argent, glowing silver in the darkness.

Luna reached out, touching the threads of Chaotic magic. They solidified under her, were brought to form by her will. Grasping them, she gave herself to its fire, turned her flaring might against them, struggling to break them apart.

The darkness flickered around her, pushing back. It moved with the wind, a swaying, twirling dance that struck at her with furious force in a mindless reflex to destroy her rather than be destroyed, galing around to match the blazing bonfire. Argent light flashed and detonated, filling her ears with its thunder.

And then, with an earth-shattering crack, the dome of nothing exploded outwards, splintering above her head into fragments of shining silver light that fell to the ground around her.

The light of Luna’s fires showed her mere emptiness, a vast space filled only with water. And still the Wind roared, surged forward against her, pillaring up against her strained will, a pinnacle tall enough to pierce the heavens, a roaring, raging fury that torrented upwards, brushing past the thick stone at speeds no mountain could resist.

The bowels of the Earth were flung away in a rain of granite chunks, exposing the pit to the air for the first time in an Age. It surged inward, joined the wind in its furious, mindless reflex to destroy her rather than be destroyed. It galed, struck, twirled and detonated against the argent pillar, a matching tempest that rose against her. Dark lightning danced in an empty sky.

Luna paused. But just as the rage in her chest began to fade, the argent storm above her flickering, falling, she felt a presence below the horizon. With a savage cry, inaudible and exultant, she reached to it, caressed it. The Moon’s power filled her, replaced her anger with hope, and she surged forward, stepping into the pool before her.

Argent light flashed upwards, cutting through the darkness. And in twilight’s fading sunlight, Luna looked upwards with glory written on her face, rapture in her eyes, and glee across her lips. The black-white tempest split the sky asunder.

But the white dominated and prevailed.

***

Trixie shut the door behind her, pressing the charred wood firmly into the frame, causing tiny pieces of ash to fall to the ground. Looking out onto Canterlot at noon, she paused to take a breath, and then started down the street.

With everything in place for tomorrow, Trixie found herself with some free time, and not a whole lot to do. Boundless required nothing from her, and they had plenty of money set aside for any eventuality. Boundless had actually done a fairly good job of squirreling away small amounts here and there in every city they’d gone too. No matter where they went, they’d have some cash at hand.

Instead, Trixie went to find Twilight. They hadn’t parted on the best of terms, and she hoped she could repair the sudden rift that Twilight’s knowledge of her lifestyle had created. There was still so much she could learn from the unicorn, so much that Trixie had been forced to give up, surviving on the streets.

If nothing else, Twilight could grant her access to the Archives. Whereas before, Trixie had been forced to sneak about, restricted to the night for her study, having the Arch-Magus Twilight Sparkle vouch for her would allow her the freedom to more fully explore all that the Archives had to offer. Perhaps that would soak up some time.

Trixie also hoped that Twilight could shed some more light on her condition. The progress she’d made in just one session had astounded Trixie – it was more information than she’d been able to accumulate in four years of searching. Even if it was just guesswork, Twilight brought a familiarity and comprehensive understanding of magic to the table that Trixie couldn’t find elsewhere.

Where would Twilight be, at this time of day? Shining Armour was still in Canterlot – though he was leaving on the morrow.
Perhaps she was with him. Trixie hoped not. She couldn’t afford to reveal her face to Shining, not yet.

She should start back at Twilight’s Canterlot branch. What was it called? Trixie hadn’t paid much attention to the plaque the last time she’d been there, beyond confirming that it was indeed Twilight’s place. The . . . Agency? It sounded rather melodramatic, even to Trixie’s admittedly desensitised ears.

Still, she remembered where it was, just on the border between the richer, noble parts of town and the slightly poorer parts, where the open markets and vendors hawked their wares on the streets. Trixie supposed its position had something to do with catering to both crowds. That sounded like something Twilight would take into consideration.

The hideout was well within those poorer streets, even heading toward what would be slums in any other city. Canterlot slums still managed to be a step above parts of other cities, though. Even its undesirables could be snobs.

So Trixie headed towards the castle in the distance. That was always a good way of navigating the city, arranged as rings around the Princess’s. The closer you got, the more expensive everything got, in money and blood.

It wasn’t long before she could see the change. As she climbed the hill, the street grew steadily wider. Gutters lost the considerable volume of trash, litter left out in the street to be collected. Potholes were filled in, and chipped parts of paving repaired, whereas down below that would be left for probably years.

It wasn’t the rich parts, not quite, but it was a considerable step above where Trixie was living when she found the Agency’s quarters, nestled comfortably in between a coffee shop and a bookstore. Trixie had been in too much of a fluster after their last parting to really take in her surroundings, but now she smiled. The scene was perfect.

With an eager step, she climbed the steps and knocked, three times, on the solid wooden door. From within, she could hear movement; clearly somepony was in. Trixie turned her attention to the plaque on the door, mirroring the one in Ponyville.

Arch-Magus Twilight Sparkle’s Agency

A Consultation Service

Consultation service, huh. If only she’d come here sooner, years ago. Before she become a part of Boundless’s plans, before she’d even met him. Life would have been so much simpler, had only she trusted. If only she’d looked on that name in hope and without fear, not self-recrimination and doubt.

It had been a lapse in judgement, to be sure, but one that had required direct experience to disprove. There had been no way she could have known Twilight would have treated her so well. In her visions, Trixie had seen the mare, working with faceless mages, scientists, and doctors, dragging her before the Princess, in the hopes that one of them would know what ailed her. She’d seen herself, going to her and learning that what she’d done was a crime, beyond all imagining, that she’d taken from her friends their deaths, and that now she must pay with her own.

Those theories seemed wild to her now, but back then, they’d resonated in her. They’d whispered, why hurry to your doom? And, truth be told, there had never been any rush. Trixie was, for better or worse, content with her situation. Why tempt fate? She could always seek aid should her task prove impossible, but once she’d revealed herself, there would be no going back.

It’s okay. The words reverberated in her mind, though she could not tell who had spoken them. It’s been four years; gone, but not wasted.

The door swung open, revealing a cyan-blue pegasus sporting an irritated frown.

“Yeah? What do you want . . . do I know you?” Rainbow asked. The azure mare took a deep breath. “Hey, yeah, yeah I do! What are you doing here, Trixie?!” Rainbow exclaimed. Her surprise wasn’t enough to jolt her out of a deep yawn. Apparently, she’d been napping.

“I was looking for Twilight, actually. Is she here?”

“What do you want with Twi’, huh?”

“You’re . . . Rainbow Dash. Captain of the Wonderbolts.”

“Yeah, I am. Still think you can fly better?” Rainbow said, prodding Trixie on the chest with a hoof. She hadn’t moved from the doorway, blocking Trixie’s entrance.

“No,” Trixie said, smiling. “You’re with Twilight, aren’t you?”

“What’s it to you?”

“Oh, nothing, nothing,” Trixie said. “Is she in?”

“No. Why?”

“I just want to talk,” Trixie said.

“Talking, huh? What about?”

“I met with her in Ponyville yesterday. We have some unfinished business. Magic related.”

As expected, Rainbow made a face. Trixie could only imagine what living with an academic like her would be like, but she suspected that certain subjects – magic, in this case – would quickly grow tiresome.

“Gimme a sec,” Rainbow said, swinging the door shut behind her. It was pretty clear to Trixie that the pegasus still didn’t trust her. Not that she expected to be instantly forgiven by everypony she ran into from her past. Trixie was still somewhat surprised at Twilight’s reaction to her appearance.

But Rainbow hadn’t immediately thrown her out. That had to count for something, right? And if she could get Rainbow to give her another chance, maybe she could repair things. She’d like that.

Rainbow pulled the door open.

“Come in, Trixie,” she said, stepping back to allow Trixie inside. “Twilight’s upstairs.”

“In after all?”

“You can thank Twilight,” Rainbow groused. “She might think you’ve changed, but I’m not convinced. So you just watch it, okay.”

“Relax, Rainbow. I don’t have any amulets or artefacts this time,” Trixie said, stepping past her. “Besides, don’t you think Twilight could take me?”

“You have no idea,” Rainbow chuckled. “Tell her I’m heading out.”

Trixie nodded. She could see stairs at the end of the hall, but before she headed up, she snuck another glance into the side room. Nopony was in there, but she saw the same bath, the same equipment set up beside it.

“Hey! Don’t push it, Trixie,” Rainbow warned her. Trixie shot a backwards glance at the pegasus. “Up the stairs. Go on. Off you go.”

Trixie stuck her tongue out, but turned back and quickly climbed the stairs. She heard the door close behind her as she reached the top.

“Trixie! How have you been?” Twilight said, stepping out of a nearby room. Trixie spied a desk as Twilight shut the door behind her.

“Fine, fine. Actually, I hadn’t expected to find you here. I thought you lived down in Ponyville.”

“Oh, I do. I’m just staying in Canterlot while my brother’s in the city,” Twilight said. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Sure,” Trixie said, following Twilight past the office to a small kitchen. Looking around, it seemed to be all living quarters upstairs, though Trixie was still curious as to the equipment downstairs. Twilight turned back to her, gesturing to a seat and floating a glass of water over to the table. Trixie sat down, holding the glass in her hooves before her.

“Ah, thanks. Look, Twilight, I wanted to . . . apologise. For the stealing, I mean.”

Twilight smiled. “Well, that’s a start. But why apologise to me?”

“I suppose that doesn’t really make sense,” Trixie confessed.

“No, not really.”

“It’s just, you understand, don’t you? Why I had to do it?”

“No, I don’t,” Twilight said. “Not really.”

Trixie hung her head. It was not something she was proud of, but there had been an importance to those actions, beyond the consequences for those she stole from.

“I was . . . I was just trying to do something for myself, without relying on aid. I needed that, Twilight,” Trixie said, looking up at Twilight, searching for comprehension. “I needed to be capable. To be able to handle it.”

“You don’t fulfil that by committing crimes in every city in Equestria,” Twilight said, softly. “Trixie . . .”

“Forget it,” Trixie said. That hadn’t gone how she’d hoped. “Let’s just . . . have you had any more thoughts about my condition?”

Twilight frowned, pausing for just a second. “Actually, yes. Come here, I want to try something.”

I’m not sure I like this, Trixie, Brash said.

You never were particularly comfortable with magic, Brash, Trixie replied. But come. You know why we have to trust her.

There were no more protests, the reminder silencing his misgivings.

I wonder what she’s up to. Cumulus, on the other hand, was eager. He was, after all, a student of magic himself.

“I was thinking about the link between you and your friends,” Twilight began, stepping closer to Trixie. “I believe it to be founded on emotions – your reaction to the extreme situation caused a magical burst that bound you together. When they . . . expired, their souls, if you will, were caught in you.” Twilight lit her horn, grasping Trixie’s head in her hooves and closing her eyes.

“I’m going to observe, nothing more,” Twilight said. “I want to know if their magic carried over as well.

No, Brash said flatly. Absolutely not.

“I need you to focus, Trixie. Draw their attention, grasp them as completely as you can, and try to cast a spell with their energy. Nothing major, just light your horn.”

“Uhh, Twilight.” Trixie said. “I’d really rather not.”

“What?” Twilight said, opening her eyes. “What’s the matter? It should be relatively easy.”

“Oh, it is. We’ve, ah, we’ve done that before. It’s not . . . pleasant for them.”

“Really? So they do retain their magic.”

“Yes,” Trixie confirmed.

“Interesting. I’ll have to think about this, but, Trixie, if casting is uncomfortable for them, it sounds like they’re tied to your life-force.”

“You’ve lost me,” Trixie said. She understood what Twilight was saying, to an extent. Life-force was a term given to the seed of magic that ran through everypony, no matter their race. Losing your life-force resulted in death – uncommon, but sometimes, a unicorn would extend themselves slightly too far. Other races had died too, but it was more commonly a problem for magic-users.

But she had no idea how anything could bind another to her life-force. Twilight made it sound like they’d conjoined their souls.

“That would mean . . . you know what. Let me work on it,” Twilight said, removing her hooves from Trixie’s head and stepping back.

“Oh, no. You owe me an explanation, Twilight,” Trixie said.

“Look, I’m sorry. This is a lot to take in at once. The implications alone . . . Later, I promise.”

“Fine,” Trixie said. She wasn’t accustomed to being so outclassed, but as much as Twilight’s attitude rankled, it provided some small comfort as well, that Twilight might actually be able to understand what happened. She was content to let Twilight work as she pleased, but it wouldn’t stop Trixie from learning what she could in the meantime. She had a lot of catching up to do.

“Setting that aside, then,” Trixie said, draining and levitating her glass over to the nearby sink. “Can you get me into the Archives?”

“I’d be happy to,” Twilight said, standing. “After that, though, I’m afraid I’m going to have to take my leave. I’m meeting with my brother.”

“Say no more,” Trixie said, as Twilight moved past her to head outside. At least books wouldn’t try to hide information from her, though Trixie wasn’t enthused about the idea of spending yet more hours poring over dusty old tomes when there was a living unicorn who had the answers she needed.

***

Twilight knocked gently on the wooden door, swinging it open after she heard a faint “Come in” echoing from inside to reveal her brother sitting tall behind a desk. There were several reports neatly arranged in front of him, ranked in order of importance, detailing situations on the border, the specifics of trade between the two nations and the more general relations between the two peoples.

“Twily!” Shining Armour said, rising from his chair as he saw her enter. “How are you?”

“Fine, Shiny,” Twilight said, returning his hug. “You look busy.”

“Nothing terribly important. We’ve caught wind of a smuggling operation across the border, running through Hornwall. With the taxes on Crystal goods rising, there’s a big market for this stuff.”

“Need any help?”

“No, I got this,” Shining Armour said. “Thanks anyway.”

"Well, maybe you can help me,” Twilight said, stepping over to the desk and taking a seat in front of it.

“Oh? What’s wrong?” Shining Armour asked, turning around to face his sister. Twilight was fiddling with her hooves, studiously looking away from him.

“I need to know everything you and Cadence have learned about the Crystal Heart,” she said quickly.

Shining Armour smiled. “I’ll set up a time for you to study it. I’ll wager you’ll know more than we do in half an hour.”

“No time,” Twilight said, turning to meet Shining Armour’s eyes and shaking her head. “How well protected is it?”

That caused him a slight pause. “How well protected are the Elements?”

“Good answer,” Twilight said, grinning. “The Elements are better protected than a dragon’s horde. After what Discord did with them, Celestia and Luna upgraded their protective enchantments. Canterlot Castle could be reduced to rubble and that tower wouldn’t even be singed.”

“Well, we might not have access to that much power, but believe me, Twilight, the Heart is safe. We don’t need to keep it accessible at a moment’s notice, after all.”

“True. But you do have to bring it out every year, for the Faire, right?”

“Yes,” Shining Armour confirmed. “But the entire Guard is on call during the Faire, not to mention myself and Cadance next to it pretty much the whole time.”

“It’s still the weakest point,” Twilight said, rubbing her chin with a hoof. “Unless somepony knew where it was kept . . .”

“Alright, Twilight, what’s this about?” Shining Armour asked. “What do you know?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Twilight said.

“If there’s been a threat, Twilight, I need to know about it.”

“I’ve . . . noted an expression of interest from some unsavoury ponies. I wouldn’t call it a threat, exactly.”

“So . . . ?”

“So I wanted to let you know, just in case. Do you mind if I take a look at your security?”

“It’s safe, Twilight. You can come have a look if you want, but trust me, there’s no need.”

Twilight sighed, holding her head in her hooves. “I know. I don’t mean to question your ability, Shiny. I can’t think of anypony I’d trust more to protect it. I’m just worried.”

“Okay, what’s happened, Twily?”

“It’s Trixie. This pony I know from years back. She’s turned up again, out of the blue, and she’s involved in some pretty shady stuff—criminal even. I’m trying to help her.”

“So you don’t want the law involved?”

“Not yet. I can handle it, Shiny,” Twilight said with a small frown. “I’ll keep you posted, though.”

“That’s my Twily,” Shining Armour said, ruffling her mane. “You’re always reaching out to help others. That’s why you’re special, you know?”

“Thanks, Shiny,” Twilight said, warmth suffusing her cheeks.

“Oh, please. Now then, how about we go get some dinner? It’s getting kind of late.”

“I’d like that.” Twilight stood. With Shining Armour following her, she headed out the door. The royal kitchens would be serving soon, judging from the position of the sun outside, and she happened to know that they’d be serving a delightful garden salad this evening. It did pay to have connections.

***

“Daerev?” Rainbow asked, lifting her sunglasses off her face and turning up to face him. “Pretty cool, I guess. What’s it mean?”

“Daerev Quitu,” Daerev said, eyes closed as if reciting, “The Young Eternal. Young, in recognition of his humble roots, and the vastness of life he has yet to experience. Eternal, in recognition of his heritage, of his dragon blood and fire.”

“Huh,” Rainbow said, dropping back onto the grass. “Finally outgrew Spike, did you?”

“Yeah,” Daerev said.

They were in the Ponyville park; ostensibly waiting for Twilight. She’d gone into Canterlot earlier, but when Daerev had gone to her house, intending to tell her about his new name, he’d found just a note, saying that she’d be back later today. When Rainbow had arrived, flying down after the day’s practice, they’d decided to wait outside, leaving a note of their own. It had been too long since they’d had the chance to do this, even if it was just the two of them.

“Well, I think it’s cool, Spi—Daerev. That’s going to take some getting used to, eh?”

“Mhmm,” Daerev said in agreement. But even though he’d only worn it for a day, he never thought of himself as Spike any more. It was if his mind had known about his change for some time. The shift had turned out to be easy, as natural as breathing. He simply shifted. “Say, Rainbow,” he started.

“What’s up?”

“What was it like? Losing your memory?” Daerev asked.

“I’ve already told you—told everypony, with Twilight. It was horrible.” Rainbow said. “Why do you ask? Is everything alright?”

“I think so. It’s just . . . this all feels so right. So natural for me. I mean, I just up and throw away my old self, take on a new name and a new self. I guess I’m just wondering how that felt, for you. Wasn’t that what you said, that you seemed to be an entirely new pony, similar, sure, but with differences?“ Daerev said.

“I’m not sure it’s the same thing. When I drank from that river, I lost everything. You still have Spike in there, don’t you? Memories, values, friendships?” Rainbow asked.

Daerev nodded. Spike was still a part of him, a core part of what made up Daerev.

“I didn’t have that. I was lost; suddenly and horribly blind. I didn’t know where I fit in. Even with everypony’s memories of me, I didn’t understand myself, couldn’t see what motivated me. It just all seemed so shallow without the experiences to give it meaning.

“It was like not knowing anything brought out me—Rainbow Dash—in a very real way. It wasn’t that I didn’t have anything to hide; it was that I didn’t have anything hiding me. The mask stripped away.”

Daerev smiled. “Deep,” he said.

“Don’t laugh,” Rainbow chided. “It was a traumatic period, but one that made me think. Memories inform us. I used to believe that I had to hide myself, to build an identity that was unassailable. It came before everything until, eventually, I had been pretending to be that pony for so long, I became that pony. Never for long, but now and then, for brief moments, I would forget.

“Rainbow Dash became more than a name. It was the face I showed everypony. It was me, but it wasn’t the whole me.”

“You’re saying that I’ve always been Daerev Quitu,” Daerev said, pondering Rainbow’s words. Part of him still couldn’t believe the speedster was giving him such a detailed lecture, but then, that was what prolonged exposure to Twilight could do to a pony.

“Somewhat, yes. And you’ll always be somewhat Spike. But don’t mistake a name for who you are.”

“I see—I think.”

Rainbow smiled. “When I recovered my memories from Lethe, I couldn’t believe how much of an idiot I’d been. The things I’d said or done, all to preserve this image I had of myself. I’d tried to mould myself into a Wonderbolt, tried to hide myself because I knew—I just knew—that the world wouldn’t accept me. I was wrong, of course.”

“You don’t seem to be all that different, honestly. Still with the flying, the ridiculous stunts and showing-off.”

“Maybe. That’s a part of who I am, but only a part. Before, it was everything.”

“So you don’t regret it. Despite everything; all the pain, the hardship and doubt?”

“Heck no. Best thing that ever happened to me,” Rainbow said. “Lethe made me. I wouldn’t have made the Wonderbolts without it, let alone Captain. They weren’t looking for somepony who’d made flying their life, it was too much. Somepony like that would burn out, and there goes all that work; training, promoting, organising, all gone. If you can believe it, I was too fast for them.

“We’d never have known Coromancy either. That hasn’t just been good to me; it’s been good to all of us. AJ’s farm is bigger and better than ever, Fluttershy’s got her nature preserve, Pinkie’s got the whole town dancing to her tune, and Twilight found her calling.

“I found out that I wasn’t as slow and shallow as I’d thought. I remember thinking that Rarity’s obsession with fashion was ludicrous. I mean, can you get any more stereotypical? I was so good at convincing myself that I missed the comparison. What, flying fast is somehow better than looking stylish? I’d much rather be me than persist like that. Ignorance might be bliss, but it’s still ignorance.

“And I found Twilight. If anything, that alone makes it worth it. I never would have even considered it, if we hadn’t been thrown together like that.”

“How did it happen?” Daerev asked. “I mean, the two of you just came out and that was it.”

“We were both in the river, together. And in there, there’s no hiding. No holding back. I know everything there is to know about Twilight, understand every decision and thought that she’d ever had, up to that point. Do you understand, Daerev? I knew her, I was her, and she was me.”

Author's Note:

Notes: Chapter Nine