> Fullmetal Pony
>  by Leoshi
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 0.1: A Moment of Stillness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





The glow of his horn quickly faded to darkness. The crack of hardening ice sounded and echoed, then fell to silence in short order. It was a perfect maneuver. After all, it wasn't as though he, or his team, were new to this sort of thing. They were masters of their craft, a fact that clearly hadn't been passed along to the poor soul who had come knocking.

As the echoes of cracking ice faded away, the unicorn stepped back and recovered his victim's fallen radio. He sparked his horn to minimum levels, just enough to give him light to see by. He carefully dismantled the radio, taking the extra step to destroy individual components as he spotted them. However, he left the cord that ran between the box and receiver. The wires inside were good materials.

After a moment, his work was finished. He stood up, worked out a crick in his neck, and gazed into the fearful eyes of his latest victim. The poor fool hadn't even had time to gasp. The unicorn wondered (not for the first time) how it must feel, to be frozen solid with a scream still clawing its way up his throat. An unfortunate side-effect of his method was that he could never ask his victims. Dead was dead.

"Well, that's one less we have to worry about," he mused, allowing his horn's light to fade. The hall was once again cast into darkness. For a moment, he debated what to do with the body before choosing to leave it where it stood. He made his way up the building, not bothering to hide the corpse. It wouldn't matter, anyway; as long as he and his team completed their tasks tonight, the dead pony in the hall would just be the first of many.

The next several flights of stairs were uneventful, except for the rare window that hadn't been boarded up. Unfiltered moonlight streamed in, but he made sure to duck beneath the sills to avoid being seen. With so much at stake and the goal so near, it wouldn't do to get careless now.

Minutes later, he arrived on the top floor. He slowly entered the nearby room, enduring the harsh creak of the neglected hinges. Both of his companions were waiting for him, standing just beyond the reach of the moonlight from yet another exposed window.

Winter Frost, the mare to his left, spoke first. "What was it?"

"Just another curious beat officer. I had to stalk him for a while to make sure he didn't inform his superiors."

Winter Frost heaved a relieved sigh. Stress visibly drained from her shoulders. "Good. I really don't want to deal with another prison cell this week."

To his right was Frigid Drift, who was far more impatient than worried. "So how about it, Whiteout? Can we keep going, or what?"

With a confident smile, Whiteout slowly nodded his head. "Yes. We shouldn't need to deal with any more delays. With our glyphs in place, we can finally accomplish what we've suffered so much to achieve."

"Spare me the speech, old man," Drift moaned, "or I'll add you to my list."

Whiteout didn't bother to reply. He had long-since grown accustomed to the pegasus' brashness. Instead, he waited a few seconds before clearing his throat and continuing. "The patrols are likely closer together, thanks to our scrape a few nights ago. Don't be stupid; watch for patterns and use any openings you can find. Coordinate with each other, and don't you dare lose any glyphs. If we're going to make this work, we need as many contact points as possible. You both have your radios?"

Drift nodded, lifting a wing to expose the lightweight variant that Frost had made. Frost, in turn, pulled out her own from her saddlebag, using the chance to also double-check its connections. She had always been a talented unicorn, though sometimes her desire to be careful got in the way of progress.

Whiteout nodded. "Good. I'll give both of you cover, then stay back and deal with whatever comes my way. You two use the mist to infiltrate the castle. Tell me the instant you're done, or if you run into trouble you can't handle."

For the first time, Frost showed the confidence that made her so dangerous. "What are they gonna do, blindly fire more nets at us? They'll have much bigger things to worry about pretty soon."

"Awh yeah," Drift agreed. He smiled wickedly. "That's what I like to hear."

Whiteout nodded again. "You each know what to do. Our mission begins soon, so get in position. And be smart about this."

Whiteout turned and exited the room to the persistent sound of rusty hinges. Darkness swallowed him once more, but he needed no light now - the last stairway was directly in front of him. He made his way up the final few steps and out the far door, emerging on the rooftop. Now fully exposed, he broke into a careful trot, keeping his head low and his horn dark. A moment later saw him near the edge of the building, where he could clearly see the streets below and the castle further away. Its own spotlights could almost put Luna's moon to shame.

He spared a moment to glare at the palace. This is it, he mused. Tonight, the nightmare will finally end. Maybe I can find some rest once this is behind me.

He looked down, spotting the hidden glyph he had carved into the stone of the roof earlier that night. He kept his eyes fixed on it as he pulled out his own radio and powered it on. The headset slid over his ear, and the mouthpiece wound beneath his snout at a comfortable distance. Winter Frost was an excellent engineer. "Test, test. Can both of you hear me?"

A soft crackle sounded in his ear. "I'm here," came the voice of Winter Frost. "Frigid is nearly done."

A second crackle soon followed her voice. "I read you, old man. We're in position."

Whiteout allowed himself a smile all his own. It would have been chilling to anypony who saw it. "Excellent. Prepare for some noise, and take off in ten seconds from...now."

Another pair of cracks sounded in his ear. Whiteout looked away from the glyph and down the side of the building. From a window just one floor down, he could barely see the edge of a hoof, its owner poised and ready to push out into the night sky. Doubtless, his other partner was crouching low, psyching herself up for being carried. He was immensely proud of them both.

Eight seconds left. He pulled back and looked at the glyph once more, setting his hoof across its face. His horn sparked to life. A similar glyph, a circle carved into his fetlock, reacted to the first. Both began to glow, and then two seconds later, the lights of all three winked out.

One second later, an explosion rocked the street below. A water main had violently expanded as it froze over, filling the block with cold steam as thick as a snowstorm. Similar blasts of cold fog expanded from nearby blocks, the pressure allowing them to be expelled up into the air. Five seconds later, the entire street was cloaked, as was every building for several blocks.

"Go," he ordered. Below him, a telltale whoosh sounded as wings cut the air. He could barely see the shadowy figures of two ponies taking to the sky, one being held beneath the other, before losing sight of them entirely.
> 0.2: Repeat Offenders
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Being a repeat offender was the guaranteed way to get on Colonel Rainbow Dash's bad side. Not necessarily about the offense, but of the attitude of the offenders. Nothing good came from someone who decided to constantly make things difficult for everypony else involved.

Naturally, then, when she heard that Whiteout and his cohorts were active again, she felt her mood take a dip. Of course, the two ponies sitting in her office were hardly any better; their attitude, or at least the attitude of one in particular, grated on her nerves as effectively as any smartmouth soldier.

"Freezing alchemy, huh?" the younger of the two asked. She leaned back languidly as she studied the records, a habit that also got on the colonel's nerves. "Pretty simple stuff, really. It wouldn't take much effort to use."

"Yes, but the way he used it to make mist that dense was pretty smart," the brother added. "The water main was kept very warm, and increasing the pressure at the same time as freezing a part of the water could not have been easy to pull off. Do you think he has someone on the inside helping him, too?"

"Doubt it. He's a notorious criminal who is wanted throughout the kingdom. Everypony knows his face, and anypony with a brain would know to stay away from him."

The colonel hid a smirk. She spotted an opportunity. "That's right, and that's exactly why I'm sending the two of you to flush him out."

Both siblings paused to look at their superior. After a moment, the mare visibly jolted. "Hey!"

"This stallion has flooded the main streets with a cold fog," Rainbow Dash cut in. "He's already claimed four victims this week, his allies are responsible for at least three more, and he's a known discordant. An ordinary patrol would be helpless against his alchemy and wit, so I need somepony I can spare to go head-to-head with him."

"Oh, okay," the brother said. "For a moment, it sounded like you were saying we were brainless."

The colonel laughed. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Shining Armor. It's not your fault you are the way you are."

The joke stung, but Shining Armor had grown used to such jabs at his expense. His sister, meanwhile, had focused on another point entirely. "Wait, why us? Why not you?" she asked with an accusing hoof.

"I said somepony I can spare," Rainbow Dash answered. "While the two of you are navigating the fog, I'll be coordinating a separate mission. One to find out if his two friends are a part of this mess." She waved her wings out and behind her, indicating the long window nearby. The view was totally blocked due to the fog, and several drops of water had condensed on the outside of the glass. "The two of them, Frigid Drift and Winter Frost, have been in league with Whiteout for years. It isn't a stretch to assume this is a combined assault."

"Oh, come on!" said the sister. "Shouldn't it be the other way around? Your alchemy would easily evaporate all that mist, and then we'd all have an easier time of it! Maybe even get back to bed sooner."

There's that attitude again. Rainbow Dash couldn't quell her eye twitching. "I realize that, but this is by order of the Princess. So unless you intend on giving her backtalk, I suggest you get moving."

That put an end to any further argument. With a huff of annoyance, both siblings stood and began walking toward the door, the sister pulling her violet duster closer to her neck, and the brother trying not to be too loud in his armor.

"Hey, Sparkle," the colonel added. "Think of this like a test. If you pass, you'll get more study materials. Fail, and I take some back."

Twilight Sparkle paused at the door, then turned and gave Rainbow Dash a smile that clearly showed her excitement and confidence. "You'd better have them ready, then."

"It's a deal. Now go, and don't do anything stupid out there."

A moment later, the siblings were gone. Rainbow Dash released an exasperated sigh, sinking into her office chair. Despite the crisis outside, Twilight had been right about several things, the least of which was how late it was. True, the kids weren't known for keeping a regular sleeping schedule, but the colonel was. Waking up Rainbow Dash in the middle of the night was another sure-fire way to get on her nerves.

The moment passed. A voice to her right finally spoke up. "Ma'am, shall we get started?"

The colonel leaned in her chair, straining her neck to look toward her lieutenant. Of course, he had been there the whole time, quiet and professional while she had to deal with the young alchemist. But it was all right. It wasn't like this was their first skirmish, nor the first time they had been ambushed.

And besides, Rainbow Dash thought with a heated glee, those dimwits decided to attack our home base. Surprise may be on their side, but every other advantage is ours.

With a grin that her lieutenant didn't share, Rainbow Dash stood and straightened her wings. "Care to make a bet, Sentry?"

"You know I don't believe in luck, ma'am."

"A casual game, then. Three guesses how tonight will play out." As she spoke, the colonel stood at attention and flared her wings. Wordlessly, her subordinate began attaching a special cloth over each wing, which fed to loops and wrapped around several primary feathers. The cloth was adorned with the colonel's signature glyph, a red-orange circle that contained a series of triangles and diamonds. Her bolt-and-cloud cutie mark was at the top of the circle, while a salamander was near the bottom.

"You shouldn't believe in luck, either, Colonel. When you gamble, you always run the risk of losing."

Rainbow Dash's smile didn't waver. It was always like this before a fight. "I'm not dead yet, right?"

His work completed, Flash Sentry stepped away toward a nearby locker. "Not for lack of trying, ma'am," he said as he retrieved his equipment. A metal-and-leather contraption slid over his neck, which fed into a brace that wrapped around his foreleg. He then pulled out a customized rifle and attached it to his brace. It was a firm fit. "Just keep in mind that this is a group effort. It's not just you and me for this, so please remember to duck."

The colonel's smile finally fell. "Not fair."

And the lieutenant gave a grin of his own. "You're the one who wants to gamble."






"I don't see why it has to be this cold, though! I mean, I know he's an alchemist who specializes in ice, but still!"

Twilight Sparkle stopped once again to shake herself dry, or at least as dry as she could get. The fog surrounding the palace was thick and chilled, like sleet hanging in suspension, so 'dry' was a word best used loosely. The steam from her breath was quickly fading into the cool air, which did little to improve her outlook on the situation. "Once we find this guy, I'm gonna give him one of my good-old-fashioned lectures on letting sleeping ponies lie!"

Shining Armor followed patiently behind. "Shouldn't we be more worried about where he is, instead of what he's already done? The colonel wants us to find him, not fight him."

"Yeah, I'm hoping for a peaceful ending, too!" she replied. Having reached another alley, Twilight lit her horn and looked around for any traps, though the thick mist only allowed her to see a few feet ahead despite her light. "But one thing I've come to expect from the colonel is her pranks. Who knows? This is probably just another elaborate..."

She trailed off as she reached the next shop. A telltale glow had caught her eye from the alley, and she slowly turned to investigate it. Shining Armor followed behind, thought better of himself, then rushed ahead to reach it first. The bricks that made up the alleyway had been expunged outward, leaving an intimidating pile of wreckage. In the middle of the destruction was one of the city's water mains. Both Twilight and Shining had to carefully navigate the loose rubble to get a closer look.

They were halfway between buildings when the glow suddenly winked out. "Oh, shoot!" Twilight cried. Her eyes darted along the alley wall, but she couldn't pinpoint where the soft light had come from.

"Whoa, it's getting harder to move," Shining Armor complained.

Putting off the vanishing light, Twilight nodded. "Yeah, the temperature's dropped again. It's like this area in particular is kept colder than the street."

"I think my joints are starting to freeze."

She looked up in alarm. "That's not good. Head back to the front of the alley and make sure you stay loose."

Her brother nodded, barely visible in the darkness. "I'll check out this building," he offered, tapping one side of the alley wall. His foreleg rang hollow in response. "Maybe there will be something we can use."

With no further instruction, the siblings parted. Twilight poured more power into her horn, spreading light further around her. She was correct in her theory - the air surrounding the busted pipe was markedly colder than the street, and some of the mist around her had frozen in midair and become hail. The occasional ping of a hailstone striking steel would sound, and she fought the urge to shiver for reasons entirely unrelated to the cold.

Carefully, she climbed the wreckage piled against the wall, then down beneath the street level where the water main was. Much of the moisture on the bricks and mortar had frozen, making it impossible to balance on her hooves. She slid and fell twice before she reached the pipe itself, and there she got a good look at the damage caused to it.

"Oh wow," she muttered. "Big brother was right. This looks complex, even for something as mundane as freezing water."

A jagged, gaping hole was the epicenter of the pipe's damage, easily large enough to allow somepony to walk through. The steel had been broken by two methods - part by freezing, part by pressure - and as a result, there were very few 'teeth' to get in her way. The pressure had allowed the explosion to angle up and out, yes, but because the steel had been frozen first, any debris from the pipe was expelled at the same time as the groundwork.

The inside of the pipe was a different story. This particular section was a junction that fed in four directions, and one of them had been completely clogged with ice. That was the direction that fed into the outskirts of the city. Twilight could barely make out the angular turns for the remaining three directions, all of which showed significant frost on the inside but were otherwise clear. When the attack had taken place, the water that made contact with the ice clog had created a thick steam. There was also much more water to convert, but now the pressure had been turned off, and barely a trickle was left snaking its way along the bottom of the pipe's curvature. Steam still rose when it hit the ice.

"Ooh. There better not be alligators in here..."

Twilight stepped through the hole and jumped down, landing inside the pipe. It wasn't that she intended to explore the water main - the pipe itself was far too narrow. She just wanted to see the inside as much as she could. There had been a glow, and she was determined to find its source.

Straining her neck, she inched along until her withers brushed against the damaged steel. For a moment, Twilight worried about getting slivers lodged in her coat, but quickly dismissed the concern. Instead, she moved her head from side to side, spreading her horn's light as far as she could. The steam from her breathing didn't help her vision, and eventually she relented. "Nothing that way."

Twilight backed up and stood to her full height, stretching her neck. A small prick at the back of her neck irritated her; she should have checked for slivers, after all. Putting up with the minor pain, she turned and considered the unmelting block of ice. It only took her a second to confirm what she already knew: the ice was the product of an alchemic reaction. Such a smooth surface would never have been achieved naturally.

With a groan, she crouched low again and got as close to the ice block as she dared. The light of her horn reflected harshly back at her, so she withdrew some of her power. What little she kept was refracted through the ice, giving the entire block an almost calming glow. If only it hadn't been used to sabotage the city's water line.

After a few seconds, she spotted it. Barely visible in her horn's light was an alchemy circle, simple and rounded in its design, and doubtless the source of the earlier glow. It was barely as wide as her own hoof, yet set in the middle of where the ice had been made. Worse still, the mark clearly had not been left manually. Whiteout, or whomever had made the circle, had done so by means of a completely separate method. The circle wasn't carved so much as merely placed.

A few seconds later, the circle became alight. Small sparks ran along its circumference, its soft glow shone into the ice block, and the ice itself visibly expanded. It wasn't more than half a centimeter, but it grew larger nonetheless. The light from the circle continued to shine for half a minute, during which the water still contacting the ice reacted more harshly. Cold fog, freshly converted, steadily rose into the air before freezing and falling to the steel. The haunting ping sound marked their descent.

The reaction ended, and the glow faded. Satisfied, Twilight carefully stood up once more. The alchemy circle had been angled from the side of the alley wall, down and in toward the middle of the pipe. It was physically impossible for somepony to crawl around inside the pipe itself, and even if it were, the pressurized water would have swept anyone away. Which most likely left one option...

"Twilight!" Shining Armor shouted. "Come in here! You have to see this!"

The mare smirked. Right on time.






A flash of light, a smell of burnt paint, and another circle formed right next to the colonel's head. She ducked on instinct, expecting a reaction aimed at her. What she got was another false alarm and more wasted time, as the two criminals at the other end of the hallway made another attempt to escape. Thankfully, a well-placed warning shot from her lieutenant kept them confined.

"Move up!" Flash Sentry ordered. Two officers of the military police ran low across the carpet, ducking into an opened room and taking a defensive position there. "Next pair, move up!" the lieutenant repeated, followed by another warning shot. Two more officers rushed ahead, entering a room on the opposite side and angling their rifles downrange.

Rainbow Dash was forced to wait behind the corner. This had been the majority of the action - waiting and moving in groups - since discovering the criminals mere minutes ago. They had been caught in the hallway nearing the Princess's office, carefully moving toward it one room at a time. Clearly, they had knowledge of the castle's layout, which the colonel attributed to their absent companion, Whiteout.

After tracking them down, it hadn't taken long to find out what they were doing. Alchemy circles were placed at seemingly random intervals throughout that wing of the palace, each of them designed for an ice-based reaction. Worse still, the two who were leaving them were not activating them, despite the unicorn being an accomplished alchemist. That suggested a larger plan in the works, and Rainbow Dash wasn't keen on finding out what.

However, she wasn't yet allowed to remove the circles. Once her team had alerted the Princess of the threat, they had been ordered to subdue the two criminals as opposed to undo their work. In the Princess's mind, it was more important to stop their forward progress entirely, rather than disrupt it from the middle while they carried on. Which meant capturing Winter Frost and Frigid Drift.

"DOWN!"

Flash Sentry's command was swiftly followed by the unmistakable electric charge in the air that preceded an alchemic reaction. Rainbow Dash ducked once more, away from the ice circle so near to her. But the reaction was in the hallway ahead of her, which was subjected to a volley of long, thin icicles spearing anything in her direction. One such icicle embedded itself in the wall only a meter short from Flash's braced foreleg.

Flash Sentry merely gave an annoyed frown and fired again, shattering the icicle and clearing his field of vision.

"They're not using the circles?" the colonel asked.

"No, ma'am. The unicorn did a broad attack just for us. She used it so they could run."

"Damn it. Where did they go?"

"Toward the eastern wing. There's only one direction that way, and no rooms to use for cover. They'll be as exposed as we will be."

Rainbow Dash stood and flexed her wing muscles. "We have our orders, Lieutenant. Take point."

Without a word, Flash Sentry broke cover and ran down the hall, lithely stepping around the ice lances left steaming in the walls and carpet. He shouted orders to the officers in the nearby rooms, and they too joined his pursuit. Rainbow Dash followed a second later, flanked on either side by the last two officers she was leading. She stole a look inside the doorways as she passed, and was relieved to see no trace of blood. So far, there hadn't been any casualties.

Flash rounded the corner to the long hallway with his rifle raised, but he didn't stay long. He flared his wings and pushed them forward, sending his body back around the corner. Barely a second later, four ice lances struck the carpet where he had been standing.

The colonel's eyes narrowed. Still moving, she leveled her wings, tested the weight of her special cloth, and snapped them both forward in a horizontal arc. The effect was instant - a small, controlled fireball flew through the air and contacted the offending icicles. Flames of red, blue, and purple spilled over the ice, destroying them and a bit of the carpet besides.

"You cowards!" she yelled as she reached the long hallway. Flash gave her an alarmed look. "If you're gonna fight with alchemy, then how about against somepony who can fight back?!"

Rainbow Dash rounded the corner with both wings ready to snap again. She spotted Winter Frost about halfway to the other end, who was looking over her shoulder with a dangerous smirk. Her horn was alight and visibly vibrating, then soon winked out.

There was a charge in the air.

"COLONEL!"

Rainbow Dash was kicked in her side and sent sprawling to the wall, where she landed pitifully on her wing. She closed her eyes at the sudden shock, and when she opened them again, a large, menacing branch of ice was in the middle of the hall. It was easily six feet long, as wide as she was, and pointed so sharp than she doubted she would have felt the tip until it was in too deep. And just beyond the ice, his hind leg still outstretched, was Flash Sentry.

The lieutenant let out an annoyed sigh. "I told you to remember to duck, ma'am."






"The Rainboom Alchemist? She's here?"

"Yessir. Turns out that they did have something bigger than nets for us after all. The entire palace is on lockdown."

"Hmph. That complicates things. Are you two okay?"

"We're fine. Pinned, though. And we still have four glyphs to place. At this rate, it'll be another hour before we get them all."

Whiteout spat. The saliva was instantly hidden in the shrouding mist. "Fine. Don't fight unless you have to, Winter. It's more important that you stay alive than take anypony down with you. Remember: be smart. See what you can do in ten minutes."

Winter Frost hesitated, obviously relaying the information to her partner. A few seconds later, she replied. "I don't think we have ten minutes to give, sir, but we'll do what we can. If you don't hear from me, don't wait."

The radio went silent. Whiteout sighed, gazing into the thick blanket of fog he had created. The situation had been bad from the start; neither he nor his team had expected Colonel Rainbow Dash to be in Canterlot. The last he heard, she was still overseeing a diplomatic exchange in another city. Clearly, the information Whiteout had extracted was faulty, and his companions were struggling because of it.

Then again, the presence of a State Alchemist was also a treat, if only so Whiteout could count her body among all the rest. Of all the unfortunate casualties that were soon to come, the Rainboom Alchemist would be a welcome one. Several sins of his past could be linked to her, or to her sharpshooter adjutant. In truth, Whiteout relished the thought of seeing their eyes frozen in panic, their screams still trapped in their throats.

In the silence that followed, the unicorn reflected once more on his motivations. It was true that he didn't want to kill those undeserving - provided they stayed out of his way, of course - and Lieutenant Flash Sentry had always followed orders. But just the fact that he followed Colonel Rainbow Dash made his sins palpable. Doubly so, considering what had taken place six years prior. And yet, the one who deserved his hatred was neither pegasus, but the Princess who commanded them.

Whiteout's anger rose at the thought. It always did, no matter the activity or time of day. The atrocities he had been ordered to commit were raw wounds he refused to let heal. For a while following the War of Unification, he had felt lost within himself. It had taken a long time before he realized the truth of it all, and the real reason his commanding officer had demanded the wholesale slaughter of that barely-mature little town. Then the blame began in earnest, as did the names of his victims to follow.

And tonight, he mused. Tonight is where it ends. I'll put the entire castle into an inescapable winter, and force that monster to admit to her crimes before she dies. They say she's immortal...I say she needs to eat, just like the rest of us.

Then, and only then, would Whiteout allow himself rest.

His radio gave a burst of static. "Boss!"

"Go ahead, Frigid."

"Bad news, old man. They've caught her."

Whiteout's blood ran cold. "Winter?"

A pair of gunshots was heard across the band. "Yea-AGH! Stupid infantry!"

"What's your status?"

"Got me in the leg. I'm gonna have to fly everywhere now. Uh, Winter is down. She got trapped between that alchemist and her guard dog. I saw them put a ring on her, boss."

An inhibitor ring. A dense piece of lead and specialized rubber that blocked a unicorn's access to their own magic just by touch. To an alchemist, it would be like losing their identity. To Winter Frost, it was probably like losing the ability to breathe. "Can you get to her?"

"Heh, yeah, as long as I don't mind getting shot fifteen times before I get within fifteen meters! The mission's bust, old man. We were able to get every glyph in place except two, and I've got them with me. So I suggest you finish the job."

"You idiot, get rid of them! If you're caught in range of one, you'll suffer the same fate!"

Drift gave a loud moan, mixed with the pain of his injured leg. "Are you not hearing me? We're out of time and options! Do this now, or I'll either be captured or killed anyway! If I'm meant to die here, then I'd rather it be on our terms! Now are you gonna keep your pro-"

A loud blast of static burst through Whiteout's earpiece. At the same time, an explosion was heard in the distance, and a brief flash of multi-colored flame was seen above the reach of the mist. The Rainboom Alchemist was in play.

Whiteout's anger turned to despair. "Frigid! Frigid, are you there?"

He could still hear the pegasus, but the sounds were garbled and mechanical. It seemed the radio had fallen off or was caught in the blast; either way, it was damaged. Yet through the harsh static, Whiteout could still hear the deep thumps of approaching hooves. He could barely make out the sound of Frigid Drift cursing, more gunshots, then the unmistakable clack as somepony stomped on the radio's headset. The line instantly went dead.

"I'm guessing your friends ran into some trouble?"

Whiteout spun around to face the rooftop's door. Standing there were two ponies, one in a violet duster and the other in a suit of steel armor. The first was a unicorn whose horn was alight, but he couldn't tell what kind of pony the armored one was. Both were looking at him, and he could feel an air of premature victory around them.

The short one, with the horn spreading light, took a step forward. "That's the colonel for you. I learned pretty quickly how brash she is. But I get the feeling you know that, too," she teased.

The armored one stepped forward as well. "You must be Whiteout. We've been sent to bring you in."

Whiteout spent a moment to control his despair. He was not beaten yet. With a scowl, he stood to his full height. "Is that right? In that case, you must be in league with that pegasus alchemist. Soldiers of hers?"

"More like reading buddies," said the mare. "And you, mister snowpony, are the one who interrupted our sleep."

He considered the silly name for a moment, then dismissed it as he removed his radio and headset. No point in having them now. "My apologies. Allow me to help you find rest."

Whiteout's horn flashed to life, and he brought up his foreleg. The mist surrounding him was subjected to a charge from the circle carved into his fetlock. A heartbeat later, hundreds of water droplets had collected, cooled, and frozen into miniature ice needles. He then swung his foreleg once more, and the shards were sent flying.

"Look out!" said the armored one. He stepped forward to cover his companion, whose protective mail easily withstood the ice. When the needles connected, several bounced off or shattered. But it was at that moment, with the broken pieces still in the air, that Whiteout moved again.

Using both forelegs, he stomped the floor and sent another alchemic charge into the air. Fog and ice that was surrounding the pony in armor instantly shifted, pooling into a small flowing sphere of water. The liquid then froze, elongated into a thick javelin, and then plunged through one of the eye slits of the pony's helmet. The ice speared the steel through the other side, and the force carried the body backward until it struck the wall. Whiteout was still smirking as the body crumpled to the ground.

The mare turned around in shock. "Brother!"

Whiteout arched his eyebrow. "Siblings, huh? Well, it's a shame you chose the wrong pony to take orders from."

He moved in against the remaining pony, the glyphs on his forelegs glowing once more. The mist surrounding him froze in his wake, joining together at his side to form another lance. With a shout, he lunged it forward, but met only air as the sister leapt out of the way. She landed on all fours and glared at him.

"You ought to give up, child," Whiteout warned. He pointed the ice at her like a soldier would a spear. "There is more going on here than you know, and you're outclassed. This doesn't concern you."

"It's not like I have a choice! You're making too much noise, mister snowpony. I have a test in the morning, and I was trying to sleep!"

The nickname was just another insult to ignore, but something else made Whiteout pause. The mare had called out to her brother as the latter fell, yet she didn't seem at all distressed at seeing him get stabbed through the head. In fact, she seemed just as focused as when they snuck up on him, albeit wary of the weapon in Whiteout's magical grip.

Shrugging off the oddity, Whiteout repositioned himself and charged once more. The mare was quicker than she looked, dodging and weaving his every thrust. They moved across the rooftop from end to end, until eventually she was forced to the edge. He swung, point-down, and she moved her own foreleg to take the hit.

And then the unexpected happened. Whiteout's icicle shattered in his grip, spraying crystalline shards into the night sky. He gasped in shock before pushing himself away from the mare and the roof's edge. They both paused to recover, and he caught a glimpse of how she had so easily defended.

Her right foreleg, still poised to block his stab, wasn't made of the flesh and bone typical of ponies. Beneath her duster, he could see the glint of polished alloy, easily as dense as a tree limb. It caught the light of her horn and reflected it, sending strands of light through the mist. Just beneath its protection were her eyes, now less humorous and more focused. Clearly, she had intended to strike back before Whiteout had put distance between them.

"A false limb?" he mused. "You're too young to be a war veteran. Were you caught in the blast of that alche—"

The unexpected happened once again. Whiteout caught another glint of light to his left, and he turned to see the corpse of her brother rushing him. The armor was nearly silent, but the icicle through the helmet vibrated and gave off a haunting tone. The brother swung his foreleg down, which Whiteout dodged. He used alchemy to freeze the water resting on the roof, removing the stallion's traction.

But it didn't last long. A distinct scratch was heard from the mare, followed by a charge through the area. All along the rooftop, strands of ice shook and shattered where they were, including the patch that Whiteout had just made. The armored stallion quickly regained his balance, carried his weight forward, and charged once again. This time, his shoulder caught Whiteout broadside.

Whiteout staggered, putting more distance between him and the pair. The impact had lodged an airborne shard of ice into his foreleg. Hot blood trickled from the wound, but the ice did very little to actually hurt him. In fact, the worst it had done was break the integrity of his alchemy circle there. He only had one left to use.

And yet he didn't think about that. Too many things were captivating him, like the fact that the stallion in the armor was standing, when by rights he should have been dead. Or the odd sound he heard from the mare, herself crouched low with her metal foreleg extended. And then there was the fact that he hadn't seen her draw any glyphs of her own.

With a growl of frustration, he bit down on the ice lodged in his fetlock, tore it out, and let it drop to the stone beneath them. He glared at each pony with newfound caution. "That shouldn't be possible..."

He studied them both in the light the mare provided. His armored body. The hollow sound that came from the helmet. Her false limb. Her lack of any circles. As he mentally went through the facts, he gradually relaxed. A few seconds later, his grin returned, but it wasn't the self-satisfied smirk he usually wore. It was the realization of truth, and he gave a quiet chuckle in its wake.

"Now I see," he whispered. "That armor is empty. And your leg is gone, isn't it? This seems an awful like a heavy price that was paid by the two of you, a price demanded by alchemy! The two of you tried to play god! You committed the taboo!"

Neither sibling replied, so Whiteout continued. "I've heard stories. A young, gifted mare who can transmute without a glyph. A soldier boy who is never seen out of full combat armor. Both of whom have close ties with that insufferable Colonel Dash. That means you're the one they all talk about, aren't you, Fullmetal Alchemist?"

Silence fell over the three. Shining Armor, the stallion in the mail, never let down his guard. Twilight Sparkle, his sister at his side, glowering at Whiteout through the cold fog. And Whiteout himself, please to have found the truth, slowly lowering his bleeding foreleg.

"Well, no matter. I am curious how you found me so quickly, especially when I was expecting a few grunts I could toss over the edge. Care to explain?"

Once again, neither sibling spoke.

"Fine, be that way. You told me you were sent to bring me in? Following orders, I take it. Well, so sorry to disappoint!" he called, rushing to the spot they had found him. "But I'm sure it's been ten minutes by now, and I've got orders of my own to obey!"

Acting fast, Whiteout called upon his magic and his remaining glyph. He slid across the slick rooftop to the one he had carved, the same one he had used to put the capital in such a mess. With a shout, he slammed his uninjured hoof over the circle. A connection was made.

A moment later, an entirely different connection was made as well - the brother tackling Whiteout from the side and pinning him to the roof. They struggled against each other, with Shining Armor clearly having the advantage, but Twilight looked toward the other circle. Its own glow hadn't gone out, and in fact seemed to intensify as the seconds went on.

"Too late, you runt!" Whiteout taunted. "My team has done more than enough, and there's nothing you can do to stop this reaction from taking place! The two of you will just...have to...wait it OUT!"

As he shouted, his remaining circle sparked to life once more, this time against the surface of the rooftop. Condensed water gathered and fired upward, forming instant spikes that broke against Shining Armor's body but nonetheless forced him away. Whiteout scrambled to his hooves, his circle still glowing brightly. With a grunt of exertion, he swung his good leg forward, forming more frozen lances from the mist. Twilight ducked behind her brother, whose body withstood the impact of the ice. For all the times he was hit, Shining Armor didn't grunt or flinch.

The attack went on for several seconds, then quickly ended. "Twily, look," Shining whispered.

Twilight eased her head around her brother's protective body. Along the surface of the roof was the glowing circle, several long icicles jutting out at angles, and the fog growing ever colder. But Whiteout was absent. He had taken the moment to rush down the stairs.

"Coward. He'll be halfway to the ground floor by now."

"You're probably right, big brother," Twilight murmured. "We were lucky to track him to this building, but chasing him in this fog? That's an impossible task."

Shining Armor nodded. He turned to consider the glowing circle at the roof's edge. "So what about this, then? Is it safe to try and disrupt it?"

Twilight cautiously made her way to the carving. She studied the circle through the intense light it gave off, then slowly shook her head. "I don't think it will matter. How many of these did we see near the street? The reaction has likely reached some of them, and they're carrying it forward. The damage has been done, so breaking this circle won't make a difference."

"Carrying it forward, huh?" Shining joined his sister at the roof's edge, and together they gazed through the fog in the direction of Canterlot Palace. "Think it's going to the castle?"

"Uh-huh." Twilight shuddered as the temperature continued to drop.

Shining Armor gently pulled the icicle in his helmet free. He let it drop to the street below. "I hope Rainbow Dash is having better luck on her end."

Meanwhile, Whiteout burst through the back door of the building he had been using as a base. Relying on his memory of the city, he ran full-tilt through the various alleys and darkened streets of Canterlot. As he ran, he made a silent vow to discover what became of his allies Winter Frost and Frigid Drift. He knew that they would likely be kept as prisoners instead of executed; after all, he had done most of the killing for the three of them. As long as they stayed strong and loyal, he would eventually find them.

He rounded a corner to another alleyway, this one wrecked by a victimized water main, but came to a halt at what he saw. A soft blue glow was at the other end, waving but not growing. Not expecting anypony down this way, Whiteout stepped over the rubble and frozen pools to investigate. He was halfway down when the strange blue glow intensified, and he stopped for a second time at what he saw. There, dressed in light combat gear and completely alone, was Princess Luna.

"What are—"

The Princess glared at him from her end, then wordlessly lifted a damaged length of rebar. She held it parallel to the ground in a silent challenge.

Whiteout hesitated, then he shook with laughter. "So this is how you want it to be?" he asked. "Couldn't bear the thought of being trapped inside your own walls, so you came out here to die on your own terms?"

A moment later, his horn lit up, and the circle on his good leg glowed once more. He drew in as much of the mist as he could, condensing and freezing it to fashion a lance far more intimidating than any other seen that night. He looked from it to Luna, who still hadn't moved from her spot. Whiteout took a step forward and adopted his chilling grin.

"Stay there for me," he called. "Stay there and face justice. Stay and feel the agony of those you deemed unfit to breathe, you monster!"

Whiteout tensed his muscles, then charged. He rapidly closed the distance between him and the Princess. Each step brought him closer and closer, until finally the unmistakable sound of punctured flesh rent the frozen air.
> 0.3: Finding Rest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Canterlot had woken up. The warmth of the sun was quickly evaporating the mist from the night before, allowing Twilight and Shining to walk through the city streets with ease, though the aid of the guards and soldiers helped in that regard. Uniformed ponies, whether the blue of the military, gold of the palace guard, or orange of the city, directed hoof traffic away from the areas still deemed unsafe - areas the siblings were headed toward. They could hear the general anger made by the rapidly-growing crowds as they strode past. Clearly, the citizens were none too pleased to be without water that morning.

Needless to say, the rotten stares of passers-by made Twilight Sparkle feel awkward as she moved from one ruined pipe to the next. She couldn't completely repair them, of course, and it would take time before water available again. However, her talents were shaving hours off the time it would have otherwise taken. There were very few ponies in the world who could transmute without a circle, but the aid she was providing the city was the furthest from her mind.

She and Shining Armor were making their way to the last affected city block. It was also where Whiteout had encountered, and subsequently fallen to, Princess Luna. The siblings had been unfortunate enough to stumble upon the scene shortly before dawn. With luck, the mess would have been cleaned by now, and Twilight could avoid any more queasiness.

"She didn't have to kill him," Twilight muttered for the third time.

"He was going to kill her," Shining replied.

"You saw what was down there! Whiteout was outmatched. There was no way he could have gotten close to Princess Luna, and yet she still did...that...to him!"

Shining's empty shell hesitated as they reached the final water main. As he had hoped, the corpse had been removed and most of the blood cleaned. All that remained was repairing the hole in the pipe. "I saw it. She was efficient."

"It was needless," Twilight stubbornly maintained.

"It was decisive, Twily. Whiteout was a murderer. You saw what he did to that officer in the hallway. Who knows how many more ponies would have died at his hooves? The Princess did what she had to do. Any guard would have done the same."

The mare gave him a dour look. "Would you?"

"If he left me no other option, yes."

Twilight huffed in aggravation. "There had to have been another way. Killing is a choice, big brother. Remember that lesson?"

After a pause, Shining deflated. "Of course I do." It was one of the hardest lessons he had ever learned.

The topic was far from done, but Twilight put it off for the time being. She strode past the few guards and service ponies that remained in order to reach the water main, as well as a pile of steel plates left for her to use as material. Thankfully, much of the ice had melted away with the rising sun. After making sure she wouldn't slip, Twilight dropped down to the steel pipe itself and began to investigate how much damage it had taken.

Four minutes later, she climbed out of the wreckage. "It's the same as the others," she informed Shining Armor. "Another circle on the inside curve of the pipe. From what I could tell, it was affected by the same alchemic charge as all the rest."

Shining nodded, expecting such news. "So if they all were meant to carry the reaction, why would Whiteout have bothered to put a fog over the city?"

"Not sure. Maybe he wanted to make a big show of it, or he was expecting full squads to hunt him down. The fog made for excellent cover, you gotta give him that."

"Well, yeah. But practically speaking..."

Twilight nodded. She made a quick swipe at the ground with her metal foreleg while also pouring magic through her horn. An alchemic reaction instantly began, and the pipe below shone as it was reinforced. She repeated the process, this time magically floating the raw steel to the gaping hole before fusing the metal together. "Practically speaking, it made no sense. If he wanted to freeze the castle, he could have done it. But by breaking the city's water mains and turning the water into a mist, he only drew attention to himself and his team. All I can think of is that maybe he was planning on using the fog to help in his escape."

She looked down the alley, spotting the marks of spilled blood that had yet to be cleaned. "And we both know how that plan turned out. I guess we'll never know for sure." Twilight quickly looked away, fighting an urge to gag.

"The escape might not have been for him. Don't forget, he wasn't working alone," her brother said.

The mare perked up, happy to talk about the living instead of the dead. "Oh right, those two he was leading. You know, I'd like to talk to them if we get the chance. I get the feeling the residue you found was caused by a teleport matrix!"

Shining Armor laughed at his sister's words. "You would enjoy anything magical. You do remember that they were used to help attack the capital city, right?"

"Details."






Red and blue flames contacted the nearby wall, completely consuming the alchemy circle made there. The colonel made sure that her prisoners could see it, as a reminder of how quickly their plan had been thwarted. Some might have called it needless, but she knew better. The night could have gone much worse - with a much higher death toll - so lessons needed to be learned. Lessons not just for her, but for the soldiers who helped repel the attack...and especially for the two who earned her glare.

Winter Frost remained quiet and still. She had been for a while now, ever since Rainbow Dash had managed to latch an inhibitor ring onto her horn. The unicorn was certainly the more dangerous of the two, yet she refused to struggle once her magic was blocked. Just as well - any further aggression would only have gotten her hurt.

Frigid Drift, however, had to have all his limbs bound. When even that measure didn't succeed in keeping him down, he had to be knocked out. It hadn't been easy to corner a pegasus of his caliber, and in fact took a well-placed shot to his leg just to slow him down. Despite the injury, he had been a slippery stallion to capture. He had nearly made it to the outdoors by the time Flash Sentry tackled him in midair. The resulting struggle was one-sided; the lieutenant was something of a health nut.

When the news arrived that Whiteout had been slain, Drift had gone into a useless struggle against his bonds. He raged and screamed and vowed vengeance, eventually forcing Flash Sentry to gag him. Even so, the pegasus visibly foamed at the mouth, making a disturbing sight.

Rainbow Dash crouched down to his level, getting eye-to-eye. "Something you want to say, hatchling?"

Drift made a futile lunge forward, biting down on his gag. There was a fire in his eyes.

The colonel ignored the plight of the first criminal and instead focused on the second. "What about you? Anything you want to put on record?"

Frost kept her gaze turned downward, avoiding Rainbow Dash's own. Her ear twitched and she swallowed thickly, but she otherwise remained silent. Unlike her partner, the fight in her eyes seemed to have died - she stared at nothing.

"Get used to it," the colonel said. "After today, you might as well never say anything again. Nopony will listen to the two of you, and no help will be coming either. You've lost this fight."

Winter Frost rapidly blinked but made no reply. After a moment spent studying her, Rainbow Dash stood tall once again and ordered the two away. Both Frost and Drift were escorted through the palace halls, out the side gate, and across the parade grounds. It was salt on the wound, humiliating them in full view of the castle guard. Needless, some might have said. 

They were quickly processed and placed into separate prison cells, but the colonel didn't follow them that far. Once she saw them being led in front of the palace guards, she dismissed her backup and returned to her office. It had been a grueling morning and there was more to be done, but Rainbow Dash was eager to at least get some food in her. Flash Sentry was at her side as they trotted through the halls, pointedly stepping around the remains of combat.

As they walked, Flash made a mental note of the destroyed circles on the walls. The colonel had made short work out of all the ones they had found, and it was good that she had. It was only a few short minutes after Frigid Drift had been captured that an alchemic process had reached the palace. Reached, but hadn't entered. While the lieutenant wasn't an alchemist like his superior, he knew enough to put together a theory - the charge from outside the palace was supposed to be carried inside via the work of Winter Frost. If the reaction had reached any of the circles, there would have been a lot more to dispose of than just rifle casings.

The pair entered the colonel's office - lightly furnished with her desk, a work table, and two office couches - and began to put away their equipment. Rainbow Dash casually slipped out of her cloth wing covers, letting them drop over her desk, while Flash Sentry unlatched his harness and put each piece away in his locker. He left his rifle out for cleaning later. By the time the lieutenant finished, Rainbow Dash was in her chair and had pulled out a small container of dried fruit.

"Please, ma'am," he said, not even turning around. "You could at least fold the ignition cloth before you ignore your responsibilities."

"Hey, cut me some slack. I want to look at it for a moment longer. It held up really well today, and it deserves recognition."

"'It', Colonel? Are you sure you aren't referring to yourself?"

A soft chewing sound was Rainbow Dash's reply.

Flash relented, biting down on a small tool case before closing his locker. He lifted his rifle and set it across his back, but paused as he passed the colonel's desk. The alchemist had been considerate enough to place a second container of food near the edge of the wood. After all, she wasn't dense. She knew that her lieutenant hadn't eaten either, and it was well past the time they would usually have breakfast. Plus, this was more expedient - and a fair bit tastier - than visiting the palace kitchen, even if having food inside the office wasn't allowed.

With a knowing shake of his head, Flash Sentry took the container in his wing, carrying both it and his weapon to the table in the middle of the office. He set both down, followed by his cleaning tools. After carefully laying out each tool he needed, he got to work, popping some of the food into his mouth.

The taste was sweet and bright. Apricots. Apparently Rainbow Dash was proud of the work he had done.

Eventually, the colonel spoke up. "So, how many guesses did you get right?"

"Enough to keep me busy here for a while, ma'am."

Rainbow Dash laughed, taking care not to spew bits of fruit as she did. "Oh, come on, it couldn't be that bad."

"I told you that I don't believe in luck."

"Skill, then?"

"Habits, ma'am. Mainly yours."

"Mine?" The colonel was incredulous. "What did I do?"

At that moment, with her question still hanging in the air, the door opened with a gentle swing. The pony on the other side didn't wait to be invited before stepping through.

"Well, from what I hear, you both did a wonderful job at defending this palace and everypony inside," Princess Luna casually said. "I'd say that's a good habit to keep."

There was a soft thumping of hooves on carpet as Rainbow Dash and Flash Sentry stood and bowed. Neither were expecting a visit from their leader, nor were they prepared for it. The colonel was suddenly very aware of how sloppily she had let her wing-cloth hang over her desk, not to mention the small boxes of fruit she had sneaked in.

"Oh, come now, don't be like that," the Princess chided. "The two of you have earned a little bit of comfort. Please, be at ease."

Both pegasi knew better. Princess Luna may have sounded friendly, but nobody would ever go against her requests, no matter how casual they might be. Her word was law, and it didn't matter if she asked or told. Naturally, then, they raised their heads and stood tall, not really relaxed but at least able to speak clearly.

"A pleasure to see you, Your Highness. Though it is a surprise," the colonel said. She quelled the urge to guiltily glance toward her box of fruit.

Princess Luna smiled. "Yes, I apologize for barging in like this, but I wanted to see you before the paperwork arrived."

"Debriefing, Majesty?" the lieutenant guessed.

"And to congratulate you on a job well done. Oh, might I trouble you for some of your fruit, Colonel?" The Princess walked over to the desk and claimed some of the dried apricot without waiting for an answer. Her smile only grew larger as she chewed.

Rainbow and Flash shared a brief glance as their superior enjoyed what was never allowed in the first place.

"Wonderful. You have a good eye for snacks, Colonel."

"Th-thank you, Your Highness."

"Now then!" Princess Luna took a step back to better see both officers at once. "I trust that both infiltrators have been incarcerated by now, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"How did that go?"

The colonel hesitated. Princess Luna had asked that question very innocently. "About as well as you'd expect, Your Highness. The pegasus was volatile beyond reason, but the unicorn's spirit seemed broken. If I had to guess, she was depressed at how their attack ended up, while her partner was just plain angry about it."

"Really?" Princess Luna's smile lowered, hinting at something they couldn't place. "Did you happen to mention the death of Whiteout to either of them?"

Rainbow Dash nearly apologized. "Yes, ma'am...I told them myself."

"As I suspected."

"That wasn't a problem, was it, ma'am?"

At that, Luna flinched as though the question physically shocked her. "Oh, goodness, no! If it indeed broke their spirits, then it's perfectly fine. I suppose I just wanted to see the looks on their faces as you broke the news to them."

That, too, was more than either Rainbow or Flash was expecting. The Luna they knew was skilled and direct, but not needlessly cruel. They shared another momentary glance - this time, one that the Princess saw occur - but chose not to pursue the matter further.

"In any case," the Princess went on, "this has been an exciting morning, but now the excitement is over. I've already got a mountain of paperwork in my study, plus the popular matter of the city's water to deal with. And you, Colonel Dash, have your own work to do."

As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door. Princess Luna opened the door with her magic, revealing her personal assistant...and several folders addressed to the colonel. The assistant, a unicorn named Raven, floated each folder with her own magic, setting them down in a neat line on the desk. She didn't even glance at the wrinkled ignition cloth, though whether it was due to ignorance or disdain was anypony's guess.

The subjects printed on the folders caught Rainbow Dash unawares. "Um..." she began, very unprofessionally. "Are some of these...safety guidelines...and maps of the fire exits?"

"Indeed," the Princess replied with another smile. "I understand that there was some uncontrolled fire inside the palace this morning. I, for one, haven't seen too much damage, and I most definitely can't imagine where it came from..." She spared a moment to glance at the colonel's wing-cloth. "But despite the mystery, I need an excuse to remind everypony about fire regulations. You just happen to be the first, Colonel. Coincidence, I assure you."

Flash Sentry closed his eyes and turned away, doing his best not to laugh out loud.

"The rest is the typical reporting process. But I made sure to include a little extra for you—" Here, she nodded toward a set of two folders, each bearing the names of Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor, "—to explain why you saw fit to send out an inexperienced alchemist and a provisional soldier to track a dangerous criminal with many more years of experience. I don't mean to disregard their talents, of course, but if you ask me, this was hardly a fair test for them to take."

Flash Sentry had to bite his hoof to stifle his chuckling. Rainbow spared a moment to give a sharp glare to her lieutenant, then looked back toward her desk. There were a lot of folders.

Holding back a defeated groan, the colonel looked to her superior and the innocent grin she wore. "I'll have them done by the end of the day, Your Highness."

Raven laid the last of the reports down, turned without looking up, and exited the room. Princess Luna simply nodded. "See that you do. Well, we must be off...there's a long day to meet. Colonel...Lieutenant." She bade each of them farewell and followed her aide. The office door slid closed without a sound.

Barely two seconds later, the colonel fell into her chair, allowing her groan to finally escape. She said nothing, instead opting to tap her hoof against the chair in annoyance. It wasn't that she disliked the Princess; rather, she was hoping for more time before the paperwork caught up to her, and certainly was not planning on so much to do.

After a couple minutes spent in silence, Rainbow Dash looked toward the pile of folders demanding her attention. She then glanced toward her lieutenant, who had gotten over his almost-laughing and was busying himself with his rifle once more. She thought about all the regular work she would have to postpone due to all of the trouble that morning, then about getting a more fulfilling breakfast. The apricots had been nice, but they weren't really meal material.

Then again... she mused, an idea causing a spark behind her eyes. "Say, Sentry, did you like the fruit?"

"I did, ma'am," the lieutenant replied without looking her way. "It's been a while since I've had these."

"How would you like to earn more?" Rainbow Dash asked, nudging some of the folders.

Flash Sentry stopped his cleaning. He didn't say it aloud, but all of his guesses that morning had been correct.

Some time later, after the lunch hour had begun, both pegasi left the office in search of a proper meal. They left behind the pile of paperwork, less than half of it completed. Two such files, both resting on the work table, contained the names of Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor. The lieutenant had been hard at work filling in necessary information, but some topics had been difficult to answer.

They were harder because he didn't yet know the full story between the two ponies. One was a certified State Alchemist like his superior, but Twilight Sparkle possessed a talent unlike any he had seen: alchemy without transmutation circles. The other was a well-trained soldier of the capital city - his armor proudly displayed that fact - but held special privileges unlike other guards. What was more, his protective armor was empty, a disturbing fact to all who believed.

The most that Flash Sentry knew for certain was that they were inseparable. Where one went, the other followed. Their combined skills had seen them through many a scuffle in the past few years, yet there was a goal shared between them that few knew about. A goal, and a secret. And while it was true that certain individuals already knew what those were, including the lieutenant, the colonel, and the Princess, the story behind that goal was haunting.

Just being reminded of what had happened to them made Flash Sentry hesitate with his own work. Yes, he knew the story...but what he couldn't yet figure out was them. The sister and brother who had gone to such lengths for answers to their questions, and had continued to do so in spite of the danger. An alchemist and a royal guard...the scientist and the soldier.













> 1.1: The Days Before
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





The Life and Times of Stinkin' Rich: The Prodigal Alchemist was a rare book. It wasn't really informative, to be sure, and was likely written because the aptly-named Prodigal Alchemist had demanded as such. The simple truth was that the book's contents added so little to the field of alchemy that many libraries felt no need to carry it...or most modern-day alchemists forgot it existed at all. Naturally, then, precious few copies were owned.

That was exactly what made Twilight Sparkle want one, which in turn led to her palpable excitement one morning in Spring. The local mailmare had dropped off a package bearing the seal of the Canterlot Archives. It was a simple box, with very few labels on it and only one damaged corner. But to the little lavender filly, it might as well have been a gift from beyond. She would later go on to say that the parcel, and the pages within, seemed to glow.

Such was her life in the quiet days of Ponyville. The town was a peaceful hamlet, nestled in the foothills beneath Canterlot and its castle. Very little tended to happen there - least of all attacks from vengeful ex-militants - which made it a welcome spot for new families and retirees alike. Both of which matched Twilight's family, at least to a certain degree.

"Mom! Hey, lookit!" she declared. "Did you know that this alchemist once bought an entire hotel? He only wanted the view from the third floor, but bought the whole place on a whim!"

Velvet, the filly's mother, couldn't contain her smile. She was so looking forward to a quiet weekend, but she would settle for interruptions like this, which so far were few and far-between. "Oh, yes?" she replied. "Well then, if the view was that good, we should plan a vacation to go see it!"

Twilight's smile was infectious. "You mean it?"

"Of course! When your brother comes home, we'll all talk about it, okay? We'll work out a good time and then make plans."

The filly's smile only grew. Seeing the world was almost as fun as reading about it. And Velvet smiled back as her daughter bounded off to the sunny spot on the couch.

Twilight continued from her spot on the page, drinking in the words as eagerly as a parched wanderer. She would often call out an interesting fact, to which her mother would reply and encourage, but otherwise the afternoon carried on in serenity. Eventually, the day drew to a close, and mother and daughter enjoyed a hearty meal and a quiet night's rest. Yet all through the day, and several more days that followed, nothing unexpected happened.

And so it continued. For a time.





This day was not so quiet. It wasn't really Twilight's fault, though.

"Twilight, come out! Your breakfast is getting cold!"

Granted, she was the reason Velvet was shouting loud enough for the neighbors to hear. But at least Twilight herself wasn't being loud.

"Twilight?"

That was pretty much the problem.

"Twilight, if I have to find you, I'm taking away your books for a week!"

The magical words were said, and a moment later came the thumping of hooves against carpet in a rapid trot. Then came the clack of a door being opened, the bump as a shoulder impacted a door's frame, and then more rapid thumping which grew louder and louder until finally:

"Wait, don't! I'm here, I'm here, don't take anything away!"

Twilight Sparkle, having turned eleven just a few weeks ago, had taken it upon herself to push her limits. More than once, she had pressured or negotiated with her mother to buy her a few choice books for her collection. The result was Twilight herself spending all of her time with her snout pressed between pages. This particular morning was setting a new trend - the bookworm had stayed up through the night while entirely focused on her reading. The exchange was that she ignored the little things like food, sleep, and her mother.

Velvet gave her daughter a stern look. "Missy, that's the third time in two days you haven't come down when called. I know you love your studies, but this is becoming unhealthy. You can't just forget to eat!"

Twilight, ever the debater, promptly groaned and threw her head back. "But I'm fine! Really! I've been taking some apples and carrots back to my room, so I'm not forgetting to eat!"

That was half of a lie, and both ponies knew it - Twilight knew because she had simply chewed the snacks while in the kitchen, her latest book held open in her hooves, and Velvet knew because she had to clean up the resulting mess left in front of the pantry. Rather than press further, Velvet settled for making her stern glare more firm. Eventually, the daughter met it, and wilted beneath the heavy gaze.

"...I'm sorry."

"I know you are. But how do I know you're sorry for the right reasons?"

Velvet spent a moment to think, going through the movements as well. She paced across the hallway with her forehoof rubbing her bottom lip. When the moment passed, she tapped the floor and turned away from her daughter, both for dramatic effect and to hide the none-too-subtle grin inching across her face.

"All right, I've decided. You and I will make a deal. I promise that I will not take away your books, as long as you promise to stop staying up all night reading them."

"But Mom, they're so-"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Velvet cut in. "I'm not done. You also have to promise to be on time for meals, and that includes coming to the table when they're ready. Do that, and I promise to let you read uninterrupted for the rest of the day."

This time, Twilight didn't try to argue. It seemed the deal was working out in her favor.

"And finally, you have to promise to stop leaving a mess for me to find, and to help me with the dishes after meals. I won't let you develop any sloppy habits."

The filly's ear twitched. "Hey, wait, but you said I could read un-inner-ruptured!"

"Uninterrupted, dear. And I will, with this one condition. If you agree to it, I'll help you by tracking down more books for you."

Instantly, the frown turned around. "You will?"

Velvet gave in to her own grin, turning to face her daughter. "I will. But only if you help me keep this house clean! Also, I get to decide when you've earned another book, okay?"

Go to sleep at night, don't miss a meal, and help clean up afterward? Those were easy tasks in the name of Twilight's favorite hobby. She didn't wait long before eagerly nodding.

The day carried on. With the new rules in place, Twilight was obligated to measure her reading time in order to keep her precious books. Velvet had to remind her daughter of the rules twice, but eventually they fell into a comfortable rhythm. She broke away from her reading very little, though days when Shining Armor could visit were the exception.

One day, Velvet ventured to ask why her daughter was so devoted to reading. Twilight explained that she had picked up on hints at a common theme throughout some of her books, yet none of them were explicit about it. Even The Life and Times of Stinkin' Rich: The Prodigal Alchemist held some hidden clues, and now Twilight was aware of the puzzle. She just needed more pieces.

And so it continued. For a time.





Today, Twilight Sparkle was learning about the finer things in life. Like the necessary force needed to properly launch lightweight objects in order to intercept similar objects. She already knew the math behind it, including the properties of inertia, but was having a rather difficult time grasping the practical side of things. Mainly because her older brother was quicker to lift and throw the pillows right back at her face.

Shining Armor, recognizing the scrunched-up look of concentration on his sister's muzzle, quickly dove out from behind cover - the edge of the hallway. He two-stepped his way to the fallen bundles of fluff, bit down on the corners of both, spun, and released. The pair of pillows sailed across the living room, one falling short of his target, the other arcing overhead before coming down on her hindquarters.

The reaction was immediate. Twilight flinched, took a step forward, and turned her head to see what had hit her. Not that there was much mystery to it, but the impact alone gave Shining Armor another opportunity. He rushed forward, grabbed the pillow that fell short, and spiked the thing directly at his sister's withers. It was a soft blow, but enough to startle her again. She jumped a few inches in the air, letting out an undignified eek!

"Gotcha now!" her brother declared. With a manic grin, he bounded up to her and took her in his forelegs, forcing her to the carpet in a bear-crushing hug. Their laughter rang throughout the house, drawing Velvet from her study room on the second floor. The siblings continued to playfight along the carpet, Shining Armor always having, but never pressing, the advantage his size afforded him. Sure, he wanted to keep her pinned, but he would never hurt her.

A few seconds passed before Velvet made it to the bottom of the stairs, and there took in the warming sight before her. Her son of seventeen, on leave from his unit, reconnecting with her daughter of eleven with games they both played before she was five. It was just the kind of rejuvenation she needed after such a restless night.

She gave them a few good seconds before clapping her hooves together. "All right, now, that's enough! Honestly, it's like you two have gone back in time!"

Her son turned his head to properly reply. As properly as he could with a tuft of his mane held in his sister's grasp. "Hey, she started it!"

"And it's time to end it! Let go of your sister's cheeks before you make her swallow her own tongue!"

Below, Twilight made a high-pitched giggle that didn't flow from her mouth so much as simply escaped. Even when they were foals, Shining Armor would be the one scolded. She always avoided blame, of course; she was smaller.

The brother relented, letting go of his sister's cheeks and stepping away. Before he could speak, Twilight threw a nearby pillow at his shoulder. She stuck out her tongue in victory, which was much more satisfying than if she had said "I win."

With a chuckle, he turned to their mother. "Sorry, heh. Were we being too loud?"

Velvet raised an eyebrow. "What do you think, mister?"

"Ah. Yep. Sorry."

"You just said that."

Shining lifted his brow as well. "And you haven't responded, Ma."

The air around them seemed to change. A sudden tension sparked between mother and son, and Twilight picked up on it. To her credit, she didn't groan, but rather acted on impulse and stepped between her two family members. She looked up at her mother - Velvet was staring at Shining Armor with a hardening glint in her eyes.

"Hey, Mom! Big brother says he wants to go to the park later. Want to come?"

Velvet didn't reply. Her ears had tilted downward toward her daughter, but her gaze hadn't. For a long, uncomfortable moment, she stayed like that, staring at her son who in turn stared back, each of them expecting the other to make a move, to step back or step forward, like they had done so many times before, despite the fact that Shining Armor had only come home today so it wasn't fair that they should—

"You're right," their mother finally whispered. "It's okay, Son."

The air changed again, but slowly this time. Shining Armor gave a modest half-nod, adopting a smile and casting his gaze downward. He spared a look at his sister that clearly reflected his relief.

Twilight was relieved as well. Some time ago, during the height of a conflict that involved the Canterlot military and some outlying beasts, their father had been sent on assignment to a town that was supposed to be safe. And it was safe, for a while. However, during one early morning when the fighting escalated, his post had gotten involved - and he had been caught in a crossfire. Details following the combat were skewed, but Velvet had come to the decision that the military had taken her husband from her.

Then, when Shining Armor had announced his intent to join that same military, she took an aggressive stance against it. At first their disagreements were civil and quiet, but of course they quickly evolved to yelling and misunderstandings. Even after her son had left for training, Velvet remained resolute in her mistrust of the military. And ever since, there had been a rift between Velvet and Shining Armor, though not enough to warrant any more yelling, thank goodness.

Twilight glanced at her brother, flashed him a thankful grin, then looked back up. "So, Mom? What do you say?"

Velvet blinked and shook her head. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"The park?"

"Oh! Yes, yes, of course! The weather had been wonderful lately...so why not? Let's take a day and enjoy it!" she declared with a whoop.

Days like this one were the uncommon exceptions to Twilight's routine, though she made sure to bring along a book or two to the park anyway. Even so, her brother curiously listened to what she had to say, and even managed to pull her away from the words every now and then. Twilight normally wouldn't break away from a chapter in progress, but it was her brother! The time he got to spend at home was too precious to waste.

That day was a memorable one. The siblings talked, ran, sat, and swam, and sometimes convinced their mother to join in. They forgot all about past losses, future worries, or current puzzles. Other ponies in town saw how happy they were and left them to their happiness. And then the sun began to set and they enjoyed a dinner that Velvet swore she would later regret. Spent, tired, and happy, the three returned to their family home and made promises for more mini-adventures on the following day.

But that night, Twilight broke the rules. She pulled out a selection of books and began to pour over them as the moon glowed brightest. She began taking notes of what she saw, and slowly began to see how big this puzzle was. Actually, that wasn't true - she couldn't see how big it was because there were always more details to find. And the promise of more knowledge enticed her, drove her forward, until the moon exchanged its place with the sun and Velvet discovered the sleepy and excited filly laying amid a circle of open books.

Of course, Velvet enforced their agreement and took away the texts. But at that point, it didn't make much difference, because she didn't see the notes Twilight had made. So Twilight merely began to study those instead. Despite how large the mystery was, and the burning question of how so many different books could be linked together, little Twilight Sparkle still knew they were all referring to the same thing: a  method of obtaining energy through a specialized science.

Thus began Twilight's avid interest in the field of alchemy.
> 1.2: Curiosity is Cheap (But New Carpet is Not)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





"All matter is subject to balance. Nothing can be gained unless something can be lost. Equivalent Exchange. Formula. Material. What else?"

Twilight Sparkle was alone in the house, spending the afternoon in concentration while her brother and mother visited the market. In the time she had to herself, she had already created a sizable tear in Velvet's favorite lounge pillow. With the fabric damaged and the cotton within spilling out, the only thing missing was a guilty expression on the lavender filly. Instead of worry or panic, she was focused and a little giddy besides. She had torn the pillow without hesitation. There was no time for worry; this was for science!

"This should do it. I wish I had a lab coat or something."

Glancing about her bedroom, Twilight settled for the bedsheet she had yet to spread. She crawled beneath it and emerged on the other side, her head poking out like a groundhog beneath fresh snow. The filly wrapped the edge around her collarbone, took a step, tripped, stood up, and took another step. She scrutinized the setup before her, taking the time to glare a little bit because she had only recently learned what 'scrutinize' meant.

In the middle of her bedroom was her mother's victimized pillow. However, the pillow itself wasn't quite as impressive as what surrounded it. Placed at strategic points were little balls of thread, yanked out and rolled into bundles of tangles, and some bits of cotton. Beneath all of them was a large sheet of paper, on which an alchemy circle was drawn. The markings within the circle - the array, as Twilight had learned - were relatively simple, meant only to reconstruct something. There were no wordings or complex figures. Just a few angles to make a five-point star.

When drawing it, Twilight had had to resist the urge to give the star six points instead, if only so she could say her cutie mark did the work.

The unicorn cleared her throat. "On this day," she said to the empty space around her, "I change the world!"

With a great flourish and an excited smile, Twilight jumped forward and placed both forehooves on the paper. At the same time, she sparked a small charge through her horn, allowing the magic to spread from base to tip. The magic and the physical contact worked in tandem with her own desire for change, allowing the power from her horn to travel through her body and reach the circle below. The reaction began shortly after.

The drawn lines took on a bright blue glow, enough to make the filly squint her eyes. She didn't see the thin arcs of electricity jumping in front of her, but she certainly felt the sparks on her coat. A few were hot enough to sting. There was more heat too, enough to prompt a few beads of sweat on her brow. One drop made its way into her eye, and she was forced to shut them all the way.

A moment later, the heat dissipated and the sounds of electricity silenced. There was a distinct smell of burnt paper.

Opening her eyes and ignoring the sting of salt, Twilight saw the result of her first proper experiment with alchemy. Her hooves were slightly marred when the sparks had struck her, but the burns were nothing a little ice wouldn't soothe. And before her, giving off little wisps of steam...

"Oh...wow! Wow, whoa!"

Her mother's favorite pillow was unharmed. Every stitch was in its place, every tuft of cotton was hidden inside. The frills along the sides were pointing every which way, as through someone had rubbed a foreleg along them. The simple pattern on its broad side was restored, all flowers and stems. The only thing missing was the hole Twilight had made in the first place.

The thread and cotton Twilight had set nearby were gone as well, but of course that wasn't quite true. They weren't gone; they were simply put back, used in the process to repair the pillow to its previous state. Such was the nature of alchemy, and fully in line with the rules she had studied: all matter is subject to balance. The threads and cotton were of the same pillow, so of course they were a perfect match.

In fact, out of everything Twilight was expecting to occur, the only real surprise was the lingering odor of smoke. She looked away from the pillow and down at her setup.

"Ahh, shoot! No, no, don't catch fire, don't catch fire, please don't catch fire..."

The paper on which the pillow sat was gone, though oddly there were no ashes or scraps to be seen. The drawing of the circle, however, had been subjected to too much energy flowing through it, and thus the carpet beneath now held an alarmingly large replica of Twilight's little experiment. Black, smoldering lines were burnt into the fabric, and little streams of smoke wafted through the air. Twilight moved to trample each one as she saw them, to smother the heat beneath...or at least she tried to, if her hooves hadn't gotten tangled in the bedsheet she still wore.

Seven minutes later, the room was in a much different state. The sheet was in a bundled mess in a corner, the pillow had been kicked aside, and the burnt carpet was much colder and absolutely soaked with water. Twilight herself was staring at the charred markings in a defeated haze, trying to think up a way to explain the mess that wouldn't sound irresponsible to her mom. Each excuse she came up with was more haphazard than the last, until finally she gave up.

"When I said 'change the world,' I didn't mean burn it down."

With a heaving sigh, Twilight looked back toward her mother's favorite pillow, still pristine and comfy-looking. After a few moments, she allowed herself a small grin. The day wasn't a loss, not totally. At least she had learned a good deal of things about alchemy, and all without asking for help.

An unmistakable clack was heard from downstairs, followed by the voices of her family. They had returned from the market. Velvet was calling for her daughter, and very soon there were sounds of somepony ascending the stairs. Doubtless whoever it was wanted to check on her.

Thinking fast, Twilight magically floated the bedsheet over the burnt carpet, covering the evidence. Then she swiped a book from her shelf, bit down on the pillow, set them both on the sheet, and placed herself between them. She opened the book to a random page, confident she had read it enough times to fake-read it anyway. Finally, she quickly adjusted the pillow to rest beneath her elbows and set herself down upon it. A very unexpected crinkling sound was made.

At that moment, a knock sounded on her door. It was Shining Armor. "Hey, kiddo, you awake?"

"Hey! Welcome ba—"

And Shining Armor had never waited for permission to enter, the rascal. The door swung open and her brother flashed her a smile. "Why am I not surprised to see your face glued to some book?"

"It's not just some book! This is..." Twilight spared a momentary glance at the pages. The words were familiar enough. "This is a history of the practice behind alchemy! It's fascinating and informative and..."

Her brother's hearty laughter drowned her out. "Hahaha! Okay, Twily, you don't need to get so defensive! I believe you!"

Twilight paused, then grinned. Then ignored the cold feeling as the water in the carpet soaked through the sheet covering it. This is gonna look so bad if I move...

"Anyway, Mom and I brought back some muffins from the bakery. You should come down if you want them while they're still hot."

I've had enough heat for one afternoon, thank you! "Thanks, I'll be down once I finish this chapter."

Shining paused, then scowled. "Hey, do you smell that?"

"Smell...what?" Twilight asked. She was the epitome of innocence.

"Something's burning."

No, I swear I made sure it was put out, and there's enough water here to smother a campfire so please don't look into this any closer! Twilight gave a little cough. "I...maybe the muffins you brought back were...left baking a little too long?"

Her brother hesitated, sniffed the air again, then nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. The owners just took on a live-in apprentice, so I guess a few mistakes can be expected. Heh, I gotta tell you about her though, she's so hyper I swear she puts syrup in her coffee."

"Y-yeah, you can tell me about her! Later! After this book!"

Shining Armor chortled and gave another smile. "Fine, fine, I take your hint. Don't take too long, okay? Muffins are way better when they're warm."

With a grin, Twilight give a small sigh of relief. Shining turned, gripped the door handle, and started to exit. But then he paused partway through, and fixed his sister with a mischievous grin.

"By the way," he added in hushed tones, "you might want to bring down Mom's pillow soon. She's been on her hooves for a while, so she'll want to relax tonight."

A moment of silence. Then a quiet nod. And finally the satisfying sound of her door closing. Twilight sighed again and stood up, doing her best to ignore the clammy feeling of water on her coat. The bedsheet beneath her was distinctly wet and rendered partially see-through, so she clearly made out the black lines in the carpet. Thank goodness it was her brother who had come up - she wasn't sure her mother would have been so easily turned away.

Twilight's gaze moved from the saturated sheet to the pillow. Now that she looked closer, it did seem slightly larger than it used to be. That and the odd crinkling sound gave her a theory. With a worried gaze, she pressed her hoof against the pillow. The sound came up again.

Her hoof met her forehead. Now she knew where the paper had gone.
> 1.3: Encouragement
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Four days later saw the family of three at the train station. The federal train from Ponyville to Canterlot hadn't yet arrived, which gave the siblings a little more time to reconnect. Held close by her brother, Twilight Sparkle struggled against his superior grip. He held her above the platform in a crushing hug, and her hind legs dangled and kicked at nothing as she laughed.

"You're gonna fly, Twily! If I let go, you'll float away into the sky! Well, then, I just won't let go!"

"Put me down, you dork! Ahh! Don't spin don't spin why are you spinning no no stoppit!"

Velvet, doing her best to hold back her own laughter, swatted her son when his back was turned. "Enough of that!" she scolded. "We're in public."

With a playful pout, Shining Armor did release his sister. Twilight stumbled, dizzy, and ended up bumping her side against a nearby bench. She promptly fell over. "Whoa, down I go!" she giggled.

Shining Armor turned away to keep from laughing too much. Velvet did the same. Little Twilight, meanwhile, did enough laughing for all three of them.

"We're all going to be safe and secure with you in the force, Son," Velvet commented once the laughing had petered out. "You can tickle the bad guys into submission."

Shining Armor stuck out his chest with pride. "If it works, it can't be wrong."

"Hey, that's pretty good advice!" Twilight said.

"Think so? You should remember it, then! Keep it in mind for your next little experiment."

"Yeah?" Twilight turned to their mother. "Does that mean you forgive me for what happened over the weekend?"

Velvet easily slipped from mirth back into a mild glare. "Of course not," she said. "You still did something risky, young lady, and you're still grounded."

"Aw, come on, Ma. Have a little faith."

She looked from her daughter to her son. "Faith isn't the issue here, Shining Armor. Saying that something can't be wrong so long as it works might be nice for military duty, but what good is it if what you're doing is wrong from the start?"

Twilight couldn't help but feel hurt. She had already apologized several times for her alchemy accident, yet that didn't stop her mother from handing out discipline. It had been a very tense evening after Twilight finally brought the pillow downstairs. Of course, she had needed to show the full extent of her experiment, which led to a very long scolding and a sore rump. Being grounded was no fun.

Shining Armor spotted the sad look in Twilight's eyes. "You don't think alchemy is wrong, do you?" he asked their mother.

"No," Velvet answered. "It was wrong for Twilight to try something as risky as alchemy inside the house, without telling me, and while I was away. Being reckless should not be rewarded. I bet even your captain would agree."

"Sure, but..." Shining Armor paused, gave a thoughtful expression, then shrugged. "You got me there. Sorry, Twily, looks like Mom wins this round. Don't worry, though; I still think you've got a good head on your shoulders."

Twilight looked between her family members a they went back and forth. She held back her disappointment, choosing instead to give a small smile. "I don't mind, really. I wasn't ready."

It wasn't quite the truth. Despite being forbidden from reading her books or trying any transmutations, Twilight couldn't very well shut off her mind. She had still been thinking about her experiment each day afterward, trying to pin down the mistake she had missed. She did believe that she was not ready - the hole in her carpet where the burn had been was proof enough of that.

Shining Armor leaned low, gently knocking his head against hers. "Cheer up, kiddo. The good thing about studying is that you can do it as often as you like. Plus, some tests can be retaken. You just need more time."

"Please don't encourage her."

With a confident grin that Twilight enjoyed, he stood back up and turned around. "I'm not. I just said she should take more time. That's fair, right?"

Velvet opened her mouth to reply, caught herself, and instead made a thoughtful hum. She gave a slight nod and said nothing.

Instantly, Twilight felt better. Her smile grew and, more importantly, became genuine.

All too soon, the train was seen. It wasn't terribly fancy by any extent, used mainly for state matters and collections. There were very few cars and only one locomotive, so naturally it didn't take long for the marvel of engineering to come to a full stop. The smoke it spewed out fell over the air and created a haze that was oddly comforting. Mercifully, the conductor at the front did not apply the horn this close to civilized space.

Then the mood shifted. The family was still smiling, but it was sad now, knowing that one of their number was going back to his duty. Shining Armor stood tall like the guard he was training to be, looking sharply at the train. Twilight and Velvet both lowered their brows, a bit of worry worming its way into their thoughts.

"I guess this is it, again," Twilight said. Her brother turned around to face her. "You won't wait so long to visit next time, will you?"

With a chuckle that broke his soldier-like stare, he shook his head. "I'll try my best, Twily, but it's not up to me."

"Why not?"

"There are other guards besides me, kiddo. They will want some vacation time too."

Twilight pouted. "Well then, just earn Guard Captain rank really quick and...put yourself at the top of the waiting list!"

They shared a laugh, then shared a hug. Shining Armor stepped up to his mother and shared one with her, too. Any words they said were whispered, but whatever they were prompted Velvet to hold on a little longer. By the time they pulled apart, she needed to wipe her eyes.

Barely a minute later, he was boarding the third car. There was plenty of room - this was the first stop of several, and he was in for a long trip just to get to the city only a few dozen miles away. He found a seat near a window, which he promptly opened to hold out a hoof to his family.

Twilight looked up at her mother. Velvet rolled her eyes, then bent low to the ground. Twilight scampered up on her back, gaining enough height to reach out to her brother one more time. The two siblings wrapped their forelegs around each other, as they had done some years ago when Shining Armor first departed.

"Take care of Mom for me, little sis. I'm off to save the world."

The next few moments were a blur. Before Twilight was ready, the train was moving down the track. She dropped off her mother's back and trotted alongside the cars until she ran out of platform. She kept her eyes on her brother's extended foreleg, until the train rounded the outskirts of town and disappeared beyond the rolling hills. The unmistakable sound of a train horn rang loud and clear.

Twilight and her mother stayed there for a few minutes, letting the feeling sink in. Now, as before, it was just the two of them. And yet, for a brief moment, Twilight felt a small spark of relief.

"Come on, sweetie. Let's head back."

Now she could devote more time to her puzzle.





It took a few hours longer than she would have liked to get back to her studies. Between stopping for a late lunch, chores around the house, and Velvet's sudden need for conversation, Twilight was worried she wouldn't be able to read until after sundown. Not to say that she was ungrateful, but simply that she was eager to continue her search. Of course, her last foray into the realm of alchemy made the simple act of reading a cautionary tale.

Ever since the incident with her mother's pillow, Twilight had been forced to keep her reading out in the open. The bookshelf in her room was now mostly empty, its contents migrated to another shelf in the living room. She was also simply banned from practicing alchemy in general. However, to her relief, she had been allowed to keep her personal notes. At first, it was rough to get accustomed to the less-private environment, though it hardly made a difference when Shining Armor clamored for activities every few hours. Besides, the giant hole where the burnt carpet had been cut out was distracting whenever she went to her room.

But now the house was quiet again. Thanks to the new rules and newer restrictions, very little was expected to happen. Shining Armor was on a train back to the capital, Velvet was relaxing with a novel of her own, and little Twilight Sparkle was enjoying the last bit of sun to fall on her favorite spot on the couch.

She scrunched her muzzle as she re-read her notes. The mistake with the pillow still weighed on her mind. She had some good guesses as to what had gone wrong, but Twilight still wanted to go over all she had in order to avoid something that embarrassing in the future.

Which meant starting from the beginning. "All matter is subject to balance," she whispered.

The rules, as she had learned them, were pretty simple. Transmutation required three things: knowledge of what she had, knowledge of what she wanted, and the materials to make the change occur. The paper being included in her last experiment was an accident, more embarrassing than harmful, yet it still taught her a lesson. The rules may have been simple, but they left a lot of room to make mistakes. So it was her own fault that mistakes were made.

Her using unicorn magic was unlikely to be the cause. Historically, unicorns made for successful alchemists because their abilities allowed for faster transmutations. It also helped that having telekinesis freed up a unicorn's hooves to draw or place circles whenever one was needed. Other races could use alchemy as well - pegasi often used their wings to aid in their transmutations, while earth ponies used the traditional method of simply laying their hooves on circles. In fact, every race usually kept that method regardless of what they used to spark a reaction. Despite that, earth pony alchemists were often overlooked because they lacked what the other races had.

But Twilight's magic? It was simple, yes, but it was still effective. Were it not, she never would have been able to use alchemy in the first place. As she had learned, the process to start a transmutation was relatively straightforward. The knowledge of the objects and the materials needed were ways to help get a clean transmutation, but even that needed a catalyst. The magic of telekinesis was popular because it simply took the force required to lift and move objects, then reapplied it to get a reaction started. Not to create energy, which was impossible, but to redirect it. Without such a spark, the reaction would never begin.

After stewing on the science behind the craft, Twilight remembered something else. Many of the books she had read often mentioned electrical activity, but they didn't go into much detail, almost as though there wasn't enough about it worth including. Yet the transmutation she had performed included a lot of it, to the point that her coat was singed and her carpet got burned. Why had the books not mentioned something like that?

All matter is subject to balance, she repeated in her head. Her magic might be antimatter, but it still affected the world around her. Maybe it was her magic...maybe she had simply poured too much power behind what should have been a simple transmutation. Such rookie mistakes were common, in fact. Many young unicorns would often misjudge the power needed to lift and carry objects, which could result in a variety of accidents. A popular one was a swollen nose by pulling too strong on an object and having it speed toward the caster. Eventually, unicorns would learn to push just enough power behind their magic to get what they needed. There were a talented few who were so skilled at this that they made their magic flow around them like a current.

If Twilight had made such a mistake, it would explain everything that went wrong in addition to what went right. The pillow had been repaired with the correct material, but because she had pushed too strongly, the paper had been consumed as well. Plus, the literal sparks of activity were too much, which caused the very distinct burn in the floor. She shuddered. If she had pushed any harder, she really could have set the house on fire. That would have ruined Shining Armor's visit rather spectacularly.

Nonetheless, if her mistake was being too eager, then a second experiment was in order. It was a shame that she was grounded.

"Wow. You're still at it?"

Twilight Sparkle squeaked and looked up. Her mother was standing at her shoulder, looking over her daughter at the scribbles in the notebook. Her expression was blank except for a small frown tugging at her mouth.

The filly hesitated, then slowly cast her gaze down and closed the journal. "Oh...okay."

"Hm? What was that for?"

"I'm sorry. I was spending too much time on this again wasn't I?"

A very heavy few seconds passed between them before Velvet's ear twitched. She had realized something. "Don't apologize, sweetie. You haven't done anything wrong."

That was unexpected. Velvet had been getting on to her for the last several weeks, so Twilight was surprised to hear something different. The filly looked back up, waiting for more.

"Ah, I...you...you really do like this stuff, don't you?"

Twilight ran the edge of her hoof along the spine of her notebook. "Well, yeah. It's interesting to read about a power that anyone can use, plus the things it's been used for already."

"Interesting enough to try it yourself?"

"W-well, I mean..." Twilight didn't like being put on the spot by her mother, especially when they were obviously going to talk about the pillow incident again. "Yes, and I'm still sorry for what I did. I just wanted to see—"

In mid-sentence, Twilight felt herself pulled into a soft hug. Her mother had leaned low and brought her close. She began to comfort her.

"Hush, now. Hush. I don't want to hear any more apologies from you," Velvet said.

"M-Mom?"

After a moment, Velvet pulled back. Then she lowered herself to lay on her haunches, resting her head on the seat cushion - and putting herself at eye level with her daughter. "I've been going about this the wrong way. Will you tell me what you've learned?"

Maybe this was a trap. "Aren't you mad?"

"Not tonight, my little alchemist," Velvet teased. She gave an encouraging smirk. "I have gotten mad at you for this, but it's hardly stopped you. Maybe that means I should give it a chance, and give you—" She tweaked the filly's nose. "—another chance. I might just love it as much as you do, don't you think?"

Twilight decided, then and there, that if this was indeed a trap, then it was one she wouldn't regret. Her fears dispelled, she gave a wide grin and eagerly opened her notes again. With the ease and fluidity gained only by studying something many times, she began to explain all that she had taught herself with the aid of her research notes. She recalled real-world examples that had common themes and told them all like short stories. She began to babble more than once, and when she did, Velvet would simply lay a hoof on her head to bring her back down. And it went on like a pattern for nearly an hour.

By the end of it, Twilight's own excitement ebbed into simple hunger. She had accidentally talked so much that Velvet forgot to prepare their dinners. Thankfully, they had a steady supply of leftovers from Shining Armor's visit. Making a meal was a small task to meet. They ate. They talked. They ended up having a very fulfilling discussion on the risks of alchemy, the desire to try it anyway, and the need to take care when doing so. And before the night was done, with the notes explained and Twilight's desire now understood, they agreed on something.

Twilight's little trials could continue. Under supervision, of course. She had been lucky the first time, but they both knew that luck, like a house fire, was nopony's friend.

The following days, there was a noticeable change in the house. The confidence that only came from knowing that what Twilight was doing was now supported. She didn't need to hide anything now, and that was liberating. She read and studied and made practice tests in a second notebook, planning her moves instead of just making them. And when the afternoons came where she actually tried something practical, Velvet knew well in advance and even helped guide Twilight. With her mother's blessing, Twilight pursued the craft of alchemy with a calm yet firm determination.

Thankfully, there were no accidents.

For a time.











> 2.1: Horrible Company
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





The town was beyond the hills now. The ponies who had been at the station would have gone back, probably to get a pastry from the bakery or simply clean their home. His home - he needed to remind himself of that. He may be living in the mountainside city now, but home would always be where his family was. Just because he wasn't satisfied with Ponyville didn't make it any less important to him.

He was born there. He was raised there. He had learned where his passions were while he was there. It was, and would remain, a place he could return when he needed to. But for all that, his future was elsewhere. His future was in Canterlot. Or so he thought at the time.

A wan smile crossed his face as he turned away from the window. His trip was going to take a long time, and he had seen enough country for a while. Shining Armor needed something else to occupy his time. With a small grunt, he reached into the compartment above, rummaging through his saddlebags there. He pulled out an assortment of small books.

It didn't take long for him to return each and every one. Twilight was the social shut-in, not him, and besides, the books were all far too technical for his understanding. He needed something more engaging. As boredom threatened to set in, he looked around his car for something to do.

The train was due to make a large trip across the central circuit of the state, picking up soldiers and delegates in several towns. Ponyville was the first, so his car was empty except for him. A schedule he had been given showed another four stops before reaching the city, with a three-hour layover halfway along to give the passengers and crew some time to rest. That stop was in Hoofington, near the coast, and the schedule put the arrival in just under five hours. Thankfully, Fillydelphia was between here and there, so there were bound to be more passengers coming on by then.

Which still doesn't help me now, Shining thought. He frowned at the empty car, then turned back to the window. Nope, still grass and hills out there.

He had a long trip ahead of him. Plenty of time to spend with his thoughts.

His thoughts were horrible company.





His thoughts were better company than this.

"It was around that time," a stallion who wanted to be called Pappy went on, "that I discovered that I could fly! Now, I know what you're thinking, son. 'This old kook is crazy. He doesn't even have wings!' Well it's true, let me tell you! I had discovered a chemical bond that allowed me to fly free as a baby bird!"

A baby bird can't fly, gramps.

It hadn't started like this. The layover in Hoofington had been refreshing, and Shining Armor had been able to tour the city around the station. It wasn't as grand as the capital, but it had its charms. The locals there were friendly and open, always willing to share a tale of bygone days. He had been given directions whenever he needed some, which let him shop and eat and enjoy the rare sight of the ocean. The rumors he had heard were true: the spray of the sea was invigorating. Shining had made a mental note to return one day in time to watch the sun rise over the water.

However, his brand of luck allowed an elderly stallion to take a liking to him. Pappy had insisted on being seated in front of Shining Armor in the train, because of course this car had conversation-style seating where each seat faced another before starting the next. There were other passengers now, having boarded from Hoofington or Fillydelphia before that, yet they all gave a wide berth to Pappy. A few shot Shining Armor pitiful looks.

The train was now just over an hour into the second half of the circuit. That left two more stops before Canterlot...and another six hours, at least.

"It wasn't until that same night, heh, when I was reading my journal while stuck to the ceiling that I found my mistake! See, son, I wasn't actually flying - how could I, when I don't have any wings!" Pappy took a long moment to laugh. And a longer moment to breathe. "Ahh, you see, my mistake was in the chemical makeup of my potion. It didn't let me fly at all. It instead let me ignore the laws of gravity! Eh heh heh!"

Shining bit back his groan, but couldn't stop his hoof from slapping his forehead. Six hours of this? Suddenly, he envied pegasi.

"Oh!" Pappy gasped. "Are you okay? Did you get a bug?"

"Bug..."

"Sonny?"

With a steady breath through his nostrils, Shining Armor lowered his hoof. His forehead stung where he had hit it. "Nope," he said. "It's still here."

"You ought to open the window, then! It may fly out, but a good air current will blow it away, too." The old coot smiled proudly.

Shining did his best to not scoff. However, he did take Pappy's suggestion and magically lowered the window. The air of the eastern coast swept through his portion of the train car. It wasn't as refreshing as the air in Hoofington had been, but the scent of the spray and meadows was still enough to calm him down a little bit. Shining soon found himself staring at the countryside.

"Ahh, feel that air!" Pappy said. No doubt, wearing that same smile. "Brings back memories of my heyday. You ever camped on a mountain in the middle of the sea, son?"

Shining turned back to his company. Pappy was looking right at him; his eyes were much sharper than Shining would have expected. They seemed to read him, but if the stallion was annoyed, he made no sign of it. Impressed, Shining Armor made a mental note to learn such a trick. "Can't say that I have, no. I didn't grow up near the sea."

"No? Shame, that. There's nothing quite like the sound of waves lapping on the rocky shore, or the sight of foam curling around a cluster of rock. And at night? Oh, boy, you got to be prepared for what you see at night."

Oh, good. More stories. "Is that right?"

"Eh heh heh! That's the truth! Why, one summer long ago, I was exploring some deep caves out near Stableside...looking for a special algae, mind you! Years of erosion had turned the stone into so many natural knives, and when I saw them just past sunset, it was no different than falling into the open mouth of a dragon! Nearly tripped and fell onto those rocky teeth!"

"How fortunate that you kept your balance."

"Isn't it, though? Eh heh! So you say you've never been to the ocean?"

"What?" Shining Armor shook his head. "No, no, I've been a couple times. I just wasn't raised near one. I grew up inland. Ponyville." He mentally kicked himself for saying that. Who knew how much that had encouraged the coot to keep talking?

"You don't say? That's just a little ways west of the capital, isn't it? Tiny hamlet, intermixed, known for its apple orchard?"

"Yeah. That's the one."

"Hum..." Pappy paused, his eyes never moving from Shining Armor. "Why are you on this train, then?"

Oh, for goodness' sake, I might as well tell him. It'd give me a break from his voice. With a poorly-hidden scowl, Shining Armor leaned against his seat's rest. "I'm headed back up to Canterlot. Need to continue my guard training and get back to active duty."

"Oh, I figured that much already," Pappy dismissed. "I asked why this train. It's quite a trip just to go one city over, don't you think?"

"Pheh, don't I know it. No, there is an express that heads from the capital to my hometown and back, but it wasn't due to arrive until tomorrow. And today is my last day of leave. It had to be this train, or walking."

"A six-hour train trip or nothing? Not much of a choice, eh heh!"

"Six hours? Oh, you're thinking about travel time from Hoofington. I came on earlier." For the first time, Shining Armor let his annoyance at the long commute slip into his voice. It wasn't much different than his annoyance with Pappy, but at least it made him feel better. Justified. Maybe. "This seat has been my home for the last ten hours. I left home just after breakfast."

"Ooh. Suddenly, I'm sorry that I laughed."

"Not like it's your fault." He noticed a subtle shift in Pappy, but he went on. "It's loud and annoying and aggravates me, but as long as it works, it can't be wrong. It gets me where I need to be, so I can work with it." In most cases.

For a moment, Pappy didn't respond. In fact, he seemed distracted by something to Shining Armor's left. Curious, he turned against his rest and peered. What he saw made him go deathly still.

Standing next to him, his arrival completely silent, was an officer of the Republic. Shining first saw the blue-and-silver colors of his uniform, neatly ironed and decorated with a selection of ribbons. The second thing he noticed was the unmistakable golden cloves that signified a rank of Major. Finally, he saw that the newcomer was not looking at him but instead at Pappy. Unlike Shining Armor, this officer had no trouble showing his feelings.

"Keeping company, Uncle?"

"Bah!" Pappy spat. "Come to drag me back to work? Leave me be."

"It can't be work if you're never around to do it." The newcomer - another earth pony, though far younger than Pappy - looked down to Shining Armor and gave him a warm smile. "Afternoon. I see you've met my uncle. I hope that he hasn't disturbed you."

Shining violently flinched as training kicked in. He righted himself, snapping his back as straight as he could manage while also lifting his foreleg in salute. In his haste, he only succeeded in visibly jumping in his seat and smacking his snout. "S-sir!" he stammered. "He was no t-trouble at all!"

To his mounting shock, the officer only laughed. "What's this, then? I...oh, right, the pins. I wish I could be rid of them, but technically I'm still on the clock." He looked back to Pappy.

"Eh heh heh! You've scared the poor boy!" Pappy wasted a moment to slap his seat in his giggling fit. "He's a recruit, himself. And here he is, caught out of uniform by a superior officer!"

Shining Armor glowered at him. The air blowing in now did nothing to cool him off.

The major instead came to his defense. "Now, now, Uncle. I don't think that's quite what I'm here for. And you're the one embarrassing him, I might add. What have I told you about playing nice?"

"Bah!" Pappy repeated. "Playing nice is for fillies and fools! What I'm having is my own brand of fun, and don't you think you can stop me!"

"Of course not. How poor of me to forget." The major turned back to Shining Armor. "I'm sorry about him. He tends to get antsy on long train rides."

This one's a regular detective, Shining thought. Aloud, he said, "No need for apologies, sir. There was no harm done." His snout throbbed in protest.

"Hm. Well, I hope you haven't come to rely on him. Come on, Uncle," he went on, "this is not your car."

"I can sit where I please!"

At this, the major's tone shifted. Not threatening, but sharper nonetheless. "Not against the itinerary, and definitely not at the expense of your own family. The meeting has been done for over twenty minutes! I've been waiting! And if this were to happen when we arrive at the capital, the Princess will have much more than usual to say."

Pappy grumbled.

"Tick-tick, Uncle!"

"Fine! Hmmph. You wouldn't speak like that to me if I still had my gravity potions..."

"I wish you did. We wouldn't need trains." The major stepped back, then he and his uncle promptly left. As they went, Pappy shot a knowing grin at Shining Armor, while the major gave him another apologetic one. No sooner did they close the car's door did Shining deflate. He allowed the sudden, welcome vacancy to sink in while he breathed deeply of the coastal air.

Glad it's not me, he mused. Then, in a moment of elation, he laughed.

His remaining trip went by smoothly. As the hills of the coast swept past his window, Shining Armor found himself invested in one of his books, though he would go on to admit that it was only so he could forget the entire affair. Barring a couple uptight and upset passengers making scenes, the train ride was blissfully peaceful. The next stop, New Saddle, came and went almost unnoticed. Hours passed, and Stalliongrad was the same. Finally, as the train left for the final stretch of its journey, Shining Armor settled in for a short nap. And nothing, glorious nothing, happened.

What awaited him when he awoke was a different matter.

It was the dead of night when the harsh creaking of the train's brakes roused him. He awoke gently, but was almost instantly alert. Outside, the busiest train station in the country awaited his awe. Even now, hours past midnight, ponies hurried from one end of the platform to the other, disembarking from other cars only to board awaiting ones. He noticed with large relief that the platform just outside his train was mostly empty. No surprise there; this was a federal line, and Canterlot was its last stop besides.

Train staff members wasted no time in asking the passengers to rise. Not wanting to hold them up (they had made the entire trip too, after all), Shining Armor was among the first to stand and stretch his legs. He levitated his saddlebags down, stored the book he had read and misunderstood, and tightened the straps just a bit too much. He preferred it that way; one less thing to worry about. However, he happened to glance back up to the overhead compartment to make sure he didn't forget anything, and he saw something that he didn't expect: a second set of bags, this one much smaller than his own.

Curious, he pulled the second pair down to his level. While his saddlebags were the standard-issue blue of a recruit, these ones were a faded tan. They were thin and had frayed straps, though the straps looked younger than the bag itself. Replaced along the way, most likely. Shining Armor didn't dare to open the bags to see what they contained, but he did turn them in his magic to look for something that would tell him who the owner was. Sadly, there wasn't anything to clue him in.

Could somepony have used the opposite seat while he slept? He looked around his car, but every other passenger had their luggage accounted for. Maybe a passenger from a previous trip? Not likely; it was doubtful that anything was left behind on any official transport. Maybe it belonged to the train staff? No, they kept their belongings in a separate car. So who could have-

He paused, groaned, and closed his tired eyes in annoyance. This probably belongs to that codger.

One of the train's conductors reached his seat. Shining swallowed his pride and resolved to try and find Pappy on the platform to see if the old bags matched the old bag. He carried it next to him as he entered the aisle and waited for those ahead of him to disembark.

I'll just pass this along to him and go to bed, he planned. No need to get into any more conversations with him. His nephew probably has a schedule to keep anyway, so with any luck the both of them will be just as eager to get out of here as I am. No amount of crazy stories is worth losing any time.

"Hey!" a unicorn up ahead shouted. "What's with the delay? Some of us have work in the morning!"

Yep, me too. Wait, what delay? Shining Armor craned his neck around the other passengers, only to see that the ones at the train's doorway were being held back. A soldier, her eyes hidden beneath a beret, was standing in their path and refused to move.

"What's going on?" another one asked. "Is there something wrong with the train?"

"Look out there. A whole bunch of guards ran up ahead. Can you see where they are?"

"What happened? Are we being searched?"

That got Shining's attention. Tired as he was, his leave time was technically over. He moved back into his seat (ignoring the dirty look the conductor gave him) and stuck his head out the still-open window. The other ponies were right: a large group of Republic guards had gathered outside one of the train cars further up. They had formed two lines on either side of that car's doorway, and one guard stood between them at the end. All of them were at full attention. Shining Armor squinted, but he couldn't make out any of their faces.

A moment later, he saw a stallion step out of the car. It was one he recognized as the major from earlier. The officer quickly cast his gaze up and down the platform before joining the other guard in-between the two lines. Like the rest, the major snapped to attention and looked back to the car he had just left. Concerned, Shining Armor looked at the same spot. Other ponies in his car took his idea and stuck their heads out of whatever windows they could reach.

Suddenly, the entire group of guards raised their forelegs in a unified salute. As they did, another passenger stepped off the train, clad in more of the blue-and-silver that distinguished an officer of the military. His gait was slow yet still assured, obviously a trait of one in command. At that moment, Shining Armor knew: there was a high-ranking officer on the train with them. Someone even the major had to obey.

"Oh," someone in his car said. "They're letting off a soldier. Somepony important."

"You think so? Who is it?"

"I heard we had a senior staff member here with us. Maybe that's him?"

"Senior is right. Look at that head!"

Just like with the major, Shining Armor recognized Pappy as he returned the salute. There could be no mistaking that bald head.

"I see him! Hey, that's the commanding officer of the coastal branch, isn't he?"

"Not anymore. That job went to a younger colt, but I think you're right. That must be the brigadier general."

"Who cares about what he is! I'm done with this train and want to be let off!"

"Oh, they're leaving now. I think...ah, yep, they're all headed toward the exits. Are we good to go, then?"

"Excuse me? Did you want to get back in line?"

Shining Armor barely felt the hoof of someone tapping him and repeating the question to him. He stared dumbfounded at the party of guards and soldiers as they left. Suddenly, the old bags in his magical grip felt much heavier. As the seconds passed, he saw Pappy turn and catch his eye. The stallion opened his mouth in a wide grin. Even at that distance, Shining Armor could see the laughter dancing in his gaze.
> 2.2: Changes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





The summons had arrived early in the morning. On official parchment, no less: Shining Armor's presence was requested in the military quarter's Administration Building before noon. He was also to bring along a certain forgotten bag from his train ride. The scroll was the first thing he had seen when he awoke, and the last thing he wanted to see at all. He had barely any time to sleep.

Even now, as the door to a freshly-painted office stood open for him, he felt his stomach doing aerobatic stunts. The summons prompted all of his sour memories from the day before to replay in his mind, and more than once he mistook someone's rushing hoofsteps for the start of Pappy's trademark cackle. His anxiety stole his senses to the point that be barely saw the inside of the office.

Eventually, one of the building's aides had to coax him inside to await the brigadier general's arrival. The smell of paint was stifling. The one sense he kept. Curse my luck.

For the second time in as many days, he was left with his own horrible company. To his credit, he had managed to keep Pappy's saddlebags shut tight. He was certain that whatever awaited him would be much worse if he poked around. Besides, the bags probably didn't have anything important. Just some personal items for a private bathroom, maybe. Or even a forgotten lunch. Eugh. Whatever it was, it was none of Shining's business, and he pointedly looked away from it as often as he could. Which, he quickly realized, was only because he kept looking back to it again and again.

He swallowed. He had skipped breakfast - the scroll had stolen his appetite, too. A good, oversized sandwich would be wonderful. Where was that old man? The sooner this was over and done, the sooner he could get back to important things. Like unpacking from his trip, and visiting his marefriend, and a million other things that did not involve sitting and waiting in a cluttered room. That was also true; a number of boxes, most open to the paint-heavy air, were stacked all around the room. Appropriately, there were also several shelves and cabinets lining the walls, waiting to be filled. Shining Armor appreciated the tasks for what they were, wishing he had one to occupy his time. Come ON, you old bag, I don't have—

There was a heavy thunk just behind him, followed by a dreadful sound. "Eh heh heh! Well, good morning!"

Curse his luck. He was so focused on his own thoughts that he had forgotten to listen. Remembering where he was — and, more importantly, who was with him — Shining Armor turned and snapped off a salute. At least this time he was in proper dress.

Both of them were, for that matter. Pappy was grinning at him over the sharp blue of his own uniform, decorated at both shoulders with a number of ribbons. The silver star of his rank shone in the sunlight of a nearby window. He kept his cover tucked inside one of his pockets, but even that was immaculately clean and crisp. The sight of his bald head, oddly smoother than yesterday (Oil? Probably oil.), also caught the light and gave yet another distraction.

Shining Armor pushed past it all. "Good morning, sir!"

"Ahh, none of that, none of that." Pappy waved off the salute and strode in like he owned the place. How fitting. "You're here as my guest! No need to get right to business."

"Sir, I was summoned with official documentation."

That gave him pause. Pappy glared at the scroll like it had personally offended him. "Of course you were." He sighed, a deep, throaty thing that sounded like it came from a swamp. "Well, if you have to be like that, then I'm hereby commanding you to loosen up. You just came off leave, didn't you?"

Shining had no idea how to take that. As Pappy walked past him, he let his foreleg fall. "I...yes, sir, I did." He heard the general muttering to himself about paper trails and red tape.

"Well, give the thing here, and I'll see to it that it gets signed in triplicate and passed up the bureaucratic ladder like the good dog I am."

Hesitant, Shining Armor handed off the scroll. Pappy casually tossed it onto one of the many open boxes, where it settled in next to a series of other scrolls and parchments. Without missing a beat, he pulled a marker out from somewhere Shining didn't see and drew a large black circle on one side. With that done, the general tossed the marker too, where it landed with a clatter somewhere behind Box Towers Five and Seven. Shining Armor winced. That looked like an expensive marker.

"One of these days, my boy. I swear, one of these days, I'll do away with all this paperwork nonsense! In its place, we'll go back to stone and chisel!" Three resounding laughs pierced the air. "We'll end up eating through the entire mountain before the weekend!"

"Th-that's, er...very inspired, sir."

"Ah, stop it, you're practically a rock yourself! Didn't I tell you to loosen up?"

"Yes, sir—"

Oh wait. That had been a command.

With a long moment to think, during which Pappy gave him a stern stare-down, Shining Armor allowed himself to relax. Not completely, no way — just enough to feel his shoulders drop and his neck to lean forward, releasing the strain of standing straight. He saw Pappy subtly nod in approval.

Well, okay. Let's tear off this bandage. Shining Armor looked at the other stallion square in the eye. "I apologize for my behavior yesterday, sir. It was unbecoming of me, even if I didn't know who you were."

To his shock, Pappy waved that off, too. "Bah! If I wanted you to know anything, I'd have made it easy on ya!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Eh heh! You gave an old pony something to do during the train ride! Something far more engaging than a tactics meeting inside a giant metal death-trap, that's for sure. It was only a matter of time before Carrot Cake collected me, of course, but I'm grateful for the distraction." Pappy stepped forward and clapped Shining on his back. The impact stung something fierce. "For that matter, I should apologize for putting you through all that! I bet seeing me in uniform made the rest of the night pretty rough, eh?"

"That's...one way of putting it, yes."

"Hope you didn't lose sleep over this little prank, my boy."

On cue, Shining felt the urge to yawn. He wisely stomped all over that urge.

Pappy spared a moment to look around his new office, shaking his head at the state of things. It was then that he noticed the faded tan bags resting at Shining's hooves. "Oh, there it is!"

"Ah! Yes." Shining Armor wrapped the saddlebags in his telekinesis, then passed them along. Pappy fed his foreleg through one of the open straps. "I assume this is yours? It was left above my seat yesterday."

"I'm glad you found it! This holds some important stuff." Pappy nosed the main pocket open and glanced inside.

Shining didn't admit it, but he was expecting a sharp odor of spoiled food to escape the bag and was somewhat disappointed when none came. "I made sure to keep it secured, sir. Nobody has opened it before now."

"Heh, not like these would do you any good." With a steady spin, Pappy upended the bag over one of the nearby boxes. A selection of folders and clipboards slid out, neatly arranged and still looking new. "I could've used these at that meeting, but...well, what's done is done, yeah? At least I'm not set too far behind. Do you know what these are, son?"

Shining Armor stole a glance at some of the paperwork. He couldn't see any distinguishing words, but he did see some photos of ponies he didn't recognize. There were also big red stamps of CONFIDENTIAL set in the corners of several papers. Okay, so maybe one distinguishing word. "No, sir."

"Pegasus dossiers. Some soldiers and Republic Alchemists that spend their whole lives in the clouds. Still, they're good eggs, so they're being transferred to my command. Like I'm supposed to know what's best for a bunch of featherheads!" Pappy shook his head again, this time at the contents of his bag. "At least we're using the good paper for this nonsense instead of these damnable scrolls."

Experience with his sister had taught Shining that it was generally a bad idea to interrupt somepony mid-rant. He waited patiently for Pappy to lose steam. As the seconds ticked by, he gazed about the cluttered room again, not really seeing anything amid the mess. He was watching a carpet beetle retreat into the floors by the time the officer finally ran short of breath. With the grace he was trained for, he returned his gaze forward just in time to catch a question.

"You said you were here to become a guard, yes? Looking to serve the Republic?"

"Yes, sir," he replied. Shining noticed once again that Pappy's eyes were much sharper than his smile let on. Perks of being a leader, perhaps.

"To what end?"

"I wish to lead a squad of my own some day."

"Oh yes?" Pappy's smile returned with vigor. "Captain Shining Armor? Eh heh, that has a nice ring to it!"

"That's the plan..." Shining Armor paused. Something wasn't right. "Uh, pardon me sir, but...ahh..."

Almost like he expected this, Pappy casually reached into one of the boxes - the one with the fresh circle on the side - and pulled out another file. This one was much lighter than the ones from his bag, and also had Shining's name on it.

Pappy answered the question before it was asked. "I took the time to learn your name, my boy. Don't act so shocked. It's my job to know more than you!"

Suddenly all the anxiety from earlier came rushing back. He swore the paint on the walls was now giving off a sweltering heat. Maybe he could duck under the carpet like the beetle? Or hey, if Twilight could burn a hole in it...

"After we parted ways yesterday, I looked into your file. Color me impressed! If you truly aspire to lead your own squad, then I think you're well on your way, son. I wish I had a soldier like you in my ranks."

Were the walls closing in? Oh, nevermind, the towers of boxes were growing larger. Much better. Maybe he would get lucky and have them topple over him. Death by box tower suddenly appealed to Shining Armor - anything to avoid hearing what he knew Pappy was going to say.

"Though that does put you at a disadvantage, doesn't it? Ah! You don't know my name yet, do you?" He gave a curt nod. "Like I said earlier, Pappy'll do just fine, but if you see anything signed by one Poppy Seed? That's me."

Poppy Seed? Uncle to Carrot Cake? Am I in the bakery back home, now? Is this an oven nightmare?

With an innocent smile and those too-sharp eyes, Pappy threw the file down with a satisfying smack. "Hope you haven't unpacked yet, recruit! Get ready to swap bunks, because I'm your new C.O."

Shining felt a twitch at the base of his horn. Someone, please, just send me to the sun.





New orders. On the first day back. He hadn't even returned to his duty, and he was already set with new orders. Reassignment! The nerve of that general, making a decision like this! Surely there had to be something to fight this, right? Something hidden in the chain of command? Though the fact that it was a brigadier general made the chain more like a carabiner. One of those specially-made, Pega-Rescue ones that could support a bison.

"Ugh."

"Hm?"

"Tired."

Shining Armor had left the stuffy office only a half-hour ago. The heat of the sun was barely better outside than in. He had put the Administration Building behind him without looking back, fleeing from the nuthouse if he were honest. Nothing about the last two days had been good for his mood.

Well...if he were, again, honest, then that wasn't true. There were two things that made him smile. The first was the sight of his sister waving after him as his train left the countryside. The second was walking next to him.

Still... "Very tired."

To his left and setting their pace, a bubblegum-pink pegasus mare gave a mirthful giggle. "Sorry! I know I should have waited for tonight, but I was just too anxious!"

"Don't talk to me about anxiety, Cadance. Just don't. Please?"

She was a noble. That alone was rare for a pegasus, since Canterlot was largely populated by the unicorn elite. But more than that, she was the envy of nearly every mare in the city. Cadance, as she preferred to be called, was every inch a Canterlot ten, and she maintained her grace and stature without any actual lineage to speak of. She had been adopted by the Princess when she was still a filly, and cultured to exemplify the absolute best of the realm. All without access to magic.

Some rumors still crept around that the Princess had taken her in as part of a challenge or dare. Some other nay-sayers swear that the whole thing was a ploy for some dastardly plot. A few would claim, between pints of drink, that Cadance herself was the real royalty, while Luna was a figurehead being strung along. Baseless conjecture, the whole of them. Shining Armor knew better.

What he didn't know was why she had taken an interest in him. By rights, she was totally out of his league. But he had stopped questioning it a long time ago.

"Aww," she crooned. It was surely a mock, yet she said it in a way that left him wondering. "The poor soldier is sleepy. He's been away on too many missions of grave import. Should we stop at a hotel and let the weary warrior rest his heavy head?"

He hid a smirk beneath a foreleg. "Only if I can use your wings for a blanket."

With another giggle, Cadance gently placed her wing over his withers and pulled. Their shoulders touched, and soon their muzzles did too.

"I missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you too." 

This was the best part about returning to Canterlot. His lifelong dream of serving as a guard was well and good, but having a marefriend like Cadance? Few things in existence could compare. Anything that did would quickly be overshadowed. They had only been together for a year, but he was certain that she was all he needed. Some day soon, he would work up the courage to tell his family about her.

The moment of tenderness passed, and they resumed walking. This part of Canterlot was always busy but rarely crowded, so they made good time in their journey to nowhere. Other guards and soldiers nodded in greeting, many of them also looking at Cadance with an odd expression. Normally, civilians would never have been allowed so far in this part of the city, but she was the exception. Being the adopted niece of the monarch carried more privileges than could be counted.

Shining Armor finally got his oversized sandwich by the time noon rolled around. During lunch, he told Cadance all about his visit to Ponyville, saving the story with Twilight's alchemy for last. She reacted at all the right moments, even going so far as to question him about alchemy as well. To his embarrassment, he had to admit that he knew nothing about it.

It was just past two in the afternoon when he told her what had happened that morning. They were headed back to the barracks to collect his luggage by the time he finished. "Reassignment?" she asked.

"Means I'm being taken out of my troop and placed in another. Pap— uh, the brigadier general wants to personally oversee my progress. It's a nightmare."

Cadance casually stepped around some loose stone. "It can't be that bad. You're not off the career path, are you?"

Shining Armor scoffed, half-annoyed and half-relieved. "No, thank goodness. I'm still gonna be able to work toward my dream. I just have to do it with an entirely new commanding officer. A senior staff member, of all ponies." He turned to Cadance, an idea striking him. "Is that allowed? Can generals even do that?"

"Ponies take on apprentices all the time, dear. In your case, it's...definitely unusual, but not unheard of."

He groaned and turned his head forward. "So there's a history of it? Rats. Anything you can do, then?"

With a gasp, Cadance stopped and swatted his side with her wing. "Shining Armor! Are you suggesting I use my status to get you out of a situation you don't like?"

A grin broke out in spite of his fatigue. "Well, I wasn't gonna say it like that, but..."

Whap. The pegasus had turned to face him fully and added her other wing to the mix. The resulting blast of air completely mussed his mane. "The nerve!" she said. "To imply that I would attempt to undermine control of our realm's leadership just to get you out of a jam!"

The grin grew wider. Shining Armor looked directly into his marefriend's eyes. "You could always ask the Princess for a favor. That wouldn't be undermining anyone - that'd be coming from the top!"

Whap whap! His mane was well and truly tangled now.

"You're terrible today!" she chided.

"One of us has to be."

"Oh!" She huffed and turned away, stiffly walking down the path without waiting for him. Shining laughed, and it felt so much better than before. He didn't even notice the heat of the sun anymore.

Barely a minute later, after he had caught up with her, she spoke up again. "Is it really that bad, Shining Armor?"

Shining took a moment to both fix his mane and to seriously consider the question. "Probably not," he admitted. "I bet I'm just letting the trip and the lack of sleep get to me. I don't even know this guy, you know? He's just some old pony I met on the train."

Cadance gave a smirk of her own. "An old pony who is an officer, and one you probably insulted."

"And one who has casually poached me from my troop," he added. "To be fair, I don't know a thing about him...besides his cruel sense of humor. With any luck, that's not all he has to give."

A few seconds passed before Cadance draped her wing over his shoulders again. "I'll talk with my aunt about it. I can't promise to undo Mister Seed's decision, but maybe I can find something out about him for you."

They stopped a second time. Shining Armor let his shoulder brush against her own. "You don't have to, Cadance."

To his surprise, he felt her squeeze him with her wing. It was more than a hug; she was trying to make a point. "I know that. But if he's accidentally doing something to stop you from carrying on your father's work, then I'd like to help. That's the whole reason you're here, after all. Nopony should keep you from that."

Yeah. Dad.

Shining Armor hesitated, then smiled at her. She had a small blush that made her pink coat turn dark, and she gave the tiniest of squeaks when he wrapped his foreleg behind her neck and pulled them even closer.

"Hey," he murmured, "don't sell yourself short. I'm here for more than just my dad now, remember? A year ago, I met a nice little featherhead with a great personality. She doesn't look too bad, either, and she's got a rich aunt. She seems to like me for some reason, and I'll stay as long as it takes to figure out why."

Finally, as though he had just broken her down, Cadance laughed. It wasn't just the classy chuckles from before, but rather a joyful expression caused from so much ridiculousness. Her laughter rang out across the yard, drawing the attention of several soldiers leaving the commissary. Seeing their reactions only made her laugh a little longer, and by the time she was done, she had to wipe away tears.

For good measure, she shoved him out from under her wing and tucked it back to her side. "Can't believe I missed you," she muttered behind a smile.

Shining Armor swooped back in and planted a kiss on her cheek. He felt the warmth of her blush.

"Fine!" she said after a moment to recover. "Fine. If you insist, Shining Armor, I'll be your anchor. I suppose I can take at least this much pity on a tired little guard."

Shining pulled back and grinned. "Thank goodness. I kind of like it here."

They parted ways shortly after. Cadance started on the path back to the palace and to her aunt, leaving Shining Armor to re-pack some essentials and prepare to haul it to some entirely different barracks. As it happened, many of the soldiers-in-training were already told of the change, and gave him varying degrees of praise. Many of them thought it was a good thing to have a brigadier general in their corner, and many more tried to ask Shining Armor for favors. Shining used that to his advantage, and he walked comfortably while some other off-duty soldiers carried his saddlebags for him.

After going through some paperwork and meeting some new faces, Shining Armor settled in to a new space that, of course, looked exactly like his old bunk. The ponies already there - another unicorn like him, two pegasi, and an earth pony - all gave him odd stares. He knew he was, once again, the new guy, just as he had been when he had enlisted. But that was okay; just like last time, he would earn his place and win their respect. It's what worked for his dad, and it's worked for him just as well.

As he moved to get his belongings squared away, he kept mulling over the last day and a half. The train ride had left him irritable, and the whole business with Pappy was something he'd just have to accept. But he knew, after all was said and done, that his ultimate goal was unaffected. He could still push himself toward his dreams, as long as his new commanding officer didn't do anything to interfere with it. Knowing his luck, something would happen anyway, but he figured he could take whatever it would be in stride. Pappy seemed nice enough, anyway. If anything bad happened, he was certain he could handle it.

Or so he thought at the time.










> 3.1: A Choice to be Told
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Twilight Sparkle sat in her room for a long time, staring at her gathered materials, wondering where the line was that divided 'cluttered' from 'messy' and how her mother could spot the difference. A mess was a mess, but surely clutter was just a means to an end. Tools and objects that one would need to work on something greater. Yeah, okay, the crumpled wads of discarded paper near the door were as far from useful as anything could get, and maybe her mother was on to something when she had trod over them first.

Still.

There was more to her setup than where she had missed her wastebin.

Her preparations had improved since her first attempt at alchemy. She now had a small tabletop on which to work as opposed to her carpet, at the insistence of her mother. The table wasn't very high off the floor of course, but it was enough. It even had a small space for a cup of water, though they both knew that was more for emergencies than actual drinking. Besides, Twilight was using that space to store a magnifying glass. If all went as planned, today wouldn't involve sparks.

Her work space was not messy, but it was definitely cluttered. Three heavy books stood open before her, one resting atop the other two like some mockery of a pyramid, with each of them decorated with little strips of colored paper that extended past the edges of their pages. Beneath the texts were small piles of loose paper and two curling parchments. Her personal notebook (third edition!) helped keep those open to her gaze. The contents of the notebook were reaching the margins, and indeed some parts drew smaller and closer when Twilight wrote them - thus, the magnifying glass - but they all were connected. She was sure of that.

Dare she think it? She was on the verge of a breakthrough.

Twilight shook her head. No distracting thoughts today! She wasn't going to spend time on anything practical anyway. For now, she spent her free time comparing her own theories against what her books claimed. For all she knew, a 'breakthrough' for her could simply be 'step three' for everypony else. Besides, she'll get to enjoy a break period soon. For now, there was a small puzzle to solve.

Committing one part of her notes to memory, she moved her gaze to the pyramid of open books and gently pulled the top one down toward her. All six pages instantly became revealed to her. She swept her eyes across them all, looking for what had started her tireless search in the first place.

"Ley...lines..." she muttered. "Ley...ley lines...come on..."

The words had come up before, of course, but what caused Twilight to focus on them was where she had seen them. Though she didn't understand all about them, she knew that ley lines were largely concerned with magic. The gift of telekinesis, seen in practically all unicorns, was thought to draw its power from these lines of energy. It was the prevailing theory, she knew, but it was odd to see a mention of them in her alchemy books. For the longest time, she had thought that alchemy with magic was possible because the alchemy used the magic as a spark. Something to get its own arrays started. Her latest reading, however, seemed to suggest that alchemy as a whole could tap into these ley lines on their own.

On the surface, it made sense. How else could one explain how pegasi and earth ponies performed alchemy so effectively? If access to ley lines were only through magic, and magic was only accessed by unicorns, then only unicorns could be alchemists. But if the alchemy itself were connected? Why, that stood ready to answer two of her most burning questions.

However, her information didn't go much further than that. That wasn't the discouraging thing, though - the puzzle she was trying to solve was why she couldn't remember reading anything that did tell her more. At first, she thought she was simply missing pieces. But she had been on this hunt for the last hour, and now it seemed as though the pieces simply didn't exist.

The six pages turned to twelve, then to eighteen. Her eyes glazed over as she reached the end. Drained and frustrated, she plopped her chin down on all of them without so much as worrying about bending the sheets. She stayed like that for a few minutes before magically lifting her notebook down and staring tiredly at the part she was trying to solve.

LEY LINES = ALCHEMY ?? RELATE TO TEL.KEN. ??

She had even circled LEY LINES twice. It was the latest burning question that, for once, she had not been able to soothe with an answer. These latest three books were the last of her study materials, and while it was true that she had mostly skimmed through them today, she was confident that she had found nothing.

Ugh. That was a depressing thought. Nothing aggravated her more than a broken puzzle.

She glanced at a nearby hourglass, just in time to watch the final few seconds of sand fall. It was mildly amusing. The sight told her that it was time for a break. Resigned to her results, she lifted her head from the books and proceeded to return them to their spots on her shelf. Thinking twice, she also properly picked up and disposed the wads of paper near her door. No reason to have an untidy workspace when there was no work being done.





In hindsight, Twilight should have expected a surprise. Her mother had been more insistent than usual about keeping a tidy room, and she only got like that when she expected company. Unfortunately, Twilight had been so engrossed in her broken puzzle that she had completely missed the sound of the front door, the soft tones of chatter downstairs, or the fact that her mother had stopped checking in on her some time ago.

Naturally, then, it was a pleasant shock to see both her mother and brother sitting in the living room, watching her enter with mischievous glints in their eyes. Twilight instantly snapped out of her stupor and leapt up to her brother.

It was quite a vocal leap. "Whaaaaaat??"

Twilight was lifted and crushed beneath the forelegs of her brother. "H-hey, Twily! Decided to finally poke your head out, you bookworm?"

"What is this? When did you get here? Why are you here? How did you get more leave time so soon? What are you wearing?"

"Slow down, kiddo!" Shining laughed. "Let's get you back to earth before I answer you, okay?"

Their hug was a little more insulated than other ones. Shining Armor had on what seemed to be the world's worst raincoat. A thin, gray, form-fitting material covered his body from chin to dock, stopping short of his tail and fetlocks. A hood was hanging behind his head almost pitifully, and the entire thing was held in place by a series of metal clasps lining his chest. It all looked very strange, but what made it a little more normal was a permanent mark at his shoulder: a grayscale version of his shield-and-star cutie mark.

This hardly made sense, Twilight realized. It had been only five months since Shining Armor's last visit, when Twilight had made a brutal experiment out of their mother's favorite pillow. None of them had expected another visit so soon. Twilight certainly wasn't complaining, though she did kick her legs in protest when she was magically lifted and held in midair for a moment while Shining looked and chuckled.

Velvet raised her eyebrows in gentle praise. "Oh, look at you! You're able to lift whole bodies now?"

"Yep!" Shining said. "It's my new unit. Our training has a greater focus on magic than my last one. Check this out!"

He proceeded to gently rotate Twilight's body until her mane fell toward the floor. She couldn't contain her own giggles at the sensation.

"Broad control," he went on, "with an emphasis on restraining all of their limbs at once. This one is specialized for pegasi! How do you like flying, Twily?"

"I feel dizzy!"

Laughing again, Shining Armor carefully righted her and set her on the floor. Twilight swayed on her hooves for a moment, shook her head, then jumped to join him on the couch. She playfully tugged at the smooth material of his strange clothing.

"So?" she asked as the material snapped back in place. "What's all this about?"

"I've got quite a bit of news for you both. Cadie though it would be better if I told it face-to-face instead of in a letter."

Twilight tilted her head. "Cadie?"

"That's part of the news. Comfy? It might take a while to get through it all..."

And it did. Shining Armor began by explaining his new unit, what they were doing, and how he was moved, with a reassurance every now and then that the change was not altering his goal of leading his own group one day. He went into detail about Pappy and his methods (though he summarized their first meeting). His unit, smaller than his previous one, was apparently a new outfit that sought candidates for more exhaustive training, headed by the brigadier general himself. Despite how he was recruited, he was not the last one brought in.

Velvet and Twilight interrupted with questions every so often. What was the brigadier general like? What was the deal with his name? Was Shining aware that Pappy had relatives in Ponyville? He answered what he could while trying to keep pace with his story, until finally Twilight broached the subject he was going to bring up next anyway.

"You look so silly in this!" she declared. For good measure, she poked and prodded the garment some more. "What is it? What's it for?"

Shining winced. "Hey, ow! Watch what you're pinching, you!" He put a few more inches between himself and his sister for security. All she did was giggle. "This is a special polyester undergarment for a set of standard armor. Part of my training has me go in full combat dress during some exercises. The armor comes in pieces—" he waved a hoof outward, which confused Twilight, "—so it's simple enough to put together, but the suit is much harder to put on than it is to take off, so I usually just wear it until the end of the day."

Twilight hesitated, then put a few inches between them on her own. "Ew."

"Hey! Rude."

Velvet couldn't hide what could only be described as a cautious grin. "You, um...you did wash that thing before boarding the train, right?"

He scoffed. "Nope. Maybe I didn't tell you. The only way to properly clean these suits is through spontaneous combustion." He shot a look at Twilight. "I was hoping for some help with that."

Twilight promptly hefted a nearby pillow and socked him in the face.

"Anyway," Shining Armor continued after setting the pillow aside, "today just happened to be different. I wanted to show you two the armor and how it was put on, so...well, like I said, this undersuit is a real chore to crawl into. I usually have somepony helping with the fitting. I figured it would make more sense just to wear it on the ride over rather than ask my sister or mother to help me out."

"Fair enough," Velvet said.

"That's for armor? Like the royal guard's armor?" Twilight asked from her end of the couch.

"Yep! Strictly speaking, it's a training set, so it's an older model. But it—"

"Where is it, huh? I wanna see!"

Shining gestured outward again. "I left it on the front porch for the time being."

"What? Why?"

"Here's a life tip, Twily...don't wear cold iron. Especially if it's meant to go around your entire body."

Twilight made a silent "oh" and glanced at her mother. Velvet shrugged, accepting the answer just as well.

A moment later, Shining Armor cleared his throat. "There are, uh, a couple more big things to tell you."

"Yes?" Velvet prompted. She and Twilight looked on.

To their surprise, Shining Armor blushed. He looked at the floor instead of them and absentmindedly scratched at the hem of his undersuit. "There's...this girl..."





Some time later, Velvet excused herself to the kitchen. Twilight was a little relieved at that; she had felt the air shift from happy to tense again, as she sometimes did when her mother and brother were in the same room. But unlike those times, Twilight could understand the change. She was just as shocked at the news as her mother had been. And what news it was.

Her brother had told them of his new marefriend, a pegasus noble named Cadance. He explained that they had met over a year ago, but he had been working up the nerve to tell his family about her. It was apparently a source of teasing within his units, both old and new, because Cadance was the adopted niece to the Princess. Such a relationship afforded him special privileges. Or rather, it was expected that he got them.

Of course he didn't act on them, he said. He was set on earning his commission the right way, not the fast way - which was ironic since Brigadier General Poppy Seed was effectively including more advanced training techniques with his drills, techniques he would normally not reach for another year. Yet in spite of all that, the largest bombshell Shining had to drop was what caused Velvet to leave the room.

He was going to be a father.
> 3.2: Parental Advice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





It wasn't often that Shining Armor got to run an errand with his sister. Usually it was he and his mother, or just Velvet. But after yesterday's news, he could easily tell that he needed to give his mother a little distance to process it all. So for today, he and Twilight were wandering the market stalls.

"How were you able to get extra off-duty time, anyway?" Twilight asked after a while of browsing. "I thought it would be another year before you could come home."

Shining turned away from some particularly fragrant apples. "Ah, that's thanks to Cadance. Well, both her and Pappy. She pushed hard to get me some advance leave time, and he understood the news being sensitive and all. So they came to an agreement for me."

"An agreement, huh?" She reached up and selected three apples, her head barely high enough to look over them. Shining held a bag open so she could roll them in, then paid the stall worker. "What kind of agreement?"

"It's a shorter leave than usual. I only have three days away from duty, not including travel time, and I had to postpone next year's leave by another few months."

"Why couldn't they give you more?"

"It was a tradeoff, Twily. Remember, Pappy has us all training extra each day, so having one of his recruits taken away has put a wedge in his plans. Want some more fruit?" He pointed to a nearby cherry stand, but moved on when his sister shook her head.

Twilight was undeterred. "I don't know. It doesn't seem fair, having a shorter off period. I mean...if they made you postpone, why not just let you have a week now?"

Despite himself, Shining smiled at her questions. "What? How is that fair?"

"You were only given three days!"

"I think I'll want some off-duty time next year, Twily. I'm not some machine!"

He suddenly felt a firm prod at his shoulder. "You certainly dress like one!" Twilight teased.

They continued their walk, Twilight choosing foods and Shining paying for them. He was thankful for the extra magic training he had received, since he had left his saddlebags at the house and the paper one was getting full. Lifting it was no problem, but keeping it aloft could get strenuous. Two years ago, he had very poor endurance; now it was barely a bother, and he improved every month.

As they reached the last of the food stalls, he asked a question of his own. "How mad do you think Mom was?"

Next to him, he saw his sister's ears droop. It wasn't a subject he enjoyed, but he really couldn't stand any more small talk. The way Velvet had responded after his news yesterday was nagging at him.

"It...looked pretty bad," she murmured. "I don't usually see her go quiet like that."

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Crap. Quiet anger was the worst kind.

"I can understand it, though. Well, some of it, I guess. You did just drop it on us."

"To be fair, Cadie dropped it on me, too. I didn't know until a month ago." Shining Armor blinked and shook his head. "No. Less than that."

"Big brother, you've been enlisted for only a couple of years, and you're starting a family. It seems like barely any time has passed."

"Would you forgive me if I said this was true love?"

Twilight giggled, but didn't look up. "I would, but...to quote you, big brother, you haven't even apologized."

"Heh. Got me there," he said as they rounded a corner. The next section of the market gave way to establishments instead of stalls and carts. Appropriately, the road was grooved with the tracks of wheels moving from one shop to the next. One side began with some furniture outlets, which moved on to specialty shops and a permanent dry food market. The other side only had a couple of buildings, one for wall art and another for flooring, both of which claimed to be endorsed by the Canterlot elite. On a regular day, Shining Armor and his mother might spend another hour or so browsing this part of town, discussing new ideas for the family home.

Neither Twilight nor Shining gave more than a glance to most of the storefronts. Today was not a day to shop for furniture.

"I'm kind of nervous, to be honest," Shining said at length.

"Oh. For Mom?"

"Well, that, sure. But I meant for me. And Cadie."

Twilight shot him a confused look. "You told me it was true love! Aren't you excited?"

"Yes! Sure. Maybe both, I guess?"

"Excited and nervous?" Twilight asked. Apparently the thought amused her.

"Yeah! It's like...excited-nervous. Nervouscited?"

"Ugh, don't. That just hurt my brain."

Shining Armor scoffed. "It's true, though. This isn't exactly something you're trained for, you know?"

This time, Twilight outright laughed. "Bah, ahaha! Big brother, there are books on the subject that are exclusively meant to prepare you for fatherhood!"

"Say what? Since when did you start reading parenting books?"

"I happen to read a lot, thank you!" Twilight was actually pouting. Since when did she do that? "And I don't read parenting books! I just saw an advertisement for one in a magic magazine I picked up one day."

"Oh yeah? Thank goodness. It'd be a cruel world when a little sister needs to give her older brother some advice on being a parent."

They continued past the various storefronts and around the local bakery, where they had to squelch their sudden desire for a treat. They already had apples; they didn't need any cinnamon cakes.  Although, such knowledge didn't stop Twilight from halting near its door and looking longingly inside. Shining Armor had to tap her head to get her to focus and follow him.

Now clear of the marketplace, they turned down a larger road, this one marked with much deeper grooves, and headed for home. It had been a good shopping run. A couple bags of flour, a water jug to replace an empty one, an extra large pack of strawberries, and a few apples for snacking before dinner. The apples weren't on the list of things to get, but then again Shining Armor had paid for it all with his own money, so what did it matter? Maybe he should have bought a cinnamon cake anyway...

"I suppose I could ask some of my colleagues," Shining continued. "Then again...some of the people I know with families aren't exactly the fatherly type." He left out the fact that Pappy's face appeared in his head.

"What about Mom?" Twilight asked.

"You think I could ask her?"

"Why not? I know it's not the 'fatherly type' you are probably looking for, but she's the best source of advice I can picture. Unless Dad were still here, of course."

"Ah...yeah. Dad." In that instant, Shining's mood deflated. He remembered more about their father than she did, just because she had barely been old enough to trot by the time he had left. 

"Shining Armor?"

He shook his head. "Sorry. Just starting thinking about him."

"Oh." Twilight glanced at him, then turned her gaze forward. When she spoke again, she was more subdued. "Anything good?"

"Heh. A couple things, yeah."

"You're lucky."

"I told you why I wanted to enlist, right?"

Twilight nodded toward the dirt road. "It had something to do with Dad. I was too young to remember."

"Yeah. You know that he was a guard, too? Spent most of his career protecting the Princess during the conflict. I doubt he saw too much action in his posting, but it was a noble cause and I decided I wanted to carry on his work."

"I remember now. You just up and decided one day to become a royal guard, and you started looking into ways to enlist. Do they still separate the guard from the military?"

"Yes, but only after we're fully trained." They passed beneath a grove of trees where the dirt road gave way to cobblestone. They were nearing their home now. "Until that point, we all go through the same routines, then afterward we learn specifics."

"How...um..." Twilight began to slow. She kept her gaze on the road. "How likely are they to...um..."

Shining Armor stopped, and soon she did to. He looked toward her, noticing the way her ears were angled down. "What is it?"

"I...I don't want you to...follow Dad's hoofsteps...not to the end."

Now there was a surprise. Shining moved in close and lowered his voice. "What are you saying?"

"N-nevermind!" Twilight said. She looked forward and lifted her chin. "Let's just go home, okay?"

"Uh, yeah, let's not," he replied. With a gentle tug, he brought them both beneath the shade of a tree. "What's on your mind, kiddo? You don't have to hide from me."

"I'm not hiding!"

"I mean..." Ugh, what a time for Twily to get literal. "I mean you don't have to keep what you want to say to yourself. You can speak to me, you know that," he went on, adopting the 'big brother voice' he hadn't used in nearly two years. "Is there something bothering you?"

Twilight stood for a moment, not meeting the gaze of her brother. Her ears were subtly twitching, an old habit he had nearly forgotten about. With a resigned sigh, she sat on the grass. "It's just...just...Dad's gone."

"Yeah. He's gone."

"And you're following his example in becoming a royal guard for the capital."

"Yeah."

"You see?" she pressed. "Dad was a guard, like what you want to be. He was taken from us. I don't want you to go like...like that."

"Oh."

Oh.

Hmm.

"Twily... I see where you're coming from, but you don't need to worry." Shining put on a smile that was just a tad too forced. "The guard detail is separated from the military—"

Twilight flinched as though shocked. "That didn't stop those soldiers from shooting him. He was a guard, but was killed during a military conflict."

"I know, I know."

"So, can't the same thing happen to you?" She finally looked up at him properly.

Shining Armor considered her for a moment. She was worried, which wasn't anything new, but he wondered just how long she had been holding this in. In his mind, she deserved a bitter truth more than a sweet lie...but it would tear him apart if he pushed her over the edge. How did a simple grocery errand turn into this?

Biting his lip, he looked up toward the road, then beyond in the direction of their house. He had time.

"Come on," he beckoned. Together, they moved back to the edge of the road and began a slow walk. Much slower than earlier.

Twilight held back a sniffle. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm ruining your time off, aren't I?"

"Not at all. I came here to spend time with my family, Twily. Nothing can ruin that." And he believed it.

"Still..."

He cleared his throat, and felt a pang of guilt when Twilight stopped speaking altogether. "Listen, kiddo... I won't lie to you. A career in the royal guard can get dangerous. It's just the job, it's what we sign up for. Any danger to Princess Luna becomes a danger to us. You're completely justified in worrying about me, and I won't tell you that you shouldn't."

Shining Armor glanced down. Twilight was keeping her gaze on the road again, listening closely.

"But..." He chose his words carefully. "You know that the war is over. There has been peace for a few years now. Nobody has tried to... Well, no, there are still threats in the capital, but nothing so big and crazy like actual combat! The Princess hasn't had a need to go to another territory in a long time, so the likelihood of some danger is much smaller now than it was back then."

"There can always be another," Twilight said.

"What makes you say that?"

"It's one of the basic rules of alchemy." She tilted her head, finding the right words. "Possibilities, you know? What you want is not always what you get."

"Oh. Well, I doubt that mindset really applies to me. To any of the services, really. We need to deal with what is actually happening." Shining Armor shrugged as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "We plan for the possible, sure, but not everything that's possible gets to happen."

Twilight shrank, her ears and tail going limp against her. "You don't need to dismiss me like that," she muttered

Shining Armor paused for a moment to mentally kick himself. "Sorry. Uh, let me rephrase. Your worry is...it's valid. But for now, you don't need it. I have a greater chance of crashing a chariot than I do of getting involved in armed conflict."

"I don't want to lose you."

There it was again, that unpleasant possibility she couldn't let go. Did she mention any of this to their mother? Then again, it might not have done any good anyway. Dismissing the thought, Shining turned and spoke firmly. He needed her to believe. "You won't."

"Then why did we lose Dad?"

"Twily..." He trailed off, trying to gather his thoughts. Truth be told, he hadn't wanted to talk about their father during this trip. It almost always led to an argument with their mother, so he tried to avoid it. But this was Twilight, so he focused on it for her sake. "When we lost Dad, it was a different time. There was a conflict involving us and the frontier. He was doing his job, what he enjoyed, and he was caught in the heat of it. He wasn't alone when the attack came, but he and his troop helped to defend the Princess like they were meant to. All of that in a land beyond ours, far from here, far from where I'll be."

It sounded funny to him - talking about Night Light like that almost made it seem like they weren't related, or that he wasn't affected by the loss. Shining knew that it wasn't true, and he simply told himself that it was for Twilight to understand. Twilight, who was too young to properly remember their father, wouldn't grasp the weight of the loss the way he did. What choice did he have but to stick to the facts so she could understand? Besides, he had to stay strong for her.

Evidently, it was working. Twilight had perked up a bit as they passed the fence of the first house on their route. "So you think you'll be safe?"

"Well, yeah." He looked down and grinned. "Like I said, the conflict is over. We're unified now. There's no warfare going on, and the Princess certainly isn't making political visits in buffalo lands anymore. From what I hear from Cadie, everything is stable. We shouldn't expect any conflict on that scale again. The most I'm likely to see is a few over-excited reporters who sometimes get too close to the palace." He spared a moment to chuckle. "It's not warfare."

"I know, I know. But..." Twilight hesitated, not yet convinced. "Well, there are still all the components for something bad happening."

"Components?" His grin faltered at the term. "Is that another alchemy principle?"

Twilight nodded in excitement. "Yes. I understand what you mean and everything, but there are still enough pieces left over to spark something new, isn't there? And besides, I still don't... I mean, does anypony actually know why there was a conflict at all?"

Shining blinked. He hadn't expected that one. "Oh. Huh. I could tell you the basic answer about accidents, ideologies, and territory, but if I'm being honest, I've never believed it."

"Really? Even you don't know?"

"Well, I can tell you an answer. I just don't think it's the answer." He shook his head as the lessons replayed in his mind. "I mean, really, what did we actually gain from the Unification War? Besides buffalo in modern society, of course."

"Right. It doesn't seem like the right solution. It's like there are pieces missing from a puzzle!" Twilight said while scowling.

"Or parts cut from the story."

"Cut?" Twilight looked up and gave her first smile in a while. "You make it sound like they're intentionally hidden."

"Heh. I'm a regular conspiracy theorist, aren't I?"

"I suppose you are! But don't tell Mister Pappy."

"Oh, goodness. 'Mister Pappy.' Do me a favor, kiddo - never again."

The two of them shared a laugh at that. Just in time, too, as they rounded the corner to their family home. Shining Armor glanced at the empty set of armor still outside the front door. Without thinking, he set the grocery bag on top of the armor, giving his horn a much-needed rest.

"So," he began and Twilight pushed open the front door, "are you okay?"

Twilight took a moment to look to her side before at him. "Kind of. The worry is still there, and this question of why has been nagging me for a while..."

Shining grinned. "I could tell."

"Yeah. But even so, I do feel better. You're right. There's no conflict going on right now, so I really don't need to let this worry control me." Twilight then stared intently at the paper bag and, using her own magic, lifted it off the armor's shell and floated it next to her. She struggled with its weight, and for a moment it visibly wobbled in midair, but she confidently moved into the house with it at her side. Shining was silently grateful - his own horn had begun to itch terribly.

"That's the spirit!" he said. "Keep your chin up, kiddo. And hey, never stop asking questions. That's the only way the world works!"

That seemed to do the trick. Twilight perked up even more as they walked through the house. As Shining closed the door, he noticed a subtle spring to her step and instantly felt a mix of pride and relief wash over him. Good work, big brother, he thought, you've cheered her up. Today is a win!

The siblings made their way through the living area to the kitchen. Working together, they got started on shelving the groceries, but the sound of them drew Velvet out of her upstairs study. "Hi, kids," she called as she came nearer.

Twilight looked back with a smile. "Hey, Mom!"

"Hey, we're back!" Shining Armor said. "We got a little something extra while we were out."

"What's that?" Velvet came to his side and peered at what was now an empty paper bag.

Shining Armor magically lifted up the apples Twilight had chosen. "Gala is in season. Big, ripe ones. Want yours?"

"Oh, no thanks, I'll save mine for later."

Twilight looked at the floating apples. "Give them here. I'll put them in the pantry for tonight," she offered.

Shining Armor released his telekinesis as Twilight began her own, and the apples instantly took on a lighter hue of violet. Twilight turned back to the pantry as he continued. "We got everything you asked for. I had to look around a bit for good flour. Some of their bags were tearing open again."

As he spoke, Velvet's eyes moved from the counter, to Twilight, to him, and finally to the floor. She scowled for a moment before raising her eyes again. "Ahem... Shining, dear, thank you for getting all of this. Once they're put away, might I speak with you?"

"Uh, sure. Just tell me where you wanted this water?"

"You can leave it out, actually," Velvet said while waving at the counter. "I want to use it in the morning."

"Ahh...can I get some help over here?" Twilight called. Both Velvet and Shining Armor looked up in time to see her struggling to hold the apples and the strawberries at the same time. The berries had begun to tip over their carton, threatening to spill beyond her magic.

"Gotcha!" Shining Armor acted first. As the carton of berries keeled over, he reached out and formed a magic field that surrounded Twilight's own. The berries fell, but only so far before being caught in his aura. Twilight still struggled to keep everything balanced, but she let go of the carton when she was sure the strawberries would be saved. As soon as she did, the apples instantly snapped and became still, held confidently aloft once again.

Behind him, Velvet's concern melted away, replaced by what seemed to be a glare.

"Thanks, big brother." Twilight said as her cheeks flushed.

Shining Armor casually replaced the berries in their carton without looking. "Just me saving the world."

"Twilight," Velvet interrupted. "May we be left alone, please?"

Shining Armor tensed. He recognized that tone. His eyes met his sister's and they shared a look of understanding. Without saying a word, Twilight set the apples on a random shelf in the pantry, then slipped past her brother. Both he and their mother saw her flattened ears.

As she left, Shining Armor slowly put the strawberries in the pantry and, almost autonomously, moved the apples next to them on the correct shelf. He was facing away from his mother, but he could feel the gaze on his neck. It wasn't something new to him; he had been subject to it for years by now. It just aggravated him that he had to go through this again. Today was a win, he mused, but today still isn't over.

He closed the pantry door and was met with silence. "Everything okay?" he prompted, keeping his tone cheerful.

"Son. I..." Velvet audibly clicked her tongue. "We need to have a serious talk."

Definitely not over yet. Ugh. No, no, relax, big brother. You've done good things today. Don't let these silly disagreements bring you down. You're stronger than that.

"Is this about what I think it's about?" Shining asked. His tone had shifted against his will, cheerfulness to resignation.

"Yes."

"All right. Well, I'm here," he said. Doing his best to hide a frown, he turned and walked to the nearby dining room table. Velvet, he saw, had beaten him there and was waiting for him to join her.

They sat in silence for a moment. Shining Armor watched his mother's eyes dart from two spots on the table's surface. It seemed even she didn't want to be there. When the moment passed, she looked up at him and began. "I've had some time to think over all that you told us yesterday. But I'm still finding it very difficult to understand."

"Oh." Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. "Okay. What can I help explain?"

"Your...thought process, I guess."

"Sorry?"

Velvet hesitated, glanced at the tabletop again, then let out a sharp sigh. Her mouth instantly turned downward. She ran her hoof over her brow in aggravation. When she looked up again, it was around the edge of her hoof. "I want to know what you were thinking when you made the decision to have relations with this Cadance of yours."

Maybe it would be just as bad as he thought. "Ahh...okay. I'll tell you, but can you pull back the hostility a little bit?"

Velvet didn't reply, instead simply staring at her son with her hoof in the way. For a moment, Shining Armor thought that he caught a glimpse of shame in her eyes, but it was brief and clashed with the annoyance he clearly saw.

He brought his forelegs up and set them on the table. "Cadie and I have been together for over a year now, Ma. She's supported me during my time in training, especially during the change in troops I had to go through. I feel on top of the world when I'm with her, and when the time came..." He paused and looked at nowhere. "I don't know, it felt like it was the right decision. She and I love each other, and we knew ahead of time that..."

"Go on," Velvet prompted him. "What did you know?"

He looked forward again and smiled. There was conviction in his voice. "That we'd want a life together."

Velvet didn't respond. She simply continued to look at him. Shining Armor continued to escape the silence.

"Look, I'm sorry you and Twily had to find out this way, and I'm sorry it took so long for me to tell you two about her. I always lost my nerve when the thought came up. I wasn't sure what to say or how either of you would react."

"Fine. It 'felt like the right decision,' then." Velvet made small tilts with her head as she spoke, irking her son. She moved her hoof from her brow and pointed at him, never losing her stern stare. "Did you think about what effect that 'right decision' would have on your career? Or on how you're treated?"

"Yeah, naturally. I mean, Cadie and I didn't just go this far when we met, after all." He shrugged, again as though it were obvious. "We let ourselves grow to know each other first."

"Son, you don't know this mare."

That was the first jab of the day. Despite his resolve, Shining had to admit that it affected him more than he would have liked. He affixed a worried stare on his mother, trying not to get too mad. "Uh...Ma? Sorry, but no. I do know her."

Velvet's mouth twitched, almost as though she were holding back a smirk. "After only a year and a few months? You don't."

"Mom, please don't start this." Shining Armor sat up straighter and put his front hooves against the edge of the table. It was, he had learned from Pappy, a way of rooting himself and creating a sturdier presence. He hoped it would help steer the discussion away from where he knew it was headed.

"And what am I starting, Shining Armor?"

"You're starting to tell me what my thoughts and opinions should be, because you don't like what they are."

To her credit, Velvet didn't expect that. "That's not true."

"It is, though. You do it all the time when we get to talking. Any time we bring up my decision to join the Royal Guard, you start to tell me what I should be thinking." Shining Armor briefly shook his head, a genuine attempt to get through to her. "Please, Mom, I can handle it when it's just that, but I won't tolerate you talking like that about Cadie."

Velvet waited a moment to collect her thoughts. Confusion and doubt crossed her features, and for a second, Shining Armor thought she might relent. "What you hear as me...what, telling you what you should be thinking?" The doubt vanished beneath sharp resolve, then she launched her second jab. "That's me trying to protect you. You're making a mistake, Son, don't you realize that?"

"M-mistake?" Shining sputtered. His posture fractured with the shock he felt.

Across from him, Velvet leaned forward, pressing her attack. "This mare you think you love? She's royalty, right? The adopted niece to the Princess, if I remember your words correctly. Do you honestly think that it's real?"

Shining Armor hesitated a moment to recover. He furrowed his brow in disbelief. This was not as bad as he thought; this was worse. "I'm...going to try and ignore how insulting you're being right now." He let out a sigh. "The answer is the same. I know I love her, and I know she loves me. That's why we made this choice in the first place, Mom."

"Shining Armor, don't you see the risk? What kind of scandal this can become?"

He dropped the pretense. "Why don't you just tell me, Ma? It's what you always do."

"Wha- now, look here, young man!" This time, it was Velvet's posture that collapsed. She sat back up and pointed at him again. "I'm not here to fight with you. I'm trying to keep you from a poor decision that will follow you forever!"

"Same thing. So?" Shining Armor raised his own hoof in her direction, prompting her to continue.

"Hmph." Velvet sat still for a few seconds and fixed her son with a glare that could cut glass. Slowly, a confident smirk grew on her lips. When she spoke again, her voice took on a more condescending edge. "Don't you think it's funny how the niece of Princess Luna decided to get together with you? A niece who has no legitimate claims to royalty?"

"Mom, Princess Luna adopted her. It was all legal. It's legitimate."

"It's not how royalty works, Shining Armor."

"What does her royalty even have to do with it?"

It was Velvet's turn to shrug. "It seems pretty obvious. She managed to win enough of the Princess' affection to be adopted by her. Now she's involved with a guard whose dream is to become a Captain. It's a way to gain power she otherwise wouldn't be able to earn."

That made three. Shining Armor glared at his mother. "How dare you," he growled.

"Moving on from that, you have gall to—"

"What? No, you can't just—"

"You have the gall to wait and tell us about her until after you've impregnated her?" Velvet raised her voice and stood up at the same time. "In addition to being a stupid decision for one so young, it makes it look like you are trying to gain power you also can't earn. I mean, really, Shining Armor? Did you not consider that?"

He slammed a hoof on the table. "Stop it. That's not what this is."

Velvet was unaffected. She shook her head in disappointment. "It's what it looks like. Now, when everypony else learns about it, they might think the same thing. And if that's the case, what do you suppose will happen to your chances of becoming a Captain?"

"That's not...what this is."

"Think of the ponies in charge of you. The ponies whose decisions affect your future. If I saw it so easily, then they are probably thinking the same thing even now."

"It's wrong. You don't know what this is." It had to be wrong. He told himself that, over and over. Anything else was just impossible.

Velvet's gaze lost its edge, enough for some genuine care to show. "Son, I've been where you are. I've been in love, and I've started a family. I know."

Shining Armor looked right in her eyes and glared. "Is that the reason you married Dad?"

He felt his heart pounding as his anger grew, and for a brief second he thought she would reach out and slap him. This was new, he admitted, this was definitely new. Of all the ways he imagined a talk like this would go, being told his relationship was false was not something he considered. It was too much of an insult, both to him and to Cadance, and he wouldn't let it go on.

However, he never got the chance. At that moment, a harsh light shone into the dining room and cast deep shadows along the floor. Both he and Velvet were caught by surprise, their argument forgotten. Shining Armor looked out the window, but was not prepared for what he saw.

A line of magical radiance was surrounding their house. It bobbed and weaved like an aurora, but the colors it gave off seeped with bad intentions. Deep purples and bright yellows seemed to be at war with each other, with inky blackness serving as an abyssal backdrop. As they watched, the colors shifted to shades of gray, moving faster and faster. Soon, a deep, resounding noise shook the house, chattering their teeth painfully.

Velvet stood speechless to one side. Shining Armor muttered under his breath. He felt the presence of magic from the strange lights, but it was unlike anything he knew. For a reason he couldn't explain, he felt an oppressive dread settle over the entire house. A primal part of him screamed to run.

The clatter of toppling furniture from the second floor snapped him out of his daze. He whipped his head around and focused on the stairs. "Twily?" he whispered.

Images like stars began to fly from the aurora. They were black, jagged, and each one faded from existence after a few seconds' life. Some of them stuck to the house and left arcane burns. The dread grew worse as a piercing scream tore through the house. Shining Armor acted on instinct, nearly slipping on the tiled floor as he ran for the stairs. "Twilight! TWILIGHT!!"
> 3.3: The Day Of
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





As Twilight closed the bedroom door behind her, she couldn't stop herself from also kicking her wastebin. The clang she expected was muffled, so she looked down and saw the various wads of paper inside had absorbed most of the sound. Yet another thing that hadn't gone as she wanted today. Scowling, she glared at the wastebin for several seconds before she relented and threw herself on her bed.

Again. They were arguing again. Barely two days into Shining Armor's leave time, and their mother had shoo'd her out of the kitchen like so many other times across the years. Why did her mother even bother with asking for privacy? Did she think that she was somehow sparing her daughter the unpleasantness of the arguments? It wasn't as though they were very discreet. Twilight could probably count how many times they had come to a disagreement.

How did it start? She pressed her head into a pillow as she thought. Mom often talked fondly of him when he was away in Canterlot, which only frustrated her more when they argued every time he came to visit. It was over silly things, too. Even the last visit had them tensing up over her and her brother playing too loudly. For that matter, Twilight was being just as loud and rowdy as Shining Armor - why had he been the only one to get in trouble?

Oh, wait. Twilight had an answer back then. I was smaller. Well, that's just silly. Shining Armor didn't deserve to be put on the spot like that. Not then, and certainly not before. And hadn't Mom been a little short-tempered with him while they were waiting for the train later that week? All he had done was make her feel better about the accident with the pillow. Or the floor. It didn't matter which.

"You just need more time," he had said. And their mother had asked him not to say such things. Why did she feel the need to fight with him so much?

Twilight's face burned against her pillow. Her forelegs had begun to ache, and realized that she had been squeezing her comforter against herself. She relaxed her hold on it and lifted her head. Her eyes naturally drifted to the desk set near her bookshelf. If only finding answers to problems within her family was as easy as studying alchemy. At least she understood alchemy to a degree. Wouldn't it be nice if things were that simple?

Her mother and brother had begun to experience friction around the time he had announced he was enlisting. His motivation was to carry on the good work of their dad, and that was enough for Twilight to accept it. Granted, she still worried about him. Was all this arguing somehow their mom's way of showing worry? That somehow making the idea of joining the royal guard seem like a mistake would help keep the family together? Twilight didn't have an answer. It was, yet again, another puzzle she couldn't solve. She gave an aggravated huff.

All matter is subject to balance.

Well, her family was most definitely imbalanced.

She spared another moment just to breathe. This was going nowhere. Maybe some reading would calm her down.

Twilight rose from her bed and moved to her desk. As she moved, she reached out with her magic to grip a recent addition to her collection. Days of Deism: Misconceptions in Magic was supposed to be about the common misunderstandings that many new unicorns went through, written as cautionary tales. It was a book that she hadn't read much of yet, simply because it focused almost entirely on the failures of others. Maybe they were interesting, maybe not - either way, it seemed like a good choice for a day when nothing had gone right.

She sat down and opened the book to its contents. Her eyes scanned the list of chapter titles and the different parts therein. A couple stood out to her, but didn't really interest her enough to skip ahead, so she turned to the preface and started reading aloud.

"The purpose of this book is to explore the missteps, mistakes, and missed opportunities of those who came before you. They, like you, were gifted with incredible gifts and wanted to see what they could do to change the world. Through their choices and actions, however, many lessons were learned that ultimately changed themselves. Unfortunately, it's been made clear that these lessons, unlike the mistakes, are not so common."

Blegh. What purpose was there in making magic seem so bad? Even she knew that it was a delicate craft, something to be practiced and respected. Just because others were too eager with their magic didn't mean it was altogether dangerous. It's not the magic, she argued, it's the one casting it. And what was the deal with the alliteration? She stuck her tongue out at the page and went on.

"We who have compiled these stories know very well that not every pony who has magic is prone to be careless with it. It's our hope, then, that these stories will serve as the lessons that were learned by those who were. Treat these lessons as you would a cautionary tale-" Ah. There it was, clear as day. "-and you will avoid the danger of overconfidence. We encourage you to practice and improve with your magic. Just don't do anything that will end up as another story in this book! Signed, the professors Willy Whisker, Coco Milk, and Sir E. Brum."

Twilight paused. Was that a pseudonym? She giggled despite herself.

For a few minutes, she read through the opening stories without really absorbing anything there. Many of the stories were kept short, making efforts to show the mistakes instead of getting to know the ones making them. It became clear that the names of the ponies involved had been changed, apparently to protect their identity. Either that, or one-word names were more popular before she was born than she realized.

She soon came across one tale that made her pause. It also had a seen-from-a-mile-away lesson about control, but she saw some hints that related to her current alchemy puzzle about ley lines. As she read on, she couldn't help but relate to the alchemist in the story, who also grappled with frustration and aggravation, only this one chose to wander the streets at night and eventually break into an archive. Twilight herself wasn't that desperate, but she sympathized all the same.

More curious than upset now, she read the story again. It didn't go into detail about what specific problem the alchemist found, but it was implied that he was trying to find a way to equalize a year-long project of his by using the innate power of other races. He evidently had the same surprise that Twilight did when he learned about the possibility of alchemy having access to raw magic itself. That knowledge challenged all that he knew and eventually drove him to recklessness. He skipped meals, spent money he didn't earn on materials he didn't need, and was so lost in his confusion that he began to lash out at his friends and family.

That was where Twilight's sympathy ended. She could relate to some of that, but her own experience with friends didn't really permit her to have any to begin with. She always had some studying to catch up on, so never really bothered with making friends. Besides, Shining Armor was usually exhausting enough.

Still, Twilight couldn't quite tear herself away from the story. She went over it a third time, unable to shake the feeling that it was more familiar than it had any right to be. She related to some of what the pony had to go through, but that was it, wasn't it? This wasn't a study book after all, so she shouldn't need to worry about sympathy for someone before her time. But if that were true, then why was she spending so much time on it? It wasn't even a very long story...

All matter is subject to balance.

It hit her. The pony was trying to verify the notion that alchemy was drawing on magic independently, and was doing so by trying to find an equalizing force between the races of ponies. That was something she remembered reading. It was from a long time ago, maybe back from when Twilight first started studying alchemy, and she hadn't paid much attention to it. Now, though, it burned in her mind like a beacon in a valley.

The three tribes who came to settle Equestria. The promise of unity as they set aside their quarrels. The power of Harmony they found as a result.

In a second, Twilight had snapped her head up to her shelf and focused on the spines of all her books. A weathered one near the top was wrapped in her magic and pulled down, wobbling in the air as she fought for control. She had it open before it even reached her desk.

Excitement coursed through her as she scanned the index. She muttered the word "Harmony" to herself while she searched, and then again when she turned to the correct page, nearly tearing the paper inside as she did. The pages in this book were not nearly as marked as her other study materials, which made it harder for her to find the passage she sought. She instinctively reached out for a highlighter, but stopped herself. There would be time for notations later.

And then she found it. "There," she breathed. The word was part of its own heading: ELEMENTS AND REPRESENTATION OF HARMONY.

It was perfect. The chapter went into detail about the different abilities of unicorn, pegasus, and earth ponies alike, including what allowed each of them to perform alchemy in their own ways. It wasn't that alchemy was drawing on magic power from ley lines in the world. There was still a median, a power that stood between the two that was so easily accessible, it made up nearly all of the known culture in Equestria. And it wasn't even a single power, but a group. A unified force.

The chapter followed that notion even further by exploring the nature of such a unified force. Apparently there was a kind of magic that dictated all others, in a similar way to her original thought of ley lines providing the raw power. This unification, this 'Harmony' as the book called it, seemed to be the cornerstone on which their society was built. She didn't focus too much on that, though. Instead, she followed the information down until it reached the end of the chapter. Much like her other study materials, this one told a lot about the what and not too much about the how.

Except now it didn't bother her. Now, she had the piece to her puzzle. And now, finally, she could complete it.

Twilight rearranged the materials on her desk until she had what she needed. Everything she kept involved the innate powers of the pony races, while the books and scrolls involving ley lines were gently set aside. Almost in a trance, she went through one study book after another, easily finding the passages inside that added to and confirmed her latest find. It was little surprise when The Life and Times of Stinkin' Rich was among the oldest to be referenced.

It all began to make sense. The underlying theme she had sensed throughout her study sessions involved this power of Harmony. Evidently, it was easier to grasp than any raw energy would have been, with a greater application in alchemy than just one pony's efforts alone. That was how the famous alchemists came to boast such talent: they had tapped into a pool of power beyond their own. It also explained, once and for all, how alchemy was available to more than just unicorns. It was all based on this unity.

In fact, Twilight realized, the concept of unity went beyond alchemy. The brief mention about society had been right: Equestria as a whole seemed to be built on the virtue of unity. There was even a war fought in its name.

She paused.

A war of unity? That couldn't be right. That contradicted itself...didn't it?

Twilight glanced toward her dresser near her door. Resting on top of it was her brother's training helmet. Shining Armor had said something about the conflict earlier, about how it had been a different time. She didn't know too many details about the Unification War beyond what the newspapers had posted when it ended, but she remembered the name quite clearly. Now, though, it bothered her. A war by definition was the absence of unity, so how could one be fought with such a name? Would Shining Armor need to be put in harm's way for such a contradiction? And more importantly, if unity and harmony were such good things, why had her father been killed for it?

After all, that had caused all of this friction in her own family now.

Twilight couldn't understand it. What part of unity in their society demanded a conflict bad enough to cost lives? Even Princess Luna had been involved, and it would be wrong to think that the Princess of their nation didn't represent harmony as a whole. Shining Armor had said that he could provide an answer, but even that was an answer he didn't have much faith in. If only Twilight could ask her personally, then maybe she could find out how to correct the disconnect between her bother and mother. It probably wouldn't be easy, but she felt that no price was too high to help heal her broken little family.

All matter is subject to-

Then again, even if she could get an audience with royalty, it might not mean anything. Her brother had complained about 'getting an answer, but not the answer' earlier, so for all Twilight knew, the Princess and any instructors could be running off a biased script. Something to settle fears while keeping pride in the nation. Twilight was not interested in getting another puzzle if the pieces were going to be missing again.

A moment later, Twilight realized the solution. Forget broken puzzles or stories with parts cut out. Why not go to the source? It wasn't that she couldn't speak to the Princess on the matter. Rather, she didn't need to.

Balance!

She flipped to a blank page in her notebook and began theorizing. If she could somehow access the power of Harmony and study it, she could stand to learn more whole facts than any one-sided instructor could teach. As a unicorn, Twilight's own magical ability, weak though it was, should have a simpler time of it than others. And assuming this Harmony was something tangible - well, as tangible as magic gets - then maybe she could simply cast it like a spell to help ease the tension in her family. That, however, would be for much later. All she was focusing on was finding what the three tribes had found back in the days of yore.

It only took a couple minutes before she had a possibility. It was easier than she had thought, too. If her knowledge of alchemy thus far was accurate, then she could craft a transmutation circle that would, for lack of a better term, reveal some of this Harmony. It would be like peeking behind a curtain at a play to see the stage props hidden behind. She set her quill down and studied her proposed array.

She no longer worried about speaking with a Princess or chasing leads through books. This was what she could do. This was what she understood. When this was done, she would have her answers, and one of them was bound to tell her how to balance her little family. For once, she didn't check her work. Twilight was confident she had it all correct. But more than that, she was too upset to care.

"Harmony, huh," she muttered. That war took her father from her. It caused an imbalance in her family. That imbalance was causing all of the conflict between her mother and brother. So if she learned why there was a war in the first place, she could work out a way to stop the war in her own family. "Let's see what kind of 'harmony' Dad had to die for."

With a sense of conviction, Twilight finally pulled out a sheet of paper from a stack near her shelf. She was careful with her quill as she drew her array again, taking extra time to broaden the outer boundary. With the more advanced algorithms she needed, the circle ended up touching the edges of the paper. But she didn't try to redo her work - hours of practice with basic circles had paid off weeks ago. 

She didn't hesitate when it was done. Moving to the floor, she sparked her horn and calmly touched her hooves to the edge of the circle. Remembering her own mistakes, she kept the magic to a steady minimum. The familiar feeling of warmth trailed down from the base of her horn, touching her neck, her forelegs, and finally the floor. The entire circle began to glow, gently at first, then as bright as a lantern. Twilight had to squint her eyes against the glare, but wouldn't allow herself to close them entirely. She had to see.

Seconds ticked by. A new feeling began to grow at the top of her neck. Small, almost ticklish pinpricks that seemed to reach through her and into her thoughts. She tried to focus on the feeling, but it slipped away from her. In its place, something similar to an excited buzz remained, enough to make the hairs of her coat stand.

The bright glow of the circle remained steady. Are you there? she wondered.

To her surprise, the tingling feeling came back, further along her neck than before. This time, it remained long enough for her to focus on it. The feeling wasn't bad, but neither was it good. It felt almost...curious, like her. Hopeful, Twilight allowed more of her magic to flow into the circle, which of course made the lines glow even brighter. A slight breeze began to play with her mane, and the tingling grew marginally stronger.

She knew it was silly, but it made her feel better to imagine that she was speaking to the feeling on her neck. I want to know. About Harmony, about balance. I want to bring my family back together.

Another pinprick appeared at the base of her horn, just as light as the first. A third began between her withers, two on her sides, and still more at different spots of her legs and back. Each one vanished as quickly as it came, leaving behind more buzzing sensations. But the one on her neck remained, graduating from a ticklish feeling to something like a massage. It was almost comforting.

With another small push of her magic, Twilight saw the first change. The bright glow of the transmutation circle began to waver as though it were filtered through water, starting where her hooves touched and carrying through each line. If there was a pattern to the movement, she didn't see it. As the rippling continued, the sheer white glow softened to more yellow tones and the breeze on her face grew warmer. She smiled at the sensation. This definitely felt like harmony to her.

Tell me. Please. I want to know everything.

In her mind's eye, she pictured what she wanted. She pictured her mother giving her brother a long hug as they both smiled. She pictured her brother giving a proud grin as he wore a guard's armor. She pictured all of them together at a train station, eagerly awaiting the mare he had told them about. That was the kind of harmony she really wanted: a union for those she loved, just enough to make things the way they were supposed to be.

Twilight pushed again and let her magic flow freely.

The sensation on her neck grew stronger. The light expanded further until it graced the ceiling. A low vibration caused her teeth to chatter. Her horn, awash in the soft violet of her magic, began to itch as power went through it. The warmth, wind, and shine before her brought tears to her eyes. Above all, a reaction had finally begun: thin strands of electricity that didn't arc to her hooves but instead crawled like vines up thin air. Movement to Twilight's sides told her that similar strands were appearing near the walls of her room.

Her smile faltered. That wasn't supposed to happen. The boundaries of her transmutation circle...

A sharp pain tore through her neck. The shock of it made her head jerk downward, which broke her concentration and prompted her to rub her neck. She realized too late that doing so meant she had removed her hooves from the paper. A broken connection in alchemy usually meant the transmutation would dwindle and fail. But when she shook off the pain and looked, the light and strands of power remained as they were.

Twilight slowly straightened to her full height. Why hadn't the energy begun to dissipate? All of her studies said that a loss of power would result in the alchemic reaction slowing down until it stopped entirely. Yet despite having no connection to her magic, this one...

She recognized the itch on her horn. Her magic was still being accessed without her control.

Alarmed, Twilight took another step back from the circle. Her back hoof landed where one of the strands of electricity was crawling up. The power instantly wrapped itself around her hind leg, sending a mild shock through her system. As it did, the power coursing through her horn increased without her willing it. She wasted a few seconds trying to physically stop her horn's corona of magic and to pull away from the strand around her leg. Neither worked.

What's going on? she thought. Why is this happening? I'm outside the bound of—

Several nearby strands of power snapped toward her. Each contact was like a knife through her coat, and she cried out in shock. The strands of power spread like plant roots across the surface of her body wherever they could reach. In her panic, Twilight tried to push herself away, only to back into the dresser next to her bedroom door. All of the strands connected to her stretched as she moved, never letting her go. All the while, the energy being drawn through her horn grew more and more active. A sharp spike of pain went through her head and made her vision fray at the edges.

She turned, blindly reached for the dresser, and tried to pull herself toward her door. The strands holding her snapped taut, pulling her back around and toppling the furniture down to the floor. The edge of the dresser caught her by the shoulder, dislocated her foreleg, and trapped her beneath it. A broad pain shot along her entire leg at the contact, and the helmet of her brother's armor went flying, but she didn't notice any of it. The only thought in her mind was the desire to get away from this reaction.

A pair of surges went through her barrel, stronger than any of the strands of electricity, stronger than even the dresser falling on her. The force of it tore a scream from her, and she instinctively pressed her free foreleg across one spot on her back in defense against an invisible attacker. She shook her head in a desperate bid to cut off her own magic. It failed - the magic continued to be drawn from her, stronger by the second, and stronger still for every new strand of power that found its way to her.

Twilight forced one eye open. Her entire room was darkened as a small vortex of what seemed to be unfiltered magic swirled in midair above her transmutation circle. The rippling light of the circle's lines had taken on a new form, now similar to an aurora. Symbols resembling stars flew outward from the glow and went on their own paths in the air. Some of them contacted either a wall or something in her room, leaving arcane burns where they touched. The few that actually came to her simply phased through her, and she felt a deadening chill as each one passed through.

But in her eye, she saw the result of her work. The vortex of magic seemed to stare back at her, and the energy within passed through her as easily as the symbols...except this one left more excited buzzing that reached down to the depths of her soul. As the pandemonium continued around her, she opened her other eye and took in the sight fully. A small part of her held on to the panic, but the rest seemed to pause and consider what it was she was seeing. Was it a vortex? Or could it something else? Could that be the curtain she wanted to pull back?

"Twily!" came a shout from behind. Her brother had come running. A loud bang followed as he forced his way into the room, stopping just short of where the alchemy's boundary ended. "Twilight!"

Her mother was right on his heels. "What are you—" she began, then gasped. "What is this?"

Shining Armor stepped into the field of alchemy. "Twilight, hang on!"

Twilight heard only pieces of it. Her eyes were fixed on the magic in the center of the room. The longer she stared, the clearer she could make out the different truths hidden inside. She no longer noticed the weight on her foreleg, the searing heat of her horn, the way her vision tunneled, or the stabbing pain as more and more strands of power latched themselves to her prone form. Unfiltered knowledge was just beyond the edge of the magic, she just knew it.

The magic spun, widened, and blinked.

In that instant, a change occurred within Twilight Sparkle. Much like the curtain she wanted to swing back, something in her mind seemed to open wide. But rather than the inner workings she had hoped to see, she experienced an overwhelming flood of information, the likes of which instantly made her understand and question everything she had learned so far. Information she had known was suddenly backed up by fact, information she had doubted was proven true, and information she had believed in was suddenly impossible. The flood of knowledge swept across her mind, overtaking all of her senses and making time seem to slow. She didn't know it at the time, but she had achieved what many alchemists had failed to do, and it would be years before she even had a name for it.

A voice in her mind seemed to shout, but she wasn't sure if it was her own voice. It ranted over and over, and soon became the only other thing she was aware of. HARMONY IS BALANCE IS DANGER IS REALITY ALL THINGS IN MATTER MUST BE BALANCED NO GAIN WITH NO LOSS ONLY HARMONY IS BALANCE IS DANGER IS REALITY—

She barely felt a shifting weight as her brother violently shoved the dresser off of her foreleg. —MUST BE BALANCED MAINTAIN THE BALANCE WHO ARE YOU HARMONY IS BALANCE IS DANGER IS REALITY NO GAIN WITH NO LOSS YOU ALL WANT MORE BUT MUST ACCEPT THE LOSS WITH HARMONY IS BALANCE IS—

A blur of white came into her vision as Shining Armor rounded on her. What was he screaming about? It was so difficult to see or hear. —BALANCE FOR ONE IS BALANCE FOR ALL FOR YOU WHO ARE YOU—

Shining Armor flared his magic and enveloped her body in his telekinesis. He wasted no time in throwing her out of the alchemy's event horizon. Her mind continued to scream as her body slid across the carpet and out the door. —HAVE YOU COME TO TEACH ME HAVE YOU COME TO FREE ME HAVE YOU COME TO SAVE ME WHO ARE YOU HAVE YOU COME TO BALANCE IS DANGER IS REALITY IS HARMONY IS BALANCE IS DANGER TO REALITY—

She realized too late that it hadn't been one voice. It had been several. Voices of all kinds. Millions of them. As soon as she began to count each one, they all silenced. Her body had been thrown clear of the alchemy's reaction.

Twilight's senses swam. She saw her bedroom from the hallway. She saw the swirling light that swallowed other light. She saw symbols lazily floating and burning through the air. She saw the vortex in the center seem to turn away. Finally, she saw the strands of power, longer than ever and bending toward her brother.

"Oh, Twilight..." her mother began. How long had she been there? "You, you..."

Her brother gave a scream of his own. "Ghn-rahh!! Mom, get her to—"

"Shining Armor! Get out of there! Get out—"

Shining Armor flinched and grunted as dozens of strands laid claim to his body. He struggled against their grasp and moved back to the door. His horn was still alight in his own magic, and the glow of it intensified to an alarming brightness. Twilight, still reeling, absently thought about her own horn and how it no longer burned so bad. In fact, she couldn't feel any magic being drawn from her, and she briefly hoped that her brother wasn't dealing with the same...

"Mom, no! Don't touch it- agh!! S-stay back!"

"Get out of there! Hurry!"

"I-I can't get...close enough!"

Why were they both being so loud? Twilight's eyes rolled around as she tried to straighten out her own mind. She was lying on her left side, facing the door to her own room. Her mother was at the door's frame, and she was looking desperately inside. Shining Armor was struggling to take steps toward her while sharing the same desperate look on his face. That look sped up Twilight's sensory recovery. Her family was in a panic. There was danger here.

"Shining Armor!"

"N-no! Mom! Twilight!"

The thought blazed through her mind. They are in danger.

Twilight fully took in the situation and shared in their panic. She tried to talk but her voice had gone scratchy and weak. How much had she been screaming? She pushed herself up to stand tall, but only got halfway up before she lost her balance and fell to her side again. A strange warmth spread along her stomach when she fell. Dots of red flecked the floor where she lay.

Velvet leaned away from the door and bent low to her. "Twilight!" she shouted. Her lips trembled with more to say, but nothing came out. She turned her head to face the room again. Her teeth clenched.

Twilight didn't stay still. She crawled along with her good legs, inching forward until she reached the door frame. Brother needs to get out, she thought. Get out, Shining Armor. Get away from there.

At the transmutation circle, a sudden burst of light shot out and utterly consumed the vortex of magic. The winds that had been blowing inside were reversed, as well as the remaining magical symbols. They were also claimed by the new light, leaving behind thin smoke and a sharp smell of burnt ozone. It wasn't long before the strands of energy were whipping to the light as well, with the ones attached to Shining Armor starting to pull him back. He looked over his shoulder at the reaction.

Balance, Twilight's mind supplied. Balance is harmony. Harmony is balance. Nothing can be gained unless something can be lost. Gain and loss is balance. Balance is harmony. Balance is danger. Harmony is danger. Nothing can be gained unless—

Shining Armor looked forward again. Pieces of his body were missing.

Velvet shrieked. Shining Armor reached out for them. The strand of power that wrapped around his offered foreleg vanished, taking the leg with it. His eyes narrowed as he went into shock. He stared at the empty space where his limb once was, then looked back to his mother and sister.

The strands that latched to his torso tugged, and he was pulled off his hooves. He hung in midair for a moment as the light behind him brightened even further. His body was cast in shadows against the light, with the shape of him growing smaller and smaller as each strand was called back. Twilight was able to see his face, illuminated by the light of his horn's magic. His expression was one of absolute terror. He had his mouth open, but he either went unheard beneath the cries of their mother, or else he was incapable of making a sound.

Then the light behind him flared brighter than ever, blinding them, stunning them. Twilight was forced to close her eyes against it. As she did, she was just barely able to make out the sounds of those millions of voices. They were faint, distant, like from the end of a cavern, with another voice - Shining Armor's voice - adding to their chorus.
> 3.4: The Choice of Balance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Twilight opened her eyes.

A cloud of smoke hung in the air above her head. The sound of shifting paper settled somewhere nearby. The curtains on her window were singed and askew. Her mother was next to her, heaving with sobs, staring ahead at something only she could see. The odor of smoke, ozone, and hot iron was heavy around her.

She slowly began to feel her own body. Two spots of intense pain were pulsing on her back. A slick warmth had spread along her stomach. Her horn had finally stopped itching so bad, though she did still feel the onset of magical exhaustion. Her right foreleg was dislocated from the impact. Her left hind leg was gone entirely. 

And her brother...was nowhere to be seen.

This couldn't be happening. This wasn't what she wanted. Her theory was only meant to keep a small reaction, something that she could regulate directly with her own magic. It should have failed as soon as her hooves left the circle, and definitely should have stayed to the boundary she had drawn. What had happened? How could it have gone so wrong?

Velvet's breathing hitched and broke. She reached out from her spot near the door, grasping at the air where Shining Armor had been a minute earlier. Tears swelled and fell without her needing to blink.

Something new in Twilight, something vast and clear, seemed to give her answers to questions she hadn't asked. Balance, it said, balance had to be achieved. Whatever she had done had demanded a toll, something that she wasn't equipped to pay. It had been drawing on her magic to meet that toll, then had drawn on Shining Armor's when he entered the field of alchemy. But it gave her no answers about her missing limb. The most she could guess was that more was required of her than just magic. Too much more.

It was the first of many lessons the young alchemist would learn.

"B-bro...ther..." Her voice was still shredded, but she pushed ahead. "No, n-not...you..."

Velvet turned slightly to look at her broken daughter. She made no other movement. Twilight welled up any strength she had left, any that hadn't been taken, to pull herself forward. She forced herself to ignore the intense pain that hit her from all sides and the blood loss that threatened to make her lose consciousness.

"Not...him..." she muttered. "H-he still...has...s-so much to do..."

Eventually, Twilight reached the paper with her transmutation circle. By some cruel irony, the paper and circle were completely unharmed; it didn't even look like it had moved an inch. She looked at the sheet as her vision once again began to fray at the edges.

"Don't...t-take him..." Her voice was louder than before. "My b-brother is...starting...his own family...don't take him from that..."

A glint of metal caught her attention. Nearby, Shining Armor's training helmet rested upside-down. She was just close enough to reach it and pull it close. The weight of it in her hoof magnified the guilt she felt, but she knew it couldn't do it justice. There was too much to consider, far too much, and her mind was too noisy to focus on any one thing.

"Shining...Armor..."

Twilight openly cried. She cradled the helmet and let the waves of guilt wash over her. How could she possibly explain this? What kind of mistake could she have made to cause such a chaotic rebound? She knew that alchemy was a dangerous science, but this was beyond her imagination. What would his brother's marefriend think when she found out? Heavens, what did her mother think right now?

The inner voice spoke again, quiet but assertive. It fed new facts into her mind, enough to stem the tide of her own guilt for an idea to form. She didn't yet know what had caused such a bad transmutation - whether it was something with her theory, her intent, or even the way she had drawn her circle - but a new wealth of knowledge she had gained was helping to clear her head. Twilight lifted her eyes to glare at the alchemy circle. What exactly had she received in exchange for such a high price?

Balance, her inner voice answered.

"No..." she whispered after a moment. "Not him...not my brother. I...I won't let you."

Balance had to be achieved.

"Not him...no, you can't take him..."

Balance had to be—

"G-give him back."

All matter is subject to balance.

"I wanted...to fix an imbalance...so give him back."

Twilight pushed herself up as high as she could. The movement caused more of her blood to spill from her wound, and a rush of vertigo came to her, but she pushed past it. Using her own blood, Twilight carefully ran the tip of her hoof on the inside of the helmet. She drew a rune on the inside, knowing on instinct what to do. This new voice, whatever it was, had given her plenty of facts...as well as a way to save her brother.

"I'm the one...who started this. S-so...take me instead!"

All matter is subject—

"Take whatever you want!" she screamed.

The mark in the helmet was complete. Twilight set the entire thing in the center of her circle as she continued to plead. "My leg...my magic...my heart, I don't care! Take anything...take everything! You're so eager to keep balance, so keep it! Keep it all!" A fresh flow of magic coursed through her horn. "Just give him back. He's my brother!"

In a rage, she swept her left foreleg across the floor. Her hoof dug into the carpet and became hot with friction. The action sparked a second reaction from the circle, which glowed with the same intense brightness. Twilight faced it, directly focused on the brilliance, and carefully listened for her brother's voice to guide her.





The report was nearing its last page. The information inside had proven useful in completing a large portion of the paperwork assigned to him. It wasn't explicitly required of him, but he felt it helped him to keep things accurate. In spite of that, Flash Sentry was still disturbed by the story of Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor.

Their accident had taken place nearly five years ago. Twilight, dabbling in powers she hadn't properly learned, had paid a heavy price for something she ultimately didn't even ask for. It must have been the final insult, Flash wondered, to be granted a talent so unique but still have so few answers. He had known better ponies who would have been broken. What kept them going?

Flash Sentry read the end of the report. The details were concise: following the accident, the colonel had been sent to the house to investigate. While Twilight Sparkle was undergoing emergency care, Rainbow Dash reported what she called a 'rebound', something that alchemists like her were taught to avoid. Flash had been with her at the time, but the nature of the accident was lost on him. Still, he remembered how she had responded - the colonel had flown into a rage that took her to Twilight's hospital. It was there she finally met the siblings.

They found out that Twilight had acquired a special gift that made alchemic reactions nearly instant for her. Rather than needing a circle to mediate a transmutation, Twilight could begin one by simply picturing a change in her mind, then scratching her hoof against a surface. The type of surface didn't matter - wood, stone, fabric, even her prosthetics - as long as there was friction involved. It was that gift that allowed her to bind the soul of her brother to his training armor in exchange for her right foreleg. Even the colonel had praised that as being among the most advanced and risky transmutations in known science, and it proved enough to give Shining Armor a body to command. His soul was bound to the armor he had brought home.

The report ended there, but Flash remembered the details of what came next. Colonel Rainbow Dash had spent hours behind a closed door with Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor. She had learned all the details she could at the time, but rather than have Twilight arrested for her actions, she offered her a way to continue working on alchemy as a whole. At the time, Flash thought it was the colonel's way of pitying the unicorn, but lately it was hard to tell what her motives were. One could say that Rainbow and Twilight became friends, but Flash knew better. Neither of them devoted time for friendships.

Now here they all were. Leaders, followers, and occasional partners. The colonel gave Twilight Sparkle particular regard every week, coaching her on how to be a better alchemist while also berating her for any mistakes in her theory. Shining Armor was at her side for nearly every moment of every day, and would often teach her some basic methods to defend herself, skills that he had been taught during his time as a cadet. There were times when Brigadier General Poppy Seed would borrow Shining Armor, but otherwise he was allowed to work with his sister.

As for the Princess' niece...Cadance had tried to adjust to the reality of Shining Armor's condition. Flash Sentry didn't have many details regarding her, but it was a well-known fact that she usually spent all of her time within the palace's royal sectors now. It was a subject that Shining Armor had yet to discuss with anyone.

Which makes it a distraction, he chided himself. Flash shook his head. Distractions wouldn't help him do his work. But still, his original question refused to leave him alone. He stared at the latest in a large pile of reports needing his attention. Some minutes ticked by with no progress before he finally spoke up. "Ma'am?"

Rainbow Dash spoke from halfway across the office. "What is it, Lieutenant?"

"If you don't mind me asking...what motivates them?"

"Who?"

"Twilight Sparkle and her brother." Flash Sentry looked up from his stack, only to notice that the colonel was still invested in her own.

"I would think it's obvious," she answered. The report she was working on shifted to the side as she wrote. "They lost a great many things when Sparkle dabbled in forces beyond her control. The memory of what they lost drives them forward."

Flash nodded. "Yes, but to what end?"

The colonel paused and finally looked up. Her mane was shifted like her report had been. "Isn't that their business?"

"I apologize," Flash Sentry said. He lowered his eyes back to his own share of the work. "It's not my place to ask."

"Nonsense!" the colonel snorted. "There's nothing wrong with being curious. What's got you so interested?"

Flash Sentry considered his answer. She likely knew that he had become distracted, so there was no sense in hiding how far along he was. "It's these files, ma'am. I pulled the dossiers on the two of them to help me fill these out, and I got to thinking about what they've been through. I can't help but wonder about what their goal must be, especially considering that there seems to be some information missing."

"Heh, I always wondered if you picked up on that." Rainbow Dash slowly stood and turned to her office window. She raised her voice to be heard better. "Still...you should know enough to understand why. Sparkle committed a serious act against nature. A detail like that doesn't belong in something as unsecured as a personnel file, whether or not ponies can guess what it is. The fewer ponies that can confirm it, the better."

Flash picked up on the subtext. "So you...know what those details are."

"Comes with being their C.O."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't accept that," Flash Sentry said. "You know because you saw."

The colonel didn't answer. She stood against the sunlight coming through her window, framing her body in crossing shadows. A subtle twitching in her tail told Flash that she was miffed, but he didn't see any point in apologizing for his words. It wasn't the first time he had challenged her. The moment stretched on, and Flash turned back to his paperwork to wait it out.

Finally, she spoke up. "If you were in their position...what would your motivation be?"

He had been expecting that, but still hesitated. It was a hard question for a non-alchemist like him. "Well, I...I think that I would want to study more to figure out where I went wrong.

"No," Rainbow Dash snapped. "Try again."

"Ma'am?"

"Your motivation would be to constantly study? To prove what you already knew was a mistake?" Rainbow Dash shook her head, then turned to look squarely at her adjutant. "That's not you, Lieutenant, and that's not Twilight Sparkle. So try again."

Flash Sentry didn't often get surprised, and he never openly admitted when it happened. Needless to say, the way that the colonel had risen to defend Twilight Sparkle had caught him a little off-guard. He handled it the same way he often handled things in life: he reconsidered the facts and worked through his questions from a different approach.

"To change the mistake," he eventually answered.

The colonel turned away again. The twitching of her tail had stopped. "Go on."

"I'd want to learn more about alchemy, but not just to find out what I did wrong. That would only be part of it, and I wouldn't be satisfied with stopping after I proved what I would already be living." Flash stood up and joined his superior at the window, explaining himself as he went. "I'd try to find another way, to find every secret that I could, in order to correct what I had done wrong. I'd travel the lengths of the world if it meant finding an answer."

"And why is that?" Rainbow Dash pried. Below, the forms of Twilight and her brother vanished beneath the roof of the detention center.

"Because I would have already paid the price for doing things the wrong way...and anything I could do to make things right again would never be enough."

The answer was allowed to float around their heads unchallenged. Some of his answer had been extrapolation, but Flash was confident in his honesty. It was difficult enough to get into the mind of an alchemist; then again, he had frequent dealings with two of the youngest enlisted alchemists in the realm. He watched the subtle changes in the colonel's face through his peripherals, priding himself in the telling smirk he found.

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, held it, released, then turned to look him in the eye. "Is that enough to answer your questions, Lieutenant?"

"I believe so, yes. Thank you, Colonel."

"Good." Rainbow Dash spared a moment to rub her eyes. Then the moment passed, the two of them returned to their piles, and the sounds of bureaucracy filled the office once more.










> 4.1: Discordants
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





On top of everything else, Twilight had a headache.

Clearing and repairing water mains wasn't terribly difficult for her now, but the sheer number of them that had needed attention boggled her. She was grateful to finally be done with them, and doubly so when she heard that water service would be fully restored by that evening thanks to her help, but it still wasn't enough to improve her mood. It didn't help that the trip to each one was slowed by the city's residents, shouting in her ear for answers she wasn't allowed to give.

It also didn't help that she still had questions that only a specific pair of ponies could answer. Granted, her brother didn't like it either, but he had different reasons. All this...and then a headache.

Gods, she really needed to get back to bed.

"Twily?" her brother asked.

Twilight shook her head. She had started to fall behind as they walked across the palace parade grounds. Scowling, she pulled her coat tighter around her body and trotted quicker. "Sorry. Tired."

"After all of the excitement this morning?" Shining Armor joked.

"Really tired."

"We can always come back later, you know."

Twilight shook her head again. "No, no, it's better if we get this over with now. I don't know if the colonel will have them transferred or not, and I don't want to miss my chance."

Shining Armor sighed. The sound was hollow in his body. "All right, but you're not going in alone."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks."

The two of them approached the detention center, stopping at the front to allow a royal guard to process them. The guard didn't pay much attention to Shining Armor, but he did take a moment to consider Twilight. For a few seconds, he looked as though he would say something to her, but he eventually waved them both inside.

The siblings didn't have any trouble finding who they were after; they just followed the trail of investigators who had beaten them there. Shining Armor moved ahead to the front of the line, where another pair of guards were standing. They merely had to glance at him before they made way. He and Twilight pushed ahead past a final set of doors, much to the annoyance of the other ponies still waiting.

Even so, there was one investigator still ahead of them. She was an earth pony, and her attention was focused entirely on one of the cells nearby. She was trying to calm down whoever was inside, but if the growls from the cell's occupant were any indication, she was not having any luck.

Twilight called out to her. "Hello?"

The other pony looked toward her. "Yes? Who're you?"

"I'm Twilight Sparkle, a Republic alchemist. I need to see the prisoners privately."

"Oh yeah?" the investigator asked. She stood up to her full height and considered the siblings. "Funny, that's exactly what Ah asked for from the guards outside."

Shining Armor stepped up next to Twilight. He was able to see into the cell, spotting an enraged pegasus pacing back and forth. "Is that one of the ponies who attacked the palace this morning?"

The investigator frowned, then turned to a notepad she was holding. "One o' them, yeah. They were put into separate cells. The other is down that way," she said with a nonchalant wave outward. "Ah don't s'pose you two can let me have just a few more minutes?"

"And how long is a few?"

"Eh, about twenty."

Twilight winced as her headache flared. "Sorry, no," she answered. "I can't wait that long."

To their surprise, the investigator blew a raspberry. "Pbbt, 'course not. Well, not like there's anythin' I can do to stop y'all Republic alchemists." She stood and gathered a collection of clipboards she had arranged on the floor. With an annoyed glint in her eyes, she turned and walked past them. "Just do me a favor? Don't go doing anythin' that'll scar these two into silence. Ah know how things tend to break around folks in your line o' work, and it won't do to have these two babbling over and over about whatever y'all are gonna do."

"It's just some questions. Honest," Twilight assured.

The investigator paused at the door. "If that's true, then Ah'll be back as soon as you're done. 'Til then, don't break nothin' or nopony."

Twilight's headache flared again. Oh, good, triple negatives.

As the investigator left, Twilight moved ahead to the nearest cell. She spotted the same pegasus, pacing the floor and muttering beneath his breath. Even in the soft light, the bandages wrapping his hind leg looked fresh. He had an alarming limp as he moved back and forth, but he powered through the pain, or else simply allowed it to fuel his anger. At no point did he meet her eyes.

"Frigid Drift?" she asked.

The name sparked a reaction. The pegasus's head snapped toward her, and she finally got a look into his eyes. She couldn't recall ever seeing such cold hatred, though she had a feeling that it was directed at her simply because she was nearby. Instinctively, she leaned closer to her brother, who had joined her at the cell.

"List," the pegasus continued to murmur, "all on the list, every one of you, on the list, top of the list..."

"A pegasus," Shining Armor said. "Wouldn't that make him the soldier of the group?"

Twilight leaned in close without looking away. "What do you mean?" she whispered.

"Their files, the ones we saw before heading out this morning. They mentioned that the pegasus, this one here, was the one usually responsible for any prolonged firefights. There was the soldier, the engineer, and Whiteout as the leader."

With a sudden snarl, Frigid Drift slammed his whole body against the bars of his cell. Both Twilight and Shining jumped back, watching as he reached through the bars to try and grab at them.

Twilight narrowed her eyes at him. "Wow. I don't think he likes hearing that name."

"No kidding. He needs sleep more than you do."

A voice called out to them from further along. "That's enough, Frigid."

It was like a lever had been pulled. Frigid Drift instantly stopped moving so violently, then pulled his leg back into his cell. He continued to glare venomously at the siblings, but moved back to the far wall of his cell, crawling up to the single cot bolted to the wall. He wasn't truly silent: he still muttered over and over in hushed tones. In the low light of the hallway, they saw that his head had struck the bars hard enough to bleed.

Twilight moved to a cell not far from them, where the voice had come from. Inside, far less animated than the first pony, was a unicorn who was slouching. Twilight first saw the contraption on her body: an inhibitor ring was clasped tightly around her horn, surrounded by a thick plastic casing which fed to lengths of cable. The cables each connected to a harness that wrapped around her torso, then moved on to specialized braces around her legs. It was a setup that Twilight had seen before in her books. It allowed the prisoner limited movement, but prevented them from raising their forelegs high enough to reach their own head. Simple physics, with a magic blocker to bring it all together. Oddly enough, the harness had been connected over a small scarf that she wore.

The prisoner herself subtly glanced at her. Twilight noticed this and tried to look in her eyes anyway. "You must be Winter Frost, then."

Frost glanced away. She grunted under her breath.

"Winter Frost, the engineer?" Twilight continued. She gave a friendly smile, as friendly as she could manage for how grumpy she felt. "Are you the one who placed the transmutation circles inside the palace?"

"Oh, those," she muttered. "You're the third one to ask about the glyphs instead of the pipes. And you're a Republic alchemist, too."

Twilight tilted her head. "Yes. Like you."

Frost sat up a little straighter. The harness whirred as the cables were pulled tight. "Pfeh. 'Like you,' she says. Do you even know how I made them?"

"That's not why I'm here."

"Then you're not like me at all."

Twilight pressed on, her smile melting away. "It's not the circles I want to know about. It's how you placed them."

"With two-sided tape," Frost answered quickly.

Shining Armor joined his sister and stepped close to the bars. "Sarcasm isn't going to help you, you know."

"What, and being honest will?" Frost leaned forward, turned her head toward them as far as her harness would allow, and spat on the ground. "There's your honesty. You blind fools can't begin to understand what I know. You're nothing like me."

Twilight couldn't help but look at the spittle on the ground in disgust. After a moment, she sparked her magic and pulled out a small clear container she had stored under her duster. Inside the container was a fine layer of dust, barely noticeable in the dim light of the hall. She shook it back and forth until Frost looked at it.

"This is what interests me," Twilight said. "Do you know what it is?"

Slowly, Winter Frost stood from her cot and walked to the bars of her cell. The harness prevented her from standing properly, so she was forced to lean her neck forward. She gazed at the container in what seemed to be confusion. "Open it?" she asked. Her tone had changed: now she sounded curious.

"Why?" Shining Armor challenged.

Twilight shot him a look. "It's okay," she told him. As Frost stood watching, Twilight manipulated the cup until its plastic lid started to spin. She lifted the lid away and held it at an angle behind the container. "Better?"

Frost spat.

Shining Armor's hoof was there to catch it before it reached the container. They stood still for a moment before he slammed his spit-covered foreleg against his side of the bars. Drops flew and scattered along Frost's muzzle; she endured the sensation without flinching.

"Try that again," he warned, "and you won't have bars protecting you."

She scoffed, tried to wipe her face, then shook her head when her hooves wouldn't reach. "You must not be very smart, then."

"Smart enough for you, murderer."

Behind them, Frigid Drift slammed the bars of his cell again. "Hey, get away from her! If you mess with her, I swear I'll break these bars, then break you with them!"

Winter Frost calmly turned back toward the bars. "Quiet, Frigid. It's all right." Then she looked up at Shining Armor, staring at the damage to his helmet. "We're just getting to know one another."

Shining lowered his leg and stared right back.

Twilight reached over and gently touched her brother, her false limb touching his. Clearing her throat, Twilight looked at Frost again. "I'll ask a second time: do you know what this is?"

"Of course I do. I recognize my own work."

"Then you won't mind answering my questions about it."

"What, like I have a choice?" Frost deadpanned. "Don't tell me this is going to be your whole visit, because I have at least two other things to do that are better uses of my time."

Shining Armor spoke up again. "Sleeping and using the toilet aren't better things to do."

And Winter Frost shot back. "I don't know, maybe I'll use that pretty helmet of yours as a chamber pot. It might be an improvement."

"Enough!" Twilight shouted. Using her magic, she pushed against Frost's body, who slid back until she was forced to sit. Twilight used the same magic to gently nudge Shining Armor's frame until he stepped back of his own choice. The extra power she used upset her headache even further, so she dropped all pretense. She closed the small container, then moved it between the bars until it floated in front of the prisoner's face. "I'll cut to the chase. Is this the residue of a teleport matrix?"

Winter Frost was silent for several seconds, enough time to seem genuinely curious again. She gazed at the plastic container and the dust held within, then her eyes flashed and she looked away. "Why should I bother answering you?" she asked in hushed tones. "Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"I have, girl. I've been getting to know you and this iron giant ever since you came in, and there is no way you will understand." She glared at her. "That is my honesty. I hope you choke on it."

Winter Frost stood, strained against her harness, and moved back to her cot. "Besides," she continued, "carrying around a teleport matrix would have been stupid once we got inside the palace. It would have taken too long to work."

That was true; Twilight couldn't deny that. She pulled back the container and stashed it underneath her duster. "What about the circles outside the palace? The ones inside the pipes? I saw the transmutation circles. That was too precise a placement for anything else, and there's no other way it could have been done."

Frost gave a short laugh. "Maybe you're the smart one!" She sat on the edge of her cot and stared at the wall of her cell. As she spoke, she idly ran her hoof along the edge of her scarf, just gentle enough to keep the cables of her harness slack. "But you're still wrong. A matrix wouldn't leave behind powder when it gets used."

Shining Armor gave a sidelong glance to Twilight, but she didn't notice it in time and took the bait. "What? Of course it would," she said.

"You're not thinking clearly. It would be scorch marks."

"It's dust. A fine dust." Twilight shook her head in disbelief. "And you'd know that if you used one."

"Oh, is that so?" Frost asked. "That must mean you're the criminal here. You seem to know quite a lot about the sabotage this morning."

Twilight's head throbbed. "Ugh! You know what? Just stay in there!"

Then Frost was at the bars again, too fast for Twilight to track. Maybe she hadn't seen it due to her headache, or maybe there was some trick, but the next thing Twilight knew, Winter Frost was at the bars and staring with a cold fury. It was so sudden that Twilight couldn't stop herself from taking a step backward; even Shining Armor had visibly tensed.

On and on Frost glared, boring holes into Twilight's eyes, never blinking. Twilight's anger gave way to uneasiness in the span of seconds. She felt the urge to take more steps backward, but was able to stop that urge. It wasn't easy. She felt like she was being studied, her features memorized by a power she hadn't yet understood. It was disturbingly similar to the feeling of something curious probing her mind when she had pushed too far all those years ago.

Then Frost spoke. Her voice was low. Dangerous. "I know who you are, now."

The words weren't anything special, but they seemed to lower the temperature of the hallway all the same, because why else would Twilight feel a chill run up her spine?

"You do know quite a lot about what happened this morning. The pipes, the glyphs, even your theory about a matrix being used. You may even be right about it. That makes me wonder how you know so much at all."

"Who are they?" Frigid Drift asked from behind them.

"You weren't in the palace," Frost went on. "You weren't part of the defense. But that idiotic colonel was, even though her alchemy would have been a better way to cut through the city streets. That means you went in her place. You saw the pipes, you saw my work...and you saw Whiteout."

"You!" Drift screamed. His voice had gone shrill, a mark of his realization. "Get back here! I'll strangle you with your jacket!"

"I'd stay away from Frigid, little one. He never liked Whiteout...but he hates everyone who stands in his way." Frost's voice dropped lower still. "And you did get in his way, didn't you?"

Twilight couldn't reply. She was stunned by the intensity of Frost's stare. Now she knew for sure that she was being studied. She took another step back, but this time it was at least by choice. She wanted to get away. Her brother took a step also, a step forward, to stand between the two of them.

"And you. That damage to your helmet. I've seen that kind of wound before. It's a miracle you're standing...but I suppose miracles can be found by all sorts of fools these days. Tell me something: when you found Whiteout, did he give you a fighting chance, or were you caught by surprise like a pup without its mother?"

Shining Armor lashed out, slamming his hoof against the bars. The clang echoed loud and clear around them, but the only pony who flinched was Twilight. After a few seconds, the two of them began to walk away, back along the cells to the doors they had entered from.

Frigid snarled at them as they passed. "Come closer, come CLOSER, you little bastard, I'll break you into pieces! Hey! HEY!"

"You know that I've broken out of every prison I've been in?" Winter Frost called after them. "It's only a matter of time. When that happens, little alchemist, your only hope will be to leave the city. I'll bring Whiteout's vengeance with me."

Twilight stopped, turned, and answered. "We didn't kill Whiteout!"

"You forced an eagle from its perch. You're just as responsible for his death as the tyrant who found him. You'll be first, alchemist. You'll be first."
> 4.2: A Moment Alone
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Twilight and Shining were quicker to leave the prison building than they were to enter. They passed by each of the waiting investigators, completely ignoring the one they had spoken to earlier, and pushed past the front doors into the sunlight outside. Once they were clear, Twilight took a moment to rub at her natural legs. She still felt cold from the intensity of her meeting. Even rubbing to get warm wasn't doing much to make her feel better, although she could easily blame that on her prosthetic. What an appropriate name to have. Winter Frost. I hope she never gets released.

She and Shining Armor walked slowly across the parade grounds back toward the palace. Twilight had meant to stay quiet the whole way, but her brother had other plans. "That could have gone better. Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm well enough."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm well enough."

Behind her, Shining Armor shook his head. She only knew because she heard his helmet shifting against the rest of his body. "Come on, Twilight. Give me a real answer."

"What's wrong with my answer?"

"You're just dismissing me. You're obviously not in the mood, but I need to know how you're doing. I'm pretty sure that's the first credible threat you've ever gotten."

Twilight tried to laugh. What came out was a half-serious chuckle. "Credible? You can't mean that."

"I do. That pony is a killer. And she's trained in alchemy, just like you. She's been around for long enough to know her own skills, and I would take her threat seriously if I were you."

They reached the door leading into the palace hallway. With a quick nod to a nearby royal guard, they passed through and walked around the custodial staff who were cleaning the remains of the attack. Twilight made a quick note of how efficient the ponies here were since she saw very few shell cases and few-and-far-between wall damage.

"Take it seriously? From her? Please, any alchemist who thinks it's a good idea to break into the royal palace and start randomly drawing circles is no true alchemist. Remember, this is one of the ponies who thought that making a giant fog bank was stealthy. All that accomplished was alerting the entire city."

Her brother wasn't convinced. "What I remember is that she wasn't leading the team. Whiteout was the one who led their plan. Winter Frost and her partner were just the soldiers in the field. Now, you're right, the fog bank was a dumb idea, but the fact that the two of them managed to break in at all tells me that we'd do well to not underestimate them." He gently tapped her on her shoulder to help make his point. "You should remember that it's this same alchemist who placed those circles in impossible spaces."

And just like that, Twilight's headache graduated from a piercing heat to a heavy throb. She honestly didn't know which was worse. "She used a matrix. That's all," she said through clenched teeth.

"I don't know, Twilight."

Twilight stopped and rounded on her brother. "Well, what's your theory, then? How do you think that mare managed to set transmutation circles inside pipes? Or making them from a distance at all?" She pointed to a wall that suffered a sizeable burn, evidence of the attack from that morning. "According to everypony, she was able to create a circle in one area while she was standing in another! A teleport matrix would make that possible. That and the pipes! And along with the residue you found in the city, a matrix is the most likely thing."

She breathed through her teeth while Shining Armor stood still. Twilight knew she should have felt bad for snapping, but the feeling never came. If anything, all she felt was a brief moment of adrenaline. It was good to be in control for a few seconds, even if it was just control over the conversation. Maybe if she kept it up, she could get back to bed sooner.

"I don't have a theory," Shining Armor eventually answered. "What I do have are enough reasons to take those criminals seriously when they threaten my sister."

"It's an empty threat."

"How are you so sure?"

"Because they're in prison cells surrounded by trained guards. Oh, and the cells are just past an open space where more guards are being trained. What else...oh, yes, the fact that their plan of attack was stupid and desperate! I'm telling you, if that's the best they can come up with, then the only real threat is their bad attitude."

"Well, if that's all it takes, then I should feel pretty threatened right about now, huh?"

Twilight scoffed and stormed further in the hall. Shining Armor easily matched her pace. His very presence was grating on her already-frayed nerves, to say nothing of her various other reasons to be grumpy. It was bad enough with everything she had to deal with since that morning; why did he insist on challenging her viewpoint so much? It wasn't like him to be so critical.

So she asked him. "What's with you all of a sudden?"

"I told you," he answered. "I take threats to my sister very seriously."

"Then maybe you should focus these questions on the ones who did the threatening."

"Trust me, I intend to. But I still want to make sure you're okay."

"There's nothing in the world that those ponies can possibly do to me."

"Stop dodging my question."

She could feel his gaze on the back of her head. It actually made her itch. "I told you, I'm well enough."

"Oh, for goodness sake. Is that really all I'm going to get from you?"

"I'm sorry if it's not the cry for help you're expecting, Shining Armor. If you really want a chance to be a hero, then maybe you should hope that the threat is real."

For the first time, Shining Armor stopped on his own. "That's not funny, Twilight."

Twilight kept going. She walked for a good thirty seconds before she looked over her shoulder and saw that he wasn't there. A small victory. She smiled a little and pressed on to the colonel's office.





What she saw when she arrived surprised her. The office was locked. That's a first, she thought. Not wanting to lose her good streak, she sparked her magic and tried to unlock it from her side. All she got for her efforts was a clicking sound as the tumblers inside slid back and forth. She pulled back her magic and pressed her head against the door. Instantly, she felt sleep start to creep in on her.

Lucky for her that the door unlocked and opened at that moment. "Oh, miss Sparkle," said Flash Sentry. "Good afternoon."

Twilight shook herself and looked up. Flash's appearance surprised her too: rather than the clean-cut style he usually kept, he seemed disheveled and almost as tired as her. He held a thick stack of papers with one hoof. His uniform, the standard blue of the military with his own ribbons and insignia, was more wrinkled than she had ever seen it. In fact, she spotted a few stray blotches of ink along his front.

"Mm, hello," she managed through her haze of sleepiness. "I'm here to check in with the colonel."

"Colonel Dash is quite busy for the day, miss. We both are," he added, nudging his stack of paperwork.

"Why? What's going on?"

"Nothing you need concern yourself with. It's just paperwork. We actually were not expecting you to come by today."

"I had a test."

The colonel's voice rang out from inside the room. "Who is it, Lieutenant?"

"Twilight Sparkle, ma'am," he called back. "She's checking in with us, asking about her test."

"Does she really expect to still take a test after what happened this morning?"

Flash Sentry paused a moment to look Twilight up and down. "It might be that she'll sleep through it."

Twilight bristled. "Hey!"

"Send her away, Lieutenant. We can't afford any distractions."

Flash smirked with a joke only he seemed to get, but nodded nonetheless. "Sorry, miss. Between the attack, processing the attackers, and all of this follow-up work, we'll need to reschedule your test for another day. Head back to your room and rest."

Oh no, you don't, Twilight thought. I didn't study for three nights straight just to be given a day off. She shook her head and tried to push past Flash Sentry, but was stopped when he extended his wing. "Let me in."

"No."

She took that as a challenge. Adopting a hard glare, she stepped back and sparked her horn. With a quick swipe of her foreleg against the door frame, she envisioned another opening further along the wall. Sparks flew into the hall, a space in the wall bulged and deformed, and then a simple wooden door appeared. Flash's eyes darted from her to the wall, and she saw that he tensed but otherwise didn't move.

With a smirk of her own, Twilight took a couple steps to the new door she had made and pulled it open. A giant metal panel stood in her way. "What in the world?"

"Miss Sparkle, remember the layout of the office," Flash said. "You just opened a way to our supply lockers."

Growling, Twilight sparked her horn to life again.

"If you ruin my equipment, you'll make this personal," he warned. "Just go back to your room."

She ignored him. Instead, she pictured what she wanted. It wouldn't be right to completely wreck his supplies, so she wouldn't use all of the material inside the locker. Still, he shouldn't have stopped her, so maybe he deserved to have a little setback. Maybe instead of a simple door, she should make an elaborate metal gate, complete with a key that she would keep for herself. In fact, the key could be made out of that rifle he liked so much. With another smirk, she reached out to the metal panel of the locker.

Another wing stopped her, coming between her hoof and the metal. Rather than Flash's light orange, this one was a pale blue. Twilight paused to look at it. It wasn't until the wing gently came forward and pushed her hoof back down that she turned to look at the owner.

If Flash Sentry was disheveled, Rainbow Dash was simply a mess. Frown lines fell across her face and threw it into harsh shadows, her mane was standing up in some spots, bags were forming under her eyes, and her own uniform wasn't spotted with stray ink stains so much as decorated with them. Even the tips of her wings were frayed.

"What exactly are you planning to do, Sparkle?" the colonel asked in a low, oddly calm voice.

Twilight stood up straight and met her gaze. Grumpiness met grumpiness, or so she thought. "I'm here to get this test out of the way so it will be off my mind."

"So you do expect to take it even after all that happened."

"I'd better. This is the best time for it. If I wait another day, I'll likely be more focused on that pony Winter Frost than I will be on alchemy."

"Good," Rainbow Dash said. She brought her wing down, stretched it, and let it settle against her side. "We could use more insight into her state of mind. What was your impression of her?"

That took Twilight by surprise. "What? What does she matter? I'm not here because of her."

"You are now. Since you're so eager to take a test, I'm giving you one. What's your impression of Winter Frost?"

"I don't see what the point of this is."

"Then let me explain. Winter Frost infiltrated the palace early this morning and placed several transmutation circles in various spots along this wing of the building. They were designed for freezing alchemy, but they were spread out in a way that makes it unclear what their endgame was. Since Frost and her partner Frigid Drift were here in the palace, it stands to reason that they would know what that endgame is."

Twilight closed her eyes and tried to force down her headache. "Sure," she muttered.

"Good to hear that you agree. Now, the question of their motive is still unanswered, and since you went to visit with them, I can only assume that you have some intelligence on them that we weren't able to get. So here's your new test, Sparkle: give me some information on them. Anything useful."

The last thing she wanted to do was replay her encounter with them, but the colonel's tone didn't exactly leave room for argument. "I don't...have anything on them," she admitted. "If you wanted to know their motive, it would have been better to keep their leader alive."

Rainbow Dash tilted her head in consideration, then backed off a step. "That's true enough, but it's not what we have now. There's no use dwelling on what might've been, don't you agree?"

Twilight once again sensed the trap too late. "Yes, of course...wait—"

"Then take the lieutenant's advice. There's no point dwelling on a test with all that's happened now, especially since right now I'm in no position to give you one. I have enough to fix without you tearing into my office and ruining our equipment, and I will not tolerate any more insubordination."

"I just wanted—"

"You're dismissed, Twilight Sparkle. I'll send for you when I need you."

Twilight groaned, had a brief staring contest that she quickly lost, then turned away. A rebellious part of her mind urged her to knock over the supply locker with her magic, but she thought better of it. She walked down the hall, passing Flash Sentry on the way, who gave her an empathetic look. Even that look served to annoy her.

Her quarters were only a couple minutes away from the colonel's office, on the other side of the same wing of the building. It was really more of a large, private study than a bedroom: one entire wall was dedicated to bookshelves, while the others were covered with maps, schedules, and certifications she had earned. A single bed awaited her from the corner, while a desk and couch set in the middle of the room held a pile of clutter regarding her rescheduled test. There was a second desk across from the first, one that Shining Armor used, and it was appropriately neat and tidy. She shared the room with her brother, though he wasn't there. Rather than focus on where he was and what he might be doing, she threw her door closed and shed her custom duster.

A mirror next to the door helped her see herself. She had never been one for wearing clothes, but the state of her body made them necessary. Her right foreleg was made from a special composite that ran on her natural motor functions. Her left hindleg was the same, and both worked almost seamlessly with the rest of her body. She didn't claim to understand the science behind it, but she knew enough just by relying on them to get around.

It was called automail. An engineering marvel that created hyper-responsive prosthetic limbs. It saw extensive use during and after the Unification War, for those unlucky survivors who could afford it. Twilight hadn't heard of such a thing until she needed it, and she had never learned who had paid for them...or how she even came to own a pair. Doctors and engineers would always tell her things about them: specifications, proper care, things to listen for, and the like. All she really knew about them was that they helped her get around, because without them she'd be a cripple.

Technically she still was. If the prosthetics were removed, she would find nothing beneath. Just a length of metal that connected the spots where she ended and the machinery began. Twilight idly ran her left hoof, her natural hoof, over her right foreleg, feeling the material as she had done hundreds of times. Just like her other unanswered mysteries, she had never known who had said the limbs had to be painted black. It was such an odd choice, and clashed with her natural violet coat anyway.

But what very few ponies knew was that there was a different reason, besides her prosthetic limbs, why she wore such a large jacket. Twilight set her hoof down and turned sideways, looking at a spot along her back. Set behind her withers and near her spine were two abnormal growths, like swollen pockets beneath her skin. They constantly ached and flushed an alarming red, so the sight of them alone would disturb the typical Canterlot pony.

She had even less information on the swollen spots than she did on her limbs. Even palace doctors could only recommend further study. As far as she knew, they could just be severe allergic reactions to something in the air. But they had appeared the same day she had lost her limbs, and were as permanent as the rest of her. Whatever they were, they always hurt. She needed to train herself to sleep on her stomach and sides just to avoid putting pressure on them.

Today, as always, she stared at her scars and deformities, wondering where she had gone so wrong. Her mistake took place over six years ago, back when she was only eleven years old. But over the years since, she never got any closer to an answer. What happened? she would ask herself. What did I do?

It was a question she asked every night. Sometimes, she wished she could still hear that tiny voice that answered her from that day. But the voice was silent, and her room was silent, and her train of thought was doing her no favors today. Defeated, she fell on top of her bed without bothering to get beneath the covers and was asleep within minutes.
> 4.3: Thinking Aloud
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Every moment spent away from Twilight felt like standing on the edge of something abyssal. He felt that way ever since he came back from wherever he had gone, and for a long time he simply thought that it was because of the accident that the feeling was there. It was something he could cope with, something he could accept. But what he couldn’t let slide today was letting her go the way that he did.

They didn’t argue often. He had always tried to be a dutiful brother, to do right by his family when his father passed away, and so it made sense for him to be as supportive as he needed to be. That was easier when it was just his mother he had to deal with, and it was something he tried to maintain even after...well, after everything. Over the years, though, it had gotten more difficult, and it surprised him to discover that his own sister was the source.

Twilight had a knack for making things harder than they needed to be. Or maybe it was just a curse of bad luck. Whatever the case, it had led to an argument, tame as it was. Maybe she was just too tired to think about it, and Shining Armor clearly saw the signs. Maybe he pushed too far. Or maybe Twilight’s just being careless again.

He shook his head to clear the intrusive thought. The action caused his empty helm to slide against his body, so he stopped to correct it. Apparently, the damage he had taken from Whiteout early that morning had knocked something loose. Stop it, he told himself. You need to be there to protect her. That’s what you promised. Stop thinking so poorly of her, you dolt.

Leaving her on such a sour note wasn’t what he wanted, but he did need to check in with his own officer. Twilight had the colonel; Shining had the brigadier general. After leaving Twilight with his last word, he had double-backed through the hall and out of the palace, crossing the various grounds until he came up to the Administration Building. The guards and staff knew him, so he entered without the need for any summons. Several of the scribes and secretaries instantly moved to the sides of each hall he walked through. They probably only knew his reputation, or maybe just the way he looked now, but it served him just fine. It meant he had no distractions as he rounded the corner and stood in front of a familiar office door.

He missed the smell of paint. It always seemed to linger, even after Pappy had settled into his office. Shaking his head again, a little gentler this time, Shining Armor knocked firmly on the door.

“Stand by,” a strong but scratchy voice replied from within. Shining waited patiently for half a minute until the door opened wide. Before he could step through, a group of administrative workers poured out, each one clutching a notebook of some degree. Many of them gave Shining a shocked look as they passed. He only looked long enough to see that there were no unicorns in the group.

Pappy was inside, pacing, which meant he was agitated. He only paced when he was agitated. “There you are, Shining Armor,” he said with a relieved grin. A flash in his eyes instantly darkened it. “Your helmet. It’s been pierced.”

Shining Armor went through the motions of standing and saluting. He knew better by now that Pappy rarely returned them, so he didn’t wait long before lowering his leg. “Yes, sir. There was a discordant who surprised me.”

“So I’ve heard. Whiteout, right? The alchemist turncloak?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Well, I hope you got him just as good. Eh heh!”

If Shining Armor still had a mouth, he would be suppressing a grin. At some point, that laugh had become welcoming. “No such luck. I was able to get in close and tackle him a couple times, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve.”

“Were they cool tricks, at least?”

He would definitely be grinning now. Shining chuckled, his laughter ringing inside his own chest. “You could say that.”

“Well, come in, come in. I’ve got a precious few minutes before the next batch of pencil-pushers comes barging in here.” Pappy moved around to the back of his desk, which was arguably oversized for the office. He sat in his chair and ran a hoof over his bald head, letting it linger there to scratch at something.

Shining Armor nodded and closed the door behind him. This was routine for him now: reporting to the brigadier in such a casual manner. He’d never dare try it with anypony else, least of whom Colonel Rainbow Dash, so he tried to enjoy it when he could. Just like the laugh he used to dread, the chance to debrief with Pappy had become something he would anticipate. The brigadier was always quick to make things feel light.

"Anything to report?"

Shining Armor shook his head. "Nothing you don't already know, sir." He spared a moment to straighten his helmet again.

"Now, now, young man. I didn't bring you into my fold so you could take it easy. If you knew what I know, then you'd be sitting here instead of me." Pappy smiled, but his eyes retained their kindly edge. "I'll ask again. Do you have anything to report?"

"I suppose so. The attack this morning was carried out by a team of discordants. Whiteout was their leader, with two others named Winter Frost and Frigid Drift. Both of them were captured and arrested by Colonel Dash, but Whiteout was killed by the Princess."

Pappy's smile fell at each word. It wasn't enough for him to frown, but the gentleness he'd had was replaced by a strong focus. "I see. Tell me about the colonel's operation."

"I don't have much to tell, sir. I was helping my sister with a separate mission at the time. All I can tell you is what I've overheard from others since the attack."

"Tell me."

"Yes, sir. From what I understand, Colonel Dash and her team led the defense of the palace interior. They encountered both Winter Frost and Frigid Drift, resulting in a firefight throughout the military wing. Reports from those involved say that Winter Frost was—"

The brigadier waved at him. "No, none of that. Don't talk to me about reports."

"That's most of what I have to offer, sir."

"Then tell me about the Princess' involvement," Pappy said. "You say she encountered Whiteout himself?"

"Yes, sir. After my sister and I flushed him out of hiding, he ran through the city streets. Princess Luna went out herself to confront him, and he attacked. She defended herself, resulting in Whiteout's death."

Pappy waited in silence for a moment. "That's not a lot of detail."

"I wasn't involved, sir."

"Bah. I guess I'll need to stick my nose into those stacks of paper after all." He seemed to consider something, then turned in his chair until he faced the wall. "You said that the Princess went out to confront him?"

Shining Armor nodded. "That's correct."

"What are your thoughts on that?"

"Thoughts, sir?"

"Thoughts," he confirmed with a sidelong glance. "I want to know what you think about our esteemed leader putting herself in harm's way instead of letting those she's put in power do their jobs. Even for an alicorn, it's a needless risk."

Shining paused to consider that. "I think...perhaps she saw an opportunity that would have taken too long for her guards to respond. Or maybe she took personal issue with the nature of the attack. I honestly can't say what Princess Luna was thinking."

"Then it's a good thing I didn't ask you what she thought. Tell me what you think. Come on, my boy, I'm not a fan of repeating myself."

"Ah. Sorry, I just... Well, I think what she did was very decisive. Yes, it was a risk, but it was rewarded. Equestria is safer with one less criminal to worry about."

"Mm-hmm." Pappy turned his seat back around to face the desk, then placed his hooves on either side of it. He visibly sat straighter. "You don't think she should have stayed in the palace and let the guards do their jobs?"

Shining Armor stood a little straighter, too. He'd recognized that posture. "It's not my place to judge the Princess' actions, sir. I can only share what I think about them."

"You might change your mind one day. Humor an old pony, won't you?"

It was an odd request, yet it didn't sound odd to have come from Pappy. Shining hesitated, turning to look around the office. "I guess...well, I stand by what I said earlier, but I guess I can see how it was a needless risk."

"Hm. How so?"

"Well, she's the Princess, the most important pony in the nation. And we were dealing with a team of killers this morning. There's nothing that she could have done that we couldn't also do, and if a guard got killed, then nopony would be surprised. But she's a different story. What would we be doing right now if she had failed?"

"Eh heh heh. She's a different story, all right."

"Well, everything that we're dealing with is thanks to Princess Luna being lucky," Shining continued, now lost in thought. "Either that, or she somehow knew exactly where Whiteout would be. And if that's the case, I just think...why couldn't she have passed along her intel to somepony else? Why not let us know and allow us to follow protocol? She subverted the rules meant to ensure her safety. She made her choice, so we're forced to live with it, but she shouldn't have just done what she wanted..."

He trailed off. Was it really Princess Luna he was talking about, or his sister? I must be more upset than I thought.

Pappy cleared his throat.

"Sorry, sir. I, ah, I hope you will keep that in confidence."

"Of course, my boy," Pappy replied. "That's why I haven't been taking notes, eh heh!"

A set of knocks sounded from the door. "Stand by!" Pappy called. "Listen, I have more important matters to share with you, but they'll have to wait for even more important matters to finish. This ugly business has left me with enough paperwork to plant a forest all along the east side of the mountain. Come back here tomorrow morning and we'll continue."

"Yes, sir." A thought struck him. "General, during the briefing this morning, I was allowed to see files on the criminals. Is it possible for me to see those files again?"

"Why?"

"My sister was threatened by them, and I want to learn their histories to make sure I'm prepared."

Pappy nodded. "Understandable. Very well, I can spare a copy for you. It's not gonna include Whiteout, you know. I can't share anything on the deceased," he said, lifting two files from on top of his desk. "I'm trusting you to be discreet with this information. Needless to say..."

Shining Armor took them. "I understand. Thank you."

"Dismissed." With that, Pappy rose and moved to the door, pulling it open. He held up a hoof to a crowd of gathered ponies outside, signaling them to wait. Shining Armor took the chance to slip past them. As soon as he cleared the group, they filed into the office. Shining didn't see it, but he knew Pappy was grimacing with the knowledge of the day's work.





It was well into the afternoon by the time Shining Armor gently pushed through the door to their quarters. As he suspected, Twilight was asleep on her bed, laying on her stomach, her head turned away. He entered as quietly as he could. Closing the door behind him, he stepped up to his desk and set down the folders he had been carrying. The rest of Canterlot might still be fixing itself, but he could still do some work.

The files didn't go into great detail on either pony. He didn't expect them to. Instead, they amounted to little more than a list of deeds and accomplishments that both Winter Frost and Frigid Drift had done. From what he could tell, they worked separately for the first few years of their careers, and it wasn't until the Unification War that they even met. Although, Shining found out as he read further, Frigid had been working with Whiteout for far longer than Winter.

Some minutes passed. Shining Armor went through the documents, cross-referencing them with the few history books he owned. The noise, quiet as it was, caused Twilight to stir. "Mmm, hello?"

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," Shining Armor whispered.

"What are you doing?" she asked, turning slightly to look at him.

"I'm learning all that I can about those two ponies we saw. Their histories and everything. If I can figure them out a little, I can predict them better."

"Oh. Heh. The soldier never sleeps."

That's not the reason I can't sleep, Twily, he thought.

A few moments passed between them. Shining Armor never looked up from his reading. Eventually, Twilight spoke again. "I'm sorry about earlier."

"Hm?"

"Earlier," she repeated. "When I snapped at you. You didn't deserve that. I was out of line."

"Oh. Don't worry about it, Twily."

"I don't want to be mean to you. I need you, Shining Armor, so please don't be upset."

"I'm not..." He caught himself before he lied. "I'll be okay, Twilight. I forgive you, and I'm not going anywhere. Somepony's gotta look out for you, after all."

He did forgive her, that much was true. He didn't really have much choice in the matter. With the way things were now, he was bound to his sister in more ways than he could name. Nursing a grudge would only harm them, and the more he thought about it, the more he decided that a petty argument wasn't worth it anyway. Still, it surprised him at how easily he had become upset with her. It wasn't like him, he knew that.

He waited several long seconds for her to reply before he realized she had fallen asleep again. Shining Armor looked over at her, instinctively worrying about the position she was in. He hadn't admitted it, but the way she slept - with her legs curled at her sides and her head tilted awkwardly - almost made her more like a soldier than he was. It was only one step away from being able to sleep while standing. The angle of it all must have made her body sore, but even so, he was envious of her. At least she was still able to sleep.

Shining Armor returned to his task. Even in his state, there were things he could still do.