They got out of the forest, and the first thing that Currency saw, was Ponyville from the distance.
"What in the... This was a field once! What is this place!?"
"This place is called Ponyville", replied Boost. "And you're right, this was a field once, But the princess gave the land to an earth pony family, and it evolved into this town."
"Wow..." She simply gazes out at the village.
"Now the place we need to go to Canterlot over there." He points at the city high up in the hills
"Canterlot..." She sighed, "The jewel of Equestria..."
"Ok we need to go as slyly as possible.", said Boost.
"Why? Is this one of those kind of towns?"
"Remember. They are searching for me. They could even be in this little town."
"Alright, so we go around it?"
"We need to get to the train station, Then pick up two tickets to Canterlot."
"Train? What's that?" She obviously hasn't heard of one before.
"Umm.. its like a box with wheels. It allows ponies to travel to other places faster than on hoof."
"A box? Fascinating..."
"Ok lets go, Walk fast and don't make any eye contact."
"Alright" They enter the town, and pass by town hall. Currency spots one pony walking by.
This mare had a lavender coat just like Currency's, and about the same age, but there was no mistaking, she was an alicorn, as shown by her wings and horn. She was chatting with an earth pony with an orange coat and a yellow mane, and wearing an unfamiliar hat to Currency.
"Who...who is that Boost?", she asked, pointing to the pair.
"Oh... That is Twilight Sparkle. She is the fourth and most recent ruler of Equestrian. She is most known as the "Princess Of Friendship". And that's one of her friends, Applejack.
"A princess?", replied Currency. "But there haven't been more than the regal sisters since princess Amore..."
"Yeah. But after she disappeared another alicorn princess named Cadence took her place. And then came Twilight."
"Times have changed indeed... Wait... Took her place?"
"Yeah", said Boost, "a pony needs to take care of the Crystal Empire."
She jumps at this statement, "But the Empire was lost!"
"Oh yeah... Princess Twilight and 5 other ponies restored the empire to its former glory!
"What!? The empire has returned!?"
"Yeah, a long time ago!"
Currency tried to walk over to talk to Twilight, but she was stopped by Boost, who held out his hoof. "First lets talk to Princess Celestia. Then you can talk to her."
She let out a sigh.
"Alright, where are these tickets you talked about?"
"I need you to take them. Because most of the ponies know me by now. If someone asks i'm your son ok?" He hands her a generous amount of bits.
"Well, at least they use bits still...", she replied.
Boost put the hoodie over his face to cover his identity.
"Ok lets go."
Minutes later, they arrive at the train station.
"Ooh..." She spotted the booth. "Heh, we had carriages and chariots back then... This is new territory for me..."
"Welcome to the future." He said.
"Hm..." She walks up to the booth.
"Where to?" The pony inside asked.
"To Canterlot, For my son and I."
"That would be 50 bits."
"I'm, yes, one second please..." She pulls them out and handed it to him. The pony inside takes them and gives her two tickets.
"Your son has an interesting choice for clothes."
"Heh, yes," replied Currency with some difficulty. "No matter what I say, he always wears the stuff..."
"Hehe... Ok have a nice ride you two!"
"Well, thank you!"
She took Boost and the two left for the train. They got on, and sit in the rear car.
"Its been years since i've been in a train.", stated Boost.
"Wow..." The train starts with a sudden jolt, and Currency, unprepared for the motion, is sent flying into the next seat.
"Careful Currency." He helps her.
"Ah, thanks Boostrot.." She got back to her seat.
"You can call me Boost if you want." He smiled at her.
"Alright Boost..." She smiles back.
"Wow... To think how much has changed, I can't marvel enough about it..." She looked outside the window. It was a beautiful view of the plains. "The truth is, I'm a mite bit afraid of meeting princess Celestia again... Especially after...well...the battle."
"Why?" He asked curiously.
"I just...it's hard to explain".
"You know she will be happy to see you, besides, you were her student too!"
"Will she? Well, if you say so..."
They finally arrived at Canterlot.
"Wow... This place looks way better closer.", said Boost.
Currency looked around, and took a deep breath.
"Boost, there's no better place to trace Equestria's history than Canterlot... It feels good to see it again!"
"Honestly, This is my first time here," he replied. "Lets try not to act too suspicious."
"Agreed..." They proceed through the town. While it bustled with ponies going to and from the market to the many squares, guards were everywhere. He looks nervous at being there, so close to failure.
After a long climb, they finally reach the gate leading into the castle.
Currency looks at the two guards protecting it, and remarks, "Heh... I didn't think of what to do from this point on..."
"Yeah... me neither, Maybe i should have thought a better plan."
"Hm, we might have to give ourselves up at this point...", muttered Currency.
"What? And i have to be running from civilization the rest of my life?"
"Not like that, I meant that the guards could bring us to the princess."
"Do you think they won't notice my identity?"
"They will, which is why I am hoping that she recognizes me and we can negotiate."
"I don't like that plan too much Currency..."
"Me nether, but I don't see any alternative," she said with a grimace.
He sighed. "If you say so... Lets do it." They walked towards the guards.
"Identify yourselves," one of the guards said.
"I am Currency Compass, and my friend and I wish to see the princess."
"You can't see the princess'es without special permission Miss," The other guard said.
She looked him in the eye, and sent a hypnotic suggestion into his mind.
"Special permission? Are you sure?"
The guard, dazed by the spell, replied, "Oh... I'm sorry miss. Of course you have one!" The guards let them pass.
Currency smiled at Boost, and they walked ahead. "They don't make them like they used to...", she muttered under her breath.
"I wish i could do that."
"Heh, maybe someday you'll learn it someday." She smiled at him again. "Well, now the easy part is done."
They walked into the castle a bit of the way, until suddenly, an alarm sounded. The guards knew they were here.Then one passing guard accidently bumped into boost making him trip, knocking off the hood.
All nearby guards reconize him. "We got the criminal!", one of them yelled. And in just a matter of seconds, they surrounded the two, their spears all pointed towards their necks. Boost didn't know what to do and started to hyperventilate. Currency patted boost on the back."
"Don't worry boost, we can get this settled..." He started to relax.
"Take the beast! We will take care of the mare!" They separated Currency from Boost.
"No, wait!" She sent a thought into the captain's head.
"They go together..." The captain proclaimed.
Then a guard said. "The mare is using that mind control thing! You can't fool us twice!"
Currency, a little shocked, exclaimed, "Well, it looks like they have some of the old guard potential after all..."
"Currency!!!", Boost yelled before she loosed sight of him in a corner.
"Darn it." She said.
A guard shouted, "let's take her to the princess'es!"
Currency, a bit puzzled at this, asks, "Princess'es?"
Another guard says. "Are you crazy!? She will just brainwash them!"
"They would know better I'd think! They are alicorns!" Another one said.
"We can put them at risk. Lets take her to the dungeon and wait for orders," yet another one suggested.
"Thanks for answering my question..." she muttered, as they escorted her down to the dungeon. They threw her not too gently in a cell, and slammed the door.
Meanwhile, Boostrot was put in a specialized cell. They chained him to the wall in steel bonds.
One of the guards boasts, "Heh... Not so tough now are you?"
Boost spits in him and says, "Go to hell!"
"You first..." He walked. out.
Boost is left for several minutes in the cell. Alone, in the darkness. He proceeds to cry, Knowing that he will stay there forever. He had lost hope, and he felt sorry for Currency having to suffer yet more at the helm of his mistakes.
A few more minutes passed. Boost heard the jail door above open, and hoofsteps coming down the stairs.
"Huh?" He looks up.
Princess Celestia descended the steps, and looked at Boost with slight contempt, while still holding the regality of a noble princess.
"Please, dont hurt me...," He said with tears flowing down his eyes. "I didn't mean to kill anyone..."
Celestia, after frowning at Boost, says, "I should like to hear it, you've killed too many good ponies for it to be a simple accident..."
He begins to cry more. "I'm a monster..."
Celestia slightly eased her expression at this statement. "Tell me boostrot... How came you to be like this?
"My father... He did this to me... He forced me to carry this curse..."
And soon enough, he explained all about his past to the princess, from his horrendous upbringing, to his time spent in the forest. As he relayed his tale, Celestia listened closely, asking to pause at several details every once in a while, then continue. At last, he finished. He looked at the floor in sadness.
"And how came you to be here my poor foal?"
"A long time ago, you rescued a pony. Lavender coat and red mane. Her name was Currency Compass. I found her cursed in the forest. I helped her. And I wondered if she could talk to you and clear this issue."
Celestia is left silent at this.
"Currency Compass? How?"
"She told me after she was shot by that beam, She became a shadow and she was forced to wander around the forest for a thousand years."
At the mention of this, a barely noticeable tear runs down Celestia's cheek.
A voice from behind Celestia says, "The one that saved you from me my sister?"
"The very same Luna."
Princess Luna emerged from the staircase, in almost equal splendor as Celestia. They both stared at Boost in a slightly bewildered manner.
"I don't want to stay here the rest of my life..." He said with tears rolling down his cheeks.
Celestia, taking a deep breath, stated, "Perhaps we won't let that happen.. You seen like the honest kind my friend... But first, tell us, how came you by our poor student?"
"When i was persecuted i took the decision of hiding in the Everfree Forest. After several days past, i encountered her, and she forgot her name and past."
"As a shadow I presume?", asked Luna, in a slightly mournful tune.
"Yes." He replied. He then delved into the details of his encounter with her, all up to the point of their entrance into Canterlot.
Celestia, her head bowed down, stated, "Clearly, we have made a mistake in seeing your intentions Boostrot. "
"Indeed," agreed Luna, "it seems that we now understand each other better now..."
"You are going to let me go? After all the murders i did?"
Celestia, after giving this a bit of thought, says, "well, perhaps not in that way, no. However, we acknowledge your relative innocence in the matter.
Luna then said, "We shall let you roam free Boostrot, on the condition that you do a task for us in the future, that may see you redeemed in the eyes of the kingdom."
"Ill do whatever i can." He said.
"We do not require anything of you yet Boostrot, but when the time comes, we will ask of it. But we owe you our gratitude, for saving our student."
Celestia stamped the ground, and boost's chains become undone.
He landed on the ground, got up, and proceeded to hug the princesses. "Thank you!" He cried. The guards brandished their weapons ready to attack Boost, but Luna holds her hoof up to stop them. Celestia pats boost on the back.
"Now then, you will stay here for the night, but you must decide to live in one town and one town only until your debt is settled. I will allow you to sleep on the matter. My sister and I need to talk with our student... Captain, escort Mr. Boostrot to his room please, and you will do well to remove any bounty or reward off his name."
"Yes princess." The captain replied. He did little more than shove Boost into his room before closing the door. Boost didn't care about it too much, and looked around the room. It was perhaps the best bedroom that Boost had ever seen, let alone stayed in. It had a comfy bed, very intricate decor, and full toiletry service.
"Awesome." He said to himself. He went to the bed and decided to take a rest. After wondering what conversation was going on between Currency and the princess'es, he rather quickly drifted off into a deep sleep."
Meanwhile, Currency was in her cell examining the bars of the cell, when the cell door opened. Princess Celestia walked in very slowly, and stood before Currency.
Currency looked up, and was lost for words at the sight of the princess of the sun once again, Celestia was as well.
After a brief moment of shock, Celestia says,
"Currency Compass...is that really you, my student?"
At this, Currency broke down, she crawled over to the princess and sobbed hysterically into her leg.
"Im...im sorry Princess Celestia...I failed you...please...."
Celestia held her hoof to her cheek, "Currency...you know very well that I would not be angry at you for that reason...you saved me, and you saved Equestria."
"No...its not that...," cried Currency. "I should have done something to prevent this whole thing from happening...I saw the signs! I knew something was going to happen! Why didn't i just..." the rest of her ramblings are lost in muffled sobs.
Celestia, sighing at this development, then said, "Currency, get up please. You know as well as I do that it never does good to dwell on the past. That has always been a flaw of yours...but fear my student, all is well again! And thanks to your sacrifice, you protected Equestria from being covered in a dawnless day, and you made possible the reclamation of my sister."
Currency looked up. "Wait...reclamation?"
"Yes, it is I...", Luna declared from behind Celestia.
Upon seeing Princess Luna for the first time in centuries, Currency was completely overwhelmed in shock, and began to back away from her.
"Princess Celestia, look out!"
"My sister is whole once again Currency...the Princess of Friendship and the Mane Six have seen to that, Nightmare Moon has fallen."
"I have my own regrets," implored Luna. "But as my sister said, it does not do well to dwell on the past, ere we suffer more."
Currency calmed down, replied, "Your...your right Princess...i'm sorry...i've forgotten my teachings...". Ive lost so much to this feud...my home, my family, B...br...." she is silent again.
Celestia knelt down to her. "But now, we can rebuild. We can restore that which we have lost long ago." Will you aid Equestria again, much like you did all those years ago?"
Currency Considered this thought for a bit. "Yes...i will...I will help to make Equestria the best it could be!" Just like...the old days...".
"That is the spirit Currency," replied Luna. "But there remains the matter of if you wish to stay here with us, or to go off on your own. I believe that the time has come, your test has been passed. But if you wish to remain here, we will not stop you."
Currency, having stood up, considers this decision for a minute. She then responds,
"I think the time is right Princess...I need to develop and grow more by living on my own, and see what fate has in store for me. Maybe I can even live with Boostrot for a while, until I find a house and job on my own. My story is far from over..."
At this, Celestia and Luna smiled.
"You have grown wise beyond your years my student...perhaps you will lend your expertise to those that need help indeed... but first, let us speak of what has become of Equestria since your "leave of absence.""
And at that, The princesses relayed much of the events that occurred between the banishment of Nightmare Moon up to the present day, including the emergence of the Princess of Friendship and the Mane Six, and their victories over some of Equestria's darkest foes in the name of friendship.
After they finished, Currency was silent, thinking about all that happened.
"Princess, i think i know where i want to live now...where my destiny lies. Its not looking back towards my homeland in the Crystal Empire...it's ahead."
Luna answered, "And where would that be Currency?"
"Ponyville." she replied.