//------------------------------// // Chapter 56 // Story: A New Dragon in the Crystal Empire // by Vedues //------------------------------// “Do you think Miracle will be angry at me?” Fluttershy asked nervously, looking around the lab. Both of their suits and all of Cliff’s notes had already been packed. All that remained was a desk with some pictures, two filing cabinets, and the small nest that she had been sharing with Cliff. “I abandoned her right after giving birth to her. What if she doesn’t know who I am anymore? What if she’s afraid of me and won’t speak to me ever again for the rest of her life?” “Whoa, whoa.” Cliff sat down in front of her, pausing to reflect on how cold the floor was without his armor, and pulled her head down so that they could look each other in the eyes. “Deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth.” Fluttershy nodded and started doing her breathing exercises. Cliff linked with his wife and sent her feelings of comfort and tranquility. One clawed hand ran up and down her back, bushing through her soft fur. “It’ll be okay. You told me that Discord imitates your voice whenever you want to say something to Miracle, right?” She nodded, still fighting to breath calmly. “Then she’ll at least know your voice.” Cliff pulled Fluttershy into a hug. “She’ll have an entire lifetime to get to know the rest of you.” He felt her nodding against his shoulder. “B-but I wasn’t there the first time she spoke, or walked, o-or-” “We were keeping Equestria safe for her and every other child. That’s what matters.” At least, that was what Cliff kept telling himself. Miracle was a month old today, and he hadn’t even seen her in person yet. He hugged Fluttershy a bit tighter. “It’ll be okay.” Fluttershy took a deep breath. “Okay.” She pulled back and wiped her eyes. “Is it time to go?” Cliff reached for one of the dimensional pockets at his waist only to pause when he realized that those were normally attached to his armor. “One second.” He sat down the bag with his armor and rummaged through it until he found the right pocket. A moment later, he pulled out a gem that told time. “Yeah, Luna should be gathering everyone outside.” “Okay.” Fluttershy lifted the bag with her own armor and set it across her back. “Should we go, then?” “Yeah.” Cliff paused and magically attached the dimensional pocket to his thigh before opening the door for Fluttershy. Maintaining the spell would be easy for him anyway. It was late morning outside, with a light breeze that tickled Cliff’s scales. The rest of the Everfree Platoon already seemed to be waiting in front of the Crystal Bunker. Princess Luna stood near the Bunker’s wall to Cliff’s left. Not surprisingly, Big Mac was next to her, and the rest of Cliff’s team was next to him as well as the other five Element Bearers. Cliff made his way toward them. “Are we late?” Twilight hurried to Fluttershy and gave her a hug. “No, you’re just on time. Luna’s about to open the portal.” She looked around. “Have you seen Genesis? I thought he was with you.” Cliff shook his head. “I thought he was with you.” Twilight had wanted notes on every rune that Genesis knew, and he had been doing his best to accommodate her. Rainbow landed next to them. “I saw him over by the barracks. Want me to go get him?” “I’ll do it,” Cliff said. None of the Element Bearers were supposed to go anywhere alone, just in case the Alliance had a trap set for them. In fact, Luna was sending all six Bearers to Canterlot Castle to prevent exactly that kind of thing from happening. The Everfree Platoon would be going along as well, but only for one week. After that, it would be some other platoon’s chance to relax for a week before coming back to this nightmare. Fluttershy gently broke off her hug with Twilight. “I can go with you.” “It’s okay.” Cliff kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll be right back.” He put down the bag with his armor and shot away. The barracks was close by, and Cliff reached it a few seconds later. “Genesis?” He pushed open the door and stepped inside. “You in here?” Genesis was sitting against one of the inner walls, still clad in his new suit of armor, and surrounded by dozens of glowing runes. He jerked a little when Cliff came in. “Huh? Oh crap, what time is it?” “Just past eleven.” Cliff walked over to the other wyrm, admiring all the runes. “What are you working on?” Genesis looked away. “Oh, uh, this.” He held up the white staff that he had brought with him from the Alliance. “I think I finally got it to synchronize correctly with the armor’s central node.” Cliff frowned in confusion. “I thought you didn’t want to help Equestria develop combat staffs.” “I don’t.” Genesis got up. “But, I,” he held out the staff, “I want you to use this one. I know Rune would’ve wanted it too.” Cliff was speechless. Through their link, Fluttershy sent curiosity about the change in Cliff’s emotions. He sent back that he would explain when he got back to the Bunker. “Rune would’ve wanted you to be safe.” Cliff closed Genesis’s claws back around the staff. “This is part of her legacy, and it will help protect you.” A soft laugh escaped Genesis. “Protect me from what? I won’t be stepping on the battlefield again.” That much was true; his armor was only to keep him safe in case of surprise attacks. Genesis held out the staff again. “You made friends with the ponies, and they helped develop this armor I’m wearing. You made friends with a chaos spirit, and he gave you that magic cloak.” He swallowed. “You made friends with Rune and me … and I know that she’d want you to use this to keep yourself safe out there.” Cliff could see the firmness in his friend’s eyes. He nodded slowly and accepted the staff. “I studied some of the older models that were recovered from the battlefield. Does this one work the same?” “Mostly.” Genesis smiled. “I’ll teach you the mental commands for the newer functions.” “Thank you, really.” Cliff commanded the staff to wrap around his forearm, and it did so without any problems. “I’m just glad I can do something to help you.” Genesis paused. “Dirt clods, we’re late, aren’t we?” “Yeah, come on.” Cliff motioned for the other wyrm to follow him as he ran to the door and jogged back up the ramp and to the Crystal Bunker. The portal to Canterlot was already open when they arrived. It was a relatively small one, only large enough for one or two creatures to fit through at a time, but the Everfree Platoon had already passed through. Only Luna and the Element Bearers remained. “There you two are,” Rainbow called. “What took you so long?” “Genesis was finishing up a project,” Cliff said, walking over to Fluttershy. He gave his wife a hug and a quick kiss. Meanwhile, Genesis stopped a few steps away from the group, not quite looking at any of them. Fluttershy’s eyes moved from Cliff’s face to the staff around his right arm and from there to Genesis. The look in her eyes told Cliff that she knew exactly what had happened. She approached the brown wyrm. “Um, Genesis?” Fluttershy had spent a lot of time around Genesis, but her hooves still shook a little whenever she looked directly at him. “You can hold Miracle when we get to Canterlot, if you want that is.” “I’m not very good with hatchlings,” Genesis said quietly, but Cliff could hear the longing in his voice. “That’s fine,” Cliff said. “Neither am I.” Genesis stared at him for a moment. “Yes you are. The hatchlings at Mystic Forest adored you.” “They were all at least a few years old.” Cliff scratched his cheek self-consciously. “I never know what to do with newly hatched dragons, so I just sit there and make funny faces at them, hoping they’ll take pity on me and laugh.” Fluttershy giggled. “It’s true.” “So don’t worry about it,” Cliff said. “You saved both of our lives when you warned us about the Requiem Guard. I want you to be part of my daughter’s life too.” His daughter. The entire concept still seemed so unreal. “Yeah,” Rainbow said, “the daughter that’s waiting for us, so can we quit wasting time already?” “Sorry, yes.” Genesis hurried through the portal. Cliff and Fluttershy followed him, stepping through into one of the courtyards of Canterlot Castle. It looked like all of Everfree Village had come to meet them. Cliff could barely see over the crowd of ponies and dragons embracing their loved ones. He stepped out of the way of the portal, keeping his back against the wall. That also brought him right next to Genesis. “Were you expecting a crowd this big?” Genesis asked. Cliff shook his head. “Rainbow!” Scootaloo ran past them, tackling Rainbow Dash to the ground. “Welcome home!” Rainbow chuckled and hugged her back. “Good to see you too, squirt.” Apple Bloom ran past a second later, throwing her hooves around Applejack and Big Mac. “Sweetie!” Rarity ran to embrace her own sister. “Oh, it’s so good to see you again!” “Welcome home, Fluttershy, Cliff.” Cliff turned to the left and found Silver Lining approaching with a small purple-and-pink form on her back. “Miracle,” Silver Lining looked back and nudged her with one wing, “say hello to your parents.” The small form looked up at them, mumbled something that was lost in the crowd, and then buried her face in Silver Lining’s mane again. Cliff froze. Miracle, his daughter, was right in front of him. What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? Fluttershy had no such problem. She practically ran to her mother. “Miracle?” Her voice was soft and sweet, filled with all the love that a mother should have. Miracle poked her head out of Silver Lining’s mane just a little, looking at Fluttershy curiously. She turned and looked behind her, to where Discord and Sunrise stood. Discord was about the same height as the other pony, even on his back legs. “Not me,” Discord said. “It’s your real mother this time.” “That’s right,” Fluttershy said, smiling as she fought back tears. “I’m here. I’m finally here for you, and I’m never going to leave you again.” Miracle turned back to Fluttershy, making soft noises of confusion. “It’s okay.” Fluttershy lifted her daughter into her hooves. “You can be confused if you want, just as long as you know that I love you.” “I’m surprised she isn’t crying,” Silver Lining said. “Normally Miracle hates meeting new ponies, especially out in public like this.” She glanced at Cliff. “Are you going to keep standing there, wasting time? Celestia wants to meet with you and the Element Bearers soon.” That snapped Cliff out of his trance. He took a deep breath and walked up to Fluttershy, wrapping his arms around her and Miracle both. “H-hey there, little one. I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited to meet you.” Miracle looked at him and immediately bursts into tears, reaching toward Silver Lining. “Yes, that’s the response I was expecting,” Silver Lining said. Fluttershy held Miracle against her shoulder, bouncing her up and down gently. “I’m sure she’ll get used to Cliff once she spends some time with him.” She looked around. “Maybe we should go somewhere quiet, where she’ll feel more comfortable?” Silver Lining turned and walked toward the edge of the courtyard. “It will be more quiet on the way to meet with Celestia. You can meet us in the guest wing once you’re done.” Genesis watched her go. “I’ll, uh, just follow her. She’s your mother-in-law, right?” “Yeah.” Cliff kept his eyes on Miracle, wondering when it would be his turn to hold her. “We’ll try to meet up with you soon.” -_-_-_-_-_- A few minutes later, Spirit found himself walking down a stone tunnel with Autumn, Cliff, and the Element Bearers. “Okay,” he said, looking at Celestia, “where are you leading us?” “Someone has requested an audience with you,” Celestia said. “I cannot say anything else until we get there.” “Ooh,” Pinkie said, bouncing up and down, “are we meeting with your super secret spy? I met a spy before, but I'm not allowed to tell anyone about it.” Celestia chuckled. “No, Pinkie, we aren’t going to meet with a spy.” “There’s already a spy among us,” Autumn said. Amusement radiated off of her. “What’s so funny?” Spirit asked through their link. She actually laughed. “Cliff, remember?” Oh, duh. Spirit didn’t know how he’d spaced his brothers time-travel shenanigans with the Alliance. He looked back at Cliff. The older wyrm was making funny faces at Miracle, who was sitting between Fluttershy’s wings. Miracle seemed more confused by Cliff than anything. At least it was a step up from screaming. “How is your mother doing, Autumn?” Celestia asked. “I heard that she announced her early retirement.” “Yes,” Autumn said. “Things in the Crystal Empire have made her feel that we should spend more time together. She hopes to immigrate to Everfree Village as soon as the war is over.” Spirit didn’t know how Autumn always avoided mentioning her father. He had died not two months after he started to patch things up with her mother. That same mother was so upset that she had effectively ended her lifelong career so that she could spend more time with Autumn, the only family she had left. And yet Autumn still carefully edited the deceased stallion out of her life, refusing to even acknowledge him except to Spirit. Even then, she could only speak about him for a minute or two before she had to change the subject. He really needed to ask a psychiatrist if this kind of behavior was healthy, maybe the one that Fluttershy had been going to. “War is a terrible thing,” Celestia said, “but it does tend to remind us of what is most important in life.” They walked for another minute or so before reaching a doorway. There must have been a door there until recently. Spirit could see bent hinges, but the door itself was absent. They passed through into a hallway lined with stone doors on either side. Celestia led them to the door at the end of the hallway and then stopped. “Please do not tell anyone what I am about to show you. The Alliance may still have spies in Equestria.” They all nodded. “Don’t worry, Princess,” Rainbow said. “We promise.” “Thank you.” Celestia pulled the door open. Inside was a small room with ten royal guards, one unarmored gray unicorn, and a glass wall separating them from- “Yol Toor?” Spirit said. “This is where you’ve been hiding him?” The whole group shuffled in, awkwardly avoiding eye contact with the drake lord. “Thank you all for coming,” Yol Toor said. “I wanted the chance to speak with you all, and Celestia was kind enough to allow it.” Spirit looked at the eleven other ponies. They were all stern and silent. Even the unarmored one was acting like an on-duty guard. “To what do we owe the pleasure of this summons?” “I wished to thank the Element Bearers for defeating most of the Requiem Guard,” Yol Toor said. “Samhane’s betrayal shows that they were dangerous and could have turned on the Alliance at any time.” He looked directly at Twilight. “Your actions may well have saved the lives of my daughters and Silver Tail.” He bowed deeply. “As a father and a friend, I thank you all.” Miracle started to cry again. “You’re welcome,” Twilight said over Fluttershy’s attempts to hush her child. “She is hungry and tired,” Yol Toor said, looking at Fluttershy. “Don’t feel that you have to remain. The needs of your child should come first.” “Oh, um, thank you.” Fluttershy went to the door. “Um, could somepony show us the way back, please?” One of the guards detached himself from the group. “I can. Follow me.” “Cliff Runner,” Yol Toor said before the wyrm could go after them, “please wait for one moment.” Cliff hesitated, looking at Yol Toor nervously. “Be at ease,” Yol Toor said gently, “I have no grudge against you. Actually, I would like to hear your thoughts on several policies I would like to create within the Dragon Alliance. Perhaps we could discuss them after you have spent some time with your daughter.” “I, thanks.” Cliff looked after his departing wife. “I’ll try to come back after dinner.” He went after her. “Try holding your daughter when you play with her,” Yol Toor called. He shook his head and smiled. “New parents are always a heartwarming sight. I didn’t even know that dragon-pony hybrids were possible.” “Neither did we,” Twilight said. “Until just recently, that is.” “I can’t read him,” Autumn sent with an undercurrent of frustration. “That wall is blocking my empathy, and his body language doesn’t give anything away.” Spirit sent back that he understood. “May I ask why the two of us were invited?” He gestured to Autumn. “I asked you to come, Spirit,” Celestia said. “We need you and Twilight to sign a legal sentencing.” “Someone is on trial?” Twilight asked. “Not precisely,” Celestia said. “Ebon Light committed a crime against Yol Toor,” the unarmored pony shrank down a little, “and Yol Toor wishes to pursue the usual drake method of repayment. Equestrian law allows this for foreign envoys, but it must be signed by at least two rulers or ambassadors that weren’t involved in the incident.” She produced two sheets of paper and held one out to Spirit and the other to Twilight. So Celestia was involved in whatever happened. Spirit read through the short declaration. The details must have been obscured deliberately, because it didn’t provide any more information than what Celestia had said. The sentence itself was kind of odd; Ebon Light would have to be Yol Toor’s personal assistant for the next year, but he’d still get paid and have time off. It was basically just an employment contract, with the added benefit that Yol Toor was sworn to protect him from physical or emotional harm to the best of his abilities. “You’re okay with this?” he asked Celestia. She nodded. “This is the most common form of punishment among drakes, although we did reduce the sentence from a decade to a single year.” “Good enough for me.” He signed it and gave it back to her. Twilight did likewise. “Thank you all,” Celestia said. “I can lead you back to your rooms, or you can stay here and talk, if you wish.” Spirit looked at Yol Toor. “I think I’ll stay here.” The Element Bearers all found reasons to excuse themselves, leaving just the nine guards, Spirit, Autumn, and that gray unicorn who had to be Ebon Light. Autumn looked at Yol Toor as well. “Why do you want to talk with him?” “He’s a thousand-year-old drake lord,” Spirit sent back. “Aren’t you at least a little curious about what we could learn from him?” “He killed nine of our friends.” Autumn kissed him on the cheek. “I’m sorry, but I can’t be in the same room as him.” She silently followed the others. Yol Toor waited until the door closed before shifting his attention to Spirit. “What did you wish to speak with me about?” Spirit took a deep breath and put on his best diplomat face. “To begin with, I’m curious what your plans are regarding Ebon Light.” He nodded toward the unicorn. “Celestia has given me access to the royal library,” Yol Toor said. “I expect Ebon’s duties will mostly involve fetching and returning books when he isn’t engaged in a specialized training routine that Celestia and I developed for him.” Through all this, Ebon continued to stare straight ahead. “I assume this training will be to duel in the traditional drake way?” Spirit asked. Yol Toor nodded. “As my debtor, Ebon Light is officially a member of the Shattered Mountain Clan. The Alliance will be forced to accept him as a friend and ally. He can live among dragons, learn our ways, and teach us his own. That will be the first step to understanding and true peace.” Okay, he’s training Ebon to be a sort of diplomat between the races. Celestia obviously approved of the idea, and Spirit could see its merits as well. “He’d be welcome to spend some time in Everfree Village. The wyrm culture there would certainly help prepare him for the Alliance.” “I agree,” Yol Toor said. “Thank you for the offer.” … Great, twenty seconds in and we’re already running out of things to say. Spirit kept his expression calm and latched onto the first idea that came to mind. “Do you think more understanding between ponies and dragons could have prevented this war?” “Yes,” Yol Toor said without hesitation. “This war is a mistake that only happened because neither side believed the other would be open to a reasonable discussion.” That was true. Spirit had no doubt that Celestia would have found a peaceful solution if she had just gotten the Alliance’s leaders to sit down and talk with her. “It would be nice if we could go back and do everything over again.” “I try not to think about that,” Yol Toor said. “There have been far too many things in my life that I wish I could go back and change, enough that I could waste the rest of my life dwelling on them instead of focusing on the present and the future.” “I know that feeling.” Spirit could name at least twenty similar regrets just off the top of his head. “So what are your goals for the future?” “In a word, harmony. The dragon tribes only bonded because they faced a common enemy. It will take real effort to hold them together once the war ends, and even more to erase the eons of hatred and mistrust between dragons and ponies.” Yol Toor got a look in his eyes then, the kind of fierce determination that would let a dragon move mountains, even if it was one stone at a time. “I promise you this, Prince Spirit Shield, that I will fight for peaceful coexistence for as long as I remain on this earth.” Spirit found himself smiling at the promise. He’d been on the receiving end of this dragon’s wrath once, not a fun experience. He almost pitied any member of the Alliance that tried to oppose Yol Toor’s quest for peace. Almost. -_-_-_-_-_- The rest of the day was peaceful, dull even. Rarity didn’t know why, but it put her on edge. She loved staying at Canterlot Castle, of course. It was beautiful, elegant, and sophisticated. The very air inspired nobility in all who were fortunate enough to walk its halls. Even Sweetie and the other Crusaders seemed to feel its effect, calming them all from rambunctious to merely energetic. That was why Rarity felt comfortable leaving them unsupervised for a few hours at nightfall. She slipped out of her room, passing the one that Fluttershy and Cliff shared, and made her way outside. Canterlot at night was truly breathtaking. Each store and restaurant shone brightly in the darkness, revealing only the best in goods and services. Rarity wandered from street to street, looking in at these islands of warmth and light as she idly noted what everypony was wearing. It would be time to design her fall line soon, and she needed the inspiration. All of her recent attempts to design had been stuck on the impossible task of using clothes to tell Equestria what she has seen and felt in the Crystal Empire. For once in her life, she didn’t know where to even begin. She couldn’t describe it in words, let alone in fabric. The other Element Bearers understood that secret something. There was a look they all shared, a weight they all carried, even though it wore down on each of them differently. She had caught Pinkie scrubbing herself in the shower until her skin was raw, and Applejack was often as silent as Big Mac. Fluttershy admitted that she still cried herself to sleep most nights, tormented by all the ponies that they had failed to save. It wasn’t just the other Element Bearers, every pony and dragon in the Crystal Empire understood. Rarity had felt it in the way shop owners looked at her armor, half hoping and half pitying. She had seen it in the massive cemeteries, where there were always at least a few others looking at the graves of their friends and family. She had heard it in the chaotic maelstrom of battle and in the looming silence that followed. She had even smelled and tasted it in the debris that covered whole neighborhoods of the Empire. And yet, Rarity still couldn’t represent it in her art, no matter how much her muse demanded it. A month of living in the Empire, a month of constant fear and sleepless nights, and Rarity felt like the essence of the experience had been locked away inside of her, a secret that was impossible to share with any that didn’t already know it. She found herself stepping into a noisy dance club. It wasn’t the kind of establishment that she would normally frequent, but loud music had always drowned out her muse in the past. For once, she welcomed that. The inside was like something out of a ghastly memory from her teenage years. Ponies wore clothes in every garish color imaginable, and the clothes themselves seemed specifically designed to not fit properly, flopping, folding, and almost falling off in some places, while restricting, compressing, and barely giving room to breathe in other places. Celestia help her if Sweetie ever requested an outfit like one of these travesties. Rarity pushed her way through the crowd of jostling eyesores and sat down at the bar. “Bartender, could you be so kind as to bring me a drink?” The bartender, a blue unicorn with a cream-colored mane, squinted at her and perked up his ears. “Huh?” He almost had to shout to be heard over the music. She sighed and shouted back, “A drink, please.” “Oh, what kind?” This certainly wasn’t the kind of place where she could order imported wine, and she wasn’t so desperate for alcohol that she’d order a beer. “One cosmarepolitan, please.” He nodded and started gathering ingredients. A changeling slid into the seat next to her. “It’s a shame to see such a beautiful mare feeling so down.” Rarity jumped then forcefully reminded herself that changelings were accepted members of society now. “No need to be worried, beautiful.” Green fire engulfed the changeling for a moment, leaving a gorgeous unicorn stallion in its wake. He was shadow gray with a charcoal mane and tail that both had the careful kind of style that pretended not to have been styled at all. His warm forest-green eyes crinkled a little as he smiled. “I just wanted to cheer you up.” “And what makes you think I need cheering up?” “Changeling, remember?” He gestured to his flank, which had a picture of a winking changeling’s face. “I can sense it, and the great thing for you is,” he flashed again and became an exact replica of Soarin’ from the Wonderbolts, “I can be whatever you want me to be.” “How very flattering, but I’m not interested.” Rarity shifted in her seat a little so that she was looking away from him. There was another flash of green light. “I understand, darling.” Rarity looked back in a hurry, and found herself staring at … herself. The other Rarity slid a card over to her. “Come by if you change your mind. We’re more than just a brothel, you know, and sometimes we all need to sit down and have a long talk with ourselves. It might help you feel better.” Then she—or was it a he?—got up and disappeared back into the crowd. Rarity flipped over the card. As she had suspected, it was for that dreadful brothel that Chrysalis ran. She tossed the card into a nearby trash can. A mirror would do if she ever felt the need to talk to herself. The bartender returned with a glass of red liquid. “Here’s your drink.” “Thank you.” Rarity paid him and took a sip. The taste of lime, cranberry, and orange filled her mouth. It was a little too sweet and the lime wasn’t terribly fresh, but overall, it wasn’t bad. She took another sip. Two cosmarepolitans and five unwanted advances later, Rarity decided that she had had enough. Any more alcohol and she would pay for it the next morning, and these idiot stallions were useful only as an example of what not to do. “Um, excuse me?” Rarity turned to the new voice, pausing briefly to assess its owner, a tawny brown earth pony with a cinnamon mane and azure eyes. A nice color scheme, but with sadly limited options for clothing. Luckily he wasn’t wearing any, an empty canvass just waiting for an artist’s touch. His smile was cute but forced, and his muscular form was shaking just a little. Not more than ten feet behind him, a group of other ponies were laughing and stage-whispering advice. Now this was interesting. Rarity smiled and pretended that she didn’t notice the others. “Yes?” “C-can I … buy you a drink?” Rarity laughed softly. She felt terrible about doing so, but this hapless stallion’s attempt at a pickup line was just too cute. Quickly, she invented a line to excuse her laughter. “And to think I had just given up on meeting any nice ponies tonight.” He blushed. “Oh, uh, is that a yes?” “Yes, it is.” She patted the seat next to her. “I am Rarity, and you are?” He slid into the seat. “Er, Thunder. I know it’s a strange name for an earth pony.” And certainly not one Rarity would have guessed from his cutie mark, a gold medal of some kind. “I think it suits you.” His voice was a pleasant baritone, and she could well imagine it rumbling like thunder. He blushed again. “Thank you. Oh, what did you want to drink?” “A virgin strawberry daiquiri.” Her night had suddenly gotten a lot more interesting, and she wanted to keep her wits about her for it. Thunder relayed her order to the pony behind the bar, getting a second one for himself. “Thanks for being so nice,” he said quietly, almost low enough that Rarity couldn’t hear him over the booming music. “I know you’re just doing this because you don’t want me to look like a bigger loser in front of those guys, but I really appreciate it.” She lifted his forehoof onto hers with her magic. “You should give yourself more credit.” Minutes passed as Rarity got to know her unexpected drinking partner. He was adorably awkward, handsome but not egotistical, and observant to boot. Early signs were making him out to be a keeper. The only thing he really lacked was confidence. She liked it when a stallion took charge sometimes. Eventually Rarity yawned, struggling to hide it behind her hoof. “Oh, it’s getting pretty late, isn’t it?” Thunder stood up and offered her a hoof. “I can walk you back to the Palace, if you want.” Rarity took the hoof and stood up as well. “Thank you.” They were out the door before it occurred to her to ask, “How did you know that I’m staying at the Palace?” “Well, you’re Rarity,” Thunder said, “the Element Bearer of Generosity. The papers said that you’re up at the Crystal Empire, but if you’re here then Celestia must have given you a place to stay in Canterlot Castle.” So he knew who she was, that was flattering. It also explained why he was so nervous to approach her. Rarity smiled as an idea worked its way into her mind. Thunder still needed a boost of confidence, and what better way to give it than to let him enjoy a passionate kiss beneath the moonlight with a national heroine? She just needed to find a properly romantic setting. The doorstep was the traditional place for such things, and Rarity was a fan of it. An enthusiastic kiss, a flirtatious look, and then close the door while the stallion’s brain is still coming to grips with what just happened. Unfortunately, this front door would be the gates of Canterlot Castle, surrounded by royal guards. No, that wouldn’t do at all. She needed somewhere else, a romantic location that would be burned into Thunder’s mind forever. “There’s a small park nearby,” Rarity said. “Perhaps we could pass through it on the way to the Castle?” “If you want to,” Thunder said, leading them down a side street toward it. They arrived a few minutes later. By then, Rarity’s mind swam with images from her favorite romance novels. Yes, this was perfect! She led him under the concealing branches of a weeping willow, engulfing them both in the kind of darkness where all forms were merely outlines. She turned around, smiling sweetly. A wyrm’s outline stood where Thunder had just been. Rarity opened her mouth to say something, but then two clawed hands came up, grabbing her head on either side. There was a surge like electricity, and then … Then … What was I doing? Rarity frowned. “It’s okay, Rarity,” the wyrm said. “You brought me here to help me with something.” “Oh,” Rarity said, struggling with the fuzziness in her brain. She must have had more to drink than she realized. “What was it, Thunder? I’m afraid I’ve forgotten.” She leaned against his palm a little bit. “You were going to help me find where Yol Toor is being held,” Thunder said, his voice calm and reassuring. Rarity giggled. “That’s easy, dear. They’re holding him in the old dungeon beneath the Castle.” He gasped. “You’re sure?” “Of course. I saw him myself just earlier today.” Hadn’t she promised Celestia that she wouldn’t tell anyone about that? Oh well, she could trust Thunder. Thunder perked his ear frills up like he was listening to something. He looked back at her and quickly whispered, “Forget everything about me.” Pain exploded through Rarity’s head, making her fall back with a gasp. Someone was running away; she could hear the sound of it, but how was that possible? I was out here alone, right? “Hey, you!” a voice shouted nearby. There were more sounds of running, but coming from the opposite direction. Rarity pried her eyes open enough to see a new shape rushing toward her. He slid to a halt and bent down to check on her. “Are you okay? That was an Alliance spy, wasn’t it?” His horn lit up, revealing a changeling. “A what?” Rarity pressed a hoof against her head. “Go away, I’m quite fine on my own.” She shuddered at the thought of being alone in the dark with one of these unscrupulous creatures. The changeling somehow looked concerned. Rarity didn’t know how a creature with huge fangs and no pupils could look concerned, but this one did. “I can’t leave you here. The spy might come back.” “What spy?” Rarity forced herself back to her feet, wincing a little from the changeling’s glowing horn. “Can’t you see I was here alone?” She took a step back. At first the changeling didn’t move, but then he took a step towards her. “Let’s get you back to the Castle. I think he did something to your memory.” “I’m all for returning to Canterlot Castle,” Rarity took another step back, “but I won’t be going there with you.” “Really?” the changeling demanded. “I keep an eye on you all night, probably saving your life in the process, and now you’re giving me the cold shoulder?” “All night?” Rarity asked. “Have you been stalking me?” She remembered turning down a changeling’s advances in that dance club. “That was you in the club, wasn’t it?” “Yes, and yes.” “I could have you arrested for that.” Rarity took a wide stance and lowered her horn. Headache or no headache, she had fought plenty of changelings in the past, and that was before her years of training in Everfree Village. Dealing with this one now would be a walk in the park, both literally and figuratively. The changeling facehoofed. “How about this, I’ll turn myself over to the city guard for stalking if you can do one thing.” “And what might that be?” He gestured to the ground at her side. “Explain how those wyrm tracks got there.” Rarity stepped back, letting her look at the spot without taking her eyes off the changeling completely. Fresh wyrm claw marks were on the dirt there. Rarity frowned, looking from the tracks to the changeling and back. “Do you remember why you came out here?” the changeling asked. “To …” Rarity paused. It was for something romantic, she was certain of it, but the details eluded her grasp. “Look,” the changeling said, “the Element Bearers are the only thing that can stop the Requiem Guard from using me and every other changeling for target practice, so when I saw you wandering the streets, I decided to make sure you stayed safe. You led some hunk of an earth pony out here, then your emotions went all cooky and his went all evil overlord. Now you can’t remember him at all, and those tracks are pretty good evidence that he was actually a disguised wyrm all along. Do I have to connect the dots? It was an Alliance spy.” Rarity looked at the tracks again then back to the changeling. Something was wrong, on that much the changeling was certainly correct. She pressed a hoof against her throbbing head. “You can come with me to Canterlot Castle. I know wyrms that can verify if my emotions have been manipulated.” “First sensible decision you’ve made all night.” He flashed green for a moment, revealing a duplicate of Rarity beneath. “I’ll match my emotions to yours.” He imitated her voice and inflection perfectly. “That should make our friend hesitate if he is foolish enough to return.” Keeping an eye on him, Rarity started walking toward the Castle. She had to fight more and more to keep calm as everything started to sink in. Had an Alliance spy actually been manipulating her? What if it had implanted a suggestion to attack her friends? What if she attacked Sweetie Belle? If she couldn’t trust her memory, how could she trust her thoughts? The changeling matched her pace step for step. “Can you remember what you told him?” Rarity thought back, but all she could remember was walking beneath the tree, something warm against her cheek, and then a terrible headache before the changeling arrived. All of it had happened in a matter of seconds. “I don’t know.” She squinted at the ground, willing herself to remember. “If there really was a spy, I don’t believe there was time to tell him much of anything.” “Well, thank the Queen for that.” He—or was it a she now?—turned and smiled at Rarity. “You’re welcome, by the way.” “I will thank you when we have proven your story,” Rarity said, “not before.”