Chapter 23: Home
=====Canterlot=====
“Who goes there?” The guard stallion calls out at the group that approaches Canterlot gates.
“Captain Rainbow Dash.” She answers. “And this is my company, we have the Griffon Prince Bastion with us, and we need to see the princesses immediately.”
The guard salutes her. “I’ll send a runner to the castle immediately, and clear the way.”
Rainbow nods. “Thanks.”
Within moments a group of guard ponies are moving. The guards line the streets creating an unobstructed path to the castle. All the guard ponies are standing saluting them. “Captain Dash!” A voice calls out and an earth pony approaches them. “We’d begun to worry about your company. We’d lost all word of you shortly after my brother went to you.”
“Iron Hoof!” Iron Wing yells as she flies out of formation and tackles he brother. “I’m so glad to see you.”
Iron Hoof chuckles as he hugs his sister. “I’m so glad you’re alive.”
Iron Wing looks to the ground, her ears and wings droop. “Horn….”
“I already know.”
“How?”
“He had a charm on his armor, he’s in the infirmary.”
“He’s alive?!”
“He is indeed.”
Iron Wing looks to Rainbow. “Go.” Rainbow says with a smile. “Just hit him once for me.”
Iron Wing salutes Rainbow. “Yes Ma’am!”
Rainbow turns to the rest of her company. “The rest of you can find a quartermaster and get your back pay. You’re on leave until I come find you.”
“No offense Captain.” Cold Steel says. “But I’d like to see this through first.”
“I think we all would.” Rune Skirt says.
Iron Wing nods. “You all are right, the mission isn’t over yet, let’s finish it.”
“I’d be happy to escort you all to the castle.” Iron Hoof says. “Meanwhile my quartermaster will work on your back pay, and she’ll meet us there after you’ve had something to eat”
Copper Penny manages to slip next to Iron Wing and whispers. “You were right, I do like your brother.”
Iron Wing grins. “Then I’ll introduce you.”
=====Fluttershy’s Cottage=====
“Thank you very much.” Discord says to SC - 9. “Now I know where your master is and can go after him.”
“Are you going to rip him to shreds with your magic?” SC - 9 asks.
“No, that would be against the rules.” Discord answers. “I plan on marching an army of soldiers against him and have them rip him to shreds.”
“Ya know I’m going with ya, right?” Applejack says.
“I’d never dream of stopping you.” Discord says then looks at Fluttershy. “You however I’m going to ask to stay here.”
“You’re going to leave me here, alone?” Fluttershy asks.
“Oh no, not alone.” Discord answers. “I’ve got some help coming.”
“What sort of help?” Fluttershy asks.
Discord reaches up with his taloned hand and carefully lowers it leaving a glowing green rip in reality. Once satisfied with it’s length he takes both hands and widens the rip into an actual portal and sticks his head in. “Come on through please.” Discord says before backing away from the portal slightly.
Everypony focuses on the portal, and sure enough a figure steps through, but nopony expects this. Another draconequus steps through. The appearance of the newcomer is startlingly similar to Discord, except for that fact that this draconequus is obviously female. “What in tarnation is going on here?” Applejack asks as she watches the female draconequus close up the portal.
“Everypony I’d like you to meet Eris, my female self from another dimension.” Discord says. “Eris volunteered to come here and monitor things around Fluttershy’s cottage for me while I went off.”
“Um..” Fluttershy starts meekly. “Why can’t you do that the other way around?”
“Personal reasons.” Discord says.
“I can protect this cottage and both of us with my magic just as surely as Discord could.” Eris says. “And it’ll be nice to have a little female bonding time.”
Fluttershy looks hard at Eris. “Can we trust you? This better not be some sort of prank.”
Eris looks at Discord. “You’re right, she is a lot like Butterscotch.”
“Butterscotch?” Flutershy asks confused.
“My husband.” Eris answers. “You’re double in my world.”
“Wait a minute here, you telling us that all are genders are flipped in your world?” Applejack asks.
“No, Applejack, they’re not. About half of them are different. For instance you’re still a mare.”
Applejack nods. “What about the other elements?”
“Dusk Shine; Rarity; Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Blitz.”
Applejack chuckles. “I bet Rainbow’s about the same as a stallion as a mare, but a stallion version of Twilight? That’s just odd.”
“Yes, we’ve already determined that putting those two in the same room would result in the universe collapsing in on itself.”
They all chuckle. “Tell us more about your world, please.” Fluttershy says. “It sounds intriguing.”
=====Canterlot=====
“Prince Bastion.” Celestia says as she sits on her throne and the group approaches her. “You have no idea how relieved I am that you are still alive.”
“Thank you Princess.” Bastion says as he bows. “Though I'm not sure calling me a prince is appropriate anymore. Seems my country has been taken from me.”
“Yes, I've meet with Warlord Bluttrinker, she informed me via messenger that if I were to give you safe harbor that she'd declare war on Equestria.” Celestia says as she motions for Bastion to rise, which he immediately does.
“Then I can’t ask you to further endanger your subjects for my sake.” Bastion says. “Grant me passage through your lands and I'll flee to the dragon wastes.”
“You'll do nothing like that!” Rainbow Dash shouts then remembers where she is and turns to Celestia. “Sorry your majesty, it's just that my company has laid their lives on the line keeping him safe, some have paid the ultimate price, and I for one don't wish to have him throw his life away just like that.”
Celestia smiles slightly. “What if I commanded you to kill him where he stood to avoid a war?”
“Respectfully, I'd tell you where you can shove your command, we both know that Bluttrinker will attack us at some point. It might as well be on our terms.”
“I see being around Twilight has rubbed off on you a little.” Celestia grins. “Prince Bastion, you're not going anyway for the time being.”
“I'm not?” Bastion asks incredulously.
“No, in fact I expected this and already replied to Bluttrinker that ANY griffon force that attempts to cross into Equestrian airspace will be meet with extreme prejudice.”
“Thank you your majesty.” Bastion bows.
Celestia turns to Rainbow and her company. “”I can not express my gratitude for bringing Bastion here. You have sacrificed more than most ponies would ever understand what you have gone through. You are hereby granted leave until such time as I personally call you back.”
The ponies in Rainbow’s company all bow and quickly leave the building, only Rainbow and Bastion remain. “Princess, I’d like to see Twilight, if that’s okay.” Rainbow requests.
Celestia nods. “Luna will escort you.”
Rainbow turns around only to see Luna calmly standing by they. “Please follow me Rainbow Dash.”
“Thank you Princess.” Rainbow says as she quickly follows Luna up to the medical area.
“This is her room.” Luna says. “I’m afraid she was badly injured.”
Rainbow nods. “I need to see her.”
Luna opens the door revealing the form of Twilight laying on a bed. Rainbow enters the room and walks up to the bed, she looks her over and her eyes stop Twilight’s severed foreleg. “Princess Luna?”
“What is it?”
“What kind of medicine do you have here?”
“What do you mean?”
“Her foreleg, it looks like she’s trying to regrow it.”
"That’s because she is.” Luna says. “Alicorns will heal from anything that doesn't immediately kill us. In fact if she wasn’t unconscious it would have already fully regrown by now.”
“Wouldn’t being unconscious make it go faster?”
“No, her magic is almost completely blocked in this comatose state.”
Rainbow lays a forehoof on Twilight’s remaining foreleg. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
“If you had been there you’d likely be dead.” Luna says. “We never found the body of her bodyguard but we have no reason to suspect that he is still alive.”
Rainbow grimaces. “Applejack must be devastated.”
“From what I hear she took the news remarkably well. Never even stopped working on the farm.”
“Okay, yeah, that sounds like Applejack.” Rainbow says as she looks back at Twilight. “Do we know who attacked her?”
“Not for sure, but Discord seems to think it’s this pony calling himself Lord Umbra. Discord claims he knows where to find him, and has asked us to lend him some troops.”
“I volunteer for that.”
Luna shakes her head. “Celestia has placed you on paid leave, you’re not going anywhere. If fact, I need you to remove your armor.”
Rainbow sighs and she slips out of her armor. “Fine.”
Luna takes the armor in her magic. “Thank you, I’ll take this and put it in my quarters where it’ll be safe.”
Rainbow watches Luna walk away and then grins. “It’s a good thing I have another set of armor.”