> The Quickverse Chronicles
>  by Quick Fix
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> A Brief History of Equestria
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The following is a summation of various official historical texts detailing the nation of Equestria from 1 FE to 1000 CE. All dates have been adjusted to match the modern calendar as closely as possible.





While the exact details of the events surrounding the unification of the three pony tribes remain up for debate, it is universally agreed that on December 26th of the final year of separation, Equestria was officially founded and the first year of the Foundation Era (hereafter referred to as FE) began.


The first years of Equestria were focused internally, making efforts to stabilize ponykind's newfound peace and home. The three tribe leaders put their talents toward establishing the basis of Equestria's needs. Princess Platinum of the unicorns on infrastructure and economy, Commander Hurricane of the pegasi on exploration and defence, and Chancellor Puddinghead of the earth ponies on agriculture and sciences. Despite the initial teething troubles, each leader was able to work with each other and their talented followers. In 6 FE the first capital of Equestria, the city of Equis, was officially founded on the northwest coast of modern Equestria, at what is now known as Luna Bay. In 34 FE, the pegasus pony Cold Front became the first native born equestrian to become one of its leaders.


By 231 FE, Equis had a sustainable population that reached five figures and its current leaders, Timed Hunt, Sky Dive and Mythic Dawn, made the decision to take the scouting paths established by Commander Hurricane and establish a second settlement upon them. While the wilds of Equestria were a lot more dangerous than in modern times, with timberwolves especially rampant, their efforts paid off in the form of a farming and fishing settlement being established further down the coast in 271 FE to further support a pony population. In 303 FE it was officially named the town of Vanhoover and by 419 FE it had established itself as early Equestria's primary source of food.


Exploration across the grasslands to the east proceeded more slowly as countless outposts and rest stops sprung up along the frontier routes. In 947 FE the explorer Neighagra reached the waterfalls in the center of north Equestria that bear her name today. Newly developed prospecting techniques resulted in the discovery of natural minerals that had been exhausted in the west. Ponies flocked to the area in search of trade or work and in 995 FE enough of a permanent establishment had been set up in the area to found the town of Whinnyapolis. Further exploration east was restricted by marshlands and so explorers turned north and south.


It was around this time that the ruling council method that had led Equestria since its foundation began to suffer from the same flaws that had befallen it when used by the former pony tribes. Disagreements on the correct way to lead resulted in several years of stagnation, though the leaders of the time ultimately did not fall into the trap that had cost their ancestors their homelands and put the question of the path they should take to the public. Ultimately, the calls for an elected monarch won out by an overwhelming majority and on August 13th, 1002 FE, the earth pony Forged Path became the first queen of Equestria.


In 1474 FE, prospectors began mapping the Foal mountains that at the time marked Equestria's southern border. While most of the mountain range was only found to contain basic minerals, the westernmost mountain contained a seemingly unthinkable number of gems, the largest discovery of their kind since the Crystal Mountains were charted in 1246 FE. Under the order of Queen Incandescence, a unicorn mining outpost was quickly established at the base of the mountain. The speed of it's foundation and how rapidly work proceeded in the mountain led to it being named Canterlot.


Through all their time and discoveries, Equestrians had always wondered if there were any other forms of sapient life in these lands. Their answer came on January 9th, 1991 FE when a pegasus exploration team lead by Captain Squall encountered a race of crystalline, pony like beings just beyond the Crystal Mountains. While they were unable to follow up due to a lack of supplies, the discovery led to decades of further expeditions that came to a head in 2062 FE when the earth pony Gleaming Guard came face to face with a crystal pony. Aside from their unique body structure, they were very much like normal ponies and further contact between the races ultimately lead to ponykind making a proper first contact with the Crystal Kingdom and their home in the Crystal City on May 3rd, 2113 FE.


By 2254 FE, Equestria had established regular trade with the Crystal Kingdom. Under their current leadership of unicorn King Sunburst and Queen Snow Shine of the earth ponies, Equestria had seen a period of welcome stability. While the borders of the nation remained the same as they had for some time, the crystal mountains to the north, Equis and Vanhoover to the west, Whinnyapolis to the east and Canterlot to the south, ponies had spread beyond those bounds and it seemed that new towns would be appearing any time now. A stable economy had been established and quality of life was constantly increasing. Many civilians thought this was the beginning of a golden age for their kind.


On April 1st, 2255, a group of unicorn explorers investigating what is now the Everfree Forest came across a being unlike any they had seen before. On that day, the Foundation Era came to an end and the Time of Chaos (TC) began.





To this day, nopony is sure where Discord came from, or why he was there. Many of the historical records of this time were lost in his initial move against Equestria, though it is generally agreed that his domination over ponykind was firmly established by 3 TC. Ponies did their best to flee from Discord's reign of chaos, resulting in the foundation of the towns of Tall Tale and Manehatten in 29 TC and 95 TC respectively. Ultimately however, it seemed nowhere in Equestria was safe from the power of disharmony and earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns alike were powerless to stop it continuing for eternity...


However, it seemed fate had other plans.


On November 23rd, 385 TC, a miner at the border town of Canterlot excavated what surviving reports describe as 'A shining jewel at the heart of the mountain, a pair of the most radiant and beautiful figures visible at its core'. The figures vanished several seconds later and while it has never been explicitly confirmed, it is commonly believed that the two figures were none other than Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The incident was largely unknown by ponykind, though those aware of its happening clung to it as a sign of hope that there was something better coming.


On September 24th, 393 TC, Celestia and Luna appeared again at Discord's current base of operations in Tall Tale. Witnesses to the scene described an unparalleled power at work as the two simply marched upon the mad tyrant and turned him to stone within a minute of their arrival. With their task complete and the power of disharmony steadily fading across the land, the two disappeared as quickly as they arrived. Equestria found itself weary, strained, but ultimately unbroken. Some semblance of normality returned with the coronation of King Light Trick in 395 TC and Equestria began the long road to recovery. A recovery that was nearly halted once again in 414 TC when the centaur Tirek arrived in Equestria, intent on stealing the magic of ponykind for himself. Though he quickly vanished as soon as he appeared, with it being revealed millennia later that Celestia and Luna were responsible for his banishment, it did little to ease the nerves of many ponies.


The Crystal Kingdom had come through the reign of Discord without drawing much of his ire and their monarch of the time, Queen Glimmer, was quick to re-establish contact with Equestria and provide whatever aid they could. In 422 TC, Prince Shockwave of the unicorns and Prince Amber Glow of the Crystal ponies solidified relations by negotiating a joint effort to explore the mountains north of the two nations. While it helped bring both nations together, it almost proved their undoing. In 439 TC, the two princes were leading one such expedition when they made first contact with the Yaks. The specifics of the meeting are lost to time, but only a wounded Shockwave returned, decrying a race of savages that had slain the Crystal Prince. The Yaks seemingly had further intentions though, they gathered their strength and marched on both Equestria and the Crystal Kingdom, beginning the Contact War in 476 TC.


The Yaks were technologically lacking behind ponies but had the sheer strength and military numbers to compensate. Initial military engagements resulted in crushing defeats for Equestria and by 479 TC a horde was marching upon the capital itself. Realising that they could not stand or run as single options. King Emerald Glory and Queen Rainbow Flash elected to march against the Yaks with every pony willing to join them in order to buy everypony else time to evacuate. The battle of Equis occurred on March 29th of that year, a site of many legends being forged among ponies, the most prominent being that the first sonic rainboom was performed in that battle. The only solid facts remaining are that by March 31st, both had fallen in battle and the first capital of Equestria had been razed.


While their sacrifice had given Equestria time to prepare, it had merely slowed the Yaks march. In 494 TC both the Crystal City and the new Equestrian capital of Whinnyapolis were both under threat. Both lands were approaching breaking point with Queen Onyx of the Crystal ponies becoming more isolated and focused on her own lands while the newly crowed King Sunlight Heart of the earth ponies was inexperienced, taking the throne at thirteen after Queen Shamrock was crippled in battle. When it seemed that both nations were set to be brought to their knees, Celestia and Luna reappeared and approached the Yaks. Without inflicting a single casualty they turned the Yaks back and sent them into a retreat that did not end until they had returned to their city-state of Yakyakistan, all within a few months. Many ponies considered them all powerful unicorn gods after both this act and their actions against Discord, which is believed to be the origin of the term Alicorn.


When peace was finally agreed between the three nations in 495 TC. Queen Onyx severely curtailed contact with Equestria, claiming that her nation of boundless strength had held the Yaks at bay and claimed all lands north of Equestria as the territory of the Crystal Empire. Post-war Equestria was in no condition to argue and its inhabitants instead implored the two alicorns to stay this time, if only long enough for them to know who had saved them twice. Celestia and Luna both ultimately agreed to remain in Equestria and protect it. The people were quick to cite the two as more than their saviours, claiming they were more fitting to lead than the line of rulers who had failed to protect their homes and lives.


Determined to make the most of what was left of his reign, King Sunlight Heart was quick to rebuild the west of Equestria that had fallen in the Contact War, able to save Vanhoover and Tall Tale as major settlements but unable to return to Equis as it now lay within Crystal Empire territory. He also announced that Canterlot, the site where the two alicorns had first appeared, would be where a fitting castle for his inevitable successors would be built. Despite their reluctance to take up such a mantle, Celestia and Luna eventually bowed to the will of the public and agreed to lead Equestria.


On January 1st, 508 TC, the Time of Chaos came to an end when Sunlight Heart, last king of Equestria, gave his final decrees. That the fledgling city and newly constructed castle of Canterlot would be the new capital of Equestria and abdicated his throne to the now crowned Princesses Celestia and Luna. As the two Alicorns took to their new responsibilities, the Age of Advancement (AA) had begun.





The first test of the two sisters' reign came in 6 AA when an attempt to chart the seas east of Manehatten resulted in ponies making first contact with the griffons. Despite many ponies being somewhat distrustful and xenophobic after the Time of Chaos, the leader of the expedition, the pegasus Soarin, was able to keep initial tensions from boiling over. Princess Luna took over the role of negotiator once news of the meeting made its way back to Canterlot and by 15 AA, Queen Gilly of the nation of Griffosis welcomed Equestria as a distant but friendly land.


As time passed, and ponies began to move on from the hardships of the Contact War, Equestria began to return to the motivations it had not seen since the heyday of the Foundation Era. The resource rich lands to the south of the current borders were found to be uninhabited and Manehatten's rapid growth due to its position as a trade port with Griffosis resulted in further coastal towns and cities being founded along the east coast. The most prominent were Fillydelphia in 94 AA and Baltimare in 746 AA. Explorers along the west coast were stymied by the presence of the Smokey Mountains and San Palomino Desert, but the pegasi were able to make the most of the area and founded the combined ground and cloud city of Los Pegasus in 536 AA, a milestone that would play a much larger role for Equestria as a whole, in time.


By 200 AA, Equestria had entered something of a golden age. The economy was stronger than ever, thanks in part to the establishment of the bit as a national currency in 164 AA. A new standardised calendar system had been set up that is still used to this day, with the new year marked on January 1st. Many of the underlying racial tensions that had silently plagued the land for millennia had been eradicated and national security felt higher than ever. Many ponies credited these successes to the princesses, though both Celestia and Luna were quick to praise all their subjects for their more significant parts in response. That said, when they elected to construct a second castle in the Everfree Forest, there were few objections. The Castle of the Two Sisters was completed in 208 AA and became a symbol of both the princesses power and their separation from regular ponies, as it was the place they raised and lowered the sun and moon each day.


In 741 AA, Equestria was surprised by the sight of an envoy from the Crystal Empire arriving in Whinnyapolis. After centuries of isolation, King Amber Glow of the Crystal ponies had managed to convince his subjects to reopen diplomatic relations with their neighbours. The timing ended up being a bonus neither nation had foreseen. Princess Luna and King Amber Glow remained in private contact until the day of their planned meeting to discuss their nations futures, which aroused her suspicions when he arrived up in Canterlot at the same time he was sending a letter from the Crystal City. The subsequent detainment and questioning was Equestria's first contact with the Changelings. However, it also served to bring Equestria and the Crystal Empire back together as they conducted a ten-year joint operation to study, uncover and remove any changelings that had already infiltrated their lands. It was a rousing success, changelings would not be reported in either land again for over fourteen hundred years.


In 950 AA, news reached Equestria that the Griffosis capital had come under attack by the creature Arimaspi. Princess Celestia immediately deployed a pegasi guard squadron led by Captain Jetstream to provide any aid they could. When they reached Griffonstone though, they found the fighting over and the capital palace in ruin. The pegasi did their best to join the recovery efforts and team member Solar Winds gained notable acclaim by proving herself instrumental in the rescue of King Guto from the wreckage. They were ultimately unable to help the griffons recover themselves after the Idol of Boreas was lost in the attack and the guards returned to Equestria, leaving behind a nation strong in stature but broken in spirit. Ponykind could only watch as Griffosis fractured and tore itself apart, reduced to the scattered Griffon Territories by 1138 AA


In 1006 AA, a series of errors within the pegasi weather management resulted in a major drought across the land. The princesses were unable to intervene as, for all their power, spontaneous creation of any element was beyond them. Dozens of farming communities suffered with the water shortages and while a food shortage was never a real threat due to the existence of grass, many ponies were left unsatisfied and with widespread discontent. It was then that Humble Flow, a cloud worker descended from the architects of Los Pegasus, came up with the idea of a pegasus city entirely based in the clouds to manage weather production. It would be an easier source of the necessary resources and could be mobile to spread its effects where needed. The idea was jumped on with aplomb and on September 14th, 1008 AA, the city of Cloudsdale was officially completed and began weather production. While the techniques would still take decades to perfect, the concept paid off and the drought came to an end the following year.


The event that many historians mark as the ultimate beginning of the end for the Age of Advancement came in 1132 AA when a contingent of earth ponies crossed from the Patchwalk Mountains on the northeast coast of Equestria and attempted to settle the Grittish Isles, a group of islands off the east coast that had been long considered griffon territory. Despite their division, the griffons nearly reunited against Equestria, claiming the move was a violation of deals between ponies and griffons that dated back a millennia. Princess Celestia was ultimately able to sate the griffons with the agreement that the islands would remain recognised as griffon land and any ponies settled there would abide by their laws. When the last signs of griffon unity fell apart six years later, the ponies on the islands rushed to secure their position and found a proper settlement. The Grittish Isles retained their name as a small mark of respect and ponykind had gained the town of Trottingham, but the move left the Princesses worried for the harmony of their little ponies, fearful that the peace would not last much longer.


Sadly, they were right in ways worse than either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna could have imagined.


On November 3rd, 1161 AA, the continent was rocked to its very core by news that Queen Osmium II of the Crystal Empire had been assassinated and a one pony coup of the entire empire had been enacted by a previously unknown pony that called themselves King Sombra. Before Equestria had had time to absorb the news, Princesses Celestia and Luna had rushed toward the empire. Nopony knows the reasons for their intensity or immediate reaction. Two days later, the princesses returned with grim news. Sombra had been defeated and his spirit banished, but his precautions prior to their arrival meant that Crystal City, and with it the entire populace of the empire, had been lost, vanished from the world until the dark king's curses wore down enough for it to return, though at the time everypony believed it was gone forever. Worse still, Princess Luna's demeanour had changed in the aftermath, becoming increasingly more agitated and secluded. Though nopony knew what was coming, many found themselves bracing for the worst.


On June 15th, 1167 AA, the worst came in the form of what would be known as the Great Celestia-Luna Rift. A number of heated clashes of words between the two princesses over the previous years gave way to physical aggression and Princess Luna disappeared, engulfed by the resent within her and transformed into the wicked mare of darkness, Nightmare Moon. For days the land of Equestria, the entire world, was plunged into darkness as the mare blocked the light of the sun with the moon and any power it held with her magic. Princess Celestia repeatedly fought, with words, magic and her own hooves, to try and bring her fallen sister back from the brink. But darkness also brought madness, and Nightmare Moon swore that she would be the sole ruler of a world blanketed in eternal night.


On the night of June 20th, Princess Celestia chased Nightmare Moon to the Castle of the Two Sisters. Out of options as the two clashed once more, reducing the castle to ruin in the process, the princess unveiled a weapon that she had prayed she would never need to use again, one that had lain dormant since 393 TC, a group of relics known to all as the Elements of Harmony. Within minutes, Nightmare Moon was overwhelmed and, in the hardest act of her millennia long reign, Princess Celestia banished her sister from the world, sealing her spirit within the moon, seemingly forever. While Equestria celebrated the defeat of evil, the princess lowered the moon for the first time and left the destroyed castle, refusing to join the celebrations.


As the sun began its rise that day, the Celestial Era (CE) began with it.





Equestria recovered quickly from the effects of Nightmare Moon's actions and within years many felt the new peace was even more welcome that the one before. Princess Celestia herself never commented on such matters, though she never objected either, not even when a public motion to move the Equestrian new year to mark the date of her victory was passed in 4 CE. Ponies were content to let her recover in the meantime and formed the EUP Guard for her protection in 1 CE, a group who's influence can be felt even today thanks to its formation of the Wonderbolts after the first Summer Sun Celebration in 2 CE.


With their homes secure, ponies began looking south again. While central Equestria had never been fully settled beyond Canterlot, the natural drive for exploration led them as far south as Macintosh Hills and Hayseed Swamps. Even the hardiest of explorers refused to enter the Badlands of the southeast however, merely citing that the whole area 'felt wrong, tainted'. They eventually settled for frontier towns in the sandy lands of the south, forming the town of Appleloosa in 348 CE. With Equestria now a sprawling land far removed from its original sites, ponykind made the most of new technological advancements to begin construction of the Equestria Rail Network in 392 CE, a project that now reaches into every major settlement in Equestria and continues onto neighbouring lands.


While further settlement down the coasts was only met with limited success, it was not without its merits. In 446 CE a naval cartography group that had set out from the west coast outpost of Sepia encountered an unknown group of boats with hulking bipedal figures onboard. Initial struggles with translation almost turned the situation violent until an earth pony by the name of Great Sea managed to piece together enough of their language to defuse the situation. Equestria had made its first contact with the minotaurs, further contact would lead ponies to their home in the Mintoris Islands and their capital of Orlon. Trade was established between Orlon and Los Pegasus by 455 CE, securing another peaceful treaty for ponies and helping the pegasus city reach its current status as the jewel of the south.


In 514 CE, a small, fresh farming community in central Equestria made a discovery that would ultimately begin a pivotal chain of events that would affect the entire world. The discovery of the Zap Apple and the resultant products lead to settlers and investors flocking to the area to lay new ground. The end result came in 529 CE with the official foundation of Ponyville. Though its proximity to the Everfree Forest prevented any serious growth, the close knit community quickly led to it becoming known as one of the most harmonious places in Equestria, no small feat considering the nation's reputation for peace over the previous centuries.


In 848 CE, shortly after the founding of Dodge Junction, explorers that were trailblazing for potential routes south of Equestria came across a town that marked two borders before them. Their approach to the locals was met peacefully and the town of Wahje was soon made open to ponies, allowing for peaceful contact with both inhabitants, the zebras and saddle arabians. A rail link was completed in 882 CE and trade of goods and culture soon flowed between all three nations, Equestria, Saddle Arabia and Zebahi. To this day, nopony has yet set hoof in the zebra capital of Arkow that sits locked deep within the jungles of the south, though the more arid saddle arabian capital of Sahurma is within easier reach.


On November 27th, 981 CE, the next significant event in the shaping of Equestria as it is today occurred with the birth of the unicorn Rarity. As important as she has become to Equestria, there were others just like her that would come into the world soon after. Fluttershy on June 5th, Twilight Sparkle on Feburary 26th 982, Rainbow Dash on May 13th, Pinkie Pie on August 14th 983 and Applejack on October 10th. While the impact these six mares have had on our world has been far beyond anypony's expectations, back then they were regular fillies and the eyes of Equestria were focused on somepony else.


In 982 CE, Princess Celestia had taken on a new apprentice, a pegasus by the name of Cadance. In 988 CE the seventeen year old student joined her mentor, the Princess, for a diplomatic council taking place in Wahje. Details of the meeting have been classified ever since, but upon their return to Equestria, Cadance had been transformed into an alicorn with greater knowledge of love than anypony alive. Her appearance sent Equestria into a furore not seen since the beginning of the era as ponies hailed the return of a second princess, a fact that was not lost on Princess Celestia as she became notably more melancholy for several months afterward.


A little known but highly important event occurred on July 1st, 989 CE that historians now refer to as the Elemental Catalyst. The trigger for the event is far more widely known, the first recorded sonic rainboom in modern history, performed by a six year old Rainbow Dash. A presentation by Princess Twilight Sparkle in 2 FP revealed that the rainboom also acted as a trigger for the events that allowed all six of the Elements of Harmony to gain their cutie marks within the next few days and notably saw Twilight Sparkle become the next student of Princess Celestia. The bond between the six of them would become  even more pounced in time and ultimately have long lasting effects for the world.


The events of 1000 CE could fill a history book on their own. The most well known occurred on new years day, the Summer Sun Celebration on June 20th that saw the return of Nightmare Moon from her banishment. By the time dawn rose, the being of darkness had been defeated for good, the mortal representations of the Elements of Harmony had come into being and Princess Luna had been returned to this world, shaken but herself once more.





In this day, historians are divided by current events. The ascension of Twilight Sparkle to becoming both an Alicorn and a Princess on February 16th, 1000 CE sees a split over whether this is simply another major event of its time or marks the end of the Celestial Era in favour of the Time of the Four Princesses (FP). All that can be agreed on is that there are still many events to come in our land of Equestria.


-Excerpt from the records of Time Stamp, Royal Historian circa 1003 CE/3 FP
> Another Faithful Student (Celestia)
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Canterlot Castle
June 12th, Year 1 under the Four Princesses





For many inhabitants of Equestria, summer was the best time of the year. Aside from the constant enjoyable sunshine and the sense of togetherness it brought with everypony outside, it also marked the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration. In just over a weeks time, ponies from every corner of Equestria would pay tribute to Princess Celestia's success in defending them from the threat of Nightmare Moon. Of course, very few of them knew the truth of what really happened back then, or what this particular celebration really marked. It had been a year since the mare in the moon had returned in an attempt to shroud the world in eternal night, only to be stopped and redeemed through the power of the Elements of Harmony. Thanks to them, this year's celebration truely marked the return of Equestria's co-ruler, Princess Luna.


Of course, none of this would have been possible without Celestia's personal protégé, Twilight Sparkle. In just the last twelve months she had been a significant figure in saving Equestria three times, become the Element of Magic and made countless leaps forward in her studies. It had all culminated in a final test four months ago where she had ultimately created a new type of magic and proven herself capable enough to ascend to alicornhood, a feat so significant that Equestrian chroniclers were debating it marking the beginning of a whole new era in Equestrian history. Of course, all this could be found in any fresh history book, there were still things to be settled in the aftermath that most ponies wouldn't even think about. Like who would be next to become the princesses' student.


Princess Celestia had thought about that last point a lot ever since Princess Twilight's coronation. Most of her free time had been spent studying lists of current students here at the school that bore her name, travelling Equestria to find those had done good, or simply observing her subjects as they passed. All looking for somepony with the right combination of skill and knowledge, drive, personality and that little extra bit of potential that crossed the line from making a difference to changing the world. Her step was lighter than it had been in some time, her heart looking forward to this new challenge. She may have mentored dozens, if not hundreds of ponies in her time, but each one was a new experience that she undeniably enjoyed every single time.


As she made her way to the highest point in Canterlot Castle, a viewing point that could see across almost all of central Equestria, Celestia reflected that her forward looking attitude might come across as slightly callous, that she was forgetting her previous students quickly. She knew that each of them had progressed enough that they could do their parts without her guidance anymore. Indeed, of her previous three students, World Walker was successfully bringing down barriers of misunderstanding and ill will that had stood between Equestria and Yakyakistan for over twenty two hundred years and both Cadance and Twilight Sparkle had become princesses themselves. All three of them were doing their parts, now she hoped to give another the chance to do the same.


Stepping off the stairs that led to the viewing platform and looking out over the plains and forests that sprawled out in every direction, broken up by the occasional farming village or town, Celestia took a moment to appreciate the beautiful view before stepping into the center of the platform and focusing. The only sound up here was the wind and she had made express instructions not to be disturbed up there, this was a task she had honed to perfection over centuries and the peaceful, sunny atmosphere was perfect. Her wings spread to their full width either side and her horn lit up in its familiar yellow glow. After several seconds a small, cherry sized orb of her magic separated from the rest and hovered in front of her. She took off at a slow hover, simply resting perfectly aligned between the floor and roof. As she did so the orb burst into thousands of tiny specks, each one slowly moving around her in an spherical formation.


Celestia closed her eyes and relaxed, letting each little orb pass in front of her. Each one represented a potential candidate to be her next pupil, ponies of all ages, genders, homes and backgrounds. She believed each of them capable and if she could, she would take all of them on. After what had happened with Torrent and Mirage Slip though, she knew that taking on more than one was inadvisable. She had also learned not to try and force a selection from that time. She no longer knew what to look for exactly when finding a new student, just that she would know when they'd been found. As if on cue, one of the orbs currently floating over her back glowed brighter and she smiled in response.


All the other specks of magic returned to her horn and she brought the bright one before her to study it. That speck contained all she knew on that particular pony, a filly who studied at the school of magic here in Canterlot. She smiled more and landed, folding her wings in as the last orb of magic returned to her. The decision had been completed. Now, she knew as she began to descend the stairs back into the castle, the arrangements had to be made.





Two days later.


"We, haven't told her what's about to happen, your highness. She always did like surprises." 


Celestia smiled slightly at those words and looked down at the earth stallion those words had come from. His name was Cipher, a member of the royal guard's intelligence unit and father to the lucky filly. Azure blue with a light grey mane and tail, crimson eyes and a coded sheet cutie mark, he had a reputation for efficiency and a knack for taking on the most difficult tasks. Right now the two of them were walking through one of the many hallways that made up Celestia's School of Magic, lined on either side by records of achievement by some of the establishment's younger prodigies.


"I imagine she will appreciate the effort." Celestia replied, smiling more at the relieved expression it got out of Cipher. She'd always thought that if she had to step down and find a new life, it would involve making ponies as happy as possible.


The two of them stopped outside a classroom door, both of them knowing what was waiting on the other side. Cipher stepped aside to let Celestia through first, to which she graciously nodded and opened the door with her magic. The room beyond was standard for practical magic classes, though since lessons had already finished for the day it was deserted aside from two ponies. On the left was a unicorn mare, vermilion coloured with a golden mane, emerald eyes behind a pair of frameless glasses and a crib cutie mark. On the right, a unicorn filly, no more than five or six years old, amber coated with a two-tone red and yellow mane, cyan eyes and no cutie mark yet. As the princess stepped into the room, the filly gave a squeak of happiness and darted straight toward her.


"Now, Sunset Shimmer, that's not how you behave toward a princess." The mare said quickly but softly, holding the filly back with her light green magic and bowing. Celestia stood there for a moment before waving her hoof in a good-natured dismissal.


"It's alright, I imagine meeting a princess up close is quite the experience for a filly." She said happily, crouching down to let Sunset get a look at her up close. The filly trotted closer, eyes filled with awe.


"Oh, yes miss Celestia! This is amazing!"


"Told you she'd like it this way, Bright Carrier." Cipher commented as he stepped over to his wife, nuzzling her softly as they watched Sunset place a hoof on Celestia's nose. The princess chuckled and booped Sunset's nose in response, getting a happy giggle out of it from the youngster.


"You are just adorable. I bet somepony as cute as you could pass any test by smiling nicely at your teacher."


"Actually, no," Sunset stepped back with a new look of building determination in her eyes. "I work for it, try everything. I can pass any test miss teacher gives me. Miss Celestia, could you use your powers to help me find more to learn?"


Celestia watched the filly, mentally taking notes on her stance, tone of voice, eye focus and magic primed in her horn. It all seemed to match up with what had been in her file, incredible potential, everything she hoped for in a student, but also headstrong, ambitious and focused on learning absolutely anything put in front of her. Tempering those traits would be a lot of work, but she had worked with ponies like this in the past and every new student provided something new. She learned just as much from them, methods and nuances that helped her to be a better mentor. For now she stood back up and watched Sunset with a gentle look.


"That's actually what I'm here to talk to you about. Did your parents tell you anything about it?"


"No," Sunset sounded a little disappointed at that, looking over at her parents. "Daddy said that it was a secret. He's good with secrets, I like them too."


"Well in that case, how about what we say here is kept as our little secret? Nopony beyond those in this room will know."


"Yay!" Sunset cheered, her youthful enthusiasm returning in a flash as she skipped round her parents' legs. "What's our secret? What's our secret?"


"Our secret," Bright Carrier said as she scooped her daughter up in her hooves. "Is that the princess was already planning to help you find so much more to learn."


"Really?" Sunset's voice went high pitched in excitement as she looked over at Celestia, eyes widening in hope and anticipation.


"Really really," Celestia replied. "From the start of your next term, I'd like to take you on as my personal student here at the school. You'd be learning some of the most advanced magic possible for a filly your age and even more as you grow up. You'll be like the Twilight Sparkle of your generation, as our secret of course."


"That, sounds, AMAZING!" Sunset cheered, giddy with glee as she dropped back to the floor and started bounding around the room in unrestrained excitement.


Celestia couldn't help but giggle at the sight at the filly practically rebounding off the walls in her joy. She'd had a lot of students who had reacted similarly to the news over the years. Rising Charge, Serendipity, Positron, Sky Pulse and Twilight Sparkle all came to mind and already she was mentally adding Sunset Shimmer to the list. All the same, she couldn't let her guard down just because she had a student eager to start. Every new student brought unique challenges and even after millennia she knew that there was no guarantee that either she or her student would succeed in their roles. For every Meadowbrook, there had been an Alect, for every Twilight Sparkle, a Cosmic Eye...Or as the world remembered him...


She shook the thought from her mind as quickly as it had appeared, the last thing she needed right now was to sour the moment with bad memories. Focusing on the now was more important and right now, that involved preparing for her next faithful student. Sunset Shimmer was starting to calm down now, if gushing to her parents about this opportunity could be considered such. Cipher ruffled her mane gently and looked back up at the princess, wearing the kind of smile that any proud father would recognise.


"Thank you for giving her this chance, your highness." He said happily. Celestia simply nodded, her smile perhaps a little more forced than it had been before.


"I'm look forward to it just as much as she is."
> Light and Love (Cadance)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crystal Castle, Crystal Empire
March 5th, Year 2 under the four princesses





Under a gentle blanket of darkness, the Crystal Empire sat silent and peaceful. It had been eighteen months since the Crystal City had returned from it's thousand years in a cursed, timeless realm and already it was as it if it never been gone for a so much as a day. Diplomatic relations with nearby nations had begun again, trade was starting to flow in and out of the empire, they had even negotiated an extra level of security by becoming a protectorate of Equestria while remaining completely autonomous. As much as the combined unity of the empire was credited for it's successes, each and every one of it's residents was more than willing to pass the praise onto their leaders; Prince Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, though everypony knew just Princess Cadance was fine.


The two had been ruling the Crystal Empire ever since it's return after overthrowing the dark king Sombra with the help of the Elements of Harmony, and Great and Honourable Spike the Brave and Glorious. For the first time in over a thousand years the positive energy of the empire filled with light and love had re-joined the harmony of the land and now it had reached a new height with the latest news to come from the ruling couple. While she hadn't been seen outside the Crystal Castle for several days, everypony was sure that the princess had never been happier.


They weren't quite correct.


Cadance awoke with a shocked gasp, looking round quickly, soaked in sweat. Her body slowly relaxed as she realised she was still in bed, laid out on her front, wings spread out fully, the one on her right draped over her husband. Shining Armor had already been woken up and had a hoof on her shoulder, watching with concern as she steadily got herself under control. A small squeak under her left wing caused her to fold it in quickly. Nestled up to her side of the bed was a silk coated crib containing a bronze coated, silver maned unicorn foal, her three day old son. Her hoof gently wrapped round the colt as she leaned down and nuzzled him gently, watching as he rolled onto his back and looked up at her through those adorable baby eyes of his.


"It's okay, Aurora, mommy's here." Cadance whispered, nuzzling and reassuring him with the gentle care that only a mother could provide until the foal started to settle down again. Part of her was glad that he couldn't see her right now as she realised her vision was blurred from tearing up in her sleep.


"Cadance...What happened?" Shining asked quietly, stifling a yawn as he did. He'd been barely getting any sleep over the past week but always managed to keep going when his wife or son needed him, and right now he new she needed his support more than any time in the past year.


"It was just a dream..." Cadance replied eventually, turning and resting her head against his, though her voice was shaking slightly and her eyes showed she was still haunted by what she remembered...





The ground shook from the force of another magical blast impacting the rose coloured shield surrounding the Crystal Castle, flares of orange and deep blue magic spearing into the sky as they were deflected from their target. Beyond the safety of the shield, smoke poured from a number of destroyed buildings and several fires from stray magic hits were building. Despite how many of the city's citizens had been evacuated to the castle, Cadance knew deep down that it was impossible to believe that everypony had made it. The thought tore her up inside almost as badly as the state her husband was currently in. Shining Armor stood at the base of the castle, beside the crystal heart, his horn sparking and pulsing as he fought to keep the shield standing against their unknown attacker. It was taking every last ounce of his strength and Cadance was having to put her own support into simply keeping him standing. Even as another magic burst hit the shield he stumbled backward, gritting his teeth and looking like he was about to lose a vein in his forehead.


As she wrapped her hooves around his shoulders to keep him from falling backward, Cadance glanced outward at their attacker. The maelstrom of magical energy hovering a hundred feet in the air and about half a kilometre away meant that she couldn't see anything solid, merely a silhouette of a unicorn in the center. She couldn't worry about an identity now though, not with Shining close to dropping and her ponies in panic. Many of those that had made it to the castle were bunkered down inside, though a few of those sheltering in the lower levels or at the entrances were close enough that she could hear their voices of fear and anger.


"Why is this happening to us? Why can't the princess stop it?"


"What do we do? What do WE do?"


"Why isn't Equestria coming to help us?!?"


She couldn't answer any of those questions, even as she tried to think of what to do next there was a flash of white light behind her and everything just...Ended.





Cadance clenched her eyes shut to try and hold back more tears at just the thought of her subjects in such a situation, tensing more until she heard Aurora start to whimper softly. She quickly turned and tried to comfort him again as Shining got up and moved round to the other side of the crib to help. Despite her best efforts, the foal didn't calm down until Shining wrapped a hoof round him, at which point he snuggled down in his father's hold. The worst part was, she knew it made sense. Even if he wasn't able to see her reaction right now, Aurora seemed to easily pick up on the emotions of ponies around him, and she still had a lot of fear in her heart. Celestia had once taught her that Alicorns were sometimes capable of seeing visions through their dreams and she couldn't shake the feeling that something so awful was just that.


"There we go, ssshh." Shining's voice shook her from her thoughts and she looked back at him gently coaxing the foal back to sleep. The sight was a gentle reminder, while she needed to keep her dream in mind just in case, she needed to focus on the two ponies in front of her right now. Tomorrow was a big day for all of them and they needed to be at their best.


"Sorry, for disturbing you." She said softly once both Shining and Aurora were settled, letting her husband place the colt back down to rest.


"Hey, I'd have woken up even if it was nothing," He whispered back, looking back at her and nuzzling her neck gently. Cadance didn't doubt it, he'd been sleeping so lightly recently that he'd wake up at a light breeze. She considered it a positive though, it meant he was always available and had no trouble getting back to sleep either. "Besides, when my wife has nightmares the night before her son's crystalling, I'd be up and helping until she felt better, no matter how long it took."


"Thanks, I love you too." Cadance smiled softly and rested her head against his, their horns rubbing against each other. The feeling helped her relax quicker and before long she could feel her tension wearing away and the lure of sleep washing over her again. The worry was still nestled at the back of her mind but she couldn't let it get to her right now. After all, she thought as she drifted back into a silent sleep, tomorrow was a big day for all of them.





It was a lot easier to let worries go to rest in the light of day, especially on a beautiful spring day like it was now. Cadance was feeling much better as she woke up and glanced round. Shining had already gotten up, probably letting her rest while he finalised the crystalling preparations. A sound of gentle movement told her that Aurora was still there and also awake, to her relief he was a lot calmer than he had been during the night.


"Good morning, my precious little one," She said softly as she leaned down and nuzzled the foal, getting a little happy babble in return as she carefully rolled onto her side and lifted him up in her magic, placing him down at her teats for his morning feed. "I just had a bad dream last night and didn't mean to upset you."


Thankfully he didn't seem to mind, still happily settled. She simply watched over him for a time, nursing him with the cautious care of any new mother. Despite being the princess of love, Cadance had never really seen herself as the type to be a parent. Aside from thinking she'd be kept too busy to settle down, there was always the lingering issue of potentially outliving her husband and children. Princess Celestia had admitted that she didn't know if alicorns that had ascended to the role were immortal and even if Princess Twilight had looked into the matter, the very limited options to study meant that they wouldn't be getting an answer any time soon. There was a good chance she'd be outliving her husband and son.


Yet here she was, and she couldn't be happier about it.


Aurora finished before too long and looked up at her, his eyes still too dark to make out their colour but still having a small shine to them that indicated he was happy enough. Cadance smiled more and stroked his back with a wing, getting another happy sound out of him. A small part of her knew that she'd been very lucky with how well she'd been managing so far, combined with Shining Armor chancing upon the Fledgling's Forbearance spell just a week before Aurora was born. It wasn't all going to be this easy and she knew there would be times where parenthood would feel like the hardest thing in the world, but she had a wonderful husband and countless friends to help her through it. 


Speaking of which, they had what was probably going to be a rather straightforward event in a few hours. She wasn't sure about the part of the tradition that required her to introduce him to hundreds, if not thousands of ponies at so young an age, though at the same time she knew that letting the crystal ponies meet their new prince, the confirmation that a peaceful line of succession was secure for the first time in over a thousand years, would give the whole empire, and by extension the rest of Equestria, one of the greatest positive influences it had ever felt. Her wing gently wrapped around the foal and lifted him up to her chest, holding him close as he settled down against her with a soft giggle. Cadance couldn't help but smile warmly as she carefully got up and headed off to prepare them both for the crystalling. They had a full day ahead of them, including the moment she would finally get to introduce Twilight Sparkle to her nephew for the first time.


Any dwelling would have to wait.
> Cultural Exchange (Sky Eye)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fulmar Pass, Equestria-Zebahi-Saddle Arabia border
June 5th, Year 3 under the Four Princesses





While Equestria was a land renowned for maintaining peace and harmony, there was an unspoken acceptance that that the regions that made up its southern border were a highly dangerous zone. While the Macintosh Hills and San Palomino Desert were benign enough to see scattered settlements, the Hayseed Swamps on the southeast coast were home to a number of monsters no sane pony would approach and the Equestrian Badlands further inland were a rocky wasteland with an atmosphere more sensitive unicorns likened to breathing dark magic. The land beyond these was even worse with the jungles of the east being the origin of the monsters in the swamps as well as things even worse, while the southwest was Arimaspi territory, a region even the minotaurs knew better than to disturb.


The only part of the region that was even remotely safe was Fulmar Pass, a narrow strip of canyon that carved between the dangers on either side and the only reliable link non-pegasi had between Equestria and the two nations that lay to the south; Zebahi and Saddle Arabia. A railway line had been established through the pass a hundred and twenty years ago and while trains were spaced out on the route compared to the rest of Equestria, it was enough to ensure a steady stream of trade and connections between the three countries. Today was a day like any other for the journey through the pass, a train with three passenger carriages and two supply cars weaving it's way through the needle of clear terrain with the late morning sun beating down upon it. While the summer heat was something of a bother for the ponies on board, two of them had other concerns.


"Mom, how much longer?" A small pegasus colt asked for the sixth time that day as he looked out of the train window only to be met by the sight of a wall of rock again. Only around nine years of ago, the colt had an amethyst coat, a long, ruby coloured mane and tail with a trio of scarlet streaks running through them, dark blue eyes and a cutie mark of a cloud in vivid detail.


"Just ten minutes more, Sky Eye." His mother told him in a strong zebra accent as she watched him settle down in his seat again. At first glance she looked like a gray earth mare in her mid-thirties with a white mane and orange eyes. There were a few oddities to her on a closer look though. Her mane had four silver streaks running through it, a trio of white stripes across her back and down the sides of her barrel with a fourth that wrapped around her chest like a necklace, as well as a complete lack of a cutie mark.


"Awww, but this is so slow!" Sky moaned as he pressed back against his seat, stopping when he saw the warning look he was being given. "Sorry. I'm looking forward to this, really. I just can't wait to finally meet granddad."


"I know sweetie," She replied, tussling his hair gently. "I've been waiting to introduce you to him for months for months now, and have him help teach you about your other heritage."


Heritage. Sky Eye had heard that word a few times while he was growing up. He still didn't understand what it meant, only that it had something to do with why he was different to the other fillies and colts. Just like his mother was different to other ponies. She was half zebra, just as he was a quarter zebra. She had done her best to explain the simpler parts of what that meant, like how he should do his best to respect the world and all living things around him, but apparently they needed to talk to family outside of Equestria for the whole story. That was why they were here now.


After a few minutes the walls of the pass started to fall away and he scrambled up to get a look outside again, eager for his first glance at just how the world beyond Equestria looked. The lands here were now primarily savannah plains, a mixture of towering bushy trees and scrubland as far as the eye could see, the only variation being several rocky outcrops spread throughout the area and a sizeable town just off to the west. Even from this distance he could see the buildings there were relatively small compared to the ones back in Canterlot, as well as using different materials he didn't recognise. The thing that caught his interest most though was the fact the rail lines headed straight that way.


"Is that it?"


"Yes," Sky's mom smiled warmly at the sight. "That's Wahje. It was founded by zebras but now marks the meeting point for several countries, so you'll also see quite a few ponies there, as well as another race called saddle arabians. It can be very busy so stay close to me and only stop to look around when I do, okay?"


"I will," He replied, nodding quickly as he looked back at her. "You know a lot about that town."


"I should. It's where I was born after all."


Sky Eye's jaw dropped a little at that. For all the things he thought he knew about his mother she still managed to surprise him. She giggled slightly at the sight and sat back in her seat.


"If it makes you feel better, you can surprise your friends at school the same way now." She finished, only making him stare in further disbelief. She always seemed to figure out what he was thinking.


The two of them sat back and took in the view for the remaining few minutes of the journey as the train pulled into the station just inside Wahje. While they waited to avoid the initial rush of ponies disembarking, Sky took another look outside for his first proper look at the other races that lived here. The zebras were the most common sight on the platform, looking physically comparable to an earth pony, though they had a number of distinguishing features. Their coats and the many variations of stripes they wore were only in shades of grey, brown, black and white. Their manes were typically longer and stiffer than a pony's and none of them had cutie marks of any kind.


The saddle arabians were completely different, with much slenderer limbs and bodies, smaller heads and a lot of height to them. The average stallion was roughly six feet tall, about the same height as Princess Luna. They also had much lighter coats, thin furred and only in bright or pale colours. Necessary for living in the desert, but no less intriguing for a colt to see for the first time.


"You're really fascinated by this aren't you?" Sky's mother asked, getting a quick nod in response. "Tell you what then, why don't you ride on my back while we're in town? No worries about getting separated then."


Sky gave a small happy whinny as his wings opened up and he fluttered up onto her back, knowing to give her a moment to make sure his weight was settled before tapping her neck to let her know he was ready. It was a lot easier for him to take everything in from here while she headed down the platform to get their things from the supply cars. As much as they had come here for his sake, she was also a trader and it made sense for her to try and make a few bits while they were here.


Once she had her bags gathered and placed behind Sky, the two of them made their way out of the station and into Wahje proper. In terms of the town's design, it felt rather reminiscent of the residential districts of Canterlot where they lived. Tight streets with a lot of locals about, squares spaced out every so often for parks or marketplaces, buildings averaging twenty feet high on both sides due to the space requirements of the saddle arabians. The main difference was instead of the white stone that was so popular in the Equestrian capital, all the buildings out here were made of sun-baked bricks and carved rock that gave a more natural feel to the environment, as well as the majority being only a single story in design and sand pathways rather than full streets. The overall atmosphere was one he couldn't really describe, but it wasn't unpleasant.


"So, what'd you think so far?" Sky's mother asked him as they entered one of the central market squares, stopping to let him get a look at the area. While he was taking it in her eyes went to a limestone statue set up in the center of the square, depicting a zebra stallion, an arabian mare and a pegasus mare standing proudly together. Though her ear only twitched slightly at the sight of it, her mind was going back to the events that had befallen Wahje fifteen years ago. Why everyone that lived here rightly considered Migac, Ta'Jova and Cadance heroes. How the latter had earned her horn that day...


"It's...So different to back home." Sky answered obliviously, trying to take everything in as he shielded his eyes from the intensity of the sun.


"I said the same thing the first time I visited Equestria," She replied, silently thankful for him breaking her train of thought, now heading into the market and feeling him holding onto her mane as he rested his head atop hers. "Being back here though, with so many spirits working with drive and purpose...It's soothing in a way. Especially when I know who's here."


"Spirits?" He asked in confusion, only getting a silence in return that teased he'd be getting his answers soon. He hated when she made him wait like that.


As they moved through the marketplace Sky's attention was drawn to the myriad voices around him, trying his best to figure out the fragments of conversation he could hear. His efforts were largely in vain though as he could only properly understand any equestrian being spoken. He could pick out any zebra being spoken by the accents like his mother had, but he was still learning and could only understand isolated snippets. Hopefully he'd be learning some more soon, or maybe even today.


The two of them soon reached a stall that sold herbs for both food and medicinal purposes, manned by a zebra stallion that looked to be in his sixties. His seven brown stripes looked paled with age and his mane drooped onto his white body. His sapphire blue eyes still carried a sense of strength behind him though, an intensity that only increased as he noticed the two ponies approaching him.


"Przez duchy! Kupi!" He exclaimed happily, stepped out from his stall and hugging Sky Eye's mom, a move she returned in kind. Sky's ears twitched slightly as he hopped off her back to let them have the moment. Even if he didn't recognise most of the words, he'd still clearly recognise his mother's name in there.


"To bylo za dlugie, ojciec," Kupi replied softly, nosing the elder zebra softly before he broke the hug and looked over to the colt. "To jest moj syn, Nieba Oka. On tylko mowi konny obecnie. Sky Eye, this is your grandfather, Rennak"


"Ah, the young light," Rennak said in equestrian, smiling warmly as he took in Sky. "I've been looking forward to this day for years."


"You have?" Sky asked in surprise, though he couldn't completely hide the fascination in his voice.


"Of course. I get to spend some time with my grandson at long last, helping you learn about the other side to who you are. Kupi, do you wish to join us for this?"


"I wouldn't miss it." Kupi said happily, putting her bags down by the side of the stall and sitting down with her face to the crowds.


Rennak nodded and motioned for Sky to do the same, sitting down on his other side. Although it was something as simple as this, the colt could tell that this was the beginning of something more. A part of him that had always been there, lingering out of reach until he could meet somepony that could truely help him reach it. Now he had two on either side, ready to help him understand what his 'heritage' really meant.


"Alright, take a look out at the ponies out there," Kupi told him, motioning out at the crowds as she glanced up to make sure the shade was going to stay in place for now. "What do you see?"


"Is this a trick question, mom?" He asked, watching as she simply shook her head. "Okay...Ponies, zebras, saddle Arabians...A tree. Is there something physical I'm supposed to see?"


"No, but they all have something you can't see. A spirit," Rennak explained, his voice taking a softer tone as if reminiscing a happy memory. "Spirits are, not entirely of this world. We cannot interact with them, but they usually have no wish to interfere with us either. They come to the birth of new life and bond themselves to us for the rest of their chosen one's life, ensuring their safety as best they can."


"So, there's a spirit around me?" Sky asked, looking down his front and placing a hoof on his chest.


"And me, and your father, and every pony, every zebra, every living thing." Kupi told him, smiling softly at how accepting he was of all this. One of her unspoken concerns about this moment was that Sky wouldn't be open to learning all this, his perceptions too firmly placed from spending his life in Equestria. To see him at least wanting to listen was a huge moment for her.


"If everything living has a spirit, is that why I should do my best to respect the world around me?"


"Exactly, spirits are not limited to sentient beings. They can be found everywhere. Zebahi is filled with jungles that contain so much life that spirits rest in every tree, every patch of moss. The winds carry them out across the whole world so they may find new lives to watch over."


Sky nodded and looked down thoughtfully. Kupi and Rennak both watched him silently, waiting to see how he was taking it all in. They both knew from experience that it typically came off as strange at best to many ponies, with some exceptions, like Kupi's friend, Treehugger. He had been curious and engaged so far though. A few moments later, a look of shock crossed Sky's face and he looked back up at them.


"Mom...R-remember last year, that fight I got into at school..." He said quietly, as if fearing what the response might be. "What happens if I hurt somepony's spirit?"


"That depends," Rennak told him, still looking and sounding impartial. "What was it about?"


"It was a misinformed filly with a few...Outdated ideas about zebras," Kupi answered for Sky. "Oka jumped straight to our defence, though he didn't escalate it until she made a comment about me."


"I see..." Rennak closed his eyes, mulling the situation over in his mind while Sky watched with concern. "Wounding another's spirit, willingly or unprovoked, is a serious action that must be atoned for in some way, some action to make it up to the unfortunate ones. That said, the severity is lessened if done by accident or to protect in minor circumstances. You were defending family in your actions so it's not as bad as it could have been. I'd need to hear more though."


"Why don't we go through it all over lunch?" Kupi suggested. "Then you two can go through the details about the spirits."


"That, sounds good," Sky said, his composure starting to return now that he knew he wasn't in trouble. "And we don't have to rush it, me and mom are here for the rest of the week."


"Ciesze sie," Rennak said to himself in zebra before nodding and standing up, silently giving thanks for being allowed this opportunity to teach his grandson while he still had time. "These coming days sound wonderful."
> Lost in the Flames (Rainbow Dash)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 22nd, Year 4 under the Four Princesses





It was a picturesque spring afternoon in the northern grasslands of Equestria, filled with the kind of serene silence that could make just about anypony feel peaceful upon encountering it. On the ground, ponies from the towns and villages in the area were out and about enjoying the sunshine without a care in the world. In the sky though, the few pegasi that were around were keeping to a low altitude, as if they could sense something coming from higher up. Those instincts were right as a group of six shot through the area at full speed just below the cloud line. Anypony who could keep them in sight long enough would be able to see that they were all wearing blue flight suits, as clear an indicator as any that the Wonderbolts were out and on duty.


The group were flying a tight formation, set in two rows of a leader and two wingponies, flying fast and tight like a pair of arrowheads. The front three were all kitted up in the standard Wonderbolt gear, blue flight suits and goggles with yellow chest, stomach and hoof markings finished off with the winged lightning bolt emblem on the flank. The three at the rear were similarly outfitted, though their markings were coloured white, the indicator that the pegasi wearing them were part of the squadron's reserve units. As they kept flying, the leader of the front group broke off from her position and moved backward and upward, holding a place above the squadron where she could address the other five all at once.


"Sorry for the mid-air briefing but we got an emergency scramble order." She called to them, having to shout slightly to be heard over the beat of her gold yellow wings. Though none of the others so much as twitched, Spitfire knew she had their full attention and continued. "About twenty minutes ago a major fire broke out in a skyscraper in Whinnyapolis, it was too high up for emergency crews to contain and is now a serious danger to the city space. Due to Cloudsdale's proximity, we were called in."


"With all due respect, Captain," The stallion on the right edge of the reserve formation replied. "If it's so serious, why did you deploy reserve units?"


"Because, Air Razer, there's no substitute for real experience!" Spitfire shouted, dropping into place next to the lime green stallion and staring him down until even his grey mane looked cowed into submission, though he just nodded and looked forward again.


"Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am."


The group became silent again as Spitfire moved back to her spot above the formation, each of them mentally taking stock of the situation waiting for them. Whinnyapolis was predominantly an earth pony city, it made all too much sense that any emergency response would struggle to reach a skyscraper incident quickly and why they had needed to call in pegasi for help. The mare flying on the left of the reserves, light blue-purple coated with a mint mane and tail looked over at the other two before pushing her wings a little harder to keep up. Spitfire glanced down at her and shook her head slightly.


"Don't worry yourself too much. You're not going too deep into the danger zone and there'll be no going overboard on the heroics from anypony."


"Yes Ma'am!" The five fliers called in unison as Spitfire dropped back into the lead spot. By now, they were approaching the outskirts of Whinnyapolis, smoke from their destination clearly visible near the heart of the city.


"As I said though, this is the real deal and lives may well be riding on us, keep your mind on your duty, stick with your wing lead and we'll all get through this fine. I don't want any of you getting hurt after all. Now to your wings! Air Razer, you'll be with me covering the ground evacuation. Soarin, you and Flitter work on containing the fires as best you can. Misty Fly, you and Rainbow Dash will assist rescue efforts on site."


"Got it!" The reserve leader saluted as she flew, easily identified as Rainbow Dash thanks to the six tone rainbow mane. Though she maintained a professional look on the outside, inside she was practically bubbling over with anticipation at the chance to get back into the thick of things. Rainbow knew better than to let it get in the way of her duty though, keeping things from getting worse was far more important than showing her skills off.


"Alright everypony, into your wings and break!" Spitfire called as they approached the city center, waiting for Air Razer to move up next to her before banking and dropping toward the streets. Flitter pushed herself forward to Soarin's side as the two of them streaked straight for the smoke plume, the tension she was radiating thick enough to cut with a feather. Rainbow shook any distractions from her mind and moved into wingpony position next to her pale yellow lead, holding until Misty Fly motioned for them to swoop into action.


The two of them rounded another building and got their first look at the situation. It was a standard looking skyscraper, about thirty floors tall with reflective glass covering each window. Even from here though, they could see the lick of flames erupting from two floors about two thirds of the way up, billowing thick smoke that Soarin and Flitter were already fighting to dispel. Misty motioned to head for an opening on their approach but to stay cautious. Rainbow nodded and slightly increased the gap between them in case of sudden debris, this side may have looked in one piece but there was no telling just how much damage had been done elsewhere.


They reached an opened room high window on the twenty second floor and landing inside, the heat washing over them hard enough to make Misty stagger slightly. As she regained her composure and looked round it was clear they had landed in a makeshift treatment zone, judging by the half dozen ponies with varying levels of injuries being tended by an earth pony so covered in first responder gear that it was impossible to see any other identifying features. On noticing the two Wonderbolts they stood up and rushed over.


"Oh thank Luna, Wonderbolts!" They exclaimed, the voice indicating it was a mare under a lot of stress. "We've got everypony we could find here safely but they need airlifting out soon. I couldn't tell you how bad things are elsewhere but the stairs are all damaged...Dammit, we weren't ready for something like this!"


"Slow down kid, just breathe." Rainbow Dash put a hoof on the rescue worker's shoulder and waited with her while Misty Fly checked over the injured. "Now, how many ponies are up here?"


"J-just eight, six who were working here and two emergency units."


"Okay, is everypony safe to move?"


"Yes. Yes they're okay."


"Good, let's get the civilians out of here." Misty Fly commented as she lifted one of the more badly injured onto her back and flew back out the window. Rainbow followed her lead, picking up another and making sure they were holding onto her tight before leaping out the window and gliding for the ground. Her hoof wrapped round the pony for extra security, her eyes scanning for the optimal landing spot. An emergency response outpost had been set up in a park three blocks away and Misty had already touched down there to pass over her precious cargo to the staff. Rainbow touched down just as her lead was taking off again, helping the pony back into her hooves and over to a waiting medic before taking off at full speed.


Her mind was on autopilot for the next few minutes, heading back up into the heat to fetch another pony out, then another. As she took off again to fetch the last ponies waiting for them, Rainbow took a moment to glance round at the situation. The streets around them had been cleared completely by now, Spitfire and Air Razer must have gone to assist Soarin and Flitter with the fire. The situation at the skyscraper itself didn't look any worse, yet it didn't look better either. She wiped some sweat from her brow and pushed her wings harder, a nagging sense that she was against the clock now. As she landed inside again, she was greeted by the sight of the rescue worker and Misty Fly dragging a unicorn clad in responder gear into what was left of the safe zone.


"Plasma Flow tried to check the fire suppression system for this floor, but she'd been dealing with too much smoke as it is!" The worker shouted, sounding on the verge of tears by now. "Get her out, please!"


"On it. Rainbow Dash, try and calm her down until I get back. If she panicked on our backs..." Misty called as she carried the unicorn back outside, knowing her teammate understood the unspoken part. The worker turned and looked at Rainbow slowly, moving her misted goggles up to show a pair of blue eyes, very scared but with a small glint behind them.


"R-Rainbow Dash...Really? THE Rainbow Dash?"


"That's right kid. I'm gonna be right here until Misty gets you out. Come on, you wanna tell me your name too?"


"Oh err...Water Flare." It was only a little thing, but the mare did sound a little calmer now.


"Neat. I'm guessing you're new to this job?"


"Y-yeah, two months ago I thought it was great. Just turned seventeen and already saving lives, then this happened...How'd you know?"


"Everypony struggles the first time things get serious. You got thrown in the deep end for this one kid, the fact you're still on the scene and kept everything together for us shows you're doing really well though."


"Oh...Thanks." Water Flare nodded slightly as Misty Fly returned, sounding a little reassured as she braced herself to be carried out. Rainbow looked back into the building and sighed slightly.


"Misty, permission to sweep the floor before pulling out?"


"...Granted, somepony on the ground mentioned a fire suppression box on this floor so see if you can get the system working if possible. Work fast and get out faster though."


"Will do!" Rainbow turned and ran deeper into the building, knowing that flying would leave her more exposed to the smoke. It looked like it had been some kind of office before today, though a lot of it was burning or burnt out. Her eyes went everywhere, keeping an eye out for anything that stood out in the wreckage and flames. She was the only pony left in the area as she checked a storage room and found the fire suppression controls.


Pushing it open, she pushed her goggles out of the way to see better and winced as the heat assaulted her eyes. After a few moments to check how the control box worked, Rainbow flicked several switches to the active position and waited. Nothing happened for several seconds, at which point she frowned and smacked the side of the box, blinking in surprise as a light on the box lit up and sprinklers built into the roof activated. She fitted her goggles back into place and made to exit, though she had barely left the room before a weakened section of the ceiling collapsed nearby, forcing her to recoil and shield her face from the dust and debris.


A coughing sound came from the fresh rubble, prompting Rainbow to move forward and blow the dust away with a wing. From the looks of it, a pegasus had been caught up in things on the floor above and missed by Water Flare and Plasma Flow's rescue efforts. Her light turquoise coat was covered in dust to the point her cutie mark of a white lightning bolt with three stars was barely visible, her striped amber and gold mane was a slightly singed mess and her wings looked bent out of shape. Even in this state, Rainbow Dash recognised her instantly.


"Lightning Dust?"


"Wh-" Lighting tried to reply before breaking down coughing again. Rainbow checked her over before realising her back legs were pinned down and possibly broken by a slab of concrete and rebar. Rainbow quickly started to try and lift it off, only for a hoof to swipe at her.


"What are you...?"


"I can, handle this," Lightning gasped, her voice sounding rough from smoke inhalation. Her hooves went to the slab and pushed at it, grunting as she tried in vain to free herself. Rainbow shook her head and kept going regardless, she wasn't going to let their past at the academy, as well as the fact that Lightning Dust had been a total sociopath, keep her from her duty now.


"Listen, if you want to tell them you saved yourself, that's fine. But you need to be able to tell them in the first place."


"Shut up...Rainbow Dash." Lightning Dust growled, clearly more willing to let the past dictate her actions, her orange eyes betraying a sense of fury that her former rival had come so far.


"Lightning, let's make one thing clear. What happened, happened," Rainbow gritted her teeth and managed to lift the slab up enough for Lightning to crawl free. The exertion left her slightly light-headed from the smoke as she adjusted her goggles slightly. "We kind of have more important things to focus on right now, like saving your flank."


Lightning said nothing as she got clear, wheezing slightly from the effort. It was clear that neither of them were going to last much longer in here. Without hesitation, Rainbow scooped her up and took off quickly, wings working overtime as she darted back to the opening. She cleared the window fast enough to crack the ones surrounding with the shockwave and rushed for the outpost, keeping Lightning held close without pressing on her wings or legs. Her back legs kicked out just before touchdown, taking the landing shock without it affecting her passenger. She stopped quickly and let Lightning adjust too, holding her wings out to keep her steady until a pair of medics reached them with a stretcher.


"...Thanks." Lightning Dust said through gritted teeth as she was carefully lifted onto the stretcher, wincing as she was carted off to be treated. It wasn't clear if she had been gritting due to reluctance or pain but Rainbow Dash was willing to take it.


"You're welcome." Rainbow replied before looking round to get her bearings on the current situation. More pegasus and unicorn services had arrived during her rescue and had taken over the brunt of the efforts. The other five Wonderbolts had landed nearby, each of them looking a little singed or blackened by smoke. Rainbow finally took a moment to check herself over, seeing her flight suit was also marked in several places along with a few tears down the front legs and completely soaked from the fire suppression.


Flitter looked like she'd had it even rougher than Rainbow had, her legs and lower body were covered in ashes and she was staring intently at the floor, Soarin doing his best to snap her out of it. Misty Fly was reporting in to Spitfire and Air Razer was getting a much needed drink. Rainbow was glad that they seemed to be taking a breather, her wings needed a break after high speed flight in such confined quarters. She flexed them slightly and trotted up next to Misty, saluting Spitfire quickly.


"Glad you made it Rainbow," Spitfire said, sounding surprisingly cheery. "Misty told me what you were doing and I see it paid off. We've been moved to standby for now while the fireponies do their job. Everypony fall in!"


Rainbow and Misty promptly snapped to attention in front of the captain. Soarin had managed to get Flitter back to her senses in time for the two of them to take their places, the mare having just enough composure to stand with the others. Spitfire waited until Razer had joined them before removing her goggles and looking over the rest of the wing with a small smile on her face.


"Well, I don't say this often, but I'm impressed with all of you. Air Razer, you kept a calm head in a tense situation and kept pace with me when you needed to. Soarin, you've still got it. Misty Fly, I know heat isn't your thing but you rose to the occasion and got everypony out of there. Flitter...you did good but, we'll talk about it in private," Flitter sighed and looked down at those words. Spitfire watched as Soarin put a hoof on Flitter's shoulder to comfort her but didn't comment. "Rainbow Dash, you're just full of surprises aren't you?"


"Ma'am?" Rainbow asked cautiously, waiting as Spitfire grinned even more.


"That's right, because I think the fire crews have you to thank for getting that floor under control. Plus you found and rescued a pony everypony else had overlooked. You're really earning your Wonderbolt wings today...Alright, everypony take a breather and standby."


"Yes Ma'am!" The five said in unison. Rainbow finally began to relax and looked back toward the skyscraper, watching the on-going efforts. By now the fires were, while not yet under control, far less serious than they had been when they arrived. She'd done everything right and more today, it never stopped feeling good though. On top of everything else though, Spitfire had hinted at something bigger. Evaluation for the squadron was only a week away and it was no secret that Fire Streak had been considering retirement. Though she didn't want to get ahead of herself, it seemed like she may have just sealed the deal on finally being promoted to a full time Wonderbolt.
> The First Line (Luna)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Equestrian Defence Force Headquarters, Canterlot
May 19th, Year 5 under the Four Princesses 





As the morning sun rose, there was a sense of drive and grandeur running throughout the shining capital of Equestria, even more so than one might feel normally. From the tallest spires of the castle to the lowest reaches of the residential districts, everypony could sense what was coming. For the last three years, ponies from all across the land had been moving in and out of Canterlot, first constructing an extension to the city that stood between the castle and the barracks of the Royal Guard just below. While those first ponies had been builders, those that followed had been fighters, a new generation of defenders for their homeland. Under the watchful eye of Princess Luna, they had learned together, trained together, grown together. The Equestria Defence Force had been born on that first day.


Today would be the first they began to fulfil their new roles.


At the heart of the defence force headquarters, within the command centre that would begin to direct their efforts toward wherever it may be needed in a few short hours, Princess Luna couldn't help but feel a measure of pride.  She had been the one to first suggest the concept of the EDF after multiple nights supporting a melancholy Twilight Sparkle, mentally and emotionally drained after shouldering the burden of Equestria's safety one too many times. The idea of a standing military to fill the gap between hoping local police could handle a situation and having to send the Elements of Harmony had initially not sat well with Princess Celestia, but she had accepted the idea at her sister's suggestion that those serving would be fairly recruited or volunteers without any conscription. The fledging defence force became her brainchild as the number of ponies willing to answer the call had proven higher than expected .


At this point, the total number of ponies who were part of the Equestria Defence Force totalled nine hundred and forty seven. The initial wave of guards and patrol pegasi had been joined by scores of ponies who wanted to do right by their homeland, make their own efforts at protecting officially or simply do some good of their own will. Right now there were three divisions that made up the force, designated by race until the chaos of initial organization had died down: 


The First Earth Pony Regiment; Led by the finest of the Equestrian Guard and trained as front line fighters, logisticians and weaponsmiths, reinforced by a number of crystal ponies who had chosen to serve the protectorate Crystal Empire in this way. 


The Pegasus Sky Wing; Flight crews, elite teams and recon units organized into fifteen squadrons that would keep the skies of Equestria safe. 


And the First Unicorn Company; Wielding their magic for command, support and medical roles, though many of those who served here were more than capable of direct combat.


They were likely all gathering now, ready for her address as the first Supreme Commander of the armed forces of Equestria in nearly two thousand years. She was even dressed for the occasion. Much of her body was clad in a black plate armour that, to a casual observer, might make her look slightly like Nightmare Moon. However it shone more brightly than the eternal darkness that had made up her coat back then, her neck, face, wings and lower legs were still clearly visible and her mane flowed out beneath the matching helmet. Truth be told, the look carried more nostalgic than practical value, it was a recreation of her old armour from a time long past.


Satisfied everything was in order, Luna made her way out the command center and started down the hallways that would lead to the training grounds now shared with the Royal Guard. Waiting for her partway down were a trio of ponies, a bright yellow earth stallion, a celeste blue pegasus mare and a ruby unicorn mare. Her three generals, some of the most logical minds she had met since returning from the moon and, she dared to say, her friends. As Luna approached them, all three snapped to a salute and then fell into step behind her, ready for anything she might say.


"Is everything in order?" Luna asked simply, doing her best to sound relaxed and positive. In truth, adding command of the EDF to her lunar and dream duties had been something of a strain on her before these three ponies had helped streamline things.


"Squadron six reported they had been delayed taking off from Baltimare, though Captain Rhapsody claimed they would still arrive on schedule, ma'am." The pegasi answered, stepping ahead a little so she could keep her golden eyes contact with the princess, though that was a little difficult through her windswept, marigold coloured bangs.


"You know I prefer to refer to our ponies by name over designation, Searing Current. A team like the Sky Wraiths are no exception." Luna replied perhaps a little firmly, though she knew that not using her rank in her speech reinforced the point. Besides, she felt that if she started opening commenting on how much she respected them, Searing Current would probably start attempting to see if they should replace the Wonderbolts as squadron one and it would be weeks before either unit was service ready.


"The First Unicorn Company is ready, Commander," The unicorn general followed up after a few seconds. Keeping at a more professional trot by Luna's side, she had a shorter trimmed black mane done into a ponytail so her own hazel eyes avoided any of the problems Current had. "However, today I overheard another trooper wondering why we needed a force on a scale like this for such a peaceful country."


"I see...Could you describe them?"


"Private Healing Wave, ma'am. Unicorn mare, moderately green coat, two-tone white and orange mane, brown eyes, syringe in a spiral of magic for a cutie mark."


"Thank you." Luna made a mental note to keep an eye out for this mare in the crowd and address their concerns as best she could. That done, she looked over to earth pony general, Thunder. Somewhat oddly named for an earth pony, his looks were anything but with a flat brown mane and sharp blue eyes.


"No problems from the First Earth pony Regiment." He said simply.


Luna knew she wasn't going to get much more out of him and let it be. The four of them made the rest of their journey in silence until they reached a set of stairs. The three generals carried on toward the exit for the parade ground where their soldiers were waiting. Luna headed to the upper level, passing by locker rooms and supply stores before coming to a halt at the door to a balcony. This was where she would made her address to her followers, even now she could hear her generals ordering their units into formation. For the first time, she hesitated for a moment, realising that for once, she was going to have to lead a significant number of ponies without her sister's help. Celestia had given her some advice on how to lead on her own but words could only go so far. Right now, she simply had to trust she would do this right.


The doors were gripped in her cobalt aura and she pushed them open, stepping out onto the small balcony that overlooked the grounds. The parade ground stood twenty feet below, surrounded on all sides by both the defence force headquarters and guards barracks, covered in well cut stone that was fitted so tightly it almost looked like one huge piece. The area was just large enough to hold all the members of the defence force at present and every one of them stood among their peers, the three generals at the fore of their kin. As Luna stepped into place overlooking them, everypony present snapped to attention and threw their right hooves up to their foreheads in a salute. She matched the motion before unfurling her right wing, motioning for them to be at ease.


"My friends," She began, projecting her voice to make sure everypony heard her without having to resort to the royal Canterlot voice. "Every one of us is here today because we desire to make a difference. Three years ago, the ability to do so began to take shape when my sister and I agreed to the formation of a new, first line of defence for Equestria. That dream would have remained as little more than a dream without the dedication and strength of everypony standing before me today. It is through your will that our homes, friends, and loved ones, will remain safe in a time of uncertainty."


Luna's gaze slowly swept over the crowd as she spoke, taking in all the ponies reactions. To her surprise, many of the crystal ponies among the earth pony regiment looked somewhat unimpressed, though a reason why was beyond her. The sight of the pegasi was more reassuring, all of them hanging onto her every word, all still at attention in a squadron per row, the ever present Wonderbolts at the fore. On her right, the unicorns were still listening as well as ever, a few looking like they wanted to write notes on the speech. She paused as she noticed who she suspected to be Healing Wave on the edge of the formation, looking uneasy at the thought that Luna was looking right at her. The princess looked back up toward the sun, remembering everything her sister had told her about inspiring ponies. If her troops were going to believe in their cause, they needed to remember what they were fighting for.


"I understand that some here may...Be unsure if we need numbers such as these for a task like," Luna continued, her voice steadily gaining confidence. "It is true that for many years, peace was spread over all of Equestria. A peace that I broke upon my return. In the short time since then, the fate of Equestria has rested time and again upon six mares, undeniably talented but at heart they are still ponies like you. They can only face so many dangers, be pushed so far...And we must ask ourselves; Who can step up when they cannot? The Royal Guard was trained but they could not match the greater dangers that lurk in our shadows. The Fillydelphia parasprite infestation! The Ponyville chimera! The Canterlot changeling invasion! Do I need more examples?!"


She paused for a breath and to observe the reactions. There were a few murmurs coming from the fringes of the units but for many more, the realisation had set in. Those old enough to have been training or serving nine years ago knew of the Ponyville incident, where a mixture of colossally poor planning and leadership had cost four guardsponies their lives in what should have been a routine operation. Everypony present knew about the events of five years ago that Luna referenced though. The parasprites had been a simple case of being untrained and unprepared but the changelings...Security had been increased within the city, everypony was on alert, the changelings had been seen coming, yet it still took less than ten minutes for the Royal Guard to lose so much ground that not even the Elements of Harmony could salvage the situation.


"This is why we are here," Luna continued after several seconds with a more determined tone to her voice. "Equestria needs heroes like you to ensure situations like these do not arise again. Even before this headquarters was completed, you studied, you trained, you grew. We are not the same guards we were five years ago, we are now worthy of being the defenders of harmony! I will be beside every one of you for every danger that threatens our homes, our families, our lives! Together, we will STAND! We will FIGHT! We will BE REMEMBERED!!"


Luna forced herself to pause again before she broke into a full royal bellow. It seemed to be having the desired effect though, she could see more of the soldiers standing more firmly, a fresh fire in each of them.


"Yes, there may be times when our commitments will be tested, but then we shall stand! There may be those who would seek to undo everything we have created, but then we shall fight! And ultimately, there may come a day where we shall be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice and lay down our lives, so that our homelands may survive, but through their efforts we will be victorious and those that cannot see the dawn with us, will be remembered!"


She knew she had them convinced now, every one of the hundreds of ponies below, even the formerly sceptic crystal ponies, was standing back at attention, understanding why they needed to be here. Despite everything she'd worried about, Luna had rallied her charges to be everything she'd hoped they could be.


"We are the Equestria Defence Force! We are the guardians of harmony! Every one of you knows what you must do and I have faith that when I stand alongside you, we shall bring the light to those that need it most. Let the victor?!"


"Be justice!" The crowd roared in response, the motto of the EDF drilled into to each of them. Luna couldn't help but smile as she saluted again and every single pony saluted her back in response. She trusted that they would follow her into Tartarus if need be right now, or that she would follow them there. Princess as she may be, she had led from the front before and would do so as many times as needed until Equestria and the lands beyond were peaceful again. Her wings flared out briefly in excitement and she snapped her hooves to attention, showing she carried the same passion as they did. She'd never been prouder of the ponies that followed her than she was now.


"To your assignments then, and may we do our homelands proud! Dismissed!"
> Moral Grounds (Spitfire/Flitter)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 19th, Year 5 under the Four Princesses





The skies of Equestria normally felt awash with energy, thanks to the inherent magic of the pegasi that allowed them to shape the weather as needed. Today though, in the late afternoon sun that bathed Canterlot in a gentle glow, the air was even more charged than usual. With the official foundation of the Equestria Defence Force taking place within the capital that morning, thousands of ponies had made their way into the city to assist with the final details of creating Equestria's first standing military in two thousand years and learn the exact roles they would play in this new institution. The day was starting to wind down though and many ponies were starting to pack up and begin to return to their home bases across the land.


In the central courtyard of the new EDF base, eight such ponies were taking off for their flight back to Cloudsdale. While their official military designation was now sky wing squadron one, everypony knew them far better as the best of the best among the pegasus race; the Wonderbolts. Decades of serving Equestria as both a stunt performance and search-and-rescue unit had kept it's members sharp and agile, the addition of proper combat training over the past few months had only added to their considerable capabilities. Each member of the team was now as honed as a pegasus could get in their respective fields, from the lightning speeds of Fleetfoot or Rainbow Dash, to the raw determination of Spitfire and Misty Fly, the strength of Soarin, the agility of Vapor Trail, the endurance of High Winds and even the unstoppable attitude of Sky Stinger. Every one of them had earned their place here as a guardian of Equestria's future.


"Alright everypony," Spitfire called to the seven pegasi keeping in a tight wedge formation behind her as they cleared the Canterlot city limits. "I'll be saving the rundown for when we get back to base. For now, loosen up a little and enjoy the flight."


Everypony saluted and almost immediately relaxed, some lifting their goggles up or stretching in their flight suits. Considering how relentless their training had been, the chance to simply savour being in the air and flying for themselves was long overdue for a few of the Wonderbolts.


"Woo! I can't believe this is actually happening," Sky Stinger exclaimed from his position on the right edge of the formation, what was visible of his teal blue muzzle sporting a huge grin. "I mean not only are we now the best fliers in all of Equestria, but we're also the best fighters too."


"Most of us are. You're not officially a soldier yet, newbie." Misty Fly commented from just behind him.


"But, umm, you can't deny just how good he is." Vapor Trail piped up from her position, fidgeting slightly as she said it. Considering how her feelings about Sky was one of the worst kept secrets in the unit's thousand year history during their time in the academy, nopony called her out on it.


"I wouldn't worry too much. When Dizzy's trying to be mean, you'll know," Rainbow Dash told her as she shifted a little closer in flight. "Besides, nopony's denying he's earned his wings of wonder, right?"


As the rest of the team was steadily drawn into the discussion, each giving their own views on what being a wonderbolt meant now, Spitfire watched them all with a gentle smile on her face. She knew it had been tough on the older members of the team to see their friends Surprise and Blaze transferred out to other units in the sky wing, so to see the bonds remaining strong between those who had flown alongside her for years and the newcomers who had only earned their place with the main team as recently as two months ago brought her a sense of comfort she hadn't realised she needed. Seeing them like this helped as well. Five years ago she would have made them all make the flight silent and in perfect formation. It hadn't been until they had met the rainbow mare in their midst that the wonderbolts, and Spitfire herself, had begun to break away from that insistent, best-at-all-costs mentality that had unknowingly been their greatest flaw.


Now the wonderbolts were the best not just because of their abilities, but because of the ponies that stood among them.


Everypony present had seven friends at their side, dozens more across the land that had either flown with the squad in the past or were among the numbers that made up the reserves and trainees. The wonderbolts looked out for each other now, acting not for what would serve the overall team best but for what would help each pony be their personal best. Though she couldn't take credit for starting her team down this new and improved path, Spitfire had committed herself to keeping them on it for as long as she remained their leader. That was something to worry about in the future though, right now she could simply relax and join in the conversation with the friends that were by her side right now.


Even with their slower flight, it felt like no time before an hour had passed and the team was ready for their approach to Cloudsdale, currently in position over the wetlands of Equestria's southeast coast. Every active trainee and reserve had been summoned to the wonderbolts headquarters in the city already and so Spitfire wasted no time in touching down and leading the others back inside.


As she stepped into the hall where everypony was waiting, Spitfire silently noted to herself that the Wonderbolts were at their highest numbers in decades. Eight ponies in the main unit, six reserves, nine trainees. Admittedly part of that was down to the fact she had been asked to increase the numbers in the event of the unit needing to be deployed into combat, but she liked to believe that this many ponies really were good enough to fly the Wonderbolts name as well. The reserves and trainees scrambled up from their tables as they noticed her and stood to attention, virtually indistinguishable from each other in body as they all had their flight suits on. The last modification of the flight suits meant the only difference was that the reserves' suits stopped at their necks. Only full members could wear the headgear though.


"Alright ponies, listen up!" Spitfire snapped as her wingponies joined the others, sliding effortlessly into what she called her work mode. "The formalities are done with and the Wonderbolts are now officially part of the Equestria Defence Force. Everypony in Equestria will be looking at us for protection and inspiration, and every one of you is going to have to bust your flanks even harder not to let them down. Am I right?!"


"Yes ma'am!" Twenty-five voices replied in unison.


"First things first, General Searing Current made it adamantly clear to me that we are the elite among the best fliers and she wants me to maintain that standard!" Spitfire gritted her teeth slightly at that part. "To that end, I've had no option to tighten the advancement criteria. Both Wonderbolt and military training are mandatory for consideration to join the main unit. Anypony who thought they could wait to do one or the other, too bad, you're stuck as a reserve at best until you fix it!"


Her ear twitched as she caught the sound of a pony unable to hide their frustration at the news and whirled round, staring down a lime green stallion in a reserve flight suit. The ponies either side of him tensed up as she advanced, though to his credit he never broke his focused gaze at the cloud wall behind her.


"You got something to say on this, Air Razer? You think you can be a solider without learning everything you'll need?!" She barked at him, taking off slightly in her professionally honed anger.

"N-no ma'am." Air Razer replied, his tone cowed enough for Spitfire to bring herself back down to the floor.


"Damn right," She told him as she resumed her pacing. "Secondly, for everypony who HAS done everything needed to be eligible to be a Wonderbolt, congratulations on officially making it this far! The ranks are still being finalised so you don't have to call me captain for a few more days. That said, as soon as I find out what yours is, I'll be letting you know. Thirdly, and I want to stress this one, despite how all this may have sounded, I have no intention of running things any differently. Understand me?"


"Yes ma'am!" They all said as one again.


"I'm serious," Spitfire stopped and sighed slightly, letting herself slide out of her serious work side and back into the more relaxed side she had started to grow comfortable in. As she looked back at the whole team, she cracked a small smile. "Just because we're part of a bigger structure now with a whole mess of new orders and challenges, I don't plan on turning the Wonderbolts into something we're not. You're my wingponies, my squadmates, but you're still my friends more than anything. So, I'll be in my office if you have any questions, otherwise I suggest you all take some time to unwind while you can. We'll be starting with the new training regime at the end of the week. Dismissed!"


As Spitfire turned and made her way out of the mess hall, everypony saluted her before relaxing and turning to their comrades to discuss the developments. While most of them either congratulated each other on their new positions or offered commiserations for losing their chance to make it to the main team so soon, Soarin made his way through the gatherings in search of one particular pony. He soon found her leaning against a table in thought, a light blue-purple coated mare with a mint green mane and raspberry coloured eyes. She also had the flight suit of a reserve on, though the sight of it made Soarin's heart ache a little at what she had gone through while wearing it.


"Flitter?" He said softly as he came up to her, drawing the mare's attention out of her stupor.


"I have to do it now. While I still can." Flitter told him quietly, taking a slow breath before making for the exit of the hall at a brisk pace. Soarin stayed next to her, knowing she'd need him beside her.


Flitter had been a reserve for nearly three years now, her flying was never in doubt but she seemed to lack the same confidence as the other Wonderbolts. This had come to a head a year ago while assisting emergency services on a mission in Whinnyapolis, when he had found her failing at fire containment, choking on ash build-up and at her breaking point. While Soarin had been able to keep her going long enough to salvage the situation and while the two of them had struck up an unlikely friendship in the aftermath, they both knew her odds of becoming an actual Wonderbolt had been severely dashed by the incident. The fact she had managed to complete the EDF training program and thus still be eligible for the team had come as a surprise to everypony. Now though, they walked the halls in silence without so much as an echo of hooves on ground thanks to the cloud construction.


"Do you want me to come in?" Soarin asked as they reached the door to Spitfire's office, waiting patiently as Flitter hesitated for several seconds.


"Only if it sounds like I'm in trouble. I want to at least try to do it myself," She eventually replied, looking up at him and smiling softly. "Soarin. Thank you for all your help. I don't know where I'd be without you."


Soarin simply nodded and patted her on the shoulder, not needing any more words. Anything he could have said, he'd been telling her all year anyway. Flitter took one last moment for composure and knocked on the door before stepping in and closing it behind her. Her focus shifted away from the task at hoof slightly as she saw just how sparsely decorated the office was. Spitfire tended to keep her things at the Wonderbolt barracks on the academy plateau, so the only items in here were the desk, a bookshelf and the window that looked out over central Cloudsdale. Spitfire was seated at the desk, now out of her flight suit and writing something down in what looked like a journal. On seeing who was coming in she put her quill down and pushed the book aside.


"Flitter. What's on your mind?" Spitfire asked.

"I ah...Yes, captain," Flitter replied, swallowing her nerves back. She reminded herself one more time that she HAD to do this and straightened up. "There was something I needed to discuss with you."


"Alright. I'm listening." Spitfire replied as she got up. Flitter could see the look in her superior's eyes, mind racing as she tried to figure out what was wrong. That kind of rapid analysis and thinking was why she was leader, but Flitter somehow suspected she wouldn't figure this one out before she said it.


"The thing is, well...There's no easy way to say this so...Iwanttoresign!" She blurted out, pulling her head closer to her body and bracing for the reaction. When none came she slowly opened her eyes again and looked forward. Spitfire was staring back at her, her expression neutral and calm.


"Okay...Could you repeat that a little slower?" She asked, to Flitter's surprise. That was a better reaction than expected.


"I don't think I can remain a Wonderbolt, ma'am," She explained, starting to pace around the room. If she kept moving, she would be too busy to dwell on her nerves. "When we were just stuntmares and rescue workers, that I could do. I can keep up with the others in those areas. Being a soldier though...The idea that being a Wonderbolt now means that I'll have to fight. To kill. I know that that's likely limited to monsters, but what if someday the call comes through and we have to fight changelings? Or griffons or zebras? Or even other ponies? I-I'm sorry but I don't think I can do it. I know I've never been the most promising reserve or done anything special, but I wouldn't be at my best if I stayed. if I did and I cracked under those kind of situations...I think this is best for everypony."


As she finished speaking, Flitter came to a halt and placed a hoof against her face. She'd done it, now she'd have to face the consequences. What those would be, she couldn't say right now. The world seemed to be frozen around her as she felt her chest degrading into a mess of emotion. Relief that she had managed to make this decision against dread of what such a decision would mean for her life. The moment was broken as she felt a gentle hoof against her left shoulder and she looked round to see it was Spitfire's hoof. The mare herself was by her side with a look that was...


Understanding?


"Flitter, can I be honest with you?"


"I..." Flitter put her hoof back down and turned to face Spitfire. "Of course, ma'am."


"I'm very impressed with you," Spitfire raised a hoof to halt Flitter's objection before continuing. "The honest thing is, after what happened in Whinnyapolis I was anticipating this day coming. You deciding you'd had enough and walking away. You didn't though, you kept trying and you kept performing as good as anypony. Hell, you're still actually my first choice for the next reserve to promote. The fact that this is the reason you've decided to stop, well it just makes me respect you more. I thought that somepony might think that way but, you've given me a lot to think about on the topic as well."


"I see..." Flitter replied quietly as she undid the silver Wonderbolts badge on her chest and offered it to Spitfire. The final chance for either of them to reconsider. Once that badge changed hooves, it was done.


"It's a damn shame to lose you, Flitter," Spitfire said as she looked down at the badge. "No matter how bad you may feel about your flying, just remember that even right now, you're still eligible to be a Wonderbolt. And you'll always have friends here if you need us."


"Thank you, Spitfire," Flitter managed a small smile as Spitfire held a hoof out and she placed the badge down in it. "I'll return all my things and say goodbye to the team before I head back to Ponyville."


"Keep the flight suit if you want. We'll all be getting redesigns soon anyway."


Flitter nodded and gave a last salute to her former leader before stepping out of the office. Once she was alone again, Spitfire gave a sigh tinged with sadness. It never got any easier to lose the ponies that followed her. A few years ago she might have refused the resignation and just told Flitter to think about it for a few days. That was the old Spitfire's way though, the one that believed that her team just needed to push themselves to be the best. The current her would never be okay with forcing a pony to remain active but unhappy. For now, she simply sat down and opened her journal again, wanting to get her thoughts down while they were still fresh.





"It's done." Flitter told Soarin once she closed the door behind her. Soarin simply nodded in response and pushed himself off the wall he'd been leaning on. Normally a chipper goofball by the standards of the team, the fact he looked despondent himself over the development was as clear an indicator of how he was taking it as a giant neon sign.


"Alright. I'm gonna miss seeing you around." He eventually told her as she approached him. It took a moment for him to realise just how much he meant it.


"You too, big guy." She replied, turning and wrapping her front hooves round his chest. Soarin paused at the sudden hug before gently patting her back. What was this about and why did he suddenly feel really warm?


"C'mon, it's not like we're never going to see each other again. Right?" He told her once she released the hug.


"I hope not, not with a friend as good as you," Flitter replied, looking and sounding somewhat more confident in herself. "For now though, thank you." Flitter smiled up at Soarin again and headed off to say goodbye to the rest of the team, leaving a strangely confused stallion in her wake.
> Shadows of the Mind (Sunset Shimmer)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot Castle
May 11th, Year 6 under the Four Princesses





Equestria lay bathed in the glow of the evening sun, another day beginning to draw to a close. For many ponies, the day had been the same as any other. No matter if they were a simple farmer from the grasslands or a noble within the heart of Canterlot, they had risen, played their parts in the way of the world and were preparing to rest again. In stark comparison, this time of day was when the castle that sat at the heart of the capital was at its peak of activity.


This was the time of day when Princess Celestia began her ritual process of lowering the sun to make way for her sister's light. As such, it was also normally the time that Princess Luna rose to assume her duties, both as Princess of the Night and Supreme Commander of the Equestria Defence Force. The castle was filled with guards, assistants, chefs, gardeners and other such ponies ready and willing to serve. Them, and the one guest the castle currently housed. A filly by the name of Sunset Shimmer, Princess Celestia's personal pupil.


She had held the position for a little under five years now, learning everything she could about the infinite mysteries of magic and applying it to her own abilities. Her days were filled with study and practice, her mind sharp and driven by a desire to be recognised for her talents. Her current appearance did mitigate the drive slightly, her body currently in the somewhat awkward stage between a short, stocky child and a tall, lanky teenager. It was something almost everypony went through around the age of ten, like she was now, but it still made it a little harder to be taken seriously. That merely drove her harder though, the princess had once said that she had the potential to be the Twilight Sparkle of her generation and she wanted to meet...No, to exceed that expectation.


Sunset's eyes narrowed as she kept reading through the book laid before her, settled at a table within the castle archives. It had been a chance discovery during her daily perusing of the archives, a book detailing projection magic. From what she could understand it was a base version of the spell Princess Luna used to aid ponies in their dreams. All her free time in the past month had been spent studying the book, slowly learning the spells contained with in and hoping for the moment she could display what she had gained to her teacher. Once the princess returned from lowering the sun for the day, she could try then. Then she would succeed in showing she could try higher level spells. All that was needed now was-


"Sunset Shimmer? It's time to head home."


Sunset jumped as the words came at the same time she felt a gentle hoof on her left shoulder. She shut the book quickly and looked round to see a light gray unicorn mare with a kind, weathered look, a black mane tied into a bun and orange eyes that had a gentle edge to them.


"Oh, already?" Sunset looked up at the clock above her in surprise, seeing it was already half past five. "Thank you. Let me just put this away, miss Singa."


With her surprise gone, her manners had returned and Sunset made sure to give her thanks to Singularity after taking the book back to its shelf. The elderly mare had been assigned as her caretaker for any times Celestia couldn't be with her and the two had formed a quick friendship due to her caring nature and ability to follow the filly's discussions about magic. She also walked Sunset between her home and the castle every day so the two had had plenty of time to learn from each other. As soon as her book was returned she fell into place beside Singularity and followed her out into the castle hallways. A number of Royal Guards were present outside, more than usual as they were transferring a sizeable crate from a nearby room with a reinforced door. Sunset knew the room as a vault that contained a number of treasures Celestia wished to keep safe but had never seen inside. Maybe if she squinted as she walked, she could...


"Well hi, Sunset." The voice of one of the guards standing watch at the archives drew her attention and derailed her thoughts. It was one of the white coated pegasus stallions that seemed to be everywhere within the guard. She bit back a sigh at being interrupted and turned to the guard with a slightly forced smile.


"Hello, sir." She replied, managing to make her smile look welcoming, sensing Singularity waiting with her.


"So what've you been learning today?" The guard asked, crouching down to be at eye level with her.


"Only how to be the most powerful unicorn of my age!" Sunset declared, a trained response to ponies asking what she wanted to be. She even puffed her chest out proudly as she said it. Sure it was a lot like most street performers she sometimes saw in the city, but she had the talent to back it up.


"I don't doubt it." The guard commented, surprisingly sounding like he wasn't patronising her as he stood up again.


Sunset tuned out slightly as she heard voices above her. If the guard and Singularity were talking then she could be waiting for a few minutes, when all she wanted right now was to have dinner with her mother, greet her father when he got home from the EDF headquarters and then study some more at home. At least she had the guards over by the vault to draw her attention while she waited. As soon as they had the crate moved out the way, she took a few steps forward to try and peek into the gap before they closed it. Most of it was obscured in some way but she did spot something. A glass vial, ovaloid in shape, about the size of her leg and with no clear means of opening it. What was inside it was...Fascinating.


At its base was a four point purple star, layered above a four point white star that lay at a diagonal angle. A pair of two toned aqua streams of magic rose from it. The whole thing was hovering and bathed in a faint glow that was the same aqua colour. Even with that momentary glimpse before the door was sealed shut, she recognised it for what it was: A cutie mark. She'd had her own for a few years so she understood the importance of them. The question now was, why was one there and not on a pony?


"Sunset?"


Singularity's voice shook her focus and she looked back at the unicorn.


"Why is there a cutie mark in there?" Sunset asked. It seemed a simple enough question, yet Singularity looked unsettled by it, perhaps even a little concerned.


"I, don't believe that is a question that I'm allowed to answer. Come." She replied rather quickly, stepping forward and ushering Sunset away. The filly gave a last look back before sticking close as they made their way through the castle, wondering just what that behaviour was about.





For once, Sunset Shimmer didn't do any studying that night. Her parents, Bright Carrier and Cipher, both noted that instead she was oddly distant, more thoughtful than usual. By the time the following morning came around and her father was walking her to the castle for today's lessons, her curiosity about the contained cutie mark was becoming unbearable. She could only hope that Princess Celestia would be willing to tell her something about it, even if it was just so she could put the matter to rest and focus on her studies again.


As the entered the castle grounds, Sunset slowed down slightly. Something felt off about this. Normally Singularity would meet her at the gates if she hadn't walked her here, the two of them then going on to Princess Celestia together. They were going right up to the castle doors this time. In addition, the general atmosphere lacked the usual energy the morning brought. It felt...Tense. Sure enough, the princess was waiting for her at the base of the steps to the castle. Compared to her usual happiness at the sight of her student, she looked stern and serious.


"I'm glad you're here so early," Celestia said as Sunset and Cipher bowed to her. "Sunset, Singularity informed me yesterday that you saw inside my vault and noted a...Unique item. Is this true, Sunset Shimmer?"


"I..." For all her confidence, Sunset found herself faltering under the focused gazes of both her father and a goddess. "Yes."


Celestia simply stared at her for several moments before nodding, her expression softening.


"I see. Then there is somewhere that we must go before today's studies. Thank you for coming with her, Cipher. I hope your day improves from this and rest assured, I will come by later to discuss this."


"Of course, your highness." Cipher nodded as he stood and left for the EDF headquarters nearby.


With that settled for now, Celestia lifted Sunset onto her back with her magic and entered the castle. Sunset generally liked riding on her alicorn mentor, but she knew they weren't heading up to the library or the archives this time. Instead they seemed to be heading downward, toward the areas she had been forbidden to enter. More specifically, toward the castle dungeons.


"There's somepony you need to see," Celestia started to explain as they passed through the empty dungeons, looking back to see Sunset listening intently. "The pony that originally had the cutie mark you saw."


"Why are they here?" Sunset asked, poking her head out from behind the alicorn's neck.


"Because of the danger she posed to Equestria. You see, I have said that you have the potential to be the next Twilight Sparkle. That means that I believe you have the ability to change the world, using your abilities for the good of all. Sometimes, that may require you to use that strength to stand up against dangerous beings, maybe even other ponies, to protect those who do not deserve the harm they would inflict."


"Wh-what did they do?" Sunset asked quietly, mind racing from this information as they passed into a higher security area.


"This pony, tried to destroy time as you know it. Only Princess Twilight experienced the full effects of what she tried to do, and it took a heavy toll on her. She spoke of seeing a world where our home had been fighting the Crystal Empire for many years, from what she told me that even now in this timeline, your talents would have been squandered and used only as a weapon, if you were still alive."


"I don't want that." The filly commented, though she wasn't sure if the waver in her voice was from concern was for how different the world would be, or the words 'squandered talents'.


"Neither do I. This is why I have brought you here, so you understand another way in which you may one day have to help Equestria. Though, I sincerely hope that day never comes." Celestia sighed slightly as she stopped in front of a cell and lifted Sunset down to the floor, looking into it.


Sunset did the same, staring slightly as she looked into the cell. It wasn't exactly bare by prison standards, containing all the basics needed for a pony. There was only one occupant, asleep on the bed with her back to the door. Pink coated, her mane and tail purple with a single aquamarine stripe running through both, dangling limply with no styling. Her eyes and cutie mark not visible from this angle. What was most striking though, was that her colours were dulled to an almost unnatural degree. Sunset slowly took the details in before looking back at Celestia, silently asking for context.


"This is Starlight Glimmer, the pony that cutie mark belonged to," Celestia said sadly. "One of the most powerful and dangerous unicorns alive. She tried to enact her plans four years ago, but was stopped and had to have her cutie mark removed to contain her power. We've been attempting to reason with her ever since, find a way to help her find herself again. However..."


Sunset found herself listening less as she took a step closer, taking in the sleeping Starlight. The mention of the unicorn's strength had piqued her curiosity. It wasn't like this Starlight Glimmer was more powerful then she would be when she reached that age, right? If only there was a way to find out. She raised her head slightly as she remembered what she'd been learning the day before, the projection magic. The spell hadn't been that complex to cast. Surely it wouldn't be too bad if she momentarily placed herself inside the resting mind and found out what she was thinking. Sunset's horn glowed cyan and she focused it at the sleeping pony before the world flashed around her.


As the light faded, she looked round herself for a second before pausing. She couldn't see anything, just darkness everywhere. There was a sense of magic in the air though, understandable if this really was within Starlight Glimmer's mind. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before though, a primal strength that seemed soak her to the core and filled every breath she took, permeated her very skin, resisted every movement she made. Was this what the strongest raw magical ability felt like? Was this what she would feel once she reached her true potential?


A faint cry behind her drew her attention and she turned to see the same Starlight sitting there, though her colours were much more natural and her cutie mark was firmly in place on her flanks. She had her back to Sunset, focused on something out of view. Sunset glanced down at herself, wondering why her entrance had gone unnoticed, and realised that she couldn't actually see herself. The effects of projecting herself into the unicorn's mind had been less than she'd hoped, only able to see in but unable to do anything more. It would have to suffice for now, at least she could see what all this power Starlight had could do. Just because it was restrained without her cutie mark didn't mean she couldn't remember the power she'd wielded.


That seemed to be the case, Starlight had a pony held down on the floor in her magic, a purple, bruised hoof the only thing Sunset could see of them. The crying seemed to come from them as well. Even as she focused on the sight, Starlight tensed and turned her head, a glowing white eye becoming visible before the world flashed white again. Sunset felt her world turn upside down and gravity kick in behind her, the sensation of having her body back disorientating her badly.


"Sunset!"


Celestia's voice rang in her ears slightly as she became aware of the feeling of feathers at her back. Her vision came back into focus and she realised she was on her back, on the floor of the dungeon. Celestia had put a wing beneath her, making her realise she must have collapsed from the effort to maintain the spell. She slowly turned her head to look at the princess and realised that she was wearing an expression that was equal parts irritation and concern.


"I-I'm sorry, it seemed like a good idea at the time and-"


"What did you do?" Celestia asked, keeping her voice level and free of emotion.


"I, wanted a closer look. So I used a projection spell to enter her mind and it was dark and powerful and..." Sunset buried her face in her hooves, waiting for judgement. Her voice had dropped to a whimper. "I just wanted to impress you."


"I see," Celestia sighed, lifting Sunset back up onto her back "I'm not angry at you, Sunset. A child is always curious. However, it appears I underestimated your determination. We will need to talk about the magic you study in your free time and the responsible use of it."


Sunset simply nodded as Celestia turned to take them back into the castle, casting a last look back toward the cell. Starlight Glimmer had woken up at some point and was looking back at her, her tired, angry blue eyes meeting the filly's own light blue ones. The look she gave chilled Sunset to the bone, no words needing to be spoken to get her point across. Starlight knew exactly what she had been doing. Sunset shrank between Celestia's wings slightly and looked away, a new motivation for her studies forming. Starlight was the most powerful unicorn she had ever seen, and one day would come the time that they would meet again. It was highly unlikely that Starlight would be very forgiving about what had transpired here.


She needed to become even stronger before then.
> Duty (Babs Seed)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Manehatten
June 11th, Year 15 under the Four Princesses



 

Evening was just beginning to settle over Manehatten, ending a pleasant summers day that had just enough of a breeze to keep the heat from being uncomfortable. The streets were still filled with ponies going about their various ways, a myriad number of reasons and excuses to be out here, some purpose driven, some just looking for something to happen around them. A few ponies were managing to do both at the same time, most notably the police ponies that were patrolling the city on hoof. As much as it had come along in recent years, Manehatten still had something of a crime problem in certain areas and the police departments that covered the city were doing their utmost to crack down on these issues and provide a better place for everypony.


One of their patrol officers was on the edge of one of these areas, walking the waterfront in the northwest of the city, not far from the Celestial Bridge that linked Manehatten to mainland Equestria. An earth mare with a light brown coat, trimmed amaranth mane and tail with some lighter streaks, green eyes with a trio of white freckles just under them and a cutie mark of a white round shield with a four point blue star in the center, Babs Seed looked almost every inch a member of the Manehatten PD. Her outfit was spick and span, an azure polo shirt with the police crest on the left lapel, matching peaked cap and a black equipment bag wrapped round her chest that contained the basic tools of the job and doubled as some basic protection. Nopony who saw her could doubt that she took the job seriously.


Seriously had been a bit of an understatement back when she had undergone the final stage of training at the Trottingham Academy. The class of year fourteen had been a strong one and being in the top five upon graduation had been one of the proudest moments of her life. Unfortunately, the night after nearly undid all the years of work she had put into getting there. The graduation party had seen everypony reliving months of stress and pressure to perform in training , she knew she hadn't gotten any sleep that night, or the day after, maybe that was why everything was a haze when she tried to remember. Three months later a routine medical examination had confirmed that one thing had lead to another at some point and that she was pregnant. Aside from the difficulties that came from such a life changing development happening at twenty four years old, it had almost killed her career on the spot, her superiors weren't keen on sending somepony in her condition into somewhere as rough as Manehatten could be and she couldn't be transferred quickly enough.


Several weeks of debate on the issue, combined with regularly showing she could still match the physical requirements of duty, had ultimately worked out in her favour. Now here she was, eight months along, patrolling one of the quieter parts of the waterfront, feeling her shirt rolling up slightly as it failed to keep covering her gravid belly. Every so often she stopped and watched ponies going by, looking like she was observing for signs of trouble, trying not to pay attention to how passers by stared at her. She had to stay focused at all times, the occasional gentle movement within her a constant reminder of just how much higher the stakes were if anything were to happen on her watch.


Babs sighed to herself as she passed a street corner diner and stopped, glancing at it for a moment. Her hooves were aching from over an hour on patrol and her back wasn't feeling much better with a foal to carry around. The more she looked at it, the more appealing it felt to head inside. There were enough windows for her to keep watch on things in the street and she had enough bits on her for something quick to eat, an idea that seemed even more tempting with how much extra she needed these days and the fact she'd stopped here more than once when off-duty. She felt a soft kick from the foal as if trying to encourage her in that direction and gave in to the desire, trotting over to the entrance and stepping inside. It was still quiet with only the pony on the counter inside, which made sense at this time of day since it was between the times when tourists came in during the day and locals in the night.


"Good evening officer, how can I help?" The pony behind the counter asked as he noticed her, a somewhat portly earth stallion with a light grey coat, blue eyes and white mane and tail. Babs went over to the counter and pulled herself up onto a barstool, grunting slightly from the extra effort needed.


"Evening, Fresh Catch. Just a five minute sit down, an oatcake with hay topping and a glass of water please." She replied, resting against the counter as she fished her money out from her shirt pocket and placing them down. Fresh nodded and took the bits before going to prep her food.


Finally able to have a proper breather, Babs settled into her seat now that the weight was off her hooves and back. A quick glance round showed that the streets outside were pretty empty for now, letting her relax the slightest bit as she adjusted her shirt. It gave her a little time to think about what she was going to do next. In three months time she was going to be a mother, having a whole new set of responsibilities awaiting her, the father likely completely unaware of what was happening right now. Her career would be on hold while she had maternity leave but what was she going to do after a year or so when she would have to start with both at the same time? Her first thought went to her family, who had been shocked by the initial news but reasonably supportive. The second went to her friends Sky Breaker and Wood Chip, the other members of the Manehatten Cutie Mark Crusaders. At a longer stretch there was even the Ponyville CMC and her family there. Between all of them, she reasoned as she gently placed a hoof on her heavy middle, she would figure something out.


Her train of thought was broken by the sound of shattering glass and she swung round on her stool, training and instincts kicking in as she analysed the scene before her. 'Three suspects, two earth pony of both genders, one unicorn stallion with a bat. All masking any identifying features with white coats and balaclavas, they're not first timers. Glass in the door is broken, most likely the bat. At a guess they're from the hot zone in the north of the city, trying to expand a protection racket here. Judging by the one in the middle raving on, they either haven't noticed me or they're not that experienced either.' Part of her was glad there were no colts or fillies present to witness this crime, another part acknowledging that she had to intervene and odds were, it was going to get rough.


"I know criminals have a tendency to be a little...Dim," Babs said as she took her cap off, leaving it on the counter as she got back down to the floor, getting some incredulous looks from the criminal trio for cutting off their big entrance speech. "But targeting a business with an active police officer inside? Really?" Normally she would be a little more tactful when dealing with suspects, but they had made their intentions clear already. 


"H-hey! It's still three fighting ponies against one pol..ic..." The earth mare standing on the right started, her voice first tense, then confused as she went on. "Wow, are the PD so desperate that they're taking on fat ponies now?"


"Cool it," The lead earth pony interjected, his voice a lot more restrained as he stepped toward Babs. "That kind of bulk just makes it easier to deal with her. Once we've shown we're not messing around and capable of taking an officer, we'll be able to take what we need.


Well, that put down any lingering hope of a peaceful resolution.


"Threatening a police officer is bad enough, and a criminal offence, but directly threatening a pregnant mare at the same time...That's just low." Babs commented. She hadn't wanted to reveal that vulnerability but it might just convince at least one of them to ease off, assuming they had any morals left at all. To her disappointment, the earth stallion that she was assuming to be the leader kept advancing on her.


"Oh really now? Maybe you should think about backing off them, before your or your foal get yourselves hurt, eh?" He commented with an intimidating tone, getting up in Babs' face and poking her somewhat forcefully in the chest with a hoof. The threats probably would have been enough justification to defend herself but he had got physical, she had a witness in Fresh Catch and beside all that...She could shrug off the fat comments but nopony, but NOPONY, threatened her foal and walked away!


Her front left hoof came up quickly, smacking the offending hoof skyward, followed up by rapidly bringing her front right up into the gap where it had been. The stallion barely had time to register the first counter before the uppercut smashed into his jaw, sending him recoiling in pain. Babs let gravity bring her hooves back down, realising too late that it had left her exposed as the unicorn charged forward with the bat gripped in his magic. She barely had time to stabilise herself before the bat was swung, hitting her square in the chest and making her grunt as the hit forced her backward against the counter. Fortunately, her equipment bag had done it's job and taken the worst of the impact. In fact, it had done more than that.


One of the items everypony on the force kept in their bag was a scroll, enchanted so that it would be sent to the nearest police department when written on. It was a handy way for ponies on patrol to report crimes quickly so that a response could be dispatched quickly, though it also had a secondary method of use. If struck hard enough while still inside the bag, like the hit it had just taken, the magic would activate and send it with a report of an officer under attack and their location. Backup was likely being scrambled for her right now, all she had to do was stay standing until they got here.


Babs gritted her teeth as her legs braced to keep her from losing what little ground she had left, able to see the unicorn's follow up strike coming this time. She pushed her body sideways and managed to avoid the bat coming down on her head, or any other part of her. For 'fighting ponies' they were doing a poor job of it as she got some space to the right while the unicorn advanced on her instead of pulling back and letting the other two join in. She waited for him to swing the bat again before ducking the swipe and pushing forward, kicking his front left leg out from under him and following it up with a punch to the left temple. The blow was enough to knock the unicorn out, the bat dropping from his magic and clattering onto the ground next to his body as it slumped and fell. One down, two to go.


"Dammit, sic her already!" The lead stallion shouted as he recovered from the initial attack, the wool of his balaclava around his jaw looking a little bloody. The mare shook her head slightly and moved into the fight, throwing a set of punches aimed at the head and chest. Babs managed to dodge the first and parry the follow ups, noting that despite the focus in her gold eyes, her new opponent was hesitating, clearly uncomfortable with what she was having to do. That kind of vulnerability could be exploited, though the same could be said of diverting some of her attention to notice such things.


Babs felt a hoof make solid contact with her right shoulder, knocking her off balance and into another hoof that hit her square in the muzzle with a worrying crunch. Pain spiked through her face as she  stumbled to her left, desperately trying to keep herself from falling. Her hooves managed to get some purchase on the ground and her legs shook from the effort of bringing her extra weight to a halt. Her senses were coming together again after that hit, the pain getting worse now she was aware of it, a damp warmth making itself felt running down her nose and dripping onto the floor. Her muzzle was clearly broken and her focus was still a little disoriented but she was still in the fight. The mare had not pressed the advantage and was holding her ground, looking even less willing to try anything else now.


The remaining stallion was already moving again though. Babs saw out of the corner of her eye that he had gone for the unattended bat and was bringing it back for a swing. The angle was too low to be aiming for her head and too high for her legs, add in the fact he was on her left side and...Her blood froze as she realised he was going for her exposed belly. She turned as the bat swung forward and threw her hooves up on instinct, taking the worst of the hit on her front legs with the end of the bat striking her shoulder, just missing her barrel. That was going to leave a lot of bruises at best, though she could already tell she was lucky not to break anything in that hit Any restraint she had been exercising was overwhelmed by the fresh pain and she let an angered growl loose as her hooves wrapped around the bat and yanked it sideways. The momentum sent the stallion aggressor sprawling face first into the side of the counter.


Both of them let go of the bat and Babs pressed her fresh advantage, spinning round while her opponent was dazed and bucking him square in the side. The blow knocked him clean off his hooves and crashing into a barstool. Babs waited until he'd come to a halt before closing in and pressing her hoof on his neck, light enough to let him keep breathing but with enough force to show she wasn't letting him get up from this position. She let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding and simply stood over the dazed stallion, panting from the effort so far as she realised he was in too much pain to get up. Her eyes went to the mare, both knowing that it was now one on one between a nervous criminal and a bruised, bloodied, exhausted, but active and seriously pissed off police pony.


"Okay okay! This ain't worth it, I give up!" The mare cried as she saw the way she was being stared down, sitting herself down quickly and putting her front hooves up in surrender.


"...Good." Babs panted, retching slightly as she got a few drops of blood in her mouth. Her free hoof opened her equipment bag and fetched out a pair of hoofcuffs. She fitted one to the front right leg of the beaten stallion underneath her and one to his rear left, making sure he couldn't walk out when he recovered. She had enough cuffs for everypony, doing the same with the surrendered mare and the still out cold unicorn.


"Is...It over?" Fresh Catch asked as he poked his head up from behind the counter where he'd been watching from cover since the fight had broken out.


"Yeah, yeah it's safe," Babs replied, tensing up at some uncomfortable movement within her and sitting down to hold her belly gently. "It's ok kiddo, I'll get checked over soon but I didn't let them hurt ya. Nopony messes with my little girl."


Babs turned back toward the counter and tried to wipe some of the blood off her muzzle with her hoof, knowing that using a napkin would technically be tampering with a crime scene now. As soon as they touched each other though, she got a fresh stinging pain in her muzzle and an ache in her leg, both reminders that this was going to be her final piece of service for now. Recovery time aside, there was no way she would be allowed to remain on active duty after an incident as bad as this. One of the compromises that had allowed her to remain this long was that she avoided serious trouble and this had been more than serious. Still, as far as her last patrol before going onto maternity leave went, things could have gone a lot worse.


She looked round on hearing the diner door open again and was greeted by the sight of her backup coming in, two pegasi from the rapid response unit. They stopped at the state of the building, taking in broken glass on the floor in front of them, barstools knocked in every direction, more than a few drops of blood scattered around and three cuffed ponies laid out, one out cold, one starting to struggle against his bonds. Standing at the back of it all was Babs, muzzle slightly crooked, bleeding profusely from the nose, bruises visible through her fur on her front legs and covered ones on her shoulders, but victorious.


"Seed! How bad is it?" One of them asked as they flapped over to her, checking her injuries as the other went to get medical help. Babs simply pushed her mane to one side with her unbloodied hoof and looked over her body with a tired smile.


"Well...I could probably use a doctor, but the one important thing is unhurt."
> Clipped Wing (Soarin/Flitter)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wonderbolt Airbase, Cloudsdale
July 10th, Year 16 under the four princesses





From a distance, the Equestria Defence Force Airbase that sat like a guardian attached to the renowned cloud city looked silent, almost deserted. Even seven years after it's construction had been completed, it had maintained an air of quiet respect, everypony present in the city knowing that the headquarters of the legendary Wonderbolts was constantly devoted to all aspects of serving and defending their home. From aerial displays, to supporting emergency services, to homeland protection, they had always been the best of the best. Even after the team's integration into the nationwide military of the EDF they still upheld this mantra. Team members now had to be both the most skilled flyers and trained fighters. Any pegasus could managed to be accepted into the ranks with only one of these qualifications would likely remain a reserve for the duration of their stay.


Today, the squadron was out on training exercises with other units, leaving mostly base personnel on hoof for now. There were still several others at the base though, mostly trainees or reserves on standby. One major exception to the rule was currently waiting outside the base infirmary, pacing slowly. The pegasus mare had a light blue-purple coat, mint coloured mane and tail in a carefree style, light purple eyes and three blue dragonflies for a cutie mark. It was Flitter, formerly a Wonderbolt reserve, now lead weather pony for the Ponyville area and wife to Soarin, one of the legendary trio that headed the Wonderbolts.


Flitter had never been in the base before, despite being a solid flyer her comparative lack of nerve under pressure had left her at a constant disadvantage and despite Spitfire and Soarin's best efforts at the time, she had chosen to leave rather than face the ever increasing demand that came with being part of a military unit. There had been one bright side to it though, Soarin and her had become close friends during her time in the reserves and after she had left they had been able to take things further. Despite the reservations of others who knew about them, they had managed to make it work and ultimately got married just over a year ago.


She never really stopped worrying about him though, and while his doctors visit today wasn't for anything serious, the result of it could be a huge influence on his, and their, future. She kept looking over at the door to the doctor's office every so often, trying her best to look calm about the whole thing. After what felt like an eternity, the door opened and Soarin walked out slowly, adjusting the bars that marked his first lieutenant rank on his shirt in an effort to avoid immediate eye contact. Flitter didn't comment on it, she knew that he preferred not to look at somepony until he knew what he was saying to them, even her. She simply trotted over and wrapped a hoof round his shoulders, holding it as he gently returned the hug with a nuzzle to her neck.


"I got the test results in there. They just confirmed I should go through with it." Soarin finally said, the meaning all too clear to her. They'd talked at length about this for days and as hard as it would be, they both knew it was best in the long run.


"Okay...When are you gonna tell Spitfire?"


"Soon as she gets back and finishes debriefing. If they're on schedule, that won't be too long..." Soarin looked down as he failed to keep the disappointment out of his voice. Flitter simply stayed close and comforted him until he looked back up at her with a hopeful glint in his eye. "Hey, since we've got a little time, there's something I've been hoping to show you. If you're okay with it."


"Of course I am. " Flitter replied, rubbing a hoof behind his ears as she knew how much he liked that.


Soarin smiled slightly, the same somewhat goofy look that everypony liked coming back to him as he nodded and set off at a trot. Flitter sighed slightly as she followed, unable to resist smiling herself though. The two of them made their way out onto the base grounds, currently deserted with all the active Wonderbolts still away. Soarin took off as soon as he had space, Flitter following him into the air and toward a section of the base that raised an extra two stories above the rest. Once they reached the roof Soarin landed again and looked round, waiting for Flitter to join him before sitting down and resting his hooves on the edge of the roof.


"I like this spot, good for perspective." Soarin said, sounding more relaxed already.


"It's quite a view, I can probably see our house from here."  Flitter commented as she sat down next to him. They were looking at Cloudsdale from the north and from this angle, late afternoon sunlight reflecting through the rainbows coming from the weather factory bathed about a third of the city in light of all colours.


"Well actually," Soarin pointed to a residential area near the center of the city that was currently sporting a green glow from the rainbow. He looked over at his wife and grinned at the look on her face as she realised she really could see their house from here. "As soon as I learned about this view, I started coming up every night I had to stay at the base. I thought if I couldn't be there for you myself, I could keep watch, make sure the lead pony in my life was safe."


"You old softie. That's actually really sweet." Flitter said with a giggle, leaning in and kissing his cheek. He smiled warmly and wrapped a leg round her, the two of them simply enjoying each other's company while they could. Soarin's duties meant the two of them usually only had a few days together in a month. It did nothing to dampen their feelings however and now that the decision about his future had been made, they would have more time to make up for it.


After several minutes the silence in the air was broken by the sound of approaching pegasi. A wing of five was approaching the base, unmistakably Wonderbolts even from a distance, due to the tight formation they flew. Soarin focused on them and gritted his teeth slightly as he recognised Spitfire's colours at the front, knowing it was time. Flitter placed a hoof on his shoulder gently, her touch reassuring him that it was still the right call. As they stood up and moved toward the Wonderbolts landing ground in the base, the flying group landed and Spitfire's voice rang out clear as anything, her tone more than a little vexed.


"Staff Sergeant Gyr, you may think that I wasn't able to keep track of you in the middle of a battle, even a mockup, but would you care to explain why I could see you slacking off!?"


Even from his vantage point, Soarin recoiled slightly. He knew that even after they had become official soldiers, Spitfire only liked to address her team by rank when she wasn't happy with them. She clearly had an axe to grind about their training exercise. In her advancing age she had set out to make sure that when the inevitable time came that she had to pass from leadership, the next captain would be leading the Wonderbolts at the best they had ever been. Whatever had gone on earlier, she clearly didn't appreciate how it had gone down, even now she was staring down a white stallion, both their expressions unreadable behind the goggles and outfits but the unease between them practically radiating across the whole base. The whole city even.


"Should, I get out the way?" Flitter whispered, drawing Soarin's attention away from Spitfire's continuing tirade. It was true that the captain probably wouldn't appreciate seeing a civilian pegasus on base right now, even if she had all the verification cleared and was with the squad's second-in-command. On the other hoof, part of him knew that having her stay would help him focused on what he was going to say. 


"No, this time you're the one backing me up. and making sure we get this done. Just stay close and we'll be fine." He told her, watching as she blushed slightly and nodded.


"Yes sir." Flitter said, still unable to completely shake the habits that came with being a Wonderbolt after all these years. The two of them waited for Spitfire to start winding down with the debrief before dropping down to ground level. By then she seemed to have burned off most of her fury and was back to keeping things professional.


"Silverspeed, Mobius, you newbies did good out there," Spitfire said as she moved in front of the two ponies clad in reserve colours. "When Rainbow Dash's group returns, I'd like you to compare notes with them. Alright, everypony, take a breather and be ready for a group meeting in thirty. Dismissed!" The four ponies in front of her took off and headed for the barracks, leaving Spitfire alone as she removed her goggles and sighed in exasperation.


"Captain." Soarin called to her as he trotted up, slipping back into his professional look quickly. Spitfire looked round at his voice and waved the two of them over, her smile weary but genuine.


"Hey Soarin, Flitter. You two taking care of each other?" She asked as Flitter caught up, her voice sounding the same as she looked.


"Yes ma'am." Flitter replied, saluting her former superior as a mark of respect. It was no secret that both of them had regretted her choice to leave the Wonderbolts, but that had been eleven years ago and it wasn't worth dwelling on since they were still friends.


"Wouldn't have it any other way," Soarin added, giving Flitter a quick hug before looking back to Spitfire, his face more serious than before. "That aside though, there's something major I need to talk to you about, Boss."


"Okay. I'm listening." Spitfire sounded a little tenser as she said it. Veteran members of the team tended to only use nicknames in regular conversation when they were being deadly serious.


"Well, a week ago I was approached by General Blitzwing. He wanted a Wonderbolt to transfer out of the active unit to become the new head trainer at the Sky Wing Academy. Everypony knew you'd never accept, so he came to me."


"Oh." Spitfire looked away for a moment, having a good idea where this was going.


"I've uh...I've decided to accept his offer."


"Clipper! You..." Spitfire snapped immediately. Soarin braced himself for the incoming outburst, about how he couldn't just up and walk away from the team because some stuffy coat from command wanted it. It never came though. She sighed and ran a hoof down her muzzle, suppressing her impulsive reaction before looking back at him, her voice calm again. "Are you sure? I mean we've got such a good thing going right now, you're an icon to the newbies here, one of the most consistently effective ponies we have, a living legend. You're unquestionably the best stallion flyer in Equestria and...Well, I'm just so used to having you on my wing through everything."


Soarin suddenly found himself unable to meet his superior's gaze. The last thing he'd expected was for her to be hurt by this development and for a moment he wondered if he could really do this to her. Flitter's presence by his side was a gentle reminder of why he was doing this though, driving down those fears and giving him the strength to speak again.


"The Wonderbolts are made of legends, we gotta step aside eventually so some new ones can be made. Besides, best flyer?" He flexed his wings slightly and shook his head. "After what happened at the tryouts for the Year one Equestria games, I've never been as good as before that point and my wing fitness is dropping off even more now. You've managed to make your prime last far longer than anypony but I can never recapture what I was fifteen years ago. The Wonderbolts are the best in Equestria and, well, when evaluations come up next we both know that I'm not going to be the best anymore."


Spitfire opened her mouth to reply but any words she could find died in her throat. As much as it hurt to admit it, Soarin had a point. It had been fifteen years since he had damaged his wing after crashing into a training ring and...She didn't want to remember how badly she had reacted. The point was, even with recovery time, he had never quite regained his former skill. Her options now were either to protest the transfer and try to keep her best friend flying by her side, or let it happen and make a space for one of their promising reserves to become a full Wonderbolt, as well as allow him to finally have a chance to lead. It hurt even more as she knew it wasn't even a choice.


"I, understand." She finally replied, her voice shaking slightly. Soarin and Flitter glanced at each other for a moment, each wondering who should say it.


"Are...You crying?" Flitter finally asked, making Spitfire blink and lift her goggles before rubbing her eye with a hoof. Looking down at it, she saw the spot on her flight suit she'd used was damp.


"I, well...guess I am." She replied, her normally fierce eyes shaking slightly as she fought to keep her emotions in check.


"I understand, end of an era and all. It's not going to be the same without the rest of the 'legendary trio' there..." Soarin shook his head slightly, refusing to dwell on it. "Speaking of which, when should I tell the others?"


"We'll make the announcement at evening roll call. For now, why don't you take Flitter on a tour of the base? Enjoy the time you've got left here."


"Wait, really?" Flitter asked in excited disbelief, wings shooting open before she could contain herself. Despite how serious they had been just moments before, Spitfire and Soarin couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.


"Really, you earned it from how hard you worked in the reserves. Heck, if you'd made it onto the full team you'd already have your nickname set. Twitchy. I'll find you both later." Spitfire smiled as Soarin nodded and led a rather ecstatic Flitter back toward the base. Though she remained composed on the outside, she was completely torn up on the inside.


Soarin and her had been flying together for at least eighteen years now, they had lead the Wonderbolts to countless triumphs and several ponies that went into intricate detail about the team's history claimed that they were actually the single most effective pegasus teamup since Major Sky Strike and Officer Easyglider over four hundred years ago. They had been a huge part of each other's lives and now...Now they had to split up. Odds were it wouldn't be for too long though, she was already one of the longest serving Wonderbolt leaders ever and most of those who had held the role retired around age forty five, she was already forty nine. There wasn't time to let it gnaw at her though, there were still sixteen other pegasi in the group and she needed to decide which of the three eligible reserves was going to be promoted to the main squad.


It never felt good to say goodbye to one of her wingponies and there was doubtless going to be some strong reactions when the announcement was made later. However hard everypony was going to take it though, was nothing compared to what she was going through.
> 15 Years Ago (Sunset/Twilight)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight's Castle, Ponyville
February 19th, Year 17 under the Four Princesses





It was late evening in Ponyville, the time of day where the town fell almost completely silent as everypony settled in for the night ahead. The sun was just finishing it's decent under Celestia's guidance, the last rays of light mixing with the gentle darkness above to create a final burst of colour over the land. Even if they weren't out in it, many ponies were simply by their windows and enjoying the sight of the sunset. Even those that were supposed to be keeping busy.


Sunset Shimmer sighed happily to herself as she found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the view outside her window. It had been two months since Princess Celestia had given her a special assignment to study directly under Princess Twilight Sparkle. It had been a productive winter, learning the nuances of advanced magic, science and of course, friendship. Sunset couldn't deny that she'd come along in leaps and bounds in that time, to the point that under Twilight's guidance she'd finally mastered the teleportation spell that Celestia had been teaching her for the past few years. She'd still spent the few days after in a more dour mood though, since she'd failed to achieve it before her twentieth birthday like she'd been aiming for. The fact that she was only the sixth pony alive that was capable of it was small comfort. Still, she had a few weeks left before returning to Canterlot and memorizing all the friendship lessons she'd learned here would be just as good a way of impressing Celestia.


Hopefully it would impress Twilight too...


Nothing else seemed to. Sunset had gone into this temporary mentoring expecting the princess to be bouncing off the walls at the chance to have her own student to impart all that knowledge upon and the opportunities that collaborating with somepony as smart as her would provide. Instead, she'd been met with a quiet, focused pony who seemed more interested in seeing success that she was, if that was even possible. Even the whole teleport success hadn't gotten the kind of reaction she'd expected for becoming one of only two living, non-alicorn ponies who could do it, the look in Twilight's eyes at the time had betrayed a sense of fear rather than joy. That was something she really wanted to get to the bottom of, another reason to pour herself into her studies, finding out what was wrong with her mentor was just another challenge she would beat in her remaining time here.


Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of somepony coming into the library and she quickly snapped back into looking like she was focused on the book laid out in front of her, the journal of the Elements of Harmony. Her eyes went up as if she'd only just started to focus on something else and she relaxed as she realised it was just Spike coming in with a plate of sandwiches. She'd always been on good terms with the dragon on the few occasions they'd met in Canterlot but these days it always felt a little weird to see him walking on all fours and grown up enough that she had to look up slightly to make eye contact. It didn't change anything though and she gave a thankful smile as he took the plate down from his back and set it on her desk.


"Thanks, Spike. I didn't realise I'd missed dinner. Again."


"Actually, Twilight said she'd be delayed for dinner tonight. So I made these for you in the meantime." Spike replied in that slight draconic tone of his, picking up a gem that had been hidden behind the sandwich pile and chewing on it while Sunset took a daisy sandwich and started on that.


That comment had set her mind racing again. This wasn't the first time that Twilight had separated herself from meeting up with Sunset at a communal time and the more it happened, the more she was curious what the reason was. All she needed was a chance to try and talk about it, and she had an idea on how to get that chance right now.


"Oh, okay. Somepony come in with a friendship problem?" Sunset asked, trying to keep her voice nonchalant and yet slightly disappointed.


"No, Twilight just said that she'd be delayed and headed for the map room." Spike replied, sounding a little uneasy about it.


"Do you think one of us should talk to her about it?"


"I've tried, but she's been pretty adamant that I can't just 'talk out the greatest failure of my life'" He stopped and gasped slightly at his slip of the tongue. Sunset paused at this point as well, either Twilight was considering something about her as a failure, or she was reminding her of one. Either way, she couldn't just let that stand as it was. She had to get to the bottom of this and hopefully help her mentor a little at the same time.


"Well, maybe I can. I'm a different perspective and Princess Celestia always says that the student teaches the master an equal amount."


"Hmmm..." Spike looked away in thought for a minute, mulling the option. "I guess that's worth a try, and Twilight didn't say she couldn't be disturbed. Alright, but if it seems like you're not getting anywhere, please don't push it. Twilight's very, very tender on the subject"


"Of course. I'll be back for the rest of the sandwiches later. Thanks for your help, Spike" Sunset got up and headed out of the library at a quick trot. As much as she was already relishing the challenge of getting the truth out of Twilight, she liked Spike enough that she was willing to do as he asked if it didn't work.


She'd managed to memorise the basic layout of the castle by now and soon made her way to the entrance of the map room on the ground floor. The doors had been left open, letting her peek in to try and gauge what she was in for. The spacious room that had helped organise dozens of friendship adventures looked practically unchanged from the days Twilight Sparkle was first settling in, complete with the memory roots chandelier that rested above the cutie map. From this angle, Twilight's throne was facing away from door but the princess herself was still visible sitting on it, silently looking at a photograph in her hooves. Sunset couldn't see the full picture from this angle but she could make out that it was of a pink pony with a slightly curled purple tail that had a teal streak, as well as a grey equal sign for a cutie mark.


Sunset Shimmer recognised it instantly.


She'd last seen that pony staring death at her through a cell door ten years ago.


A small gasp escaped her lips before she could stop herself. Twilight heard the sudden sound and jumped clean out of her seat in shock, managing to get her wings open enough to stay in the air and dropping the photo out of sight as she looked round at the source. Sunset gave a sheepish smile on being caught and stepped into the map room, expecting to be chewed out for snooping even as she tried to think of how to handle this.


"Sunset Shimmer! I ah, what're you doing here?" Twilight asked quickly, a few drops of sweat visible as she tried and failed to compose herself. "I was just, thinking! About what we're going to be studying tomorrow but we can't get to that if you're not studying now. I mean, I've got so many friendship lessons to show you and we'll be busy busy busy with-"


"Did you know that pony in the photo?" Sunset asked before Twilight could slip further into her unprepared venting, making the alicorn stop and land slowly with a worried look.


"You, saw that?"


"I did, and I know her as well. Starlight Glimmer, right?" Sunset asked. As she watched Twilight look down and scuff the floor slightly, she realised that she wasn't considering the challenge she'd set herself the top priority anymore. She'd never seen a pony look so...Fragile. Like the alicorn could just shut down in front of her if she said the wrong thing. Even though Twilight was more than a head taller than her, Sunset had never imagined a pony could hold less of a presence than in this moment.


"...Yes. How did you...?"


"Princess Celestia once took me to see her as an example of what my responsibilities of helping Equestria may need to include. I, tried to understand why she did what she did in the past. It didn't work," Sunset explained as she had a sudden burst of clarity. That hoof she had seen when she had projected herself into Starlight's mind had been...Twilight didn't need to know that part. "I know you played a major hoof in stopping her. I had no idea that it was that bad for you though."


Twilight hesitated as she eyed Sunset. Part of her wanted to brush this off and just go into the rest of the day like it was nothing. She'd been doing that for years though with only Celestia and Luna for limited support and she couldn't maintain the façade forever. Sunset sounded like she wanted to listen and who knew, maybe telling her would help her avoid a similar situation one day. Twilight sighed and turned back toward the map, resting a hoof on it's edge as the memories came back to her.


"Yes. It was that bad for me. It all happened right here..."





February 19th, Year 2 under the Four Princesses


She had failed.


Twilight Sparkle, had failed.


Any other pony would have considered what she had just done, stopping an insane, dangerously powerful unicorn from wilfully disrupting time itself and throwing Equestria into countless unspeakable perils, as a resounding success. The problem lay in the way she had done it. She was the Princess of Friendship, she was supposed to have found a peaceful solution that resulted in her opponent agreeing to stop of their own accord. Instead, this disaster had ended with her blasting a magically exhausted Starlight Glimmer as she fell from the skies, even if it was only a stunning spell. She hadn't been able to get through to her, find a way to end this peacefully, one unicorn to another. Instead she now had to ensure that this broken pony wouldn't threaten Equestria again.


The letter she had quickly written for Princess Celestia explaining what she was about to do was placed to one side and she turned to look down at the unconscious body of Starlight, still crumpled where it had landed after coming out of the time portal for the last time. She had been incredibly talented, enough that she could have easily qualified to be a princess' student on raw strength alone. Sadly, her mind was effectively gone, consumed by scorn and malice for both cutie marks and Twilight Sparkle, a broken shell of a pony. She couldn't just be held regularly, even somewhere like tartarus wouldn't be able to hold such a powerful unicorn for long, especially when she had few or no morals keeping her from using her powers to destroy everything between her and Twilight. There was a thin glimmer of hope, that she may one day recover as her problems were identified and treated, but she could not have her magic until the day that came. There was only one way to make that happen with what was available.


Using her own unique magic against her.


Twilight's horn glowed and she slowly aimed it at the helpless Starlight, feeling a sadness building in her chest and spreading through her body, almost overwhelmingly so. She'd been on the receiving end of this spell. She knew how much it was going to hurt, that Starlight would never forgive her if she found out, that she was throwing away any chance that she might be able to look at herself in the mirror and not think about how she had to live with this. It had to be done though, for safety of all Equestria, she just hoped that everypony would understand why she did it.


"Starlight Gimmer...I'm sorry."


Her voice cracked slightly as her emotion started to overflow, tears welling her eyes as her magic surrounded Starlight. Even while deeply stunned, Starlight's whole body flinched at the feeling and her face contorted in a hint of pain. After several seconds her cutie mark slowly separated from her body, hovering silently as Twilight glanced round to find something to store it in. She couldn't bring herself to look at what she'd done...What she'd done. Suddenly she had an idea of just why Luna had created the Tantabus, just having to live with this was going to be almost impossible. But she'd have to find a way...Somehow.





"I ended up sticking Starlight's cutie mark in a chest while I teleported her to the Canterlot dungeons," Twilight looked down as she spoke, sounding more and more ashamed with each word. "The guards took her into custody on my authority and I finally transferred the cutie mark to a secure location. So, that's how I saved Equestria for the eight time...But..."


Sunset could only watch in stunned shock as Twilight slumped back in her seat and covered her face with her hooves, clearly trying not to cry in front of her student. For all she'd heard about the heroics that the Elements of Harmony had done, she'd never given any thought to how it might have affected them along the way. Twilight's voice had none of it's usual excited energy now that everything was out in the open, now it sounded worn out, tired of sounding like everything was alright while she carried a guilt heavy enough to crush a lesser pony. Before she could think about it, she had moved to the alicorn's side and placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder.


"I let her down," Twilight eventually continued. "I was supposed to be the Princess of Friendship, the one who manages to find a way to save even the most strained relations between ponies. Instead I pushed a unicorn in need of help to the depths of mental breaking, and for what? To try and protect my own friendships? Maybe Starlight had a point when she said I was just covering my own tail out there..."


"Look, I may not know the full story, but from what I heard I know you had much better reasons for doing what you had to." Sunset commented. She didn't know what to say to try and cheer Twilight up but she had a feeling that simply letting her get it all out would do more than she could.


"I didn't believe it at the time. It felt like I had betrayed everything I stood for by my actions against Starlight," Twilight shook her head slightly and looked back at Sunset. Though she still looked badly shaken, there was a little more strength in her words. "I let that feeling fester and ended up broken myself. I'd, really rather not talk about that period, but it took months of help from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna before I could resume my duties."


Sunset simply nodded, not wanting to push Twilight any further than she wanted to go. This gave a lot of context she had been missing though. Celestia had been very distracted during those same months and constantly taking time away from mentoring the filly Sunset to meet with the other princesses. While this had resulted in Sunset meeting Singularity, it had interrupted her studies. In addition, Luna had often joined their study sessions to oversee 'significant plans' with her sister. In hindsight, the creation of the Equestrian Defence Force several years later may well have been somewhat attributed to this.


"It didn't just affect me either," Twilight continued, drawing Sunset's attention back to the discussion. "Aside from what my friends and family had to go through while I was dealing with it. it affected other ponies hard enough to change their lives completely. I imagine you've heard of Sweetie Belle?"


"The name rings a bell. Err, no pun intended," Sunset replied, pausing for a moment as Twilight cracked a smile at her choice of words. Considering how Twilight had been before, just seeing that smile was a major win in the unicorn's books. "Some in Canterlot have mentioned her as an up-and-coming singer."


"She's always been a talented singer. What many ponies don't know is that she's also highly adept at magic. Her talent isn't what many ponies would call powerful, like Starswirl the Bearded or you, but her abilities are beyond the average unicorn. I first discovered it shortly after I became an alicorn, when Sweetie and her friends came to me for help trying to get their cutie marks. She was only seven years old and picking up the basics of many spells far quicker than fillies her age were expected to. Mastering them was another matter, but I thought as time went on that I could help her with that. I actually intended to offer her the chance to be my first student..."


"What happened?" Sunset asked, though she had a very good idea already.


"I closed that door on her," Twilight replied, rubbing her leg slowly as though she could scrape the guilt away. "I'd been showing her more advanced magic as a lead in to asking, then after what happened with Starlight Glimmer I essentially forgot all about her for a time. By the time I was in a position to continue, she had gained her cutie mark for her singing and was following that instead. She still dabbles in her magic from time to time, but I can't help but wonder what she might have been capable of if I had given her the chance."


"I see," Sunset bit back the sudden sense of indignation at the thought of another powerful magic user at the same time as her and moved next to Twilight. "You know now though that it wasn't your fault. Nopony could blame you for having to step back and recuperate after what you've been through and if Starlight was so fixated that she was completely unreasonable..."


"Maybe, I guess we'll never know now. Even with the best support in Equestria, it's probably going to take the rest of Starlight's life before she gets all the help she needs. I just hope that one day she understands why I did what I had to, even if she doesn't forgive me for it...Or if you don't."


"M-Me?" Sunset stepped back and looked at Twilight in confusion as she got up off her throne and back to the floor. Though it was hard to tell, there seemed to be a little more energy in her movement now and even more in her voice. It seemed like no longer bottling it up was helping a bit.


"I know you've seen how wary I've been during your lessons. It's just...The last time I was dealing with a unicorn as skilled as yourself, it was Starlight Glimmer. It brings up bad memories and...I don't want the same thing to happen to you."


"Me? Come on, I've got Princess Celestia keeping a close eye on my studies, let her worry about anything going wrong," Sunset grinned at her effort to lighten the mood and saw, to her relief, that Twilight was smiling a bit again. "Seriously though, I have the fantastic eye of Celestia keeping watch over me and another great teacher right here helping me through things I couldn't do alone. Between you two, I'm going to be firmly on the road to joining you both in making Equestria a better place."


Twilight was silent for several seconds before looking straight at Sunset, her eyes showing a glint of relief behind those few tears that had managed to make it out. She slowly wiped them away and cracked a small but proper smile, her student's words hitting closer to home than she could have expected when she was saying them.


"Thanks, Sunset. For believing in me. You don't know what it means to hear that but I'll do my best to make it up to you in what's left of our lessons."


"You're a good teacher, I know you will. Now, I happen to have some sandwiches left up in the library. What do you say we just unwind with them and a look over my study book? I've got so many questions about your journal."


Twilight smiled more and nodded, heading out of the map room with a definite air of returning confidence in her step. Sunset followed her out, glad that her efforts at reassurance had some effect, but at the same time her mind was working overtime. It sounded like Starlight had only gone down after one of the toughest fights any of the elements of harmony had gone though. It was a crazy, idle thought but she couldn't help but wonder...Was there a better way that Starlight could have been brought down? Would it have been possible to bring her in without doing such damage, maybe even redeem her?


Sunset shook the thought from her mind as she followed her mentor out of the map room. Finding out would require Starlight Glimmer to be at large again and nopony would be letting that happen.
> The Great Illusionary Artist (Trixie)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arena of the Stars, Los Pegasus
June 2nd, Year 18 under the Four Princesses





The Night of Gladiators was always a major draw for the city of Los Pegasus, a grand event for the bolder ponies of Equestria to step up and test their mettle against any variety of the dangerous creatures of the world without the risk of serious injury or worse that would normally come from it. It was no secret that the 'creatures' used were realistic illusions created by talented unicorns, tangible and able to interact with their opponents, yet unable to hit them hard enough to cause serious harm. It took a lot to keep such illusions in control and only those with the best, most show stopping abilities could handle it. Somepony like the Great and Powerful Trixie would like to think she'd have no problem like that.


The Great Illusionary Artist, Trixie, was better than that though.


A lot had changed since she had hit her lowest point. Acquiring an evil soul sucking amulet and using it to take over a whole town with an iron hoof for the sole purpose of petty one upponyship had a way of making you take a long hard look at what you were doing with your life. In Trixie's case, that look had lasted a few years while she came to terms with her actions and figured out what she needed to do next. Eventually, she had decided to focus her skills and use them for better shows than her travelling act. Five years ago she had fully mastered illusion magic and re-launched her career, clearly it had gone well considering where she was now.


Trixie took a slow breath and glanced round her surroundings. Currently standing in front of the entry gate where the 'monsters' came into the arena, she was set to send out the one of the headline acts any minute now. Ponies from backstage had gathered to see her in action, taking the moment to see such a recognisable name. While she wouldn't call herself famous, she was well known to those in the same line of work. Part of her was glad she didn't bring the old hat and cape out to these events anymore, they looked kind of silly when she was being so serious and they were now simply kept as mementos of her past, a reminder of where she had needed to come from and go through to become what she was now.


Her horn flared into life, it's pink glow shining brightly enough to make ponies nearby shield their eyes. The glow enveloped her body as she focused, every part of her focused on projecting the mental imagine she held, mimicking it's actions, senses, even expressions. She knew the waiting audience couldn't see her thanks to the metal gates thirty feet in front of her, it was a good thing too, they'd find the act less believable if they saw how she handled it. The magic glow around her intensified for several seconds until her body couldn't be seen past it before jumping off her and erupting into a swirling vortex of energy that lasted the merest of moments before disappearing in a flash. As the surrounding ponies managed to adjust to the light and look back at Trixie, many of them gasped in shock, several recoiling slightly.


Standing before Trixie, facing the gates, was a huge bear creature. Twenty five feet long, fifteen feet tall, covered in semi translucent blue fur and piercing yellow eyes with red pupils, it was unmistakably an ursa minor. Even as the gathered ponies hesitated in how to react, Trixie shook her shoulders slightly and grinned as the ursa did the same. This was her masterpiece, she had such skill over her illusion that as long as she focused on it, it would do whatever she did. She pushed her front hooves off the ground and brought the left one back down quickly, watching the ursa rear up slightly and slam it's paw into the ground hard enough to shake the area slightly. Satisfied she was at maximum efficiency she turned her head toward the crowd, hoping one of them was an organiser.


"Alright, I'm ready to start."


One of the crowd nodded and rushed off, leaving the others to keep watching as Trixie focused herself. She'd done this kind of show before, as soon as those gates opened she was going to come out all guns blazing and put on the act of a lifetime. Already she could hear the muffled voice of the announcer riling the crowd up for this event, their cheers coming through the stone above her loud and clear. A minute later the cheers intensified and the crowd around her backed off to give her space to work. Trixie nodded to them quickly and dug her hooves into the ground, poised to charge. As the gates started to open she got an idea and moved forward, pushing herself onto her back hooves and stepping forward, spreading her front hooves out as she did.


Following her actions to the letter, the ursa illusion planted it's front paws on the gate and forced them open fully, letting out a huge roar that masked the rather pathetic one that Trixie had given for it. She could see through it's legs to get a glimpse of the arena, covered in sand, thousands of ponies in the crowd, her opponent standing in the gate on the other side of the arena. She recognised the ice blue unicorn stallion from a previous show they had been part of, he was a hotshot but undeniably talented, kind of like her. This was going to be an interesting duel.


"Alright, Serac. It's showtime." Trixie thought to herself as she stepped forward and reared up fully, the ursa having enough space to do the same now it was out in the arena. Faced with this opponent, Serac simply pushed his two-tone white and gray mane out of his green eyes and fired a blue-white beam of magic straight into the illusion's chest.


It didn't even flinch.


Trixie managed to suppress a wince at the attack. One of the downsides of being so focused on her illusion was that she felt anything coming into contact with it, her chest stung slightly but it had happened enough times for her to now shrug it off without losing her balance or focus. Her front left hoof came back down hard, her right making an inward sweeping motion along the ground a moment later. As she expected, Serac's evasive move put him right into the path of the second paw, knocking the air out of him and sending him sideways through the sand. To his credit, he managed to stay on his hooves the whole time and she thought the least she could do was give him a moment to recover. Wild creatures did seem to have a tendency to wait for the heroic pony to find a counter and win the fight after all.


She gave a fresh roar and snapped her jaws, unable to hide a grin at imagining the look on Serac's face as the ursa illusion did the same just inches away from him. Said grin quickly faded as he ducked under the beast and moved closer to her gate. It was a clever play on his part, the ursa was following her movements so to continue the duel she would have to turn round and fight blind. Her head went back over her right shoulder and she turned round with a stomping action, managing to do a pretty good snarl for a pony. She hadn't realised that the crowd from before was still behind her but at least two dozen ponies were watching intently, hopefully they wouldn't mind her miming until she could get turned round again and swing the fight back into her favour.


Another stomp, then her body went back into the air before coming down in a full body slam. Trixie hoped that her attacks were coming close to their mark. As she started to get back to her hooves, a sudden pain shot down her back like somepony was holding a torch close to it, most likely Serac had managed to get on the ursa illusion's back while she was down and was trying to subjugate it from there. She grunted in pain and forced herself back into a standing position, swinging round to update herself on the situation. As expected, her opponent was clinging to the ursa's back, firing short magic bursts that hit her like a flurry of bee stings. Trixie growled and threw herself onto her side, rolling over in an attempt to make it stop. A surprised cry outside, followed by a collective gasp from the crowd, made it clear that Serac had been caught out by the sudden move.


She hesitated slightly as the dust cleared from the roll and she got back up to assess the situation. Serac had actually been squashed under the ursa illusion during the roll and while the nature of the magic meant he would escape serious injury, he was still laid out on his front, clearly struggling to recover. Part of her wondered if she should keep the fight going with his current state, another was yelling that they'd both tried their tactics and she had come out on top, a third just wanted to end it quickly, limit how she might hurt him and knock him down a peg at the same time. Trixie gritted her teeth and focused, surely he would understand that going with option three would be best for him, her and the crowd baying for a show. Her hoof went up and started to come back down, just as Serac rolled onto his back and fired a beam in desperation. The ursa's body meant she couldn't see it hit anything but she could certainly feel it.


"Arrrgghh!! Ponyfeathers!" She cursed, recoiling as she felt like her right eye had taken the full impact. Her attack fell apart as she stumbled and fell onto her front, rubbing her eye desperately to try and soothe it. Her ears were ringing from the roar the illusion had given thanks to her cursing and she could barely focus enough to keep it going. Serac seemed to have come to the same conclusion she had before trying to finish the fight as she felt his horn touch the ursa illusion's forehead and fire a point blank blast.


The ursa glowed brightly before vanishing in a flash. Trixie hardly had time to notice as the combined effects of the magic attack and her ursa being broken hit her like a freight train that was on fire. She didn't even try to get up once it passed, her whole body ached, the spots that had been hit before felt worse than ever and her mane had been blown into a more bedraggled style. As she removed her hoof from her eye she could tell her vision was blurred in it, yet another downside of being a master of her craft. There wasn't time to dwell on that though, the crowd was going wild for Serac's victory and she had to try and be a gracious loser.


As she forced herself back to her hooves, stumbling slightly as she did so, Trixie looked out at the area through her good eye and realised that nopony was motioning for her to step out. All the previous illusionists she seen perform tonight had been invited out by their opponent to share the crowd's approval, no matter the result. Serac however seemed to be so caught up in his victory that he was taking it all for himself, not even looking her way. Even as she watched he raised a hoof to the crowd and made his way out to their cheers before the doors in front of her closed again. With the din of the crowds dulled and her own body's complaints becoming more prevalent, Trixie looked back to the backstage group that had stayed with her, doing their best to give their own cheers and applause just for her.


"Thank you, thank you. Triskie appreciates it." Trixie replied weakly, trying to wave to the group but nearly falling over as she did, her legs feeling like they didn't want to support anything as heavy as her body right now. She tensed as somepony came up on her blurred side, unable to see them clearly enough for any identifying marks. She felt them come up and drape something over her back, at this range she could still only make out it was an orange pegasus.


"Lean on me if you need to, we've got a spot for you to recover just back here." The voice was that of a mare, not much of a clue to go on for her identity. She seemed to command some respect among the other ponies present, her good eye could see they were clearing out of her way as the two of them walked toward the back wall. Once they got there, Trixie sat herself down on some quilts had been laid out, avoiding resting against the wall with how sore her back was. Her surprise helper placed something on her back that made her wince initially but quickly soothed her stung muscles. A quick glance back revealed it was just an ice pack.


"Thank you." She said quietly, feeling a little better than she had. Another ice pack was offered for her eye and she took it in her magic, gingerly placing it on her eye and biting back another curse at the shot of pain it briefly gave.


"No problem, just glad the medics had them handy." The helper replied. Trixie finally brought her head up to get a look with her good eye, freezing slightly as she took it in. It was an orange pegasus alright, purple mane, tail and eyes with a cutie mark of a dark purple aviator helmet with blue straps and light purple goggles. Even if Trixie hadn't recognised the voice, she recognised the mare easily.


"...Scootaloo?"


"The one and only." Scootaloo grinned, though it was clear in her eyes that showing off her name was less important than making sure Trixie was alright.


"W-what are you doing here? This isn't exactly a stunt show."


"Yeah, but the stadium owner liked my last performance here so much she offered me free backstage passes to any show of my choice, and I always wanted to see how skilled ponies like you did it."


Trixie smiled slightly more at those words. If somepony had asked her, she would have said without doubt that Scootaloo was the more famous of the two, a proper household name. Yet she not only thought that Trixie was skilled, she was taking time out of her visit to help. Even as she thought it, Scootaloo placed a third ice pack on her chest and held it in place for her. It was weird in a way. Sure, Trixie had managed to make a few friends since reimaging herself, but she had always approached them. This was the first time somepony had been friendly to her first and it actually felt pretty good.


"Well...Thank you again," Trixie replied, starting to feel a little steadier on her hooves but opting to lie down on her front. The position kept her front and back ice packs in place while she held the eye pack up in her magic. "Are you sure you want to stay with me?"


"Why wouldn't I?"


"Well, you did come to see the show, not play nursemaid. Plus...Well...I did subject you to what a brainwashed tyrant could be like nineteen years ago. I'm sorry."


Scootaloo opened her mouth to comment, only to realise that there was a small shine in Trixie's visible eye after she said it. Those last two words were cathartic, giving her a chance to let go of her past mistakes a little more. Truth be told, Scootaloo couldn't really remember that time but she wasn't going to admit it if it resulted in letting another pony smile that much more. For now, she decided to let that go and answer the first part instead.


"I couldn't just stand aside and not try to help a pony who needed it. Speaking of, do you need anything else?"


"Not right now. I..." Trixie's eye went over to the crowds further away. Even with her sight impaired she could make out Serac making his way through the various ponies toward her position. His cutie mark of an iceberg with a burst of magic at its peak seemed apt now, even after their magic duel he looked as energetic as ever.


"By Celestia," Serac said as he reached her, taking in the state she was in. "I didn't realise I'd hurt you that badly!"


"I'm alright, comes with being so in tune with my illusion. I'd only be upset if I'd needed bandages," Trixie remarked, making it clear that she didn't hold it against him. "That was some performance we managed though, you were cunning and kind of agile."


"Kind of is right." Scootaloo commented with a small chuckle.


"Well I was only kind of agile because you were at the top of your game," Serac replied, managing a smile of his own. "Listen. I'm sorry I got carried away out there, stealing all the spotlight for myself. Especially when you performed better than me. There anything I can do to make up for it?"


"Right now, I just appreciate the support." Trixie stretched herself out slightly, biting her lip at the fresh ache it brought before it subsided again. Serac simply nodded and looked round before leaving for somewhere else.


"You're gonna marry him someday." Scootaloo joked as she sat down next to Trixie and made sure nopony tripped over her by accident. Trixie couldn't help but laugh at that and relaxed further. As the night wore on the two of them got talking more and more, discussing themselves, their pasts and what they were going to do next. By the time the show was wrapping up, anypony who hadn't gone by earlier could be forgiven for thinking that the two of them had been friends for years, especially after Scootaloo had fetched some cider for them both.


"So I told them 'You spin Trixie right round' and left while they were still figuring out who Trixie was." Trixie giggled as she finished her anecdote, getting a proper laugh out of Scootaloo from it.


"Guys like that never catch on do they?"


"No. You've had the problem before?"


"You'd be surprised." Scootaloo shook her head slightly and glanced round for a chance of topic. Trixie thought for a minute before getting an idea of her own.


"When do they normally make a move?"


"Hmmm? Oh, often they tend to come up asking if I'm looking for ponies to help me out on tour and try to slide into making a move."


"Well...What if, you had a pony helping your performances?"


"Trixie," Scootaloo looked back at her with a slight degree of caution. "Are you asking for a job?"


"I err, ah..." Trixie stammered, hesitantly removing the ice pack on her eye. The rest of her body had felt good enough for the other two to be removed earlier and there weren't any signs of any damage. Her eye was still sore but at least she could see clearly now. "I just thought if you had a pony working with you, even if it was just a few special effects, then I-"


"When can you start?"


Trixie blinked in surprise, so caught out she could hardly bring herself to move. She was used to hours, days of negotiating contacts and going over details before managing to land any kind of major job. She slowly looked over at Scootaloo, who was wearing the most genuine smile she'd ever seen.


"R-really?"


"Sure!" Scootaloo grinned more at her nervous curiosity. "I normally end up giving most of my payments to charity, what's giving some more bits to a friend?"


"Well..." Trixie looked down for a moment before sitting up and matching Scootaloo's grin with an equal one of her own. "I can get my wagon moving pretty fast when I want to. When's your next show?"


"Think you can be in Baltimare in three weeks?" Scootaloo asked with a hint of challenge in her voice as she put her hoof out. Trixie's grin dropped a little but became a lot friendlier as she hoofbumped her eagerly.


"I wouldn't miss it."
> Bonds Strong as Stone (Maud/Limestone/Marble)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pie Family Rock Farm
February 5th, Year 20 under the Four Princesses





Sitting in its own little corner on the edge of civilised Equestria, the Pie Family Rock Farm was one of those little surprise spots that ponies rarely knew existed, yet found highly charming. Located in a small hilly region between the edge of the San Palomino Desert and Macintosh Hills, the farm specialised in rare minerals and gemstones that could only be found in this part of the world. For eight generations they had traded what they mined with the wider Equestria, never charging much but making enough to get by. Over the last few decades the farm had gained extra renown as the birthplace of Pinkie Pie, though the other ponies who still lived and worked there had some renown of their own.


Ignius 'Rock' Pie, current owner of the farm, had published several books on the various uses of different rock types in modern construction in his younger days. Though now he lived in semi-retirement, still running the farm as strongly as he had thirty years ago.


Cloudy Quartz, formerly a jeweller with an eye for even the smallest of imperfections in gemstones. She had actually been part of the committee for helping the Crystal Empire integrate back into the world upon its return due to her knowledge of all things crystalline.


Dr. Maud Pie, graduate of the prestigious University of Fillydelphia and widely accepted as the best geologist in all of Equestria. She had a reputation as a somewhat strange but extremely dedicated mare, especially to those closest to her.


Limestone Pie, owner of the farm in all but name. A tough but smart pony who never let any challenge get in the way of what she saw as best for her livelihood. Ponies closer to her knew it was an façade though and that she could be as caring as any other pony.


And Marble Pie, the quiet sort who kept her head down and did the hardest work while nopony was watching her. Most of her notice by the wider world came from the fact that Limestone kept crediting her in the most important jobs they received.


Today was a day like many others for the family. Limestone and Marble had gotten up early to continue excavation on a new mining tunnel while Maud tended to the house and handled any new business before she'd join them. The mines that made up a good portion of the farm's business these days had steadily expanded over the years as the family made sure not to completely exhaust any resource the found, either of the rocks or gems that lay beneath the earth. Most ponies would need a whole excavation team and advanced mining equipment to do what they had done. They made do with each other, pickaxes, and their own hooves.


At the site of their latest work, another layer of rocks cracked and crumbled under the force of a hoof strike. Limestone Pie's eyes narrowed as she pulled her hoof back and shook it slightly, getting the dust off her blue-gray fur before swinging it again to take another chunk out of the wall. Just behind her, her lighter toned sibling was pulling chunks of loose rock away and breaking them up to be placed in a set of carrying bags for examination later. Marble was silently thankful to be hanging back here, she could see the little signs that hinted her sister was in a sour mood again. She wasn't as timid as she had been in her youth, a prime indicator being that her formerly extra-long mane had been trimmed and tucked back so she could see with both eyes, but trying to talk to Limestone about her problems was still beyond her.


Even over the sound of rock breaking, the echo of a third set of hooves became audible approaching the two ponies. If Limestone heard it, she didn't pay any attention. Marble paused and looked back down the tunnel, relaxing at the familiar shadow visible in the limited light reflected off the gems back there. As expected, the ever welcome Maud Pie appeared at the end of the tunnel, a clipboard in her mouth. Even behind that stoic look she always had, there was a glint of business in her eyes. Marble gave her a small wave, getting a nod from Maud in return as she made her way up to Limestone and placing a hoof on her shoulder.


"We have a new order." Maud explained simply as she took the clipboard and passed it to Limestone, who scowled as she looked over it.


"Marble, you think you can take care of this?" Limestone commented once she was finished, tossing the clipboard over her shoulder. Marble had just moved close enough to catch it, scrambling a little to keep a hold of it before she could look it over. The order itself wasn't anything special, slate in exchange for bits and food. It had come from Appleoosa though, a small detail that explained Limestone's reluctance to handle it further.


"Mmmhmm." Marble replied quietly, heading back to start gathering what was needed.


"Good." Limestone picked up a pickaxe and started to work a tough section of the wall ahead of her, still scowling. Marble looked down and went back into the next cavern, checking what supplies they had there. As she heard Maud coming back that way, she made a snap decision. She couldn't talk about what was bothering Limestone, but her eldest sister might be able to.


"Umm, sister. Can I ask something?" She asked, her voice gentle and slightly raspy. Maud stopped and looked back at her, silently waiting for the question. "Could you, perhaps talk to Limestone?"


"Why?" Maud asked, though there was the barest hint of a knowing tone to her voice. Marble sighed slightly as she started shifting several spare slate rocks they'd excavated into a free carrying back, wondering how to phrase it.


"Well, it's been three months now," She started, looking down slightly. "I know it was a traumatic experience but, I've never seen her so upset for so long."


"Marble, I'm worried about her too," Maud said slowly, looking as indifferent as ever. "But none of us can say we've been through anything like it. Not even mother."


"But she's working herself too hard to try to cover it up. That's how it happened in the first place. And you're the closest out of all of us to sympathising. You're the one who can't ha..." Marble's words died in her throat as Maud closed her eyes and looked down. "I-I'm sorry, that was thoughtless of me."


"I understand," Maud replied, stepping over and placing a hoof on Marble's shoulder. "I can't promise that Limestone will get better quickly, but I'll keep trying to help her through it. I always will."


"Thank you." Marble hugged Maud gently, thankful for her. Maud lifted her head slightly to let her youngest sister press closer and simply accepted the hug, letting it last for a second before carefully easing Marble off and heading back into the excavation tunnel.


By the time Maud reached her again, Limestone had carved out another foot of the rock before her, now back to punching through it with a fierce grin on her face. Maud glanced up at the rock above them, studying the composition for several seconds before looking back at Limestone.


"You should take a rest. Supports need to be put up." She told her. As expected, her darker-furred sibling only hesitated long enough to hear her before continuing on.


"No, just a few more feet. I'm this close to a new gem deposit!" She countered, grunting at another hit that cracked the rock in front of her.


"I'm being serious, stop and think." Though it didn't sound any different, Limestone could hear the shift in Maud's voice. She was in big sister mode now. With some reluctance, Limestone brought her hooves down and turned to face Maud, panting from exertion.


"What's this about? You know we've got to keep the speed up if we're gonna meet this years order from Canterlot." She panted, shifting in place.


"Limestone, I know you work harder than anypony, but that's a problem as much as a gift. You can't use it to cover up what you're feeling. This is about us, and my responsibility."


Limestone froze in place at that before flicking her head to get her mane out of her eyes. Maud knew she'd hit the issue with her, even if getting her to admit it would hurt both of them.


"Look, Maud. We've been over this a hundred times. I know the eldest sibling normally continues the family line, but it's not your fault that you couldn't." Limestone said through gritted teeth. Maud simply stared her down, almost statuesque.


"You tried to take the responsibility on top of your own duties without stopping though. There's no other reason for what you went through."


Limestone stared at Maud for several seconds, eyes widening slightly as the memories came back in full force.





Appleoosa medical center
Three months ago...


Limestone Pie panted as she flopped her head back onto the pillow beneath her. She'd never been through pain like that before in her life. Hell, the past eleven months had been some of the worst in her life, but she'd done it. She'd taken the pressure off Maud and helped her family like she always did. Though she'd never admit it to a single pony, she was actually looking forward to being a mother, teaching her daughter to be a Pie. Hopefully her dad would at least play some role, he'd seemed a nice enough earth pony after all. Right now, she was simply going to enjoy the last few moments of silence before she...


Silence. The books had indicated that silence was the last thing she should be hearing right now.


Something was seriously wrong.


She felt a new surge of energy and lifted her head up, trying to look back over her body to see what was happening. Almost instantly one of the doctors, a sand coloured unicorn mare, came into her view with a solemn look on her face.


"What're you doing?" Limestone asked, mounting concern starting to make her anger flare up again.


"Miss Pie, we...We did-"


"Cut the crap, why're you here and not down there?!"


"I'm sorry, we tried our everything, but she was already..."


"No. No no no. Don't you dare finish that sentence! Do something!"


Limestone tried to reach her hoof up to grab the doctor but she could barely reach her lapel before her strength faded again and she let it drop back to the bed. The world around her seemed to fade into insignificance as she simply focused on her breathing, for her own world had just collapsed around her.





Limestone snapped back to reality as she found herself blinking back tears. Maud was still staring at her, though her look had taken on a faint hint of sadness on realising that she may have pressed her sister too hard. She slowly stepped forward and offered a hoof to Limestone, only for her to turn away from it.


"It's easy for you to say, isn't it? You'll never have to go through the feeling of losing a foal and I'll never get to raise Sulphur!" Limestone snapped, swinging round and going back to the wall, not caring how much her words hurt anymore. 


She practically yelled as she slammed her hoof straight into the rock, the force making a crack appear. Both of them watched it as the crack steadily grew up toward the roof. Maud simply gave her sister a look before they both turned and ran for the exit. Even Limestone realised she'd overstepped herself this time. The yell had drawn Marble's attention and she was running back their way, looking up as she saw the imminent cave-in above them. Even as Limestone opened her mouth to warn her away, a mighty crack drew all their attention as a section of the roof finally gave out under the strain and began to drop right into Maud and Limestone's path.


Maud saw the danger incoming and threw the two of them against the wall, shielding her sister as the roof caved in right where they had been about to run, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris around them. Thankfully the dust wasn't too thick due to how clean the mines were kept, allowing them enough air to keep breathing for now.


"Are you okay?" Maud asked as soon as the noise of the cave-in died down, concern clear in her voice as she checked her sister over.


"Y-yeah," Limestone coughed. "Sorry, I let my..."


"I was tactless. It's my fault too." Maud replied, her voice slipping back toward it's usual monotone. As she let Limestone go and turned to check the damage to the tunnel, Limestone could see that her back had been torn up by debris and falling rocks, half a dozen cuts running down the length of her back. They weren't deep though and she acted as though she didn't feel them.


"Maud! Limestone!" Marble's cries from the other side of the collapse drew their attention. "Are you alright?!"


"We're fine." Maud replied, trusting her voice would carry through. "Are you?"


"I...Yes, I wasn't close enough when the tunnel went down. What happened?"


"Limestone Pie forgot to put a support up. Marble, I need you to stay calm now."


"You're, you're not alright." Limestone commented quietly, rattled by the fact her big sister had been injured protecting her. Even more so after how she had behaved only moments before.


"You are though," Maud replied in kind before turning back toward the cave-in. "Marble, how does it look where you are?"


"Okay, I err," Marble made a few noises of seemingly gibberish as she studied things. "There's one major boulder, waste rock. It's thicker at the bottom. I can see some smaller pieces filling the gaps near the top."


"I see the same here. This is bad." Maud commented flatly, stepping back slightly.


"I'm guessing we can't just buck the rock away?" Limestone asked as she stepped next to Maud, grimacing slightly as she got a closer look at the cuts.


"No," Maud studied the rock closely. "The boulder is now load bearing. Destroying it would bring more of the roof down. Likely on us. If it was safe to move, it would take both of us, and I don't think I'd have the strength right now."


All three of them went silent at that, wondering what to do now. Limestone folded her ears back slightly as she paced round, both from Maud's choice of words and the full extent of the situation. There wasn't enough air for more than a couple of hours, probably less considering both Maud and Limestone were in the same space. Marble could be heard shifting about on the other side of the boulder, repeatedly sounding like she wanted to say something but not knowing what.


"...Maud? Limestone?" She eventually said, her voice quiet but carrying a sense of optimism. "What about a small hole at the bottom? Enough for you both to crawl through?"


"Four square feet," Maud replied, checking the rock carefully. "It would be enough to leave without risking another collapse. But, the precision needed would be-"


The sound of a hoof impacting the rock made her step back.


Then another.


"What are you doing?" Limestone exclaimed. "Sis, don't try it!"


"I have to!" Marble cried from the other side, another hoofpunch punctuating her words. "I can do this. Please, trust me for once!"


"For once?" Limestone asked, looking slightly offended. Maud looked over at her, her expression stoic but her eyes hinting that Marble had a point.


Limestone looked down slightly but before she could comment, another hit was punctuated by a crack appearing on their side of the rock, about three feet up. They both backed up slightly as it was joined by another crack by the floor, then a third and fourth. With further hits the cracks slowly spread and linked up with one another, marking a roughly three-and-a-half foot square dead center at the base of the boulder. Then one last punch saw the square it had formed cracked, splinter, then shatter into pebbles. A dusty hoof quickly pushed through the pebbles, scattering them at Maud and Limestone's hooves.


"Come on!" Marble called as she pulled her hoof back. Maud motioned for Limestone to go first and watched her clear some more rubble away and clamber through the gap. It was a slightly tight squeeze but she was able to make it through without problems. Maud was slightly larger and she had to crawl with her forelegs held out in front in order to fit, but after a minute she managed to pull herself back to her hooves and join the others on the safe side of the rock.


Marble looked a mess, she was panting hard, caked in dust and her mane was tangled and dishevelled. As soon as she was sure her siblings were safely away from the collapse though, she pulled them both into a tight hug, burying her face in their shoulders and dampening them slightly as she started to feel all the tension and fear bleeding away and coming out in tears of relief. Maud simply patted her back gently while Limestone, after a momentary hesitation, adjusted her neck so she could breathe properly and returned the hug in kind.


"H-hey, come on. We're alright, thanks to you," Limestone told Marble, her voice slightly shaky as she tried to console her sister. In truth, she was also trying to make up for earlier, and the day before, and...A lot of things in the last few months. All those times she had deflected her feelings instead of dealing with them and how it must have made everypony feel, the least she could do now was show she still cared. "How did you even manage to break that hole?"


"I...I just looked at it and saw where I needed to hit...Marble sense?" She replied, looking away slightly and gasping as she saw Maud's injuries. "Maud..."


"I'm alright, though medical attention would be nice." Maud replied calmly.


Marble quickly moved to help Maud out, only to stumble as her own exhaustion from punching through the boulder made itself apparent. Limestone caught her before she could drop and propped her back on her hooves, supporting her on her left side and Maud doing the same on her right. The three of them had no more words for each other, they didn't need them. They simply kept moving, back into the sunlight and fresh air outside the mine to go be checked over. Each of them was feeling, for the first time in too long, the same thing. That despite everything, they always had each other.
> Crossing the Line Part 1 (Sunset Shimmer)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot Castle
August 11th, Year 20 under the Four Princesses





It was mid-morning in Canterlot and for many ponies of the capital, it was a late summer's day like any other. The streets were filled with residents and tourists making the most of the scattered clouds and light wind that kept the heat that seemed to permeate every inch of the city from becoming uncomfortable. As busy as things were, the normally active grounds of the royal castle had been closed off to the crowds and access to the castle itself had been restricted. The extra security was more an indication of important activity than for any precautionary measures. After all, a diplomatic meeting between Equestria and the Crystal Empire was hardly likely to cause concern, even if King Shining Armor himself was present for the discussions. That didn't mean that security was lax however and right now only ponies who could prove they should be in the castle could get in at all.


Sunset Shimmer knew that her position meant that such restraints didn't matter to her, nor any of the other hassle that came with major events in the castle. Being the personal protégé of Princess Celestia herself for twenty of her twenty-five years did had its perks.


The castle library was silent around Sunset as she finished going through her notes on matter duplication spells. These kind of study sessions were her favourite, thousands of books to learn from and Princess Celestia sitting in with her to observe and advise. It was also the kind of session where she pushed herself hardest, doing her best to impress her mentor with the most advanced spells she could find. Coupled with all the things she had learned in her time with Princess Twilight Sparkle, she had managed to learn dozens of spells that the princesses had said could only be achieved by the highest strength unicorns. This would still be her greatest challenge yet though, and she relished the prospect. Matter duplication was something she could do with only a little effort, now she was trying the more advanced variant. A cloning spell.


A red tulip in an unassuming clay pot stood on the table before her, the target for today's attempt. Celestia sat on the opposite side of the table, smiling softly as she observed the proceedings. Sunset took a breath as she put her notes down and focused on the plant. Complete focus and knowledge of what you wanted to do, that was the first step. Her horn lit up with its familiar aqua glow and she let her strength gather for a moment before a spark of magic launched off her horn and landed a foot to the right of the pot. That was part two, the point you wanted the duplicate to appear. Now for the hard part. Sunset shut her eyes and focused harder, placed her front hooves on the table as she leaned forward. Her magic glowed brighter and gave the faint whine of building power, a sound that lasted for several seconds before she unleashed a tight beam of magic straight at the potted plant.


The spell hit with a flash and Sunset dropped back into her chair, sweating from the effort. After a few moments she opened her eyes to see the result. It was...Disappointing. The spell had worked perfectly on the plant pot and a second one was now sitting exactly where her spark had landed before, though that was all that had appeared. Both pots were also devoid of soil and the tulip was now wilted and dead.


"Wha...?" Sunset said quietly as she wiped her brow clean and checked her notes again. They had been copied directly from the spellbook of Meadowbrook herself, so there was no way the error lay there. She had followed them to the letter as well. By all accounts, she had performed the spell flawlessly. "I don't understand. Princess Celestia, what went wrong?"


"Your casting was impressive as always," Celestia said as she got up and moved round to Sunset's side. "However, there is one aspect to the spell I'm a little surprised you overlooked. Matter duplication is a highly impractical spell. Material cannot simply be created from nothing, so the newly created object takes its compounds from the one the spell is cast on. For inorganic things, this means the spell works but the end result is incredibly brittle."


Sunset paused as she took the information in. She'd never given much thought to how her previous successes had come out. She reached forward and gave the pot on the right an experimental poke. The section she touched broke away under her hoof with barely any resistance and shattered on the table.


"This is why a cloning spell is not only very rarely taught, but only used under strictly controlled circumstances," Celestia continued, her expression becoming more serious. "The draw of energy and matter is more than most living things can safely withstand. If this spell were used on a pony..."


"It wouldn't be pretty," Sunset finished, looking over at the princess to see her nod in agreement. She had seen mention of something like this in the book, as well as a theory that highly magical beings could survive the spell being cast on them as it might use their magic reserves instead of their organic parts. She wasn't willing to risk testing it right now though. "But if you knew all this, why didn't you tell me before I set everything up to try?"


"Because I knew you would take it as a challenge and probably wind up going through the entire royal gardens attempting it." Celestia explained, unable to hide the hint of a humoured smile at her pupil's determination. Sunset looked down in thought for a moment before straightening up again.


"Yeah, I would." She replied with a small chuckle.


"While it is good to see you putting such effort into your studies, I hope you understand that there are limits to what you should attempt to learn." Celestia said as Sunset got down from her chair.


"I do, but I find it so easy to lose track of myself when I find a new spell," Sunset said, pacing round slightly. "I feel like 'I can do this. It'll be helpful, or it'll be impressive.' and then I've committed myself and it feels like nothing else matters until I get the rush of knowing I've got it all figured out."


"This is why I suggested you look into new ways to relax between study sessions. In fact, I have one for you today," Celestia watched as Sunset stopped and looked up at her, though her expression made it clear she enjoyed seeing her student so happy. "Sunset Shimmer, I would like to ask that you join me for today's diplomatic meeting with the representatives of the Crystal Empire."


"Princess Celestia..." Sunset looked down for a moment, trying to find the right words. "With respect, I'm not exactly the most tactful of ponies. Are you sure I should be there for something so important?"


"I am. You have the potential to be a great leader one day, Sunset. What kind of leader you become depends upon what you learn of what it may require. Although..." Celestia's voice dropped to an exaggerated whisper as she leaned in toward the unicorn. "Between you and me, these meetings are mostly an excuse to catch up with my friends. With how good our relations are, Shining Armor and myself would likely go through the dullest parts in ten minutes."


Despite her reservations, Sunset couldn't help but chuckle more as she nodded and dropped into a bow.


"As your wish, your highness."





Sunset was regretting her decision very quickly.


There was just such an air of formality surrounding the whole affair, long-windedness. Even though the room where the discussions would take place had been arranged to try and be casual, with the negotiating table itself just a simple round table with seats for three and enough tea and cake for them all, there were enough tapestries adorned with the flags of Equestria and the Crystal Empire to bury a yak. Crystal statues had been brought in and some of the more ornate pieces of art had been transferred to the room. Sunset had a sneaking suspicion that they were more for the benefit of helping the half-dozen guards that were present get bored slightly slower. She didn't envy them, those poor unicorns, pegasi and crystal ponies that had to just stand there for however long it had been while the talking went on.


She was bored too, but at least she got to be bored sitting down.


Part of her wished that Luna was present for these discussions. The princess of the night might come across as somewhat strange, but she had such knowledge of the world that any conversation with her could be kept interesting for hours. As it was, she only had Celestia by her side and no real way to interject into her ongoing discussion with Shining Armor. Sunset had read up on him a little before coming into the meeting and was impressed by what she had seen. 


He was a competent warrior, only fitting for being the Royal Guard commander before the return of the Crystal Empire. Even as she looked over to him she could see that his body was in peak physical shape, extra impressive considering he was forty-seven years old. He also had a shrewd mind and phenomenal magical potential second only to her own. More than anything though, he was a still a husband, a father, and a leader. Even with all the rumors of political instability within the capital of the empire at present, he and Cadance had helped the crystal ponies adjust to the modern world and now lead a kingdom that rivalled Equestria for happiness and security.


As she shifted in her seat and did her best to not look as bored as she felt, Sunset's mind started to drift back toward going through her studies, as it usually did when she had nothing else to focus on. She thought back to her attempt at cloning earlier and everything that her mentor had told her about it, combining that with what she remembered reading. There had to be an alternate way to make it work, the spellbook had said that it was possible. The fact it gave no mention of the end result was slightly disconcerting, but she was Sunset Shimmer, she was good enough to find a way to pull it off without any adverse side effects. The real question was where she could find a pony with enough physical and magical durability to withstand the drain.


Her eyes shifted to Shining Armor and focused on him, actually leaning slightly left in her seat for a better angle. The more she thought about it, the more she realised he might actually fit the requirement. She could see he could meet the physical requirement at a glance and she could believe his status as the most magically gifted unicorn stallion in Equestria. She had only been four years old at the time but she had heard how he was strong enough to perform shield magic strong enough to cover the whole of Canterlot AND briefly withstand an external barrage, all while actively being weakened. The real kicker was that had been twenty years ago, he'd had plenty of time to learn and grow since. Yes, if she wanted to try it again he would be the ideal candidate. Maybe his son, Aurora, would also be an option as well if what had she had read about him was true...


No, she couldn't just jump in like that. Magic was rarely as clean cut as casting your spell and assuming everything would work out like you wanted. After Celestia had taken her to see Starlight Glimmer fourteen years ago, she had done some research into the 'cult' that Starlight had run and while it had provided some fascinating leads into studying the magic resistant properties of carbonado, it had also been an eye-opener on magical ethics. There was no way she could bring herself to do it without asking if he'd be willing to try, knowing the risks full well, and she'd back off if he said no. All the same, she could practically visualise it already. That delicate weave of spellwork leaving a buzzing sensation in her horn as she primed it, the intent to create another Shining Armor crystal clear. Now that she thought about it, having such a pony around almost sounded-


"Sunset!"


Celestia's voice shook Sunset from her daydream and reality hit her hard. The buzzing in her horn was still there and gravity seemed to have shifted about fifty degrees to her left. She realised that she'd been so focused on her lean to watch Shining that she was starting to fall off her seat. More worryingly, she'd had such a good visualisation of the spell going that her magic really was primed to fire it. She didn't have time to think right now, she had to shut down her magic, get her aim to somewhere harmless just in case and brace for landing.


Unfortunately, by the time she had managed to outline that plan, gravity had kicked back in and she hit the floor on her side. The shock triggered her primed magic and she opened her eyes in time to see the beam barely avoid the table. She tensed in horror as she realised that Shining Armor had started rising when she had fallen and his path took him square into her magic's path. She couldn't even move before the beam hit him in the neck, engulfing the room in a white flash. Sunset felt her energy reserves collapsing from the concentrated use of such high-level magic and didn't even find the strength to get up as myriad voices starting ringing out above her.


"Y-Your highness!"


"Secure the site, now!"


"What did you do to him?!"


"Get your weapons away from her!"


Celestia's voice being the last one Sunset heard would have been more concerning if she had the energy to focus. As it was, her strength was burned out and she lay there, obvious to the chaos surrounding her.





It was several hours before Sunset's energy recovered enough for her to even stand up again. She had been transferred to a room in the castle's guest quarters to recover as the castle had been placed on lockdown after she had accidentally hit the crystal king with her spell. Nopony had been by to see her in the meantime, leaving her with little but a bed, food, and her own thoughts. All those thoughts came back to the same four words.


'It was an accident.'

It sounded hollow to say it to herself, but she needed to keep reminding herself. Letting her guilt consume her wouldn't help her fix the situation.

"It was an accident..."

She had gotten carried away at a time when she really should have been focusing on what her mentor had instructed her to do and somepony else had paid the price for it. She could only imagine how it must have looked to those present, how it might look now if anything had happened to Shining Armor...The thought of what might have happened if she had been wrong sent a cold chill through her gut.


She didn't know how long she remained in there recovering, the room didn't have any windows. Eventually the door opened and Princess Celestia stepped into the room. Sunset shook her head slightly to make sure she was thinking straight again and got up from the bed, dropping into a bow once she had her hooves on the floor.


"Princess, is King Armor..." Sunset started, only for her query to die in her throat as she saw the look the princess was giving her. It was one she'd never seen before.


Disappointment.


No, disappointment alone wasn't completely new. What it really was scared her more than anything.


Disappointment that was masking anger.


"Shining Armor is alive," Celestia said, her voice betraying nothing of her emotions. That was even more unnerving. "Medical checks show severe magical exhaustion, though he's currently resting under observation at Canterlot Central Hospital."


Despite herself, Sunset let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding and relaxed slightly. The worst case scenario had been avoided.


"I hope you understand just how serious this is," Celestia continued, her voice straining slightly as she struggled to keep everything in check. "The crystal guards were holding you at spearpoint before I called them off. In any other circumstance, your actions had the potential to spark a war between Equestria and the Crystal Empire. The fact Shining Armor and myself are good friends are the only reason this is limited to a diplomatic incident. If he had died because of this..."


"I could never have forgiven myself either," Sunset replied quietly. She knew how close she had come to setting relations with the empire back to the worst they had been since the Contact War. Thousands of years of peace, nearly undone because of her moment of stupidity. "Princess Celestia, I-I can only say than I am so, so sorry for what happened, and that I never intended for any of this. If there is anything I can do to help fix this..."


She chanced looking up slightly to try and see the alicorn's reaction. What she saw struck right at her core. Celestia sighed quietly and the anger that had been waiting behind the disappointment was fading, to be replaced by sadness.


"I would like to believe that."


Her heart sank at those words.


"I'm afraid I saw the look in your eyes when I heard your magic activating," Celestia closed her eyes, her voice slowing slightly as if she was forcing herself to hear this as much as Sunset was. "No matter if your magic use was accidental or not, I clearly saw you had some intent to use a cloning spell, a spell that I had explicitly told you is extremely dangerous under the most controlled circumstances, against an unwitting pony. Mere hours after I explained why such a spell should never be used. I expected far better of you, Sunset Shimmer. I trusted you to have more sense."


"P-princess, I-" Sunset stood up quickly, only to hesitate as Celestia raised a hoof for her to stop.


"I'm afraid, it will take some time until I can trust your advanced studies are safe to continue. Until that time, your study options will be severely limited and must be personally approved by me before you can begin a subject. Any attempts at continuing your studies outside of my approval will result in more serious penalties. Do I make myself clear, Sunset Shimmer?"


"Y-y-you..." Sunset stood up fully, desperation flooding every inch of her body, her chest clenching up to the point she could barely breathe. "Princess Celestia, please, if you just give me a chance to-"


"Giving you a chance is why we're having this discussion," Celestia countered, unable to even look Sunset in the eye anymore. "When you feel fit enough to travel, one of the guards will escort you home. Your studies will be resumed on Thursday."


Sunset could only stand and watch as the princess turned and left without so much as a second glance. The unicorn sunk back onto her haunches and stared down at the floor. She had never been subject to such a response before, the idea that she could have unleashed a disaster. The fact it truly was an accident and nopony believed her...She sunk down to the floor and buried her face in her hooves, feeling the fur on her legs quickly dampening with tears as all her stress and fear began to overwhelm her. She didn't know what was worse, that she had come so close to causing a major disaster, that everything she had strived for had been undone by a moment of weakness...


Or that nopony would believe she really hadn't meant it.





Celestia shook her head sadly as she paced through the castle corridors. She was supposed to have begun lowering the sun ten minutes ago but with everything that had happened today, it would have to wait a few minutes longer. Her day had already been hectic enough with preventing the royal guard from overreacting to the incident, enacting damage control to prevent a panic when news inevitably got out and making sure of Shining Armor's safety. Fortunately he seemed to be in good condition aside from the exhaustion, though the doctors had also noted that a sizeable amount of his latent magic reserves were not recovering at all. They couldn't explain it, and she couldn't tell them why either.


There was a reason though, one that she couldn't explain easily for a number of reasons. As she stepped into a lounge room that was normally set up for visiting dignitaries, her eyes went to the lone figure sitting in the middle of the room's plush rug, watching as they shook slightly through rapid breaths.


Because the only reason things hadn't ended up so much worse was because despite everything, Sunset Shimmer's spell had succeeded. It wasn't perfect, but it was a pony.


A unicorn stallion with the same build, eyes and coat colour as Shining Armor. That was where the similarities ended though. His mane and tail closely matched Shining's style but where the crystal king's were sapphire blue with darker and lighter streaks, this one's were dark green with a single viridian streak down the center. The fur on his hooves went all the way down instead of leaving them exposed. His cutie mark was completely different as well, a fruit basket loaded with a veritable bounty of tree-based fruits. The fact Sunset's spell had managed to copy enough to give its creation a cutie mark at all, through her obvious lack of focus in the moment, was a small detail that impressed Celestia. She'd have to deal with that later though.


"Hello again." She said softly, taking a quick glance around the room. Everything was still intact, so he had to have been taking the circumstances well. Aside from the hyperventilating.


"Oh, hello. C-celestia, right? I'm sorry, I really don't remember." He replied as he looked up at her, rubbing his leg. His voice was similar to Shining's as well, though it seemed to be naturally softer than his.


"It's alright, you've had a lot to take in today."


That was an understatement. Especially after one of the more absent minded guards had told him what he was: A magically created copy of a pony. He had taken it better than expected, mostly due to the fact he simply didn't understand what that meant. It had taken him twenty minutes to regain enough composure to walk in a straight line, complex magical effects were beyond his comprehension right now. Celestia had done her best to ease him through all the questions he had had but it was clear that he would struggle immensely on his own, compounded by the fact that there was no precedent for how the situation should be approached. This was the first successful use of a cloning spell she had witness in her millennia of leadership, any approach for how to deal with a pony like this would have to be improvised for now.


"Today, just today..." He said to himself before shaking his head quickly, his breathing still not slowing down. "What happens after today?"


That question cut into Celestia. She was put on the spot to think of a solution and she already knew that anything she did now would be far from ideal. It had to be something that would allow him to be happy, at least for a time until she could prepare a true solution. It hurt that she was being forced to use a stopgap that many ponies might look down on her for using. But she looked again at the frightened stallion and knew that despite the circumstances of his creation, he was fully sapient being. He deserved a chance to be a normal pony no matter how he had come into the world.


"That is the question," She replied, doing her best to keep him calm. "There is no easy answer though, I've never seen magic used like this."


She watched as he glanced out of a nearby window that overlooked Canterlot's commercial district and saw his shaking and breathing subside slightly. His expression was still lost as he looked back to her though.


"I-I don't understand any of this." He replied quietly, rubbing his forehead.


"I'm afraid even I don't fully understand either. What Sunset Shimmer did was previously considered impossible."


He only sat down and shook his head quickly, his mouth silently working away. It looked like he was struggling to figure out just what he wanted to say. Celestia realised in that moment just how vulnerable he was. So many things that she took for granted in day to day life, he was having to learn right now.


"So...What happens to me now?" He eventually said. This was the last chance for her to change her mind on what she wanted to do. She lowered her head and paced slightly, running her plan through her mind as it finally took shape.


"While there is so much you could teach us, just handing you over to the Institute may not be best. Chief Moondancer may be moral but she knows how to run a pony ragged. Something that you don't need until your mind learns to cope with who you are."


Celestia stopped in place when she realised she'd actually said that instead of thinking it. The stallion looked down and pressed a hoof against his forehead, again struggling with all these concepts that she could discuss without thinking.


"I..." He sighed, the look in his eyes forlorn.


The sight only reinforced her decision. He deserved better than this.


"There is no clear solution to something like this," She said as she slowly walked round him, taking in every detail about him for her mental image. "Anything I might do would likely be temporary at best. However, the best I feel we can do would be to let you be free to live. To learn on your own terms without having to go through anything that would restrict you. I will give you an identity for that time, until you need to return."


"U-until I return?" He asked, the confusion in his voice suddenly replaced by concern. "You make it sound like I'll lose whatever you give me."


"The truth cannot be hidden forever, but it will be years before it surfaces again." She admitted as she moved back in front of him. "When it does, you will be ready to face the truth again."


She watched as he slowly processed this, his gaze downward as his eyes darted about in thought. Implanting false memories was morally questionable, but her options were severely limited. At the very least, this way would teach him the basics he would need to survive without taking up years of his life. If such a concept counted for somepony like him. He eventually relaxed slightly as he thought it over, looking back up at her.


"W...Will it hurt when my memories come back?"


"I hope not. The thought of directly harming one of my little ponies through my actions..." Just the thought was like a dagger to her heart. "When that time comes, find your way back to the castle and let somepony know that..."


She paused as she gave her plan one last run through. The memories he would receive would be fabricated, but it would be enough for him to get by. He would remember himself as an orchard worker from Whinnyapolis, only child, both parents since passed on from natural causes. He had come to Canterlot Castle on her request for an interview about a potential place in her garden staff. Though she wouldn't have anything, she would direct him toward Ponyville, where those she could trust could keep an eye on him without feeling regret like she would. All he needed now was a name. Her eyes went to his cutie mark and the inspiration struck.


"...That, Bounty, has need of me."


'Bounty' nodded slowly and bowed his head. How much of this he actually understood was uncertain, but she would help him understand in time. She would have a true solution to help him ready in time, when he returned. Celestia bit back any remaining pangs of concern she felt as her horn glowed a familiar yellow, preparing her magic with the memories to implant into him. While he was in Ponyville, Twilight would keeping an eye out for him and she was making sure to include a trigger in the spell for him to want to come to the castle when it began to degrade. Like she had thought before, it was far from the solution she wanted to give him, and when the time came, she would make sure to make things up to him eventually.


Then she pressed the tip of her horn against his and activated it. It was done.
> Crossing the Line Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

August 18th





Equestria was basking in the warmth of a late summers day, a pleasant warmth covering the land and raising the spirits of everypony who felt it. While most of the land was making the most of the sun while they could, Canterlot sat blanketed under a tense atmosphere. Although details of exactly what had transpired within the castle a week ago had been managed well enough to prevent a general outcry, rumors had begun circulating after Shining Armor had been seen leaving Canterlot Central Hospital before his return to the Crystal Empire. Although most of the rumors were wild and varied enough to keep the public from guessing the truth, every single one that Sunset Shimmer overheard was like a dagger full of dark magic that took whatever mood she was in and twisted it to how she had felt after talking to her mentor, lying there in tears.


Each rumour, every second of that memory, a reminder of her biggest mistake.


Her studies had only resumed two days ago after her disastrous involvement in the diplomatic meeting that had caused this whole mess. Princess Celestia hadn't spoken much during those sessions, only voicing her approval for study topics and answering any questions she had. It didn't help that Sunset was limited to subjects well below her level, leaving her with plenty of time to think things over while going through the durability of magic resistant minerals or other such nonsense. It wasn't worth trying to discuss things with the princess, from the looks she had been giving and how she had spoken at the time it was a small miracle she'd allowed Sunset to remain her student at all.


As if that wasn't bad enough, it turned out the pony that had been directing the castle lockdown in the wake of the incident had been Lieutenant Colonel Cipher. Her father. It had been several days before the two of them had been able to talk and while he clearly didn't understand why she had done what she did or the full extend of what it meant, he had done his best to reassure her all the same. His words still echoed in the back of her mind...


'It could have been a lot worse. But that's a good thing too. Nopony was seriously hurt and only a select few ponies even know. Your mother isn't one of them and I'll make sure it stays that way for your sake...I know you're not proud of what happened, Sunny, but everypony makes mistakes. Don't let it define you, let it just be a blip while you remind everypony why Princess Celestia chose you as her student. Keep being a good pony.'


Though she had kept quiet about it at the time, Sunset couldn't help but see how wrong that advice was. It was alright for him, able to live with an attitude where 'good enough' was a valid result. Sunset Shimmer didn't make mistakes, not at her level where failure meant things like this happened. Not when the challenges she undertook in her current role demanded perfection if they were to better herself and Equestria. If that was to continue after this, then the current challenge she faced was finding a way back into Celestia's good graces.


Sunset groaned to herself as she lay back on her bed, staring up at the notes she'd taped to the ceiling through unfocused eyes. Her house had been her own for a few years now, her little space on the edge of Canterlot's residential district to gather her thoughts and indulge her own studies. It felt a lot emptier now though. She'd packed up most of her personal subjects and halted her correspondences with Chief Moondancer at the Institute of Development, deciding it wasn't worth risking a princesses' ire in any way. Now she only had old notes to go over when she wanted to relax.


Her eyes lazily drifted from paper to paper, occasionally focusing to see if it was something that might take her mind off everything for a few welcome moments or even provide an unlikely clue for where to start with fixing her situation. Normally they provided some light reading but right now they only sat in place, almost mocking her as reminders of how she had come so far only to be blocked by a moment of error. Sunset frowned and focused in on the notes again, feeling a spark of determination inside her to push through this mess and get everything back to the way it had been. Somehow.


After a minute of speed reading she stopped on a page she had written when she was twelve, levitating it down and taking it in her hooves. Sunset paused for a moment as she remembered why she had written this note to herself, a reminder that the nightmares she had had about Starlight Glimmer during that time were impossible in reality. The note itself meant little now but the pony mentioned within it had set her mind racing, decades old memories resurfacing and a germ of an idea starting to come together.


Starlight Glimmer had been a highly dangerous individual twenty years ago, one that had taken the full efforts of Princess Twilight Sparkle herself to bring down. But could it have been handled better? Could Starlight have been brought in in a way that didn't hurt anypony unnecessarily? It was possible, if such a result was engineered rather than risking leaving it to fate. Of course, that would require breaking the rogue unicorn out of a dungeon and re-enacting her cult without it being found out, something that would likely take years. But nothing worth doing was ever easy. If all went well, nopony would even catch on that she was involved. If not...


Whatever 'if not' was, that couldn't happen. Returning to Celestia's side a hero and being allowed to resume her studies freely was a must if she was to continue helping Equestria. Hopefully everypony involved could forgive her.





Six months later...


Darkness was starting to fall over Canterlot as a thick cloud cover began to blanket the city in time with the sunset. Early February typically saw the weather patrol get a lot of bad weather out of the way in order to make things as bright and clear as possible for the new years celebrations. Within the walls of the castle, Sunset Shimmer shivered slightly as she browsed over a historical parchment, trying to ignore the chill of the library. She had been through the parchment enough times by the time she was eleven, but reading helped keep her calm as her eyes darted up to check the clock over the door out to the hallways.


Everything was in place. All that empty time in the past few months that she had normally used for her studies had been put to good use, getting friendly with the castle guard and learning about how they worked to the point that many of them almost saw her as one of their own. It made her feel bad that all of that was for an ulterior motive, but it was for the greater good and she genuinely appreciated their friendship. As far as things with Princess Celestia and her parents stood, she had told them that she would be withdrawing from her studies in a few days to walk Equestria for a time and learn more about the world she wanted to help but hardly knew. That wasn't technically untrue. She would be walking the land, but it would be to find a safe place for her base of operations. Plus, she wouldn't be doing it alone.


Another glance up at the clock showed it was now twenty past six. A little early but it would be better to work with extra time than less. Right now Celestia would be finishing setting the sun before retiring to her chambers for the evening. Luna would raise the moon in ten minutes, then head over to the EDF Command Center for a update on current situations before beginning her duties monitoring the dream realm. All of that kept them on a path that didn't cross Sunset's, so barring unforeseen occurrences she would only have to time her movements to match those of the guards. She had memorized the patrols by now so that shouldn't be any issue either. No point in hesitating any longer, time to go to work.


Sunset placed the parchment back in place and headed out at a brisk trot. She could walk this route in her sleep, the path from the castle entrance to the library was one she'd used since she was a filly. The fact it took her right past one of the castle vaults had meant little on any other day, but now it meant that walking past it had allowed her to study it through countless passing glances. As she kept walking her horn lit up momentarily, pulsing for a few seconds before her aura died down again. Magic to mask the caster's magic use was highly complex, but she had figured it out when she was nineteen. Nopony would know she would be the one casting the spells she'd need unless they actively knew to look for her aura.


Sunset rounded the last corner into the hallway in time to see the tail of a castle guard disappearing round the far end of the hall. She'd run the numbers through her head countless times based off everything she'd been able to gleam from hanging out in the barracks. By the time she got to the vault door the guard would be out of earshot if she was careful, leaving her two minutes to get in, grab what she needed and get out before another guard got too close. Her magic flared up before she even reached the door, scanning for anything beyond the basic anti-magic defences and finding nothing. Perhaps the princesses believed nopony who actually managed to break in would find anything generally considered valuable.


She took a steadying breath and placed her horn against the door, watching an aqua pulse cover it for a moment before checking again. The touch of her magic had disabled the defences for now and she gripped the opening mechanism in her magic, carefully sliding it open enough for her to slip inside.


The vault interior was compact, thirty feet long by fifteen wide and filled with shelves, each one loaded up with what seemed like regular everyday items. Sunset knew each was here for a reason though and made sure not to touch anything as she stepped forward. She quickly found what she was looking for, not quite in the same place but still the same. The glass jar containing Starlight Glimmer's cutie mark. She quickly scooped it up off the shelf and checked it over in her magic. No obvious, or even subtle traps on it, the fact it was pressed back against the wall pretty much the only thing keeping it from falling off. If she'd had time, Sunset would have left a complaint about the lax protection.


Just as she turned to go, her eyes were drawn to a pendant sitting slightly further down the shelf. It was largely unremarkable, made of brass on a thin chain, a white engraving of a horn with sparking magic etched into it. The chain looked long enough to be comfortably worn by an alicorn but otherwise, there was no reason for her to pay it any mind. Yet, now that she had seen it...Was it just a subconscious desire to keep some reminder of her mentor or some unknown connection that compelled her to take it along? She gave it a quick check and it had no protection either. There was no time to debate it though, she only had a few spare seconds if she wanted to be away from the door before the next guard showed up.


Sunset headed back out the vault, keeping both the jar and the pendant in her magic since it was quicker than putting the latter back. As soon as she was back outside she stashed them in a statue alcove on the opposite side of the hallway and closed the reinforced door, tapping it with her horn again to dispel her disabling spell. That had been slower than she'd hoped, but it was the only timed part of her plan and it was done. There was just enough time for her to start walking down the hallway as if that had been all she was doing before the anticipated guard rounded the corner.


"You're here late, Sunset." The guard commented casually as he approached her. An older pegasus stallion with a white coat, light blue eyes and the classic guard's armour, Sunset recognised him as one of the veterans of the castle that had been serving since she was a filly. In fact, he was the one she had been talking to the day she'd first spotted the cutie mark in the vault.


"Bomber," Sunset replied. It wasn't hard to her to remain calm around him, the two of them had clicked easily due to both having a strong work ethic. Even now his eyes had gone to the vault door to check for any irregularities, though there was no hint that he suspected anything. "Just committing everything to memory while I have time."


"Smart. You're probably going to have a lot of ponies asking what living in the castle is like," Bomber said, pausing for a moment before sighing slightly. "You know, it's going to be weird not seeing you around."


"I know, I'm leaving a lot of friends behind doing this." Sunset admitted. At least she wasn't lying about that. "It'll be worth it though. Good of all Equestria and that."


"Yeah," Bomber nodded, slightly sullen before his ear twitched and he perked up again. "Say, I'm joining some of the others for drinks when I get off duty. You want to come along?"


"I'll see what my plans are for tonight, but no promises either way."


Bomber nodded and offered a hoof to Sunset, one she bumped in return before they both headed off their opposite ways. Part of her wondered if she should use a spell on him so he wouldn't remember meeting her here, but she decided against it. Aside from their discussion being open enough to avoid suspicion, she respected him too much. After rounding the corner she waited for a few moments before doubling back and retrieving the jar and pendant from their hiding spot. The easy part was over now, now she had to put on the charisma and guile of a leader. No pressure there.


Sunset set off quickly, heading for the entrance to the dungeons. Thankfully her path didn't bring her into contact with any further guards, security in the area was light due to how few cells were in use at present. She headed down into the first level of cells, following the route she'd laid out after seeing the cell listings in the guard barracks. The light down here was far worse than the rest of the castle, only a few firefly lanterns spaced out with another hanging outside occupied cells. There was only one of those at present.


As Sunset moved up to the cell door, she hesitated for a moment. The last time she had been here, she'd seen eyes filled with cold fury, a pony that would likely still hold a grudge against her even now. It meant little right now though. Starlight Glimmer may have been dangerous, but without her magic she was nothing. Sunset had studied her background intensively in the past in case she attempted revenge, enough to formulate a plan of how to proceed right now. With said plan at the forefront of her mind she placed her items aside and stepped in front of the door.


"Hello, Starlight Glimmer."


"Sunset." Starlight replied with a scowl, sitting up on her bed to face the other unicorn. She looked slightly underweight and her mane dangled limply, devoid of any styling it once had. Otherwise she looked relatively okay for a mare in her mid-forties that had spent the last eighteen years as a prisoner stripped of her magic.


"It's, Sunset Shimmer." She corrected before she could stop herself. Starlight simply stared at her through slightly narrowed eyes, sitting closer to the edge of her bed.


"...What do you want?"


So she was still as direct as ever. Good. Time to see if Starlight was still devoted to her cause, and if Sunset was as good of an actor as she hoped.


"What I want is simple," Sunset said, putting some contempt into her voice. "To see Princess Celestia realise that she's not so special. For Equestria to see their 'leaders' for what they are; Control freaks that think having wings and a horn makes them better than everypony. That they can just cast ponies aside for a simple mistake!"


Starlight was silent for several seconds, staring Sunset down. Though nothing had changed externally there were little hints in her body language, a gentle lean forward, muscles relaxing slightly, that her attention had been gained.


"Admirable, but not something you'd just randomly tell me."


"I know. Good to see you're still sharp after all these years. That's the kind of mind that deserved to lead a free and equal land." It was the most basic kind of flattery, playing to her desires, but it was working.


"It would need to be more than that," Starlight said, lip curling slightly in anger. "There's no freedom in Equestria as it is now, not with those that cling to their false superiority roaming free and tearing down anywhere that actually provides ponies with the happiness they need. They need to suffer first, broken, made to provide no resistance before they either bow or die!."


Sunset nodded, knowing that she was referring to the Elements of Harmony. Granted, they would be a problem if somepony got wind of what she was up to, but then it would be her job to make sure that didn't happen. First though, she had to go all in.


"They certainly seem to have no problem using their 'hero' status for their own ends," She told Starlight, stepping closer to the cell door. She could say anything she wanted about them, Starlight's status as a prisoner didn't give her much chance to fact check. "We just have to make everypony see just how inept they are, alongside their precious princesses. How we do that...It's quite simple really, there's one thing that everypony needs but will happily find somepony else to blame when they're denied it."


Starlight tilted her head slightly, her expression shifting to one of curiosity.


"Food," Sunset continued. "Hungry ponies are more likely to lash out, to blame somepony else for their problem. If the pony they direct it toward is having the same problem though, they'll try to blame somepony higher up for it. On and on, more and more ponies blaming ever upward until everypony in Equestria is angry at the princesses for their failures to provide even the basic needs of their subjects, not to mention any further unrest that results from it. Then that's where we come in."


This was the moment of truth. Starlight closed her eyes and made a thoughtful sound, mulling what she'd heard over. Sunset stood watching her with baited breath, knowing that if the caged unicorn wasn't convinced, and plan B didn't work, then she'd be back to square one. After a minute Starlight got up from her bed and walked over the door, face to face with Sunset.


"...What am I getting out of this? And why are you still telling me anything of it? If you're powerful enough to pull that little mind trick you did as a filly, what's stopping you from trying that plan of yours and equalising Equestria on your own?"


Plan B it was.


"You get this," Sunset took the jar in her magic and brought it over, holding it up to see but keeping it out of reach. Starlight gasped slightly at the sight of her contained cutie mark, staring at it with a focus unlike any she had displayed before. "For all my ability, I can't remove cutie marks. You can have your village back, better than ever, a beacon of unity and equality that will emerge as the only place in Equestria to remain unaffected by the princesses' failures. Ponies will see your leadership as the right one and beg for you to lead the land faster than you can say staff of sameness."


"I'm listening."


"We need each other to make it happen though. I need your magic to bring equality back to the world, you need me to gather ponies for the cause without drawing undue attention. We can discuss details after I've gotten you out of there. What do you say?"


The pause hung a little longer than Sunset would have liked, leaving her wondering just what kind of a reply she was going to get. Starlight took a look at her expression and chuckled slightly.


"I promise not to blast you the moment I get my magic back. I know that's what you were thinking."


Sunset nodded and her magic around the jar faded, letting to fall to the floor with a crash that echoed through the dungeon halls slightly. Finally freed of its confines, Starlight's cutie mark hovered for a second before glowing and shoot through a gap in the door, reuniting itself with it's owner. Starlight herself was momentarily enveloped in a white aura before flashing brightly. By the time Sunset's eyes recovered, the door between the two of them had been forced open with magic, a sound of pleasured content coming from the other side at the return of a talent denied to its owner for far too long.


"Where do we begin?" Starlight asked with a smirk as she stepped out of her cell. Her dulled coat was back to its vibrant pink, her lifeless mane still unstyled but now a deep purple with an aquamarine stripe. Her cutie mark was again firmly in place on her flanks instead of the gray equals sign of before. The only real difference between her and the pony she had been twenty years ago was an extra, slightly maniacal glint in her eyes.


"By getting away from prying eyes and finding the best place for 'our' town." Sunset said as she placed the pendant around her neck before stepping close to her new 'ally' and teleporting them both out from the castle. This was the path she'd chosen for herself for the next few years, playing a villain while she built up Starlight's second coming only to bring her down when the time was right. It wasn't anything close to what she wanted, but returning to Canterlot as the hero who stopped Starlight Glimmer would make up for it once she was back under Celestia's wing.


Right?
> Behind the Shades (Vinyl Scratch)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ponyville
March 17th, Year 21 under the Four Princesses





Ponyville was basking in the pleasant warmth of a gentle spring afternoon. Ponies throughout town were making the most of the sun to visit the bustling markets, catch up with friends or simply see where the day took them. That was part of the beauty of Ponyville, for a town of this size it was remarkably easy to spot any number of ponies that were known across Equestria. From members of the Junior Buckball League to the Elements of Harmony themselves, it was almost impossible to spend a day in town without seeing a pony of repute. It was almost an unspoken requirement for visitors or tourists to the town to spend some time around the train station, since the odds of seeing another famous pony taking or leaving a train was even higher than the already increased odds elsewhere in Ponyville. Today was no exception.


Riding aboard the latest train into town was a white unicorn, distinctive by her unkempt cobalt mane and tail that were contained a pair of electric blue streaks that ran the length of her hair, a set of deep purple glasses big enough to cover her eyes completely and a backward double quaver cutie mark. Anypony who knew anything about music knew it was none other than Vinyl Scratch, AKA DJ Pon-3, widely regarded as one of the best DJs there was. That was probably why everypony in the same train carriage was leaving her be despite being draped over two seats and snoring slightly. Being at two gigs in a row had taken a toll on her, especially when in such a rough and far-flung place as Orlon. Riding a night ferry back to Los Pegasus and an all day train on to Ponyville even more so. Despite how easy and fun her life looked, it was a lot of work.


As the train began to slow for its approach into Ponyville, one of the other commuters walked over to her and gently shook her awake. Vinyl gave a long yawn as she woke up before looking up out the window and nodding her thanks to the pony. He simply nodded back, knowing it was as good as he would get. If there was one thing you were certain to get from DJ Pon-3, it was her signature silence. She got up off her seats and stretched, grinning at the ever so pleasurable feeling of life coming back into her legs. That done, she fetched her bags out from under the seat she had originally been in and fished out her headphones before sliding them into place over her ears. She didn't actually have any magic available to play at the moment but ponies were less likely to try and interrupt her if she looked like she was jamming out.


The train pulled up and Vinyl made her way out onto the platform as soon as the doors opened, glad to be back in her hometown. As expected, there were a couple of tourists keeping an eye out on the platform and she made sure to throw them a smile and a wave while they took pictures. She couldn't linger though, one of them happened to be a gray unicorn stallion and that appearance dredged up a lot of bad memories for her. She took up a quick trot as she exited the station and started for home, taking in as many sights as she could along the way. Anything to try and distract herself. As much as she tried though, she couldn't shake the thought of him. That well built blue-gray body, rough red mane and matching short tail, the simple magnet cutie mark, those light blue eyes she had found herself admiring eleven years ago. As great as he had looked, she far more vividly remembered all the bad things about Magnet Bolt.


About her ex-husband.


She'd met him back in Year Ten. It had started a regular enough night at one of her gigs in Vanhoover. She was used to stallions trying to show their interest in her during the post-show autographs but something about Magnet Bolt had stood out, she couldn't even remember what it was beyond the looks now. Still, they'd hit it off well enough and before long she found herself inviting him to backstage just for the chance to talk to him without giving up her image. Their relationship had progressed quickly after that, to the point that he proposed to her in September of the following year and they married the February after that. In hindsight, the speed should have been her first warning sign, the second being his request that they stay at her place in Ponyville, even though she was still sharing the house with her fillyhood friend, Octavia.


That had only been the beginning though. The longer they spend under the same room, clearer it came to Vinyl that Magnet had been one of the worst choices for a partner she could have made. No matter how she had been feeling, physically or emotionally, he had been trying to keep convincing her to perform, pushing for more of the cushy lifestyle he desired. He'd backed off for a time when it turned out that they were going to be parents and their marriage did recover after their daughter was born in Year Fourteen, a unicorn they named Silver Mint. Unfortunately it didn't last, likely not helped by the fact that Vinyl refused to get into any arguments around Mint or Octavia. Magnet had kept pressuring for more of a high and famous life though and by Year Sixteen she decided that enough was enough and filed for divorce. While the court settlement meant that their daughter had to spend time with both her parents, that still meant they could stay in Ponyville and Vinyl was satisfied that she was away from the worst of her father's tendencies.


That was the reason she'd been pushing to get home today. Silver Mint was with her for the next few weeks and she wanted to be there when she got home from school. The rest of the walk through Ponyville was fairly straightforward and before long she was back on her home street, making a mental note to catch up with her neighbours as soon as she could. Night Shade, Scootaloo and Autumn Breeze were always good for local news. With that settled she quickly approached the familiar split-down-the-middle design of the home she had shared with Octavia for years. It had undergone some modifications, from both a mix of expansions to accommodate it's new inhabitants and all the times she'd accidently blown a window or wall out from practicing too hard. At this point it had happened so often that both Vinyl and Octavia were on first name terms with their local repairpony, Quick Fix.


Opening the door with her magic, a purple aura lighter than that of her glasses, she quickly stepped inside and shut it behind her. Only then did she give a sigh of relief and took off her glasses, revealing a pair of tired cerise coloured eyes behind them. Much as she enjoyed being DJ Pon-3, bringer of wubs, she'd been doing it ever since she first got behind a turntable. Now at age thirty seven, it had started to take its toll and she enjoyed the time out of the public eye. It was time for a period where she could just be Vinyl Scratch, regular pony and devoted mother. Hanging her glasses up on a coat hanger by the door, she looked down the hallway that led through to the kitchen at its far end where sounds of life were emanating. She couldn't help but smile at that. Octavia had always been the better, and older by about four years, of the two friends and always stepped up to help Vinyl when she had been trying to make a name for herself, or even look after Silver Mint when necessary. As if on cue, the familiar gray head of her earth pony friend poked around the corner from the kitchen.


"Hey, Tavi." Vinyl said happily, trotting up to greet her friend. Octavia simply chuckled and let her step into the kitchen before hugging the unicorn.


"Good to have you back, Vinyl. How was Orlon?" She asked as she released the hug.


"Those minotaurs know how to party, but they've got a surprisingly good taste in books. Pretty sure I saw one reading some of Princess Twilight's work," Vinyl replied simply, walking over to the fridge and taking a bottle out before taking an immediate swig of the chilled water. She'd needed that since waking up on the train and gave a sigh of content as her throat was rehydrated. "So, did I get home in time?"


"You did, Silver Mint will be home soon." Octavia said with a small smile. She knew how much being here in time meant to her friend. Sure enough, Vinyl's smile grew further at that news.


"Thanks, Octy," Vinyl said cheerfully, swapping to another of her friends' nicknames before her look became more thoughtful. "Sorry, I hadn't even thought to ask how you've been without me."


"Well it's never the same without you here to break something," Octavia replied with a small chuckle. "But without both you and Mint, it's been...Quiet. I didn't notice it when we were younger but, I actually miss having you around, giving my home life a sense of excitement. Even I can't get by with just my cello as the soundtrack of my life."


Vinyl nodded as she leaned against a counter, taking another drink. That comment had made her think a lot more than probably intended. She'd spent so many years seeing every inch of Equestria on her tours, and even the surrounding lands. The Mintoris Islands, Zebahi, the Crystal Empire. You name it, she'd played there. Sure, things had gotten slower when she came back to the DJ circuit as she started tailoring her choice in performances so she could stay here as much as possible when Silver Mint was with her, but Octavia's comment had given her a new pause. She wasn't exactly in her performing prime anymore, maybe it was time for her to dial it back a little further and just enjoy her home life properly, while she still could.


Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door. Shaking any plans she might have been making from her mind for now, she looked back down the hallway and her face lit up. Coming in was a silver unicorn filly with a short cut turquoise mane, a longer tail that nearly reached to the floor, clear green eyes and a cutie mark of a sparkling bit. There she was, her seven year old daughter. Vinyl quickly put her bag to one side and crouched down, knowing full well what was coming. After a second, Silver Mint noticed her and gave a squeal of pure joy, a sound that never failed to warm both Vinyl and Octavia's hearts.


"Mom, you're here!" Mint exclaimed in an energetic voice and dashed through the hallway, finishing with a running jump into Vinyl's chest, wrapping her front hooves round her mother's chest as best she could.


"I told you I would be," Vinyl replied softly, wrapping a hoof around the filly's back and the other around her flanks, holding and hugging her lovingly. Even through her life experiences, there was nothing in the world that felt quite so special to her. "You been ok with your father?"


"Yeah..." Mint nuzzled against her neck softly, poking Vinyl in the chin with her horn. "He doesn't seem to have time like you though."


"Hey, your dad's just going through a busy patch, making sure that he has everything he needs to keep you as happy as he can," Vinyl commented, hoping that she wasn't lying through her teeth. She hadn't talked to him in months after all. "He loves you just as much as I do, no matter what."


"Thanks, mom," Mint snuggled up to Vinyl and let herself be lifted up, looking over at Octavia and waving. Octavia smiled warmly and waved back, used to the filly's up close style of affection. "So what's the minotaur land like? What're they like? Do they like your music?"


"Slow up kiddo, there'll be time to tell you about it over dinner. For now, I have something for your collection." Vinyl couldn't help but chuckle at the sudden look of surprise on her daughter's face at that. Silver Mint had grown up with a fascination over bits and taken to finding spare change around town and making a coin collection out of it. She was responsible with it for her age and ultimately gotten her cutie mark when she'd finished her collection of historical Equestrian coins.


"Really mom, really?" Mint watched in fascination as Vinyl opened her bag up and lifted a coin out in her magic. It was large enough to fill an adult hoof and thicker than a normal bit, with a pea-sized hole in the middle and looked to be made of zinc.


"This is a coin for five Mintori nelph. It's value is about the same as thirteen bits and isn't that common here in Equestria. It's all yours, Silv."


Silver Mint's eyes widened as Vinyl held the coin close for her, letting the filly observe it up close. After a minute she took it and studied it in her hooves, her smile steadily growing before she hugged her mother closer, the older unicorn's grip getting a little tighter in return.


"I've been hoping for one of these for so long. Thank you thank youthankyou! I love you momma!"


"I love you too." Vinyl replied softly, leaning down and kissing Mint's forehead. The filly only referred to her as momma when she was super happy and right now she was practically radiating joy at the gift. The sight and feeling was enough to bring a small tear to Vinyl's eyes. Even if she was still small enough to hold, her legs were beginning to ache and she lowered Mint back down to the floor, watching as she immediately dashed off to add the coin to her collection.


"I'm proud of you." Octavia said simply. Vinyl looked back at her friend and nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. She was just as proud of her daughter as well. The earth pony already knew what Vinyl had in mind next and stepped out into the back garden with a good natured shake of her head.


Vinyl simply chucked and trotted toward the stairs and her daughter's room. Octavia always tended to tidy up the filly's room when it was unoccupied and Silver Mint would probably need a little help getting it the right level of messy again. As she reached the foot of the stairs she stopped and looked back to where her shades were hung up. For the first time, she properly wondered what she would do if it ever came to the point where she had to choose between her career or her home life. She'd used to think, back when she was married, that it was something that would require several sleepless nights to decide on. Really though, in her heart it wasn't even a decision anymore. Nothing felt quite as good as seeing her daughter happy and even a party animal and household name such as herself wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. Her smile grew slightly and she headed upstairs after Mint. That bedroom wasn't going to mess up itself.
> Where it Hurts Most (Lightning Dust)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sky Wing HQ, Cloudsdale
September 6th, Year 21 under the Four Princesses





Why did she suddenly feel so nervous?


This was validation of the moment she'd been working toward her whole life. The moment she would become known to all Equestria as an elite flyer, a Captain in the Equestria Defence Force and truly content with where she was, all at the relatively decent age of thirty-five...So why did she still feel nervous about it? Maybe it was all the talking she was about to do. 


Why should it be though? All she had to do was be honest to the reporter, and to herself. Putting it like that though, that was just making it worse.


Lightning Dust sighed quietly as she stared down at her front hooves, slowly rubbing them against each other. There was little else she could do to distract herself from her swirling thoughts. The chair she was sat on was one of those basic wooden things and the rest of the room wasn't much better. Just a table, another two chairs and light blue walls, the one behind her sporting the EDF emblem. One of those dull interview rooms she hadn't been in since her entrance application. There wasn't even room to hover properly. Flight always helped take her mind off things.


In the sky she didn't need to think about the path it had taken to get her there, or the marks it had left on her. The stiffness in her hind legs meant little in the air. The guilt of her past actions briefly forgotten in the rush of wind and adrenaline. This was the polar opposite: Nowhere to go, having to not only face her lingering demons, but admit to them openly. 


Part of her had always tried to shun her past and look forward, never wanting to dwell. It had left her with a drive that made her and her team the go-to choice if they needed to get somewhere immediately, but at the same time it made talking about herself difficult in any capacity. Maybe that was why she had agreed to this interview.


Before she could get lost in her thoughts, the sound of the door opening shook Lightning back to reality. She instinctively snapped to attention in her chair, relaxing slightly as she realised it was only the press ponies she'd been waiting for. The first one to come in was a well built pegasus stallion, white coated with a graying mane and film strip cutie mark, a haggard yet optimistic look in his sky blue eyes. The latter an earth mare with a gray coat, short cut light purple mane and camera cutie mark. A small part of Lightning was surprised at how mundane seeing the latter was these days. Earth ponies and unicorns visiting Cloudsdale was an increasingly common sight thanks to the spreading knowledge of cloudwalking spells.


"Captain Dust," The pegasus said as he stepped forward, offering a wing in greeting. "Eff Stop, Cloudsdale Briefing."


"Snappy Shot, Equestria Today." The mare added as she sat down at one of the free chairs.


"Pleasure to meet you both," Lightning Dust replied as she spread her wing and tapped it against Eff's, hoping the sudden tension in her chest wasn't coming across in her voice. "And, just Lightning is fine."


"Of course." Snappy looked over to Lightning as she approached and offered a hoofbump. The fact she looked momentarily surprised before returning it was not lost on the pegasus and suddenly, her chest felt even tighter.


"So, how do you want to go about this?" Eff asked as he settled into the chair next to Snappy, taking a notepad and pencil out from under his right wing and passing them to her. "Obviously we want to get a good story, but we've both seen that you're not comfortable in front of the press."


"Yeah...I'm not." Lightning took a deep breath, trying to ease her mounting anxiety. This wasn't like the Wonderbolts Academy, where she had been able to throw up enough bravado to manage until she could start flying. She was older, more aware of her flaws, and yet unable to forget the advice her mother had drilled into her as a filly...


"If you're good enough with your actions, you won't need to back them up with words. With my help, you'll always be good enough."


Nowadays she could see just how badly that advice had affected her.


"Let's just focus on what we're here for. No tangents please." She added as she sat herself back down, focusing on the ponies in front of her. Her gaze might have been a little intense, but it was the focus she needed to keep herself from getting up and leaving already.


"No problem. Something tells me we wouldn't need any." Eff replied as he pulled a sheet of paper out from under his left wing and looked it over. Presumably the questions that would be coming at her soon enough.


For a few moments the silence hung between the three of them, broken only by the faint sounds of Snappy Shot getting her pencil into her mouth and preparing to write. Lightning knew they were expecting her to say something but her mouth had gone unusually dry and she had no idea where to start. She couldn't bullshit her way through this even if she wanted to. She just kept staring forward, waiting to see what questions they had for her and which memories she would be dealing with to give them the answers.


"...Right," Eff eventually said as he shifted in his seat and glanced down at the question sheet. "So, Lightning Dust. First commander of squadron sixteen and newest Captain of the Sky Wing. How do you feel about such an achievement?"


"It's, strange to think about," Lightning admitted, ears twitching slightly as they picked up the scratch of pencil on paper. "Ever since I was a filly, I'd wanted to be an ace flyer. To be a Wonderbolt like everypony else, yet to be ace of aces even among them. Becoming a squadron leader almost feels like a sidestep, but one where I've done better than I would have otherwise."


That had come easier than she'd thought. It was something to ease her in, let her build some momentum for the harder questions. It was working though. Her breathing had eased up slightly and she could feel her gaze relaxing.


"I hope you don't mind me bringing it up but, I'm guessing that's what led into you applying for the old Wonderbolts Academy?"


Somehow she'd known this question was coming. That just eased her nerves further though. If easing into the questions made it easier, pointing out how flawed she used to be was a cakewalk.


"It's fine. I'm well aware that that was a black spot in my past," She leaned back in her chair and stretched her hindlegs out, everything coming flooding back with only a little reminiscing. "The first thing is, on top of my natural drive to be the best, this was back when the heroes of the 'bolts were some of their less respected figures today. The likes of Wind Rider and Typhoon."


"Ah. The best at all costs mentality." Snappy commented around her pencil, somehow managing to keep her note taking eligible.


"Yeah, and I really took that to heart," Lightning chuckled to herself and sat forward again, leaning toward the reporters. "Consider this an exclusive detail but, I was so eager to get started that I falsified my application for the academy. I was only fifteen when they took me on."


The shock she saw in their eyes the moment her words registered felt very familiar. It was the same look she'd given herself when she'd finally taken a long look in the mirror. Silently telling herself just how far she had fallen. The similar reaction was another small bit of comfort though. It felt even easier to keep going when she had an idea of where it was this discussion was going.


"Yeah, a mix of an early growth spurt and some serious bluffing got me in," She continued. "I've always wondered if they genuinely bought it, or caught on but thought my skills too good to pass up. This was right around the time Captain Spitfire began reforming the Wonderbolts style after all."


This was getting easier with every word, every moment she got closer to letting it all out. She'd never felt like she could just talk about it, not even to her squadmates. This time though she could admit her faults, not just without beating herself up over it, but to ponies who were genuinely interested. She had learned a basic grasp of how to read a pony over the years and behind the media focus, Eff Stop and Snappy Shot were both intrigued by her story. 


The sense of relief over how well it was going came so suddenly that it took a moment for her to realise Eff was talking again.


"-about twenty years ago, so there's no point chastising you for it now," He was saying. "So, the academy. Admittedly it's not difficult to learn about what happened with a little research but, how did it feel to you?"


This was it, last chance to back out of opening up everything. She couldn't have even if she wanted to.


"I'll be honest, I loved it initially," Lightning said, settling down again and looking up as she recounted the memories. "All my classmates that year; Bulk Biceps, Meadow Flower, Sunshower Raindrops, Starry Eyes, Cloud Chaser, Thunderlane, and Rainbow Dash of course. I could tell all of them had Wonderbolt potential if they gave it their all. And there I was, pitting myself against pegasi several years my superiors, both in physical and practical advantage. I wanted to show them all how it was done and hopefully find some really strong fliers to keep testing myself against."


"For the benefit of readers who aren't well versed in Wonderbolts history, how did that end up?" Snappy asked, pausing in her writing to listen with interest.


"In brief..." Lightning Dust looked away sheepishly before steeling herself. "Despite some initial praise for my drive, I repeatedly pushed myself and my classmates beyond safe limits, almost killed the Elements of Harmony with an unauthorised tornado and if it hadn't been for Spitfire's intervention, my recklessness and arrogance would have driven Dash away from the academy too. Needless to say, I was dishonourably discharged within a week."


"That's very rough. But we can see you're a better pony than that these days, you wouldn't be a Captain otherwise," Eff commented, glancing down at his notes. "Presumably that spurred you on to be even better than the potential you showed."


"No. It basically ruined my life."


Lightning already knew it was the way she'd admitted it, as if she'd merely fessed up to making it rain yesterday, that was the main reason they looked so shocked. She didn't mind though, she'd already been through the pain and fear.


"I'd put my whole life into my flying. My total disgrace made sure I would struggle to get in anywhere else and the market for a mare who didn't put any effort into other skills is surprisingly low," She continued, looking down wistfully. "I was only living with my mom at the time and, well, she had put me through training that rivalled that of the academy to make sure I'd be ready...I felt I couldn't go back and tell her what I'd done. Not when she placed more of a value on actions. I don't know if it was stubborn pride, fear, resentment or what but..."


"I-I'm sorry but, what about your father?" Snappy interjected, the look on her face hinting that this was new to her. Lightning couldn't blame her. Cases of ponies leaving home under the age of sixteen were rare enough, for one to actually be documented like this was a real scoop for the two reporters.


"He, travelled a lot. Something inside me managed to convince me though. Wherever he was, it was somewhere that this wouldn't be known yet. Somewhere where I could make a new start and the only one who'd be ashamed was me. So I did what I did best; I flew without thinking. Moving from town to town, managing to get by as I kept looking, trying to make sure no-one that knew me could track me down. In hindsight, it was incredibly stupid of me and only made things worse."


"How so?" Eff asked quietly, his notes pushed to one side as he listened. It was more subtle, but his voice was hinting that he was struggling to maintain his professionalism.


"After about three years, I finally managed to find dad in Whinnyapolis," Lightning afforded herself a small smile at the memory of this part. "Of course, by then he knew all about what had happened back in Cloudsdale. He didn't care though. Naturally he was relieved just to see me fit and well. Then once we'd talked, cleared the air about my actions, he took one look and told me that I wasn't the same pony that had been thrown out of he academy. And I realised he was right. Being around hard working, dependable, better ponies than I had rubbed off on me. I wasn't a pony that wanted to be better than everypony else, I just...Wanted to do something right now."


"Did you?" Snappy had ceased her writing and had leaned in, her expression somewhere between concerned and accusatory. Lightning didn't need to ask what she was specifying about.


"Not entirely..." The teal mare admitted, letting the shame creep into her face. "I still couldn't bring myself to face my mom after all that time. I'm pretty sure Dad had let her know I was there, but convinced her to wait until the right time to see me. I was finally getting my life back together at that point. A permanent place to live and decent work. In an earth pony city, my speed was invaluable as a courier between the skyscraper offices and the workers out near the waterfalls. I may have been settled, but I wouldn't say I was happy."


"I see," Eff leaned back in his chair and studied Lightning for a few moments. Unlike Snappy, his expression was still one of curiosity, interesting in seeing where her story went before making any judgements. "It sounds like you would have been content to stay where you were. How did you go from that to joining the military?"


Suddenly the memories were coming back. The heat, the pain, the anger...Lightning stared down at her hooves, her vision swimming slightly as her gaze drifted to her hind legs. As if daring herself to believe one of them would move normally this time. But no, they still moved somewhat stiffly, like they would for the rest of her life. This was real, what had happened was real. Much as it was paining her, she knew she had to keep going.


"May twenty-second, year four," She finally said as she looked back up at the reporters. "I was in one of the skyscraper offices to pick up some documents for my next run, when we heard shouting that a fire had broken out. Never did find out what caused it. I remember thinking to myself 'I'm possibly the only pegasus in the building, they can't take the windows out of here'. So I ran toward it, calling that I'd try and keep it contained while everypony evacuated. I have no idea what was in the room where it started, but by the time I was approaching the door all the smoke was coming from, it just suddenly blew up in my face and I was out before I even knew what hit me."


"Sweet Celestia..." Eff said quietly, not even trying to hide the surprise at this point. Lightning watched their reactions for several moments, knowing that whatever they were feeling about this, it was nothing compared to how she felt about what came next.


"When I came to, everything was on fire. I was half buried in debris, choking from smoke, and I could feel my wings and hindlegs were messed up. I was still trying to drag myself out when the floor gave way, dropping me into another fire ravaged area. When the dust cleared, I realised that chance had dropped me in front of one of the ponies called in to assist with rescue efforts. A light blue mare in a Wonderbolts reserve outfit...Yeap, Rainbow Dash was going to be my saviour. Yet...I don't know if it was the pain I was in, an underlying resentment for the academy, or just plain old jealousy that she was so close my old dream but...Suddenly, in the heat of the moment, I saw her as responsible for everything that had led me to that moment."


She paused for a long moment, the only sound coming from any of them the frantic scratching as Snappy Shot's pencil as she wrote it all down. Lightning sighed quietly to herself as she realised it was still easier to tell than she'd thought it'd be. Maybe because she saw that moment for what it was nowadays.


"So, in a life full of reckless split second decisions, I made the stupidest one of all," She continued. "When Rainbow tried to help me, I pushed her away. My stupid, egotistical self didn't want her rubbing her success in, even though it would have cost me everything. She kept trying though, getting the rubble that was keeping me pinned away even though she could barely hold it. She also said something to me that managed to break through my vendetta."


"What was it?" Eff asked, sounding less and less like his questions were for his story at this point. Lightning sat back again and allowed herself to smile slightly.


"'Lightning, let's make one thing clear. What happened, happened. We kind of have more important things to focus on right now, like saving your flank'. When she said that, straining to get me out, it finally clicked in some small part of me. She genuinely didn't hold everything that had happened at the academy against me. It didn't matter that she was a Wonderbolt and I wasn't. She'd moved on and done something with herself. I'd let the past dictate my actions and that was where I'd ended up. Now she was trying to save my life and I was fighting it out of some misguided pride."


"That...That must have been tough to deal with." Snappy commented, briefly pausing in her writing to look at Lightning with a sympathetic glance.


"Not in the moment. Soon as I'd crawled free, Rainbow had me out and back on the ground in seconds. It bloody hurt, but it was better than being inside. I managed to thank her before I was carted off to hospital...I'm not sure if she understood under the circumstances but, I meant it. When I learned she'd been promoted to the main Wonderbolts squadron shortly after, I just felt glad one of us had made it. It just confirmed something I'd been realising though. I still had the same determination to succeed as I'd had for years, I'd just been channelling it horribly wrong."


Lightning allowed herself a small smile. That was the hard part done. Even though she'd felt ready to pass out from nerves before and somewhat during the interview, she had come through by facing it head on and refusing to give in. Just like always. Eff Stop and Snappy Shot were staring at her in stunned surprise, the latter momentarily paused in her writing. There was a look in their eyes that she couldn't quite place, like the realisation of what they were hearing was just sinking in and they couldn't figure out what to make of it.


"If you don't mind me asking..." Eff eventually said, voice slightly hushed. "How did you feel when that realisation about yourself sunk in?"


"It wasn't pleasant," Lightning admitted. "It was my second night in hospital, the first being rather out of it during initial treatment and  having my parents there during the day. Both of them, all of us clearing the air for the first time in years. So I was exhausted, emotional, and realising I'd royally screwed up the last few years. I ended up crying onto a nurse's shoulder for at least an hour while I let out years of frustration at myself. To be honest, the fact she kept supporting me the whole time, without judging, is the only reason I don't consider it the lowest moment of my life."


"I, almost can't imagine you like that," Snappy said after a few moments, getting a knowing chuckle out of Lightning. "So, where did you go from there?"


"I had to stay in hospital for a while, doctors making sure I didn't suffer any long term effects from my injuries. Mom and dad stuck with me for all those weeks, letting us be a family for the first time in I don't know how long. I stayed in Whinnyapolis for months after, doing some light work while in and out for follow-up treatments and therapy. A year later, when I was finally starting to come toward the end of the whole thing, the Equestria Defence Force was officially founded. That night, I told my parents I knew what I was going to do as soon as I was fit. I enlisted during the summer and, well, the rest is history."


Her smile grew a little more as she thought about how she had answered the first question. A sidestep to something better than she would have achieved before. Many of those sidesteps had seemed disastrous, but they had helped her break free from the pony she had struggled as before.


"I must have done something right while within the EDF too. Rainbow Dash may have ended up flying with the elites, but I ultimately ended up getting a whole squadron with my name on it. All my experiences made picking our motto easy too. 'Where's lightning gonna strike? Where it hurts most!'. Because it hurt a lot to make it to this point."


"Wow, I....Wow," Eff commented, still staring at Lightning. After a few moments he regained his composure and looked back down at his notes. "Well, I think we have just one last question. With how rough it sounded in the past, is your relationship with your parents doing better?"


"Much," Lightning smiled more as she realised she had somehow managed to get through this without making too much of an ass of herself. "Dad's moved back to Cloudsdale for his retirement so my parents are together and happy again. Now I'm the one who's constantly travelling due to my deployments. I've learned though, and I keep in contact with them. So I have a stable home life, a solid job and a lot of friends by my side. Now, I'm settled AND happy."


With that final answer, she slumped back into her chair slightly and let out a quiet sigh of relief. When she'd agreed to the interview, she hadn't been able to convince herself that she would be able to get through this in any meaningful or dignified way. That worry had stayed with her until roughly half an hour ago. She hadn't had to answer any overly terrible questions and she felt a lot better about her background to boot. Lightning simply remained in place for several moments, listening to the rapid scratch of Snappy Shot's pencil as she took down her final notes.


"Well, I'll admit I don't think either of us expected where this was going." Eff Stop admitted as he gathered his papers back up and tucked them under a wing.


"Yeah, you'd be surprised how refreshing it is to get a story like that," Snappy added as she finished writing and passed her things over to Eff. "Sorry for when it's inevitably butchered in editing."


"Eh, no problem. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to tell it." Lightning replied as she got up and stretched her hindlegs, flexing her wings a few times to hide the twitchiness.


"Still, thank you for the opportunity, Lightning. Hopefully ponies will like it as much as we have."


Lightning nodded as they got up, feeling in something of a daze as she gave a parting wingshake and hoofbump. The two reporters made their way out of the room talking to each other, leaving her staring up at the cloud ceiling. Once again, she had faced the dark spectre of her background and overcome it the right way. For the first time in far too long, she felt good about herself on the inside. After a few moments more she let out a long exhale before getting up and leaving the room with a smile on her face.


Drill practice was coming up after all, and she couldn't wait to get back in the sky.
> My Little Blank Flank (Diamond Tiara)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ponyville
October 18th, Year 21 under the Four Princesses





Ponyville was basking in the warmth of a mild afternoon, the kind of day that brought ponies outside as the weather was more like that of late spring rather than mid-autumn. Most ponies in town, either those currently without commitments to work or school, or tourists to the home of harmony, were largely drawn to the park near the center of town in these conditions. Running down both sides of the Pandora River for a short ways, the park had effectively remained unchanged in years, an area where trees and flowers growing naturally in the middle of a busy town provided one of the calmest spots in the area for ponies to gather, enjoy each other's company or simply take a few minutes to unwind and get their thoughts in order.


On the south side of the park, under the shade of a beech tree, a lone earth mare sat trying to do the latter. Pink coated with a light violet mane that sported a white streak, soulful blue eyes and cutie mark of a tiara. She was a pony that was instantly familiar to many residents of Ponyville for reasons both good and ill. Diamond Tiara had originally been known as the scourge of her class when she was a filly, mercilessly seeking to follow her parents hoofsteps and establish herself as the most prominent pony in town, putting down anything and anypony that might rise up to challenge her. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had suffered the worst of it due to her childish mockery of how she had received her cutie mark before them, though nopony had been safe if they got on her bad side.


A lot had changed in twenty years though.


The only filly she had ever truly considered a friend back then had broken ties with her for blatantly overstepping the boundaries of decency and while they had managed to somewhat reconcile since then, Silver Spoon now lived in Baltimare and out of regular contact. Then when she had attempted to make up for that by intensifying her outbursts against the lone member of the crusaders who hadn't earned their mark by then, that same filly had saved her life after her own stubbornness had put them both in danger. Shocks like that, combined with a healthy dose of reality setting in during puberty, had a way of changing a pony and she had taken those changes to heart.


Now, at age twenty-nine, Diamond Tiara had become a pony that strived to improve the lives of others rather than demean them for her own advancement. She served as Ponyville's master of commerce at town hall, ensuring trade remained fair both locally and with other towns. She even had her own family of sorts in her adopted daughter. Most ponies would consider that a good step up and while she was one of them, she was also a leader at heart and still aimed for more. Through more honest methods of course. That was why she was running for mayor next year, and why she was currently out here.


Diamond shifted her quill in her mouth as she rested her front hooves on each other and looked over what she could see of Ponyville from her current vantage, occasionally jotting down points she thought of what she wanted to build her manifesto on. Mayor Caramel was doing a fine job but he was getting on in years, occasionally missing opportunities she could instead propose during her campaign. Right now though, before the whirlwind of chaos running in the election would bring, she still had time to take breaks and appreciate the smaller things around her. From the sounds of parents playing with their young foals nearby to the simple intricacy of her own mouthwriting. Calligraphy was an art only the earth ponies truly appreciated as pegasi could use their wings for stability and unicorns simply had magic.


"DT?"


Diamond raised her head at the voice. Only her former classmates used that nickname these day. As she looked over to the nearest bridge toward the north side of town she saw a unicorn mare approaching with a coat the same colour as her own mane was, along with a curled blond mane and a cutie mark of a foal's book.


"Dinky," Diamond said cheerfully as she got up and trotted over to her old acquaintance, offering a hoofbump that was happily returned. "It's been a while."


"I know, I keep meaning to try for a reunion but my schedule is pretty hectic these days with classes and helping Mrs Cheerilee." Dinky Hooves replied. Her tone was similarly happy, but Diamond had dealt with enough political talk to catch the edge and know when somepony had secondary intentions. Still, there was no need to make things awkward by pushing straight to that point.


"Has she got you teaching your own classes yet?"


"Not yet, but maybe next year. Probably a good thing with how much we've got our hooves full with these fillies and colts."


"Hopefully not all of them..." Diamond chuckled, though the humour died on her lips when she saw Dinky's nervous smile in response. Of course it was too much to hope it wasn't related to her. "Oh. What's happened?"


"Stellar Nova got into a fight with a colt during afternoon break," Dinky explained. "The thing is, everypony who saw it claims she was the one who instigated it. That's not like her."


Diamond nodded, frowning to herself as she looked down in thought. Stellar wasn't a filly inclined to violence even when she was upset or angry, plus she usually didn't show when she was feeling that way even at the worst of times.


"There's more," Dinky continued, now looking worried. "The fight had already ended by the time Cheerilee had got there and Stellar was looking shaken up. When she was told you had to be informed of this she broke down in tears and was inconsolable when I left to find you."


"How soon do you want me there?" Diamond asked as she gathered her things, her tone indicating she'd rather not wait. She'd have to redo her writing thanks to wet ink but that was far from her highest priority right now.


"We can go now, class will have been dismissed by the time we get to the schoolhouse."


Diamond Tiara was walking before she'd even got her scroll settled in her mouth, Dinky following her quickly. A multitude of thoughts were running through the earth mare's mind as she made her way through town, ranging from concerns over what had gotten Stellar Nova so upset to the possibility of some stern words with the responsible colt's parents. First things first though. They may not be blood related, but Stellar was still her daughter and she would move Equestria itself to see her happy. On the other hoof, there was the fact that her little girl didn't seem to be looking forward to seeing her. That thought brought up a few concerns that had been lingering in Diamond's mind, if she was really capable of raising a foal. So far it had been smooth but this was likely going to be a real test for her.


Before long the Ponyville schoolhouse came into view, looking largely unchanged in over twenty years aside from an extension to accommodate the steady increase in class sizes over the years. A few fillies and colts were still hanging around outside, either waiting for their parents or talking among themselves. Most of them waved to Dinky as she came through and she made sure to greet each of them in turn. Diamond nodded to those that acknowledged her but her mind was focused on only one filly right now. Dinky made her way up to the school door and knocked three times, followed by two rapid ones.


"Mrs Cheerilee, she's here." She called through the door.


"Come in." Cheerilee called from the other side. Dinky opened the door and motioned for Diamond Tiara to head in first, which she quickly did.


The interior of the schoolhouse seemed to have changed even less than the exterior had over the years. Not that she was paying any attention to that right now, as soon as she put her things down on a cabinet her focus went to the two figures by the teacher's desk. One was her former teacher, Cheerilee, now in her late-forties and definitely showing signs of her age but still sharp minded and able to control a dozen foals at once. Handling her own two children at home must have been like a vacation. Hiding behind her legs was a unicorn filly, just over seven years old. Her coat was sand coloured, her mane long and dark blue, her eyes golden orange and still lacking a cutie mark. Though the instant Diamond entered the room she shied away further.


The sight stung to see, considering what she had been through already. Three years ago Stellar Nova's family had been one of those hit during an outbreak of hay fever that had swept through central Equestria. Although the affliction had quickly been contained, her parents had been among those unfortunate few who couldn't receive treatment in time. Diamond Tiara had quickly stepped forward to take the filly in rather than let her face so much as a week as an orphan, doing everything she could to help Stellar through such impossible circumstances. Although she likely knew she could never truly be her mother, Stellar had bonded firmly with Diamond and ponies unfamiliar with them generally couldn't tell that they weren't blood related.


What could have happened to leave her faith in that bond so shaken?


"Stellar? Are you alright, little star?" Diamond asked before she could stop herself. The filly only gave a small whimper in response.


"It's okay, we're going to sort it out for you," Cheerliee told her gently before looking over at Dinky. "Could you talk to her while I let Miss Tiara know what happened?"


"Of course," Dinky replied as she stepped round the desk and crouched down next to Stellar. "You feeling okay?"


"Still worried..." The filly replied quietly.


"We just need to get your mind off it for a little bit. Want me to help you catch up on the last class? I'll guide you through it if you tell nopony why you got it quicker than them, deal?"


"O-okay." Stellar managed a small smile as she slunk out from behind Cheerilee and over to Dinky, the two of them moving over to the back of the classroom and getting what they need out from her desk. That should keep her focused long enough to not be concerned about the discussion taking place on the other side of the room.


"Is she okay?" Diamond asked quietly, unable to keep the concern out of her voice.


"She's very shaken up. I don't think even she expected to react like she did at first." Cheerilee replied, sitting back down at her desk and watching Stellar for a moment with her own look of concern.


"Dinky mentioned that she started...The incident," She didn't want to actually repeat what had been said, much less try to imagine it. "She didn't say why though, or what made Stellar back down."


"I made sure to ask everypony who witnessed what happened outside," Cheerilee brought out a paper from her desk and looked through it for a moment, shaking her head slightly. "There were a few varying stories but, I understand what happened."


"There always are." Diamond mused, remembering how she had been one of those fillies that stretched the truth a bit when questioned by her teacher. At least, she had at first.


"From the looks of it, Stellar Nova was approached by Mach Storm and the two started arguing over something, though at the time nopony was close enough to hear what. It started to escalate quickly due to their history."


Diamond nodded, fighting back an irritated snort. Mach Storm was like a pegasus colt version of how she had been at that age. Self-absorbed, pushy and with a penchant for singling out classmates to take out his frustrations on. More often that not, Stellar ended up being in his line of fire. At least she was standing up for herself enough to keep it from being a case of history repeating.


"This next part will feel a bit, personal," Cheerilee continued, hesitating for a moment. "Mach Storm made a comment about you that prompted Stellar to start throwing punches at him, then more of them until she stopped. The gist of them that made her relent was that...That he told her that you didn't care about a foal that didn't have her cutie mark."


Diamond Tiara froze in place, ears folding back, her heart feeling like a spear had been thrust through it. It made some sense that Mach would know about her background like that, considering his father was her former classmate Rumble. That he would use it to try and drive a rift between Stellar and her though...Righteous vengeance would have to be left to Cheerliee and his parents. Her focus needed to be on healing the bond before it was too late. That thought brought feeling back to her body and fire to her soul, an idea of just how to do it starting to form in her mind.


"I see," She said calmly, managing to avoid any loud reaction that would have alarmed Stellar further. Cheerliee seemed to have not been expecting it as she tilted her head in surprise. "I should have known something like this would come back to bite me."


"The past does seem to have an unfortunate way of haunting us," Cheerilee agreed, looking over to where Stellar and Dinky were still working.


Diamond followed her gaze and allowed herself to smile slightly. Her little star had relaxed again and was focusing down on the lesson she'd missed, occasionally asking Dinky to explain certain points. The fact she was back to her usual smart, driven self now that she wasn't thinking about what had happened furthered the suspicions in Diamond Tiara's mind and cemented the plan she'd been making.


"Yeah, but it won't go the same way this time," She said as she looked back to Cheerilee. "What I'm going to try might sound unorthodox, probably crazy. But I think I can get through to her by myself. Just, trust me on this."


"I do." Cheerilee replied, leaning forward and watching with interest.


Diamond nodded and made her way down to the back row of desks, trying to gauge Stellar's reaction when she noticed. The filly glanced up at her approach and then did a double-take, remaining in place but glancing over at Dinky as if judging how quickly she could hide behind her. Her eyes showed a mix of nerves, confusion, and a little hope. That was better than expected and an extra boost to the hope that the plan would work. It all hinged on two questions that might sound wrong to say, but she knew...Hoped, they wouldn't get that reaction.


"Hey sweetie, you managing alright?" Diamond asked as she sat down next to Stellar's desk. The filly tensed and hesitated to reply but didn't shy away this time.


"I-I'm alright. Miss Hooves says my geography is really good." Stellar replied quietly, looking back at the paper on her desk.


"You always were better at it than I was," Diamond said with a chuckle. Despite still being relaxed and friendly, she was sweating bullets on the inside. "So, me and Mrs Cheerilee have been talking a little about what happened earlier."


"Oh, okay?"


"I know you're shaken by what Mach Storm claimed, about what I'm like, so I just wanted to ask you something that will make it simpler for us both to understand," Diamond smiled reassuringly, a silent promise that she wasn't going to try anything mean before continuing. "Are you worried that I don't love you anymore? Or that I never did?"


"I...Ah..." Stellar looked away and rubbed her leg, huddling herself up further. The look in her eyes, the feeling that a fear might be coming true, said it all though. Diamond glanced up for a brief moment to see Dinky backing off to give them space and flashed a look of silent thanks before looking forward again. Time for the hard part.


"Because, if you think that, then we can always talk about finding somepony else to adopt you. Make sure-"


"No!" Stellar cried, shooting up and trying to lean toward her mother in a panic.Her movements put her too near the edge of her seat though and she immediately overbalanced and fell...Straight into Diamond Tiara's waiting hooves that had shot out to catch her instantly. 


Stellar looked up and saw only a gentle, sympathetic look greeting her in return, the face of a parent who only wanted to see their child happy. She responded by wrapping her front legs round Diamond's chest and hugging her tight, burying her face in chest fur. If she had been attempting to hold back tears during this time, then at this point the floodgates opened and she starting making muffled but loud sobs.


"Hey, sssssh, it's okay. I wasn't being serious." Diamond told her softly, hugging Stellar in return and stroking her back. Seeing her daughter so upset from her fears, and likely from what she had done to help bring them to light, tore her up inside and she could feel a few tears of her own forming. For a minute they simply held each other, the only thing in the world that mattered being the pony in front of them.


"I...I-I-I don't...Don't go," Stellar eventually said, lifting her head and looking up with teary eyes. "I don't want to believe him. I still love you, momma."


"And no matter what anypony might say, I love you too. I always will. I'd never willingly let you be alone again. Ever." Diamond said, her voice cracking from emotion as she held the filly closer, gently wiping her tears away.


"I, should have known. I just wanted...Anything that would make him stop talking about you like that."


"It's okay sweetie, we'll make sure he understands what he tried to do so he never bothers you again. I need to ask though, did anything he say make you worry about not having your cutie mark yet?"


"It, it might," Stellar rested her head against Diamond Tiara's chest, now merely sniffing slightly rather than the full blown cries of before. "What if nopony else wants to be friends with me because I don't have a cutie mark yet? Or because I get it later than them?"


Diamond nodded in understanding, suddenly feeling a fresh pang of regret over how she had used to behave. That was the past though, and the present allowed her to have an answer.


"I'm going to let you in on a secret," She told Stellar, watching as the filly dried her eyes and nodded. "You and Mach Storm reminds me a lot of the filly I used to pick on for not having a cutie mark. Even worse than he did with you. You know who that was?"


"N-no." Stellar answered with curiosity. This past filly had been mentioned to her before but she'd never learned who it was.


"It was Scootaloo."


Diamond couldn't help but smile to herself at the surprised look on Stellar's face. She and Scootaloo had been good friends for years now and Stellar had known her ever since she had been adopted, to the point of referring to her as her aunt Scootaloo.


"R-really?" The filly eventually asked in disbelief.


"Really. Because nopony is truly going mind about what your cutie mark is, or even if you don't have one. And if you're still worried, I'm sure you can talk to her and her friends for help. They're pretty good at figuring out ways to find what you're meant to do."


Stellar nodded and pressed close again, relaxing a little further in her mother's hold. Diamond smiled warmly and held her in turn, she knew enough to be satisfied that she would be alright for now. A quick look aside showed both Cheerilee and Dinky had been watching with similar looks on their faces; Surprise at the unorthodox approach but impressed at just how well it had worked out. She had to admit was feeling the same. As well as pride in her little star for handling a lesson she could only wish she had learned herself so well.


And, she mused as she stroked Stellar Nova's mane gently, a little pride in herself for settling her own fears. They may not have been a conventional family, but nopony could say they weren't as close as one.
> A Canopy of Stars (Twilight/Applejack/Spike/Rainbow/Fluttershy)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ponyville Hospital
March 10th, Year 23 under the Four Princesses





The deepest night held domain over Equestria. The cloudless skies let countless stars shine down upon the land, bathing every home in a gentle light that aided ponies in their sleep. The world currently belonged to the princess of the night as Luna wandered the dreams of her subjects to ensure that everypony was free of the concerns that lingered in their hearts during the day. A small number of ponies remained awake during the night as well, savouring the beautiful night in the moments away from their duties. Some of those ponies were less able to appreciate it though, being so used to sleeping through the darkness that they struggled to adapt when circumstances forced them to remain awake.


Right now, Applejack was definitely among the latter group.


It wasn't that she hadn't gone through sleepless nights before. The earth pony had experienced more than her fair share in the past few months. Normally she was awake right from the start though, tonight she had been asleep for an hour before being awoken by a rapid hammering at her front door instead. Most of the following hours had passed in a haze. The only thing she could explicitly remember were the words of the pegasus stallion that had been at the door, how he'd quickly explained to her that it was time and that Twilight Sparkle was taking Fluttershy to the hospital and if she could watch Mist Chaser while he was at his wife's side please? Applejack didn't really remember the dash through town that had followed, just that she was now sitting in a waiting room with the gray pegasus colt she'd been asked to look after dozing against her chest, the silence broken only the ticking of the clock above her and the occasional tap of a hoof against linoleum.


"Applejack, are you sure you don't want to let me watch Mist Chaser while you get some sleep? You look like you're about to fall out of your chair."


Applejack gave a small smile and looked up to the seats next to her. It was still unmistakably Spike's voice even after all these years. It felt like only yesterday that the dragon had still been a kid she had thrown herself against a group of timberwolves to rescue from the Everfree Forest. Back then, he wouldn't have even filled one of these chairs when sitting down. Now he could lie across four of them at once without even stretching out. 


Spike had grown more than any of her friends over the past decade and could now stand eye to eye with a grown stallion, or Celestia herself if he got onto his back legs. His scales now had a slight sheen to them, his features had elongated and shifted to more draconic proportions and his voice was smoother with an accent to it that more than a few ponies found charming. One thing that had never changed though, was the fact he was a noble dragon who was always by Twilight's side.


"Thanks Spike, but I..." Applejack started before yawning. "Ah think I can still manage right now. Fluttershy's gonna want us all awake as soon as she's ready."


"It could still be hours though. If it's not minding my strength you're worried about, well, Silent Breeze did entrust him to the strongest mare in Equestria."


"Good point. Alright drake, if I really need some shut-eye he's all yours." Applejack replied, Spike grinning and nodding at the use of her nickname for him.


"I wouldn't worry about Spike's abilities. He's surprisingly good with foals when somepony brings theirs up to the castle." Twilight's voice came from nearby, both of them turning to greet the princess of friendship as she joined them, a tray of drinks held in her magic.


Time had been kind to the youngest alicorn of Equestria. Her body had adapted over the past twenty-three years and grown to match her magic. Physically she was now a match for Princess Cadance in appearance and strength, magically she was even more powerful than her old foalsitter. She had grown mentally as well. After suffering a major breakdown after defeating the last significant threat to Equestria many years ago, Celestia and Luna had both helped her to recover and learn from the experience. Twilight had become much more capable as a leader in the aftermath, even if her duties meant she had less time to be with her friends than she did in the old days.


She was here now though, all three of them were. Given how spread out the elements of harmony were at present, that was something.


As much as it stung to think about, Twilight, Spike and Applejack all knew that they may be the only ones among their friends who even knew Fluttershy was in her current situation. Rarity had travelled to Manehatten several days ago to join Sweetie Belle in a business related matter, even if she knew she wouldn't be able to get back in time. Pinkie Pie was currently in the San Palomino desert to the south on a hunt of some kind, one Applejack quietly disapproved of as Pinkie had taken Apple Bloom along as a companion for whatever zany task she was set to. Rainbow Dash had been in Ponyville after returning from some secret project in Canterlot, but today she had gone out to Cloudsdale to catch up with her former teammates in the Wonderbolts and since the sky city was near the border with the Crystal Empire today, it would be even harder for her to know than for Rarity. Even Scootaloo would have been a welcome presence right now but she was currently recovering in a Canterlot hospital after a botched stunt performance.


Twilight sighed slightly to herself as she put the tray down once everyone had taken a cup and sat down next to Applejack. Whether she was thinking about their absent friends or other pressing matters was up for debate. She seemed to been dealing with an extra pressure since the new year began. Applejack had seen the look before, yet another piece of Equestria's past potentially threatening it's future. It made sense for her to be worried, the last major enemy she had had to face was Starlight Glimmer and with both how that had ended and the passage of time, there was every chance whatever was coming next would still be a serious challenge. The only one who seemed to have any idea what she was going through was Spike, though he wouldn't give up Twilight's secrets if his life depended on it.


Applejack shifted in her seat and looked over to Twilight, trying to think of something they could talk about to take her mind off of things. But before she could open her mouth the colt resting against her chest began to stir, disturbed by her movements. AJ looked back down at him and waited, knowing from her own experience many years ago that trying to talk to a foal too soon when waking up was more confusing than helpful.


"M-mom?" Mist Chaser asked slowly once he was sufficiently awake, his blue eyes meeting Applejack's green ones and immediately tensing slightly as his seven year old mind tried to comprehend why he was in her hold and not Fluttershy's.


"Your..." Applejack's eyes flicked up to the clock to try and guess how long they had been here. It was still only twenty to two. "Your momma's a little busy right now. She's told you about what's happening right?"


"Yeah...Little Sister..." The colt murmured.


"Well, Fluttershy's just putting together the final things needed for your little sister to live with y'all. It's still late though, so if you settle down and go back to sleep, then your sister will be waiting for you when ya wake up."


Mist nodded slowly and relaxed again, Applejack rubbing a soothing hoof up and down his back until the colt drifted back to sleep against her. Twilight and Spike both silently watched, impressed by what they were seeing. Applejack may not have any children of her own but she certainly didn't lack for experience with foals.


"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen a kid settle down so quickly," Spike finally commented quietly, eyes shining with respect. "You're a natural at this."


"Aww shucks, it's just down to a little know-how is all." Applejack replied as she leaned back in her seat again, making sure not to disturb the colt again.


"Experience is right. With how good you are I'm actually a little surprised that you've never had foals of your own." Twilight added. Applejack tensed slightly and looked back down at Mist Chaser. Much as she didn't want to discuss the topic, Twilight sounded more engaged in the conversation now and maybe getting it out in the open with another of her friends would help her too.


"It's just, ah'm, still not sure I've found the pony I want to settle down with. I know what yer thinking but, things with Bounty changed a lot back in January and there's somepony else that's come in an' got me rethinking about everything."


"You have feelings for them both?" Twilight asked, leaning forward slightly. Applejack couldn't help but perk up slightly as she saw the familiar gleam in her friend's eyes. That desire to help and learn. Even if this didn't go anywhere, the fact her mood had shifted was a win for now.


"I guess so. But aside from the risk of hurting either of them if or when ah choose, there's also Bounty himself. You know as well as I do how he was taking it when he'd just found out his life was-"


"Hey, did I make it?"


Both Twilight and Applejack jumped slightly at the familiar voice coming down the corridor to the waiting room. Two ponies and one dragon looked round as Rainbow Dash rushed into the waiting room and skidded to a halt next to them. The pegasus was panting hard and almost instantly dropped back onto her haunches, completely spent from flying halfway across Equestria so quickly. Spike slowly offered her his drink which she took and downed quickly.


"Don't worry Rainbow, you made it in time." Twilight reassured her.


"Oh, good. I mean I was planning to stay overnight in Cloudsdale so I only found out an hour ago and going cross country at night isn't exactly easy but I knew Fluttershy would kill me if I missed this again." Rainbow continued, rubbing her front hooves together. The others let her continue for a minute, knowing she was simply working her adrenaline off, before drawing her attention back to why they were here.





The wait was slightly more bearable with another friend present and time seemed to pass a little more quickly for all of them. Twilight and Rainbow were content to talk among themselves and catch up on what had been happening in the weeks since they had last seen each. Applejack did her best to join in but the lure of sleep was getting the better of her and eventually she passed Mist Chaser over to Spike before dropping into a exhausted slumber. Spike himself simply watched and listened. Life with Twilight tended to be so hectic that stepping back and being an observer to the happenings of the world had become his favourite way to relax. The light of Celestia's sunrise had begun filtering through the waiting room windows before anything around them changed.


"Twilight, I get it," Rainbow Dash told her friend as they finished their current discussion. "If you, Spike and Princess Celestia all saw it then I believe you. I'm just saying that other ponies might think it sounds like some kind of weird alicorn conspiracy if you tell it like that."


"I know, but the idea that such a thing is still out there...It, still worries me."


"It would worry anypony."


"Err, guys?" Spike said to them as he reached a clawed hand out and gently shook Applejack to wake her.


Twilight and Rainbow looked back toward him, seeing what he was trying to get their attention for. The door opposite their chairs that led from the waiting room to the wards had opened and a pegasus stallion was waiting there. Bronze furred, silver maned and amber eyed, he looked even more tired than any of the four waiting but still carried an inextinguishable joy in his expression.


"Silent Breeze," Twilight said as she got up, the others following. "Is Fluttershy alright?"


"She...I..." Silent Breeze took a breath and rubbed his eye, managing to break into a proper smile. "We're all alright. Fluttershy's done amazingly, all things considered. She's ready for you all to come through now."


The ponies exchanged joyous looks before following him into the wards, Spike making sure to pass Mist Chaser back to Applejack since even her muscular frame was easier to fit through the door than his and was less likely to disturb the sleeping colt. The walk through to the ward was quiet, each pony and dragon still trying to stave off their tiredness a little longer for the moment they had stayed for in the first place. The ward they moved into was mostly empty as well, only one of the dozen beds having a pony in it. The familiar yellow coat Fluttershy resting on her left side with her back to the entrance in it radiated with warmth and joy though, the kind of feeling that only a mother could experience. The group moved round to her front and waited as she slowly lifted her head, taking in each of them.


"You all made it." Fluttershy said quietly, her voice strained as though she'd been shouting for hours. Considering that an IV drip was hooked up to her right foreleg as well, she seemed to have had a rough night. The others managed to bite back their concern at it for now though.


"I told you we would," Rainbow told her gently. "Rare and Pinkie are here in spirit too."


"I know...Is Mist there?"


"Right here." Applejack said as she lowered the colt down onto the bed to rest against his mother's stomach.


Fluttershy smiled more as she lifted her hoof, letting the others see what was under it. Lying there, nestled up against her chest, was a small foal. A newborn pegasus filly. Her coat was an orange like a marigold flower and with a short, blue-gray tail. The beginnings of a mane in the same colour were visible atop her head and a set of wings were pressed tightly to her sides. Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash couldn't help but smile warmly at the sight while Silent Breeze leaned in and nuzzled his wife lovingly.


"Congratulations, Fluttershy." Twilight said softly, stepping aside slightly so Spike could come forward for a better look.


"Woah, she's so small." He commented quietly, watching as Fluttershy slowly moved Mist Chaser closer so he was sleeping next to his little sister.


"Actually, she's has a slightly larger birth size than most foals." Twilight told him, unable to resist chuckling slightly at his dumbfounded look of surprise.


"So, have you decided on a name yet?" Applejack asked, watching with no small sense of joy.


"I think we finally have." Fluttershy replied, pressing a little closer to her foals and relaxing into the bed.


"We have?" Silent asked, getting a small giggle from Fluttershy in return.


"Yes. I know we had a lot of ideas but right now, with our friends here, in the adorable colours she has..." She looked up and smiled as she saw him understanding. "I think, Star Glider."


"Yes. Yes I think so." Silent Breeze replied, smiling more as he wrapped a hoof around Fluttershy's back and hugged her lovingly, finally letting tears that he'd been holding back for hours start to fall.


"I think it's perfect." Twilight commented, Applejack, Rainbow and Spike all voicing their approval as well. Fluttershy smiled up at them all in silent thanks before settling down to rest again. While everypony would need to separate again soon for some much needed rest, for now they could simply enjoy the moment together. It almost felt like the old days of being together, a feeling each of them realised they'd missed more than they thought.
> Hidden Scars (Peace Walker)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Groundside University Hospital, Las Pegasus
April 6th, Year 23 under the Four Princesses






The silence was unbearable.


There was nothing she could do to break it though. Nopony was due to check on her for several hours, the drizzle coming down from the clouds that made up Las Pegasus' sky district wasn't loud enough to knock on the window, even the clock in the room had an unnaturally quiet tick. There wasn't much else in there either, just a standard hospital bed, a bedside table with a small vase of flowers in it, and the occupant pony herself. A sapphire blue earth mare with a short, professionally cut platinum mane, saffron orange eyes that gave off a sense of tired resignation and a black peace symbol for a cutie mark. Peace Walker knew that at least she didn't have to be here, bored out of her skull, for much longer, the doctors had only needed to treat her for mild dehydration, tomorrow though she was being transferred back to Canterlot for more...Psychological help.


It was one thing to stand her ground in the face of a lunatic like Starlight Glimmer while Pinkie Pie and Apple Bloom got the unicorn's prisoners to safety. It was something else to deal with everything that had been done to her before that night a week ago. Held against her will, stripped of everything that made her special or given her a personality, abused in just about every sense of the word...Just the slightest thought of it made her mind lock up all over again. At the time, too much had been riding on her, combined with the rush of getting her cutie mark back and pure adrenaline, for her to put any thought toward it. Now though, with nothing to do and being back into good health, it just kept coming up in her mind, looming over her like an untouchable spectre. It was, for lack of a better word, depressing. Even now she simply sat by the window, resting her head on the ledge, silently watching the rain fall over an otherwise energetic city and the South Luna Ocean beyond. It was much easier to turn her mind off that way and simply lose herself to focusing on the spots of rain.


This wasn't what she'd expected to happen when she'd joined the Equestria Defence Force all those years ago. Of course, back when she'd joined she hadn't expected to become a full soldier after the way her training had gone. Transferring into a recon unit had been a good move, scouting trouble spots across Equestria for the frontline troops. By the start of the year it all seemed to be working out, steady work, surprisingly stable social life and a husband who understood what it meant to have a military partner. Then she'd been deployed to the San Palomino Desert, been caught by Starlight's accomplice and everything had gone to Tartarus. Now here she was, trapped with her wide awake nightmares.


Her ears twitched slightly as she heard the door to her room opening. Compared to the silence that her come before it, even that sound of a regular slow opening cut through the air as firmly as if the door had been slammed open. Normally such a sound would have been jarring but in her current mind-set it was a welcome relief to break the monotony. It still took a few moments to re-engage her brain from the numbing sight outside before she lifted her head and back toward the door. Standing there was an earth pony stallion with a russet coat, though much of it was obscured by a grey body glove that was clearly designed to cushion armour panels. Only his head and neck were left open, leaving a trimmed gold mane, steely but concerned emerald eyes and a general look of worry. In spite of her mood, Peace couldn't help but smile at the sight.


"Bulwark? You're still here?" She asked softly, feeling a wash of relief as he nodded. Just the fact her husband was standing in the same room as her helped her mental state more than she'd realised. At this point she also noticed something wrapped up on his back, overlooked in the initial joy of seeing him.


"Well I wasn't going to leave without checking you were alright, was I?" Considering how stocky he was, every bit the image of a soldier, he carried a lot of emotion in his voice.


"Yeah, I guess you wouldn't. Don't you have a guard detail to stand though?" Peace asked as she turned and looked back at him fully, doing her best not to look too worn down.


"Ah, Buddy and Soul transferred her out earlier today," Bulwark explained, getting a small shake of the head from his wife for it. She never understood how his squad, or really any of the Defence Force units, came up with such nicknames for each other. "The rest of us were given a few hours off duty before we have to head back to HQ so I went and got something for you to make things more bearable until we can both get home."


Every time he came out with things like that, she couldn't help but stop and wonder how she'd been so lucky to meet a stallion like him. If she'd been pressed for an answer she would have to say dumb luck, the two had first met during a self-defence class where he had ultimately thrown a sparring match against her after realising she needed the confidence of the win more than anything. At the end of the next class she'd sought him out, told him she'd understood what he'd done and treated him to a round at the bar as thanks. That had been the beginning of their friendship that had eventually spiralled into something more. As Peace Walker got up from her spot and moved closer to him, she told herself that she was alright now, that there was nothing to worry about with her husband here to help her through it.


Then she felt his hooves round her shoulders in what was meant to be a gentle, caring hug.


Her entire body went rigid instantly. Her mind locked up for a moment before memories she'd desperately tried to shun came flooding back. The quiet but peaceful hospital room was gone from around her, twisted into a cold room of stone with barely any light. Her mind screamed for any kind of movement from her body, movement that was denied to her not by Bulwark's hold but from a turquoise magic aura that pressed uncomfortably against her, forcing her body to move only according to the whim of its master, Starlight Glimmer. She could see only darkness beyond her, broken only by the silhouette of what she knew to be an amber unicorn silently watching. She could feel a body press against her chest, breath at her neck. The hold around her eyelids loosened up enough for her to scrunch them shut tight. Her breathing was shallow and quick,  her chest constantly stopped short of the full exhales it wanted by the force of magic before her.


She couldn't think, could barely feel. She was trapped...Again...She could hear the word 'discipline' echoing faintly through her mind as a hoof went to her side and slowly traced downward, taking in the feel of her barrel. Muscles she didn't even know she had were tensing up as she realised what Starlight was planning, the aura around her legs tightening as she did to ensure she couldn't move an inch.


She couldn't let it happen, not again.


Peace gathered every remaining shred of willpower she had left and felt the life coming back to her legs. Her front hooves went up to the mass at her front and bucked forward in defiance. The hold around her shattered and she gasped for a full breath as she staggered backward, landing flat on her rump. The world came back into focus around her slowly, her breathing returning to normal but her vision distorted as she realised she had started tearing up. She was back in reality though, sitting on a chilly but not stone floor, neither of the two psychopaths she had been held by before her, only her confused and concerned lover who had merely tried to show her support and been refuted so strongly. She hadn't meant to hurt him. He may not be showing it but she knew that she had hit him in her attempt to get some space and that thought, that she had been affected strongly enough to not feel safe with the closest pony in her life, that hurt her more than anything.


"I...I'm sorry, I..." She panted, looking down at herself and realising her hooves were shaking as well. "I just...Things, a lot of things happened, back in the compound."


"I see..." Bulwark replied quietly, stepping next to Peace and sitting down next to her. He didn't make any movements just yet, knowing that if there was any further contact it would have to be on her terms. "Did she, Starlight, do anything to you?"


"...Yes."


"Well, she's lucky I can't reach her anymore." He replied, calmly, but she knew him well enough to know just what he wanted to do. Peace sighed slightly and subconsciously leaned herself against his side, feeling that familiar muscle tone beneath the body glove.


"I know. It's just...I don't even know why. You mean everything to me and yet..." Peace shifted slightly in place, feeling her body steadily start to relax again. Simple contact like this still left her hackles slightly raised but she could bear it to know that the stallion she loved was there with her.


"It's ok sweetie, we'll work through this together." Bulwark replied softly, smiling down at Peace reassuringly. She managed to smile back, hiding the fact that between his duties and where she'd be going, she'd have to work through the worst of it without him. Any kind of distraction from that thought would be welcome.


"So, what was your gift?" She finally asked, sounding a little more like herself as she stood up again.


"Oh, yeah!" He stood up just after and went to fetch the package that he'd dropped in the confusion. By the time he'd brought it over, Peace Walker had returned to the bed and settled herself down on it, taking it when it was offered and opening it up, easily ripping through the brown paper and string to the contents inside.


"A pony guide to the figures of Minotaur mythology?" She commented as she examined the leather bound tome inside the wrapping. She sounded happier than expected about it, welcoming both a distraction and another opportunity to examine her religious outlook from a fresh angle.


"Modern edition, so it includes their adjustments to include Equestrian figures." He confirmed, chuckling at the little squee she gave in response.


"You're amazing, you know that?" Peace said, managing a proper smile at her husband again. She knew that this might be the last time she could see him for who knew how long. At least she had something both to help keep her calm and remember him by in the meantime.





By the time Bulwark needed to leave, Peace Walker had managed to calm herself back to a normal level again. She still couldn't bring herself to show any of the closer gestures of love and affection that she both wanted to and felt he deserved. Every time she'd tried, she memories came back and she locked up again. It still stung that that was the worst that had been done to her, but at the same time it only made her more determined to find a way through. She had beaten Starlight Glimmer in a physical battle, now she needed everything she could get to win the mental battle. She really wished she didn't have to do it alone though. Even as she said goodbye to Bulwark as night had fallen outside, she already regretted that she wouldn't be able to follow him. The nature of his unit meant she hadn't even been able to ask where he was being deployed next.


Back on her own, with only the ceiling light of the room, she could feel the memories creeping back up from dwelling within her. She wasn't alone this time though, she was stronger. Peace laid herself out on the bed and took the book her husband had given her again, starting up where she'd left off from an initial skim through. Some ponies found it odd that she not only practiced a Minotaur religion but welcomed alternate angles on it. Right now though it was even more of a blessing than usual, she was quickly becoming so engrossed in the writing that everything else had been pushed from her mind. Either she was going to get into trouble for staying up so late, or somepony was going to find her after she'd read herself to sleep. Either way, she was going into tomorrow tired but far more prepared for the biggest challenge of her life, in her own way.


"So if 'Kemas' is Celestia, then it was Luna's actions that led to Parre becoming the redeemed and returning to God? Huh." Peace mused to herself as she turned another page.
> He Can See You Now (Starlight Glimmer)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot Dungeons
August 16th, Year 23 under the Four Princesses





On the surface, Canterlot was a shining beacon of hope for ponykind. A white and gold jewel at the heart of the world. Those that knew the city a little better though, also knew that it was a stronghold. A place to keep those that would interfere with the harmony of the land, but not dangerous enough to be consigned to Tartarus for their crimes, were kept where they could do no harm to anypony. Equestria as a whole had a relatively low crime rate and had been free from war for millennia, so the dungeons that lay below the great castle were typically only used for more serious crimes.


The first level of the dungeons were the most used, yet the most lightly guarded. Local criminals were typically held here until the Royal Guard were able to deal with them, though occasionally they were used for more savoury purposes like accommodation during extreme influxes of ponies into the capital. The second level was where things were taken seriously, a constant guard presence keeping watch on those who's crimes were serious enough to warrant trial by high judges or even one of the princesses. Many ponies were unaware that there even was a third level, but there was indeed such a thing, a holding ground for ponies that presented an outright threat to Equestria. It was only compromised of two rooms, a checkpoint manned by Royal Guard elites and Equestria Defence Force soldiers, and a sixty square foot room beyond that. Fifty-five square feet of it were encased in a cyan field of magic that could only be passed through from the outside, ensuring no way for any pony entering to leave by their own will.


Such a level of security was rarely needed, but a time had come again where it was in use. Only one pony sat within the confinement of the 'cell' at present.


Starlight Glimmer.


She'd been here for at least four months now and it hadn't taken long to learn enough to know that she wasn't going to break out in a hurry. The field around her had been modified through some incredibly advanced magic from the princesses to receive an extra charge by her own inherent magic. The more she used at a time, the stronger it would become. The guards had made it clear from the start that charging up an attempt to teleport or use offensive magic would overload the field with unpleasant and potentially lethal consequences. How it had glowed and flared in response to even low level magic was enough to convince her they weren't bluffing. The beating she had taken from Peace Walker and Sunset Shimmer meant she currently wasn't strong enough to try and escape either way, leaving her to find other means of passing the time. The 'cell' was large enough for exercise but she spent most of her time thinking instead.


She was used to it, she'd spent the better part of twenty years in much worse conditions, doing nothing but thinking. Those former thoughts had been nothing but the machinations of a twisted mind though, filled with burning hatred, irrational jealousy and an obsession with upholding a petty desire to be proven right. All that time she had thought about why she had tried to take over Equestria, only now she was finally putting time into thinking about the how. Even if she had succeeded in the original, if blatantly crazy, plan of starving a population touching on hundreds of thousands into revolution and subjecting each of them to equalification in the aftermath had worked, there was still one little detail. There would always be one pony who would not only bring her plans down no matter what, but held such influence over her that the mere mention of them had snapped her back to reality.


Sunburst. In the entirety of those isolated decades, Starlight had never even given so much as a thought to what her fillyhood friend would think of her grand plans. Now that she had though, she realised that she had never given any thought to if she could really bring herself to make him join her cause. The old, more evil Starlight Glimmer probably would have done it without even recognising him, completely forgetting the reason she started down that path in the first place. This more rational side of her knew that she wouldn't have been able to go through with it, though that just left an extra sense of regret, about how...How pointless all her efforts had been. Dozens of ponies subjected to her brainwashing, some getting even worse than that, who knew how many lives ruined. And for what? Nothing of benefit to anypony, in short.


Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of activity coming from the checkpoint. She looked over toward in surprise, her body telling her it was too early to them to be bringing her food and the fact she had been allowed a hoofball for a few hours yesterday meant they probably weren't giving her some other entertainment so soon. Even as she watched, the connecting gate opened and a unicorn stepped into the room, one she didn't recognise from her usual rota of guards. He was bronze coloured, his long flowing mane silver with a white trim on the edge near his face. His hazel eyes kept watching Starlight as he stepped aside, the angle leaving his cutie mark out of sight. His horn glowed white and her eyes widened slightly as his own paled at the same time. She'd never seen magic have that effect on a pony before.


The second unicorn that entered the room managed to draw her attention as soon as he stepped in, recognising him on the spot. Orange coated with cream coloured markings on his hooves and the bridge of his muzzle, eyes a blue-green mix, a deep red with pale orange streaks adorning his mane, tail and a small goatee. His cutie mark was the most recognisable feature though, an orange sun surrounded by blue stars with a group of yellow rays emerging from the lower quarter. Starlight's ears folded back sadly, she hadn't wanted this moment to come this way but it had been forced on her now. She swallowed her nerves and refocused on the moment. For better or worse, she was finally seeing her old friend, formerly only friend.


"Su-Sunburst?" Starlight asked quietly, half hoping that she was about to be proven wrong.


"Hello, Starlight." Sunburst replied as he stepped closer to the magic field. While he was remaining civil, the wary look in his eye and tone of voice indicated that he was at least somewhat aware of what she had done. Starlight thought for a moment before stepping up to the field herself, trying to ignore how it glowed slightly brighter in proximity to its power source.


"It's, been a long time."


"It has..." He looked away for a second before sighing and looking straight back at her. "Starlight, I...I'm sorry, but they told me what happened before I arrived here. Conspiracy to overthrow the throne, detaining ponies against their will, three different varieties of assault...I-I-I just can't believe it. I know things were a little strained the last time we saw other but to go so far down such a dark path...What happened to you?"


He was clearly trying his best to be civil but there was no hiding the confusion and disappointment in his voice. Starlight sat down and looked at the floor, trying to figure out how she was going to explain this. This wasn't like when she'd been exposed at her first village all those years ago. Even if she wasn't trying to outwit anypony this time, there was no way to try and put a positive spin on what she'd done . Hundreds of possible reactions and answers were making themselves known inside her head and she could only focus on one, the one that explained everything she had done for the last two decades. She did her best to sound completely honest as she found her voice.


"I made a bad decision...Followed by a lot of worse decisions."


"I see." Sunburst kept watching her, the other pony stepping closer to them, his horn still glowing all the while.


"Yeah. I...In short, I blamed your cutie mark for everything, started a Tartarus-bent crusade to rid Equestria of them, got defeated by the Elements of Harmony and lost my mind to my obsession. The details are kind of fuzzy to me after so much, but apparently that was followed by messing with time itself, spending a long time in a dungeon and then trying again after I got out."


"Oh..." Sunburst shifted in place, running a hoof against his goatee as he processed just what she'd done, the kind of magic that would take. "That's, impressive, in a warped way."


"Yeah..." She slowly looked up, finally pushing herself to make eye contact with him. To her surprise, he didn't look angry or saddened at what she'd done. He looked...Lost, like he was trying to comprehend why this had happened more than anything. That look hurt her more than any of the others could have, feeling like her only friend was looking at her like she was a complete stranger.


Starlight sat down again, starting to feel the emotions of everything she'd gone through starting to pile up on her. Sadness, frustration, anger, guilt, regret, those were the most prominent among the conflicting feelings inside her. Her vision blurred slightly as her body fought to stay focused, it took a few moments for her to realise that it wasn't just blurring from the crushing sense that everything she had ever done had only served to take away everything that truly mattered to her, but from tears starting to well up as she remembered the exact moment that had brought her madness to an end.





"So, assuming in a hypothetical and totally impossible scenario, you would also do this to...Sunburst?"


"...How do you know his name?" Starlight stepped back, a small flux of magic building around her horn. Pinkie Pie eyed it warily but even she could tell from the tone of voice, stance and look in her eye that Starlight had been thrown off guard by the question.


"Twilight was just about willing to tell me about his part in your history. You didn't want to deal with the fact that 'everypony' includes him, but you can see it. How do you think he would react if he could see you now?"





That question had just been answered. 


Sunburst could see her now, and his reaction had hurt her more than anything else in the world could.


"I'm...I'm sorry." She said quietly. Sunburst blinked in surprise and stepped closer, almost putting his nose to the field.


"Starlight...?"


"I'm sorry, for what I was...What I am." She finished, voice still subdued and choking up slightly. She looked down again and felt a few tears run down her muzzle and drip to the floor, unable to contain her emotions any longer. Sunburst stood in place for a moment, trying to find the right words until he felt a hoof on his shoulder. The other unicorn had come over and tapped him gently, motioning that they needed to go as the glow round his horn faded and his eyes returned to their normal colour.


"I ah, I'm sorry too, Starlight. I wish it hadn't come to this. If I'm allowed, I'll try to see you again..." Sunburst finally said, Starlight merely trying to hold back a sob in response. The two stallions silently moved back and headed through the checkpoint. The walk was silent as they made their way back to the level above, where none other than Princess Celestia was waiting for them.


"I hoped to let you keep going longer but, I couldn't read anymore." The brown unicorn said, his voice tired but carrying a sense of optimism.


"I, understand...Sir," Sunburst replied. "Do you prefer your military or nobility title?"


"Just Aurora is fine. Thank you for agreeing to help though."


"Indeed, you may have helped your old friend more than you know." Celestia added. Sunburst nodded, deep in thought as he bowed to the princess and continued on his way out of the dungeons.


"He's a good pony, really means a lot to her." Aurora commented, looking back toward the stairs that led to Starlight's 'cell'.


"I know. But I wish to know if it helped. What did you sense in Starlight Glimmer?" Celestia asked, waiting as Aurora closed his eyes and focused.


"At first, bitterness, loathing, surprise. When they started talking, shame, honesty...Regret, guilt. Then they started coming all at once, everything too fast and intense for me to read them. The thing is, every bit of it was directed at herself. There wasn't any anger in her soul anymore, just...I suppose I'd call it a desire to feel peace again."


Aurora opened his eyes and looked up at the princess, waiting for her response. Celestia nodded and closed her eyes, her expression unreadable for several seconds before she looked back down at him and opened them again, smiling slightly.


"Do you think this means what I hope it does?" She asked. Aurora cracked a small smile of his own and nodded.


"Yes, your highness. It means there is still hope for her."
> Darkness Turned to Light (Water Flare)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

West of Equestria
October 15th, Year 23 under the Four Princesses





"Hey, Water Flare. Come on, get up."


Water Flare's eyes went from fully shut to a squint of awakening as her ears were once again deprived of sleep's silence and filled with the humming of engines. It wasn't that she was unused to waking up to noise, living in central Whinnyapolis made a pony used to that. There was no familiar bedroom waiting for her to see though, no welcome sight of her husband next to her. For the past three days her room had instead been this spartan metal cabin that had a slight stink of oil and never got any quieter. Instead of the orange coated, jonquil maned unicorn she'd grown accustomed to seeing, the unicorn stallion leaning over her was ivory coated and dark red of mane with a pair of light blue eyes staring down at her. At least she assumed so, her vision was still blurry from the sudden wake-up call.


"Rrrrr. Please, Outreach, another hour?" Water Flare groaned as she brought a hoof up and rubbed her eye to try and get some focus into it.


"I'd prefer that too, but there's something the whole crew really should see. Come to the bridge when you've woken up." Outreach replied, patting her shoulder before heading out of the room.


With a quiet groan, Flare rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and rolled onto her front. A dull ache pulsed through the left side of her chest and down her left foreleg as she did, making her look down to check it on instinct. A scar running from her left pectoral muscle up to the top of her left shoulder was all that she saw, starkly visible due to the lack of fur around it. A constant reminder of what she had suffered through to be here now, how the personal cost of that scar was far outweighed by the reason she had earned it, why she was here right now.


It had been six months since she had been part of Task Force Harmony's mission to the Barrier Mountains on the edge of Equestria. What had started as investigation into the possibility of a changeling holdout had ended up shattering ponykind's perception of the entire changeling race and involved her being dropped off a cliff in the process. One of Chrysalis' rogue changelings had taken the worst of the landing for her but she still wouldn't have survived if she hadn't stumbled upon King Thorax's changeling force that had been hunting the rebels. Although they had patched up her injuries to the point that she could walk again in no time, her efforts to rejoin the rest of the team and evacuate the area in the ensuing battle between Thorax and Chrysalis' forces had exacerbated her wounds. Even after a proper recovery period back in Equestria she still walked with a slight limp.


It was enough for her to know she couldn't keep up with regular defence force ponies anymore, let alone elite units like TFH. She'd said goodbye to her squadmates and friends. To her idol, Rainbow Dash. To her whole lifestyle as she returned home to try and decide what to do next.


It turned out she wouldn't really have the chance.


A summons to Canterlot had arrived for Water Flare a week ago, requesting her presence at an audience with Princess Celestia herself. As surprising as it was, it made sense quickly enough. Thanks in part to her actions, diplomatic relations had been opened between Equestria and the changeling kingdom of Outlani, the first peaceful contact between the two races in over fourteen hundred years. Princess Celestia had agreed to send a diplomatic envoy to the changeling capital to learn more about them. While bringing changelings to Canterlot was still out of the question, there was enough evidence that the changelings held no ill will toward ponies. Since her encounter with the changelings in Mount Silvat had included speaking directly to King Thorax and determining his changelings weren't hostile, Flare was technically one of Equestria's leading experts in changeling relations.


And to cap off the long line of surprises, she would be making the trip by zeppelin. That was something of a surprise considering they were fairly rare due to the technical know-how required to keep them going, though since the envoy had no pegasi it only made sense. Three days ago she had boarded the exploration ship Ranger at Whinnyapolis' defence base and gotten used to her temporary home while it had gathered the rest of the envoy and supplies in Tall Tale before setting off last night. It was cramped, lacked privacy and always smelled slightly of oil. Though in fairness, it was designed to only used for a few hours at a time before landing for the ponies aboard to do some exploring.


Water Flare finally convinced herself to stand up and get out of bed, glancing at the clock placed on the end of Outreach's bed as she did. Quarter to seven in the morning, not unfeasible but earlier than she'd gotten used to. With nothing else in the room to distract her aside from the beds she headed out into the hallway that ran the length of the Ranger's left side. The crew space was only a hundred feet long and with only five rooms including the bridge, engine bay and two quarters with space for eight ponies, it was a small mercy nopony aboard was claustrophobic. The view through the portholes still showed nothing but darkness outside, though there was a faintness to it that hinted Celestia had begun to raise the sun back home. She pushed her mane back out of her eyes and headed forward for the bridge, wondering what was going on.


The bridge of the airship was comparatively open compared to the rest of the crew section, windows making up the curved front wall with a trio of seats spread across the full width of the space for the pilot, navigator and engineer. All three spots were current filled by a trio of ponies. An auburn coloured, silver maned earth mare was at the helm, tired cerulean blue eyes keeping a watch on the brightening horizon. The engineer sitting on the right was a crimson unicorn stallion with a gray and tan mane, his mint green eyes constantly roaming over the readings of the various mechanisms that kept the zeppelin in the air. The navigator on the left was a light green earth mare with a bushy yellow mane and lavender eyes, poring over maps of both pony and changeling origin as she checked over their flight path.


"Ah, the gang's all here," The engineer commented as he noticed Water Flare's arrival. "Sleep any better?"


"Not badly considering the rattling, Gearhead." Flare replied, chuckling softly as he shot her a look of mock offence before turning back to his station.


She nodded and stepped forward to where Outreach was standing at the front of the bridge, along with the third member of the envoy. A chartreuse yellow earth stallion with a brown mane and turquoise eyes.


"What about you, Apple Tart?" Flare asked as she joined then, taking in the view. By now it was the verge of daybreak and the outlines of the land were visible. what seemed to be a mountain visible in the distance before them and a hilly region to the right.


"Outreach snores." He replied simply, shooting the unicorn a teasing look.


"So do you," Outreach replied, flashing a small smile before looking back at the crew. "Anywho. Horizon, Atlas Sketch, Gearhead, join us for a minute?"


With a few shared looks of confusion, all three ponies got up from their seats and joined the other three at the front. For a minute they simply stood there waiting. Then the sun began to crest the horizon, bathing the lands below them in a steadily spreading light. The significance was not lost on the six ponies watching. They were the first ponies in known history to see the changeling homeland as it was unveiled by the dawn.


Despite the variety of possibilities of what it may look like, it all came across as...Normal. Grassland and woods lay closest beneath them with a winding river headed toward the mountain ahead of them. To the left seemed to be marshland, judging by the countless small bodies of water that were starting to reflect the light. The hills on the right were still as such, though some smaller structures were becoming visible spread throughout the area.


"Wow. It's quite a view." Atlas Sketch eventually broke the silence, looking over the area in awe.


"Yeah, serene." Gearhead added.


"There's not much difference between our countries from up here..." Water Flare commented wistfully. The others gave her a look but didn't comment on it. It was no secret that she was somewhat quirky and it had to be strange to visit a land who's inhabitants she'd knowingly and willingly killed, even if they were effectively terrorists to both Equestria and Outlani.


For a minute the six of them simply remained in place, letting their expectations adjust now they could see the lay of the land. Then Apple Tart perked slightly and leaned forward, drawing the attention of the others as they tried to spot what he had. A pair of black dots had appeared just on the edge of the horizon, just becoming visible in the increasing light. While Horizon returned to the helm as a precaution the dots became bigger, steadily gaining features as they closed in. It was a pair of the regular changelings, identical in appearance to the kind most ponies were familiar with, though the one on the left had light red eyes and carapace while the one on the right had the more familiar blue. As they reached the front of the airship they pulled off and dropped into a position just to the right of the bridge, close enough to speak with the ponies.


"Yees nectix hi equis boloe?" The red changeling called to his hornless companion, shouting slightly over the rush of air.


"Wou," The other replied with a more feminine voice before shifting closer to the nearest window so she could talk to those on board. "Pony delegation, we have been instructed by King Thorax to welcome you to Outlani. We will guide you in to the capital of Vaire and direct you to the palace."


"Alright, we'll follow your lead. Thank you for the welcome." Outreach replied, stepping over to the window to make it a little easier on both sides. The changeling nodded before looking back at the airship, scratching her jaw in confusion.


"Err, this fast as you go?"





The following hour passed smoothly with the Ranger's flight crew guiding the zeppelin toward the mountain they had seen at first while Water Flare, Outreach and Apple Tart freshened up and got breakfast. Food thankfully wasn't going to be a concern, supply space was enough to last a week with eight frugal ponies on board and there was more than enough grass on the ground. Any remaining time was spent back on the bridge, taking in the full view now that the sun was rising further or doing their best to make small talk with the changeling duo that were now flying on either side of the bridge. The language barrier proved farily firm though and at they were only properly able to exchange few details with the pair beyond names. Oba for the red changeling and Soam for the blue. Flare was certain the pair were an item from the body language one of them exhibited when the other was mentioned and it made sense, using their love for each other to keep their energy up in flight.


As the airship rounded the mountain the changelings broke off from their position and moved to the front, motioning for the ponies to follow them in. As Horizon and Gearhead got to work on initiating landing procedures, the other four got their first look at the changeling capital. What they saw caused more than one jaw to drop. The mountain itself was approximately three thousand feet tall, slightly shorter than the one Canterlot was established on. Vaire was spread out far further than the pony capital though, stone building exteriors and entrances to the mountain spread almost the entire way up. A plaza of sorts had been carved out about a third of the way up, around two hundred square feet and seemingly cleared out for the Ranger to land at. A river ran past the north face of the mountain and a number of buildings and bridges had been set up there for unknown purposes. As amazing as it looked, they all knew that there was likely far more on the interior.


"Alright, need a clear view here." Horizon told the others, waiting for the four of them to move behind him before he started bringing the airship in toward the plaza. 


Even though there was fair space on all sides he kept it slow and careful on the way down, indicating for Gearhead to shut down the engine as they descended. Once the unicorn had headed to the engine bay and down so, he dropped the final few meters and brought the airship to as gentle a halt as possible without proper landing gear.


"Alright, now it's over to you three." Horizon said as he got up and stretched, smiling in satisfaction at how smoothly that had gone.


"Don't you want to come with us? Take in the sights and meet new changelings?" Flare asked as she glanced out the windows, only to be met with a shake of the head.


"Tempting, but after keeping my ship in the air that long, I'm going to sleep. Atlas, what about you?"


"Sleep does sound good, maybe bring me a map back as a gift," Atlas said, stifling a yawn before calling down the hallway. "Gearhead?"


"Already there." He called back from further back in the ship.


"Well alright, you've earned it." Apple Tart said as Outreach, Flare and him headed off the bridge.


The trio made their way to the hallway hatch and opened it up, stepping out and getting a good look at the city up close for the first time. The plaza seemed to be some kind of market normally as a number of stalls were visible near the edge of the area, though none of them were open at the time. Despite the early hour a crowd had already gathered to witness the arrivals, hundreds of changelings in every colour imaginable from those of the regular appearance, the larger regal variants and even a few of the smaller changelings born from Chrysalis' time in seclusion. The sight of the small ones brought a momentary smile to Flare's face, glad to see they had been able to return to their true home and integrate into society, especially after the abuses Aurora had told her they'd suffered while hiding out in Equestria.


"Is, this a bad thing?" Apple Tart said warily as he eyed the crowd.


"No. Despite how they look, they're all civilians," Water Flare reassured him, though she could understand the reservations. As Oba and Soam came over she turned to them. "Just for the benefit of my friends, we aren't going to have any trouble from the qeuv'gos, right?"


"No," Soam replied as she looked over at the crowds as well. "They hate Chrysalis too."


"Demmit hi salter." Oba muttered to himself.


"Folettica!" Soam hissed to her partner before shaking her head and focusing on the three ponies again, looking slightly embarrassed. "Well, if you will follow us."


With that settled and both Outreach and Tart looking more at ease, Soam and Oba led the group toward the mountain, the crowd parting for them to pass through. Up close they could see the faces of the gathered changelings conveyed myriad emotions, but by far the most prevalent was positive curiosity. As they passed the crowds and make their way into the mountain interior, Flare started making mental comparisons between the hive here and the one Chrysalis had established in Mount Silvat. 


The most obvious was the atmosphere, a lot more effort had been taken to ensure a flow of fresh air and adequate lighting had been set up so that it actually felt like somewhere a changeling, or any sapient being, would feel comfortable living. Rather than the rocky slums that had been haphazardly assembled, any houses had been intricately carved out from the rock, rather beautiful for their simplicity and elegance. Comparing the attitudes of the changelings present wasn't really fair since all the ones she'd seen before had been fighting for their lives. Overall though, there was one comparison that truly settled her thoughts on how well the changelings lived here. The overall pleasant atmosphere she felt in the air was not dissimilar from how she felt in Canterlot.


With everything being underground, it was hard to tell when they had actually entered the palace until Outreach noted that the architecture was starting to remind her of the Canterlot Royal Palace. By that point they were at the entrance to the throne room, already open with a group of four changelings waiting for them before a marble throne. From Water Flare's past experience, two of them were complete strangers. One was one of the larger breed of changelings, though standing only six and a half feet tall, with eyes and a carapace of a dull yellow colour. The other was one of the regular changeling males with white colouration to his eyes and back carapace.


The first of the familiar two was none other than King Thorax himself. He still looked an imposing figure at first sight with his dark red carapace, mane the colour of lava and strong golden eyes, eight foot stature and what looked like a crack along the carapace on his left shoulder that hadn't been there the last time they'd met. The fact he had a genuinely welcoming smile on his face helped mitigate all that though, at least somewhat. The final changeling was one of the smaller females, only about the size of a teenage mare with the familar blue-green colour to her eyes and body. The most notable thing was the massive patch of chitin missing from the right side of her chest and a third of the way down her right foreleg, leaving scarred skin visible underneath. The three ponies had to take a moment to be sure they weren't staring before finishing their approach.


"Greetings to you all," Thorax said as they came up to him, that odd echo still in his voice. "I'm glad to see you're still alright, Water Flare. Though, your leg..."


"I pushed it too hard during our escape," Flare told him. "It's still okay for living on, but not good enough to keep up with the others. It's why I'm here instead of still with them."


"I see," He replied quietly, a momentary sorrow flashing across his features before he looked back up at them. "I just hope that marks the end of your troubles."


"As do I," She stretched her neck slightly and looked over at the other two, all of them looking slightly lost at how this diplomatic affair had started off like a casual catch-up. "So. Introductions for the rest of our friends are probably in order."


"Y-yeah, good idea," Outreach said, stepping forward slightly to let the changelings get a good look at her while she tried to recompose herself. I'm Outreach, Princess Celestia's chief ambassador."


"And I'm Apple Tart, linguist and hoping to help ponykind learn your language." Tart said afterward, looking perhaps a little too proud of that title.


"A pleasure to meet you both," Thorax replied, completely nonplussed. "Allow me to introduce in turn. Auger, representative of the qeuv'gos and my advisor. Belyi, representative of the kergi'gos and minister of diplomatic affairs. And you're already familiar with Ymir, now representative of the equis'gos."


"Dolami cua makli yees ve!" Auger exclaimed, her wings fluttering slightly before she paused and looked to the white changeling next to her, flashing a look of silent asking.


"My wife is pleased to meet you all," Belyi translated, keeping his own voice level but unable to mask the curiosity in it. "As am I. It's fascinating to meet other races."


"Especially when it's a third chance at first contact," Water Flare remarked, getting a chuckle out of Thorax, Belyi and Apple Tart. She took a step forward on noticing Ymir looking like she had something on her mind she was afraid to speak up about. "So, Ymir, how've you been adjusting to home?"


"Steadily," Ymir replied, finally looking back at her. "It's not like anything I expected after Chysalis. I...If I may, miss Flare, I must ask. Aurora, is he alright?"


"Considering what he went through, I'd say he's more than alright. He's in a better state than me, let's put it that way." She replied. Though Ymir only gave a smile on the outside, everypony present could practically feel the tension within her bleed away.


"Well, I'd call that a good start," Thorax commented. "Hopefully that bodes well for the rest of your visit."


As Outreach and Thorax got talking about the plan for the next few days and Apple Tart went to Auger and Belyi in the hope of starting translation efforts, Water Flare and Ymir both shared a look. A look of hope that they had both helped bring an end to one of the longest hostilities in either side's history. That this was the start of something much better.
> The Smallest Things (Sunset Shimmer)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

North-east Equestria
October 15th, Year 23 under the Four Princesses





She'd dedicated her entire life to proving herself to Princess Celestia. Trying to do her best for her mentor, for herself, and for Equestria.


How had it come to this?


Sunset Shimmer curled up a little tighter as she tried to keep some semblance of warmth in her body. A quick once over with her magic had sluiced the worst of the wetness from her coat but it didn't make her any more comfortable. All she could hear was the thundering of torrential rain as it smacked against the leaves above, a stream of droplets rushing to the ground just inches away. The only reason she wasn't still out in the storm was because she'd chanced across a hollowed tree to bunker down in, but that still left her cold, tired, hungry and with nothing in her possession but a useless pendant.


This had been her life for months now, moving across the deserted regions of Equestria, never staying anywhere she might risk encountering another pony. Right now she was in a strip of woodland that ran between Equestria's north-east coast and the Patchwalk Mountains beyond it. For a pony that had spent her foalhood days in Canterlot the change had been something of a shock, but it also brought her thoughts into clarity. She understood exactly why she had been put into this situation.


Because she, Sunset Shimmer, was an impulsive, overambitious fool.


It had been a little over three years since she had made the decision that ruined her life. A calculated yet desperate attempt to prove she could handle a threat better than even Princess Twilight could and earn her place back as Princess Celestia's protégé. The two years of hiding in the desert with a dangerous and certifiably insane unicorn had almost been bearable as she kept deluding herself that it would be worth it in the end, when she unravelled the setup she had so carefully established and brought Starlight Glimmer back to Canterlot as her prisoner. She had kept avoiding the obvious flaws, that breaking Starlight out had almost certainly not gone unnoticed and she was probably the most wanted pony in Equestria at this point.


And that was before her attempted coup had fallen apart.


Sure, she had won the resulting fight and brought Starlight down, but accidentally blasting Apple Bloom at the same time had undone all the rhetoric she had built up in her mind. How many would believe she was doing this to protect other ponies after that? She had fled in a panic rather than try her luck against the wrath of Pinkie Pie at the time, deciding to keep to herself until she could come up with another plan to get back in Celestia's good graces. All she had gotten instead was seven months of living like this, scraping by on a day-to-day basis, avoiding the dangers that still lingered in the wilds of Equestria. It was almost a mercy she had taken the pendant from the castle vault back when all this began, otherwise there would be nothing she could say she had to her name anymore.


Even as she ruminated on how far she had fallen, Sunset was suddenly flash-blinded by a lightning bolt that struck a nearby tree. She growled in frustration and pain, rubbing her eyes while her ears were filled with intense thunder overhead. Even though her vision was still largely white she knew she had to move back into the rain rather than risk being caught under another tree being struck. She carefully extracted herself from the hollow and headed toward the shoreline, keeping herself low and making sure her mane covered the chain wrapped around her neck.


As further lightning strikes rained down on the area and the torrential rain reached a new height, she cleared the trees and stared making her way down an incline that lead toward the water. She had seen cliffs in this direction before the weather had started to limit her vision, hopefully there was a cave to bunker down in. She was soaked to the skin in seconds though and with her mind focused on her destination rather than her footing, her hoof caught a mud patch and went out from under her. Sunset barely had time to register her front left fetlock twisting before she was on her side and skidding through the mud, coming to rest at the foot of the incline, the edge of the tide lapping at her body.


She couldn't bring herself to try and get up, even with rain now hammering down on her, weighed down by mud caking her coat and faint pain emanating from her eyes and leg. The fight was gone. There wasn't any point in so much as keeping moving. Even if she did find shelter it was impossible for her to see her life improving like. What else was there to do though? Her only other option at this point was trying to get to a town and surrendering herself to any guards or military personnel there. Maybe even straight to Canterlot to plead her case to Celestia personally...If nothing else, that would at least have a chance of her getting real food and medical attention.


Why hadn't she allowed herself to try this before? Determination? Pride? Fear that she would be an exception to the princess' tolerant punishments? The more she thought about it, the more she realised the answer didn't matter as much as the fact she had finally accepted an alternate option.


With a plan and faint hope coming back to her, Sunset forced herself back onto to her hooves, grunting as she gingerly tried her twisted leg. Although it was still fit to walk on, it seemed to have been a breaking point for something else. Not all the water in her eyes was from the rain now. As rough as she was feeling though, it wasn't enough to distract her focus from where she wanted to go. Her magic aura flared to life around her horn and in an aqua flash she teleported away. In an instant the world shifted from a desolate stormy coast to the heart of civilisation with only light cloud and a faint wind in the air. Sunset didn't even need to look to know she had brought herself straight to the gates of Canterlot Castle. She was home home.


Then her condition caught up to her again, leaving her stumbling slightly, legs shaking as she fought to stay upright through the weakness. Her sodden mane dropped over her eyes and her ears were ringing from the sudden influx of noise. Background city life was far louder than she remembered. Multiple voices calling, many moving toward her and only making it worse. The clanking of armour and weaponry. Of course, she should have expected her sudden arrival to put every guard in the city on high alert. By the time she managed to raise her head again, the sight of a dozen royal guards was there to greet her, all wielding speared aimed for her head and horn. It was an easy assumption that the same number again was behind her and quite possibly even more in the air.


"Sunset Shimmer..."


Even after all these years, Sunset recognised Bomber's voice. She raised her head further to see the pegasus stallion moving forward slightly among the guards facing her. She could also tell from his tone that he was struggling to maintain his professionalism in the face of actually seeing her again. No point in making things any more difficult.


"I know..." She said quietly, lowering her head again. "...I surrender."


The guards hesitated and looked among themselves for several seconds at her words, unsure if they should actually believe it. When Sunset didn't move at all though, they started to move in cautiously. She felt a trio of them place their spearheads along her horn to limit any magic use while another two held theirs on the back of her neck. Judging by the noise behind her at least half a dozen more ponies were moving directly behind her with their weapons trained on her back. They were taking no chances.


"Alright, she's secure," Bomber told the other guards. "Bring her through to the throne room, no further restraints though."


"Captain, are you sure that's wise?" One of the other guards asked cautiously.


"Princess Celestia's orders. If Sunset Shimmer returned without putting up resistance, we bring her before the princess without subjecting her to unnecessary detainment measures. Besides...She looks like she's been through enough already."


Sunset would have nodded if she didn't think most of the guards would have attacked her for it.


The walk into the castle was a slow one as her walk was limited by the feeling coming back into her bad leg. Even through all this, Sunset couldn't help but feel a little bad for tracking rain and mud through the spotless hallways. That thought allowed her to smile a little though, a reminder that she really was back and technically being allowed to walk through the castle at her own pace. The fact Princess Celestia had also made plans specifically for her return was another ray of hope, a chance that she would be allowed to try and explain why she had done what she did. And why she had been wrong to do so.


As she was escorted through the doors of the throne room she tilted her head slightly to get some of her mane out of her eyes and took in the spectacle. It looked like nothing had changed since she had last stood here with the same décor, the historical stained glass windows and the twin thrones at the far end of the room. Both Celestia and Luna were present, a point that surprised Sunset slightly. Maybe whatever discussion she was inadvertently interruption involved military affairs if the princess of the night was present. Then she saw the figure they had been talking to and her heart sank. Cipher. She quickly lowered her head again as she saw him turning to see what was happening. The princesses, she thought she could deal with even with the building shame in her heart. Having to try and explain herself to her father, now that shame was becoming overwhelming.


"Sunny...?" Cipher said warily at the sight of her. Sunset kept her head down, hearing him quickly trotting up to her. "Captain, what happened here?"


"She teleported to the castle gates in this state, sir," Bomber explained. "Per the princesses' directive we brought her here at once."


"Alright, you and your team remain on station at the doors. All other squads, back to your posts."


"As you wish, Colonel."


As the guards moved their spears away and filed out so only the eight ponies with Bomber remained, Sunset kept her head down, still not trusting one of the jumpier guards to overreact. Then she felt a gently hoof against her chin, lifting her head before brushing the rest of her mane out of her eyes. She blinked and focused again, seeing her father's crimson eyes taking her in. Eyes that radiated relief and were starting to tear up like her own.


"Twenty months..." He said softly, holding his hoof on her cheek. "I never stopped worrying about you that whole time and when we found no trace of you at Starlight Glimmer's compound...What have you been doing to yourself sweetie?"


"Making a lot of bad decisions," Sunset admitted as she brought her hoof up to his, simply enjoying this brief moment of both sides being glad to see the other again. "It just wasn't worth lying to myself about them anymore."


"I'm glad to hear it." Celestia said as she and Luna approached, Cipher stepping to the side for them. 


Sunset looked up at the duarchs and despite how neither of them looked angry at her, their sheer influence had all the strength of will she had saved up skittering away into nothingness. She suddenly felt incredibly weary, the mud in her coat weighing her down, her bad leg starting to flare up again under her. She was able to move with the pain though, making it look like she was simply bowing to the princesses instead.


"Princess Celestia...I-I..." She panted, taking a second to try and compose herself again. There were so many things she wanted to say but only the most important actually came out. "I'm sorry."


"It is as much my fault," Celestia replied calmly as her horn glowed gently. "I repeatedly underestimated your determination and resourcefulness. While I can't say the results were harmless, the worst has been dealt with. Almost everypony you took in has been able to return home and Starlight Glimmer is willingly getting the help she needs."


As she was speaking, Sunset felt her whole body briefly glow the same comforting yellow as Celestia's magic. A moment later, a weight was lifted off her as all the mud and water stuck to her was lifted off and teleported away. While she still looked and felt a complete mess, the meaning of the gesture was not lost. Celestia still cared about her.


"While there is much to discuss on the matter, it can be discussed later," Luna added, stepping a little closer. "We have a far more pressing concern."


Sunset paused mid-nod. What could be more serious than her faux-cult and deliberating putting dozens of ponies in danger to engineer the defeat of one?


"The night you left, you took several items from a vault within the castle," Celestia explained, looking more serious now. "A pendant with an abnormally long chain was among them. This is very important, Sunset. Do you still have it?"


The pendant? What was so special about that? Nothing had stood out on the lonely nights she had spent studying it in closer detail. Then again, it was likely the princesses knew something she didn't. Sunset pushed herself back up to her hooves and took her mane in her magic, lifting it back and out the way. The pendant sat innocently against her chest, the chain wrapped once around her neck to keep it in place. Celestia breathed a small sigh of relief and leaned in to examine it while Luna stared at it with a sudden intensity.


"I don't even know why I took it," Sunset admitted. "I just saw it next to Starlight's cutie mark and...I don't know, I just felt like I needed to bring it with me."


"Worrying..." Celestia said as she took in the pendant fully before straightening up again. "But at least it's here. The risk this relic poses is beyond your understanding at present. I promise to explain once it is securely away again."


"I should have known. Do you think it messed with my mind to...You know what, I'd rather not know." Sunset mused as she quickly started to unwrap the chain with her magic.


"Wait."


Both Celestia and Sunset paused at the voice. It sounded like Luna but, off, somehow. Sunset looked over to the princess of the night and froze in surprise. Luna's stare had only grown more intense and her pupils had narrowed to near slits. Celestia saw it a moment later and gave a shocked gasp.


"Luna, no!" She cried, immediately placing herself between the two of them, forcing Sunset to take several steps back just to avoid being stepped on. 


"Sorry, Vaeac," Luna said with a dry chuckle, her voice still carrying that smooth, dark tone.


'Vaeac? Who's-'


Sunset didn't have time to finish the thought as Luna teleported past Celestia and levelled her horn at the pendant. The princess's eyes went pure white and two streaks of her magic shot out, one connecting with the pendant, the other with Sunset's horn. Her mind suddenly felt like it was on fire, a surge of energy engulfing her. She screamed and tried to back away, the pain in her leg feeling like it was spreading through every cell in her body. No amount of attempts to flee, or throwing her head around, could break the tendrils of magic connections them though. She was vaguely aware of other sounds beyond her, Luna's screams mixing with her own, guards calling for backup...And a voice in the back of her mind, it's presence a sudden patch of calm in the agony she was enduring.


"They want to kill you for this. You have to use your power, fight back or you will die!"


That voice was a focus in the storm that her mind had become. It was all she could think to do. Then the magic link broke and Sunset's horn flared to life, her aqua magic tinged with sparks of black and dark blue as she fired blindly. A concentrated beam that tore into masonry and glass, showing the throne room with debris. Voices from the doors behind made her swing round and fire both rapid bolts and strong beams, fresh screams punctuating the air as her magic swept the area.


"Well done, defect. Now Just relax, let me handle the rest."


Sunset still couldn't think straight, could barely feel anything. The parts of her mind that weren't ablaze were engulfed in a cacophony of mixed pain, like ice creeping over the burns. The voice was still all she could focus on, all she could do. With a strained scream her magic attacks ceased and she put all the focus she had into teleporting. Anywhere, just not here.





Celestia dropped the shield she had thrown up the instant the beams of magic had started flying, but she could only start to move forward before Sunset teleported away. Everything was a haze to her, hardly able to even comprehend what had just happened. Her stupor was shattered by the calls of further royal guards arriving on the scene, shouts coming from next to her.


"Get medics in here now!" Cipher ordered as he stepped toward the incoming guards, cut on the right shoulder by broken glass but otherwise unhurt. "Somepony contact EDF command, scramble every available Recon Corps member to track down Sunset Shimmer and prep Task Force Harmony for immediate deployment! GO!!"


Celestia silently took in the devastation before her, waiting only until the Colonel had started to leave before turning to her sister.


Her heart stopped at the sight, knowing full well what it meant.


Princess Luna was stood stock still. Her mane flat, her eyes unfocused, her mouth held agape in a silent cry. Her coat colour fading from it's natural blue hue to a lighter, grayer tone even as Celestia watched. Then her body tension vanished and she collapsed into her sister's arms, unmoving. Her breathing was shallow and though her heartbeat could still be felt it was weakening. 


Celestia held her close as she carried her back to the relative safety of the thrones, placing the tip of her horn against the base of Luna's and channelling a gentle flow of her magic over to her sister. Her eyes glanced back to the entrance where medical ponies were now treating the casualties among the guards, several rushing her way. She waved them away, knowing none of them could hope to save her sister. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the pendant lying where Sunset had stood, left behind in the chaos. A small thing that nopony paid any heed to right now. A small thing that may have ended the world as they knew it. For now, she closed her eyes and set her will into her magic, a simple plea echoing in her mind.


'Live, Luna. Please live.'