Dust Kicker had been in two armies during his life. Both had been the greatest experience of his life, moments of camaraderie and purpose that had forged the pony he was today.

And both had ended in failure.

It was a new perspective at least, Dusk Kicker musing that with the red cloak of the praetorians and his distinctive eyepatch he likely cut the very image of his former leader. That was an interesting feeling. Like Red Eye, Dust was forced to confront the idea that he could change the world with the men under his command.

And as he looked down at the army assembled below, youthful eyes full of hope and determination, he knew the weight of his responsibility to them.

It was a strange journey. From dirty wasteland earth pony raider, to a general wearing the armor of a zebra praetorian, leading a vast army of them across into Equestria. To defend the NCR no less, to rescue Littlepip from whatever danger she found herself in. Perhaps save the world. Even if his memories weren’t still fuzzy on the particulars, he was pretty sure it would still be a moment thick with wondering just how they got here.

“How are the troops Dust Kicker?” Easu asked, his voice bearing a slight tremor of apprehension. His king moved past to study the men himself, so plainly dressed that you would have mistaken him for the servant, “They look eager.”

“More eager than ready I think.” Dusk Kicker noted with a grin, though that was unfair. Most were veterans of the Battle of Clendel, proven heroes and warriors. Defending a point was a different thing to marching as an army though, and being able to shoot and fight didn’t mean you knew how to march in formation or mount co-ordinated actions, “They aren’t battle ready, not yet. But they’ll sure make an impression.”

“That is hopefully all we’ll need.” Easu noted, his tone grim, “Especially at this point. This land has seen far too much bloodshed, if all possible we must avoid a fight with Demonivore or Star Fall.”

Dust Kicker was well in agreement on that, for practical reasons as much as any other. Demonivore was one of the best protected cities in the zebra lands, losing only to Kursyin and Star Fall by virtue of their natural defences. Dust Kicker still remembered the assessment he had made the first time he had seen the city, chatting with Star Swirl and considering the possibility they would one day need to mount an assault.

That day had come, and Star Swirl was the opponent.

¬

Ace Gold had seen enough armies to last a lifetime. Even though he knew it was on their side, the sight of so many zebra with guns made him cringe. Is that the only way they knew to protect the world these days?

He looked to the stone hung around his neck, carved with a zebra spiral mark that incorporated the final ashes of Xenith of Equestria. A simple thing, yet apparently an item of much significance and power. Forged from the dying embers of a hero, their strength and wisdom passed down.

Normally to their eldest child. But Xephyr had already gone, long before the funeral. Ace Gold understood that, but it still made him angry. She had been gone so long, and she didn’t even seem to understand what that meant to everypony. Tried to act like she had been gone a few days, rather than seven years. Been all business, refusing to talk about her feelings. Still keeping everypony at hooves length. He understood why Xenith had found her so frustrating. For the Element of Magic her ability to deal with others really needed work.

…and so now he wore it instead. Xenith’s last will. Her final gift to the world. He intended to prove worthy of it, to carry her legacy forward into the future.

Ace Gold saw Fluttershy being led across the field by her attendant, frowning at her presence here. Before he had been as insulted as anypony by Caesar's insistence that she retired to Garm, now he was fully in agreement. Whereas she had appeared to be getting younger and fitter by the day, now it seemed like her age had fell back upon her with interest. Her cybernetic eyes lay under a blindfold of yellow silk, her armor abandoned for sage like robes. She didn't look remotely like she should be on a battlefield.

He firmed that opinion in his heart and marched forward to meet her, "Fluttershy!"

She smiled, turning her head, "Hello Ace Gold."

"Goodbye." He stated firmly, "You're staying here, in Clendel."

She just continued smiling, "You know I need to come Ace."

"Why?" Ace asked, and then added his blunt opinion, "You look terrible. Older, weaker, blind."

"Yes." She admitted, "It was nice while it lasted, but it needed to happen this way."

He frowned, Fluttershy seeming to be getting at something here, "What do you mean?"

"I was getting stronger, fitter and more powerful because I was sharing that power with Chigaru." She answered, placing her hoof against the blindfold, "He wanted me strong, confident, powerful. Because when Dream Star took my eyes, he was able to acquire their power. When despair took the Element of Kindness, he was able to acquire that bond. When pragmatism took my innocence and purity, he incorporated that into himself."

Ace Gold's eyes widened with every word. He couldn't even... "Fluttershy, that's terrifying!"

"Yes, it is." She admitted, "As the prophesy states, I represent the old world, and he represents the new. It was inevitable that I be corrupted and destroyed."

Ace Gold wouldn't take it anymore. He hated all this... pessimism, death, the weakness of those he cared about. He yelled at her, "So why do you seem ok with that?! Why do you look so damn happy?!"

"Because it's time to accept the old world is gone Ace." She answered with a smile, raising her head and taking a deep, refreshing breath, "And right here, with all these people believing in the future? It's your opportunity to make a better one."

¬

The great march they called it. Dust Kicker wanted to point out that Starhammer's army had been bigger, but something about their volunteer army really seemed to grab attention.

Maybe it was their leader. He heard some of the soldiers whispering one night, Dust Kicker ducking back behind the tents and quietly eavesdropping. The solider appeared to be looking up at Easu, studying the terrain some distance away. After a moment one of them spoke, "They say he refused a crown. That he didn't want to wear something that he hadn't earned."

"He thinks he hasn't earned a crown?" One of the others asked.

"He wears a crown, just not one made of jewels or metal." A third zebra commented, waving at their king, "Can you not see it atop his brow, those lines of concern and wisdom, those scars of sacrifice and battle? It proves his worthiness for all worthy enough to see it."

"Aye." They agreed, raising their glasses, "To the health of Caesar Easu, the crownless king."

Their ranks swelled as they moved forward, though only to a point. Each village they came across swarmed with fit young zebra wishing for glory, yet to each region was also assigned military engineers and scientists with the mandate of improving the infrastructure of the area. Behind them stretched a new, paved highway to replace the ruins of the pre-war one, which on completion would result in a safe, direct route from Clendal to Demonivore. Dust Kicker remembered how the Mutum had almost been a myth to Caesar's best scouts, yet soon they faced the possibility of quick, free movement between the two areas.

They were not the first group to have passed through here. They encountered occasional representatives, yet it was still quite a sight when they encountered them in number. They approached from the north, dozens of equines painted in Luna's colors. He counted at least forty of them in full power armor, with another sixty light infantry and support. A respectable number for even an established Equestian chapter.

They met in a dusty crossroads, Easu marching forward to meet Cherry Sunset. She was flanked by her big minotaur companion and the lithe quick zebra who had slain General Icoxal, Dust Kicker and Fluttershy accompanying Easu in turn. Easu bowed his head in respect as they met, "Cherry Sunset, I'm impressed. All this in just a month?"

"As you stated, there were large sections of Ebonlode fortress that had never been explored." She explained, "We found this armor there, and soon we had plenty of recruits willing to take the oath. Each one of them is willing to fight for peace, for prosperity and the promise of a new beginning."

Dust Kicker chuckled at the familiar words, "The Rainbow Vows?"

She nodded, a small smile upon her face, "I was twelve years old when Elder Peach Trees made that speech. I believed it then, I believe it still."

"Then I leave the region in your capable hooves Elder Sunset." Easu announced, placing a hoof across his heart, "I offer you my royal patronage, and my assurance that you will always be welcome in my lands."

"Thank you King Easu." She replied, turning and giving a nod. The quick young zebra at her side moved forward, half a dozen power armored equines following him, "And in return, I offer the services of Star Paladin Cato and six of my best to your campaign."

“And we the services of twenty of our best engineers, to get Ebonlode fortress back operational.” Easu replied.

“Ad Victoriam.” Dust Kicker added, crossing a hoof across his chest.

She nodded back, “Ad Victoriam.”

¬

Ace stepped back as the machine clattered into motion, pistons pumping and gears spinning. He watched it move, listened for the sounds that would indicate he had missed something. To his relief he heard none, and it all seemed to move as intended. He levitated up the access panel and screwed it back in place, those behind raising their voices in celebration.

"Is it done? Is it working?"

Ace Gold was pretty sure it was, sure enough for the next move. He looked round at the mayor of the town, a round old zebra matriach called Nainai, nodding respectfully in her direction, "Mayor Nainai, would you like to be the first to demonstrate this grand new well?"

She looked suspiciously at the machine, slowly padding forward. Her eyes examined Ace Gold for any signs of deception, Ace trying his best to give her nothing to latch onto. Eventually she spoke, "You have confidence in your work, to not even test it yourselves first."

Zan, the young Dusklight pony who had accompanied him raised a hoof, "Maybe I should..."

"No." Ace assured, "It will work."

Nainai turned her head in suspicion, before dutifully moving to the tap and pouring a pitcher. Ace was reassured to see it was clear as glass, and after the tiniest sip... there was only a moment of consideration before Nainai swallowed down another gulp. Then she smiled, "This is the best water I've ever tasted."

As the cheers went up Zan leant in, "That was real lucky."

Ace agreed, thought he had kinda cheated. The pump had a device to test the purity of the water before and after filtering. Still a big of showmanship was part of all good engineering, "I'm confident in my work."

"Where did you learn this anyway?"

Ace thought back, it seemed so long ago, "I majored in civil engineering at university."

"Equestria has universities?" Zan snorted, "You lucky bastard."

"If you think that, you should set up one of your own." Ace encouraged, "Manehatten University is set up inside an old military research facility, its teachers whoever distinguished themselves in the civil projects following the founding of the NCR."

"The old administration building of Dusklight has all these big meeting halls." Zan mused, placing a hoof against his chin, "As for teachers..."

"What about Ebony?" Ace mentioned, thinking back to the young doctor who had treated him after his blindness, "After all this death, and pain, I know she's struggling to return to her work as a doctor. And she's precise, moral, efficient and polite, she would be a great teacher."

"Nau, the young stallion who knew Lady Luna before, he had a whole group who he had been teaching ethics, science, philosophy." Zan mused, "And Zapita just loves teaching the younger children to sew..."

Ace smiled as the young zebra think on the possibilities. Maybe one day Luna’s dream of silver towers over Dusklight would come true after all.

It was just after supper when they returned to the camp, and like always the place was buzzing. There was a real sense of purpose here, invigorated by their victory over Starhammer and now by their quest to bring the Golden Coast back into the fold. He was writing more and more lately, pausing to write a few more observations as he saw more and more that he felt needed to be recorded for posterity.

It was while hunched over his diary, quill scratching away, that Kale approached him. The huge buffalo's shadow fell large across him, Ace trying not to quake a little as she addressed him, “You are creating a record?”

He nodded, closing the book and looking up at her, “I am. It's important, they others know what happened here.”

“It is a good time for it.” She answered, looking back along the road, “You know, when this road is complete, when the seas between here and Equestria are once more open, the great civilisations will again be linked. Equestria, the Badlands, Saddle Arabia, Golden Coast, Heartlands, Mutum and Anatu. Your book could be read by them all.”

“A shared connection?” He offered.

“I hope so.”

“You know, I haven't heard much about the badlands.” Ace mentioned, “Even in the pre-war texts.”

“I'm from there actually.” Kale noted, then gave him a cocky smile, “You must have noticed how few buffalo you've met here.”

Ace had considered that, “You're... pretty much the only one.”

“I'm half buffalo, half centaur. Note the horns.” She motioned to the sharp spikes atop her head, “I'm actually a Princess by birth, my great, great grandmother was a buffalo chief's daughter, offered in marriage to a Centaur Prince in return for a shipment of fine rugs.”

Ace cocked an eyebrow, “Really?”

“Really.” She confirmed, before cocking a smile, “But don't let that fool you, you can't throw a rock in the badlands without hitting a Prince or three. The whole place is pretty much one long cold war between whole families of inbred nobility, betraying and double crossing each other for control of a barren wasteland.”

“Is that why you left?”

She nodded, “It's all a game to them now. I suggested a way that my family could actually win, and they promptly shot down all my ideas with a look of utter horror. It wasn't the way it should be done. I thought they were fools at the time, but I now realise just how much bloodshed winning the game would have cost.” She shrugged, “And for what? So my family could splinter into new competing factions, and it could start all over again?”

Ace considered this, “So conflict is our natural state.”

“I can't wake up in the morning without a good argument.” She smirked, “Part of my upbringing, but let me ask you, why did your leave your comfortable home and head off for an adventure in a foreign land?”

“To prove myself.” Ace answered.

“We're all looking for opportunities to prove our strength.” She stated in agreement, “My people built a giant game around competing against each other for meaningless power, and I felt it was stupid because there was no way to win. It's only now, as an old woman, I realise that was the point.”

“So politics is all a way to distract powerful, ambitious ponies from setting the world on fire?” Ace asked, “That sounds... cynical.”

“Well all I know is that when great figures are allowed to concentrate fully on changing the world, it's the common folk who suffer for their grand designs.” She focused her eyes on Ace, her voice soft, “Caesar Incuta has made war on your people, because he feels history is with him. Tell me, do you think his brother is different?”

“Yes!” Ace answered, “Easu is a good zebra.”

“And would a good zebra content himself with making the day to day existence of his subjects a little better, or use his power to truly ‘save the world’?” Her smile became a little more dangerous, “My husband may not possess the look of destiny our King Easu does, but he cares far more about the zebra under his authority than Easu ever will.”

Ace frowned, not about to deny that King Zane was a good, humble zebra, but... “Easu cares about his subjects, just as much as Zane...”

“Zane sits on his throne, rebuilding his city. Easu marches out at the head of a crusade.” Kale smirked, “And I'll tell you why. It's because Zane was born in a barn, and Easu was born in a palace.”

¬

Ace stepped into the tent, spotting King Radhi and King Easu together there huddled over what looked like a set of plans. Both looked up, Radhi waving Ace over with a friendly smile, “It's good to see you Ace. Here, take a look at this.”

Ace moved over to the table, an ordinance survey map of the Dusklight area lain out across it. It was covered in scribbling and further notes, the standards unfamiliar to Ace but quickly identifiable after a few moments to read the terrain, “You're trying to cut a pass through the mountain.”

“There was one further up previously, but it was collapsed in the war.” Radhi explained, “Currently the only ways to reach the Anatu lands in the next valley over is by means of a few, difficult to traverse mountain roads, or by travelling all the way round by means of the Mutum or Golden Coast.”

Ace saw the issue. Still the terrain was not on their side, “This is a really ambitious project. Personally I think you should start of smaller, a project like this would need raw materials, manufactured goods, heavy machinery...”

“We already have plans in place for that.” Easu stated, “Raw materials will be taken from the abandoned city of Kashu nearby, heavy machinery will be retrieved from the Ebonlode stockpiles and returned to full functionality. Manufactured goods can be made in the factories of the Capital, the lifts on this side of the mountain are already operational.”

Ace raised an eyebrow, “That... is still a huge project. You will need hundreds of specially trained zebra, and it could take years.”

“We realise that, but... well, I owe Luna a city Ace.” Radhi stated, looking slightly embarrassed, “Silver towers, rising over Dusklight.”

Ace hadn't taking infrastructure for a semester for nothing, he quickly got what Radhi was getting at, “By creating a road here, there's a direct route between Anatu and the Heartlands that travels straight through Dusklight. And that in turn is a route that travels almost directly between Clendel and Demonivore.”

“This land used to be the centre of zebra civilisation.” Radhi explained, “Now it is the most poorly developed in the zebra territories. As its king, it's my duty to serve its future prosperity, and this road... this road will do that.”

Ace remembered what Kale had said, looking up at Easu, “And you?”

Easu gave a firm nod, “This plan will tighten the diplomatic ties between us and serve infrastructure and trade, not to mention create a direct route between my lands, Radhi's and my brother's.”

Ace guessed that made sense, and as mentioned he was a civil engineering major, “Ok... but you can't use scavenged materials. The terrain is too challenging to build on, you're going to need fresh concrete, and forged steel.”

“Well as I said, we have the Capital’s factories. Ship raw materials up, have them forged and then brought back down.” Easu stated, “Such a thing would provide steady work, and encourage families to settle down here.”

“We had another plan as well.” Radhi asked in a slightly hesitant tone, “Since we're talking about the capital...”

Ace noted he was acting like Ace would disprove, not a good sign, “What is it?”

Radhi sighed, “Well, the Royal Palace is partially built out of timelocked stone from the lost city of Sanatora, which is why it's survived all these millennia and even the end of the world with minimal damage.” He hesitated once more, “So we were considering...”

Ace admitted, the idea sounded like a terrible one, “Mining Sanatora.”

Easu nodded, “I was down there, I saw what the Dragonequis can do. I am confident the Luna Rangers will be able to cut through them.”

Ace had heard stories of what had happened in that place. Ponies he had liked had died down there, torn apart by monsters. It was the lab of the evil creature who had sent Midnight Dreamer insane, a place of atrocity, “Zephyr Stormstrung sealed it up for a reason.”

“Because he did not have power armor and automatic weapons.” Easu answered, “We owe it to him to destroy that foul place once and for all. To take it apart brick by brick, and use it to create the future.”

Ace felt he had to bring up what was worrying him now, clear his head. Now seemed as good a time as any he would ever get, “The future Easu?”

Easu seemed slightly concerned, still his tone was confident, “The future of this land. Just as Equestria rose from the dead, so I hope to do here.”

“So... are you Gawdyna Grimfeathers?”

Easu paused, understanding seeming to be dawning. After a moment he looked up at Ace, “You think I want to be Caesar.”

Radhi chuckled nervously, “No one wants to be Caesar Ace...”

“It is a fair question, and deserves a fair answer.” Easu interrupted. He looked Ace in the eyes, his tone deadly serious, “The zebra have always prospered under the hooves of a Caesar bearing a clear mandate from the people.”

Radhi gave Easu a look of horror, “Wait... what?” His brow furrowed in growing anger, “And you have that mandate?”

“Forced upon me, against my will.” Easu answered, “But if I have the power to help, I will not turn it down.”

“Is this what this is?” Radhi challenged angrily, “An attempt to seize power?”

“A test to see if I am worthy. To see if my skills and will are up to the task.” Easu stated. His voice was cold, commanding, but after a second it softened and he looked to Radhi, “If you were to oppose me, I would consider that proof that I lack those qualities.”

Radhi hesitated at this, Ace speaking for him, “And what about Radhi? Why can't he be Caesar?”

“Ace, I'm... uncertain I have the presence to found a nation.” Radhi hesitantly answered, “And I'm far too young.”

“You have the wisdom and knowledge to make this nation great Radhi.” Easu stated, “The throne is but a tool to inspire those under it to action, as ultimately is its Caesar. Without zebra like you, both are useless pageantry.”

“So what?” Ace asked, “You'd be a figurehead?”

“My father attempted to educate me, but I know I am no great intellect.” Easu stated, “But it seems zebra still wish to follow me, still believe I am a king. And I do not wish to waste that gift. If I can use it to give voice to the wisest and most noble, then the crown can do too much good to be ignored.”

Radhi still looked uncertain, “Who have you told of these ambitions?”

“Only Fluttershy.” Easu answered, “And Spike and Dust Kicker could likely guess my intentions, I have spoken of this with both."

“I do not like this Easu.” Radhi finally stated after a long period of deep thought, “But once this is over, and your business with your brother is done... we will see where we stand.”

Easu nodded, “That we will.”

Ace looked at them both, thinking to himself that he was reminded of those brief memories of childhood, when Gawdyna had stood proudly within the halls of Friendship Island and planned the future of the NCR. Back then it felt like the world had been filled with possibility.

And if there was a chance they could seize that chance again, maybe it was worth the risk.

¬

"And turn! Drop! Rifles up!" Dust Kicker shouted, nodding in satisfaction as the troops moved smoothly and efficiently through the actions. They were confident, skilled, and most importantly, proud of their achievements. They didn't mind the drill because it made them feel like the zebra they wanted to be, and that was a quality rare in even the best armies.

He couldn't take credit, that had been learned in the crucible of battle. Each of these zebra had fought at Clendel, each of them had learned what it meant to stand in defence of something they believed in. He stood before them now, nodding slowly as he saluted their ranks, "You are the best of us. Carry yourself like the best, conduct yourself like the best and acquit yourself like the best, and your honor and glory will shine eternal!"

They cheered, shouting their approval of their commander as they filed out. Dust Kicker smiled as the last left the makeshift parade grounds, taking a moment to just listen to the wind as it ruffled through his fur.

"Dust Kicker."

He turned, feeling his heart skip a beat. He still hadn't gotten used to her, "Lady Fluttershy."

She smiled at him, eyes hidden behind her silk blindfold. That and the scars visible around the sockets made him frown, hating to see her hurt so. She noted his silence, turning her head to the side, "Something wrong?"

"I just don't like seeing you hurt." Dust Kicker explained, "Are you really ok?"

She grinned, "Are you? Both of us have suffered our shared of injuries."

He touched the eyepatch, sighing, "It aches sometimes."

Her grin spread wider, "I'm seventy three. Everything aches sometimes."

He laughed at this, thinking that considering what she had been through she was looking pretty damn good. More than pretty good in fact, not that he would ever admit it to her face...

...and then the truth fell upon his shoulders once more, something that should have made him happy. Instead it just made him feel like a great hole had been opened inside of him.

Dust Kicker had romanced her once. His great dream, the mare that he had loved since the day he had first saw her picture on a poster. But it had been another Dust Kicker. And however much everyone wanted him to...

Fluttershy distracted him from his worries, not for the first time, "Easu tells me you're doing well."

He shrugged his shoulders, glad she had brought it up, "Fluttershy, you knew me before and after. Do you think I've changed?"

"Yes actually." She answered, not the answer he really wanted. Still she seemed happy with the change, moving a little closer as she continued to speak, "You were always totally adamant that you never wanted to take command, how uncomfortable you were as a leader of ponies."

He considered this, realising she was right. That was an odd feeling, "I... don't remember why I felt that way."

"You spent all of your youth in one army or another Dust Kicker." She pointed out, smiling kindly, "And I think it's pretty obvious that your experiences, seeing friends die and the causes you fought for fail, continued to stay with you throughout all your later life."

He admitted that was a pretty convincing explanation, "So... why don't I feel that way anymore?"

"You tell me Dusk Kicker."

He thought about it, though to little real conclusion. Eventually he just had to admit, "I guess... I'm just sick of letting my past define my future.”

She chuckled, “I think that goes for all of us.”

¬

Ace Gold still wasn't sure if he really wanted to do this, feeling the chill in his soul from the moment they passed through the front gates of the park. They had been cleaned up he saw, a new sign placed above. Beyond was a beautiful but eerily calm expanse of green grass, broken by the skeletons of fairground attractions and administrative buildings. The sign had been made from letters placed around the park, taped together to form its new name.

Dusklight.

“It's really quiet.” One of the soldiers guarding them stated, looking around cautiously, “Why are there no guards?”

“Snipers.” Ace noted, looking to the dragon statue in the distance, “We have sights on us.”

Easu nodded, striding ahead, “There is our destination.”

Ace moved to follow, their bodyguards nervously trotting beside. The blue flowers indicating a megaspell impact still coated the mountain ahead, and as they moved on Ace's giger counter started to tick. It was disappointing that the magical effect that had cleansed this placed hadn't fully healed the land, but Ace supposed that they would never have needed the Gardens of Equestria if it was that simple.

And then it came into view. They had built a settlement around it, or the start of one at least. Hurriedly build shelters sheltered what looked like a good sized population, and Ace was encouraged to see that they had been threaded with the same colored lights that had once shone inside Dusklight itself. And in the centre... was the statue.

Luna rose up, Swift Crimson, Radhi, Niyada, Midnight Dreamer, Ebony and Bleak Waters sitting about her hooves. It felt like a long time since they had last seen it. Right back at the funeral of two of those ponies. Zenai had been alive then.

A young zebra came to meet them as they approached, clad in robes of grey cloth. He smiled at them, bowing his head in greeting, “King Easu, Ace Gold. An honor to have you here.”

“Thank you.” Easu replied, “You are one of the priests here?”

The zebra nodded, “I am Fortuitous Stripes, and yes, it is my honor to care for this site and teach those who travel here about Princess Luna.”

Ace looked the zebra over, “I don't recognise you. Were you at Dusklight?”

“It was my blessing to have parents who love me dearly, and so I never had a reason to come here. We all admired what she was doing however, how she freed us from the tyrants and brought peace and justice to these lands.” Fortuitous explained, “After Starhammer forced the children of Dusklight out we came here, seeking to protect this place in preparation for their return.”

“Thank you.” Easu stated, looking up at the statue, “So what does she mean to you? To those of this land?”

“She is a symbol of justice and protection. Defender of the innocent, avenger of wrongs, the nightmares of zebra turned towards their liberation.” Fortuitous stated, “A unicorn mare born in these lands, empowered to be our salvation by the Princess who we once feared.”

Ace frowned, noting his words, “You know... she wasn't actually Princess Luna?”

“It is known. Indeed one of my fellow priests specialises in the study of the one blessed with her silver light herself, separate from her incarnated form.” He smiled broadly, “A mare who conquered the darkness, and became the first Princess born in these lands.”

“Thank you.” Easu quickly replied, sounding strained, “We would like to study the statue for a time.”

“Of course.” Fortuitus stated, giving a bow and moving away, “If you require anything else, please ask.”

Ace waited for him to be out of earshot before asking his question, “What's wrong Easu?”

“Was she?” Easu responded, tone grim, “A Princess? Or was she just given her wings by the demon inside her?”

Ace frowned. He thought Easu was over this, “You still don't trust the Star Children?”

“Think about it Ace.” Easu responded, his body tensing, “Midnight Dreamer tried to be a good pony, but eventually she couldn't help falling into darkness. The demon corrupted her sincere desire to protect her children and turned her to evil. And now Star Swirl follows the same path. And even Puppy just needed a little nudge from Red Eye to turn her back into Nightmare Moon, and we barely managed to stop her.”

Ace admitted that was... something. But it wasn't as clear cut as that, “We all struggle to keep to the right path...”

“But some of us struggle more than others, and stories are just stories.” Easu replied, waving a hoof at the statue, “All the pretty stories in the world can't disguise the truth. That she wasn't a Princess, she was just a demon pretending to be one.”

And then the words echoed in the air, a strong, powerful voice sounding out, the authority clear even though she barely spoke above a normal volume, “But she was a Princess.”

Everyone turned, exited whispers rippling through the crowd as she passed among them. Her wings fluttered slightly, her movements easy and confident, her poise and authority impossible to ignore. Ace had to admit, even he was taken slightly off guard by just how impressive she looked, “Xephyr!”

Easu looked a little struck for a moment, a little nervous as he approached. They met in front of the statue, Easu hesitating before her, “I... am uncertain how I address a Princess.”

Xephyr smiled warmly, “Just call me Xephyr your highness. It is an honor to meet you.”

“May I call you Princess Xephyr?” Easu asked, drawing himself tall, “We should meet in equal respect.”

“Of course King Easu.” She replied, giving a cheerful smile, “I've heard a lot of good things above you.”

“As have I of you. But it is good to meet face to face. It is unwise to trust in reputation alone.” Easu turned, looking to the statue, “You were saying something about Princess Luna?”

“I met her.”

Easu frowned, looking to her in confusion, “How is that possible?

“I've been trapped for years in the deep dreaming, with the echoes of those dead but still remembered.” Xephyr explained, “And one of them was Midnight Dreamer. I fought beside her, she was one of Princess Luna's children of the night. And she herself was different than the others, blessed with harmony, transformed.”

Ace Gold couldn't quite believe it. Luna... Midnight Dreamer had been his friend, but she sure hadn't been perfect. She certainly wasn’t what he thought of when he thought of a Princess, and her... body hadn’t shown any evidence of wings, “But when?”

“I think it was just before she died.” Xephyr stated, her voice heavy now, “It hadn't had enough time to fully transform her.”

Easu was quiet, Ace Gold turning to see his reaction. He looked conflicted, eventually speaking in quiet, measured tones, “A demon alicorn became a Princess? Attained harmony?”

“You're looking at a zebra who attained the same.” She answered cheerfully.

He frowned, “Not remotely the same thing. A Star Demon is evil to the core.”

Her smile didn't falter, “I've made friends with unity alicorns, hellhounds, dragons, ghouls, canterlot ghouls, griffons, ponies, zebra. I've been told that every one of those is somehow less moral, less capable of attaining harmony, less worthy of respect. I can categorically state that any such claims are absolute rubbish.”

“But a Star Demon is...”

“I've also had the pleasure of knowing Puppysmiles, as have you.”

Easu paused a moment before answering softly, clearly shook, “The sole exception.”

“Along with Midnight Dreamer.”

Easu frowned, “She killed hundreds. We had to infiltrate this place to stop her...”

“After she had seen her boyfriend killed in front of her, and her children threatened with death.” Ace noted somewhat pointedly, “How many zebra have you killed?”

Easu frowned, unable to answer.

“When you see evil, don't assume it is simply a function of their biology. Ask yourself why they feel the need to act that way, and see if there isn't some way to reach understanding.” She chuckled, “I'm not saying it will work on everyone, some ponies just live to hurt others. But many have just made bad choices, and bringing them back from the edge is the most devastating blow you can give to the powers of darkness.”

“The powers of darkness.” Easu repeated, face stony.

“Don't you believe in evil?”

He shook his head, looking troubled by her question, “Oh, I do. I just... have never heard it spoken of so candidly. Most prefer to believe evil is just the simple cruelty we inflict upon each other, rather than some great, dark force.”

“Just as harmony affects our lives, so do the powers of darkness. Trying to lead us down dark paths, trying to corrupt our destiny.” Xephyr smiled, full of confidence, “We can keep it at bay with force, but only friendship can truly drive it back. Like the friendships Midnight Dreamer cultivated made her a Princess. And like the bond you share with Star Swirl can save her too.”

Easu was quiet for a while. Eventually his head came up, expression impossible to read, “Thank you for your advice Princess Xephyr. I will consider it.”

“No problem.” She replied, bowing her head to him, “Now if you would excuse me?”

“Of course.”

They both watched her turn and walk away, Ace waiting until she was well out of earshot before speaking, “So what did you think of her?”

“She is a Princess. Exactly as the stories told.” His voice wavered slightly, “That is... surprising.”

“How so?”

Easu sighed, “I always imagined Princesses were just ponies, possessing great magic and cunning, using it to bring their subjects to glory. Queens and rulers, chosen from the elite of society, advancing the will of Celestia.” He looked up at where Xephyr had disappeared from view, “But she truly believes in harmony. No priest I have ever met has spoken of it with such certainty.”

“She's certainly... certain.” Ace replied, feeling the bitterness bubble up.

Easu noticed, “You have something on your mind?”

Ace sighed. He supposed talking to somepony would help, “For the record, I don't believe in harmony, evil forces, or any of that stuff. Princesses are just powerful, smart equines.” He gathered up his anger, trying to keep it under control, “And however much she might try to pretend... she's not perfect. She's not even close.”

Easu gave him a look of sympathy, “You have unresolved issues with her.”

“Don't get me wrong, she's a great hero. She's likely right about your advice, and I really hope we can resolve this peacefully. She's honest to a fault, totally selfless, and likely the best warrior on the planet.” Ace felt his nose crinkle in anger, “And she's a shitty person, and a terrible daughter.”

Easu remained quiet for a moment at this, finally speaking again after a long period of thought, “You love her Ace.”

He blinked. He... what? He never... well once, very briefly, but... what? “I... I love...?”

Easu smiled awkwardly, “She's important to you. Very important.”

Ace sniffed, still blushing a little, “Well... she trained me. And honestly, before Fluttershy I thought she was one of the only equines who understood me.”

“And she has hurt you.”

Ace looked away, “...yes.”

Easu smiled, looking off into the distance with a soft look in his eyes, “Talk to her Ace. If we're going to save the world, we need to do it with no regrets.”

¬

Dust Kicker enjoyed the feel of the morning damp on his fur as he inspected the camp, sprawled out at the entrance to Dusklight and enjoying the couple of days free of marching. There was still plenty of work to be done, tallying up stocks, building the road leading up to Dusklight, dealing with any little problems that they had been unable to address on the way.

Still, this was an opportunity to catch their breath and think. Consider what was next.

He was doing just that when he saw them, the Steel Ranger Star Paladin and his minotaur friend, Cato and Bang he seemed to remember. They were speaking together over some toast and spread, the minotaur spotting Dust Kicker and waving him over.

“Good morning.” He commented as he approached.

“Here, try this my friend!” Bang cheerfully bellowed as he offer Dust a plate of toast, “Tell me what you think.”

Dust was a little hungry. He took a bite, feeling a warm, relaxing sweetness spread across his tongue, “This is really good.”

“Ha ha!” Bang laughed, “The Cacoasho berry. Normally a little too sweet, but if you fry it just the right length of time it becomes much more palatable!”

Dust was impressed, “Where did you learn to cook?”

“My father was the court cook of King Balder of the Badlands.” Bang explained, “I was born with a wok in my hands, the finest ingredients at my table.”

Dust remembered, the badlands beyond the camel territories, up past the Mutum, “Why did you leave?”

“The badlands are poorly named these days. There was after all little the bombs could do to make it worse, and so it almost totally escaped the devastation.” Bang explained, before a look of outrage spread across his face and his raised his fist to the sky, “And so I did not understand just how lucky I was! That we could feast on the finest the world had to offer, while the rest of the world dined on roasted mole rat. And when I learned of this great injustice I had to intervene, so I gathered my pots and pans and set off to return the great art of cooking to the world!”

Dust Kicker considered that a better goal that most, “So why are you roaming the wasteland?”

“Unfortunately I underestimated the selfishness of the world. When he learned of my skills, King Sandrine of the Antaru had me kidnapped to serve as his personal cook. My most noble arts, devoted to the singular tastes of a petty despot!”

Dust Kicker chuckled, “So Cherry Sunset freed you?”

“Indeed!” Bang confirmed, “And now I repay my debt to her, while doing my best to spread my skills to all who will listen.”

Dust Kicker turned to Cato beside, “And what about you?”

“Because it's in my blood.” Cato answered, voice firm and proud. His head rose, staring off into the distance with determination, “My family have always been soldiers, always fought for the zebra. My ancestors fought in the armies of Caesar himself, and that didn't change after the bombs fell. My parents served in the army of good king Kakuna of the Antaru.”

Dust looked at him, noting the anger in his eyes, “He was... Sandrine's father?”

“He was king Kakuna's younger son. He stole his brother's birthright, and had my family executed for supporting the true heir. And his crimes did not stop there, no, he was a ruthless, sadistic tyrant.” Cato wrinkled his muzzle, “But none would stand up to him, and the rightful king proved a coward unwilling to risk his brother's wrath.”

Dust Kicker had heard some of the story from the radio, “Until Cherry Sunset.”

Cato nodded, “Cherry Sunset told me the Applejack Rangers would not stand a tyrant, that she was duty bound to free my homeland. And she made good on her promise.” He let a small smile creep across his face, “She is the most extraordinary mare I've ever met, and I am proud to follow her into battle.”

“A worthy cause is something some ponies search their entire life to find.” Dust noted with a grin, “You're very lucky to have found yours.”

Cato smiled back, “That I am.”

¬

Ace Gold stepped through the caves with trepidation, the memories rushing back. There was a lot of construction in progress, a whole troop of ponies working hard to expand the complex and repair the damaged electrics and plumbing. It certainly gave the impression that the place was coming back to life, yet as he approached his destination the one huge exception from the work became even more obvious. No one appeared to have touched it.

He opened the door and looked across Dusklight's library. The shelves lay bare, books long gone. The table sat in the middle, a stark, lonely reminder.

He turned sideways and entered Luna's bedroom, finding himself compelled to hold his breath. He had never been in here before.

It was... a mess. The far wall had been blown out into the cave beyond and the furniture around the blast area had been toppled and flung aside, the bedsheets singed and lying in a tumble of cloth, a bookcase upended to spill it's books all across the floor. They appeared to be mostly children's books, covered in a scattering of rotting, blue feathers and dried blood. A set of beautiful, alicorn sized dresses hung on the wall, one of them instantly familiar. Ace had thought it made her look like a liquorish allsort back when he had first seen it.

Xephyr stood there in the middle, her eyes turning to Ace as he entered, “Hey Ace.”

He looked to her, somewhat accusing. This was where a mare had died, “What are you doing here?”

“Trying to get a feel for her. Midnight Dreamer.” She looked around, finally dropping her head and letting her shoulders relax, “This was her room.”

Ace felt it was all a bit morbid, “It was.”

“The books, they're all tales of warriors against injustice. Of brave ponies who were doubted and feared by those around them, but eventually proved their true worth.” She opened her eyes again, looking up at him, “She didn't keep any spellbooks in here, and none of these books feature zebra.”

He tensed, uncomfortable, “She... had issues with zebra.”

“Poor girl.”

“Charitable of you.”

“She helped a great deal of zebra Ace, and her second was a zebra. I judge actions, not words, she clearly cared for them too.” She sighed, “The fact that they don't match just means she was a troubled young girl.”

Ace wanted to argue, but he realised it was for the sake of arguing. He agreed with her, “I guess, yeah.”

“I wish I had more time to get to know her.”

Ace didn't want to talk about it. He decided to change the subject, “What did you think of Easu?”

Xephyr nodded, a cheerful smile spreading across her face, “He walks a very narrow tightrope, as do all rulers. And he's rough around the edges. But he possesses all the traits of a great leader, and he certainly has the touch of harmony about him.”

Ace was glad she liked him. Still he was eager to get to the actual reason for his visit, “Your mother's funeral was nice.”

Xephyr sighed, turning away, “I'm glad.”

“It would have been nicer with you there.”

“I..." She hesitated, still not looking like she was taking it entirely seriously. She reached up to scratch the back of her head with a hoof, avoiding his gaze, "I'm sorry for running off like that. I had a lot on my mind."

That sounded dangerously like an excuse. And Ace Gold was going to call her out on it, "You missed your mother's funeral."

Xephyr sighed, dropping her head, "I said my goodbyes."

"No you didn't! You screamed at everyone, and ran away!" Ace replied, driving out the fury that he had been keeping tight in his chest, "You didn't care about her at all!"

She looked up at him, shocked and distressed. That satisfied him at least, as did her wavering voice, "I'm glad... you did."

He relaxed, feeling the anger drain. It was replaced by regret, and grief, "I did."

"What was she like? Xenith, hero of Equestria?"

Ace sighed, "She was brave, and selfless, and wise. She saved my life, and never asked for a thing in return."

"I wish I had known her."

Ace looked up at Xephyr, narrowing his brow. How could she say such things? "You could have!"

Xephyr shook her head in regret, "There was far too much history there. We were never able to get past that."

“You could have tried!”

“We did. So many times.” Xephyr gave him a heart meltingly sweet smile, almost enough to make him forgive her right there, “You loved her.”

He hesitated, but not for long, “Yes. She saved my life, taught me, gave me advice...”

“And she loved you.” She stated, “It was right that you were there to see her off. I only wish Littlepip and the others were there.”

Ace... wasn't happy. He wasn't happy with this, “Family is...”

“Something that you can lose forever. It can be taken from you, or you can leave it behind.” Her smile faded, “And sometimes it's not anyponies fault. Like so many terrible things... it's just a thing that happens, for reasons you'll never make sense of.”

Ace gritted his teeth, feeling the anger at the... unfairness of the world grow, “Even after everything, I still feel like... a leaf, caught in a hurricane.”

She gave a sad chuckle, “I think that's true of everypony, whether they admit it or not.”

He gave her a doubtful look, “You're the single most powerful equine on this planet.”

She laughed at that, “I seriously doubt that. And before you put me on too high a pedestal... you're fifteen.”

He frowned, not liking to be reminded, “I'm just a couple of months off being sixteen.”

She gave one of her sly little smiles, “And you're far, far more powerful than any of us were at that age. Think about that for a moment.”

Ace widened his eyes, trying to process that statement, “Wait, what?”

“Do you think Littlepip knew which end of a gun to point at an enemy at sixteen? Do you think Velvet did? And I barely beat Stern with the help of my mother. You fought her now, you could have broken her in half.”

Ace... doubted that. But in a way, she was right. He was strong. He was almost certainly far stronger than Littlepip when she started out. And that was something... he had to accept, “I've spent so long blaming you all for not making a better world.” He lifted his hoof, feeling the muscles flex, feeling the power there, “Maybe it's time I put my money where my mouth is.”

Xephyr smiled, “And I very much look forward to seeing what you can do Ace.”

¬

They sat in the war council, Dust Kicker, Cato and Kale. Lacking a formal command structure it was the best they had, Dust forced to confront the fact that none of them had ever truly commanded an army of this size, nor been involved with command level decisions. Still, a decision had to be made, “So... Demonivore.”

“Only taken by direct military assault once.” Cato warned, “By the largest army Equestria has ever fielded, commanded by General Storm Frost and featuring both Rainbow Dash and Princess Celestia out on the front lines.”

Dust Kicker nodded, “Where the All Mother died?”

“The Mother of Dragons died in that battle, yes. And the zebra and pony forces alike lost more than sixty percent of their forces, and both Celestia and Rainbow Dash were seriously injured. The civilian casualties were also devastating.”

Dust Kicker looked at the plans, “The city is built on a hill, rising through multiple tiers with easily firing positions downwards. It also boasts a complicated, illogical layout with numerous chokepoints and dead ends, and wide open plains in all directions.”

“Many have tried to take the city since the bombs fell.” Cato noted, “The Enclave, Star Fall, the Entitdi. All of them have failed.”

“But we have dragons don't we?” Kale asked hopefully, “We all saw what they can do at Clendel.”

“There's a dead dragon just across the way, spread against a mountain.” Cato reminded her, “The mother of all dragons no less. Dragons are big and powerful, but their skin can be penetrated by a well aimed ballista shot. High calibre bullets will tear one apart.”

“Plus you heard what Spike said about their numbers.” Dust added, “We should be glad they risked themselves at Clendel. We can't ask them to test themselves against an actual army.”

“Ok...” Kale paused before venturing her next idea, “Then as a thought experiment, why not bypass Demonivore entirely?”

Dust shook his head, “It's true that we don't need the city. But what we do need is boats, lots of them. We have thousands of troops here, troops that we need to get across the ocean. The only large port in the area is right here.”

“That would of course require us to convince them not to scuttle the fleet the moment we look like taking the place.” Cato pointed out.

Dust nodded, conceding the point. Along with everything else, it was yet more evidence that a conventional assault was doomed to fail, “Then let's hope we can convince them to see reason.”

¬

They were here. After all these months, after so many adventures, after so many setbacks and injuries. They passed through the same mountain pass through which they had escaped, Ace Gold recognising the spot where they had fought the bandits. The tank was gone, obviously retrieved or scavenged at some point. Ace Gold thought back on simpler time as they continued through, the pass finally opening up into the great golden coast of Demonivore.

Ahead, defence emplacements, hidden trenches, minefields and more, one of the most well fortified areas on the planet. Beyond that... the rising tiers of Demonivore, solid, box like buildings climbing up the hill to the palace atop. Their destination, and the place where it all started.

“Line up!” Dust Kicker called, the army slowly starting to spread out across the pass. This was their big risk, they were in range of Demonivore's guns and they didn't have any big guns of their own. Still if their projections were right they outnumbered the defenders of Demonivore six hundred to one, the defenders would have to be mad to force a confrontation.

It was time to find out. Ace Gold called two of the scouts to his side, a goggled pegasus buck called Sweet Waves and a startlingly lean and dangerous looking zebra mare called Xo. They nodded as they fell into step, Ace slowly stepping towards the shadow of Demonivore as the army formed up behind.

An artillery shot fell nearby, shaking the ground. Ace quickly looked round to judge its position, Sweet Waves tensed and ready to fly them out of there. After a moment it was clear however that it had landed a long way from their position, either really badly aimed or a warning shot. The army was already being brought under control after a brief moment of panic and so Ace Gold decided to continue on. There was no further shots, and after a moment he looked up to see a pair of alicorns watching him from far above.

After a second one levelled their spear down and fired a grenade right at their location.

Xo didn't waste a second, spinning her rifle up and detonating the grenade with one quick shot. The shockwave almost knocked the pair of the sky, and after a moment they both made a quick retreat. Ace had to chuckle, “Scared them off.”

“The one who fired the grenade was Silverstripe.” Xo declared, her voice cold and hard, “She's dangerous in a fight, but tends to let her temper get the best of her.”

Ace noted that for reference, “And the other?”

“I think her name is Starlight Destiny. I don't know much about her.” She thought for a moment before adding, “She has a terrible poker face. Always displays what's she's feeling for all to see.”

“And what's that?” Sweet Waves asked.

“Fear and nervousness generally.”

Ace Gold nodded, thinking to himself that in fights the scared and nervous opponents tended to be the most difficult to predict. He liked to read his opponent's next move and control the fight, but scared, inexperienced fighters made that much harder, “Let's continue.”

They did so, eventually reaching the first bunker. It was made of heavy concrete, solid and well built. A zebra stood on top beside two gun emplacements, wearing the uniform of Caesar's guard. He called down as they approached, “We've been ordered not to engage until we know your intentions. So what are they?”

Ace looked up at the zebra, noting that he was pretty elderly for a solider. Likely a veteran then, left behind due to his age, “We're passing through this area, nothing more. We would like to negotiate passage with Caesar's representative, if we could.”

The solider glared, “Caesar's exiled brother leads an army to the walls of his home, and he merely wishes to pass through?”

“He swears on his honor that he has no intentions...”

“The exile has no honor!” The solider shouted back, then added, “Are Ace Gold, Arick Grimfeathers, Dust Kicker, Fluttershy and Zenai among your number?”

Ace Gold wondered what the correct answer to that was. He eventually decided to go with the truth, “Yes.”

“Then they have permission to enter the city, and talk to Minister Daisy.” The solider replied, “The others will not approach without a fight.”

“Very well.” Ace stated, wondering what they were getting into, “I'll bring them here.”

¬

Demonivore. It brought back plenty of old memories for Dust Kicker, of tracking Star Swirl through the streets, of... living here, with her and Zenai. Back then it had all seemed much easier, just another job. He had once stepped through these streets as a mercenary, now he did it as a general. Those gathered in the streets watched their progress with awe, and well they should. Three ponies who had been through so much together, finally back to where they started their journey.

He turned to look at Fluttershy, noting her expression, “You look nervous.”

“A little.” She admitted. Her head moved about to study the city, even though her eyes were still bound in cloth, “You know, they say this city was cursed by the Star Demon who ruled here, that it would be forever a den of evil and misfortune.”

Dust Kicker didn't have much time for superstition, “And do you believe that?”

“There's lingering darkness here.” She stated in a quiet voice, “And it feels like we're all connected to it. That in our actions here, the whole world was put out of balance.”

Dust Kicker hadn't realised Fluttershy was a mystic, “And how do we fix that?”

“We have to pass through this city peacefully Dust Kicker.” She paused for a moment before adding, “And Easu must be allowed to return home in honor.”

He grimaced. A tall order, “I'll do my best.”

The palace was as Dust Kicker remembered it, a strange feeling given he didn’t… remember it. It seemed a little more friendly than before though, he got the impression that the plants were new. The waterfall that descended down the side of the building now fed into several hanging gardens that sat on the numerous steps that formed its pyramid structure. Hanging baskets hung along the corridors too, lending the somewhat worn and time damaged structure an air of serene dignity. It was quiet, lines of soldiers standing guard at key locations with stern dignity, a few servants bowing their heads as the procession passed.

They finally reached the state room, a bright and airy location that looked out across the city from the large windows at the far end. A group of zebra dressed in the robes of civil servants stood in the centre, though the central figure was of all things a donkey mare. She wore a startlingly white toga and her hair was clipped up in an elegant updo, affecting a transformation so startling that Dust Kicker didn’t recognise her for a moment, “…Daisy?”

“Dust Kicker.” She replied, looking him up and down with that familiar piercing glare, “You look terrible.”

“You look… amazing.” He replied, waving at her with a hoof.

She gave a small, thin smile, which Dust Kicker knew was high praise from the tough old merchant queen. She bowed her head to her visitors as the guards bade them approach, allowing them to settle on the soft pillows scattered around. Daisy didn’t take one, choosing to remain standing as she addressed them, “Indeed, though the chaos you inflicted on the city all those months ago was deeply unfortunate, my work in warning Lord Caesar of the threat seemed to impress him. He offered me a role as his major domo, one I was happy to accept.”

“Finally settling down?”

She shrugged, “Neither of us are getting any younger. Indeed the trust was humbling, few care to offer a donkey anything. I became a merchant because I knew I had to work myself to my fortune, yet Caesar has seen fit to leave me more or less in control of his empire in his absence.” She nodded, her eyes indicating she was being very serious with her next statement, “I will do everything in my power to prove worthy of that trust, and hope you are not here to once more repay his hospitality with treachery.”

“We were set up Daisy.” Fluttershy stated quietly, “You have to know that.”

“I have a suspicion.” She agreed, “Which is the only reason I trust you now. Do you know who was behind it?”

Ace Gold took a breath, the young buck tensing for a moment before delivering the answer, “Arick Grimfeathers.”

Daisy turned her eyes to Ace, deep suspicion across her face, “Of course. But it cannot stop there, don’t insult my intelligence. So who else was involved? You? Regina?”

“No.” He answered simply, meeting her gaze, “I knew nothing about it, only what I’ve been able to piece together in retrospect. And his mother had nothing to do with it either, I… think he did it partly to screw with her.”

“Hmph.” She grunted, not looking satisfied with his answer, “That does make sense. But I still struggle to believe he was working alone.”

“No, he wasn’t.” Ace Gold acknowledged, his voice firm and clear as he gave his answer, “It was Red Eye.”

Daisy, rather oddly, didn’t seem entire surprised by this information, “What evidence do you have?”

“Ability and motive.” Ace stated, “He’s one of the few who can easily send messages between Equestria and here, he already had one asset in place, and he’s almost certainly able to forge the official communication used to dupe Silver Quill.”

Daisy frowned, “What asset?”

“Zenai was tricked into bringing an experimental AI with her, trying to protect it from the Steel Rangers.” Ace explained, “But unknown to her, us, and the AI itself, Red Eye had the ability to override her systems and erase her memory of it at will. He likely used her to access the systems here.”

Daisy’s frown became ever more intense and unfriendly, “You are saying he can hack remotely, all the way from the NCR?”

“Yes, I am.”

She drew her head, back, glaring frostily, “And you are going to tell me how.”

Ace Gold nodded, “He somehow has access to the Equestrian military’s old satellite network. Equestria used it during the war to spy on both these lands and their own ponies. It is equipped with technology allowing it to communicate with both pre-war Equestrian and Zebra systems, which both nations tend to use to protect their most valuable data.” Ace grimaced, “It is a common belief that they are more secure than more modern copies.”

Dust Kicker listened with rapt attention, partly due to it all being… familiar. He knew this, it had been explained to him before, “But… you said nopony had access to these satellites. That they were lost.”

“Yeah, which makes it even more effective a trump card.” Ace acknowledged, “As you can guess, control of the network was only located in the most secure and important military hubs in Equestria, all of which were prime targets for the zebra bombardment. It was long decided that there was no way any of them survived, that the military network was totally destroyed. The quest for control of the pre-war military network has long been considered the domain of quacks and fools.”

Dust Kicker understood, “The best weapon is one no one considers possible.”

“A good hacker with access to it could hold the world to ransom.” Ace Gold agreed, “Or drive it to war.”

Daisy was quiet for a long moment after this, her eye narrowed in thought. Eventually she spoke, tones grave, “Red Eye contacted Caesar, convinced him to mount his invasion and gave him classified military secrets and maps to make it easier.” Her muzzle rumpled in consternation, eyebrows raising, “Why?”

“I don’t know.” Ace admitted, “But most of his actions have served to increase tensions between the NCR and Caesar. Perhaps he just wants revenge on the NCR?”

Daisy frowned, as did Dust Kicker. It made him queasy, uncomfortable. The idea that… “You think this is actually Red Eye?”

“No. But it is somepony who knew his operation intimately. Somepony who holds a grudge for how it all ended.” Ace turned, looking direct at Dust, “Somepony who knew you well Dust Kicker.”

Dust Kicker pointed to himself, “Me?”

Ace Gold nodded, “He contacted you, knew about your past, expressed a personal connection. They might well have got you on this mission in the first place.”

Dust Kicker took this all in, the information settling like a lead weight in his stomach. Who could possibly know all this, who could…

He felt the world collapse around him, looking up at grey skies above. He felt fit, strong, proud. He felt like all was right in the world, looking over the devastation of the war and the perpetual dusk the cloud cover left them. This was… his home.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

He turned, looking at the griffon beside him. Elizabetha. She was lean for a griffon, a little shorter than Gawdina. She was quick though, dexterous. He had seen her pretty much dodge gunfire, and she did it with a grace that was otherworldly. Along with the quirky, historically symbolic way she wore her armor and those rose tinted glasses she always wore, she was a shining gem amid the muck, “Almost as pretty as you.”

She chuckled, pointing a talon out towards the wreckage of what looked like an oversized shed, “You know, back before the war that used to be a production facility for the Solaris Corporation. They produced satellites for the Equestrian military.”

“Satellites?”

“Yeah. They were like giant cameras far up in the sky, looking down on everything. They used them to target their megaspells, the satellites, silos and command stations all linked up in a massive network. Just a push of a button, and they destroyed the world.”

Dust Kicker shivered, “Then I'm glad this stuff is all broken.”

“The satellites are still there though, still waiting for the right command. And Equestria kept their silos well hidden.” Elizabetha smiled, a fire in her eyes, “There has always been rumors, of silos that failed to fire. And that Equestria hid one of its command centres deep underground, far from anywhere the zebra would have reason to target, and that it’s still out there somewhere, totally untouched.”

Dust Kicker was kinda glad it was lost, “And what would you do with it?”

“I would give it to Red Eye of course.” She explained with a look of deep ambition, “And no one would ever be able to threaten the new world he’s creating.”

“Dust Kicker? You remember something?”

He looked back at Ace, giving a sheepish shake of his head, “No… yes, but it’s not much to go on. We can talk about it later.” He looked to Daisy, “In the meantime… do we have your support?”

“You may bring Easu into the city, and I will talk to him.” Daisy informed them in grave, strict tones, “We shall see what he has to say. And in the meantime…”

She paused noticeably, Dust Kicker raising an eyebrow, “In the meantime?”

“As you can imagine, Princess Celestia stationed three of her knights here.” Daisy stated, sounding hesitant as she continued, “They disappeared shortly after your army was spotted. I sent guards out looking, but my resources are limited.”

Dust Kicker considered her words. It certainly sounded like something it would be a poor idea to ignore, letting dangerous, super powered fanatics run free in a city they knew well while there were multiple VIP’s running around, “Ace Gold, do you think you could rustle up some trackers, see if they can find out where they’ve run to?”

Ace nodded, “Found and dealt with. Just leave it to me.”

¬

Ace admitted he felt a twinge of satisfaction as he beheld his troops, waiting on his order to march. It was good to be friends with the king, “Does anyone have any questions?”

“Any idea how many civilians we might be talking about?” Xephyr asked, “In my experience, these kind of fanatics love to surround themselves with the ‘devoted faithful’.”

Cato nodded in agreement, “Since they’ve been based here, I’d be shocked if they didn’t have dozens of fools willing to die for them.”

“Which brings the question.” Kalute, their assigned representative from Demonivore milita began, “Do we kill them? Because I know that will only increase tensions here.”

Xephyr looked predictably disapproving, “Leave them to me. You just need to find them.”

“To us.” Ace corrected, “And if it comes to that I’ll tell you to ‘go live’. Until that point, only open fire if multiple civilian lives are in danger.”

Cato frowned, “I respect your moral code Princess, but…”

“Kalute is right. We’re in a neutral city, which we cannot afford to anger.” Ace firmly informed him, “We need to deal with this as quietly as possible. Kalute, when we find them I want the city guard to clear the area while we go in.”

The zebra saluted, “Right you are.”

“And Cato, you bring down any who try and escape. As bloodlessly as possible if you can.”

He nodded, looking a little less pleased with the situation, “As you will.”

“Right.” Ace stated, nodding to each of them, “Move out.”

They moved off into the city, Ace feeling rather peculiar being back here. Back then… he had been with Arick Grimfeathers. He had been a dumb, arrogant kid, way over his head.

Now he was giving orders to Princess Xephyr. He looked to the mare, her head peering about at the sights like a damn tourist, “Xephyr.”

“Ace.” She replied, giving him a sweet smile and lowering her voice, “Would you be insulted if I drew most of their fire, and you used that opportunity to strike from stealth?”

He had been thinking the same thing, “It makes sense. You’re far more experienced and powerful than me.”

“Oh.” She stated, sounding a little surprised, “That’s… really mature of you.”

“Do I come across like that?” He questioned with a hint of irritation, “A bratty kid, looking to prove themselves?”

“No, of course not…”

“It was a real question Xephyr.”

She looked at him with shock at this, Ace admitting that it felt a bit weird being this sharp with Princess Xephyr. Still her expression soon melted into one of respect, “You’ve always wanted to prove yourself. It’s part of who you are, right there in your cutie mark.”

He looked down at his currently covered flank. His cutie mark… a gold medal. He hadn’t thought about it in some time, oddly enough. It had once been his obsession, his life spent wrestling with what exactly it mean. Being the best? Being a born winner? Being born from the heroes of Equestria, Deadshot Calamity and Velvet Remedy, and so automatically a grand hero worthy of respect? “So what do you think it means?”

“You want to be the best at everything Ace. I’ve seen it all my life, everything you do you have to excel at.” She chuckled, “Every time you lost a fight against some pony twice your size and age, you would get so angry with yourself, train until your hooves bled.”

He… admitted that had been true once. To be honest he liked the challenge, “There’s no point trying anything if you don’t commit.”

“It’s why you came out here isn’t it?” She asked, “You felt your parents were too much of an advantage. You wanted to test yourself against a real wasteland, without them to bail you out.”

He… admitted she had a point, “I… hated coming back home to a mansion. Wearing fancy clothes I hadn’t earned, a father who loved me unconditionally… nothing was ever going to be satisfying until I had achieved it free of the advantages of my birth.”

“Well let’s see how much you’ve learned.” She concluded, turning her eyes back to the two trackers in front. Kalute was speaking to a civilian merchant, handing him a few caps before heading over. Xephyr nodded for him to speak, “We found something?”

“A few people have noticed workers going in and out of a disused sanitation facility.” Kalute informed them, “I’ve already checked, we don’t have any serious maintenance booked and there was far too many of them for a routine inspection. Lots of equipment too, in sealed boxes.”

Ace nodded, that sounded legit. That facility likely led into the sewers or maintenance tunnels, which would be a good way of getting anywhere they wanted, “It sounds like that’s our jackpot.”

¬

Here they were... he hoped he was right.

The area had been quietly cleared of civilians, guards watching the doors alongside Cato. The path into the building showed clear signs of recent scratching where heavy boxes had been dragged inside, and further talks with the civilians in the area reported a lot of equines in concealing gear had entered the building and not come out.

Whoever was in there, they were up to no good. A breaching charge had been placed on the door, though that wasn’t their entry point. As normal Xephyr had to make an entrance, and so she had walked round the side of the building, inspecting the brickwork until finally... she indicated a spot with her hoof, “There.”

Ace nodded, moving beside her and whispering into his radio, “Go.”

A loud bang sounded out, the ground shaking under their feet. It was followed by yells and the sound of gunfire, Xephyr giving him one last look before driving her hoof hard into the wall.

It shattered inwards, striking one zebra hard in the side and taking him out of the fight. The place looked like a warehouse, with a high roof and a metal gantry forming a second floor. It was full of equines in mostly improvised armor, though all were pretty well armed. Several predictably lined the second floor, in a perfect position to fire down at them.

Before they even had a chance to move Xephyr used her wing to sweep several chunks of rubble into the air, spinning about and kicking them upwards to take out three of the upper floor cultists with just one quick move. Ace wasn’t about to be left behind, taking a plate of metal from his pack and charging it with bullet attraction magic. He flung it upwards as he moved in to attack, feeling the satisfaction of a job well done as their bullets were attracted upwards and away towards the spinning shard. He returned fire with his twin crossbows, marking two more of the snipers on the upper levels and striking them with poisoned darts.

Xephyr shot past him, air booming outwards as she used her wings to fling herself right into where the enemies were thickest. They were briefly bowled over by her momentum, then sent flying across the room as she expanded her wings in a fierce maelstrom. They hit the ground all around, crumpled beside their ruined weapons.

And at that point he did feel a little jealous.

He dropped another cultist with his crossbow before leaping up and knocking another one silly with a flying kick. He landed neatly, still he was barely fast enough to avoid the spear that darted out from his blindspot, shaving a few hairs off his flank as it went. He leapt, kicked, and was blocked, the spear wielding mare throwing him backwards with a heave.

She was a winged unicorn, a light pink in color, eyes bright cyan. The robes of the church of Celestia billowed as she charged for the attack. He dropped, let her pass over him and kicked up at the right moment to catch her under the chin, driving her back. He tried to press his advantage but she recovered quicker than he had expected, striking him with a horn blast that left him stunned. Her spear shot out once more and cut his shoulder, the mare winding up for a stronger strike…

…before she was hit by a burst of compressed air, flinging her into the wall with a loud thump. Ace looked across at Xephyr, the mare’s hoof still vibrating with magic. He called out a warning as another winged unicorn levelled their spear at Xephyr while she was distracted, firing a shot at her unprotected back. Xephyr was already moving by the time the words left his mouth, her wings sweeping out to bat the heavy slug away with almost contemptuous ease, her hooves driving her forward to slam into the winged unicorn hard enough to fling her across the room.

Ace took a moment to confirm they were both down. To his shock neither alicorn looked to be getting up again in a hurry. Ace marvelled once again at just how far he had to go if he ever wanted to match Xephyr.

“False prophet! Wicked perversion!”

Ace turned just too late to see her, the final Knight of Celestia leaning out and using her spear to launch a grenade straight at Xephyr. It was utter madness, in these close confines it would likely kill everyone in the room. Xephyr's eyes widened in shock for just a second before she rushed forward, weaving a cocoon of air around the grenade with her hooves before closing both her wings across it...

...it detonated with a deafening crack, walls shattering as fragments marked them. To Ace's amazement however Xephyr's desperate move contained the blast enough that not a single pony or zebra was hurt...

...except for one. Xephyr was flung backwards, wings smoking, head bleeding, her body tumbling across the floor. She rolled onto her back, limp and motionless.

“Yes!” The Knight screamed, “When you get to hell demon, tell them Skyfire Heart sent you! Tell them...!”

And at that Xephyr stirred, lifting her head and touching a hoof gingerly against the already healing wounds across her skull, “Damn... that hurt...”

Skyfire Heart's eyes widened in horror. She looked about desperately... unfortunately seeing Ace before he was close enough to take her out. She swung her spear at him, Ace leaping over it and kicking it out of her hooves. It clattered away out of her reach but her wild bullrush caught him off guard and knocked him sprawling. Ace fired off a crossbow bolt but it scattered away as it struck her magic barrier.

Skyfire Heart hesitated, looking to her fallen spear, then to him... she turned grabbed a couple of bags from the shelf next to her and fled through the door behind. Ace swore, charging after her.

The door opened to a set of ominous, worn looking stairs downwards, Ace following as fast as he dared. It led into what looked like a service tunnel, old pipes running along the walls and what appeared to be an industrial pump gently throbbing away in the corner. He hurried along a little way further, uncovering large, rough hewn rooms full of storage crates, figuring the warehouse must have been some forgotten access to the city's plumbing. Judging from the dust few people spent much time here... which meant Skyfire Heart was easy to follow.

He sprinted ahead, soon catching sight of the mare. She was crouched next to a large, ambiguously shaped machine, her bag opened and its contents laid before her.

Those weren’t ambiguous. These were bundles of nuke grenades, strapped around a timer. Her eyes came up to stare at him, her magic touch on the bomb faltering for a moment. It was all the opportunity he needed, using his own magic to snatch it away and float it over. Once it was nearby, it was a reasonably simple task to neutralise the firing mechanism, safely rendering it useless and dropping it next to him.

“No!”

He looked up at the mare, shouting back at her, “What the hell are you trying to do? What's the point of planting bombs here?”

“You stupid little pony, you really don't know?” She giggled, “We're right above the reservoir, the water source for the entire city! A little explosion here and it will collapse, sealing it off for good!”

He hesitated, not sure if he got that right, “What...?” He glared at her, unsure if he had heard that right, “You're trying to rendering the entire city uninhabitable?”

“You don't understand! You will never understand!” She laughed then, adjusting the strap on the second bag, “But it doesn't matter, because you can’t stop me!”

She turned and ran further into the complex, out of sight before he could react. Ace cursed and followed.

“She promised a better world! She told us Celestia had returned, made us Princesses and dressed us in robes of silver! She told us the long night was over!” Skyfire Heart screamed the words, dodging through the pillars and behind storage crates and stopping Ace from getting a good shot, “Are you telling me that was a lie?! That there truly is no hope?!”

Ace followed her as she led him further into the tunnels. He had no choice, he couldn’t let her escape with a pack of explosives. Neither could he risk a shot that might hit that pack, or any of the unknown supplies she was dodging through. He could only hurry after her, duck every time she levelled her horn at him, try and close the gap each time she turned her head away, “There’s always hope.”

“Liar!” She screamed, “I’ve seen it out there! War upon war, and now you bring another army to our gates?! You are the heralds of the end, the final death of light!”

Ace wondered if further discussion was worth it. The mare was clearly bats, “You need to look beyond appearances. Star Swirl might look like Celestia, but she’s really just another warlord. And our army is a collection of brave volunteers from all nations, seeking to end this conflict.”

Skyfire Heart chuckled, a disturbing sound, “Maybe you’re telling the truth. But it doesn’t matter.”

He turned the corner, seeing her standing there with the back of explosives around her neck, the pullcord in her mouth. She backed against one of the pillars, giving a lopsided grin as she pressed herself tightly against the stone. Ace Gold didn’t like that look, “Just put the explosives down…”

She smiled, a crazed look in her eye, “I just… can’t take living in this ugly world anymore. If my beautiful dream is a lie, then I rather die with that lie intact.” She exhaled, her expression growing peaceful, “This pillar, it supports most of the market district.”

“Skyfire…”

“I’m sorry.” She softly breathed, then pulled the cord.

Ace Gold let out a breath, glad she had given him just enough time to defuse the explosives with his magic. He kicked off before she realised what he had done, snatching the satchel in his hooves and using it to fling Skyfire through the air to thump down on her back. She screeched as she rolled back onto her hooves, Ace Gold hurling the explosives safely behind him as he moved to cut her off. Her attacks were wild and aggressive, Ace easily dodged through them. He quickly got her in a position to roll her over, getting her hooves behind her head and slipping a pair of cuffs on, “Enough.”

“No! Nononono!” She burst into tears, slamming her face against the stone, “Kill me! Kill me! Kill meeeee!”

He gave the mare a finally pitying look before laying the mare out with a final nerve pinch.

¬

They all lined the streets, the zebra of Demonivore all watching on in awe as he passed among them. Cheers and boos rang out here and there, but for the most part they seemed... on edge. Waiting for a sign of what all this meant.

Easu, the crownless king, scion of Demonivore, banished son, exile. He marched through the streets with his soldiers around him, banners flying and music playing. Fluttershy stepped beside him, Dusk Kicker on his opposite flank. Easu as normal had dressed down for the occasion, wearing a well made but simple half robe over leather armor. He still looked every inch the king, bearing a natural nobility most warlords dreamed of possessing.

Daisy, extravagantly dressed and made up, stood at the entrance to the palace. She looked down sternly as he ascended the steps, Dust Kicker and Fluttershy moving away to allow him this final passage alone. He stopped before her, dropping his knee and bowing his head in supplication, “Honored steward, this unworthy son of Demonivore has returned, humbled by his punishment. The crimes I committed were true, and the punishment was warranted. I come to you now, wiser, gentler and purified by the trials I have faced, begging the forgiveness of you and this city.”

Daisy seemed honestly touched by his speech, noticeably pausing a moment to regain her composure before replying, “And how will you atone?”

“By bringing my brother back to these lands, so that his wise rule can continue, so his talents are no longer wasted in some pointless war across the sea. To convince him of the work that is still to be done here, that here will be the crucible of a grand new beginning.” He lifted his head, firm and confident, “I am Easu, King of the Northern Mutum, brother to Caesar Incuta of the Golden Coast. May these two lands, two crowns, be forever linked by our shared bond, and that bond be the catalyst that brings all the zebra together as one!”

The zebra in the crowd reacted now, their voices raising, “Together as one!”

Ace noted it down in his journal, knowing future generations would look back on this moment. For after all these years, all these struggles, all the war and death and pain...

...their prince had finally returned.