The Alicorn Spire province was in quite a tizzy as we flew back to Canterlot in the chariots that had been waiting for us outside of the Everfree Forest.
Weather ponies, fire ponies, and volunteers alike were rushing beneath us trying to contain the forest fire I’d started. That wasn’t exactly part of the plan but Maelstrom had deemed allowing me to do so was necessary to ensure the pursuit felt authentic. Much to Sunny’s dismay, of course.
The question of whether Lightning Hammer made it out alive played on my mind. I hoped so. I didn’t actually hold the fact he’d killed me against him. Somepony would have to find him at some point, although it would be better for Princess Luna to do that via a dream than looking for him in person.
That could be achieved in its own time. Without Maristella’s influence, I doubted Lightning would be a threat to anypony. There were other more important things to handle now.
I gently stroked Ferrel’s mane. She looked as if she was sleeping peacefully beside me on the transport. Dream Pop had tightened the cloak around her and did her best to make her presentable.
Guilt weighed heavily on me. My friend was dead and of all the emotions I could have felt, the prevailing one was relief. The whole nightmare was finally over. There was no dark alicorn sitting on the horizon and scheming. This was closure for a whole chapter of my life.
Everything bad that had been tied up in this affair was now behind me. The assassination, the war, and this final mission were all falling further into the background of my mind just as the Castle of the Two Sisters was in reality.
And yet, here I was, riding in a military chariot with the body of another dead warrior next to me. No… not another dead warrior: Ferrel. A pony as close to me as most ponies could get.
The chassis jolted as we landed on the cobblestones of the palace courtyard. After another moment, the chariot came to a stop and I stood. “Get the wounded to the infirmary first,” I ordered, looking over at Gray Maelstrom. “And I won’t take no for an answer.”
At the back of the cabin, the wooden ramp came down. Two of my dragoons helped Gray Maelstrom up and led her out into the sunlight. Miley Hooves and Midnight Snow went next.
Dream Pop was lingering. I’d taken the seat next to Ferrel and she’d taken the one across. Dealing with death and loss was part of her job. I doubted that made it any easier for her when it was personal, though.
Tranquil Dusk shifted over to her side and stroked her mane. “Come now, she wouldn’t want you to be sad. Let’s go out together and celebrate that she chose to die doing something amazing.”
The earth pony softly sniffled but nodded. She looped a hoof around Tranquil and the two went out together.
Sunny trotted over and set a hoof on my shoulder. “Are you going to be okay?”
I nodded and met her gaze. “I am, actually. I really am. Thanks, partner.”
She smiled and nodded right back. “Anything for you. I’ll give you two a minute,” she said before leaning in to press a soft kiss to my cheek. Then she left us alone.
Ferrel and me, once again together. She’d saved my life when it would have most certainly been cut short. I hadn’t been able to save hers. It was as Tranquil said, though. She’d died in the right way for the right reason. But that didn’t make it any easier.
I rose from my seat and shifted to attention in front of her. “I want you to know that even though I may have blamed you for my problems, I always thought of you as my friend. Things weren’t always right between us and the alicorns know I wasn’t fair, but for what it is worth, I truly am sorry.
“I am sorry that we won’t get to enjoy peace together. I’m sorry that our lives weren’t different… but I am not sorry for having known you. It has been an honor and a privilege. You are the kind of pony we should all hope to be.”
I stroked her mane before pulling the cloak tighter around her shoulders. “I hope that you have as peaceful a rest as I did. All of your concerns are long gone and you did it. You saved Equestria. May you only know sweet dreams now.”
Without fear or hesitation, I pulled the ruined dragoon helmet from the container under the bench and slipped it on. Whatever power it held was gone now, and a soldier should not be out of uniform.
One more breath, Silent Knight. A deep one in and out to calm the nerves. A moment to compose yourself so that you can be the pony everypony else needs to see one more time. One more time for them.
Stepping outside, I saw that the courtyard was full of ponies. Hundreds of ponies. They were all crowded around a perimeter that had been set up by the palace guard. Had they been summoned here, or was there some sort of instinct that brought them?
My eyes flicked over the horde that was waiting expectantly for some word from us. It was a solemn, fearful crowd. It was unlikely they knew what we’d been up to, but perhaps they could feel it the same way they’d felt in during the Summer Sun Celebration so many years ago.
To my right, I saw that the other chariot had unloaded. Twilight Sparkle, her friends, and the rest of the ponies that had gone with us were looking around in confusion as well. None of us had expected such a greet.
Princess Luna and a small group of house guards strode through the crowd, making their way towards us. Iridescence was in the lead, looking relieved to see me. Despite that, and for the benefit of all in attendance, she kept a professional demeanor.
The soldiers I had with me stiffened to attention and the civilians bowed as the alicorn reached us.
“Report, Major,” Princess Luna said softly.
“Mission accomplished, Princess… but not without consequence,” I replied before slowly turning and indicating to the cloak-draped unicorn in the back of the chariot.
The princess looked visibly pained but I could see the relief in her. The tension in her muscles slowly relaxed. She then motioned to her house guards. “Iridescence, see to our fallen heroine.”
Iridescence nodded. “Yes, Princess.” She turned to two of her guards and sent them off for a stretcher.
Princess Luna stood tall and looked to the crowd of ponies all around. “Citizens of Equestria. You were drawn here this day due to an ill wind in the air. Far below, you see the flames in the Everfree. You sensed, rightly, that something was amiss.
“Know this: your instincts were right. The world was in peril, but fear no more! All is now well. That which sought to destroy harmony has been laid low by these ponies. Never again shall those forces trouble us. Go home and rest easy, for soon we will celebrate and commemorate this day.”
The crowd burst into cheers of relief and joy. It was infectious, but I, of course, did not react visibly. This was the end. It was all finally over.
“Major Knight, if you and your unit will join me inside. Princess Celestia wishes to hear the account of what happened,” the princess said as she turned back towards the palace.
“Yes, Princess,” I replied before gesturing for everypony else to follow.
Everypony went past us, following the princess through the main entrance. I lingered a bit longer, watching the house guards carefully transfer Ferrel to a stretcher and then carry her towards the infirmary.
That was always one of the hardest parts of command. When soldiers died, you had to keep going. The next meter, the next report, the next battle. It never stopped. We would honor Ferrel, though. I would make certain of that.
I was the last pony to shuffle into Princess Celestia’s study. It wasn’t the best place to house so many of us, but this seemed to be where she was spending her time since returning me to life.
Her pink mane was pulled up in a bun and she was settled on a large, comfy pillow. She looked up at me and smiled as I came in. “I am pleased to hear that your mission was a success and that you survived your own trap.”
“Yes, Princess. I did so but only with the help of all of these wonderful ponies. Without them, I would have failed, and Equestria would be at war with Maristella and myself,” I replied.
The princess nodded. “Indeed, but Luna and I put our trust in you all. You have our confidence. Now, everypony, please make yourself comfortable and tell us everything. The sooner we are done, the sooner we can return you to your loved ones.”
☾
The debrief with the princesses took far too long for my liking. Everypony had wanted to share their part, and Twilight Sparkle had been very meticulous and detailed with the account. As unreliable as eye witnesses tended to be, she was an outlier. At some point, she’d even had time to take notes.
Once we were finally done, the exhaustion and fatigue from the past few days was starting to catch up to me. I was filthy, grimy, and covered in what felt like some kind of oil. It was time to wash away the reminders from what I’d been through.
I sought refuge in the basement of the palace where the Royal Guard gym and locker facilities had always been. It was a place I’d spent many hours making sure I was in shape. As much as I wanted to head upstairs to the gathering that was waiting, I needed a moment to myself.
When I arrived, the whole shower area was empty and virtually silent. The only noise that hit my ears was the repetitive drip of water from a leaky faucet. I turned the shower on in the nearest stall and stepped under the water.
The warmth of it was welcome on my sore muscles. At first, I didn’t move. I just let it hit me and wash away the grime. It struck me then that for the first time in a long while, I felt as if I was home. I was even comfortable.
Over the years, I’d grown accustomed to a base level of anxiety and stress. It was, most likely, the darkness nipping at my thoughts. That and all of the shock from years of violence. Here, however, in the basement of the palace I’d grown my career in, I felt calm.
This was where I belonged. That was something I should have realized years ago. It wouldn’t have changed anything, but at least I might have sought refuge. That would be a lesson I’d remember from now on regardless of where life led me.
Time got away from me and I realized that I’d been keeping everypony else waiting. It was time to get over the next hurdle. It was time to face Crystal and my friends. Even though Midnight Snow had removed the memory block, I was still aware of both the real and false memories from the last few days of my life.
If I’d ever empathized with Ferrel, it was now. There was a mix of timelines in my head that were wholly indistinguishable. To me, my fight with Crystal, while fictional, still felt real.
The only reason I knew it wasn’t was because I had concocted the script myself to do the most possible damage to my own psyche. That knowledge wasn’t helpful on an emotional level, however. Rationally, I knew it wasn’t real, but that didn’t take the memory away.
I would forever remember a fight that never existed. A bitter fight where she told me to go. A fight so awful that I begged her to take me back. I begged her to let me give up everything just to be with her. A fight where that begging wasn’t enough and she still sent me away. I had to live with that. A reward for what I’d put her through.
When I reached the main level of the palace, the sound of ponies in armor snapping to attention drew me back to reality. The hallway that led from the stairs to the smaller ballroom was lined with palace and house guards along either side.
“Present arms!” the nearest one ordered and everypony along the line brought a hoof up in a sharp salute.
It was a surprise. This was the kind of honor reserved for a dignitary. I put on my best officer’s face and started to march down between them, heading for the large double doors at the end of the hall.
I barely recognized a single face but just seeing so many young, proud guards gave me peace. So many of them gazed at me with the reverence that I had once reserved for Shining Armor and other outstanding ponies like him. The final two guards in the formation pulled the doors open and I trotted through.
My momentum was stopped when I was immediately hit by the force of a petite, sobbing unicorn mare throwing herself bodily into me. Crystal’s form pressed tightly to mine as her hooves linked behind my neck to hold on.
If I had had doubts about which memory was real, they were gone now. “It’s okay, honey. It’s all over now,” I whispered to her as my own hooves found her back to gently stroke and comfort.
She nodded, wiping warm tears into my neck. “I’m so sorry for what I said, Silent,” she whispered.
I shook my head and squeezed her tightly. “You have no reason to be. You played the role you were asked to play. It worked and I came out of it alright thanks to Sunny and the rest. Everything is going to be fine now. We can move forwards.”
“Okay,” she whispered before sitting up and dotting my lips with a kiss. Even with tears and twinges of red, her eyes were as beautiful as ever. Big, hazel, and full of love for me.
If Harmony had put me through all of the hardships of the last few years just for me to earn the right to look into my wife’s eyes, it had been worth it. All of it had been worth it.
A sniffle caught my attention. Winterspear was nearby and had clearly been waiting, as patiently as she could, for her turn. That patience seemed to have run out as she hurried over to us. My sister nestled in against us and slipped her hooves around me, too. “You’re either the luckiest or stupidest stallion I’ve ever met,” she whispered.
I nuzzled her. “I like to think I’m pretty lucky. After all, I have you for a sister and Crystal for a wife. That alone would be more than most ponies could ask for.”
My sister smooshed my face with a hoof. “That is too sappy for Silent Knight. Who’re you?”
“Just a sappy pony,” I whispered while I hugged the two of them.
“That’s new,” came Iridescence’s voice. She smiled at me and winked. She’d been just outside the periphery of my vision. She and a whole lot of other ponies that were making contented, happy sounds at our reunion.
I was the last one to the party seeing as the room was full of ponies. Ponies that I knew and loved. They were all having their own homecomings and the excited conversations were already in full swing.
Sunny was recounting her victories to Azurite and Soarin. She was on her hindlegs, wildly gesturing with her forehooves and going over every detail. Azurite, who was plopped down between Soarin’s forelegs, was just staring with awe and amazement.
In stark contrast, Dream Pop and Miley Hooves were having a rather mellow discussion with Applejack and Pinkie Pie. There was a lot less gesturing and shouting.
Eventually, Dream Pop caught my eye and our gazes met. She was still in pain, I could see that, but she made a little gesture, tapping her hoof to her heart before smiling at me. I did the same back.
My gaze then moved on to Twilight Sparkle. She wasn’t talking to anypony. In fact, she was glaring at Sunny Day.
“And so I yelled, ‘suck it, Twilight! I’ve got a magic sword!’ and charged!” Sunny was explaining rather loudly.
Off to my left, there was a subtle shift of pink. Princess Celestia was moving over from the refreshment table to one of the seating areas. She settled onto one of the large pillows, her attention clearly focused on her students.
“Sunny Day!” Twilight Sparkle called out, silencing all the happy reunions in the room.
“Huh?” Sunny replied, turning around as Twilight marched over to her.
“I’m starting to get the impression that you’re actually being rude to me. When I think it over, you’re always pretty short and snarky. I always chalked it up to you being you, but you’re making this story out like I’m the bad pony!” Twilight accused.
Sunny’s nose wiggled and she faced off with the other unicorn. “For being the smartest pony in school, you’re pretty slow for just figuring this all out now.”
There was a soft crunch off on the left. Crystal, Winterspear, and I turned. Princess Celestia had popcorn. When she noticed us looking she not so subtly hid it under a wing.
“How rude! What did I ever do to you? Is this really all about that stupid game of spin the bottle?” Twilight asked.
“What? No! This is all about everypony expecting me to be you. Oh Twilight this, Twilight that! You were sooo great and I was sooo not. And yes! The bottle landed on me! You spun it! If you weren’t going to kiss somepony, don’t spin the bottle, Twilight!” Sunny shot back.
“Now y’all calm down a bit here,” Applejack put in.
Over the years of war, I’d learned that ponies deal with stress in odd ways. Tumble sometimes slept under his cot. Brynja had to dance every so often. Not that I had any room to cast judgment. Sometimes it just bubbles up. This just seemed like an inappropriate time for it to do so.
“I’m not going to apologize for studying hard and becoming the favorite student!” Twilight shouted.
Princess Celestia softly whispered, “Oh my.”
Sunny sputtered. “Favorite! Favorite? I’m the favorite! You’re just… the smartest! Look at you with your ability to cast every spell. So can Midnight Snow! Not so special now, huh?”
Soarin idly looped a hoof around Sunny’s chest, pulling her back as the mare flailed a hoof.
“Don’t bring me into this,” Midnight Snow said absently from where she stood at the sweets table with Princess Luna. A princess who looked no more concerned than her sister. Evidently, they knew to stay out of an argument between two mares.
“Crabapples!” Twilight shouted before taking another step forward. She practically went nose-to-nose with Sunny. That wasn’t something I’d have recommended to her. She was a powerful wizard, but Sunny was a guard and if it came to hooves, I was betting on Sunny.
“Look here, you loose, over-glittered, showboat of a mare! If you want to settle this, let’s settle it, because we need to be able to work together. We should be friends! Don’t you know that friendship is magic?” Twilight yelled.
“Over-glittered! There is no such thing as over-glittered!” Sunny bellowed, evidently missing the other parts. “Fine! You want to be friends?”
“Yes!” Twilight replied, exacerbated.
“You really want to be friends with me?” Sunny yelled, struggling against Soarin’s grasp.
“I said yes!” Twilight yelled back.
“Then finish the game, you purple prude!” Sunny huffed.
Twilight Sparkle sputtered and blinked. “What do you mean? Did you hit your head out there?”
“Finish the game, Twilight! Kiss this loose, over-glittered, showboat and that’s that. I’ll be nice! I’ll be your friend. Do it… unless you’re chicken,” Sunny challenged.
“I’m not chicken! If that is what it takes, I’ll do it!” Twilight replied, glaring all the while.
There were several soft crunches from the princess’s direction. I didn’t look, though. I have no shame in admitting there was zero chance I was going to miss Sunny and Twilight kissing.
The two ponies leaned in towards each other, glaring the whole time. Before their lips could meet, however, a little blue blur hopped in the way. Twilight’s lips ended up on Azurite’s while Sunny’s found the back of her mane.
“Nopony kisses Sunny but me!” Azurite squeaked.
Soarin cleared his throat. “And…”
“And him! Now, I’m tired of you two fighting! Enough is enough! Twilight, Sunny is jealous of you and always feels like she’s in your shadow,” Azurite explained before turning around on Sunny. “And Sunny! You know very well that Twilight is super nice and never did anything maliciously against you. At worst, she accidentally did it. So you need to be a big pony and move on.”
Twilight’s cheeks flushed. “I… I’m sorry Sunny. I didn’t mean to make you feel that way.”
Sunny tipped her nose up, but not so high that I couldn’t see her expression softening.
Azurite warned, “Sunny… Be good! Shake hooves and act like adults.”
Sunny grumbled but offered her hoof obediently. “Friends?”
Twilight bumped it. “Yes, and if you act out, I’ll remind everypony that I kissed your marefriend.”
Sunny’s jaw dropped but before she could reply, Soarin pulled her back over against himself, dipped her, and calmly said, “And you kissed Twilight’s prom date two years in a row, if I recall.” Before Sunny could retort, he then planted a big kiss on her.
“Wait, what!” Twilight exclaimed.
Princess Luna cleared her throat. “Ponies, as interesting as that was, I’d like to say a few words before sending you home with your loved ones.”
The prospect of a royal address ended any further debate. We all fell silent and turned our attention to the princess.
“It has been a troublesome couple of years to say the least. This kingdom as a whole has been in turmoil with unknown threats looming in the shadows. And yet, despite that, we have prevailed. Through all of the events, we have prevailed.
“Many of you have sacrificed a great deal in the service of this kingdom, but, more importantly, in the service of Harmony. Without you, I do not know where we’d be. The darkness that has loomed over our shoulder is now gone. We may rest easy.”
She turned to her sister and smiled. “Celestia and I have decided that all that is known of the past and the present shall be known to all ponies. We will not hide this from those we protect. Tomorrow, we will go to the newspapers and tell this story.
“In doing so, you may become celebrities. Your names will be known forever. Be proud of what you’ve done, but remember what price was paid for it. Despite that, in time, we will celebrate this day as a victory. Thank you, friends, one and all.”
We softly stomped our hooves. I didn’t much care for the idea of being in the newspaper, but perhaps it would push Dread Knight out. That could be positive. I stood and looped one wing around Crystal and the other around Winterspear.
Most everypony else looked as exhausted as I felt and started to politely excuse themselves. That seemed like an excellent idea. I could debate the finer points of what life held for me later. For now, I just wanted to go home. To my new house. “Let’s go.”
“Okay,” Crystal whispered as she nestled to my side.
Winterspear nodded in agreement as well.
On the way out, we exchanged parting words with everypony. Princess Luna kept hers brief, adding a soft ruffling of my mane and a light kiss on my cheek. She knew I was tired.
Iridescence sent Winterspear off with a kiss but remained behind to continue her shift and do her duty.
We didn’t say a word on our walk through Canterlot. It wasn’t the time. Most of the ponies out on the street were celebrating a victory they didn’t understand but that was okay. All they knew was that oppressive feeling was gone.
Our house was dark and still when we arrived. It appeared unlived in.
Crystal saw my confused look. “I didn’t want to be in our home while we were apart. I stayed with Velvet,” she admitted.
“I understand,” I replied truthfully. This was the house we’d rebuilt together. So much of us as a couple was in it. Living here alone would be an affront to that. Especially while one of us was out in danger.
When we reached the door, Winterspear lingered at the threshold. “If you two would rather be alone, I could come back tomorrow,” she said as flatly as she could, trying to hide her emotions.
“Don’t be silly,” Crystal replied before grabbing my sister by the hoof and tugging her forwards. “Tonight, we’ll all be together. Maybe a few nights. A month. Whatever we need. I’ve got him for the rest of his life now and it is starting to look like that is going to be a long time.”
She was right about that. I hadn’t taken a new job and Maristella was defeated. No matter what I did, I wouldn’t let it pull me away from my family.
At the heart of the living room was a large piece of furniture with a sheet draped over it.
Crystal sheepishly went over to it and ran a hoof along the back. “This was delivered yesterday. I wanted to get you a housewarming gift. Something that you’d love. I know it seems silly, but when you told me you’d come back I just accepted it as fact and went out to buy this.”
That sentiment brought warmth to my cheeks. I trotted over and kissed her softly. “Thank you. I can’t wait to see it.”
Winterspear softly flapped her wings and came to a stop over the sheet. She reached down and grabbed it before slowly flying up and revealing a large couch.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed. It truly was. I’d never seen anything like it before. This was a couch large enough for a pegasus stallion! The cushions were wide and thick and, most important of all, there were not dainty legs like on unicorn furniture.
Without a moment of hesitation, I flopped on it and stretched out. It was so large I couldn’t even reach both ends with my hooves and the cushions were so soft I immediately felt the stress start to drain out of my body.
Crystal came over, nestled up against one of the arms, and urged me to settle my head against her lap. “I bought it in Cloudsdale. Winterspear helped. There are clouds in the cushions.”
Winterspear landed on the other side and settled. She grabbed one of my hindhooves and started rubbing it. “Yup! I knew you’d like it!”
“I love it,” I replied before closing my eyes and enjoying the sensation of Crystal rubbing my mane and Winterspear rubbing my hoof. “Thank you both. I promise to never put you through anything like this again.”
Crystal giggled and tapped my head. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Who knows. Perhaps another alicorn has a plan for you.” She was joking, but there was a little struggle in it. Almost as if she was afraid it wasn’t a joke.
I snorted. “They can find somepony else. Let them take Winterspear, it is her turn.”
“No, thank you. I’ll admit that I used to be jealous of you and your… whatever this was. Now I’m quite happy with my life. Let’s just keep things nice and quiet. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Crystal and I replied in unison.