“Reporting back in… Um, Sister? Where is Brother?”

“Oh, hey Sister. Probably coordinating the pawns or something. I don’t care to see his brooding face anyway.”

“Oh, I see…”

“Anyway, you got something to report? Did our other Brother find something?”

“I wouldn’t say that exactly. It’s, well, difficult to communicate over vast distances.”

“Even for you? Can’t you travel at like mach three?”

“Yes, but that requires a chunk of mana and we can’t afford to exhaust our reserves. Not until we have the–”

“Yes, I get it. Ugh, this is frustrating having to hoard this much mana and not be able to use it. If I had my way, I would unleash hell upon those unsuspecting ants. Oh, but the thought of seeing their faces contort and twist in pain and suffering… Oooh, that’s what keeps me going, fufufu!”

“Sister?... Why do you like to inflict pain on innocents? Perhaps I could understand our main targets, but is it really necessary to torture and maim those who have done nothing to us?”

“What are you saying?! Those parasites are descended from Her legacy and they deserve every second of suffering they get! They and all the rest are leeches, all of them. It’s only natural I despise them, their little princess too. The mere fact that they breathe is the only reason I really need.”

“I can’t help but feel you take far too much perverse pleasure in such sadistic thoughts. Between Brother’s wrath and your spitefulness… not to mention our other Brother’s paranoia…”

“What are you saying, Sister? Are you implying my hatred is invalid? After everything that had been done to us? To our King? Discard such treasonous thoughts, I don’t want to make you an enemy after all we’ve been through together.”

“I’m just saying it’s not healthy. I may be blind, but even I can see how badly these thoughts are clouding everyone’s judgement. Sooner or later, it’s going to come back on us, I just know it.”

“Tsk. Perish the thought. I’m perfectly in control of myself. As long as I have a reason to hate, then I’ll use my creations however I please.”

“When they don’t fall or go rogue…”

“Look. We’ve had some setbacks. I won’t deny that. How could I have predicted that project growing sapience? But what does it matter in the long run? Until Master has everything we need, I’m perfectly content with causing as much mayhem as I can. Who's gonna stop me? You? I don’t think so.”

“Right. Okay. I see it’s futile to discuss this any further. Just… Please don’t get too in over your head. We’ve already had to mourn two of our siblings before…”

A new day was here. Twilight’s eyelids gently parted to allow the morning glow to energize her. Or so she would have preferred. In reality, it merely caused a surge of minor discomfort to radiate through her skull. The rest and the tea from the night prior did wonders for her head injury but did nothing for her general morning grumpiness.

Still, rather than tossing and turning like she frequently did, she sat up and frailly extended her limbs into a stretch, the audible popping of her back joints echoing as she contorted her body to shake off the fatigue. The crackling was simultaneously satisfying and uncomfortable, especially to Spike who twitched upon hearing them.

“Gah. Okay okay, I’m up already,” the drake drowsily said as he began his own stretching.

“Morning Spike. Sleep alright?”

“About as well as usual. You?”

“Better than I expected, actually. I think my headache is finally gone.”

Twilight crawled out of bed and while still mid-stretch she reached for a bottle of water she had placed on the nightstand and took some sips. Adequately hydrated, she reached for the notebook Spike had begun handing her.

While checking through her many notes, she was interrupted by a knock.

“Twilight? Are you awake? May I come in?” The muffled request penetrated the carved oak door.

“Celestia? Sure, come in.”

Stepping in from the hall, the elder alicorn entered wearing a warm and fluffy looking pink robe with white fur lining the neck. Along with Philomena on her wing, she carried with her a cart containing three ceramic mugs of freshly brewed black tea along with a tray of pancakes each for Twilight and Spike, made by her personally with banana and chocolate hazelnut spread, alongside the usual whipped cream.

“Good morning Twilight, Spike. I thought I’d bring breakfast to you today,” Celestia said with a warm smile.

“Oooh, thanks Celestia!” Spike beamed, answering the sweet siren song of the succulent spread and wasting no time digging in.

“Wow, it looks delicious,” Twilight said, returning the smile. “You always make really good pancakes.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Twilight. After everything, it was the least I could do to make it up to you. I’m sorry for everything.”

Twilight used the utensils supplied to her to cut a piece of pastry. “Oh, you mean with your mother? Well… I’ll admit I had been a little frustrated with being kept in the dark about all this… She’s, well, quite the character.”

“You don’t have to sugar coat it, Twilight… Otherwise she would eat it, hehe. Well, I have been rather incompetent in my handling of this, among other things. I have no excuse, other than I suppose familial ties clouding my judgment. Perhaps it’s one of the reasons I decided to retire.”

“...Honestly, I understand. I’m guilty of the same thing regarding you, back when I was still apprenticing. But thank you, it makes me feel a bit better and what Spruce and Sir Bonsai talked about last night helped shed some light on things.”

“Yes, I talked to Spruce earlier actually and he mentioned some of what he said. How he talked about Mother’s past. Look, Mother is… flawed. I can’t deny it. But in spite of that, she raised Luna and I, all of us. She’s stuck in her ways but I love her regardless.”

“Kinda like Twilight with you,” Spike commented with a mouth full of pancake.

“S-Spike, please! I don’t… I mean… I don’t know how to feel about that…”

Celestia chuckled. “Perhaps that is not an unfair comparison. In a way, I did raise both of you. Though I shouldn’t take credit away from your mother and father.”

“Well… Anyway, after breakfast I need to try talking to Maho again. Even if I understand her actions a bit more, I have to keep trying to change her mind about Fluttershy at least.”

Celestia leaned in and offered Twilight a hug, which was gladly reciprocated. “I’ll join you. For emotional support and guidance. You’ll get through this, I know you will.”

Breakfast finished, Twilight and Spike tidied up the cart and neatly placed it right outside the door as they walked into the corridor with their day pack. The staff would come by and take care of it later, the day was going to (hopefully) be more productive. Taking a more scenic route to the throne room where the queen would be, they came across a giant terrace containing the castle gardens, a flourishing synthetic glade meticulously decorated with many dozens of varieties of plants, from flowers to vines to even small trees. All coordinated by color and species in a spiraling pattern inward towards a central gazebo where Fluttershy was snuggled up contently in a hammock by a firecrystal lamp.

Celestia softly extended her wing, allowing Philomena to fly off towards the large stallion tending to a patch of willows. “Good morning, Sequoia,” Celestia quietly said with a smile.

The stallion in question paused and looked over his shoulder. Well, look as well as he could with the bangs of his long mane draped over his eyes. The corners of his mouth curled up the tiniest bit as he nodded and emitted a noise in the back of his throat to acknowledge. As Philomena took up a perch next to him and nuzzled his surprisingly soft cheek, Twilight decided to fly over the flower fields to meet her friend, where the yellow pegasus cracked her eyes open and unrolled herself from the blanket burrito she was wrapped in. “Uh, good morning Fluttershy… You seem comfy.”

Fluttershy stretched out her back as she stood—Well, as much as one could stand on a hammock anyway—and yawned before turning to her friend. “Good morning, Twilight. I was…” she paused to yawn again, deeper this time, “I was just talking to Sequoia last night and I ended up falling asleep here. You know, he’s actually rather sweet and soft, not what I was expecting.”

“So you slept in his bed… I, uh, well…”

“Don’t worry, he didn’t do anything besides sleep next to me… Although…” She paused again to blush before snapping herself out of it, “Err-anyway, um, did you want to see me?”

Twilight took a moment to compose herself. “Well, I just happened to drop by and see you, I figured I’d see what you were up to before I talk to the queen.”

Fluttershy stretched out her wings and took flight. “I’m a little out of the loop, how did things go yesterday?”

“...About as well as expected,” Twilight responded, exhaling her fatigue. “I found out some… interesting details, but I still have no idea how I’m going to talk her out of this little arrangement.”

“It’s going to be okay, Twilight. Even if I have to, I don’t think it would be so bad to stay here. I mean… Arranged marriages are common among kingdoms, right? Heh heh…”

“Don’t say that, Fluttershy! You can’t stay here, what about your life back in Equestria? You can’t honestly say you want to leave that behind…”

“Well, no I don’t… But, well…”

“I’m not giving up. I really don’t know what I’m doing, but… Well, that’s been a consistent theme throughout my life leading up to this point and it just keeps working, so I’ll find a way. Somehow.”

“Well, um… Then maybe I should go with you. Maho is nice to me, so maybe she’ll behave herself when I’m there.”

Twilight sighed as she silently accepted Fluttershy’s reasoning. The duo of mares hovered over the flowerbeds and rejoined Celestia back at the entryway, with Fluttershy giving Sequoia a smile and a wave of her wing.

“You have a wonderful day, Mr. Sequoia,” Fluttershy softly stated.

The large stallion, his face veiled by a curtain of mane, nodded his head before placing a blue rose in her mane. “...Good luck.”

Reunited, the group took to the corridors once more. Similar to the previous day, they would be meeting in the dining hall for a breakfast conversation. Despite having eaten a small meal just prior, the younger alicorn couldn’t push the thought of Hawthorne’s cooking out of her mind.

(“Perhaps the queen will be more receptive today. I know what button not to push today and I have some vital context. Still no idea how I’m going to handle this, but…”)

Her thoughts trailed as she caught a glimpse of Sunburst pacing about aimlessly, rather deep in thought.

“Um, Sunburst?”

The unicorn in question looked up, confused at first and glancing around to find who called his name. “Oh, good morning Twilight. How’s your head?”

“Good good, between the painkillers and the tea Spruce gave me yesterday, I think the status quo has returned. Anyway, what’s going on with you? You look lost.”

“Well, I'm just a bit concerned about Starlight. I haven’t seen much of her since yesterday morning. I’m trying to let her catch up with her mother and I’m happy for her, it’s just, y’know…”

“Oh. Yeah, I forgot about that. How is that going?”

“Not sure, I’ve been trying to give her the space she needs to process. I want to say things are going well, though. While that’s going on, I’ve been trying to distract myself with other things, and that got me thinking about–”

“Hey as much as I love the sound of your ramblings, can we do this over breakfast?”

Trixie’s voice killed just about all momentum in the conversation and she stumbled out of the door they were chatting in front of, her mane a minor mess.

“Trixie? Wait, I thought you were staying in the room on the other side of the castle.”

Hawthorne popped his head out of the door, dressed in his waistcoat and waving his leather wing with a greeting. “Sorry, she’s with me. I was showing her the collection of wines I keep in the cellar, we shared a little drink and well, one thing led to another.”

The Great and Easy Trixie giggled in sly satisfaction, wiggling her eyebrows at a horrified Twilight, though probably not horrified for the reason Trixie thought. “You… Spent the night…” Exchanging a glance with Fluttershy and Celestia, she drew in a deep conflicted breath. “I take it you had a quaint evening together?”

“Oh he was such a gentleman. I never thought in all my years I’d get to spend an intimate evening with a prince and his lame pie puns,” Trixie sighed romantically. “Last night I learned Trixie isn’t the only one who’s great and powerful, nohoho…”

“Pfft. What is this now?” Spike snickered.

“Spike, you don’t need to see this,” Twilight said as she made a half-hearted attempt to shield his eyes.

“What? I’m a legal adult, I know what’s up.”

Hawthorne stepped out of the room, winking at Trixie. “Don’t worry, Twilight, I always take responsibility for my bad pickup lines. I don’t mind in the slightest showing a lovely lady a good time during her stay. Speaking of which, we’re still on tonight right Ms. Lulamoon?”

“Oh you can come to my show any day, handsome, hehe.”

“I see you haven’t changed, Hawthorne,” Celestia said busting into a laughing fit. “Still playing the same game as always.”

“Hey, it just keeps working. Anyway, all this aside, I’m a tad late getting breakfast started so let’s bring this to the dining hall.”

Once Trixie had the time to grab her hairbrush and straighten herself out, the troupe continued onward to their destination with no further distractions. Once more, the dining hall was grandiose and lively with the remainder of the entourage once again assembled and eager for an early morning feast. As expected, Maho and Bonsai were sitting at the head of the table, the latter enjoying a nice hot mug of tea and the former cooing and stroking the mane of her sleepy youngest son curled up in her lap. The CMC were absent from the table, as were Discord and Atha.

Spruce, who had been speaking to the mares at the table, stood as he spotted his Equestrian equal walking with his brother and sister. “Good morning sister. And good morning to you as well Twilight.”

“Good morning Spruce,” Celestia said with a warm smile. “I notice Luna isn’t–”

“Wait, why don’t I get a ‘good morning’?” Hawthorne pouted as he shrugged his wings in mock offense.

“Because you went off to sleep around instead of making breakfast,” Spruce flatly responded.

“Yeah yeah, I’m on it.” Hawthorne took a moment to kiss Trixie’s hoof before rushing off to the kitchen.

“Oh and don’t forget. Decaf this time.” Spruce returned his attention to Celestia as she and the company present took their seats. “Anyway, you were saying?”

“Yes, I noticed Luna isn’t here. I would have figured she’d be excited to have more of Hawthorne’s cooking.”

“Don’t you worry about her, Tia,” Maho interjected whilst still stroking Acacia’s head. “She is with Cypress at the moment, who is speaking to her regarding something Styg spoke up about. I believe they were up all night regarding this issue, Lulu and Cyp. Oh and Purple, I know you are going to ask, the little ones are still asleep. I felt they needed more rest after the fiasco that happened yesterday, so they’re sleeping in little Holly’s room.”

“Oh, okay. I think I would agree with that. It’s all well and good anyway, I don’t think they’d be all too interested in what we’re going to talk about.”

“As for Mishmash, I neither know nor care what that buffoon is up to right now. Maybe he’s sleeping off yesterday’s events too, maybe he’s plotting some other nonsense.”

“I would like to know. He’s my friend,” Fluttershy softly spoke up, trying to assert herself and stick up for Discord. “I know he, well, doesn’t represent the best among us, but I care very much for him and didn’t get a chance to talk to him very much yesterday.”

Maho giggled, her expression softening in favor of the yellow pegasus. “Yes dearie, I’m sure you’ll get a chance. So then, how did your night with Sequoia go? I understand you slept in his garden last night. Did you two enjoy a romantic time together? Isn’t my son just a sweetheart?”

Dash hissed as she glared at the queen, ready to speak before Fluttershy calmed her down with a hoof to her friend’s mouth. After Rainbow calmed down, Fluttershy adopted her best serious demeanor. “Your son and I did talk in fact. I must admit, he’s a very nice stallion. Very kind and very understanding. And… Well, after talking with him, he decided he wasn’t interested in a marriage under these circumstances.”

Maho’s loving expression fell apart into a state of surprise. “What? Sequoia said that…?” Maho held a hoof to her chin. “Huh. Normally he’s all for making beautiful babies…. Did he really say… Hm.”

“Mother.”

The sound of her second oldest son’s voice nearly made her jump. “Sequoia? Where did you come from?”

“I… like this one a lot. She is too pure and kind. I don’t want to keep her trapped here.”

“What? But…

“I understand your interest in all this,” Fluttershy continued, “but if even Sequoia is against it, please… I politely ask for you to drop this marriage idea.”

The queen sat baffled by this turn of events, at a loss for words for where to go. She pondered, dug into the deepest crevices of her mind for a response, yet failed to find any valid argument. “So… You don’t like my son? I mean, he’s a wonderful caring and handsome prince after all.”

“Oh he absolutely is!” Fluttershy beamed, genuinely delighted to refer to the prince in question as such, causing him to smile. “I’m not saying it can’t happen, it’s just that under the circumstances, I’m just not interested in being forced into it. Sequoia felt the same way, though he did express a liking to me. Please, if it’s going to happen at all, I just ask you to let it happen naturally.”

Maho’s eyes darted in utter confusion, the sheer curveball thrown at her obvious for all to see. “I… I see. It’s just that I've picked mates for my sons for centuries now, based on their ability to strengthen the numbers of my kind, as well as based on their compatibility. I’ve never really had any of my boys decline before, let alone Sequoia of all people, so to have it happen now… With you of all mares…”

“I’m flattered you think so highly of me, and after what you said about me, I think I would like to know more. But I mean this in the nicest way possible, please let this one go.”

Maho was silent. She made a glance over to her husband, who smiled and simply nodded. No words were spoken between them, but with over a millennium and a half of being together, it was clearly what was said.

“...Fine.”

Twilight perked up hearing this. “Y-you accept? You’re dropping this for real?”

“Yes, for real Purple.” Maho beckoned Orchid over as she had the maiden take Acacia for her. “You win. I’ll give up on this little marriage arrangement between my son and your friend. I value the vampony population and I value taking in my kind from the outside world. But hearing Sequoia himself speak against it… I just can’t bring myself to force something onto him. I refuse to be that kind of parent.”

Twilight smiled. “Thank you, Maho.”

"Yes yes, now don't get all sappy on me."

A collective sigh of relief was had among the mares. Twilight had anticipated a long drawn out argument regarding her friend's one-sided arranged marriage, yet the now melancholy monarch's sails had the wind taken out of them. It would seem she lost the will to push on.

However this moment of respite was not to last.

A venomous array of stomps preceded the march of the previously absent purple unicorn among the visitors. Curiosity turned to apprehension upon gazing at the look of conviction illuminating her face, her anger putting a mild fear in Twilight, both out of shock to see it and for the implications such a look had for progress.

Maho seems rather unfazed by this display. To be more accurate, she was definitely annoyed rather than intimidated upon witnessing—what she perceived—an imminent childish tantrum coming her way. Her attention was more drawn by the sight of this mare’s mother trailing behind her, whose panicky flailing indicated that she had already tried and failed to talk her daughter down. Alongside her was the professor, who was decidedly less flustered judging by her stoic smoking of her pipe.

Starlight pushed aside the guards who attempted to interfere, a gesture from their queen discouraging them from getting further involved. In a matter of seconds, the distance between her and Maho was closed, them staring each other in the eyes and creating a thick tension in the already chilly air.

“Queen Mahogany. We need to talk.”

“What do you want, Other Purple? I’ve already got one purple Equestrian riding my ass, I’m not keen on turning this into a three-way.”

“It's about my mother. You call her Rafflesia, but her real name is Skylight. She's been missing for years, and now that I've finally found her again, she's going to be coming home with me when my friends and I leave.”

Maho raised her eyebrow, still very much annoyed. “Excuse you?”

“Did I stutter?”

Twilight was on the brink of a heart attack, her face paling as Maho narrowed her eyes and stood from her seat to meet Starlight at eye level… as best as she could being shorter than her.

“Listen, sweetie. I understand you have this little thing going on with one of my subjects. I sympathize. But I cannot just throw my little vamponies to the wolves like that. Do you have any idea what kind of dangers await her in the outside world? No, of course you don't.”

“...There is so much wrong with what you just said, I barely know where to start. But most importantly, she has a family, Mahogany! She has a husband and daughter who miss her, and I am that daughter! She hasn't been able to return to us all these years because you wouldn't let her!”

“Other Purple, you best be using your head. I can't let any of my vamponies leave while those monsters out there are skulking about. Monsters that seek to snuff out the already dwindling vampony numbers, monsters that are out there because of ME.”

“You’ve been keeping my mom here for two decades, she hasn’t been allowed to leave. It’s the same with a lot of other vamponies here too. I’ve had a few chats with some of the staff here, as well as the citizens around the city. A lot of them were basically forced to come here against their will, forced to uproot their lives and leave everything behind.”

“Do you think I like keeping families apart? HELL NO. But with everything that my Tia has told me about what's happened in the past few years alone, I'm not convinced it's safe for them. And let me tell you, this beast named "Vengeance" would eat you alive when they find out your mother is not like them. Do you want to live life constantly running around and having to watch over your shoulder? Can you live with yourself if they succeed and hurt you or her, or even someone close to you just by association?! Do you think I could live with myself if I willingly let that happen?! I can’t let her go just yet, it’s for her own good!”

“YOU DON’T GET TO MAKE THAT CHOICE FOR HER!” Starlight shouted.

“On the contrary! I AM THE QUEEN! It is literally my job to make that choice!” Maho shot back.

“Not this choice, Queenie. Nobody knows what's better for her than her own family. Here's how it's going to be: Either you peacefully let her go, or I'm going to tell Twilight and all of Equestria all about how you've been unlawfully holding Equestrian citizens prisoner against their will! Try to ignore me, and I will make you regret it.”

Maho’s face contorted further into a glare whose heat would counter the chilly snowy weather outside the windows. “Oh you’re playing a dangerous game here, Other Purple. Your mother is a good friend of mind, and thus I am willing to overlook your foolhardiness. I’ll have you know that many of my subjects who stay in safety within the mist here are taking refuge of their own accord. They knew what they were getting themselves into and I promise you they are well taken care of, in exchange for playing their part in our community… But listen here, you little brat…” The monarch extended her hoof and poked Starlight’s sternum, hard enough to shove her back a bit. “They would be dead without my intervention. Your mother would be dead without my intervention.”

Starlight didn’t back down from Maho’s show of dominance. If anything, it made her double down with a show of her own as she slapped the hoof aside. A bold move that caught Maho off guard for the second time this morning. “Does that justify effectively kidnapping people?! People from a foreign land at that?! You’re even trying to do the same with Fluttershy! Even worse, pushing her to marry your son! How do you explain that?! You crashed a gala, you kicked my friend in the face, you disregard anyone who even mildly annoys you, and yet everyone just sweeps your behavior under the rug!”

“Oh you little shit! Are you now implying my babies are somehow to blame?!”

Starlight glanced over at Celestia and her vampony brothers, whose reactions ranged from mild astonishment to bald shock at the sheer audacity on display. “I didn’t want to say anything, but since you brought it up… Yes. Not entirely, and I still think they’re good people, but I refuse to believe anyone in their right mind would excuse you for your childish, selfish, and downright disrespectful behavior unless they know you personally!”

Spruce’s jaw dropped.

Celestia’s eyes shot open in horror.

Hawthorne decided now was a good time to retreat back into the kitchen.

Bonsai sipped the last of his tea and chuckled in amazement.

Twilight and the rest of the entourage waited, frozen in shock at the whiplash the mood had taken. (“No no no! It was going so well too!”) Twilight thought as she trembled in her seat.

Maho stood, seething.

The pupils of her eyes contracted into slits. Her pearly whites grew more visible with Starlight noticing they were looking prime for tearing flesh. A black aura engulfed her hooves as they twisted and morphed into those distinctive talons, and spread to her surroundings.

“You bitch,” the queen said in a quiet raspy tone, a stark contrast to her previous demeanor, “You come into my land. Disrespect my duties as a queen. MOCK ME WILL YOU…! I SHOULD JUST…!”

The giant windows of the hall quickly went black, accompanied with the vicious pecking and screeching of… birds? The exterior saw an absurdly large flock of crimson phoenixes, each with a murderous looking set of four eyes and were aggressively attempting to breach the perimeter. The staff and their guests took shelter wherever they could apart from Starlight who—to her credit—stood her ground. If she were indeed scared out of her wits, she was doing an exemplary job of concealing it.

Maho pointed a claw at Starlight, a gesture clearly meant to be accompanied with some sort of speech. However, the queen halted her action the instant she gazed upon the grisly claws she now had, as if only just now learning of the existence of the murderous murder outside. The queen grunted loudly and grabbed her head, though not before retracting her nails back into their ungulate form and closing her eyes.

“No… Not here… I refuse to lose control again…”

The queen calmed herself with a plethora of deep breaths, dissipating the aura and with it the angry avians vanished into ash, just as suddenly as they appeared. All seemed calm and quiet again, albeit with everyone shaken. The instigator of this fiasco stood silently, equally feeling confused and guilty for taking it this far, though she was in far too deep to back down now. Maho, once her breathing was controlled again, popped her neck and opened her eyes again, having returned to their normal state.

“You… You should consider yourself extremely fortunate you weren’t talking to me in my younger days. Back then…” Maho inhaled a sharp and strangely threatening breath. “I would have murdered you without a second thought at the first iota of insolence.”

Starlight’s gaze narrowed into another glare, though much milder this time. “I will not be lectured by a hypocrite. You give me crap for coming into your land and mock you, but you’ve been doing that exact same thing since I first met you. I’m going to ask you again: are you going to give me my mother back or not?”

Maho, in an unexpected turn, chuckled. “You don’t give up, do you? I commend you for your downright reckless bravery, though you should know such boldness isn’t far from foolishness. Still, such testicular fortitude…” The queen, having remembered the large mug of tea and the croissant still on the table at her seat, grabbed both and shoved the entire pastry into her mouth. “Tell you what,” she said with her mouth full, ejecting crumbs in the unicorn’s direction, “Allow me time to think about it. If you’re serious about this, there is…” she chewed and swallowed the treat, “one thing I wish for you to do first.”

“And what might that be?” Starlight responded with a growing curiosity.

As Maho lifted the mug to her lips, she used her free hoof to point out through the window. Specifically, she pointed to the badlands beyond the bridged ravine out in the distance. The region stood at the base of the large mountain ranges that formed the valley housing the city and apart from one or two buildings spotted around the outer boundaries was nearly desolate.

“The Corridor of Bones. Our land’s sacred battle grounds. Legend has it that the founder of Bloodmist dueled in those lands. It is said the ground is so saturated with millions of corpses of fallen warriors over numerous centuries that the sand that populates the area are that of the ground bones, hence, its name. Now, it mostly functions as a resting place of sorts for the dead who’s ashes are scattered by their loved ones.”

“Okay… And?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You and I… We’re going to duel there.”

Starlight’s brow rose in intrigue, the queen’s words sending gossip among the staff. Spruce and Celestia shared a glance for the umpteenth time that morning, the former throwing his hooves up while Twilight was still attempting to process this. It was Skylight who cautiously stepped forward, trembling from the implication of her baby getting hurt.

“Um, your majesty?” she spoke in a soft squeak of a voice, “When you say ‘duel’, I hope you don’t…”

“Relax, dear,” Maho said as she waved her hoof dismissively, “It will not be a battle to the death, no. I don’t much care for this girl, but I hardly wish death upon her.” She chugged down the last of her tea and slammed the mug on the table, the impact causing nearby drinks to rattle. “However, that doesn’t mean I’m going to hold back. Other Purple, you and I appear to have some… hostility between us at this time.”

“That is a massive understatement,” Starlight practically spat as she narrowed her eyes.

“Indeed. So, how about we pound off that aggression and settle this with actions. You will fight with all your might and soul, and prove your strength. If I’m to let your mother go home with you, I need you to prove to me you have the ability to protect not just her, but the current and future generations of vamponies that may one day walk outside Bloodmist once again. Fight me as if your life and the life of your mother depended on it. Because in a way, it just might.”

“And if I win this fight, you’ll let my mother go?”

“If you win my respect, yes I’ll even dissolve the very policy that’s keeping her here.”

Starlight eyeballed her mother and her friends, each an assortment of concern and confusion. Her mother’s eyes, the tears and fear shining through, spoke clearly that she desperately wanted her child to turn back and walk away. That it just wasn’t worth seeing her beaten down and run ragged.

But it was not to be. There was far too much at stake to step back.

“Agreed,” Starlight said with no hint of hesitation, much to the horror of her mother who turned her glance at the ponies at the table, pleading for one of them, somebody to stop her. “But let’s gather an audience. I don’t want to leave any chance of you weaseling out of this.”

Maho smirked and popped her neck again. “Fine. You have a deal. You bet when that bulletin is posted, spectators are going to come in droves to watch. It’ll be the first time they see their queen spar with someone other than my husband or my son.”

Starlight’s glare grew more intense. “Be careful, you won’t be the first queen whose flank I’ve kicked to the curb.”

“But no doubt I’ll be far more formidable. I don’t know what kind of horrifying demons you’ve faced in your day… But they aren’t even in the same league as what you’re about to have a go at.” Maho grabbed her cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. “I wonder what your mom will think. Will she be proud of her little pookie…? Or will she be frightened by her rage?”

Twilight furiously slammed her hooves on the table as she stood up, having had just about enough of this farce of a display. “Okay, I can’t stand by and watch this any longer! Starlight! What the hell do you think you’re doing?! Are you insane?!”

Starlight turned her attention to the princess, the mask of determination still firm on her face. “Don’t care. If I have to beat her to get my mom back, then that’s what’ll happen. I just want to bring my mom back home… Back to her real home.”

“You…! Everything was going swimmingly this morning! I just can’t believe you!”

“Twilight, I–”

“No, shut up! This-this-this isn’t some game where you can go around, just instigating drama! This is politics! Diplomacy! I sympathize, I really do. But I’ve had my fair share of fighting up to this point! I’ve tolerated a lot of bull, but I can’t take it! I just… ARG, my headache is back again!”

It was rare to see Twilight just snap in rage to this degree, stunning everyone into silence. Even the queen, who had antagonized her since first contact, was taken aback as she stared blankly. An awkward aura lingered as nobody really knew what to do next, but thankfully a disciplined throat clearing came from the elder unicorn marine.

“Pardon me, if I may. Princess Twilight, your frustration is understandable. And frankly, the idea of Ms. Glimmer engaging in fisticuffs with the vampony queen is ludicrous and as it stands, I can’t frankly allow it.”

Twilight sighed, partially in relief and partially out of exhaustion. “Thank you, General Atha. I’m glad someone is listening to reason.”

Starlight was about to protest when Atha placed her hoof around her apprentice. “That is why I am going to train her first.”

Just as quickly as her respite came, that bravado faltered. “What…” Twilight asked flatly.

“If I may be so bold to exercise my perspective, this is a conflict that will not be resolved with mere words. Both sides have much they must get off their chest. Your worries are valid, but emotions are fickle. It is as the queen said. Sometimes that aggression needs an outlet. Oh, Queen Mahogany?”

“Maho.”

“I’m not going to call you that. Your duel is set to take place within those battlegrounds, correct? May I trouble you ask if I take Ms. Glimmer there to prepare?”

Maho shrugged. “Yes, by all means. Do what you must, just have her ready by the time this little duel comes. We’ll determine when later.”

“Very good. Princess Twilight, I insist you excuse us, training begins immediately.”

Without waiting for a reply, Atha used her magic to pick up her disciple and carried her out of the dining hall, Starlight glaring at Maho the entire duration. Twilight slumped back in her seat and buried her face in her hooves. “Ugh… What’s so wrong with wanting to handle things diplomatically…?”

Skylight was not in better shape. She bit her hoof, wracking her nerves over the events that unfolded before her. The lost maid turned to her queen for guidance and noticed the grin plastered across her lips. “Um, your Majesty?”

Maho chuckled and turned her attention to her faithful servant, with a distinct confidence in her.

“That daughter of yours. She’s got a certain fire in her eyes… Reminds me a lot of myself in my youth.”

Fire…

Smoke…

Blood…

In an all too familiar scenario at this point, Discord was back in this dream again.

However this time, it was the very embodiment of hell.

Discord seemed to have walked into the aftermath of a massacre, the houses of the village were all set ablaze with the asphyxiating plumes of smoke polluting the air, which would have choked Discord’s lungs if he had any to speak of. Everything from the buildings to what little vegetation populated the streets burned violently, the heatwaves distorting whatever was visible.

This chaotic conflagration, while not his forte, was something Discord could tolerate. What he couldn’t was the haunting sight of the denizens charred and disfigured from the inferno… And from the spears and pitchforks that had maliciously skewered them. Bodies littered the street, some having suffered some utterly horrifying agony in their last moments. The disgusting brutality of such a mass murder was too much for even he to describe in words.

Those guilty of this wanted to erase this town from existence. Whoever did this possessed a grudge and made it clear there would be no quarter given to their victims.

The draconequus attempted to lift himself off the ground, so as not to have to step around the ground stained red and bodies with faces too mutilated to identify. Alas, it would seem the effects from the previous morning transferred into the dreams too, as even basic magic was inaccessible to him. Reluctantly, he navigated his way towards the plaza once more, where the well would be waiting, unsure what secrets it would reveal this time.

The well would not have the opportunity to provide him refuge, unfortunately. Standing between it and Discord was a small equine figure, standing on his hind legs, clad in white and gold robes and wearing a mask of pale. What little of his body was visible, a red coat and eyes radiating a furious hot white through the mask’s eyeholes. The most prominent feature—one that was reminiscent of a certain queen—were the pair of claws where his front hooves would have been, gauntlets composed of glowing coals each encasing a molten arm.

Arms that likely commanded the disfiguration of the masses.

Arms that certainly ignited the inferno that replaced them.

And this figure stood above the downed shadowy mare, dressed in white robes almost identical to his own.

“Who are you?!” Discord demanded. “Step away from her, or I’ll…”

The fiery figure turned to face Discord directly, his talons incinerating any moisture in the air and emitting unholy amounts of steam. Discord backed down, well aware he would be no match against anything in his current state, much less this guy.

“...Entropy.”

Discord blinked. “What?”

The figure raised his claw and drew his thumb across his throat, the message being clear. “I will not let you get away this time. Now there is nothing to stand between us.”

Discord defensively put up his dukes. There was nothing else he could do. He glanced at the helpless mare on the ground, her body in the midst of falling apart into the inky mess he once saw before as the fire-clad foe stepped over her. Each step charred the black, evaporating the pooling blood and causing the remainder to sizzle and bubble as it boiled.

“Ent…y…” the mare weakly coughed as she lay on the ground, “Protect… The bell…”

“B-bell? You mean…”

The figure stopped to turn back to the dying mare. Despite his blazing facade, he was cold and silent. Discord could do little to stop him as he aimed an open claw at the mare and charged a ball of glowing hot fire at his fingertips.

“I have had just about enough of you. Die… You traitor!”

Both the mare and the well behind her erupted in an explosion as the fireball made contact. As equally violent as the rest of the scene, the volcanic burst shook the ground and nearly knocked Discord off his feet.

“No…!” Discord looked on in horror… Then in anger. “You… I don’t know who you are, but you–”

The figure snapped his head back and took aim with his other claw, charging a second blast. The blazing beast narrowed his eyes and lunged as the last thing Discord saw was everything going white.

“Long live the king!”

The draconequus awoke in his bed, drawing deep gasps of air. His blanket was thrown aside as a result of him bolting to a sitting position. He shivered, the events of the dream still lingering. Several minutes of sweat and slapping himself followed, Discord’s mind racing with frustration.

“Gah, why?! Why does this keep happening?! What am I supposed to take away from this?!”

Having calmed himself, Discord took a look around his room which was illuminated by the daylight. He sighed before retrieving the bewitching bell from under his pillow.

“What does it mean…?”

“What do you mean, Spruce?”

"I just told you Cypress, the wedding isn't going to happen."

"No not that, why is Mother agreeing to fight the outsider in the Corridor? That unicorn has some gall to be throwing orders around like that. Does she honestly believe–"

"Look, just send the order to the press, it’s a royal decree, they’ll make it a top priority."

Cypress rolled his eyes and took a sip from his espresso before taking his pen to the legal pad while Spruce held his head, slumping forward onto the dining room table, the hall now vacant save for him and Celestia sitting opposite of him and Twilight sitting adjacent to her.

“So… I need to ask,” Twilight said with thinly-veiled frustration. “Starlight said something about your mother kidnapping Equestrian citizens? Wanna tell me if there’s any truth to that?”

“There’s more nuance to it than that,” Spruce responded, merely waving his hoof without looking up, “but in effect… Yeah. Though, she insists it's an evacuation rather than an abduction.”

“...The hay does that mean?! evacuation from what exactly?”

Spruce lifted his face to meet Celestia’s. “Sister, be honest with me. How far in the dark is Twilight?”

“Well… I don’t believe she knows about… them.”

Spruce nodded reluctantly. “That sounds about right. It’s been… What, about thirty, maybe forty years since the last time they reared their ugly heads? I don’t believe she was even a sperm at that point.”

“Uh, who are we talking about?” Twilight inquired.

“The people responsible for this whole mess, for the very law your friend takes offense with. I believe it is important for you to know some context, as there is a non-zero chance you may have to worry about the aftermath of the policy’s abolishment.”

Twilight leaned forward, anticipating the direction this conversation was going. “Go on…”

Spruce lit his horn and manifested a filing cabinent’s worth of documents and sketches. “Remember when I talked about Mother's little bender after the Nightmare Moon incident? About how she killed an Equestrian noble and her self-imposed exile after? Well, in the few decades between then and when we found her again, it seemed she took her anger out on certain communities who… understandably resented her. Since then, there have been groups who retaliated against the vampony communities within Equestria.”

Celestia sighed, a hint of sorrow and regret falling upon her as she rested her hooves on the table. “I blame myself. I… I was far too lenient with Mother’s actions, even if they were out of intense grief. I did everything I could to make it up to those who were wronged, I supplied the resources needed to rebuild and recover, but I feel they weren’t satisfied.” The elder alicorn rested her face on her hooves. “I know I should’ve done more, but I was mourning as well. I’ve always doubted myself as a ruler, but I was so inadequate at that time up to now.”

“Sister, please. We’ve been through this before, there is only so much you can do. The burden is not yours to bear alone, I cannot say I am blameless either. I was thrust into the role of prince regent when I wasn’t prepared for it, I was sloppy in handling it.”

“You were always better at it, though. You had the foresight to form and delegate responsibility and power to the parliament. Me, I always have a hard time letting go.”

Twilight coughed to remind the siblings she was still present. “Sorry, I know you’re trying to have a moment, but…”

“Right right, apologies,” Spruce removed the clip from a manilla folder and laid its contents out in the open. “Anyway, there have always been violent hate groups that target Vamponies, some of them also extending that hate to non-equine groups such as griffins and dragons. Shortly after Mother returned home, there were reported violent events targeting vampony individuals and their families. Lynchings, arsons, rapes, it got really bad, to the point Sister had to declare martial law.”

“Martial law?” Twilight parroted, eyes wide in shock. “That’s very serious. So, when you called it an evacuation earlier…?”

“Yes, Mother oversaw the recovery of her subjects back to the homeland. It was the start of what would be called the ‘Bring Them Home’ policy, she saw it as her mission to protect her subjects from the fallout of her mistakes. Sister collaborated in order to ensure any vamponies and their families found safety here in Bloodmist, protected by the namesake mist, as well as the Stormcrows.”

“Uh, Stormcrows?”

“Those crimson phoenixes that were summoned outside the windows. They’re netherborn monsters Mother commands that feast on her foes like starving piranhas. Beasts of pure malice they are, they don’t even need to feed, they tear their victims flesh apart simply because they can.”

“Ugh…” Twilight shivered at the thought of what would have happened if those windows gave way. “How many are there?”

“Legend has it Mother has hundreds of thousands at her command. Father says they respect her enough to cooperate with her, but would probably turn on her in the event she perished. But they make a valuable defense for the archipelago, they can pick off invading forces long before they even step foot on land.”

“I see. So, those groups. Do they still exist?”

“The worst of the massacres happened in the first century following Nightmare Moon, but it still pops up to this day.”

Twilight tapped her chin as she pondered. “Come to think of it, Maho did tell Starlight her mother would be dead without intervention.”

“Unfortunately, this evacuation strategy leads to a lot of families being broken up. We try to ensure a victim’s spouses, children, and so on are brought along with them when they’re moved to Bloodmist, but sometimes we don’t have that opportunity. Mother is expedient in whisking them away for their own sake. For what it’s worth, the vast majority are grateful for the shelter. Though, I imagine being isolated in this land… Mother has always been adamant in keeping them here for the security of the nation. On one side of the coin, I understand. On the flip side…”

“Being cut off from the outside isn’t good for the economy and wellbeing.”

“Yes. Due to the nature of things, we’ve had to distance ourselves from the rest of the world to keep the threats out. It was an immense challenge to convince Mother to reopen relations with Equestria after. Honestly, the fact she personally traveled to Equestria to escort Tia and Lulu back was unusual. Although, perhaps part of her wanted to assess if Equestria was a safer place after hearing about some of the things that have happened.”

“Somehow, I doubt that. If that was her goal, I’d say kicking the new princess in the face was counterproductive.”

Spruce shrugged. “I cannot say for certain.” The prince scanned his documents, picking out certain sheets along with some sketches. “Oh yes, I should mention something before I forget. While at first, it was an assortment of groups that continued to attack our kind, recently it seems they’ve been more organized and consolidated under a single banner. The official name seems to change every now and then, but one phrase always seems to persist.”

Spruce slid the resources over to Twilight. She glanced through the sketches. They mostly consisted of ponies in white and gold robes with pale masks, the sole feature of said masks being gold lips. One sketch portrayed a group of them with pitchforks and spears, another portrayed an insignia worn on the front of the robes, along with a photograph of a similar symbol found on the obsolete Bloodmist coat of arms.

“We’ve taken to calling this particular group ‘Blinding Light Society’, because of the chants they say and because of some variation of that chant vandalizing the places they ransack.”

Spruce passed another photo detailing exactly that.

“Cave Lux Caeca.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes at the words painted on the side of the old castle of the two sisters, graffiti she remembered clearing away during the renovations she and her friends did to the abandoned palace.

“Beware the Blinding Light…”

The bridge crossing into the Corridor of Bones was a strangely uncomfortable endeavor for Starlight. While the large bridge itself was safe and soundly constructed, it was still built over a ravine dozens of meters wide, at a dizzying height above the deep frigid waters below. This wasn’t even considering the hundreds of the queen’s sinister raptors along the high cables holding up the structure, staring down at her. Watching her. Waiting for her to give them just any excuse to swoop down and peck her to shreds.

She wasn’t keen on giving them one, so she maintained her best poker face and continued marching with her mother and mentor into the outer reaches of the capitol, into the badlands that marked the base of the mountains.

“Hut hut, Ms. Glimmer,” Atha chirped to her disciple. “You mustn't be discouraged by a mere bridge or its guardians. You’ve quite a trial ahead of you, maintain speed.”

“Is this really such a good idea?” Skylight apprehensively inquired, carrying a basket of bento and blankets along with a coat or two. “Y-you’re challenging Queen Mahogany, the very queen of crimson crows herself. She… even if she says it’s not to the death, she’s not going to hold back…”

“Mother,” Starlight called to her mother with a confident grin on her face. “I’ve handled myself with a lot of things. I’m sure a royal brat will just be a footnote in my long list of achievements.”

“Starlight, sweetie, I’m worried. I just don’t want to see you get hurt… I feel like you don’t know what you’re up against.”

“Hence why we are training,” Atha calmly stated. The elder unicorn fiddled with a can of Bloodmist tobacco, loading it into her pipe before lighting it with a spark from her horn. “I have had the unexpected pleasure of facing off against her in my past. Whilst I was soundly trounced during that exhibition, I still remember how that delinquent carries herself in combat. Sure, it’s been well over forty years at this point, but I believe I can pass on some of my experience.”

“But… It’s just… Even if you could do it, my Glimmy can’t escape the bruises!”

Atha exhaled a puff, the sweet smoke being carried by the wind behind her. “Yes, sometimes we take on quite a lot of pain for the ones we love. Unfortunately, whether or not this could have been avoided before, there is no going back now. Ms. Glimmer nevertheless could do with a nice warm-up, maybe a refresher on the spells I taught her.”

Skylight tilted her head in intrigue. “You taught her magic?”

“But of course, much of her arsenal was inherited from me. You may not know it, but you are speaking to the commander of the Equestrian Royal Marine Corps Special Magic Combat Division, Major General Atha. I also happen to have a Phd in Mana Physics and have taught at some of Equestria’s most prestigious universities. If there is any pony on this planet who is more than qualified to fortify Ms. Glimmer’s arsenal of aether, it would be yours truly.”

Starlight jumped with excitement. “Oh yeah, you taught me how to do so many great spells! Even some I was never able to do. Ooh, what’s that combo you do with Compression again?”

Atha took a puff of her pipe and blew a perfect ring that faded with the wind. “Oh, you mean that one?” she replied with a wink. “I call it ‘the railgun’. It basically combines several incantations: three telekinetic spells, a conversion spell, and an electromagnetic spell. I first carve a cubic meter of the earth and lift it into the air. Then I use Compression to condense that piece of rock down to the size of a cubic centimeter, which maintains its mass. I’ll use a Newtonian spell to counteract the force of gravity to make it easy to store for later, but not before using Conversion to transmute it into a magnetic metal. Finally, when I’m ready to use it, I will supercharge a magnetic current and launch the pebble sized block at hypersonic speeds. With an acceleration of an object with that kind of mass, it creates an explosion through kinetic force alone. Quite potent in blowing holes in a ship’s broadsides.”

“Woah,” Skylight responded in awe. “You must be incredibly strong. Most unicorns would pass out from the strain before they compressed objects down to half that size, let alone down to one-millionth. That’s not an easy feat by any means.”

“I know, right?” Starlight said, grinning widely. “I’ve tried many times, but I guess I need to be hitting the gym.”

“It certainly helps that my false eye is a mana gem, takes some of the burden off of me so perhaps I have an unfair advantage. That aside, Mrs. Skylight, I understand you are quite a magic savant yourself.”

“Well, I was. I won’t say I’m anywhere near your level. I had to relearn a lot when my vampony genes awakened, dark mana has a different feel from the standard.”

“Ah yes, I’ve dabbled with it myself. Its qualities make it more complicated to work with for most Equestrian magic users. But with some study and practice, it’s not too difficult. I dare say Ms. Glimmer could learn it in a week.” Atha smirked with pride as she put her pipe up to her lips once more.

Skylight cracked a smile. “Heh. You seem supremely confident in yourself. Hubris has a habit of backfiring. Still, I’m impressed. Actually, you remind me a bit of my mother.”

“Oh hey mom?” Starlight said, turning her head to her mom. “I know I was barely four or five when I last saw you, but I don’t recall ever hearing anything about your mom, not even from dad.”

“Oh, well I don’t know if she’s still alive. The last time I talked to her was when I was pregnant with you actually. My memory of that night was a blur, but we weren’t on the best terms. Let’s see, I believe her name was… Luster Dawn?”

Atha quietly coughed, choking on the smoke she inhaled. “Lu-*cough*-Luster D-Dawn you s-say?” she raspily asked between coughs and watering eyes. “That name brings some memories…”

“Uh, are you okay professor?” Starlight asked with concern.

“Y-yes, I’m right as rain. Had a momentary lapse in respiratory function, fret not.”

Skylight reached into her basket and pulled out a bottle of water which she gave to Atha, who in turn chugged it down lacking her typical sophistication. “Do you know her? It seems like that name sparked some nostalgia…”

Atha cleared her throat and hacked up the mucus, spitting it over the bridge’s rails. “Yes, well. Let’s just say we’re not friends. I knew her from some time ago and she was always resentful about something. Not too social and I understand she was neither a good parent nor wife.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right. I never really had a good relationship with her. She was never really around, so when I met Firelight, I decided to leave and start a new life with him.”

“I see…” Atha cleared her throat a few more times as she decided to save her smoking for another opportunity. “Perhaps it was the right decision. I dare say she deserved to be old and alone. You are simply returning the love she showed you. Or rather the lack thereof.”

“So… Is she still around?” Starlight asked as they passed the gate of the bridge.

“I fear not. Would seem her husband died some time back and out of grief she went with him. It’s all the same anyway, that crusty old crone was hardly more than an oxygen thief, not worth the dirt she’s buried in… Err, no offense.”

“None taken, she may be my mother but I can’t say this news really moves me to tears.”

“Yes well… Anyway, that subject is best saved for another time.”

Skylight took point in leading the trio through a trail in the small forest near the bridge. The journey took them to a small temple where a young priestess was busy sweeping around the shrine. “Excuse me, Sakaki?”

The pegasus maiden smiled and shifted her attention to her guest. “Hello Lady Rafflesia, it is good to see you again. It's a unique opportunity that I see you away from Her Majesty’s side.”

“Yes well, it’s been a unique few days leading up to this. Um, Her Majesty has granted permission to use the Corridor for training some of our visiting guests from Equestria, so I’d like to request permission to use the temple as shelter for the duration of said training.”

Sakaki tilted her head in intrigue. “Training? As in battle?”

Skylight glanced at Starlight whose curiosity was getting the best of her, her gaze shifting to the eastern architecture. “Well… I’ll explain in greater detail a bit later, but to summarize, my… My daughter is going to duel Queen Mahogany in due time.”

The priestess widened her eyes in mild shock. “...Oh. Uh, I see. Say no more, I’ll prepare the Blessing for her.”

As the maiden scurried away into the temple, Skylight stepped upon the wood platform where a sapphire capraesque statue held a bell around its neck, a rope hanging down. She reached into her basket to extract a paper charm with hiragana writing on it and placed it at the foot of the statue. She then tugged the rope a few times, tapping her hooves together as the jingling of the bell rang softly across the temple, concluding with a silent prayer.

“Excuse me, Mrs. Skylight,” Atha said, “I’m curious, what is this?”

“Paying my respects to the Heavenly King. It is customary to offer the names of ourselves or our loved ones to him so that he might bless us with good fortune before conducting a challenging undertaking. Would you like to try it?”

“I don’t put much stock in such things, I’m afraid. My faith has been tested too many times.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. What about you, Starlight? Would you like to?”

Starlight joined them on the platform. “Err, how do I do this? I don’t really know how to write in anything other than Ponish…”

Skylight offered her a talisman and a calligraphy brush, both having been prepared before the statue long before their arrival. “That’s perfectly fine. The Heavenly King’s blessing transcends writing. It doesn’t have to be complicated, the feeling is what matters.”

Starlight took the brush and shrugged. “Well… Alright. Here goes nothing I guess.” She pondered for a moment to decide what she was going to write and the prayer to go with it. She placed the brush to the paper charm and wrote as neatly as she could. She did her best to mimic her mother’s motions from before: placing the charm at the statue’s feet, ringing the bell, clapping her hooves, and silently stating her prayer in her head. She felt a small breeze of wind rush through her as she completed her ritual, as if it were being acknowledged by some spiritual force.

The trio of mares were standing in silence when Sakaki returned holding a tray with two bangles on a cushion. “The Heavenly King accepts your tributes and shall acknowledge your hardships. On his behalf, I bestow his Blessings upon you, in the form of my great-great-grandfather’s improved protection amulets. Wear these and you will be gifted long-term protection from the sacred mist that protects our home, so long as you wear them you will be exempt from the Heavenly King’s ire. May the Heavenly King continue to protect our precious queen and her charge.”

Skylight took both bangles from the maiden and presented them to her daughter and her mentor. “Please wear this during your training. Prince Cypress’s protection amulets might get lost, so these charms can be worn instead. Unlike the amulets, the mist protection won’t expire with these. I… Still don’t know how to feel about all this, but I don’t think I can stop it. Best you be as well equipped as possible.”

Starlight accepted her bangle and placed it on her right hoof. “Thank you mom. I promise I won’t let you down.”

Atha placed hers on the left hoof. “Your concern is appreciated. Let us repay it with interest. Ms. Glimmer, shall we go over the basics to get you up to speed?”

“Of course, Professor!”

“Mrs. Skylight, is the entire Corridor fair game or is there a specific region set aside?

“The entire area has a Regeneration enchantment on it, so any damage done to the environment will disappear after a twenty-four hour period. As long as you stay clear of any settlements, you should be fine. I’ve seen Her Majesty spar countless times with Sir Bonsai and Prince Spruce, and it’s quite a sight to behold.”

“Very well. Let’s go somewhere remote. I’m thinking that portion of mountain up there should do. I will see you there, Ms. Glimmer.”

Atha lit her horn and vanished in a puff as she teleported. Starlight lit her horn to do the same. “Don’t worry mom. I’ve been through too much to give up on you. We’re going to make this work and get you out of here.” With a smile, Starlight too vanished.

Skylight sighed and returned her gaze to the statue where the talisman with her name in Ponish was placed.

“That’s part of what worries me…”

(“What a wild ride this has been so far. The week isn’t even over and so much has happened.”)

After going through all the documents and folders for literal hours, Twilight stretched every part of her stiff body and yawned. Having been holed up in her room for the better half of the day, it was getting dark outside.

(“Geez. Where does the time go? It’s too late to do anything but not late enough to go to sleep yet… Maybe I’ll go for a walk… Eh, not really feeling it. Screw it, I’m just going to call it an early night.”)

Twilight began her pre-sleep ritual of setting out her water on the nightstand and going into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.

(“Ugh. Starlight, what kind of mess did you get yourself into…? Though, I guess it’s understandable,”) she thought as she spit out the foam from her toothpaste. (“I kinda lost control of myself too during that… fiasco. Kinda like the queen on the first day.”)

After cleaning her dental supplies, she grabbed her hair brush and began straightening her mane out.

(“I’m too patient for my own good sometimes. I wonder if I would ever explode the way Starlight did… Or maybe not. She’s a good person, but…”) the princess smirked and giggled to herself. (“But she’s an impulsive one. She didn’t beat around the bush calling Maho out on her behavior. It would be admirable if it wasn’t such a diplomatic nightmare. But I’ll be damned if it wasn’t catharsis by proxy, I was singled out since I met her.”)

She continued to brush her mane as she let her thoughts run on.

(“Come to think of it, I wonder what she has against me specifically? Is it just because I succeeded Celestia and Luna in Equestria? No no, there’s gotta be something more to it, otherwise she’d give my friends the same treatment… I mean she kinda is, but not nearly like me. With Starlight, I can understand, she instigated. But Maho has been adversarial with me since before I even knew who she was. That kick is evidence enough…”)

With every passing thought, her brush strokes gradually slowed.

(“...Come to think of it, her attitude towards me turned hostile when she saw my cutie mark…”)

(“I wonder if ‘her’ refers to this friend Bonsai mentioned.”)

Twilight’s hairbrush ceased to move upon this epiphany.

(“Maybe she resents me because I resemble her friend? An ancestor perhaps…? No, that… Can’t be. Celestia and Luna are over a millennium old, I’d be so far removed genetically… But the more I think about it, this makes other things fall in line… I don’t even know where to begin with this…”)

Twilight stood in silence, simply processing this rabbithole her brain was spiraling itself into. She continued to think as she put away her brush. Reaching into her bag, she stumbled across another item she was well acquainted with: the bottle of potion Discord left for her. Picking it up, her eyes gazed into the pearlescent fluid. This was a dangerous reagent to throw into this concoction, but…

“I might be opening up one hell of a Pandora’s box… but I have to know.”

Standing on all four hooves, solid on the floor, she took a deep breath and put the bottle to her lips and sipped, placing the bottle back on the nightstand before the potion took effect.

Her vision went white yet again, this time rather than a chaotic inferno, she found herself in paradise. The field was grassy, the sky bright and clear, there were even birds singing.

“Where am I now?” A brief investigation of her surroundings revealed her to be at the bottom of a small ravine, a stone path leading down from the top. The field was vast enough to give her a clear view of the clouds above, with trees dotting the area, albeit some clearly showing scars of battle from times past. There was a rock formation leading to a large cave in the cliffsides… One that looked strangely familiar.

“Wait… is this–”

“Maho, my faithful friend…”

Twilight’s attention was yanked to the direction of the foreign voice, one that was definitely new yet sounded painfully similar to Celestia’s. Her eyes widened at the sight of a pair of mares.

One was Maho, much younger with a longer mane and lacking her crown. The other was… Words couldn’t describe the ethereal alicorn standing at the mouth of the cave, her veil hiding her face and stature absolutely dwarfing the vampony.

Yet none of that held a candle to the sight of her cutie mark, which was a near carbon copy of Twilight’s own.

“You wanted to talk to me?” the younger Maho asked, noticably calmer than the previous vision.

“My friend, please come in. I have something I must show you.”

Twilight followed the mares—who could not see the astral projection—and the scene was becoming more and more surreal with the layout striking her harder and harder with deja vu. The mare of pristine beauty led her friend to the end, a manger standing in the center before a crystalline wall, faint coos and cries echoing in the chamber.

“Is that…” Maho said with growing excitement as she hurried to the side of the makeshift crib. “Ohmygosh, it is!”

Twilight rushed to see what was getting the vampony excited, and she too felt her heart skip a beat upon seeing two foals who appeared to be freshly born. One was a white filly with pinkish hair while the other was a midnight filly with bluish hair.

Both alicorns.

“Oh my goodness, they’re so cute!” Maho gushed. “But wait, those features… Are they yours?”

The alicorn nodded. “Indeed. They are barely a day old.”

“But I didn’t know you had a… Who sired them? There has to be a stallion who…”

Her sentence trailed off as the mare placed a hoof to her lips. “Some miracles don’t have to be answered…”

Maho could not ignore the somber tone in which her friend spoke. Something was not right. “What… What’s going on, you seem devoid of energy…”

The alicorn stepped back and took the foals into both wings. With her hoof, she tugged away at her veil and removed it. The pristine beauty of this mare did not extend to her face, as she was aging rapidly.

“What?! No, no no what’s going on?! You’re–”

“My friend, there is not much time left for me. I have guided you on your journey to heal your spirit after all you’ve been. I want you to know these past few years have been some of the best I’ve ever known. However, my past has caught up with me. I have used what little mana, what little aether I possess to give life to these precious angels of mine… Regrettably, I will not be able to see them grow. Please… My final wish is for you to take my darlings in and raise them like your own.”

Maho jumped back in shock, tears welling up in her eyes. “W-what?! B-but I… I don’t know what I’m doing! I’ve never bore an offspring of my own, let alone raised one! I-I can’t…”

The alicorn smiled warmly. “You can. You have evolved into a wonderful, proud queen in the time I have known you. You are a mother to your own subjects… I have faith in you to raise your own darlings. Please… They won’t have anyone else… I won’t be around for longer… I entrust them to you, use the love you have to bring them… and yourself… into a brighter future…”

Maho’s tears began to flood from her eyes, she struggled to respond with any sort of objections. She averted her glance and clenched her claws into a tight fist before laxing the tension. She wiped her eyes before returning them to the fillies. “I… I will… For my life up till now, these claws only knew how to take the lives of my enemies… Now they will be used to protect the lives of my little ones… I will love and care for them, for they are my babies. They will know me as their mother, but I will never forget you for as long as I continue to exist… I love you, my friend…”

Maho stretched her claws out to take the infants, who began to coo and giggle upon being embraced by their new mother. Holding them and feeling them move, the dark one suckling on Maho’s robe and the light one reaching to hug her… The trepidation melted and all that remained was an overwhelming urge to protect these smiles.

“D-do they have names?” Maho asked in between tears.

“I haven’t the right to decide that. Only their mother.” the mare replied with a simple smile. “One is bright and energetic as the day, the other is calm and soothing like the night…”

Maho pondered for a moment, refusing to let go of the little ones. “...Celestia” she held the white filly close, “...Selena” she did the same with the other.

“Those are grand names, my friend. I’m sure they will cherish them for all time.” The mare lit her horn and reached for another gift she had been hiding all this time. “One last thing. You are a queen to your subjects, which means that in addition to being a mother to your darling daughters, you are also to act as a mother to your people. For that, you will need a crown. I have prepared one for you.”

Unfolding the cloth, the large round gold headdress Twilight was familiar with was presented. The mare used her hooves to crown her friend… She didn’t have the mana left to do it with her magic. “There… You look so regal with that.”

“It’s kind of heavy…”

“That will represent the burden on your shoulders. The responsibility you have going forward. It will seem crushing at first, but in due time you will learn to find comfort with that weight. But remember, that mass can be used to bludgeon. You will….” the mare started to wheeze in fatigue, “You will find yourself in a situation where you need to do exactly that… Please do so for the good of your charges.”

“My friend…”

“Hm… My time has come. I have enjoyed my time with you…”

“No!” Maho sobbed. “I’m not ready to lose you yet! There’s still so much I have to learn from you!”

“I cannot guide you in all things. Some secrets you must learn to find for yourself. But please do not be dismayed.”

The alicorn’s body began to petrify and crumble under her weight. “I will live on in spirit, within the land and in the hearts of those you cherish. This doesn’t have to be goodbye forever… But it is goodbye… For now, at least… Safety… And… Peace… My friend…”

With those words, the mare… was no more. The remains collapsed into the dust that now decorated the ground. Maho’s sobs rang through the cave, her anguish prompting her babies to instinctively hug their new mom. Feeling this, she steeled herself; she would have to be strong for them.

“Bonsai!” Maho yelled pathetically. “Bonsai! I need you! Now more than ever!”

Everything went white again as Twilight found herself back in her room, herself starting to sob. She wiped away the tears and decided to drink the water she placed on the nightstand. She could easily replace it.

“Wow… I… I don’t know what to make of that… But Maho… I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”